Thank You Pope Leo for a Return to Tradition

At the mass of the Lord´s Supper on Holy Thursday I was one of the congregation our priest chose to have their feet washed. It was an emotional and humbling moment for me when the priest knelt in front of me and kissed my feet after washing and drying them, a feeling I am sure I shared with hundreds of thousands of Catholics all over the world that day.

It was particularly pleasing as I had been due to have my feet washed at the mass three years ago but a mosquito attack on the eve of the service left them red and raw and in no state to be presented to anyone never mind a priest and on such a solemn occasion.

However, this year´s ceremony was made particularly blessed for me when I later read that Pope Leo had performed the ceremony of washing the feet of the faithful in a more traditional way then his predecessor, Pope Francis. Pope Leo marked his first Holy Thursday as Pontiff in the Basilica of St. John Lateran by washing the feet of 12 priests from the Diocese of Rome. This was in line with his prayer intention for April which is directed at priests facing a crisis in their lives.

It was also in direct contrast to Pope Francis who once  visited a woman’s prison in Rome and washed the feet of the female prisoners, including Moslems. On another occasion he went to an asylum seekers´ refuge and washed the feet of Moslems and Hindus.

When my parish priest was about to wash our feet yesterday he told the congregation that our group consisted of local parishioners, including women and children, who made a contribution to our community. In my view that is how it should be.

 © John Brander Fitzpatrick 2026