Cardinal Sarah: ‘Priests are not obliged to wash women’s feet on Holy Thursday’
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zz912
Guest
Shouldn’t be done. It seems immodest to have a man wash the feet of another man’s wife, or even a single woman. It’s more immodest when you consider his head and eyes will be at thigh/skirt level when he does this.
Hopefully they don’t wear skirts!
This is doubly worse to have a celibate do so, as it could be a near occasion of sin for him.
Hopefully priests will ignore this innovation by the Pope and stick with the wisdom of the Church tradition (small t).
O
Oneofthewomen
Guest
I am sorry, but this is ridiculous! 
Any man, priest especially, who sees anything sexual at all in the washing of the feet, as Christ did, as anything more than service, should be ashamed of themselves.
Any man, priest especially, who sees anything sexual at all in the washing of the feet, as Christ did, as anything more than service, should be ashamed of themselves.
Shouldn’t be done. It seems immodest to have a man wash the feet of another man’s wife, or even a single woman. It’s more immodest when you consider his head and eyes will be at thigh/skirt level when he does this.
Hopefully they don’t wear skirts!
This is doubly worse to have a celibate do so, as it could be a near occasion of sin for him.
Hopefully priests will ignore this innovation by the Pope and stick with the wisdom of the Church tradition (small t).
T
Tarpeian_Rock
Guest
It’s a quick token pour over one foot, followed quickly by the deacon or server drying with a towel. If the priest is looking anywhere other than at the foot, he’s going to get water all over his floor. Honestly!
Shouldn’t be done. It seems immodest to have a man wash the feet of another man’s wife, or even a single woman. It’s more immodest when you consider his head and eyes will be at thigh/skirt level when he does this.
Hopefully they don’t wear skirts!
This is doubly worse to have a celibate do so, as it could be a near occasion of sin for him.
Hopefully priests will ignore this innovation by the Pope and stick with the wisdom of the Church tradition (small t).
A
awsiukiewicz
Guest
Should be men , the end,the apostles were men,what’s next,I’m headed the Traditional route route,we can hug the Muslims ,I saw a Bishop ask a supposedFemale Methodist for Blessing which she did crossing his forehead,I could go on,a couple dancing in the Santuary after Holy Mass with Arch Bishop Borgoglo looking on from the Cathedra,Google a few things we owe it to ourselves,
J
jaimeleglise
Guest
Yes, the Twelve Apostles were men, it should be men. I think that is what Cardinal Sarah meant.
J
JPUSC
Guest
Oh, we have a rebel!
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pnewton
Guest
I do not know why this is news. Pope Francis never indicated that it was obligatory, only that it was permissible. And yes, it is permissible, Cardinal Sarah’s opinion not withstanding.
P
pnewton
Guest
“The end” is when the Holy father speaks, not us, and not individuals, theologians or clergy. Cardinal Sarah recognizes that the permission to use women is not an obligation to use women.
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pnewton
Guest
Based on this reasoning, those with same sex attraction should wash only the feet of women.
Shouldn’t be done. It seems immodest to have a man wash the feet of another man’s wife, or even a single woman. It’s more immodest when you consider his head and eyes will be at thigh/skirt level when he does this.
Hopefully they don’t wear skirts!
This is doubly worse to have a celibate do so, as it could be a near occasion of sin for him.
T
Trader
Guest
In our parish, Bishop Rhoades washed the feet of seminarians. That is the best analogy for Jesus washing the feet of his apostles I have heard of.
B
Belshazzar
Guest
Sure, but how many parishes have 12 seminarians?
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JimR-OCDS
Guest
Feet washing was also the custom of the times when people wore sandals and walked through unpaved roads and fields and stepped into who knows what.
So, should men wear sandals in order to be closer to the event of Christ washing the feet of the Apostles ?
The point of Christ washing the feet of the Apostles was to show them, they must serve each other and the people.
Remember, there was a dispute between the Apostles on which of them would be regarded as the greatest. Luke 22:24 Jesus washing of the Apostles feet showed them how this type of thinking was wrong and must be abandoned.
For us in our world today, a priest washing the feet of women merely shows that they too are served by him.
Jim
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peter26
Guest
This is just a statement of fact: Francis innovation was a permission and not a requirement. There are three licit options: use men and women, use only men or omit the rite entirely since it is not required (I suppose theoretically one could use only women but that would be rather strange). I took care to mention this at our last Liturgy Committee that no requirement had been placed requiring a change. I’m very pleased Cardinal Sarah has clarified this point. There was a very good article in last week’s Catholic Herald about the promising future the good Cardinal may have ahead of him. 
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BrethrenBoy
Guest
As a young man who grew up in the Brethren tradition and washed many women’s feet as part of our Love Feast tradition, I find this ridiculous and insulting.
Shouldn’t be done. It seems immodest to have a man wash the feet of another man’s wife, or even a single woman. It’s more immodest when you consider his head and eyes will be at thigh/skirt level when he does this.
Hopefully they don’t wear skirts!
This is doubly worse to have a celibate do so, as it could be a near occasion of sin for him.
Hopefully priests will ignore this innovation by the Pope and stick with the wisdom of the Church tradition (small t).
D
dans0622
Guest
They are certainly not obliged by law but, in many places, there will be an “obligation” because of expectations.
Dan
Dan
T
Tarpeian_Rock
Guest
Since one of the first things Pope Francis talked about was the need for “pastors to smell like their sheep,” one could also argue that restricting the ceremony to seminarians was more an example of clericalism than of pastoral practice. To me the foot washing gesture is more about humble service and a humble spirit than precise historical analogies.
Z
zz912
Guest
In our sex-drenched culture, we should move back towards more modesty and avoidance of possible occasions of temptation to sin.I am sorry, but this is ridiculous!
Any man, priest especially, who sees anything sexual at all in the washing of the feet, as Christ did, as anything more than service, should be ashamed of themselves.
They should be screened out and not made priests, as the Church teaches.
I stand by my opinion. A return to modesty and concern for proper boundaries would benefit the Church and society greatly.
T
twf
Guest
Personally, I just don’t see the occasion of sin. Nothing “sexy” about washing feet… People with fettishes aside.
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dixieagle
Guest
Unless the priest has a foot fetish (which is his problem) this is simply laughable.
Shouldn’t be done. It seems immodest to have a man wash the feet of another man’s wife, or even a single woman. It’s more immodest when you consider his head and eyes will be at thigh/skirt level when he does this.
Hopefully they don’t wear skirts!
This is doubly worse to have a celibate do so, as it could be a near occasion of sin for him.
Hopefully priests will ignore this innovation by the Pope and stick with the wisdom of the Church tradition (small t).
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