Pope Washes Feet And Breaks Liturgical Law

[mortify ii]

If you think those two things are comparable, you aren't worth my time to debate.

 

But it would be such a beautiful gesture! And besides, laws are meant to be broken! 

 

*tongue in cheek*

[AugustineA]

Interesting. This is the first I've heard of it. I don't think anyone thinks we shouldn't include women, but it's the manner in which we go about doing it. Why are we spending so much effort having dialogues with our Eastern brethren and traditional groups if canon law is just.. Meh?

It's kind of weird coming from a beautiful Eastern liturgy and reading about this. I dunno.. He's a Jesuit. He knows perfectly well what he's done lol. Sadly it was going to be political either way, and I would have rather seen it done with respect to tradition.

[OnlySunshine]

My pastor, in the 4 years he's been doing Holy Thursday Mass, only washes the feet of 12 men chosen from the congregation beforehand.  It's always done reverently and solemnly.  My dad was included in the 12 men this year. 

 

In 2009, I attended my old parish for Holy Thursday and was still "young" in my reversion so I didn't know it was frowned upon to have women included in the feet washing.  The pastor invited the deacons and concelebrating priests to have their feet washed and then they had about 4 or 5 stations where anyone from the congregation could come up.  My friends urged me to do it if I'd never had it done.  I didn't think anything of it.  Now, I feel that it was inappropriate for the feet washing to be made into a "free for all."  I'd never go up again if I had the chance because I don't think it is respectful.  That pastor has since transferred this year so I don't know how it was done this year by the new pastor.

[KnightofChrist]

If you think those two things are comparable, you aren't worth my time to debate.

A tiny snowflake that falls and begins to roll down the top of a mountain is vastly different than the massive mound of snow it can become at the bottom.

I remember growing up as the oldest of four children. If I did something good or bad many times my siblings would follow my example. But when they did they would often take it one step further. My younger brother would take it one step further than I, my youngest brother would then take it one more step further, and then my sister would take it yet another further step. The same thing would happen often when I would follow the example of my father and mother. I would take it one step further and so on.

The danger of the Holy Father ignoring Liturgical Law is that others could follow that example. Which could later down the mountain lead to others ignoring greater parts of Liturgy.

[fides' Jack]

Interesting. This is the first I've heard of it. I don't think anyone thinks we shouldn't include women, but it's the manner in which we go about doing it. Why are we spending so much effort having dialogues with our Eastern brethren and traditional groups if canon law is just.. Meh?

It's kind of weird coming from a beautiful Eastern liturgy and reading about this. I dunno.. He's a Jesuit. He knows perfectly well what he's done lol. Sadly it was going to be political either way, and I would have rather seen it done with respect to tradition.

 

I am one such person: if done in the middle of the Liturgy, foot-washing should not include women.

 

But he is the pope, and can do as he pleases.  It isn't for me to decide if he should or should not do so, as the pope.  However, since it is law, it should not be done by anyone else.

[Basilisa Marie]

Hey, did you know that when the pope acts in a way like this, by his actions he creates an exception for himself from the rules? And that him washing the feet of others doesn't invalidate the rubrics, but means that he's using his good judgment as our Holy Father to make an exception for himself so that he can teach us something, and only he can do it because he's the Holy Father? 

 

Because that's something I learned last year, and thought it was pretty nifty.  It told me that sometimes we have to make sure that strictly following the letter of the rules isn't more important that the spirit of the law, in situations where perfectly legal loopholes exist. 

[Basilisa Marie]

And like others have said, there are two perfectly acceptable interpretations of foot washing. One has to do with priesthood, the other has to do with service. If we're talking about the priesthood, then yes, it should be men. But if we're talking about service, there's no real pressing need to make the distinction. 

[Seven77]

Hey, did you know that when the pope acts in a way like this, by his actions he creates an exception for himself from the rules? And that him washing the feet of others doesn't invalidate the rubrics, but means that he's using his good judgment as our Holy Father to make an exception for himself so that he can teach us something, and only he can do it because he's the Holy Father? 

 

Because that's something I learned last year, and thought it was pretty nifty.  It told me that sometimes we have to make sure that strictly following the letter of the rules isn't more important that the spirit of the law, in situations where perfectly legal loopholes exist. 

 

This. 

 

I sympathize with people who do not understand these actions in the context of liturgical rubrics. Sometimes I am troubled too but the Holy Spirit is a great apologist If we can listen. The Pope is acting as Pope here. He does not want other priests to follow suit by imitating the letter of what  he is doing-- he wants them, he wants all of us, to imitate the Spirit of what he's doing. I think it's a prophetic action (not in the sense of future event etc.) and needs to be understood as such.

[HisChildForever]

Jesus washing the apostles' feet was a rule breaker, wasn't it? So wasn't the Pope imitating him when he too broke the rules of this custom? 

[Basilisa Marie]

Jesus washing the apostles' feet was a rule breaker, wasn't it? So wasn't the Pope imitating him when he too broke the rules of this custom? 

 

Yeah, it was a radical act of servitude that toppled ideas about honor and leadership on their heads.  While it's very important to follow rules and the rubrics (they exist for very good reasons, after all), we can't put so much emphasis on the rules that we miss the bigger picture. 

[Amppax]

For nerds like me, here's a good link (canon law, cool!): 

 

http://canonlawblog.wordpress.com/2013/03/29/retrospectives-on-the-mandatum-rite-controversies/

 

It's from last year, but really, it's the exact same situation. Also, it's not like the Holy Father can do this whenever he wants (at least, that's what this article, and a couple other canon lawyers have told me) but this is definitely a situation where he has this sort of discretion. 

 

Personally, I'm not a huge fan of this, but hey, I'm not the Pope. (Deo gratias!) Regardless of my personal feelings, it's an incredible gesture of service and humility, and it's very much in keeping with Francis' message. I had more to say, but eh, it's Easter. 

[Not A Mallard]

Women aren't supposed to be part of the feet washing service?  Not even I knew that!

[Nihil Obstat]

There is no question that legally the pope has the prerogative to do as Pope Francis did. But there is certainly room (and ample precedent) for faithful Catholics to question in good faith and in all charity whether or not he should be doing as he did.

[Ice_nine]

women had their feet washed at my parish this year. I wonder if priests think "oh the Pope did it, therefore I can" or something along those lines. But then again the priests got shifted around last year so it could be due more to the change of staff.

[mortify ii]

Wonder why only 12 are chosen... hmm... what symbolism could it be referring to?