Vatican Publishes Full Papal Schedule for Holy Week, Easter

| 03/3/2024

By: Our Sunday Visitor

The pope is scheduled to preside over all the major liturgical celebrations of Holy Week

Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk of Kyiv-Halych, Ukraine, head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, leaves the Vatican's Paul VI Audience Hall October 6, 2023, after the morning session of the assembly of the Synod of Bishops.
Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk of Kyiv-Halych, Ukraine, head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, leaves the Vatican's Paul VI Audience Hall October 6, 2023, after the morning session of the assembly of the Synod of Bishops. The major archbishop is on the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations, which issued a statement on February 22, 2024, noting "the enormous suffering" and deaths of hundreds of thousands of people caused by Russia's full-scale war on Ukraine began on February 24, 2022. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis’ calendar for Holy Week and Easter is just as full as in previous years despite a mild illness which has caused him to cancel meetings in the days leading up to the release of his liturgical calendar for March.

The pope canceled meetings February 24 and 26 due to “flu-like symptoms,” the Vatican said. Although he held his general audience February 28, an aide read Pope Francis’ prepared remarks, and the Vatican said he briefly visited a Rome hospital after the audience for medical tests.

The pope is scheduled to preside over all the major liturgical celebrations of Holy Week.

As is customary when first publishing the pope’s calendar for Holy Week, the Vatican did not provide the time or place for his celebration of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday, March 28. Pope Francis has made it a tradition to celebrate the Mass and foot-washing ritual at a prison or detention center, refugee center or rehabilitation facility; last year he did so at a prison for minors in Rome.

Here is the schedule of papal liturgical ceremonies and events for March released by the Vatican February 29:

— March 24, Palm Sunday, morning Mass in St. Peter’s Square.

— March 28, Holy Thursday, morning chrism Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica.

— March 29, Good Friday, afternoon liturgy of the Lord’s passion in St. Peter’s Basilica.

— March 29, Way of the Cross at night at Rome’s Colosseum.

— March 30, Easter vigil Mass in the evening in St. Peter’s Basilica.

— March 31, Easter morning Mass in St. Peter’s Square, followed at noon by the pope’s blessing “urbi et orbi” (to the city and the world).

Although no major curial appointments or announcements have been made, one person who had a chance to know then-Cardinal Robert F. Prevost during the Synod on Synodality said the new pope takes his time and listens before speaking or taking concrete action.

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