separateurCreated with Sketch.

Pope to celebrate Holy Thursday Mass in prison and wash the feet of 12 inmates

whatsappfacebooktwitter-xemailnative
Aleteia - published on 03/21/13
whatsappfacebooktwitter-xemailnative

The announcement reverses an earlier plan to hold Holy Thursday Mass in St Peter’s Basilica

Lenten Campaign 2025

This content is free of charge, as are all our articles.
Support us with a donation that is tax-deductible and enable us to continue to reach millions of readers.


Donate

In a sudden change of plans, the Vatican has announced that Pope Francis will celebrate Holy Thursday Mass at local juvenile prison and wash the feet of twelve inmates. Rocco Palmo at Whispers in the Loggia has the story:

In a sudden announcement this morning from the Holy See, Pope Francis has yet again turned Vatican protocol on its head – shredding the earlier plan of beginning the Easter Triduum in St Peter's Basilica, the new pontiff has instead opted to go to a juvenile prison in Rome to celebrate Holy Thursday's Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper, at which he'll wash the feet of 12 inmates.
[…]
Over recent decades, the Popes have washed the feet of 12 retired priests of their diocese at the liturgy. As the facility Papa Bergoglio has chosen for the Mass comprises both male and female inmates, given his prior practice, a long-standing flashpoint for the church in the "developed" world – namely, the inclusion of women in the Mandatum rite – could well see its most authoritative verdict to date in Francis' actions next week.

Read more

Did you enjoy this article? Would you like to read more like this?

Get Aleteia delivered to your inbox. It’s free!

Tags:
Enjoying your time on Aleteia?

Articles like these are sponsored free for every Catholic through the support of generous readers just like you. Please make a tax-deductible donation today!

Help us continue to bring the Gospel to people everywhere through uplifting Catholic news, stories, spirituality, and more.