Pope: Mass of the Lord’s Supper to be simple, no live broadcast
(Vatican Radio/VIS) The Mass of the Lord's Supper that Pope Francis will celebrate
on Holy Thursday in the chapel of the Casal del Marmo Penitential Institute for Minors
(IPM) will be, by his express desire, very simple, as reported by the Director of
the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J. Concelebrating with the Holy
Father will be Cardinal Agostino Vallini, vicar general of the Diocese of Rome, and
Fr. Gaetano Greco, chaplain of the Institute.
Around 10 girls and 40 boys will
take part in the Mass. The Pope will wash the feet of 12 of them, who will be chosen
from different nationalities and diverse religious confessions. The youth will also
say the readings and the prayers of the faithful.
After the Mass, the Pope
will meet with the youth and the IPM's personnel in the Institute's gym. Around 150
persons are expected to attend, including the Minister for Justice, Paola Severino,
accompanied by the Head of the Department of Justice for Minors, Caterina Chinnici,
the Commander of the Institute's Penitentiary Police, Saulo Patrizi, and the Institute's
director, Liana Giambartolomei.
The youth will give the Pope a wooden crucifix
and kneeler, which they made themselves in the Institute's workshop. The Holy Father
will bring Easter eggs and “colomba” (the traditional Italian Easter cake in the shape
of a dove) for all. Given the intimate nature of the pastoral visit, journalists
will be restricted to the area outside the building and no live coverage will be transmitted.