Pope visits Italian prison for traditional foot washing Mass

Pope Francis washes the feet of inmates at the Civitavecchia prison in Civitavecchia, Italy, April 14, 2022. Vatican Media/Handout via REUTERS

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis visited an Italian prison for a Holy Thursday Mass where he washed and kissed the feet of 12 inmates to commemorate Jesus' gesture of humility towards his apostles the night before he died.

Francis' predecessors held the service in St. Peter's Basilica or another Rome cathedral. But after his election in 2013 the pope continued a tradition he established as archbishop of Buenos Aires of holding it in prisons or homes for the elderly.