The Orthodox Christians entered the Holy Week of Passion Week that is the last week of Lent. It marks the culmination of the sufferings of Jesus Christ and his Apostles, as well as the spiritual sufferings of Eastern Christians. The following 7 days represent the most special week of the church year, the bishop of the Chisinau Church “Sfanta Teodora de la Sihla” Ioan Ciuntu stated for IPN.
“Before the crucifixion of our Savior, there were crucified many people, but they were crucified for the wars they waged, while Jesus Christ was the one who came only with good thoughts for the people and worked miracles. This week reconstructs steps by step the events that occurred two millenniums ago. These are special days on which holy services are held in churches,” said Ioan Ciuntu.
According to the bishop of the Romanian Orthodox cathedral “Sfanta Teodora de la Sihla”, this week should be moderate, calm, peaceful, with a lot of wisdom and prayer. It is a week of inner peace, love, kindness and care for those in need.
In some countries, like Germany, Holy Friday is a nonworking day and all the institution and businesses are closed. In Moldova, the people do not devote the necessary attention to these days. Those who are able to are urged to fast on Holy Friday. By tradition, one should eat three olives that remind of the olive trees from the Garden of Gethsemane and that mean ‘Saint Trinity’, explained the priest.
Holy Week liturgies generally attract the largest crowds of the year. Many Christian cultures have different traditions such as special liturgies or services, floats, sculptures or live reenactments of Christ’s life, his arrest and crucifixion (also called the Lord’s passion, the Passion of Christ or Passion of Jesus).
Over 90% of the citizens of the Republic of Moldova are Orthodox Christians.
