Pope Francis Calls for Unity During Holy Thursday Message

Pope Francis asked priests to prevent divisions in the Roman Catholic Church and washed the feet of juvenile jail inmates on Holy Thursday.

At St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, the pontiff convened with nearly 1,800 priests and several cardinals, bishops, and other dignitaries to reaffirm their vows when ordained, according to Reuters.

In his homily, Pope Francis warned priests against leading "double lives" by becoming church administrators in search of promotions with benefits and being egocentric.

"Let's think about the tenderness of priests," the pontiff said.

He then pointed out that the Catholic faithful has nowhere to go for peace if they perceive the priests as full of resentment and discontent.

"How many people fail to approach us, or keep at a distance, because in the Church they feel unwelcomed and unloved, regarded with suspicion and judged?" Pope Francis asked in his Holy Thursday homily, as reported by Straits Times.

Pope Francis Leads Commemoration of Jesus Christ's Death, Resurrection as His Health Condition Improves

RTE reported that Pope Francis later visited the Casal del Marmo prison on Rome's outskirts and washed and kissed the feet of 12 juvenile prisoners to honor Jesus Christ's humility toward his disciples on the night before his crucifixion.

The 86-year-old leader of the Roman Catholic Church was hospitalized with bronchitis last week and stayed there for four days. Antibiotics aided in his speedy recovery.

On Good Friday, the day Christians remember the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, Pope Francis will preside over two ceremonies, one of which will be a Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) ceremony in the Colosseum in Rome.

On Saturday evening, Pope Francis officiates the Easter Vigil Mass, and on Easter Sunday, he gives his twice-yearly "Urbi et Orbi" (to the city and the globe) blessing and message in St. Peter's Square.

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Pope Francis, Vatican, Christianity, World