In less than two weeks, a boy who grew up attending Mass in a south Chicago suburb will stand before the world in St. Peter's Square and lead the most sacred week in the Christian calendar. For Pope Leo XIV - born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago in 1955 - Holy Week 2026 is not just a liturgical milestone. It is his first Easter as pope, and the global Church is watching.
Who Is Pope Leo XIV?
Elected on May 8, 2025, Pope Leo XIV is the first pope ever born in the United States, the first from the Order of Saint Augustine, and only the second pope from the Americas after his predecessor Pope Francis. He grew up in south suburban Dolton, Illinois, in a deeply devout Catholic household - his mother was a member of the Altar and Rosary Society, his family never missed Sunday Mass, and he served as an altar boy before entering seminary.
He speaks English, Spanish, Italian, French, and Portuguese, and spent nearly two decades as a missionary in Peru before being called to Rome by Pope Francis in 2023 to serve as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops. When the conclave ended on May 8, 2025, the cardinal who stepped onto the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica opened with three simple words - "Peace be with you."
The Full Holy Week 2026 Schedule at the Vatican
The celebrations of Holy Week begin with Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter's Square, commemorating Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Here is the complete Vatican schedule confirmed by the Office of Liturgical Celebrations:
- Palm Sunday - March 29: Mass in St. Peter's Square
- Holy Thursday - April 2, 9:30 a.m.: Chrism Mass at St. Peter's Basilica with the priests of Rome
- Holy Thursday - April 2, evening: Mass of the Lord's Supper at St. John Lateran Basilica
- Good Friday - April 3: Liturgy of the Lord's Passion, followed by the Way of the Cross at the Colosseum
- Holy Saturday - April 4, 9:00 p.m.: Easter Vigil at St. Peter's Basilica
- Easter Sunday - April 5, 10:15 a.m.: Mass in St. Peter's Square, followed by the Urbi et Orbi blessing at noon
Two Things Are Different This Year
Pope Leo XIV has introduced two notable changes from recent tradition. Holy Thursday's Mass of the Lord's Supper returns to St. John Lateran - the Cathedral of the Bishop of Rome - after Pope Francis had spent 12 years celebrating it in prisons, immigrant centers, and other places marked by suffering. The Easter Vigil has also been moved back by two hours, now beginning at 9:00 p.m. instead of 7:00 p.m., restoring a more traditional schedule for the holiest night of the year.
The return to St. John Lateran revives a centuries-old tradition, emphasizing the deep liturgical character of the Holy Thursday celebration and reconnecting the pontiff with his role as Bishop of Rome.
Why This Moment Matters
Pope Leo chose his papal name in direct reference to Pope Leo XIII - the great 19th-century pontiff whose encyclical Rerum Novarum laid the foundation for modern Catholic social teaching and who was known for meeting people where they were, not where power dictated. For a pope whose first words from the papal balcony called the world to peace, Holy Week 2026 will be his most public declaration yet of what his papacy stands for.
For Christians worldwide - Catholic and Protestant alike - this Easter carries a rare weight. The shepherd is new. The story is ancient. And on April 5, 2026, a kid from Chicago will say Urbi et Orbi - to the city and to the world - and mean every word.
