Rome, Italy, Mar 27, 2013 / 15:59 pm
Pope Francis' decision to wash the feet of 12 young people at a juvenile detention center on Holy Thursday is being described as a display of love for the young people and invitation to renewal.
Prison chaplain Father Gaetano Greco told CNA that the Pope's visit "will make them see that their lives are not bound by a mistake, that forgiveness exists and that they can begin to build their lives again."
Fr. Greco confirmed that Pope Francis will wash the feet of 12 of the young people at the detention center after the Vatican announced that the new Holy Father was planning to celebrate the Mass of the Lord's Supper at Rome's Casal del Marmo juvenile detention center on Holy Thursday.
Some of the young men volunteered to have their feet washed, Fr. Greco explained, while others were given an invitation to help them overcome their embarrassment or self-consciousness.