Pope Leo XIV will perform the foot-washing ritual on 12 priests this Holy Thursday. The ceremony takes place during the "In Coena Domini" Mass of the Lord’s Supper.
It is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at the Basilica of St. John Lateran, the Pope's cathedral as Bishop of Rome.
This choice marks a shift from the previous decade. For years, Pope Francis celebrated this Mass in prisons and detention centres. He often washed the feet of the marginalised, including young offenders and women.
By returning to the Basilica, Pope Leo XIV is restoring a more traditional practice for the Bishop of Rome.
The Twelve Chosen
The 12 men selected for the ritual share a close bond with the Pontiff. Eleven of them were ordained by Pope Leo XIV himself just last year. The group includes:
- Fr Andrea Alessi
- Fr Gabriele Di Menno Di Bucchianico
- Fr Francesco Melone
- Fr Clody Merfalen
- Fr Federico Pelosio
- Fr Marco Petrolo
- Fr Pietro Hieu Nguyen Huai
- Fr Matteo Renzi
- Fr Giuseppe Terranova
- Fr Simone Troilo
- Fr Enrico Maria Trusiani.
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The 12th priest is Fr Renzo Chiesa. He serves as the spiritual director of the Pontifical Roman Major Seminary.
"This is absolutely a personal initiative of the current pope — the washing of feet of priests,” said Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz as quoted by Vatican News.
Focus on Priestly Identity
The decision highlights a specific theme of support for the clergy. Dominican Father Patrick Briscoe noted that Holy Thursday is the night the priesthood was instituted. He said the gesture conveys the Pope's love for priestly service.
The move also aligns with the Pope’s prayer intention for April. He has asked for prayers for "priests in crisis". This includes those facing loneliness, doubt, or exhaustion. Observers suggest the gesture is intended to strengthen priestly identity in a rapidly secularising world.
"It’s something very encouraging because Holy Thursday is the night of institution of the priesthood. And the washing of the feet by the pope conveys his love for priestly service." — Father Patrick Briscoe.
Historical Context
While previous Popes sometimes included priests in the ritual, it was not the primary focus. Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz recalled that St. John Paul II usually chose elderly or poor people for the ceremony.
In 1992, John Paul II washed the feet of then-Father Slawomir Oder. Oder later became a Bishop and described the experience as a deeply moving gesture of respect for every priest.
The service precedes the solemn events of Good Friday and the celebration of Easter Sunday.
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