Pope Francis -- considered by many theologians to be the most humble pope in more than a century -- has decided to celebrate the Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord's Supper in a Rome juvenile detention facility and wash the feet of some of the young detainees, the Catholic News website reports today (March 21, 2013).
This marks a significant change in venue of the previously scheduled March 28 Holy Week event from St. Peter's Basilica to Rome's Casal del Marmo prison for minors.
The Vatican said that, as Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Pope Francis used to celebrate the Mass of the Lord's Supper -- which reflects on the call to imitate Christ by serving one another -- in Argentine prisons, hospitals, or shelters for the poor and marginalized.
"With the celebration at Casal del Marmo, Pope Francis will continue that practice, which must be carried out in a context characterized by simplicity," the Vatican said in a statement today. The Mass of the Lord's Supper highlights "the commandment of love" and service through the ritual of washing the feet of others, the statement added.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment