There's Nothing Quite Like a Two Hour Long Mass

For Palm Sunday, I decided I would save the Vatican crowd of the big show on Easter. So it was off to Basilica San Paolo (St. Paul Outside the Walls). There are two things about Palm Sunday you should know.

The first thing is about the palm branches. They are actual branches from what seems like the lesser-known palm bush.

Not a single strand of Palm leaf to be crafted into an origami cross. Just palm twigs; to be carried around and nothing else.

The second thing, at least at San Paolo, was that they like to sing. And by sing I mean Gregorian chant style.

And what do they sing?, you might ask. They sang the entire Passion of Christ according to Luke. In Italian. In monotone. For an hour.

With no palm leaves to fold into origami crosses.

Week 11 photos can be found here.