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Paths to Rome: Washing of Feet on Holy Thursday"For I have given you an example, that you also should do"On Holy Thursday, in parishes throughout the United States, twelve men and women will assemble in the sanctuaries during the Mass of the Lord's Supper to have their feet ritually washed by a priest. Although many Catholics -- both men and women -- are disburbed by the practice of washing women's feet, probably most barely take notice.  Almost no one will be aware that, despite documents approving the practice from the Bishops' Committee on the Liturgy (BCL), there is no clear...

BOSTON - Boston Archbishop Sean O'Malley declined to wash the feet of women during a Holy Week ritual that symbolizes Jesus' washing the feet of his disciples. O'Malley, heeding instructions from the Vatican on the subject, washed the feet of 12 men - representing Jesus' 12 male disciples - as he celebrated Holy Thursday Mass. The practice of including women in the foot-washing ritual is controversial among some clergy. Traditionalists oppose inclusion of women in the ritual, but others see it as an outdated rule that can alienate women from the church. In Atlanta, about 100 men and women gathered...