Pope Leo XIV will mark Holy Thursday with a powerful return to tradition, choosing to wash the feet of twelve priests during the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, a gesture rich in theological meaning and deeply rooted in the Church’s history.
The liturgy will take place at the Basilica of Saint John Lateran, where the Holy Father is expected to preside beginning at 5:30 p.m., according to Vatican News. During the Mass “in Coena Domini,” the Pope will wash the feet of twelve priests, eleven of whom were ordained by him just last year.
The group includes Fr. Andrea Alessi, Fr. Gabriele Di Menno Di Bucchianico, Fr. Renzo Chiesa, Fr. Francesco Melone, Fr. Clody Merfalen, Fr. Federico Pelosio, Fr. Marco Petrolo, Fr. Pietro Hieu Nguyen Huai, Fr. Matteo Renzi, Fr. Giuseppe Terranova, Fr. Simone Troilo, and Fr. Enrico Maria Trusiani. According to Vatican News, Fr. Renzo Chiesa currently serves as the spiritual director of the Pontifical Roman Major Seminary.
This year’s celebration also signals a broader liturgical restoration. According to LifeSiteNews, Pope Leo XIV has “restored the tradition of washing the feet of 12 priests on Holy Thursday following a 14-year hiatus of the practice.” The report notes that the Pope is returning both to the traditional location of the Lateran Basilica and to the longstanding custom of washing the feet of clergy, rather than a broader group.
The Mandatum, or washing of the feet, recalls Christ’s humility at the Last Supper, when He knelt before His apostles. According to LifeSiteNews, the ritual “is meant to symbolize Christ’s love for His Church – a love that the bishop is called to exercise toward the people through the ministry of priests.”
While more recent years saw a shift in emphasis, particularly under Pope Francis—who celebrated Holy Thursday liturgies in prisons and washed the feet of people from various walks of life—Pope Leo XIV’s decision highlights the connection between the Last Supper and the institution of the priesthood.
According to LifeSiteNews, “the practice of washing the feet of 12 men – specifically 12 priests –” reflects “the most ancient liturgical custom,” underscoring the role of priests as successors in service to Christ’s mission.
At the conclusion of the Mass, Pope Leo XIV will carry the Blessed Sacrament to the place of repose in the Chapel of Saint Francis, according to Vatican News, inviting the faithful into the solemn watch that follows, echoing Christ’s agony in the Garden of Gethsemane.
As the Church enters the Sacred Triduum, this restored gesture offers a profound reminder: true authority in the Church is expressed not through power, but through humble service—just as Christ Himself showed on the night He gave Himself to the world.
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