Palma Cathedral will host the Corpus Christi 2025 celebration on Sunday 22 June, one of the most emblematic and heartfelt religious festivities for Mallorcan Catholics.
The events will begin at 5:10 pm with the Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, following traditional rites. At 5:15 pm, the Vespers will be sung, and at 6:00 pm, the solemn Eucharist will be celebrated, presided over by the Bishop of Mallorca, Monseñor Sebastià Taltavull.
Image from a previous Corpus Christi celebration. Photo: Palma Cathedral.
Once the mass is over, the traditional Corpus Christi procession will begin, passing through some of the main streets of Palma’s historic centre: Mirador, del Palau, Sant Pere Nolasc, Morei and the squares of Santa Eulàlia and Cort, before returning to the Cathedral via Palau Reial street. The bishop will be accompanied by the cathedral chapter’s canons, the Escolania dels Vermells, Palma’s Holy Week brotherhoods, the tamborers de la Sala, the emblematic cavallets and cossiers, the Joch de Ministrils del Consell, as well as the municipal bands of Palma and La Almudaina.
The Custodia, the central element
The central focus of this festivity is the Blessed Sacrament, displayed in the historic Custodia Mayor, a 16th-century piece of goldsmithing by master Josep Nicolau, usually housed in the Chapter Museum. This heritage treasure is only taken out in procession on this specific date of the liturgical calendar.
The procession will be led by the processional cross, known as the Lledània, which weighs around 65 kilograms and is currently decorated with more than 1,200 wax flowers. This decoration is linked to an old popular belief: collecting Corpus wax brings good luck, which is where the Mallorcan expression “tenir cera del Corpus” (to have Corpus wax) originates.
In addition, two highly valuable artistic pieces designed by Antoni Gaudí will be displayed: the conopeu, a cone-shaped standard with red and yellow stripes, and the tintinacle, a nearly cylindrical bronze bell.
The Aloi bell will ring for Corpus Christi 2025
Mn. Pere Oliver, Prefect of Liturgy, in the bell tower of the Cathedral. Photo: Palma Cathedral.
As a unique feature of this celebration, the Aloi bell—the largest in the Cathedral’s bell set—will be rung. It is only used on very special occasions, such as Corpus Christi or the election or death of a pope or bishop. Weighing over 4,500 kilograms, Aloi is part of one of the most complete sets of medieval bells in Western Europe, alongside others like Na Picarol, Na Prima and Na Matines.
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