St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican – Holy Thursday, April 2, 2026.
At the Chrism Mass celebrated in St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Leo XIV presided for the first time as Bishop of Rome over the liturgy that opens the Paschal Triduum. During his homily, the Pontiff invited the whole Church to rediscover the profound meaning of the Christian mission, stating that:
“Jesus’ freedom changes the heart, heals wounds, and reconciles humanity.”
The celebration took place in St. Peter’s Basilica, in Vatican City, on the morning of Holy Thursday, the day on which the oils are traditionally blessed and priests renew their ministerial promises.
A mission born of the Paschal Triduum
The Pope explained that the mystery the Church relives in the Paschal Triduum—Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection—is not merely liturgical remembrance, but the very heart of the Christian mission.
“We are already on the threshold of the Paschal Triduum. Once again, the Lord will lead us to the summit of his mission, so that his passion, death, and resurrection may become the heart of our mission,” he stated.
According to the Pontiff, the Church shares in Christ’s mission as a united body, in which each baptized person responds to his or her own vocation without ever breaking communion.
A Church sent forth, not static
Referring to Jesus’ missionary sending, the Pope recalled that the Church is essentially apostolic—that is, sent forth.
“We call ‘apostolic’ a Church that is sent forth, not static, driven beyond itself, consecrated to God in the service of his creatures,” he explained, quoting the words of the Gospel:
“As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
This sending also entails risk and detachment. The Pope stressed that following Christ means leaving behind securities in order to open oneself to the newness God is preparing.
Three keys to the Christian mission
In his reflection, Pope Leo XIV highlighted three essential dimensions of the Christian mission:
1. Detachment.
Every mission begins with an “emptying,” following the example of Christ who “emptied himself.” Only from that inner freedom can true evangelization be born.
2. Encounter.
The mission cannot be carried out through power or domination. The Pope insisted that the Gospel is passed on through closeness, dialogue, and respect for cultures.
3. The Cross.
Christian proclamation may meet with misunderstanding or rejection, as happened to Jesus in Nazareth. However, the Pontiff recalled that the Cross is an inseparable part of the mission.
A Church as a guest in the world
Pope Leo XIV also invited the Church to live its presence in the world with humility, recalling that Christians are not owners of places or of other people’s lives.
“We are guests,” he stated, noting that even in secularized contexts evangelization requires listening and respect for cultures and people.
Witnesses who shape history
In the final part of his homily, the Pontiff evoked the witness of the Salvadoran martyr Óscar Romero as an example of fidelity amid trial.
The Pope concluded by recalling that the saints are those who truly transform history: “The saints make history,” he said, inviting Christians to renew their “yes” to Christ’s mission.
Holy Thursday and the Church’s mission
Leo XIV’s homily at the Chrism Mass places the beginning of the Paschal Triduum in a profoundly missionary key. For the Pontiff, the Church is called to spread “the fragrance of Christ” even amid a world marked by conflict and fear.
“Let us renew our ‘yes’ to this mission that asks of us unity and brings peace,” he concluded.
