Vatican City, Mar 22, 2010 / 13:05 pm
The Pope’s schedule for Holy Week was released by the Holy See on March 22. One unusual addition to the calendar is a special collection on Holy Thursday for the formation of priests in Haiti.
Beginning the solemn week, on Palm Sunday the Holy Father will be in St. Peter’s Square at 9:30 a.m. to bless palms and olive branches during the procession. He will later presiding over the Mass of the Passion of the Lord.
Chrism Mass will be concelebrated on the morning of Holy Thursday in the Vatican Basilica by the Pope and cardinals, bishops and diocesan and religious priests present in Rome. The Vatican statement announcing the details describes this great concelebration as a “sign of the close communion between the Pastor of the Universal Church and his brothers in the priestly ministry.”
Beginning the Paschal Triduum on Thursday evening, the Holy Father will preside over the Mass of the Lord’s Supper at the Roman Basilica of St. John Lateran at 5:30 p.m. During this celebration, the Pope will wash the feet of 12 priests.