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On the Holy Thursday foot washing: “It didn’t exclude women until 1955…”
Deacon's Bench ^ | April 17, 2014 | Deacon Greg Kandra

Posted on 04/17/2014 4:14:07 AM PDT by NYer

Some interesting history on this controversial rite, from David Gibson at Religion News Service, via NCR:

Accounts of Christian foot-washing rituals go back as far as the sixth century. As Peter Jeffrey writes in his 1985 book, A New Commandment: Toward a Renewed Rite for the Washing of Feet, there were generally two forms: the “Mandatum Pauperam,” or washing of the feet of poor people, and the “Mandatum Fratrum,” the washing of the feet of “the brothers.”

Neither were part of the Holy Thursday liturgy, and popes and clerics routinely washed the feet of poor people as a sign of service and humility. In convents, as well, “woman washed feet and had their feet washed,” and they washed the feet of guests and children, said Rita Ferrone, the author of several books about liturgy and a consultant to U.S. dioceses on liturgical matters.

“Foot washing does have a long tradition,” Ferrone said, “and it didn’t exclude women up until 1955.”

That’s when Pope Pius XII simplified the Holy Week rites, a reform that included folding the foot-washing ritual into the Holy Thursday Mass before marking Jesus’ crucifixion on Good Friday.

The problem is that back then, Catholic women were not allowed into the restricted space near the altar and, unlike today, they could not have any part in the Mass. So the rule was that 12 chosen men — “viri selecti” in the Latin — would have their feet washed by the priest or bishop.

With that change, the foot-washing rite also came to be seen as a kind of recreation of the Last Supper and the institution of the priesthood.

“The tradition was not to have it be a dramatization of what Jesus did at the last Supper but to be a response to the command to humble service,” Ferrone said.

There’s much more about the debate this ritual has caused, with arguments on both sides. Read it all.


TOPICS: Catholic; History; Worship
KEYWORDS: footwashing; holythursday

1 posted on 04/17/2014 4:14:08 AM PDT by NYer
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To: Tax-chick; GregB; Berlin_Freeper; SumProVita; narses; bboop; SevenofNine; Ronaldus Magnus; tiki; ...

Ping!


2 posted on 04/17/2014 4:14:25 AM PDT by NYer ("You are a puff of smoke that appears briefly and then disappears." James 4:14)
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To: NYer

Hubby is getting his feet washed tonight. Our parish only asks men and no one seems to have a problem with it.


3 posted on 04/17/2014 4:41:11 AM PDT by MomwithHope (Please support efforts in your state for an Aticle 5 convention.)
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To: MomwithHope

“Our parish only asks men and no one seems to have a problem with it.”

You’re fortunate; other parishes seem to think Jesus could be capable of sexism when He washed the feet of the Apostles.


4 posted on 04/17/2014 5:14:38 AM PDT by kearnyirish2 (Affirmative action is economic warfare against white males (and therefore white families).)
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To: kearnyirish2

I hope we have all men too.


5 posted on 04/17/2014 7:53:12 AM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: MomwithHope

My husband, too, is getting his feet washed. We will have 12 men up there/ no one has a problem with it either.


6 posted on 04/17/2014 8:04:54 AM PDT by bboop (does not suffer fools gladly)
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To: NYer
Unfortunately, experience leads me to conclude that when the National Schismatic Reporter (a/k/a the Fishwrap) publishes something controversial, they are at best shading the truth or engaging in suppressio verio, and at worst outright lying. My cat is more Catholic than they are, and they lost the only honest reporter over there (John Allen) awhile back.

I note that they derisively quote Fr. Z. We will probably have to wait until after Easter to find out his response.

7 posted on 04/17/2014 8:25:49 AM PDT by AnAmericanMother (Ecce Crucem Domini, fugite partes adversae. Vicit Leo de Tribu Iuda, Radix David, Alleluia!)
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To: NYer
On the Holy Thursday foot washing: “It didn’t exclude women until 1955…”
The Sign We Give
The Fourth Cup
If you want a Scriptural analysis of the washing of feet mandatum, here it is
How Should We Understand Pope Francis Washing Women's Feet?
Pope Francis’ sermon for Mass of the Last Supper at Rome’s juvenile prison

'I do this with my heart,' Pope says before washing inmates' feet
The Birthday of the Chalice (Maundy Thursday)
Young Inmates Eager for Holy Thursday Mass With Francis
The Fourth Cup
The Last Supper and the Forgiveness of Sins
Benedict XVI’s sermon for Holy Thursday Mass of the Last Supper (Catholic/Orthodox Caucus)
The Mandatum of Love (meaning of Maundy Thursday/Holy Thursday) [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
The Significance of Holy Thursday
Holy Thursday Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper
A Christian Passover Seder for Holy Thursday (or tonight)

The significance of Holy Thursday (institution of the Eucharist and priesthood)
Holy Thursday: The God who Washes Feet
Holy Thursday and the washing of the feet [Mandatum]
The Hunt for the Fourth Cup
Great and Holy Thursday [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
Maundy Thursday, Holy Thursday, Shire Thursday
Holy Thursday
Maundy Thursday
HOMILIES PREACHED BY FATHER ALTIER ON HOLY THURSDAY IN 2004 AND 2005.
Paths to Rome: Washing of Feet on Holy Thursday

Washing of the Feet on Holy Thursday And More on Days of Abstinence
Reflections for Maundy Thursday: The Carrying of the Cross
Past Not Over (Why Passover is the most widely observed holiday.)
The Chrism Mass
Celebration of a Family Seder Meal
Washing the Feet of Men Only on Holy Thursday
ALTAR OF REPOSE - Catholic Liturgy for Maundy Thursday
Catholic Caucus: Maundy (Holy) Thursday
The Fourth Cup: The Sacrament of the Eucharist [Holy Thursday] [Passover]
Holy Thursday - When the moon is full

8 posted on 04/17/2014 9:34:02 AM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: bboop

The altar girl fad seems to be dying out as well. Happy Easter!


9 posted on 04/17/2014 10:13:43 AM PDT by MomwithHope (Please support efforts in your state for an Aticle 5 convention.)
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To: NYer

I never got the impression that foot-washing was supposed to be the 8th sacrament.

It is a metaphor for serving others.

If I want to serve someone in the modern world, it’d be more meaningful to wash their car.


10 posted on 04/17/2014 10:29:20 AM PDT by fishtank (The denial of original sin is the root of liberalism.)
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