Pope celebrates Holy Thursday Mass with women prisoners

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Source: Vatican Media

Pope Francis celebrated the Mass of the Lord's Supper in the women's section of the Rebibbia correctional facility in Rome on Holy Thursday afternoon. After the Mass there were touching scenes as the wheelchair-bound Holy Father washed the feet of twelve prisoners, gathered in an outdoor area of the prison with guards, chaplains and officials.

In his brief off-the-cuff homily, the Pope focused on two episodes of Jesus' Last Supper on the eve of His Passion. He said that during the meal, Jesus humbled Himself to wash the feet of the disciples. By doing so, "He makes us understand what He meant when He said: 'I did not come to be served, but to serve'." ... That humble gesture, said the Pope, "teaches us the path of service."

Pope Francis then spoke about the betrayal of Judas, motivated by greed and selfishness. Judas' story, the Pope said, shows us that the Lord always forgives our sins, and "He only asks that we ask for forgiveness."

Indeed, he said "Jesus never tires of forgiving: we are the ones who get tired of asking for forgiveness."

"We all have our small or big failures - everyone has their own story. But the Lord always awaits us, with His arms open, and never tires of forgiving."

Pope Francis, ended his homily by encouraging everyone to ask the Lord for the grace not to tire of asking for forgiveness, and to make us grow in the vocation to serve.

After the Mass and the ritual of the washing of feet, Pope Francis met with the inmates and staff of the prison and was given some farm products grown in the facility, along with a rainbow-coloured rosary made with crochet and pearls, two stoles with the image of two welcoming hands, and a sunflower, made by the inmates working in the necklace and sewing workshops in the prison.

The Pope gave the director and staff of Rebibbia a painting of Our Lady he had received as a gift.

Pope Francis has celebrated Holy Thursday Mass at a prison, care facility, or refugee centre ever since becoming Pope in 2013. His recent predecessors customarily washed the feet of priests in St Peter's Basilica or the Basilica of St John Lateran in Rome.

This was his second visit to the Rebibbia. He first went there in 2015, meeting male and female prisoners and washing the feet of 12 inmates and a toddler. This is believed to be the first time a Pope has washed the feet of twelve women at this Mass.

Watch a film of the day on the Vatican media Youtube channel: www.youtube.com/watch?v=rV7J4Uk6sHw