The 87-year-old Pope Francis performed a customary act of washing and kissing the feet of twelve female inmates.
It was the first of four busy days running up to Easter. Francis appeared well.
Humble Foot-Washing Ceremony
Pope Francis traveled to the dilapidated Rebibbia prison on the outskirts of Rome to preside over a Holy Thursday Mass attended by scores of prisoners, guards, chaplains, and authorities who had gathered in the female section’s outdoor area.
He cleaned and kissed the right foot of twelve women seated on a riser from his wheelchair as part of a tradition honoring Jesus’ act of humility toward his apostles during the Last Supper the evening before his crucifixion.
Many of the prisoners were foreign nationals, and some of them sobbed when he carried out the rite.
One of the biggest prisons in Italy, the female division houses over 370 prisoners serving sentences for a variety of offenses.
Following in the footsteps of his predecessor, the archbishop of Buenos Aires, Francis is the first pope to do the foot-washing ritual outside of a church, typically at jails, assisted living facilities, or hospices.
In addition, he is the first pope to welcome non-Christians, Muslims, women, and atheists into the service. The previous pope only invited men, mostly priests, to the ceremony, which was held in either St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican or the Basilica of St. John in Lateran.
Read more: Doctors Turn To ChatGPT For Workload Assistance, But Is AI Reliable?
Resilient Pope Francis Visits Prison Amid Health Challenges
Pope Francis appeared well, despite having recently reduced his speaking engagements due to exhaustion from episodes of influenza and pneumonia. Many of the prisoners rushed up to touch him as an aide wheeled his wheelchair around the small group of people when he arrived at the prison.
The prison director, Nadia Fontana, informed the pope that he had brought “a ray of sunlight” to the jail, and the prisoners presented him with things manufactured in prison workshops, such as liturgical garments.
After participating in the ceremony while standing, Francis sat down and greeted the inmates and the three-year-old boy who resides there with his mother, a prisoner.
Earlier on Thursday, Francis appeared healthy and robust during a Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, where he delivered a lengthy sermon and part of it on the spot.
Francis is scheduled to preside over a “Passion of the Lord” ceremony at St. Peter’s Basilica on Good Friday, the day Christians celebrate the crucifixion of Jesus, and then he will go to the customary nighttime Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) procession at Rome’s Colosseum.
On Saturday, he will preside over an Easter Vigil ceremony. On Sunday, he will read his twice-yearly “Urbi et Orbi” (to the city and world) message and blessing to tens of thousands of people in the square below from St. Peter’s central balcony.
Read more: Rising Death Toll In Airstrikes And Rocket Fire Along Lebanon-Israel Border
