In The Spirit Of Good Friday:Pope Francis Washes The Feet Of Nigerian Prisoners(photos)

Pope Francis washed prisoners’ feet at a Rome jail on Thursday, including two Muslims, an Orthodox Christian and a Buddhist, once again choosing to celebrate Holy Thursday among Italy’s incarcerated.

“Everyone always has the opportunity to change life and one cannot judge,” said Francis to the prisoners of the city’s all-male Regina Coeli prison. It is the fourth time in the pope’s five year papacy that he has celebrated the Holy Mass in an Italian jail.

“For me, visiting the sick, going into prison, making the prisoner feel that he can have hope of rehabilitation, that is the preaching of the Church,” said Francis in a recent book of interviews.

During the Mass, the Pope washed the feet of 12 prisoners, as he has done on three former occasions.

This year, the inmates included eight Catholics, two Muslims, one Orthodox Christian, and one Buddhist. They came from different countries, including the Philippines, Nigeria, Colombia, Sierra Leone, Morocco, Moldova, and Italy.