Thursday, March 21, 2013

Pope Francis breaks the mould again with ceremony at prison instead of St Peter's - Telegraph

Pope Francis, whose spontaneity has already earned him the nickname
Pope Francis waves as he is driven through the crowd prior to his inaugural Mass, in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican Photo: AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia


Pope Francis breaks the mould again with ceremony at prison instead of St Peter's - Telegraph:

"The service is normally held either in St Peter's Basilica or in the Church of St John in Lateran, which is the Pope's church in his capacity as Bishop of Rome.

Instead Francis, who was the archbishop of Buenos Aires before being chosen as Pope in a secret conclave in the Sistine Chapel last week, will hold the service in the Casal del Marmo jail.

There he is expected to wash and kiss the feet of 12 inmates, in a gesture that commemorates Jesus's humility towards his disciples before the Last Supper, on the night before he was crucified.
His decision has surprised Vatican officials but is very much in keeping with his past in Argentina, where he washed the feet of Aids sufferers and met with street prostitutes."

'via Blog this'