Holy Thursday Foot Washing Rubrics

[Lil Red]

what are the rubrics concerning the washing of the feet? men and women? men only? the faithful washing each other's feet or the priest only?

[Papist]

[font=Arial][size=2]The rubrics for Holy Thursday clearly state that the priest washes the feet of men ("viri") in order to recall Christ's action toward his apostles. Any modification of this rite would require permission from the Holy See. It is certainly true that in Christ there is neither male nor female and that all disciples are equal before the Lord. But this reality need not be expressed in every rite, especially one that is so tied up to the concrete historical circumstances of the Last Supper. [/size][/font]

[Lil Red]

[quote name='Papist' timestamp='1303325396' post='2230589']
[font=Arial][size=2]The rubrics for Holy Thursday clearly state that the priest washes the feet of men ("viri") in order to recall Christ's action toward his apostles. Any modification of this rite would require permission from the Holy See. It is certainly true that in Christ there is neither male nor female and that all disciples are equal before the Lord. But this reality need not be expressed in every rite, especially one that is so tied up to the concrete historical circumstances of the Last Supper. [/size][/font]
[/quote]
i am being told that the USCCB got permission for the US to do differently (of course )....any truth to that?

[FutureSister2009]

I've never been a big fan of watching the Washing of Feet on Holy Thursday. I'm usually singing during it but I look up to see how far along our pastor is. I believe we use the men of our RCIA as the Apostles. The thing I don't like is that their families are taking pictures. I wouldn't want to have a picture of it. I know its a tradition and I'm not trying to insult the traditions of the Church. I would never do that. But I just don't like it that much.

[MIKolbe]

[quote]"4. 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."

"5 .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."[/quote]

[url="http://www.usccb.org/liturgy/q&a/general/feet.shtml"]http://www.usccb.org/liturgy/q&a/general/feet.shtml[/url]

[Papist]

[quote name='MIkolbe' timestamp='1303325875' post='2230594']
[url="http://www.usccb.org/liturgy/q&a/general/feet.shtml"]http://www.usccb.org...eral/feet.shtml[/url]
[/quote]
[font="Arial"][size="3"]This entire text is phrased in ambiguous terms and does not claim any authority whatsoever, in spite of the aura of officialdom in its being published by the liturgy committee. I did not consider it a relevant source. [/size][/font]
[size="3"][font="Arial"]
[/font][/size][font="Arial"][size="3"]The rubric for washing of the feet on Holy Thursday, reads and remains:[/size][/font] [font="Arial"][size="2"][color="black"][font="Arial"][size="3"][quote]Depending on pastoral circumstance, thewashing of feet follows the homily. The men who have been chosen ([/size][i][size="3"]viriselecti[/size][/i][size="3"]) are led by the ministers to chairs prepared at a suitable place.Then the priest (removing his chasuble if necessary) goes to each man. With thehelp of the ministers he pours water over each one's feet and dries them.[/quote][/size][/font][/color]

[/size][/font]

Edited April 20, 2011 by Papist

[Lil Red]

here's what was found from EWTN:
http://www.ewtn.com/library/liturgy/zlitur123.htm

[MIKolbe]

[quote name='Papist' timestamp='1303328510' post='2230606']
[font="Arial"][size="3"]This entire text is phrased in ambiguous terms and does not claim any authority whatsoever, in spite of the aura of officialdom in its being published by the liturgy committee. I did not consider it a relevant source. [/size][/font]
[size="3"][font="Arial"]
[/font][/size][font="Arial"][size="3"]The rubric for washing of the feet on Holy Thursday, reads and remains:[/size][/font] [font="Arial"][size="2"][color="black"][font="Arial"][size="3"][/size][/font][/color]

[/size][/font]
[/quote]
your rubric has a typo.

[Aloysius]

[quote name='MIkolbe' timestamp='1303325875' post='2230594']
[url="http://www.usccb.org/liturgy/q&a/general/feet.shtml"]http://www.usccb.org/liturgy/q&a/general/feet.shtml[/url]
[/quote]
this is the same episcopal position that was taken on the use of altar girls before Rome allowed them. basically states that the universal law requires men, but since the practice has cropped up in the US of using women, we're not going to do anything about it for now because we think it's got merit. thus far, Rome has not approved any indult for the United States in this matter. however, the bishops will not enforce the universal law, so you can't force anyone to go along with it except by appealing to Rome, who likely has no interest in stirring up a hornet's nest of anger and scandal right now.

if you're involved in talking to a priest or some liturgy committee or something about planning Holy Thursday, all you can do is present the argument for the universal law and say "you should probably do it this way" and leave it at that, because you're probably not going to get any action from a bishop (well, depending upon the bishop, perhaps there are some out there who do insist upon the universal law? there's some bishops around here and there who are pretty good about this kind of thing these days).

ultimately, I believe it is correct to say that the USCCB has not exercised any authority on this matter for now. they purposefully did not use any authoritative language "permitting" it, because to do so they would have to get the approval of Rome, which they know they cannot get right now. But as with altar girls, if it's done enough they presume Rome will eventually give an indult.

[OnlySunshine]

I went to my first Holy Thursday Mass 2 years ago and then, I had no idea about the tradition of only men having their feet washed. Two ladies that I had made friends with encouraged me to go up there since I had never done it. A deacon washed my feet and it was rather weird, especially when he kissed them. I don't think I'll be doing that again.

[BG45]

I remember having my feet washed on Holy Thursday in RCIA a few years ago (no one took pictures of us though). I always heard men only, but everyone seems to have dug up their own sources already.

[Cam42]

The USCCB has no real authority to mandate anything regarding the rubrics. It still has to go back to Rome for approval from the appropriate authority. The most the USCCB can do is make a recommendation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkn7lkf9p18

start about 1:37 to 5:38....


Regarding washing only men's feet on Holy Thursday, several readers asked about a statement published by the U.S. bishops' liturgy committee in 1987 (see www.usccb.org/liturgy/q&a/general/feet.htm).

[quote]Paragraphs 4 and 5 read:

"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, 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 that 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 [b]the rubric of the Sacramentary which mentions only men [/b]('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."

One correspondent, a woman, asks: "Did the U.S. conference have the authority to change the rubric of the Sacramentary? Did it get the approval of Rome? Certain dioceses will allow men only to have their feet washed; Jesus chose 12 men, his apostles."

I was not unaware of this statement. But since the entire text is couched in ambiguous terms and does not claim any authority whatsoever (in spite of the aura of officialdom in its being published by the liturgy committee) I did not consider it a relevant source.

What is surprising in this document is that it does not question the premise that a pastor or even a bishop has the authority to change or vary a specific rite at his own behest. He does not have such authority except where the law specifically allows him to do so.

This said, other paragraphs of the above statement correctly recall that this rite was reintroduced into parish celebrations relatively recently (1955) and so, as a rite, cannot claim a long liturgical tradition directly linking it to Christ's action on Holy Thursday — although this is the obvious interpretation.

Thus, at least hypothetically, it could be subject to a reinterpretation to "emphasize service along with charity" in such a way as to be also open to women.

[b]Yet the proper authority for such a reinterpretation is the Holy See or a two-thirds vote of an episcopal conference ratified by the Holy See and not an individual bishop or pastor. [/b]

Another correspondent affirmed that the Holy See had informed an American cardinal that women were not excluded from the rite, [b]but the writer was unable to provide sources.[/b] I have been unable to corroborate this affirmation from any official source. The above-mentioned statement from the liturgy committee explicitly states that no further official pronunciations have been made since 1987 (although [b]the new Latin missal reconfirms the rubric regarding only men being called[/b]). If this affirmation is confirmed, then obviously our position would have to change. [/quote]

[url="http://www.ewtn.com/Library/Liturgy/zlitur26.htm"]source[/url]

It is a complete fabrication which allows for a woman to be called to have her feet washed. It is wholly and completely unacceptable. There has never been any proof to support this other than a warped and emasculatory sense of destruction of tradition and Tradition. The Church has not approved nor did it forsee the inclusion of women in this ceremony. Yet, it continues....go figure.

Edited April 21, 2011 by Cam42

[Brother Adam]

Exactly what Cam said. I had to study this issue a few years ago and was completely thrown off by the USCCB until I realized they don't have the power to change the Mass without the permission of the USCCB. I absolutely hate the politically correct warm and fuzzy social justice stuff that liturgist's try to pull with the most sacred and holy days of the Church year. They should be ashamed. People around here still complained that we changed it to only men, but it just goes to show you the ignorance of the liturgy.

[CatherineM]

Just in case people get the idea that this is one of those silly things that men use to dominate over women, I agree with Cam and Adam. It should be men only, and changing it is a way of trying to show how inclusive we are being. When asked once to participate, I told the priest that I would on one condition, that he allow me to wash his feet with my hair. I wish I'd had a camera to take a picture of his face.

[Cam42]

[quote name='Brother Adam' timestamp='1303415871' post='2230901']
Exactly what Cam said. I had to study this issue a few years ago and was completely thrown off by the USCCB until I realized they don't have the power to change the Mass without the permission of the USCCB. I absolutely hate the politically correct warm and fuzzy social justice stuff that liturgist's try to pull with the most sacred and holy days of the Church year. They should be ashamed. People around here still complained that we changed it to only men, but it just goes to show you the ignorance of the liturgy.
[/quote]

Don't you mean Rome (Holy See)? as in ...they don't have the power to change the Mass without the permission of Rome (Holy See).