In ritual dear to Francis, Pope Leo washes feet of 12 priests in RomePope Leo XIV is presiding over Holy Week celebrations for the first time as pontiff. VATICAN CITY - Pope Leo XIV performed the ritual of washing of the feet for the first time on Holy Thursday, marking a return to tradition for the rite which his predecessor Francis used to perform for the homeless, prisoners and other marginalised people. The 70-year-old American pope is presiding over Holy Week celebrations -- which commemorate Christ's final days before his resurrection at Easter -- for the first time since being elected pontiff in May 2025. Pope Leo, dressed in a white linen apron, poured water over the feet of 12 Roman priests before drying them and kissing them, imitating Christ’s gesture toward the apostles according to Christian tradition. "As Pope Francis once remarked: this 'is a duty which comes from my heart: I love it.

Source: Bangkok Post April 03, 2026 04:41 UTC