The heart of Holy Week opened on Thursday when Pope Leo XIV celebrated the Chrism Mass in St. Peter's Basilica, warning against abuses of power and the thirst for domination. Before cardinals, bishops, and hundreds of priests, the pontiff blessed the oils that will be used throughout Rome for baptisms, confirmations, and the anointing of the sick, while calling on Catholics to choose service over force. Later that day, in Rome, at the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran, the Pope presided over the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday, which commemorates Jesus' last meal with his apostles. Following the tradition of this feast, he washed the feet of twelve priests, a gesture of service and humility, and then kissed their feet to emphasize the importance of fraternity and care for the most vulnerable in the life of the Church. In his homily, he affirmed that no good could come from "abuses of power," whether in religious or public life, and described the present moment as "a dark hour in history." The Chrism Mass marks the beginning of the great days of Easter. It precedes the Good Friday service at the Colosseum and the Easter Vigil at St. Peter's Basilica, two very important and widely observed events in the Christian calendar.
