The Vatican has released the upcoming liturgical calendar for Pope Leo XIV, outlining several major public celebrations the Holy Father will preside over in late January and February, including key feasts that mark moments of unity, consecrated life, and the beginning of Lent.
According to Vatican News, the schedule was issued by the Office for the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff and includes papal liturgies for the Conversion of Saint Paul, the Presentation of the Lord, and Ash Wednesday, as well as the annual Lenten Spiritual Exercises with the Roman Curia.
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On January 25, Pope Leo XIV will travel to the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls to preside at Second Vespers for the Solemnity of the Conversion of Saint Paul. The celebration will conclude the 59th Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, which this year centers on the words of St Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling” (Eph 4:4), according to Vatican News.
The Holy Father will then celebrate Holy Mass on February 2 for the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord at the St Peter’s Basilica. This feast also marks the thirtieth World Day of Consecrated Life. Vatican News reports that the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life describes the day as “an invitation to rediscover the beauty of consecrated life as a gift to the Church and the world,” while also serving as a moment to renew the missionary commitment of consecrated men and women alongside the Pope.
Lent will begin on February 18 with Ash Wednesday. Following a tradition revived in the twentieth century by Pope St John XXIII, Pope Leo XIV will celebrate Mass with the blessing and imposition of ashes at the Basilica of Santa Sabina. The liturgy will be preceded by the traditional “Statio” at the nearby Church of Sant’Anselmo and a penitential procession to Santa Sabina, according to Vatican News.
The Holy Father will also participate in the customary Spiritual Exercises of the Roman Curia during the first week of Lent. Vatican News states that the retreat will take place from February 22 through February 27 and is expected to be held in the Apostolic Palace.
The Office for the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff, which organizes and oversees these papal liturgies, carries out its mission in accordance with the Apostolic Constitution Praedicate Evangelium. Vatican News notes that the office is responsible for preparing and supervising liturgical celebrations presided over by the Pope and ensuring their dignified celebration and the active participation of the faithful. The current Master of Papal Liturgical Celebrations is Archbishop Diego Ravelli, according to the same source.
Together, these upcoming celebrations highlight the rhythm of the Church’s liturgical life as Pope Leo XIV leads the faithful through moments of prayer, renewal, and preparation for the Lenten season.
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