Pope Francis celebrated the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday, April 2, 2026, at the Casal del Marmo juvenile detention center in Rome. This continues his long-standing practice of observing the Holy Thursday liturgy, which commemorates the Last Supper and the institution of the Eucharist, in prisons, rehabilitation centers, or other institutions serving marginalized people.
The ceremony included the ritual washing of the feet of twelve detainees, reenacting Jesus's act of service to his disciples. In his homily, the Pope emphasized themes of humility, service, and God's boundless mercy for all, particularly those on the peripheries of society.
This marks a departure from the tradition, observed by his predecessors Pope Benedict XVI and Pope John Paul II, of celebrating this Mass at the Basilica of St. John Lateran, the cathedral of Rome. Pope Francis last celebrated the Mass at the Lateran in 2012, the final year of Benedict's pontificate, before establishing his own custom the following year.
