Pope washes feet of young detainees in ritual

Associated Press ^ | 3-28-2013 | NICOLE WINFIELD

[haffast]

Pope Francis washed and kissed the feet of a dozen inmates at a juvenile detention center in a Holy Thursday ritual that he celebrated for years as archbishop and is continuing now that he is pope. Two of the 12 were young women, a remarkable choice given that the rite re-enacts Jesus' washing of the feet of his male disciples.

The Mass was held in the Casal del Marmo facility in Rome, where 46 young men and women currently are detained. Many of them are Gypsies or North African migrants, and the 12 selected for the foot-washing rite included Orthodox and Muslim detainees as well, news reports said.

snip

Previous popes would carry out the foot-washing ritual on Holy Thursday in Rome's grand St. John Lateran basilica and the 12 people chosen for the ritual would always be priests to represent the 12 disciples.

That Francis would include women in this re-enactment is noteworthy given the insistence of some in the church that the ritual be reserved for men only: The argument is that Jesus' disciples were all male, and the Catholic priesthood that evolved from the original 12 disciples is restricted to men.

"The pope's washing the feet of women is hugely significant because including women in this part of the Holy Thursday Mass has been frowned on — and even banned — in some dioceses," said the Rev. James Martin, a Jesuit priest and author of "The Jesuit Guide."

"It shows the all-embracing love of Christ, who ministered to all he met: man or woman, slave or free, Jew or Gentile," he said.

After the Mass, Francis greeted each of the inmates and gave each one an Easter egg.

[rarestia]

I love this man.

[kingu]

Pope Francis, could you do the world a favor, assuming that outright ouster isn't on the table, and reassign Cardinal Mahoney to be your secretary? He can stay in one of the small rooms down the hall, and be restricted to the Vatican except when accompanying you on trips such as this one.

[JimRed]

He appears to be the real deal, a servant rather than a master.

[mlizzy]

"Don't lose hope," he said. "Understand? With hope you can always go on."

Amen, Pope Francis, Amen! ♥

[society-by-contract]

For a take on how some traditionalist Catholics view Francis’ Maundi Thursday Mass, check out this blog:

http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2013/03/for-record-girl-among-12-inmates-whose.html

I came back to the church after years of apostacy and am facinated by the discussions of so-called traditionalist Catholics. Frankly, they seem to be the only ones who will engage in dialogue on issues such as where the Tabernacle should be placed. When I asked my parish priest that question, he almost jumped out of his vestments and literally ran off!

[Mrs. Don-o]

The article attempted to make a wedge issue out of Pope Francis washing women' feet, but --- although this is not the practice in a few parishes or dioceses --- I think most of us Catholics have seen this done for years.

The Holy Thursday foot-washing is not a Sacrament (and the Church cannot change the matter of a Sacrament ---- ever: it does not have the authority). It is a (small s) "sacramental," which means the Pope certainly has the option to include women, without implying the whole structure of sex, gender and Natural Law is going to come crashing down on our heads!!

¡Viva Papa Francisco!

[21twelve]

I’m not Catholic - but I can understand some of these people’s adverse reactions to the Pope’s washing of their feet. Not that I agree - just understand.

The Apostles were pretty taken aback when Jesus first washed THEIR feet.

[ClearBlueSky]

Muslims??? No..no,,,no. Not a good sign.

[pbear8]

Holy Thursday is the Feast of the Institution of the Holy Eucharist and the Institution of the priesthood. The Mandatum is closely tied to the priesthood. As Jesus did, so should His priests do.

That said, the GIRM clearly uses 'viri', that is 'men' for the Washing of the Feet. This is just an option for Holy Thursday and need not be done at all. However, if one is going to do it, one should stick to the General Instructions. If the leader does not, it simply gives license to all to do exactly as they please.

Further, washing the feet of a 12 year old Muslim girl might not be the wisest thing to do.

[Mrs. Don-o]

Thank you for that. The GIRM does say "viri".

It's likely you know more about canons and rubrics than I do (it wouldn't be hard to know more than I do, because this is an area of vast ignorance on my part!) But I was under the impression that a Pope's liturgical directions would take precedence over anybody else's, except for things that are strictly dogmata, e.g. the validity of the form or matter of a Sacrament.

Is not the Pope the chief liturgical authority of the Church? Does he not have this authority?

[pbear8]

The HF utilizes Canon lawyers and liturgists simply because no one can know every little detail. I did hear that they tried to dissuade him from departing from the GIRM (General Instruction for the Roman Missal)on this day.

My concern is that a major deviation from such a clear instruction will give the green light to those who are inclined to invent a liturgy to be more inventive. Soon we would have a ghastly mess.

The HF is welcome to wash as many feet as he desires but on Holy Thursday it might be best to follow the rules and thus encourage Holy Obedience throughout the Universal Church.

[Mrs. Don-o]

As a founding member of my parish's Schola Cantorum, I have a certain respect and affection for the Rad Trads, but ...

(you knew there ws going to be a "but," right?)...

...but on this issue of the Washing of Feminine Feet, in my (ignorant and reformable) opinion, it is not Pope Francis who is giving scandal, but the anti-papist^* wing of the Rad Trads.

Gol-lee, with fideles like these, who needs the sensus infidelium?! It's hard enough here on Free Republic dealing with wolfpacks of sado-evangelicals, and now this?! (No, dear reader, of course I do not mean you.)

Tax-chick, I look always to you for a whiff of sanity. What do you say?

---

^* Or is it "anti-Ultramontane"? Oh, it's all so confusing.

[Mrs. Don-o]

I do see your point. However (biting lip) I trust the Pope to be able to weigh tiny non-dogmatic rubrical details from the GERM against the truly huge value of showing love for the very least of Christ's brethren (including sistren).

Also --- is this devious? --- I see a larger rhetorical strategy which will enable him to then turn on a dime and do something rad-orthodox and fry liberals' brains by fully applying the Gospel concept known as "sign of contradiction".

And I mean that in the Gospellest possible sense.

[pbear8]

I guess we will just pray and stayed tuned. Blessed Triduum to you and the Mister.

[Mrs. Don-o]

Thank you pbear8, affectionate greetings to your pbear tribe, and most happy blessings of the Triduum to you.

Oh, and BTW I meant “GIRM.” Some of my typos are truly cringeworthy.

[pbear8]

I have always thought that GRIM was funny.

[HerrBlucher]

And even more taken aback when Jesus said they needed to eat His body and drink His blood. That was a major Yikes! for them.

[little jeremiah]

And the real identity of each soul is not man or woman as manifested in this earthly realm.

In the Kingdom of God we will have our real, eternal identities which may be very different from the guises we now appear in.

A Muslim girl is not eternall a Muslim girl. Underneath or rather, inside, the earthly tent, lives the eternal soul.

[Mrs. Don-o]

You are very right. Every person, by virtue of their humanity, has the ability to receive grace, if God wills it so. If a Muslim girl has her feet washed by the Pope, who can say what way she may be touched in her heart or enlightened in her mind? Who can say what grace dear Papa Fancis will receive just for doing this --- beautiful --- Christlike --- thing.

God bless you, LJ. I prayed for (with?) you consciously tonight at my parish, which had a beautiful Holy Thursday liturgy. And our pastor washed feminine feet as well: not mine, but there were were some little Señoritas up there, solemn little brown girls with the cleanest feet!