Pope Francis Washes & Kisses Prisoners' Feet On Maundy Thursday

Pope Francis has washed and kissed the feet of 12 detainees 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. In a homily, Pope Francis earlier urged priests to do less “soul-searching” and engage more with parishioners.


“It is not in soul-searching… that we encounter the Lord,” the Pope 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.” Worshipers should “leave Mass looking as if they had heard good news”, he added.

And on Easter Sunday morning, Pope Francis will deliver his first “Urbi et Orbi” message to the city of Rome and to the world.