Yes Christ washed the feet of his apostles. Not women and not pagans. The Pope selected a female and a Muslim. Why?
The primary argument for an all male priesthood us that Christ only chose men as His apostles. Its the same reason men are chosen for the washing of the feet. The Pope has moved away from this tradition n a very public fashion. It is unsettling.
I disagree with you on the foot-washing issue because foot-washing is a sacramental, not a Sacrament, and not ontologially connected to the institution of he priesthood at all. In fact, it was only restored to the Holy Thursday liturgy within our lifetime (well, mine: I was born in 1951, and foot-washing became part of the Triduum--- and even then, only an optional part --- in 1955.)
So Pope Francis is not changing the Great Tradition of the Millennia; he's pastorally modifying a 20th century rubric. And doing it lawfully. Lawfully?? Well, answer me this: Who is the competent ecclesiastic authority concerning liturgical norms for the Diocese of Rome?
The people who wrote the GIRM are his advisors, and his ecclesiastical subjects. I am fairly suire any canonist would tell you the same.
Mlizzy, I loved the column by Jimmy Akin.
And pogkdan, you may find this interesting:
I am not casting your concerns completely aside. I would be biting my nails up to the elbows if Pope Francis were a clown-mass liberal, a Liberation Theology Marxist, a liturgial ignoramus, a clerical self-aggrandizer or a dingbat. But he's none of that. He's a Ratzinger Protégé and one who is invested by the Holy Spirit with the authority of his office.
That authority doesn't make him impeccable. He's capable of gaffes, errors of judgment, and worse. But it does give him the jurisdiction at least, to modify the rubrics for a recently-instituted sacramental, within his own diocese.
This will work out. Pray and watch.
Something about a shepherd who left his 99 sheep on the hillside, and went out to seek the one sheep that was lost?
The primary argument for an all male priesthood us that Christ only chose men as His apostles. Its the same reason men are chosen for the washing of the feet. The Pope has moved away from this tradition n a very public fashion. It is unsettling.I agree with you, in that this is causing arguing (division) between good Catholics, and I don't see any "peacemaker" in that. Also, IMO, it's odd for any man to kiss the feet of a woman he's not a significant other to. Jesus didn't do it as you say; we just watched Passion of the Christ and we re-checked. :)