A Distasteful Papal Responsibility

 A Distasteful Papal Responsibility

A story in yesterday's Catholic Online (News Consortium) reports that Pope Francis plans to wash the feet of 12 young prisoners in a facility "on the outskirts of Rome." In addition, he will kiss the feet of these young felons.

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Usually this feet-washing is performed in St. Peter's Basilica or in the Church of St. John, which is the Pope's church. But Pope Francis will, instead, go out of bounds to Casal del Marmo's prison to do it.

While this ceremony is known among Catholic religious, it is not so well-known among laypeople—in fact this was the first I had heard of it, although it was reported that, when Francis was a Cardinal, he did the same for patients with AIDS. My response to it is simply this: "GROSS!" I can't stand feet, even clean ones, and I've never been known to wash anybody else's feet—let alone kiss them. I cannot even stand my own toenails.

Although this is not a new act for our new Pope, his election has brought knowledge of this ceremony to the lay world, making me wonder how many other things must popes do that are not exactly enjoyable. How many popes must have wanted to vomit from the smell of people's feet?

I like that, per the style that Pope Francis is establishing, he is going "outside the box," leaving the usual papal comfort zone to perform this distasteful task. He is showing symbolically that he cares enough to come to the prisoners instead of having them brought to him. 

I can only hope that the felons whose feet are thus washed and kissed will be inspired to improve their lives and do better, knowing that the head of the Catholic Church bestowed this honor on them. I would probably want to refuse it because I know I'm just not good enough for anybody to do this for me. It's too disgusting. What is more, I hope Pope Francis' sense of smell is not like mine.