Overview
- Pope Leone XIV, who led Holy Thursday Mass at St. John Lateran, washed and kissed the feet of twelve priests in a traditional rite that recalls Jesus at the Last Supper.
- In his homily he warned against seeking a God who serves success and power and called it “a blasphemy when man wants to win by killing.”
- He said the foot-washing is more than a moral example and revealed God’s way of life as humble service, citing Benedict XVI to ground the point.
- Earlier at St. Peter’s for the Chrism Mass, he urged priests to renew their mission and to spread “the fragrance of Christ” in what he called a dark time.
- The Vatican said he will personally carry the cross during Friday’s Via Crucis at the Colosseum, signaling a continued emphasis on traditional Holy Week practice.