In a customary act commemorating Holy Thursday before Easter, Pope Francis, who frequently begs for mercy for prisoners, washed the feet of twelve women behind bars in Rome on Thursday.
In 2015, the Argentinian Jesuit went to the women's prison of Rebibbia, located in the northeastern suburbs of the Italian capital, and carried out the same ritual there.
But on Thursday, the 87-year-old pope devoted his yearly Holy Week ceremony exclusively to women for the first time.
The pope, seated in a wheelchair, cleaned each prisoner's feet—some shedding tears—patted them dry and kissed.
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During an impromptu homily, the pope declared, "We all have small failures, big failures," at a mass celebrated in the courtyard of the prison housing about 370 women.
"But the Lord is always waiting for us, with open arms, and he never tires of forgiving," he continued.
As a priest in Buenos Aires, Francis had already started visiting prisoners, and he described the washing of feet as "a gesture that draws our attention to the vocation of service."
The pontiff was beaming as he shook hands with the prisoners briefly.
The pope postponed a few public meetings last month due to an illness. He has repeatedly requested people to read his speeches during his subsequent recovery.
Holy Thursday is a Christian holiday that honors the day Christ washed the apostles' feet during the Last Supper.
It is the high point of Holy Week, which honors Christ's last moments before his Easter resurrection.
The head of the Catholic Church has frequently visited prisons and refugee centers since he assumed office in 2013. On Holy Thursday of last year, he went to a juvenile detention center and washed the feet of twelve young men.
