Thursday, March 28, 2013

New Pope Washes Prisoners' Feet on Holy Thurs.; Urges Priests to Visit the Sick, Sufferers and Blind

Pope Francis today (March 28, 2013) washed the feet of 12 prisoners in a youth detention center near Rome as part of the Holy Thursday service, according to the Global Post website.

The washing of feet is a Holy ritual that is part of the Holy Mass of the Lord's Supper, which symbolizes Christ washing his disciples' feet during the Last Supper.

Pope Francis is the first with his title to wash the feet of juveniles. Previous popes -- such as Benedict XVI -- celebrated Holy Thursday by washing the feet of 12 priests in one of Rome's basilicas.

In a homily today in St. Peter's Basilica, Pope Francis told hundreds of priests, cardinals, and bishops to do less "soul-searching" and to engage more with parishioners. He said, "We need to go out... to the outskirts where there is suffering, bloodshed, blindness that longs for sight and prisoners in thrall to many evil masters."

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