Humble ‘servant’
Pope blesses inmates to launch holy days
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis ushered in the most solemn period in the Catholic liturgical calendar by celebrating a Holy Thursday Mass and the ritual washing of the feet, made more poignant this year following the devastation of Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral.
The Chrism Mass celebrates the unity of priests with their bishops. During Thursday’s service in St. Peter’s Basilica, Francis blessed the holy oils that will be used over the course of the year in the administration of sacraments.
In his homily, Francis stressed that when priests use the oil, they are distributing their vocation and heart to the people of God.
“We anoint by dirtying our hands in touching the wounds, the sins and the worries of the people,” he said. “We anoint by perfuming our hands in touching their faith, their hopes, their fidelity and the unconditional generosity of their selfgiving.”
This year, the final days of Holy Week — which for Catholics commemorates Christ’s crucifixion, death and resurrection — has taken on particular resonance following the fire at Notre Dame, a symbol of French Catholicism.
Francis has offered his condolences to the French faithful, and French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday that during a call to Francis after the blaze, he had invited the pontiff to visit Paris.
Later Thursday, Francis traveled outside Rome to Velletri, where he celebrated the ritual footwashing ceremony at a prison. Francis has frequently chosen to wash the feet of prisoners during the Holy Thursday ritual, which reenacts Christ’s washing the feet of his disciples, in a bid to show his willingness to serve even those on the farthest margins of society.
“The bishop isn’t the most important. The bishop must be the most servant-like,” Francis said.
Directing his message at the prisoners themselves, Francis urged them to not try to dominate one another, and to make the fights that break out between them a “fleeting thing.”
He then proceeded to wash, dry and kiss the feet of the inmates.
On Friday, Francis will preside over the Way of the Cross procession at Rome’s Colosseum re-enacting Christ’s crucifixion, followed by the Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday in St. Peter’s Square.