Pope Francis is set to return to the Casal del Marmo juvenile prison on Holy Thursday to celebrate the Mass of the Lord’s Supper with inmates, the same location where he celebrated his first Easter Triduum service fifteen days after his election in 2013. Despite his recent hospitalization for infectious bronchitis, the Pope is determined to carry out his Holy Week agenda. The Holy See Press Office has confirmed that the celebrations will proceed as scheduled, with the Pope presiding over the Easter liturgies alongside a cardinal at the altar.
The Holy Week celebrations will begin with the Palm Sunday Mass, which will be celebrated by Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, the vice dean of the College of Cardinals. The Chrism Mass in Saint Peter’s Basilica will follow on Holy Thursday, followed by the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, during which the Pope will perform the traditional washing of feet. While the celebration at the Casal del Marmo juvenile prison will not be open to the general public, it will be live-streamed, allowing viewers worldwide to participate in the ceremony.