Members of the clergy in the Archdiocese of Manila in the Philippines, led by Cardinal Jose Advincula, celebrated the Chrism Mass on Holy Thursday, April 14, 2022.
The religious service is one of the most solemn and important liturgies of the Christian calendar. The ancient Christian Apostolic Tradition (c. 200 A.D.) described a “ceremony taking place during the Easter Vigil at which two holy oils — the oil of the sick and the oil of exorcism — were blessed and one was consecrated.”
Later on three oils are blessed by the bishop: the Chrism, used in the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Orders, as well as for the consecration of altars and the dedication of churches; the oil of catechumens (formerly known as the oil of exorcism), also used in the sacrament of Baptism; and the Oil of the Sick, used only in the rite of the Anointing of the Sick. (Photos by Angie de Silva)
