Washing Female's Feet on Holy Thursday?

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Nota_Bene

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My parish announced that it would wash women’s as well as men’s feet at the Holy Thursday Mass. That seemed like a liturgical abuse to me so I consulted the current Sacramentary and here is what it says:

"Depending on pastoral circumstances, the washing of feet follows the homily.

The men who have been chosen are led by the ministers to chairs prepared in a suitable place. Then the priest (removing his chasuble if necessary) goes to each man. With the help of the ministers, he pours water over each one’s feet and dries them."

Seems as though it would be a hardcore liturgical abuse to wash women’s feet as part of the Mass on Holy Thursday. Is this just another example of PCism/sexist/feminism pressures being placed ahead of what the Church* actually* instructs?

I then took a look at the USCCB website (not that the USCCB can change the Sacramentary without approval from the Vatican) and I was met with one of the most slithering and wimpy replies I have ever seen to a direct question:

Holy Thursday Mandatum (edited for length)

Question:

My parish liturgy committee has decided to allow both men and women to take part in the washing of the feet at the liturgy on Holy Thursday. I have always heard that only men may have their feet washed. Which does the Church allow?

Response:

  1. *]The Lord Jesus washed the feet of his disciples at the Last Supper as a sign of the new commandment that Christians should love one another: “Such as my love has been for you, so must your love be for each other. This is how all will know you for my disciples: by your love for one another” (see John 13, 34-35). For centuries the Church has imitated the Lord through the ritual enactment of the new commandment of Jesus Christ in the washing of feet on Holy Thursday.
    *]Although the practice had fallen into disuse for a long time in parish celebrations, it was restored in 1955 by Pope Pius XII as a part of the general reform of Holy Week. At that time the traditional significance of the rite of foot washing was stated by the Sacred Congregation of Rites in the following words: "Where the washing of feet, to show the Lord’s commandment about fraternal charity, is performed in a Church according to the rubrics of the restored Ordo of Holy Week, the faithful should be instructed on the profound meaning of this sacred rite and should be taught that it is only proper that they should abound in works of Christian charity on this day."1
    *]The principal and traditional meaning of the Holy Thursday mandatum, as underscored by the decree of the Congregation, is the biblical injunction of Christian charity: Christ’s disciples are to love one another. For this reason, the priest who presides at the Holy Thursday liturgy portrays the biblical scene of the gospel by washing the feet of some of the faithful.
    *]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,2 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.
    *]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.
    *]The liturgy is always an act of ecclesial unity and Christian charity, of which the Holy Thursday foot washing rite is an eminent sign. All should obey the Lord’s new commandment to love one another with an abundance of love, especially at this most sacred time of the liturgical year when the Lord’s passion, death, and resurrection are remembered and celebrated in the powerful rites of the Triduum.3

    So what gives? Are parishes that wash the feet of women during the Mass committing a liturgical abuse? Thanks.
 
I don’t think that the answer you received was slithering and wimpy at all.

It was traditionally long winded as you’ll often hear in responses but the question was answered pretty directly, even if you personally disagree with their answer.
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.
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In other words, foot washing of women is just fine on Holy Thursday.
 
hardcore liturgical abuse? hardly.

many, rather conservative types, have no trouble insisting that the word “man” elsewhere in the liturgy means males and females.

Of course, this whole issue is avoided with the hardcore traditionalists who reject the modern liturgical innovations and have no foot fashing at all.
 
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Kielbasi:
I don’t think that the answer you received was slithering and wimpy at all.

It was traditionally long winded as you’ll often hear in responses but the question was answered pretty directly, even if you personally disagree with their answer.

In other words, foot washing of women is just fine on Holy Thursday.
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You’re wrong. The USCCB does not have the authority to change the Missal without formal approval from the Vatican.

I’m just curious if this is considered a “liturgical abuse” or not?
 
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katherine2:
hardcore liturgical abuse? hardly.

many, rather conservative types, have no trouble insisting that the word “man” elsewhere in the liturgy means males and females.

Of course, this whole issue is avoided with the hardcore traditionalists who reject the modern liturgical innovations and have no foot fashing at all.
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You’re too predictable and bigoted. Any thread on female altar servers or females having their feet washed and you come running…

Your agenda is too visible…

FWIW, the foot washing was a practice from the early church that was restored in the 1950’s – during the time of the Tridentine Mass, so even the “traditionalists” should be OK with it.
 
Nota Bene:
You’re wrong. The USCCB does not have the authority to change the Missal without formal approval from the Vatican.
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the bishops do have the authority to interprete the liturgical norms. Thi shardly rises to the level of “a change in the Missal”
 
Nota Bene:
FWIW, the foot washing was a practice from the early church that was restored in the 1950’s – during the time of the Tridentine Mass, so even the “traditionalists” should be OK with it.
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Most of the liturgical renewal was re-adopting practices from the early church and some traditionalists have all sorts of fits about it.
 
You’re wrong. The USCCB does not have the authority to change the Missal without formal approval from the Vatican.
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The USCCB doesn’t feel that they have changed the missal.

And I’d say they have credibility in their stance as just about every single member of the USCCB was appointed by the current pope.
 
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katherine2:
the bishops do have the authority to interprete the liturgical norms. Thi shardly rises to the level of “a change in the Missal”
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Hogwash.

The Sacramentary is quite clear on this matter.
 
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Kielbasi:
The USCCB doesn’t feel that they have changed the missal.

And I’d say they have credibility in their stance as just about every single member of the USCCB was appointed by the current pope.
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You’re wrong again. Actually, you’re fabricating stuff at this point. The USCCB does not suggest they are not changing the Sacramentary. You need to learn that the USCCB cannot change the Roman Missal (the Sacramentary is a subset of the RM) without the approval of the Vatican. That’s not debatible, that simply fact.

I’m certain it’s not OK to contravene the Sacramentary. I was just curious if it rose to the level of a liturgical abuse is all, hence my posting.
 
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msproule:
This topic has been addressed previously in the “Ask an Apologist” forum. Here is the link:

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=32498&highlight=feet+thursday

It seems that Nota Bene’s concerns are very much justified.

I also recall hearing Karl Keating or Jimmy Akin answer this same question on the radio in years past.
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Thank you.

Wow, Michele Arnold really answerd that question once and for all. It’s worth a click to see her response.

Her inclusion of the following quote from Paschale Solemnitatis was the crowning touch:
  1. The washing of the feet of chosen men which, according to tradition, is performed on this day, represents the service and charity of Christ, who came “not to be served, but to serve.” [58] This tradition should be maintained, and its proper significance explained.
 
Wow…

This tiny thread just showed how biased and strident some people can be on a subject they know nothing about…

It is nice to when someone like Michele Arnold comes along and gives a rigorous answer.

Given some of the other (name removed by moderator)uts though on such a simple matter, I wonder less and less why the Church is in the shape it’s in today…
 
Maybe not a “liturgical abuse” but don’t you find is rather stupid to have men washing womens feet when they are trying to live out perfect chastity…no offense to any priest, but there is always temptation in situations like that and it can be uncomfortable to some priest that may not handle it as well.
Common sense is the issue here.
 
Hey NB,

I hear you loud and clear. I was scared when I saw this where I go last year. I didnt know what to think. Its like a few people a forcing non traditional images/practices down our throats. Its not fair to the people who just want to take time out of their day for such a special mass. I blame the priests who dont do something as well as the women who volunteer themselves. This is wrong.
 
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flick427:
Maybe not a “liturgical abuse” but don’t you find is rather stupid to have men washing womens feet when they are trying to live out perfect chastity…no offense to any priest, but there is always temptation in situations like that and it can be uncomfortable to some priest that may not handle it as well.
Common sense is the issue here.
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That is a very practical point indeed. On top of that, foot fetishes are by no means super-rare, and I’m sure some priests are afflicted with this condition…
 
Catholic Dude:
Hey NB,

I hear you loud and clear. I was scared when I saw this where I go last year. I didnt know what to think. Its like a few people a forcing non traditional images/practices down our throats. Its not fair to the people who just want to take time out of their day for such a special mass. I blame the priests who dont do something as well as the women who volunteer themselves. This is wrong.
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Hold the phone…

This not a matter of a “traditional” practice. It’s about following the SACRAMENTARY – the official rubrics for the Mass. It’s about being orthodox in our Cathlicity, not “traditional.”
 
NB,
Sorry if I said something incorrect. I dont really understand what you were getting at at that last post. I read your opening statements and that AskAnAp link and it seems as if it is discouraged in the Last Supper account as well as in the rubrics. I honestly dont see where you got hung up on what I said.
 
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katherine2:
many, rather conservative types, have no trouble insisting that the word “man” elsewhere in the liturgy means males and females.
QUOTE]

In Paschale Solemnitatis
adoremus.org/PaschaleSolemnitatis.html#anchor268078
it can be clearly seen that when referring to both men and women collectively and interchageably, the authors chose to call them “the faithful”. When it was necessary to refer to only men, they used the word “men”.

Furthermore, the USCCB Holy Thursday Mandatum, which is already referred to in previous posts, predates this document by almost a year (February 1987 versus January 1988). While the United States may have at one time “had permission”, that should have ceased at the publishing of the newer document. Therefore, I would think that the direction provided by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments should be followed, unless somebody can present proof from the USCCB that was published after January 1988.
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