Pope Leo XIV has opened Holy Week by celebrating Palm Sunday before a vast congregation of tens of thousands in St. Peter's Square. This significant event marks his inaugural Holy Week as pontiff, a period that for many attendees and observers vividly recalls the final, suffering days of his predecessor, Pope Francis.
A Solemn Procession and Opening Prayer
The celebration commenced with a solemn procession featuring cardinals, bishops, priests, and laypeople entering the square while carrying olive branches and intricately braided palm fronds. The procession paused at the central obelisk, where Pope Leo XIV delivered an opening prayer, before proceeding towards the altar to begin the Mass. Palm Sunday commemorates Jesus' triumphant entrance into Jerusalem in the days leading up to his crucifixion, observed by Christians on Good Friday, and his resurrection celebrated on Easter Sunday.
Recalling Pope Francis' Last Holy Week
When Holy Week began last year, Pope Francis was still recuperating at the Vatican following a five-week hospital stay for double pneumonia. He had delegated the liturgical celebrations to others but rallied on Easter Sunday to greet the faithful from the loggia of St. Peter's Square. Most poignantly, he then made what became his final popemobile loop around the piazza. Francis passed away the following morning, Easter Monday, after suffering a stroke. His nurse, Massimiliano Strappetti, later recounted to Vatican Media that Francis had expressed gratitude, saying, "Thank you for bringing me back to the square" for that final salute.
Leo XIV's Return to Tradition
Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to preside over this week's liturgical appointments, with a notable return to tradition in the Holy Thursday feet-wash ceremony. This ritual commemorates Jesus' Last Supper with his disciples. During his 12-year pontificate, Pope Francis famously celebrated Holy Thursday by traveling to Rome-area prisons and refugee centers to wash the feet of individuals on society's margins. His aim was to emphasize the ritual's message of service and humility, often musing in his homilies, "Why them and not me?"
Contrasting Approaches and Criticisms
Francis' gesture was widely praised as tangible evidence of his belief that the church must reach out to the peripheries to find those most in need of God's love and mercy. However, some critics bristled at these annual outings, particularly since Francis included Muslims and people of other faiths in the ceremony. Pope Leo XIV, history's first U.S.-born pope, is returning the Holy Thursday foot-wash tradition to the Basilica of St. John Lateran, where popes performed it for decades. The Vatican has not yet specified who will participate, though predecessors like Popes Benedict XVI and John Paul II typically washed the feet of 12 priests.
Upcoming Holy Week Events
On Friday, Pope Leo XIV is due to preside over the Good Friday procession at Rome's Colosseum, commemorating Christ's Passion and crucifixion. Saturday will feature the late-night Easter Vigil, during which Leo will baptize new Catholics, followed a few hours later by Easter Sunday, when Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. Leo will conclude the week by celebrating Easter Sunday Mass in St. Peter's Square and delivering his Easter blessing from the basilica's loggia.
