Maundy Thursday - 'Washing of Feet'

Tonight we will all go to Mass and we should see a very moving and deeply meaningful ritual performed by our local priest. The Washing of Feet.

Remember though that this ritual is deeply important and significant and therefore should follow all the rubrics and keep at heart the true meaning - therefore:

THERE SHOULD BE NO WASHING OF WOMEN'S FEET

This is taken straight from the USCCB.org website:

My parish liturgy committee has decided to allow both men and women to take part in the washing of the feet at the liturgy on Holy Thursday. I have always heard that only men may have their feet washed. Which does the Church allow?

The rubric for Holy Thursday, under the title WASHING OF FEET, reads:

"Depending on pastoral circumstance, the washing of feet follows the homily. The men who have been chosen (viri selecti) are led by the ministers to chairs prepared at a suitable place. Then the priest (removing his chasuble if necessary) goes to each man. With the help of the ministers he pours water over each one's feet and dries them."

Now there is an a statement on the USSCB website near the bottom that states:

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.

This is the only place I found this. After doing more research I found that this was an answer given in 1987! The most recent reworks of the the Roman Missal and the rubrics no longer allow for such a variation in fact, there needs to be PERMISSION FROM THE HOLY SEE to allow women's feet to be washed.

Here are some sites that explain the rite:

Catholic.org - Washing of Feet

EWTN.com - Q's about Maundy Thursday

CUF - Washing of Feet

Possibly the most in-depth look at the situation: The fifth column

That should sum things up. Also... for those of us not lucky enough to have a TLM close, or a parish that uses bells or incense... I leave you with these: