VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis has chosen a prison this time for the Passover celebrations commemorating Christ’s Last Supper. Despite his health problems, the Pope has decided to continue the practice he follows in the Passover rites after being elected Pope. The Vatican revealed this immediately after the Pope was released from the hospital.
The Pope has chosen the Castel del Marmo juvenile prison in a suburb of Rome for this year’s Passover (April 6) rites. In 2013, the Pope chose the same prison for his first Easter Mass after becoming Pope. Meetings with prisoners, jail staff and police authorities have also been arranged.
It is the Pope’s continuing practice to offer the Holy Sacrifice on Passover with those who cannot reach the churches. In 2014, he washed the feet of physically challenged people in a rehabilitation center. In 2015, the Pope included women for the first time in the history of the Church in the washing of feet organized in Rebibia prison in Rome. If in 2016 the Pope washed the feet of the refugees, in 2017 he washed the feet of the prisoners in Paliano.
In 2018, the Pope’s Easter services were held at the Regina Charlie prison in Rome and in 2019 at the ‘Velletri’ prison. It was avoided in 2020 and 2021 due to restrictions following the Corona pandemic. Last year, the Pope washed and kissed the feet of 12 inmates at the prison in Civitavecchia, 60 kilometers from the city of Rome.
