Pontiff washes feet of a Nigerian prisoner

Pope Francis washes the feet of a Nigerian prisoner.

The leader of the Roman Catholic church was at the Regina Coeli prison for a foot-washing ceremony on March 29, 2018, according to The Washington Post.

There, he washed the feet of a Nigerian inmate, as well as others from Italy, Morocco, Moldova, Colombia, and Sierra Leone, according to the Vatican.

Eight of them are Catholics, two are Muslims, one is a Buddhist while the remaining one is an Orthodox Christian.

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While washing the feet of 12 prisoners in a regular Holy Thursday ritual, Francis emphasized the need to serve others “like a slave,” as Jesus did.

“Your chief must be your servant. So often I think … how many wars would have been avoided if all those kings, emperors and heads of state had understood this teaching of Jesus rather than command and be cruel and kill people,” he said.

The pontiff also encouraged the inmates to keep hope alive.

Disclosing the fact that he has cataracts, a condition that clouds the eyes, the pope advised the inmates to do a daily “cataract surgery for the soul” in order to keep hope alive.

“At my age, for example, cataracts come and you don’t see reality well. Next year I have to have an operation,” he added.

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Pope Francis advises priests

Earlier that day, the pontiff also offered some advice to Catholic priests.

During another Holy Thursday service in St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Francis taught priests how to deal with ‘sinful’ members.

He urged priests to teach members, adulterers in this case, how to avoid sinning again instead of condemning them with the laws.

“The correct tone is that of the confessor who is prepared to repeat it 70 times seven,” he said.