El papa Francisco ha lavado y besado los pies de refugiados musulmanes, ortodoxos, hindúes y católicos, a quienes llamó hijos del mismo Dios, en un gesto de bienvenida a la hermandad y en un momento en que musulmanes e inmigrantes son blancos de odio tras los ataques de Bruselas.
Por LUIGI NAVARRO y NICOLE WINFIELD, Associated Press
Francisco denunció la masacre como un “gesto de guerra” perpetrado por gente sedienta de sangre endeudada con la industria de armas, durante una misa de Pascuas para solicitantes de asilo en un centro de refugiados en Castelnuovo di Porto, en las afueras de Roma.
El rito del Jueves Santo representa el lavado de pies que Jesús hizo a sus apóstoles antes de ser crucificado y se considera un gesto de servicio. Francisco contrastó el gesto con el “gesto de destrucción” perpetrado por los agresores de Bruselas.
“Tenemos diferentes culturas y religiones, pero somos hermanos y queremos vivir en paz”, dijo Francisco en la homilía, que celebró de forma improvisada en el patio del centro.
Varios de los migrantes sollozaron cuando Francisco se arrodilló ante ellos, bañó sus pies con agua bendita de un jarro de latón, los secó y besó.
Francisco fue recibido con un cartel que decía “Bienvenido” en una gran variedad de idiomas mientras caminaba por un pasillo improvisado para celebrar la misa al exterior. Pero sólo una fracción de las 892 personas en busca de asilo que viven en el albergue asistieron y muchos de los asientos quedaron vacíos. Aunque al finalizar la misa, Francisco saludó a cada refugiado, uno por uno, posó para tomarse fotos y recibió notas.
Durante mucho tiempo las reglas del Vaticano determinaron que sólo hombres podían participar en el ritual y los últimos papas y muchos sacerdotes lavaban los pies de 12 hombres católicos, que representaban a los 12 apóstoles de Jesús y cimentaban aún más la doctrina del sacerdocio exclusivamente masculino.
Tras años de violar las reglas, en enero Francisco las cambió para permitir explícitamente la participación de mujeres y niñas.
El Vaticano dijo el jueves que participarían cuatro mujeres y ocho hombres: una mujer católica de Italia que trabaja en el centro, tres mujeres cristianas coptas de Eritrea, cuatro hombres católicos de Nigeria, tres hombres musulmanes de Mali, Siria y Pakistán y un hombre hindú de India. AP
Pope Francis kisses the foot of a refugee during the foot-washing ritual at the Castelnuovo di Porto refugees center near Rome, Italy, March 24, 2016. Pope Francis on Thursday washed and kissed the feet of refugees, including three Muslim men, and condemned arms makers as partly responsible for Islamist militant attacks that killed at least 31 people in Brussels. REUTERS/Osservatore Romano/Handout via Reuters ATTENTION EDITORS – THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. REUTERS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, CONTENT, LOCATION OR DATE OF THIS IMAGE. EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVE. THIS PICTURE IS DISTRIBUTED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Pope Francis blesses a baby during the foot-washing ritual at the Castelnuovo di Porto refugees center near Rome, Italy, March 24, 2016. Pope Francis on Thursday washed and kissed the feet of refugees, including three Muslim men, and condemned arms makers as partly responsible for Islamist militant attacks that killed at least 31 people in Brussels. REUTERS/Osservatore Romano/Handout via Reuters ATTENTION EDITORS – THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. REUTERS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, CONTENT, LOCATION OR DATE OF THIS IMAGE. EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVE. THIS PICTURE IS DISTRIBUTED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS.
Pope Francis kisses the foot of a refugee during the foot-washing ritual at the Castelnuovo di Porto refugees center near Rome, Italy, March 24, 2016. Pope Francis on Thursday washed and kissed the feet of refugees, including three Muslim men, and condemned arms makers as partly responsible for Islamist militant attacks that killed at least 31 people in Brussels. REUTERS/Osservatore Romano/Handout via Reuters ATTENTION EDITORS – THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. REUTERS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, CONTENT, LOCATION OR DATE OF THIS IMAGE. EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVE. THIS PICTURE IS DISTRIBUTED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS.
Pope Francis kisses the foot of a refugee during the foot-washing ritual at the Castelnuovo di Porto refugees center near Rome, Italy, March 24, 2016. Pope Francis on Thursday washed and kissed the feet of refugees, including three Muslim men, and condemned arms makers as partly responsible for Islamist militant attacks that killed at least 31 people in Brussels. REUTERS/Osservatore Romano/Handout via Reuters ATTENTION EDITORS – THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. REUTERS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, CONTENT, LOCATION OR DATE OF THIS IMAGE. EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVE. THIS PICTURE IS DISTRIBUTED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS.
A refugee makes a picture with Pope Francis after the foot-washing ritual at the Castelnuovo di Porto refugees center near Rome, Italy, March 24, 2016. Pope Francis on Thursday washed and kissed the feet of refugees, including three Muslim men, and condemned arms makers as partly responsible for Islamist militant attacks that killed at least 31 people in Brussels. REUTERS/Osservatore Romano/Handout via ReutersATTENTION EDITORS – THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. REUTERS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, CONTENT, LOCATION OR DATE OF THIS IMAGE. EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVE. THIS PICTURE IS DISTRIBUTED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS.
Pope Francis embraces a refugee after a foot-washing ritual at the Castelnuovo di Porto refugees centre near Rome, Italy, in this March 24, 2016 handout photo by Osservatore Romano. REUTERS/Osservatore Romano/Handout via Reuters ATTENTION EDITORS – THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. REUTERS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, CONTENT, LOCATION OR DATE OF THIS IMAGE. EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVE. THIS PICTURE IS DISTRIBUTED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS.
