Pope Benedict XVI Blog

Pope Benedict XVI celebrates Holy Thursday rites

EARTHtimes.org
Posted : Thu, 05 Apr 2007 17:07:00GMT
Author : DPA

Vatican City- Pope Benedict XVI commemorated Jesus's Last Supper with a Holy Thursday Mass in Rome's Basilica of St John in Lateran. The afternoon ceremony, which saw the pope wash the feet of 12 lay men - a traditional gesture commemorating Christ's act of humility with his disciples - ushered in the so-called Easter Triduum, which denotes the three days from the evening of Holy Thursday to the evening of Easter Sunday.

The former theology professor devoted his homely to a study of the biblical accounts of the Last Supper, the final meal Jesus shared with the 12 apostles before his death, in light of the discovery about half a century ago of the Dead Sea scrolls - probably the oldest surviving Biblical documents.

Funds raised during the collection were to be destined by the pope to help pay for the rebuilding of a clinic in Somalia's south-central city of Baidoa, the Vatican said.
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posted by Dr. Denice Hanley, DPM, M.Div. @ 8:15 AM