If you Bishop does not allow it…then that it…end of question.
However mine does. For you to state that to change the ritual is to change the meaning behind what Christ did goes to far! Who are you that I would listen to your theological interpretation? I think I will stick with my Bishop and with the USCCB.
If we start to listen to everyone’s own interpretation and how they believe it is…well then we might as well call ourselves Protestant. I believe that the Church, through our local Bishop and the USCCB are my authority…not you?
since when did we all become authorative theologians?
wow, I’m stating my opinion… I even say in some of my posts (from what I have learned) (I THINK) etc. I never once stated I was the end all and be all of knowledge. I never even said you had to follow what I believe.
There was no need for your rudeness. I was not rude to you. Just because you don’t like my opinion or the fact I do not agree with you, doesn’t mean you need to be so vicious and attack my point of view.
Also, no we shouldn’t listen to everyone’s own interpretation, or how they believe it is… and the fact of the matter is, from all that I’ve read… Women are not suppose to have their feet washed. It is because people feel it should be allowed that it has become more widely spread in the U.S. especially. The use of women, from what I’ve read, came about mostly over the controversy where Bishops and Priests were refusing to wash women’s feet, and it was becoming a bone of contention that most chose to cave to instead of causing a scandal with a fight about discrimination.
So, if we shouldn’t listen to everyone’s interpretation or we become protestants, then women shouldn’t have their feet washed during this ceremony, as this is a recent change that has not been decreed by the Vatican (the highest authority who Bishops need to answer to) as far as I know.
We answer to our priests, who answer to the Bishops who answer to Rome. As far as I have seen, Rome has not come out with a decree that it is appropriate for women to participate in this ritual. There have been exceptions made by the Pope, but it is not a wide spread decree.
And these are not my opinions based on my feelings, these are my opinions based on research from theological papers written by priests, and one article written by a Bishop, as well as those who have studied Christianity and the bible.
You ask who am I that you should listen to me… yet you are (rudely) asserting that your opinion is more accurate than mine. Pot… meet kettle. Perhaps you should work on your people skills. You can state your opinion without being rude. I did not attack you personally as you did me. I simply argued the point without making it personal. In fact, I did not mention you personally. The only one I mentioned by name was Triumphguy and that was only to point to a statement he made to avoid confusion on who I was addressing. it’s one thing to counter someone’s argument, it’s another to go after them personally when they did not come after you personally.
(cited from the
Catholic Door’s Ministry website)
Q. 3. In the Dioceses where females participate in the washing of the feet, do their Bishops have the authority to implement this change?
A. 3. Those Bishops do not have the authority except where the law specifically allows them to do so. The proper authority for the interpretation of documents is the Holy See or a two-thirds vote of an episcopal conference. In such a case, where two-thirds of the Bishops of a country have voted in favour of a change due to their interpretation at an episcopal conference, their interpretation must still be sent to the Holy See for ratification (approval and the giving of a formal sanction). Except where the law specifically allows them to do so, no individual Bishop or pastor can give his personal interpretation of a document that originates from the Holy See.
In conclusion, according to the instructions handed down from the Vatican, only men can participate in the washing of the feet on Holy Thursday. This all male implementation is to reflect that the Apostles of Jesus were all men.
(Just as a side, this article was written in 2007… but I haven’t heard anything from anyone that states the Vatican handed down any new instructions minus a few exceptions, that allow for women specifically to participate in this ritual on a normal basis. (barring extenuating circumstances.)
If I am wrong, it would be nice to be pointed to the appropriate article as I have not found it personally, and thus was not able to base my opinion on this new information.
(cited from
ZENIT)
About a year ago, however, the Holy See, while affirming that the men-only rule remains the norm, did permit a U.S. bishop to also wash women’s feet if he considered it pastorally necessary in specific cases. This permission was for a particular case and from a strictly legal point of view has no value outside the diocese in question.
And I stand by my opinion that changing the ritual is changing the meaning Christ meant behind it. Christ ONLY washed the feet of his 12 apostle. all 12 apostles were men. Considering all the opportunities he had to include women… there must be a significance behind all 12 apostles being men, and only the apostles having their feet washed by Christ himself. Since this specific scene, and no other, is what is reenacted on Holy Thursday, it should be men.
That is my opinion. I’m not saying you have to believe what I do… but don’t tell me that I can’t have my opinion or that it’s less valid that what you believe.
