The pope, in apparent good condition, gives orders to the priests at the Holy Thursday mass

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ROME (AP) — Pope Francis on Thursday urged priests to avoid “clerical hypocrisy” and treat his congregation with mercy, in a long series of orders to Rome’s priests at the start of Holy Week.

The pontiff, with a stronger appearance, presided over the Holy Thursday mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, during which oil paintings for religious services were blessed. Later in the day, he will travel to Roa’s main women’s prison for the ritual in which he will wash the feet of inmates as a symbol of humility and service.

Francisco, 87 years old and who suffered respiratory problems this winter, seemed in good condition at the morning mass. He read a long homily, having given up reading his text at the last minute during Palm Sunday Mass last weekend.

In his words, the pope warned priests not to fall into “clerical hypocrisy,” or to preach one thing to their faithful and do another in their own spiritual lives. Instead, he urged them to always show mercy toward the faithful and not to judge them, but to weep for their own sins.

Doing this, he noted, “means looking within and repenting of our ingratitude and inconstancy, and painfully recognizing our duplicity, dishonesty and hypocrisy.”

The mass was the first major papal liturgy in the basilica since Bernini’s great baldachin was covered with scaffolding for renovation and cleaning.

Francisco has a few days of great activity ahead of him that will test his endurance.

On Friday night he will go to the Colosseum to attend the Via Crucis procession, which depicts the crucifixion of Christ. On Saturday night he will preside over an Easter Vigil in St. Peter’s Basilica and, a few hours later, at Easter Sunday Mass in the piazza, where he will deliver his Urbi et Orbi speech at noon, highlighting global conflicts and disasters. that afflict humanity.