By Courtney Mares
Rome Newsroom, Apr 17, 2025 / 05:35 am
On Holy Thursday, more than 1,880 priests, bishops, and cardinals renewed the promises made at their ordinations during the Chrism Mass inside St. Peter’s Basilica.
Pope Francis delegated Cardinal Domenico Calcagno, a retired Vatican official who oversaw the Holy See’s management of real estate and investments until 2018, to preside over the Mass on April 17.
Calcagno read a homily written by Pope Francis, who did not attend the Mass due to his ongoing convalescence following a prior hospitalization for double pneumonia.
“On Holy Thursday, when we renew the promises made at our ordination, we confess that we can read that history only in the light of Jesus of Nazareth,” Pope Francis wrote in the homily.
“Jesus, ‘who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood’ (Rev 1:5) opens the scroll of our own lives and teaches us to find the passages that reveal its meaning and mission. If only we let him teach us, our ministry becomes one of hope, because in each of our stories God opens a jubilee: a time and an oasis of grace.”
Forty-two cardinals, 42 bishops, and 1,800 priests living in Rome concelebrated the Mass.
Holy Thursday is a significant day in the Catholic calendar as it marks the institution of the Eucharist and the sacrament of the priesthood at the Last Supper. This day is celebrated with great solemnity and reverence in the Vatican during the Chrism Mass.
During the Chrism Mass, Cardinal Calcagno blessed the oil of the sick, the oil of catechumens, and the chrism oil, which will be used throughout the diocese in the coming year. The oils were processed up the main altar of St. Peter’s in large silver urns while hymns from the Sistine Chapel Choir filled the basilica.
In his prayer over the oil for the sick, the cardinal invoked God’s healing power and protection for those who are anointed with it. The blessed oil will be used for the anointing of the sick in Rome throughout the year.
Chrism oil plays a vital role in the sacraments of confirmation, baptism, and holy orders, as well as in the consecration of churches. Anointing with chrism symbolizes the full diffusion of grace in the Christian life.
Pope Francis emphasized the importance of God’s work in transforming and renewing the lives of believers. He encouraged everyone to continue spreading the good news and serving those in need, following the example of Jesus.
The Chrism Mass on Holy Thursday is also a time for priests to renew their ordination promises, reaffirming their commitment to serving God and His people. The solemnity and significance of this day remind us of the sacredness and beauty of the priesthood.
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