As part of the traditional liturgy of Holy Thursday, at the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, the Pope washed the feet of 12 young detainees: 10 male and 2 female. He thereby disregarded the liturgical rules of the Church, which specify that the celebrant should wash the feet of males in the congregation, in a gesture that recalls Christ’s service to his own 12 apostles. Although many other bishops and priests have included women in the ceremony, Pope Francis became the first Pontiff to do so.
Sorry, but I think this is grossly imprudent.
Agreed.
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Perhaps, but for a man to wash the feet of a woman is exceedingly humble. For a Pope to do so? Humility could not be better expressed.
I may be wrong, but to me this is our Pope's way of demonstrating love and humility.
I'm not even religious and I understand the point [am even impressed by it]. What are you missing here? Or, if you prefer, what am I missing here?
Sorry, but I think this is grossly imprudent.I think there might be washing of the feet of females at our Mass too. :( Here's the final paragraph of our pastor's bulletin entry last week:
First impression [of Pope Francis]? I'm impressed (now if he will only name a few female Cardinals, we'll be on our way) j.k., j.k., (sort of).And our pastor is a well-liked individual. His words, however, were discouraging to say the least.
Christ did this for all 12 of His Apostles....it’s a sign of SERVICE tp yopur fellow man......geesh.
4. Because the gospel of the mandatum read on Holy Thursday also depicts Jesus as the "Teacher and Lord" who humbly serves his disciples by performing this extraordinary gesture which goes beyond the laws of hospitality, the element of humble service has accentuated the celebration of the foot washing rite in the United States over the last decade or more. In this regard, it has become customary in many places to invite both men and women to be participants in this rite in recognition of the service that should be given by all the faithful to the Church and to the world. Thus, in the United States, a variation in the rite developed in which not only charity is signified but also humble service.
5. While this variation may differ from the rubric of the Sacramentary which mentions only men ("viri selecti"), it may nevertheless be said that the intention to emphasize service along with charity in the celebration of the rite is an understandable way of accentuating the evangelical command of the Lord, "who came to serve and not to be served," that all members of the Church must serve one another in love. http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/liturgical-resources/triduum/holy-thursday-mandatum.cfm
” Sorry, but I think this is grossly imprudent. “
Me too.
But I guess he figures everybody else is breaking all the rules - what the heck ~
Can the Pope change rules like this ? (Obviously he can ignore them.)
And frankly, he can wash anybody's feet on any other day he wants, women's and men's as well, but this was on one of the most important liturgical days of the year, when he should have followed the rubrics and presided at the service at the St. John Lateran Basilica, which is his duty as Bishop of Rome.
It's the Triduum, for Christ's sake.
As our spiritual forefathers said, and with indignation, mind you: "There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day."
(Forgive me, Brian, my friend.)
Can you or anyone point me to a link to the liturgical rules where it says only men’s feet are to be washed? Our parish is generally pretty good in regards to the liturgical rules and there is pretty much always a woman or two getting her feet washed on HOly Thursday. And I know this occurs throughout the Philadelphia Diocese and our bishops have all been pretty orthodox in regards to liturgical abuses.