Pope Francis washed and kissed the feet of Muslim, Christian and Hindu refugees on Thursday and declared them all children of the same God, as he emphasised solidarity with other faiths at a time of increased anti-Muslim sentiments following the attacks on Brussels which killed over 30.


Pope Francis denounced the carnage as a “gesture of war” carried out by bloodthirsty people beholden to the weapons industry during an Easter Week Mass with asylum-seekers at a shelter in Castelnuovo di Porto, outside of Rome.


The Holy Thursday rite re-enacts the foot-washing ritual Jesus performed on his apostles before being crucified, and is meant to be a gesture of service. Francis contrasted that gesture with the “gesture of destruction” carried out by the Brussels attackers, saying they wanted to destroy the brotherhood of humanity represented by the migrants.

"We have different cultures and religions, but we are brothers and we want to live in peace,” Francis said in his homily, delivered off-the-cuff in the windy courtyard of the court.


Several of the migrants then wept as Francis knelt before them, poured holy water from a brass pitcher over their feet, wiped them clean and kissed them.
Francis was greeted with a banner reading “Welcome” in a variety of languages as he walked down a makeshift aisle to celebrate the Mass. But only a fraction of the 892 asylum-seekers living at the shelter attended, and many of the seats were left empty. Those who came out, though, received a personal greeting from the Pope at the end of Mass, with the pontiff even posing for selfies and accepting notes as he moved down the rows.


Vatican rules had long called for only men to participate in the foot-washing ritual, and previous popes and many priests traditionally performed it on 12 Catholic men, symbolising Jesus’ 12 apostles and further cementing the doctrine of an all-male priesthood.



The Vatican said on Thursday that four women and eight men took part. The women included an Italian Catholic who works at the centre and three Eritrean Coptic Christian migrants. The men included four Catholics from Nigeria, three Muslims from Mali, Syria and Pakistan and a Hindu man from India.


The Vatican’s new norms said anyone from the “people of God” could be chosen to participate in the ceremony. While the phrase “people of God” refers to baptized Christians, the decree also said that pastors should instruct “both the chosen faithful and others so that they may participate in the rite consciously, actively and fruitfully,” suggesting that the rite could be open to non-Catholics as well.
The Vatican spokesman, the Reverend Federico Lombardi, said the Vatican norms are meant for traditional liturgies in Catholic communities, not necessarily a unique papal Mass where the overall message is one of universal brotherhood and the love of God for all his children.

"We must always take the pastoral context into account," Lombardi said in an email. “Norms that are appropriate for a parish celebration aren’t to be considered binding on a very unique celebration of the pope in a refugee center with a non-Christian majority."

More photos...


http://www.metronaija.com/2016/03/photos-pope-francis-kisses-and-washes.html

http://www.metronaija.com/2016/03/photos-pope-francis-kisses-and-washes.html

cc: lalasticlala mynd44

humility @ its peak

Different forms of idolatry.

[size=14pt]This False Prophet will never tell them that Jesus is the Only way.

Instead he is kissing their feet.

Will that save them from the wrath of God?[/size]

God said do not bow to idols but POpe Francis loves to bow to idols
Exodus 20 (KJV)
4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above,
or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them:
for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third
and fourth generation of them that hate me




[size=13]
Pope Francis loves Idols that God hates.
He kiss idols that God commands not to do

1 Kings 19:18
Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel,
all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.
[/size]

Is Buhari among?

This is nothing but another heightened show of hypocrisy.

Jesus didn't instruct you to wash the feets of Muslims. He commanded you to go sell everything you have, including your 48karat golden throne - and give to the poor.

1 minute the Pope is drinking beer; next minute he is washing the feets of Muslim

How I wish Muslims and Christian should come together as one then the whole world will be in peace because Jehovah care for all of us be it Christian or Muslim.

The raster man called him jah

Muslims called him Allah

English man called him God.
But he is Jehovah.
We may have different names to called him but he cares for everyone.


Muslims and Christian let us stop fighting each other and start seeing ourselves as one.

A message from Godswillnwaoma.

His Holiness

I don't even know y i opened this trend

Waooo.


humility

Na only money our own Catholic priests fit kiss for Nigeria..awon ole gbewiri

He's even kneeling down. Such display of humility. God bless you Pope.

What is this

Darkness at its peak

alienvirus:
Different forms of idolatry.

How ?

Jesus washed the feet of the disciples. Go and read your bible.

Nice one

Please what's the gain in this?

That's what i call "practice what u preach "

We are all equal bfor God.
Whether hindu, muslim, christian, even dem atheist abi na agnostic (God dey watch una all oo)

That's my Pope. Proud to be a Roman Catholic. But does it change the view an average muslim have against a non muslin or does it stop ISIS, Al Qaeda, Al Shabab, Boko Haram etc from continuing their jihad?

Humility at it peak. Ur holiness may God continue to bless u sir

yes we are children of the same God. But we have only one way to God.

And so

Sijo01:
He's even kneeling down. Such display of humility. God bless you Pope.

Abeg what does dis mean? Want to know plss.

Some people will choose to ignore this for the mere fact that it might thaw their hardened hearts.peace and love.

chuose:
[size=14pt]This False Prophet will never tell them that Jesus is the Only way.

Instead he is kissing their feet.

Will that save them from the wrath of God?[/size]

Be careful with your choice of words kid.

alienvirus:
Different forms of idolatry.

will it still be idolatry if it were done by your so-called Nigerian pastor?? if you don't know the significance better ask so that you can be schooled

If only most of this humility is directly from our inner life, and not just an ordinary outward appearances?

V

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is marching on, the gate of hell shall not prevail.