Well, here's the official word on washing the feet of MEN ONLY for the Roman Catholic church:
...there has been no change in the universal norm which reserves this rite to men as stated in the circular letter "Paschales Solemnitatis" (Jan. 16, 1988) and the rubrics of the 2002 Latin Roman Missal.
No. 51 of the circular letter states: "The washing of the feet of chosen men which, according to tradition, is performed on this day, represents the service and charity of Christ, who came 'not to be served, but to serve.' This tradition should be maintained, and its proper significance explained."
About a year ago, however, the Holy See, while affirming that the men-only rule remains the norm, did permit a U.S. bishop to also wash women's feet if he considered it pastorally necessary in specific cases. This permission was for a particular case and from a strictly legal point of view has no value outside the diocese in question.
(Zenit ZE 060328)
If I recall correctly, that was Boston.
Anybody want to set up the line--over/under on how many Milwaukee-area parishes flat-out ignore the Instruction?
UPDATE: More on the non-liceity of 'wimmin-washing' here.
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3 comments:
One always needs to do one's homework before making blanket statements. Please see the USCCB-BCL statement about the inclusion of women in this important ritual of foot washing on Holy Thursday. Women, indeed, may be invited to join men in the foot washing ritual.
http://www.usccb.org/liturgy/q&a/general/feet.shtml
4# Because the gospel of the mandatum read on Holy Thursday also depicts Jesus as the "Teacher and Lord" who humbly serves his disciples by performing this extraordinary gesture which goes beyond the laws of hospitality,2 the element of humble service has accentuated the celebration of the foot washing rite in the United States over the last decade or more. In this regard, it has become customary in many places to invite both men and women to be participants in this rite in recognition of the service that should be given by all the faithful to the Church and to the world. Thus, in the United States, a variation in the rite developed in which not only charity is signified but also humble service.
5# While this variation may differ from the rubric of the Sacramentary which mentions only men ("viri selecti"), it may nevertheless be said that the intention to emphasize service along with charity in the celebration of the rite is an understandable way of accentuating the evangelical command of the Lord, "who came to serve and not to be served," that all members of the Church must serve one another in love.
Sorry, no "pacem" will be granted you.
USCC has NO AUTHORITY--Zero, Zip, Nada--to alter the Rites. Only a Bishop, with specific permission from ROME, can alter the rite.
One always needs to do one's homework on Canon Law before quoting non-authoritative sources.
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