Pope Leo XIV revived a Holy Thursday tradition by washing the feet of priests in a ceremony at Rome’s Archbasilica of St. John Lateran on April 2, according to the Associated Press.
The Pope washed the feet of 12 priests in the traditional Holy Thursday ritual, which commemorates the foot-washing Jesus performed on his apostles at the Last Supper before his crucifixion, the AP reported.
In selecting participants, Leo restored the ritual’s prominent focus on clergy, washing the feet of 11 priests who were ordained by him last year, plus the Rev. Renzo Chiesa, identified by the AP as director of the Rome Diocese’s primary seminary.
During the rite itself, Leo poured water from a golden pitcher over the priests’ feet, dried them with a white cloth, and then bestowed a kiss, the AP said.
In the homily delivered inside the archbasilica—described by the AP as the pope’s official ecclesiastical seat as bishop of Rome—Leo characterized the act as “gratuitous and humble” and said it demonstrates “the true omnipotence of God,” the AP reported.
Leo also said, “Indeed, through this act, Jesus purifies not only our image of God – from the idolatry and blasphemy that have distorted it – but also our image of humanity,” and he contrasted a tendency to seek power through dominance and destruction with Christ’s model of self-giving service and love, according to the AP.
The AP said Leo’s decision to restore the prominent place of priests in the ritual also reflected a wider Vatican approach toward strengthening clergy and reinforcing appreciation for their service.
The Holy Thursday foot-washing ceremony has been a hallmark of Holy Week at the Vatican, but the AP said Pope Francis changed the practice after becoming pope in 2013 by insisting that the 12 people included women and people of other faiths—an approach that had extended the rite beyond the earlier model performed on Catholic men only at the Rome basilica.
The AP said Francis had also criticized what he called “clerical” culture that places priests on a pedestal above the laity, and linked that dynamic to the abuses of power and authority epitomized by the clergy sexual abuse crisis.
Leo, the AP reported, has also spoken about protecting priests’ rights and devoted his April prayer intentions to priests in crisis—people who have lost hope because of loneliness, exhaustion or doubt—adding that the Pope asked that the faithful care for their priests, listen without judging, give thanks without demanding perfection, and accompany them with prayer. “Let them feel they are not mere functionaries or lonely heroes, but beloved sons, humble and cherished disciples, and pastors sustained by the prayer of their people,” Leo said in the prayer intentions released by the Vatican this week, the AP reported.