Washing the Feet
One of the questions I had at Mystagogy class was about the Washing of the Feet at Holy Thursday. The woman I was sitting with told me that normally both men and women had their feet washed and that our Bishop was "liberal" like that. I had read many blogs and news articles about the controversy about feet being washed.
I asked the deacon why only men were selected this year, and how he felt about the Men Only/ Men and Women controversy with the feet washing. He said that he was a little bit insulted that they only used men this year, and it was the choice of one nun for our parish, not a diocean decision. He said that women have always played a huge part in the church and not including them was discrediting all of the work that he did. He did not consider the act a reenactment of the last supper, but a representation of serving all kinds of people during the mass.
I'm not sure how I feel about that, because I thought it was a representation of the 12 apostles, which makes sense to me. You don't let women be priests because of the fact that Christ was a man and the preists represent Christ, and the same logic says to me that you should only have men's feet washed at the Holy Thursday ceremony because there were no women apostles.
posted by DB @ 11:32:00 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
Exactly and that is why I was surprised (and pleased) that the bishop changed it this year. Our previous priest only chose men and our current priest chooses "representative" people, with children and women among the men. I don't raise a fuss because I know it is allowed but ... it still bothers me.
I actually heard this answer on Catholic Answers radio show a few weeks ago. Apparently, the Bishop or "whoever" in Mass/boston sent the query over to the Holy See regarding whether women could be included in the footwashing. Basically the Answer back from the Holy See was that No, as the language is written it's supposed to be MEN --but if you pastorally need to include women you can. So until there is any further clarification from the Holy See this sort of opens the flood gates for do whatever you have to pastorally. Personally I think it should be men represtenting the apostles and *priests* and I think women should realize how silly it is to get worked up over and then how the message is totally condescending to us. I mean basically the church is saying well yes it should be only men, but if your women folk are all upiity and just dont "get" it then go ahead and throw a few women in there to appease them because we couldnt possibly educate them as to why this is significant. I should get my own blog for a post this long LOL
I hope over the next year this issue gets a little more light before we face this again next year. I’ve never heard that people getting their feet washed are acting in persona apostle. Was Christ’s command to love one another only intended for men? If a woman addresses the Blessed Virgin as “Mother”, is she then acting in persona John? It’s always seemed to me that the feet washing is not on the same level, or even the same planet, as consecrating the Eucharist or proclaiming the Word. Clarity on this issue is required before feet-washing has the opposite effect of what Christ intended.
WOW...STUFF LIKE THIS IS WHY I CONSIDER MYSELF A CATHOLIC INSPITE OF THE INSTITUTION. MALE FEET FEMALE FEET..PALEEEZ! THE POINT IS TO WASH THE FEET AS AN ACT OF HUMILITY PEOPLE. I USED TO LISTEN TO "CATHOLIC ANSWERS" UNTIL THEY BECAME A PROPAGANDA WING OF THE GOP...SAD. REMEMBER THE VERSE THAT SAY'S IN CHRIST THERE "IS NEITHER MALE OR FEMALE????" THANK GOD FOR THE EUCHARIST!! MIKE
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