I was listening to Catholic Answers on the radio last week and a caller asked about whether it was permissible for women to have their feet washed as part of the Holy Thursday liturgy. The answer went something like this: a certain Cardinal (I forget his name) wrote to the Congregation for Sacred Liturgy (or is it Divine Worship?) and asked for a ruling as to whether women could have their feet washed. The answer was that a bishop, and only a bishop, could alter the liturgy in a diocese. This goes along with Sacrosanctum Concilium which essentially gives the local ordinary unlimited authority in altering the local liturgy (subject only to Rome over-ruling him after the fact). The point was that no priest could take it upon himself to decide that he was going to change the liturgy. If a priest were to do so it would be the unlawful usurpation of a power that doesn’t belong to him, which in legal-speak would be a de facto act of schism (and probably would incur excommunication latae sentensiae but I don’t know for sure).
sounds like you were in a time machine that went back to the '50’s
Into legalism now, are we??
Wow! There go all of our parish priests. Oh well, thank God for our lone deacon. Now he helped in the washing of the feet. Do I avoid him also??
And does it only count for priests serving men?
Bishop Arthur of Leeds washed the feet of six men and six women. He’s not a left-wing trendy type bishop by any means.
Same thing happened at my parish. I didn’t know it was an abuse, but I did feel quite uneasy about it, so I didn’t have my feet washed. I took a shower before I went to Mass anyway.Yep at my Church. Too bad I didn’t get to go to mine.We had the washing anyone who wanted to have their feet washed. Didn’t know there were 200 apostles.
Do you perceive only washing the feet of men as being unfair to women?
Not unfair exactly - and I certainly wouldn’t inflict my feet upon anyone!
I don’t see that the distinction is entirely comprehensible or even necessary in that particular context.But they’re not just there to represent the Apostles - I know for a fact that there aren’t always and invariably 12 of 'em for starters!!!
Well there SHOULD be 12 and only 12. That is what the instructions from the Vatican say.
well, each year, the Pope washes the feet of 12 priests, is the example of the Pope not worthy of being followed?
The Pope is a man and unmarried - that automatically precludes 90% of us from following his example on all matters, however worthy it may be!
You heard it folks! If you’re not a male, and you are married, then you don’t have to listen to the Pope! Wow!
Did Christ wash the feet of the lepers or the 5000 gathered that were women, men and children?
It’s called tradition.