As Holy Thursday unfolded, thousands of worshippers gathered at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, marking the commencement of Easter week within the Catholic faith. Although Pope Francis, currently recovering from double pneumonia, was absent from the ceremony, his presence is anticipated at various events throughout the Easter festivities.
In his stead, Cardinal Domenico Calcagno, the retired head of the Vatican’s patrimony office, presided over the Mass. This significant event attracted over 1,000 priests from across the globe. During the ceremony, the sacred oils intended for use in parishes throughout Rome were blessed, emphasizing the importance of this ritual in the Catholic tradition.
Traditional rituals in Jerusalem
Simultaneously, in Jerusalem, Orthodox Christian worshippers convened at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which is revered as the site of Jesus’s burial and resurrection. They participated in the traditional Washing of the Feet ceremony, an integral part of Orthodox Easter celebrations in the Holy Land.
The ceremony was led by the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophilos III, who poured soapy water from an ornate silver jug into a basin before washing and drying the feet of twelve priests. This act serves as a poignant symbolic re-enactment of Jesus Christ washing the feet of his twelve disciples over two millennia ago.