During a Holy Thursday Mass, Pope Francis washed and kissed the feet of 12 women inmates at a Rome prison, marking a significant moment as he included women exclusively in this ritual for the first time.
The 87-year-old pontiff, facing mobility challenges exacerbated by recent ailments, performed the ritual from his wheelchair. The women sat on stools on a raised platform, allowing the pope to move down the line with ease. Many of the women cried as Francis washed their feet, pouring water over one bared foot and patting it dry with a small towel before kissing each foot, often smiling at the women.
The Holy Thursday foot-washing ceremony is a traditional part of Holy Week, symbolizing Jesus washing the feet of his 12 apostles at their last supper together before his crucifixion. While previous popes performed the ritual on Catholic men only at a Rome basilica, Pope Francis has expanded the tradition to include women and people of other faiths since his first Holy Thursday as pope in 2013.
Under Pope Francis, the ceremony has been held outside Vatican territory, with the pope washing the feet of prisoners, refugees, and the disabled. This act at the Rebibbia prison marks the first time a pope has washed the feet of women exclusively during the Holy Thursday ceremony.
Nadia Fontana, the director of the female prison in Rome where the event took place, noted that it was the first time a pope had visited their facility, which houses 360 prisoners and one child.
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