"The pope's washing the feet of women is hugely significant because including women in this part of the Holy Thursday Mass has been frowned on – and even banned – in some dioceses," said the Rev. James Martin, a Jesuit priest and author of "The Jesuit Guide."
"It shows the all-embracing love of Christ, who ministered to all he met: man or woman, slave or free, Jew or Gentile," he said. - Source
It's not a big deal to me. BTW - parishes don't have to do it at the Mass of the Lord's Supper.
I'm glad all the controversy over the practice is ended now days. Obviously Pope Francis washed the feet of women in the past as Cardinal - and he has done so once again today. Such things used to be a point of contention when parishes did it - for some people - but all of that has ended now.
If they didn't do it at all, no one would complain. ;)
I like simple Masses. However, if they do the washing of feet, I'm fine with that too.
Holy Thursday is a feast day. But you knew that.
First Things has a piece on the foot washing which takes a different position on the legality than Rorate Caeli has today. Catholicism draws various personality types....by the book people and not so by the book people. Hence the clash. If Francis can keep both groups happy, it will be a real feat.
ReplyDeleteIf the Pope refuses to humbly and faithfully abide by instructions in the Sacramentary about foot washing, what is there to restrain any priest from ignoring any rubric issued by the Holy See?
ReplyDeleteBecause the pope is the supreme legislator and he can dispense in disciplinary matters if he so chooses. A priest or bishop cannot. The Church is not a democracy.
ReplyDeleteEven the Pope is obliged to follow the rubrics until he officially changes them.
DeleteI don't think this is a big deal at all. If he were washing a woman's feet before ordaining her...now that would be a problem.
ReplyDeleteI think what the Pope did today is a bad idea.
ReplyDeleteI was just reading comments at Fr. Z's - people seem upset.
ReplyDeleteIt's scandalous. If even the Pope doesn't follow Church teaching, why should I stay with the Church?
ReplyDeleteIt's a rubric change - not something doctrinal or essential to the celebration of the Eucharist. The ritual was only added in the reform of Pius XII. The pastoral circumstances were unique - Mass in a detention center for young people - not televised or broadcast on radio or internet.
ReplyDeleteBut there were cameras there. It's now on YouTube. Is it really necessary the Pope offer the Holy Thursday Liturgy in a prison? There are ample opportunities to do so, why on Holy Thursday? To everything there is a season....
DeleteI avoid this problem by not washing feet at my parish on Holy Thursday night- which is optional- which most Catholics are not aware of. I do wish Pope F would have issued a decree saying he is modifying the practice instead of going against established liturgical norms by washing women's feet. This is just feeding the people who don't trust him and think he is a liturgical liberal- which as a Jesuit he might be since they are not know for Liturgical orthodoxy- but I do think he is doctrinally orthodox, but time will tell
ReplyDeleteI'm hurt by this. I'm no expert in Canon Law and all that stuff so I won't comment on those things. What concerns me is the precedent this will set. Already there is much liturgical abuse in the world, priests thinking they can get away with this or that. Even if the Pope is the interpreter of those rules, what I feel is that this action is but a step in that direction...
ReplyDeleteEven if one argues that the circumstances were unique, it would still have the effect of being broadcast - that's why we know about it. Because every move of the Pope is followed by the media.
But what worries me the most is the kind of rhetoric found in the part of the article quoted by Terry above. That reeks of "Spirit of Vatican II" liberalism. Same rhetoric which can be used to support gay marriage, women's ordination, etc.
" The bishop of the Roman Church, in whom continues the office given by the Lord uniquely to Peter, the first of the Apostles, and to be transmitted to his successors, is the head of the college of bishops, the Vicar of Christ, and the pastor of the universal Church on earth. By virtue of his office he possesses supreme, full, immediate, and universal ordinary power in the Church, which he is always able to exercise freely." canon 331.
ReplyDeleteThe Holy Father is exercising his authority. We may not like his decision but he doesn't need to change a liturgical law to exercise his authority. There is no such thing as precedent in Church law.
Perhaps we are scandalized because we have a crisis of authority.
It seems we who are really into the liturgy are missing what the readings, the mandatuum, etc. are teaching us. Instead we are becoming police.
If we didn't have the instant media sources that we have now we wouldn't even know about this. If there were the middle ages we probably still wouldn't even know that one pope resigned and another was elected!
I keep thinking of Luke 20:20-26, "And being upon the watch, they sent spies, who should feign themselves just, that they might take hold of him in his words, that they might deliver him up to the authority and power of the governor."
I'm examining my conscience.
There will always be things we don't understand. Cardinal Ratzinger gave communion to a Protestant at John Paul's funeral Mass. Before him, John Paul kissed a Koran and participated in the Assisi gathering for peace, accepted gifts for the Mass from bare breated indigenous women.
ReplyDeleteThe disciples broke the Law by eating grain on the Sabbath. Christ spoke to a Samaritan woman at the well and asked her for water. Another sinful woman washed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair - a sinful woman.
I agree with what Fr. Thompson, O.P. said about this:
ReplyDelete"The sad thing is that by this decision, priests who have been abused for simply following the rubrics have been hung out to dry."
There will always exist elements of the Church that find themselves scandalized by holy men who love God-made people more than they love man-made rubrics.
ReplyDeleteThe rubrics are there for a purpose. To make sure we are focused on the proper worship of God, not just doing our own thing. Worldly titles & offices require due protocol. Even more so are we obliged to give God proper reverence, particularly in liturgy, the public worship of the Church.
ReplyDeleteBTW - this is what I meant when I wrote a week ago that faithful Catholics will turn on him.
ReplyDeleteAnyone could have seen this coming by the way he did things in Buenos Aires - this is how he does Holy Thursday. This is how he teaches.
And he is not hanging anyone out to dry.
I would like to know how priests feel about it, priests who have tried to be faithful to the rubrics; faithfulness which has been returned at times by indifference, flippancy, false accusations, and more.
ReplyDeleteAs a pastor of two parishes who realizes my every move is analyzed I have to say with all due respect to Pope F what plays in Buenos Aires is not the universal Church. In retrospect this was not a prudential move on his part since now all people are focusing on is that he washed women's feet and not the beautiful act of charity he showed in visiting the youth prison. This shows Popes are human and can make mistakes- they are infallible on solemnly teaching faith and morals- not on every action they take as Pope. As Terry mentioned earlier similar controversies happened with Pope John Paul II kissing the Koran- which most thoughtful Catholic commentators now point out was misguided- and the thing with Pope B giving Communion to a Protestant at JPII's funeral Mass- I think this was the head of the Taize community in France and apparantly he was actually a Catholic who for many reasons never publically proclaimed that- but I could be wrong about that. In the end one of the main parts of the Pope's job is to confirm his brothers and sisters in the Faith as Jesus said to Peter on the night of the Last Supper. This action, even though in the big scheme of the things of faith is way down on the list has not confirmed the faith but instead has scandalized the little ones-by ignoring the clear liturgical norms of the Church -(despite the fact that so many priests disobey the Church on Holy Thursday night by washing women's feet when it is not permitted- yet at least)- not the best way to start off as Pope some two weeks into your papacy.
ReplyDeleteTerry,
ReplyDeleteAnd with all due respect, without realizing it I'm sure he did hang all the priests out to dry who have stood their ground on this issue. I myself avoid it by not doing the foot washing which is optional, but I have priest friend who called me last night and was very discouraged since he says he knows his parishioners will note this- since he has not washed women's feet because the norms of the Missal clearly state it is to be men- not necessary 12- but men nonetheless. So as my priest friend stated this is not that big of a deal in the big scheme of faith but the problem is with so many Catholics thinking the pope is like a king who can do whatever he wants that if he went against the norms here, why not other more important things, and it also undercuts the authority of pastors in their parishes and now people can just dismiss the pastors who have stuck to the liturgical norms as out of touch conservatives and so ignore what they say on other more important matters of faith and morals.
Thanks very much Padre R for your good instruction.
ReplyDeleteNow I'm sad because others are sad, and I will pray.
Pray for me.
will do- keep up the good work- don't forget the very powerful Novena of Divine Mercy begins today- let's pray for Pope F, the Church at large and all of us as individuals to grow in holiness for the sake of His sorrowful passion...
ReplyDeleteThanks Father - we'll pray it together then.
ReplyDeleteI am, very honestly, appalled by the criticism he is getting for an act of supreme humility.
ReplyDeleteJesus had a lot to say about people who follow the law and do not love.
Talk about following the letter of the law! Some people today would give the Pharisees a run for their money.
ReplyDelete"This shows Popes are human and can make mistakes-"
ReplyDeleteCorrection, Padre, with all due respect (and I sincerely mean that). This shows YOU that popes are human and can make mistakes. It shows me that popes are human and that, when they fully tap into their humanity, guided by the power and grace of the Holy Spirit, they can often set magnificent examples for the whole of humanity about how to live the Gospel.
But if, Padre, popes are human and can make mistakes--and truer words were never spoken--surely the same is true of all clergymen.
The Liturgy should not be politicized. The Holy Father can visit prisons, hospitals, etc. whenever he pleases, and kiss whatever, & whomever he pleases, but he should not use the Liturgy to make a personal/personality statement. The Liturgy should be focused on God, not the Pope's humility. BTW, there is precedent for papal criticism.
ReplyDeleteI think the whole foot washing ritual is sappy. When our good Lord did it it meant something. Today, it barely passes as a cheap metaphor. The priest doesn't want to be there, the people even less so. Get rid of it.
ReplyDeleteAppalled Thom? Really? Goodness gracious.
James M, you seem to want to have your cake and eat it too. Our dear Padre is on the front line and you patronise the poor bloke.
I agree, Joel. I think the "foot washing" was only done by bishops until the liturgical changes began in the 50s; it was then extended to priests, but I doubt was widely performed until after VCII. I can't remember it being done in my parish until the 70s.
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