JERUSALEM (CWNews.com) - Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass on March 23 in the Cenacle-- the «upper room» in Jerusalem that is believed to be the site of the Last Supper.
The building in which the Cenacle is located is administered by the Israeli government. There is a «lower room,» said to mark the tomb of King David, which is the object of pilgrimages for Jewish believers; the building is also the site of a 14th century Franciscan convent.
The Cenacle itself is a small Gothic chapel which also dates back to the 14th century. There the Holy Father concelebrated Mass with a dozen bishops from the Holy Land. After the Mass, John Paul spoke of the «profound emotion» he felt as he said the words of Consecration in the place where they were first said by Jesus himself. The Pope observed that the Eucharist, instituted in that spot, is «the greatest treasure of the Church.»
The Holy Father also indicated that as he celebrated the Mass at the Cenacle, he was thinking of all the world's priests. Each year, the Pope addresses a letter to the priests of the world, usually signed on Holy Thursday as the Church celebrates the institution of the Holy Eucharist. This year, John Paul signed the letter after his Mass at the Cenacle.
The Pope also observed that he was keenly aware of his role as the successor to St. Peter. «In a certain sense,» he said, «Peter and the apostles, through their successors, have come to the upper room of the Cenacle again today to profess the eternal faith of the Church: Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.»
Catholic World News Service - Vatican Update