1.
GV PAN People buying palms outside St. Peter's Square
0.16

2.
CU Nun looking at palm stalk
0.26

3.
GV Pope reading sermon
0.37

4.
SV PAN Churchmen seated during service
0.40

5.
GV Pope giving blessing and sitting
0.48

6.
SV Palms waved during service PAN TO Pope receiving mitre
1.00

7.
CU Bishop holding palm front ZOOM OUT TO GV Churchmen
1.04

8.
SV Pope blessing palms
1.15



Initials SC/202 SC/216



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Today (Sunday, 7 April) is Palm Sunday, the last Sunday in Lent -- which marks the start of Holy Week in the Roman Catholic Church.

To commemorate the traditional occasion, Pope Paul celebrated Mass at St. Peter's Basilica, and also distributed palm and olive branches to Cardinals and Bishops. The rite recalls Jesus Christ's triumphal entrance to Jerusalem, when crowds laid down palm leaves and olive benches for His donkey to walk on.

Thousands of Roman Catholic faithful -- their crowds swelled by tourists of many other religions -- gathered in St. Peter's Square to celebrate Palm Sunday.