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Women Barred From Holy Thursday Ritual

Discussion in 'Free-For-All Archives' started by DHK, Apr 7, 2004.

  1. DHK

    DHK <b>Moderator</b>

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    ATLANTA (AP) - Women will not be allowed to participate in Holy Thursday foot-washing rituals at Roman Catholic churches in Atlanta. In a letter to the archdiocese's priests, Archbishop John Donoghue said only 12 men at each parish should be selected for the ritual, which represents Jesus washing the feet of his disciples at the Last Supper.

    Donoghue, his staff and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops refused to comment on the issue Tuesday.

    However, the Conference of Catholic Bishops' Web site states: ``It has become customary in many places to invite both men and women to be participants in this rite of recognition of the service that should be given by all the faithful to the church and to the world.''

    Catholic churches in Atlanta, where Donoghue has been in charge since 1993, have included women in the foot-washing rite for years.

    Several women said they plan a protest Thursday at the Cathedral of Christ the King in Atlanta, where the archbishop will preside over Holy Thursday Mass.

    ``We'll stand in solidarity, and we'll sing and we'll pray,'' said Lalor Cadley, who organizes Catholic retreats and workshops.

    Donoghue sparked a similar protest 15 years ago when he banned women from foot washing in Charlotte, N.C.

    Several priests in Atlanta did not immediately return telephone messages left at their offices by The Associated Press.

    Priests are bound by a vow of obedience to follow their archbishop's orders and generally are prohibited from openly criticizing those orders.

    ``A shepherd who cares only for the rams won't have a flock for very long,'' said Kathleen Pruitt of Bremen, Ga., who attends several Catholic churches.

    04/07/04 00:45
    Women Barred

    When I was Catholic I don't remember having any foot-washing services at all, so the above isn't an issue with me. In fact I find it kind of intriguing. Can some Catholic enlighten me as to what is going on within the Catholic Church nowadays in reference to the above article.
    DHK
     
  2. Jude

    Jude <img src=/scott3.jpg>

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    I'm not a RC, but this Kathleen Pruitt and Lalor Cadley probably need to learn what submission to authority is all about. Their teaching authority is telling them that their are valid reasons NOT to have women do the footwashing. Scripturally, they have these choices. 1. Submit to that authority 2. leave. That's it. Even if they are 'right', they are wrong, because they are not submitting to the authority over them.
     
  3. trying2understand

    trying2understand New Member

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    I'm not sure of what you are looking for, DHK, but I have a couple of thoughts.

    Foot washing is practiced (or not) at the discretion of the Pastor or the local Bishop. I have observed it a few times.

    As the article states, the service represents Jesus washing the feet of the Apostles, so it is only natural that the 12 persons participating in the service would be men.

    The women who are protesting may have an agenda not mentioned in the article. They may be pushing for the ordination of women - somethng which will never happen in the Catholic Church. It is not an issue even open for discussion.

    Ron
     
  4. Kathryn

    Kathryn New Member

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    Our parish priest is washing my husband's feet along with some other men's. My parish has been doing this for years. I agree, liberal women who have an agenda to open the priesthood up to women think mistakenly this is a first step.
     
  5. Kathryn

    Kathryn New Member

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    Just in case anyone really doesn't know why Catholic priests would be washing anyone's feet, it is because of what Jesus Christ taught in Holy Scripture:

    John 13:3
    Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God,

    John 13:4
    *got up from supper, and *laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself.

    John 13:5
    Then He *poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.

    John 13:6
    So He *came to Simon Peter. He *said to Him, "Lord, do You wash my feet?"

    John 13:7
    Jesus answered and said to him, "What I do you do not realize now, but you will understand hereafter."

    John 13:8
    Peter *said to Him, "Never shall You wash my feet!" Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me."

    John 13:9
    Simon Peter *said to Him, "Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head."

    John 13:10
    Jesus *said to him, "He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you."

    John 13:11
    For He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, "Not all of you are clean."

    John 13:12
    So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you?

    John 13:13
    "You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am.

    John 13:14
    "If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.

    John 13:15
    "For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you.

    John 13:16
    "Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him.

    John 13:17
    "If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them."
     
  6. DHK

    DHK <b>Moderator</b>

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    You are probably right Ron. They, no doubt, have an agenda that they are pushing for. I tend to agree with that, as well as the points that Jude brought out. I only posted the article, because as a former Catholic, it was something new to me. I had never heard of a Catholic foot-washing service. I know the Plymouth Brethren do it on a fairly regular basis, but I had never heard of this.
    DHK
     
  7. music4Him

    music4Him New Member

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    DHK, as you know I'm not catholic so I can't tell you nothing about whats going on in CC today. I thought maybe that some of what is mentioned on this thread (i.e.) its probley happening in other denominations with women wanting to be allowed to participate with the church?

    However.....The women should be allowed to be a part of a foot washing, (for atleast this 1 reason) as long as they are concidered servants in the church (along with the men) who may not preach behind the pulpit, but still serve the Lord. Our church was discussing this last Sunday after the service, right now they seem to think the women will wash women's feet and men will wash the men's feet.

    From the scripture that Kathryn posted.......
    John 13:12
    So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you?
    John 13:13
    "You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am.
    John 13:14
    "If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.
    John 13:15
    "For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you.
    John 13:16
    "Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him.

    ......how come men and women can't wash each others feet? Mary washed Jesus feet with her tears and dried it with her hair then anointed them with oil.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    I also see Ms. Pruitt was quoted in the artical saying:
    ``A shepherd who cares only for the rams won't have a flock for very long,'' said Kathleen Pruitt of Bremen, Ga., who attends several Catholic churches. [​IMG]

    If this happened to the flock over feet washing rights it would really be sad. IMOHO
     
  8. BobRyan

    BobRyan Well-Known Member

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    This is all pretty funny if you ask me.

    Christ said that He gave us this example and that we should do as he told us to -

    So fine! We do it. Women and men -- are all followers of Christ, all reading the Bible, all obeying Christ's direct command and no "man made tradition" johnny-come-lately "revision" of Christ's Word is "allowed" according to Mark 7:6-13.

    But - when we do it - women wash each other's feet and men wash the feet of other men.

    However there are also cases where husband and wife wash each other's feet.

    Simple. Easy. no complications, no Pope watering it down as he sees fit.

    In Christ,

    Bob
     
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