Pope postpones Corpus Christi procession
May 18, 2017
Pope Francis has decided to postpone the annual Corpus Christi procession from June 15, when the feast is observed in Rome, until the following Sunday, June 18.
On the feast of Corpus Christi the Pope traditionally leads a solemn Eucharistic procession through the streets of Rome, from the basilica of St. John Lateran to the basilica of St. Mary Major. The tradition of a Corpus Christi procession, with the Blessed Sacrament in a monstrance on a platform truck, was revived by St. John Paul II and continued by Popes Benedict XVI and Francis.
This year, however, the Holy Father chose to move the procession to Sunday “in favor of a better participation of the People of God, of priests, and of the faithful of the Church in Rome,” the Vatican press office announced on May 18. The statement went on to note that a procession on Sunday would cause “less inconvenience” to residents of Rome than one on a weekday.
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Posted by: Jerome -
May. 20, 2017 6:00 AM ET USA
Et tu brute? We really need to stop the practice of Ascension Thursday Sunday. This was and is a terrible idea.
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Posted by: nix898049 -
May. 18, 2017 5:22 PM ET USA
I can hardly believe what I'm reading here! He actually thinks a Eucharistic Procession can constitute an 'inconvenience'? If so, then Rome SHOULD be inconvenienced on a regular basis. Maybe Ash Sunday isn't that far off. Gives new meaning to the old rhetorical applied to the truth of something, Is the Pope Catholic?
