ITALY: POPE WASHES THE FEET OF SEMINARIANS IN ACT OF EASTER HUMILITY.

Record ID: 635702

  • Title: ITALY: POPE WASHES THE FEET OF SEMINARIANS IN ACT OF EASTER HUMILITY.
  • Date: 12th April 1968
  • Summary: SCENES IN THE CATHEDRAL OF SAINT JOHN LATERAN AND THE POPE WASHING SEMINARIANS' FEET. Initials RM/V/BOB/PF Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 27th April 1968 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: ROME, ITALY
  • Country: Italy
  • Reuters ID: LVAEF160XKDZOHJ2LAENQLK17REF
  • Story Text: AS PART OF THE CONTINUING EASTER HOLY WEEK CELEBRATIONS, POPE PAUL WILL TONIGHT (GOOD FRIDAY) LEAD PILGRIM IN A "WAY OF THE CROSS" CEREMONY STAGED AGAINST THE BACKGROUND OF THE ROMAN COLOSSEUM, WHERE EARLY CHRISTIANS WERE THROWN TO THE LIONS. YESTERDAY, THE POPE WASHED THE FEET OF 12 YOUNG SEMINARIANS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD - REPRODUCING JESUS' ACT OF HUMILITY IN WASHING HIS DISCIPLES' FEET THE DAY BEFORE HIS CRUCIFIXION.

    YESTERDAY'S CEREMONY, WATCHED BY A CONGREGATION OF MORE THAN 3,000 PEOPLE, TOOK PLACE IN THE CATHEDRAL OF SAINT JOHN LATERAN, THE MAIN CHURCH OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC FAITH OUTSIDE ST. PETER'S, AND THE POPE'S OWN CHURCH AS BISHOP OF ROME. THE SEMINARIANS - STUDENTS UNDERGOING TRAINING FOR THE PRIESTHOOD - CAME FROM NIGERIA, NORTH VIETNAM, TONGA, SUDAN, RWANDA, HONG KONG, THAILAND, COLOMBIA AUSTRALIA, EGYPT, INDIA AND KOREA.

    THE POPE USHERED IN HOLY WEEK LAST SUNDAY (PALM SUNDAY) WITH A SERMON DENOUNCING "THE COWARDLY AND ATROCIOUS KILLING" OF THE REVEREND DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, THE AMERICAN CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER. AFTER REFERRING TO THE FIGHTING IN VIETNAM, THE MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA, POPE PAUL SAID: "LET US HOPE FOR AN EASTER OF PEACE, FOR THE SIGNS ARE NOT LACKING". THE POPE WILL GIVE HIS EASTER MESSAGE TO THE WORLD FROM THE CENTRAL BALCONY OF ST. PETER'S AT NOON ON EASTER SUNDAY.

    TELEVISION AND RADIO WILL CARRY HIS MESSAGE TO MILLION OF PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD. WORLD PEACE HAS BEEN A RECURRENT THEME IN THE POPE'S SPEECHES, AND HE'S EXPECTED TO RENEW HIS APPEAL FOR PEACE IN HIS EASTER MESSAGE. HIS SPEECH WILL FOLLOW THE CELEBRATION OF AN OPEN-AIR MASS ON THE STEPS ON ST. PETER'S.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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