Wednesday, April 04, 2007

Holy Thursday and the Washing of Feet (again)

I have been asked to post this again since there are many who still have questions about it. (Updated by LRS)

A couple of pertinent posts from the past can be view here and here.

It must be remembered that the rubrics as stated are the binding norms of the Church's liturgical law, and as such, may not be modified or changed without approval of the Holy See.

For what it is worth, I no longer attend Holy Thursday Mass at parishes which refuse obedience and fidelity to the norms of the Church - I have found a parish, without a great deal of difficulty, which dispenses with the rite of the washing of the feet
or which performs this rite according to the rubrics in the Roman Missal and in accord with Pascales Solemnitatis. Had I been unable to find a parish nearby which could not abide by the norms, I would instead refuse to knowingly attend an illicit Mass and pray for those who take it upon themselves to reduce the rite to an exercise of political correctness, and hope to watch Holy Mass in Rome (or elsewhere) on EWTN.
(LRS) I lost my Haloscan comment!!!!!
.... so here goes a shorter version:

One could always go the diocese of Lincoln, eh, PS?

----Chopped----- because:

*** Updated again ***
I have had very sporadic success with Haloscan this evening, however, I retrieved my attempted post:
There is always the diocese of Lincoln! ;)

Besides, of course, SFdS and the CRNJ, in St Charles county there was St Joseph's in Josephville. Now that Fr Elliott is no longer pastor there, I'm not certain what the new pastor, Fr. Larry Huber, will do for Holy Thursday Mass.

FWIW, a few years ago after I witnessed an inexcusable performance of several people (both male and female) having their feet washed by a priest and deacons, assisted by several other people, with a handful of the laity each giving a talk (during the time reserved for the homily) on what "service" meant to him or her, I had had enough and said that I would never go back to that parish for Holy Thursday until the pastor demonstrated a desire to show fidelity and obedience to the Church...And the worst was yet to come - the female dancers with streamers on Easter - similar to what has been seen at the LA RECongress.

Today (though I'm not completely certain), in St Charles county there is one, maybe two parishes and perhaps more, which will proceed according to the official rubrics, that is, men only (representing the Apostles and Christ) or no foot washing at all: St Gianna Parish (Fr Elliott) in Lake St Louis and possibly, yet unconfirmed, Sacred Heart (Fr Hager) in Elsberry. It's possible that St Joseph's in Josephville may also still be abiding by what the Church has established, but this is also unconfirmed as of this evening.

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