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Pope Francis to wash offenders' feet on Maundy Thursday Pope Francis washes prisoners' feet on Maundy Thursday
(about 5 hours later)
Pope Francis will wash the feet of prisoners in a youth detention centre near Rome on Maundy Thursday. Pope Francis has washed the feet of prisoners in a youth detention centre near Rome as part of the Maundy Thursday service.
The Christian ritual takes place on the Thursday before Easter to commemorate Christ's Last Supper.
Thousands of pilgrims and tourists are arriving in Rome to attend ceremonies during the holy week ahead of Easter.Thousands of pilgrims and tourists are arriving in Rome to attend ceremonies during the holy week ahead of Easter.
The washing of feet on the Thursday before Easter is a Christian tradition commemorating Christ's Last Supper. In a homily, the Pope earlier urged priests to do less "soul-searching" and engage more with parishioners.
In a homily, the Pope urged priests to engage more with parishioners, saying: "It is not in soul-searching... that we encounter the Lord." "It is not in soul-searching... that we encounter the Lord," he told hundreds of cardinals, priests and bishops in St Peter's Basilica.
Worshippers should "leave Mass looking as if they had heard good news", he told hundreds of cardinals, priests and bishops in St Peter's Basilica. "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."
Easter is the most important festival in the calendar of the Catholic Church. Pope Francis celebrates Mass in St Peter's Basilica, 28 March Worshippers should "leave Mass looking as if they had heard good news", he added.
On Easter Sunday morning, the new Pope will deliver his first "Urbi et Orbi" message to the city of Rome and to the world. Gesture of humility
During his inaugural general audience Wednesday, Francis called for an immediate political solution to the conflict in the Central African Republic after last weekend's coup. During Thursday's intimate service, the Pope washed and kissed the feet of 12 young detainees to replicate the Bible's account of Jesus Christ's gesture of humility towards his 12 apostles on the night before he was crucified.
Volunteers The 12 inmates included two girls, one Italian Catholic and one of Serbian Muslim origin, local prison ombudsman Angiolo Marroni said ahead of the ceremony.
Some of the prisoners volunteered to have their feet washed, while others were given an invitation to help them overcome their embarrassment, the Catholic News Agency quoted the prison chaplain as saying.
In total, around 10 girls and 40 boys from different nationalities and diverse religious confessions were taking part in Thursday's Mass at Casal del Marmo on the outskirts of Rome.
The new leader of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics has brought a new sense of simplicity to the Vatican, reports the BBC's David Willey in Rome.The new leader of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics has brought a new sense of simplicity to the Vatican, reports the BBC's David Willey in Rome.
He has broken with tradition for the foot-washing ceremony, which is normally performed on lay people in one of Rome's basilicas.He has broken with tradition for the foot-washing ceremony, which is normally performed on lay people in one of Rome's basilicas.
This time the Pope will visit the Casal del Marmo detention centre on the outskirts of Rome.
Pope Benedict XVI visited the centre in 2007, but not for the Holy Thursday Mass. Only for the first two years of his pontificate did he perform the feet-washing himself, after which the task was delegated to priests.Pope Benedict XVI visited the centre in 2007, but not for the Holy Thursday Mass. Only for the first two years of his pontificate did he perform the feet-washing himself, after which the task was delegated to priests.
During the service, the Pope washes and kisses the feet of 12 people to replicate the Bible's account of Jesus Christ's gesture of humility towards his 12 apostles on the night before he was crucified. Easter is the most important festival in the calendar of the Catholic Church.
Some of the young detainees volunteered to have their feet washed, while others were given an invitation to help them overcome their embarrassment, the Catholic News Agency quoted the prison chaplain as saying.
On Good Friday evening the Pope will carry a wooden cross and pray at a ceremony at Rome's ancient amphitheatre, the Colosseum, commemorating Jesus' crucifixion.On Good Friday evening the Pope will carry a wooden cross and pray at a ceremony at Rome's ancient amphitheatre, the Colosseum, commemorating Jesus' crucifixion.
And on Saturday evening Pope Francis will celebrate the main Easter Vigil Mass in St Peter's Basilica. On Saturday evening Pope Francis will celebrate the main Easter Vigil Mass in St Peter's Basilica.
And on Easter Sunday morning, the new Pope will deliver his first "Urbi et Orbi" message to the city of Rome and to the world.
During his inaugural general audience on Wednesday, Pope Francis called for an immediate political solution to the conflict in the Central African Republic after last weekend's coup.