In a symbolically significant move, Pope Leo is set to restore the traditional Holy Thursday Mass at the Archbasilica of St John Lateran, the cathedral of the Bishop of Rome, marking a return to long-established papal custom after more than a decade’s pause under Pope Francis.
The announcement, made by the Office for Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff, confirms that the 2026 Mass of the Lord’s Supper will take place at St John Lateran on the evening of Holy Thursday. This will be Pope Leo’s first time presiding over the liturgy there in his role as Bishop of Rome—a title often eclipsed by the Pope’s broader universal ministry but one that holds profound ecclesial significance.
