Page:Holyweek1891.djvu/6

2 The entire Friday night was spent in prayer in honor of the Burial of our Lord. Saturday night the faithful remained in church assisting at the final preparation of the Catechumens, at their Baptism, and then at the Holy Sacrifice.

The Holy Week was distinguished likewise by an entire cessation from servile labor—an obligation imposed by the civil as well as the ecclesiastical law. The people, weakened by the long and arduous Lenten Fast, needed all their remaining strength for the celebration of the Divine Offices and for prayer in commemoration of the sufferings of Christ.

By a decree of Theodosius, A. D. 389, all law business and all pleadings were forbidden during the seven days preceding and the seven days following Easter. The only exception made was for the legal process necessary in emancipating slaves. The Church obliged Christian masters to give their slaves entire rest from labor during this fortnight.

In remembrance of the goodness of God in pardoning the sins of the world, Christian Princes during Holy Week released all prisoners except those who would be dangerous to the community. St. Leo commenting on this practice exhorts Christian people to emulate this clemency of their rulers and to forgive one another their private wrongs. We learn from the Capitularies of Charlemagne, that Bishops had the right to exact of Judges for the love of Jesus Christ, the release of prisoners. If their demand were refused they could deny admission to the church to the one refusing. As late as the past century the Parliament of Paris on Tuesday of Holy Week, used to go to the Palace prisons and discharge all prisoners whose case seemed favorable or who were not guilty