Orthodox Christians round the world have marked the start of the 40 day Lenten period with the Ash Wednesday ceremony today.
This ceremony involves placing of ash on the forehead of congregants by Priests symbolizing dust from which they were created and to which they would return.
As the priest applies the ashes to a person's forehead, he speaks the words: "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return."
The ashes are typically made from burning special crosses which were made from palm wood used in the Palm Sunday celeberation from the previous year.
The Lenten Period according to the Conference of Bishops is a period of “fasting, prayer, almsgiving and reflection” for christian faithful all over the world.
During this period, Christians are encouraged to abstain from luxuries but to closely seek the will of Christ more faithfully.
They also seek forgiveness during this time as they prepare to celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus, upon whom the Christian faith has its foundations at the end of the 40-day period.
This year’s ceremony has however been overshadowed by Pope Francis’s long stay in hospital as he continues to recover from a respiratory issue.
His illness has meant that the pope has already missed a number of Church events, including a March 5 service known as Ash Wednesday, which marks the start of a 40-day period leading to Easter Sunday and which he normally presides over.
The 88 year old Pontiff has experienced several bouts of ill health over the last two years and is prone to lung infections because he had pleurisy as a young adult and had part of one lung removed.
Catholic faithful all over the world continue to pray for his recovery while eagerly awaiting updates about his health.
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Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for April 16th, covering the latest developments you need to know.
A mob attack on an Ahmadi place of worship in Karachi has left one man dead, highlighting ongoing persecution of the minority group.
A Russian court has sentenced 19-year-old Darya Kozyreva to nearly three years in prison for protesting the war in Ukraine using poetry and graffiti.
The new U.S. ambassador to Japan has called for closer military coordination with Tokyo, framing the alliance as crucial amid rising regional tensions and ongoing trade disputes.
Students in Serbia have rallied outside a police station as Belgrade University’s rector is questioned over support for anti-government protests.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov extended Moscow’s support for the ongoing indirect nuclear talks between the United States and Iran, offering to mediate or assist in any way that would be beneficial to Tehran and acceptable to Washington.
A mob attack on an Ahmadi place of worship in Karachi has left one man dead, highlighting ongoing persecution of the minority group.
A Russian court has sentenced 19-year-old Darya Kozyreva to nearly three years in prison for protesting the war in Ukraine using poetry and graffiti.
The new U.S. ambassador to Japan has called for closer military coordination with Tokyo, framing the alliance as crucial amid rising regional tensions and ongoing trade disputes.
Students in Serbia have rallied outside a police station as Belgrade University’s rector is questioned over support for anti-government protests.
OpenAI has unveiled a new option called Flex processing, an API service designed to provide more affordable AI model usage in exchange for slower response times and occasional resource unavailability.
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