Pope Washes Feet of Ex-Mafiosi

Pope Francis washed and kissed the feet of a dozen inmates at a maximum-security prison for mafia defectors. The pontiff also celebrated Mass for the 70 inmates of the 16th-century fortress at Paliano, 75 kilometers south of Rome. The detention facility houses criminals who have informed on old mobster allies.

The washing of the feet is observed every Maundy Thursday in commemoration of Jesus' Last Supper with the apostles. Pope Francis explained in his homily that the ritual dates back to Roman mealtimes as the host's gesture of welcoming guests because the roads were not paved and people entered houses with their feet covered in dust.

The slaves did the washing but Jesus turned this around by washing his apostles' feet as a gesture of humility.

"I am not telling you to start washing each other's feet, that would be a joke!" he said. "But I tell you, if you can help, if you can perform a service for a companion here in prison, do it, because this is love, this is what washing feet is: serving others."

Two of those whom Pope Francis washed were Italians serving life sentences. The bishop of Palestrina, Domenico Sigalini, said by choosing former mobsters, the pope "wants to send a message to those who chose to repent, those usually judged as villains while often showing a personal maturity and an attempt to change."

Also included were a Muslim who decided to be baptized as a Catholic in June, an inmate from the pope's native Argentina who had written to him and two women. Before, only men were allowed to join the ritual to represent the 12 apostles, but Pope Francis broke tradition by allowing women, saying the ritual should be open to "all members of the people of God."