March 14, 2026 : Pope Leo XIV will celebrate the Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper at the Basilica of St. John Lateran on April 2, restoring a long-standing Roman tradition that Pope Francis set aside throughout his 12-year pontificate.
St John Lateran, often called the “mother and head of all churches in Rome and in the world,” was historically the site of the Holy Thursday Mass celebrated by the Pope, especially emphasising his role as the diocesan bishop. However, beginning in 2013, Pope Francis chose to mark the occasion in prisons, migrant centres, and other locations on the margins—acts that embodied his pastoral focus on the peripheries and his desire to highlight Christ’s humility and service.
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