Editing Passion of Jesus (section)

==Liturgical use==
[[File:Arma Christi 1468 Wald am Arlberg VLM.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Arma Christi]] on the back of an Austrian [[altarpiece]] of 1468.]]

{{Main|Holy Week}}
Most Christian denominations will read one or more narratives of the Passion during [[Holy Week]], especially on [[Good Friday]]. In the [[Roman Rite]] of the Catholic Church, a large cross depicting the crucified Christ is brought out into the church and each of the faithful come forward to [[venerate]] the cross. Rather than having the Gospel read solely by the priest, whole congregations participate in the reading of the Passion Gospel during the [[Palm Sunday]] Mass and the Good Friday service. These readings have the Priest read the part of Christ, a narrator read the narrative, other reader(s) reading the other speaking parts, and either the choir or the congregation reading the parts of crowds (i.e.: when the crowd shouts "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!").<ref>Today's Missal: Holy Week&nbsp;– Pentecost, March 14 – May 17, 2008, Oregon Catholic Press</ref>

In the [[Byzantine Rite]] of the Eastern Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Churches, the [[Matins]] service for Good Friday is called ''Matins of the Twelve Passion Gospels'', and is notable for the interspersal of twelve readings from the [[Gospel Book]] detailing chronologically the events of the Passion – from the [[Last Supper]] to the burial in the [[Holy Sepulchre|tomb]] – during the course of the service. The first of these twelve readings is the longest Gospel reading of the entire [[liturgical year]]. In addition, every Wednesday and Friday throughout the year is dedicated in part to the commemoration of the Passion.<ref>{{Cite book
 | last =Sokolof
 | first =[[Archpriest]] D.
 | year =1962
 | publication-date=2001
 | title =A Manual of the Orthodox Church's Divine Services
 | series =3rd printing (re-edited)
 | page =35
 | place =[[Jordanville, N.Y.]]
 | publisher =[[Holy Trinity Monastery (Jordanville, New York)|Holy Trinity Monastery]]
 }}
</ref>

During [[Holy Week]]/[[Passion Week]] Congregations of the [[Moravian Church]] ([[Herrnhut]]er Bruedergemeine) read the entire story of Jesus's final week from a Harmony of the Gospels prepared for that purpose since 1777. Daily meetings are held, some times two or three times a day, to follow the events of the day. During the course of the reading, the Congregation sings hymn verses to respond to the events of the text.

Most liturgical churches hold some form of commemoration of the Crucifixion on the afternoon of Good Friday. Sometimes, this will take the form of a [[vigil]] from noon to 3:00 pm, the approximate time that Jesus hung on the cross. Sometimes there will be a reenactment of the [[Descent from the Cross]]; for instance, at [[Vespers]] in the Byzantine (Eastern Orthodox and Greek-Catholic) tradition.
[[File:Christ Carrying the Cross 1580.jpg|thumb|right|[[El Greco]]'s ''Jesus Carrying the Cross'', 1580.]]