Pope Francis made an impassioned statement against the death penalty on Thursday during a pre-Easter foot washing ritual in Rome. The pontiff spoke from the city's Regina Coeli prison, where he met with inmates after the ceremony.

"A punishment that is not open to hope is not Christian and not human," said Francis during his sermon to the prisoners. "That is why the death penalty is neither human nor Christian."

The pope also spoke about the humility of Jesus as exemplified by the foot washing ritual, and said that if world leaders would practice the same, there would not be as many wars.

According to Christian tradition, Jesus washed the feet of his apostles on the Thursday before Easter. The practice has fallen in and out of use amongst popes, and was most recently revived by John XXII in 1959.

5 years of Pope Francis 'Buona sera!' On March 13, 2013, Jorge Mario Bergoglio greeted the crowd in St. Peter's Square in the heart of Rome with a simple "good evening!" moments after the Conclave had selected him as the new pope. He thus began his term with a down-to-earth tone that has marked his stewardship of the Catholic Church ever since.

5 years of Pope Francis Reform committee 'K9' The new pontiff immediately tackled topics that the Catholic Church had been discussing before his election. He set up a nine-person cardinal conference to reform the church's organization and direction. The guiding principle: the Roman Catholic Church is not an end in itself. Instead, it should seek to spread the teachings of the Bible and bring the Vatican and its followers closer together.

5 years of Pope Francis Supporting the weak The deaths of migrants crossing from Africa to Europe are "a thorn in the heart," said Pope Francis on his first bridge building trip to Lampedusa. At the time of his visit in the summer of 2013, thousands of migrants were on the Italian island hoping to receive legal permits to continue their journey onto the European mainland.

5 years of Pope Francis Symbol of humility It aligned perfectly with his own message of the "poor church:" the picture of Pope Francis with the 30-year-old Renault 4 that he had received as a gift from a pastor in Verona. Francis reportedly wanted to drive the car, but was not allowed to due to security concerns. The symbol of modesty has endured.

5 years of Pope Francis Francis the celebrity Francis' worldly style quickly made him an icon for progressive Catholics and other Christians. Even non-Christians applauded the pope and rubbed their eyes in amazement at the contrast between Francis and his conservative and academic predecessor, Pope Benedict. After 10 months in office, Francis became the first pope to make the cover of "Rolling Stone" magazine.

5 years of Pope Francis Controversial bridge builder Francis takes his task as bridge builder very seriously. He has acted as a mediator between warring parties in civil conflicts in central Africa and Colombia and also helped bring an end to frozen relations between the US and Cuba. With an eye toward the Mexican-US border, he has also urged US President Donald Trump to build bridges rather than walls.

5 years of Pope Francis Believers and religions from all corners of the earth Francis has also tried to build bridges between confessions and religions. He prayed at the wailing wall in Jerusalem and met the Grand Mufti Mohammad Hussein. In Egypt, he visited the head of the Coptic Church, Tawadros II, and Grand Imam Ahmed al-Tayeb. In Myanmar, he spoke to Buddhist monks and in Havanna, he met with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kyrill I (pictured).

5 years of Pope Francis People person Francis spontaneously wed a couple on an airplane during a trip to Chile in January 2018. The two crew members were traveling with the pope on a flight from the capital Santiago to the northern city of Iquique. They had apparently told Francis of their plans to marry.

5 years of Pope Francis Criticism from within the church Francis' reform course has been too radical for some clerics. This poster in Rome accused Francis of showing no mercy within the church. He reportedly also has little time for dissent within the Vatican. Some church members think his course is too secular, his humility too bold, its display too media-orientated. The essence of religiosity – spirituality – some fear, could get lost in it all.

5 years of Pope Francis Sexual abuse scandal in the Church But the major challenge now faced by Francis is the problem of sexual abuse, including of minors, by church representatives. In January, the pontiff was heavily criticized for supporting Chilean Bishop Juan Barros (pictured right), accused of an abuse cover-up. On a recent trip to Ireland, the pope begged for forgiveness amid an abuse scandal there. But critics say much more is needed. Author: Jan D. Walter, Alexander Pearson



Francis breaks with tradition

Although Francis is not the first to wash the feet of the destitute – Pope John Paul II often washed the feet of orphans and the homeless – Francis has eschewed tradition by traveling to institutions to carry out the ritual, rather than doing it in the splendor of the Vatican.

He has also broken with custom by washing the feet of women and non-Christians. Of the 12 male inmates whose feet he washed on Thursday, two were Muslim and one was Buddhist.

The Catholic Church tacitly allowed capital punishment in extreme cases for centuries, but that began to change when Pope John Paul II was elected in 1978. Since his ascension in 2013, Francis has pushed to include a clear statement against the death penalty in the Church's universal catechism.

Germany's dancing ban and other peculiar Good Friday prohibitions Guilty feet have got no rhythm The most infamous of Germany's banned Good Friday activities is dancing. Described by critics as the "thwarting of night owls," the dancing ban or "Tanzverbot" has long been disputed. Rules vary across Germany's 16 states, with Berlin being the most liberal: The ban is only in place there from 4 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Good Friday. Penalties vary, but violators risk fines of up to €1,500 ($1,860).

Germany's dancing ban and other peculiar Good Friday prohibitions Naughtius Maximus More than 700 films which apparently violate the "religious moral feeling of silent Christian holidays" are banned from public viewing on Good Friday. Included on the "Public Holiday Index" are "Ghostbusters" and the seemingly harmless 1975 cartoon classic "Heidi." Since 2013 a Bochum initiative has shown Monty Python's 1979 religious satire "Life of Brian" in protest: the 2018 has been approved.

Germany's dancing ban and other peculiar Good Friday prohibitions Red card for sporting events Many public sporting events are included in the ban during Germany's "silent public holidays." Football matches in the Bundesliga and second division are also rescheduled, as they, too, fall under the prohibited category of "taproom and food establishments."

Germany's dancing ban and other peculiar Good Friday prohibitions Bad luck for gamblers As on all German public holidays, shops and supermarkets are closed all day. Thinking of trying your luck on a slot machine to fund those chocolate eggs? Think again. Slot machines are also out of service during the "silent holidays." Other prohibited activities include the car wash, moving house and private jumble sales.

Germany's dancing ban and other peculiar Good Friday prohibitions No clowning around In the southern German state of Bavaria, the "Tanzverbot" runs for 70 hours - from 2 a.m on Maundy Thursday until midnight on Holy Saturday. Despite relaxing the ban in 2013 (it previously began two hours earlier, at midnight before Maundy Thursday), the largely-Catholic state decided a year later that circus events should also be included under the ban. Author: Kate Brady



es/bw (dpa, Reuters)

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