Pope to resume Holy Thursday Mass at St John Lateran after Francis-era hiatus

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.

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.

While those liturgies may have been deeply meaningful to many, the return to the Lateran under Pope Leo is being read by Vatican observers as a subtle affirmation of continuity with papal tradition and a renewed emphasis on the liturgical and theological depth of the Triduum.

Sources close to the papal household have stressed that the decision should not be seen as a rejection of Pope Francis’s choices, but rather as an expression of Pope Leo’s own pastoral and liturgical priorities. A long-time admirer of Roman liturgy, Pope Leo is thought to value the clarity that traditional settings bring to the Church’s public worship.

The Holy Thursday liturgy commemorates the Last Supper and Christ’s institution of the priesthood and the Eucharist. In his homily, the Pope is expected to reflect on these themes while anchoring them in the local context of the Diocese of Rome.

This year’s liturgy will likely include the traditional Mandatum—the washing of the feet—though details have not yet been confirmed. In recent years, this gesture has evolved to include a more diverse representation of peoples, including women and non-Catholics.

The move will be welcomed by many Catholics who value a sense of rootedness in Rome’s ecclesial history, and who see the basilica as a living sign of the Pope’s spiritual and episcopal office.

After years of liturgical experimentation and adaptation, Pope Leo’s decision appears to signal a shift toward a more visibly Roman and liturgical papacy—one that re-engages with the great basilicas, the diocesan identity of the Pope, and the rhythms of the Church’s calendar.