Images from the Pope's Maundy Thursday Mass in St. John Lateran

Even as we speak, the Mass of the Maundy Thursday is occuring in Rome with the Pope presiding from the cathedra of the Cathedral of Rome, the Basilica of St. John Lateran.

For your benefit, some images from the beginning of this Mass:

(Chanted readings by Byzantine and Latin Deacons, in Greek and Latin)





[Interlude: A reader asked about the mitre. It is the mitre of Pope Pius IX -- Pio Nono. See below:]



Continuing with the Mass:




(The ceremony of the Washing of the Feet. 12 Priests had their feet washed by the Supreme Pontiff.)

It is worth noting that the Roman Canon (i.e. Eucharistic Prayer 1) was used entirely in Latin and it was also chanted.












The procession to the Altar of Repose, which included a ciborium viel for our Eucharistic Lord in the ciborium, a beautiful humeral veil and an ombrellino.



















Overview: The majority of this liturgy was conducted in Latin with the prayers of the faithful in various vernacular languages. Various chant and polyphonic pieces were used.