Ask a Question - or - Return to the Liturgy Forum Index

Question Title Posted By Question Date
Washing Women's Feet now permitted Tim Saturday, March 15, 2008

Question:

Dear Mr. Slavek:

You mentioned to a previous poster on March 11th that Holy Thursday foot washing is reserved only for men. This had been my understanding until it had come up elsewhere, and I learned, much to my chagrin, that it IS now allowed:

http://www.rcab.org/Pilot/2005/ps050401/holythursday.html

In the archdiocese of Boston (I will bite my tongue now), the Archbishop O'Malley sought clarification from the Vatican on the issue, when there apparently were people taking issue with having only women's feet being washed (in 2004):

In August 2004, “at the time of the ad limina visit to Rome, the archbishop sought clarification on the liturgical requirements of the rite of foot washing from the Congregation for Divine Worship, which has the responsibility for administering the liturgical law of the Church,” said an archdiocesan statement released in March. “The Congregation affirmed the liturgical requirement that only the feet of men be washed at the Holy Thursday ritual, which recalls Christ’s service to the apostles who would become the first priests of the Church.”

“The Congregation did, however, provide for the archbishop to make a pastoral decision concerning his practice of the rite if such a decision would be helpful to the faithful of the archdiocese,” the statement added. “Archbishop O’Malley has determined that he will participate in a modified rite of foot washing at the Cathedral this year. The participants in the rite will include men and women from the Cathedral parish and from social service agencies providing support to community members in need.”

UGH!

In short, the Vatican allows for pastoral decisions to be made in local areas as to whether the feet of women should be washed on Holy Thursday, without any real justification for it, given that previous documents and statements clearly specify it is only MEN who participate, in imitation of the Apostles.

If my church allows this, I'll go to another one!

In Christ,
TIM
Question Answered by Mr. Jacob Slavek

Dear Tim,

I decided not to include this in my original answer since it only applies to one parish, NOT the entire United States.  Well I should say only one parish that we know of, that is, the cathedral in Boston.  Maybe Archbishop O’Malley allows it in other parishes in his diocese, I don't know.  As far as I know he is the only bishop in the United States that has been given this "special permission".  I took the chance that the original questioner was not a member of that particular parish.

Mr. Slavek
Footer Notes: (a) A Eucharistic Minister is clergy (Ordinary Ministers of Holy Communion). Laity are Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion and should never be called Eucharistic Ministers.

(b) There is no such Mass called the Novus Ordo. The Current Mass is the Roman Missal of 2000, or the Oridinary Form of the Mass. The Tridentine Mass is the Roman Missal of 1962, or the Extraordinary Form of the Mass. Please refrain from using the term, Novus Ordo. Thanks.

(c) The titles of Acolyte and Lector belong exclusively to the Installed Offices of Acolyte and Lector, who are men (only) appointed by the Bishop. These roles performed by others are Altar Servers and Readers, respectively.