(ZENIT News / Rome, 04.17.2025).- Pope Francis spent the afternoon of April 17 visiting the inmates of Regina Coeli, Rome’s historic prison nestled along the Tiber River. Eschewing formalities, the pontiff arrived quietly around 3 p.m., greeted warmly by prison director Claudia Clementi and members of the penitentiary staff before proceeding to the prison’s central rotunda.
Inside, about 70 inmates awaited him—men of varied backgrounds and nationalities who regularly engage in the faith formation and catechetical activities led by the prison chaplain. It was not a staged event, but rather a profoundly human encounter that reflected the Pope’s longstanding tradition of spending Holy Thursday close to society’s margins.
Though he could not perform the foot-washing ritual this year—a hallmark of his Holy Thursday visits—Francis made his intention clear: «I like to do each year what Jesus did on Holy Thursday, the washing of feet, in a prison,» he said. «This year I can’t, but I can and want to be near you. I pray for you and for your families.»
🇻🇦Papa Francisco va a la cárcel y dice a presos en Jueves Santo: “no puedo lavarles los pies pero quiero estar cerca de ustedes”
Hacia las 15.00 de la tarde del jueves 17 de abril, el Papa Francisco visitó la cárcel romana de Regina Coeli. Fue recibido por la Directora de la… pic.twitter.com/dCHkZfRsRh
— P. Jorge Enrique Mújica, LC (@web_pastor) April 17, 2025
After a short time of prayer, the Pope moved quietly through the rotunda, personally greeting each inmate. There was no rush, no speeches—just moments of encounter, often wordless, but heavy with presence. He then led all gathered in the Lord’s Prayer and offered his blessing, before departing the prison approximately half an hour after his arrival.
As he exited the prison gates, journalists caught a few brief words from the pontiff, who once again laid bare the humility that marks his approach to ministry. «Every time I enter a prison, I ask myself: ‘Why them and not me?'» he said, reflecting on the fragility of human destiny. Asked how he experiences Easter personally, he simply replied, “As I can.”
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