Pope to return to juvenile prison for Holy Thursday celebration

Pope Francis will celebrate the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday with inmates of the Casal del Marmo juvenile prison located on the outskirts of Rome, the same place he presided over the Easter Triduum service fifteen days after his election in 2013.

By Salvatore Cernuzio

Pope Francis will return to where he celebrated the first Mass "in Coena Domini" of his pontificate, presiding over the Holy Thursday liturgy on 6 April at Rome's juvenile prison of Casal del Marmo. The Holy See Press Office confirmed the celebration, just a few hours after the Pope left Gemelli Hospital on Saturday 1 April. The celebration will not be open to the general public, but live streaming is planned.

Holy Week celebrations

Pope Francis at the juvenile prison of Casal del Marmo in 2013

Having just been discharged from the hospital where he was treated for infectious bronchitis, the Pope is set to resume his Holy Week agenda. He is scheduled to preside over the Easter celebrations. Holy See Press Office director, Matteo Bruni, confirmed that the Holy Week liturgies "remain unchanged," explaining that the Pope will preside over the celebrations with a cardinal at the altar, even on Easter Sunday. This is a practice that has been in force for some time.

At the Palm Sunday Mass Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, vice dean of the College of Cardinals, will celebrate. From Holy Thursday, the Holy Week celebrations will get fully underway with the Chrism Mass in Saint Peter's Basilica followed later in the day with the aforementioned Mass of the Lord's Supper, with the ancient and always moving rite of the washing of feet.

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