Pope breaks with tradition, washes womens' feet
- 11 years ago
A papal tradition got a dramatic reboot from the new pontiff.
Instead of marking Holy Thursday at St. Peter's or the Basilica like every other pontiff in history, Pope Francis chose instead to go to a juvenile detention center in Rome.
There, he washed and kissed the feet of 12 people - in this case inmates-- and for the first time ever, two females were among the group.
The ritual is a nod to Jesus' gesture of humility towards his apostles just before his death. According to the Vatican, he also tended to the feet of two Muslim inmates.
The venue change and the decision to include women, something he did as a bishop in Argentina, has set the tone for a more humble church.
Instead of marking Holy Thursday at St. Peter's or the Basilica like every other pontiff in history, Pope Francis chose instead to go to a juvenile detention center in Rome.
There, he washed and kissed the feet of 12 people - in this case inmates-- and for the first time ever, two females were among the group.
The ritual is a nod to Jesus' gesture of humility towards his apostles just before his death. According to the Vatican, he also tended to the feet of two Muslim inmates.
The venue change and the decision to include women, something he did as a bishop in Argentina, has set the tone for a more humble church.