History of Holy Week in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: May 17, 2024

Holy Week, the holiest week in the Christian calendar, is a moveable observance celebrated by all Christian denominations. In Eastern Christianity, also known as Great Week, it follows Great Lent and Lazarus Saturday, commencing on Palm Sunday evening and ending on Great Saturday evening. In Western Christianity, it marks Lent's final week, starting on Palm Sunday and concluding on Holy Saturday.

1955: Name Change for Palm Sunday

In 1955, the Roman Rite renamed Palm Sunday to Second Sunday in Passiontide or Palm Sunday. This followed the pre-1955 convention where it was simply known as Palm Sunday.

1960: Feast Reduced to Commemoration

Pope John XXIII reduced the Feast of the Seven Sorrows of Mary to a commemoration with the 1960 Code of Rubrics.

1962: Tridentine Mass Calendar Observance

The Tridentine Mass calendar of 1962, still permitted under certain circumstances as of 2007, gives Our Lady of Sorrows a commemoration within the Friday liturgy.

1969: Removal of the Feast of the Seven Sorrows of Mary

The Feast of the Seven Sorrows of Mary, celebrated on the Friday before Palm Sunday, was removed from the General Roman Calendar in 1969 to avoid duplication with the September feast.

1971: Palm Sunday Name Reverted

The Roman Rite reverted the name of Second Sunday in Passiontide or Palm Sunday back to Palm Sunday in 1971.

1999: Plenary Indulgence Granted

In 1999, the Enchiridion Indulgentiarum granted plenary indulgence once a day in specific cases within the Roman Catholic Church.

2002: Alternative Collect Provided

Pope John Paul II's 2002 edition of the Roman Missal provided an alternative collect for the Friday before Palm Sunday, effectively granting the Lenten celebration of Our Lady of Sorrow the rank of memorial.

2007: Summorum Pontificum Document

The 2007 document Summorum Pontificum outlined circumstances under which observing the Tridentine Mass calendar of 1962 is permitted.

2011: Change in Easter Proclamation Text

Until Easter 2011, the official English text during the Easter Proclamation was "Christ our Light", which changed to "The Light of Christ" after 2011.