Holy Thursday Feeding Frenzy at Rorate Caeli
Where “For the Record” means throwing red meat into the tank.
Mary Victrix
Holy Thursday Feeding Frenzy at Rorate Caeli
Where “For the Record” means throwing red meat into the tank.
Mary Victrix 
I’ve expected that announcement for a few weeks now. It still disconcerted me when it came. John Paul Shimek on First Things blog suggested: ” By virtue of his office he possesses supreme, full, immediate, and universal ordinary power in the Church, which he is always able to exercise freely”…What seems to be on the heart of Pope Francis-the Vicar of Christ and the pastor of the universal Church on earth-is a desire to move out from under a stifling, dull, and technical rubricism toward the Paschal light of Christs redemptive charitable love. Papa Francesco is seeking to bring Christ to the women and men of diverse religious confessions of Casal del Marmo. He is able to do this because he is the bishop of Rome.”
Naturally I disagree that the Latin rite suffers from a “stifling, dull, and technical rubricism,” but that isn’t the really interesting part about what he says; but rather, the level of respect for a Pope that would say that every action he does, even if contrary to a law, is licit, so long as it leaves in tact unchangeable doctrine. It’s my understanding, however, that law (and even custom that has the force of law) are binding on the Pope, with this difference that he has jurisdiction to change it or exempt himself. In this case there is no indication that the Pope has made a legal exemption or change in it, just that the Papal Mass with ignore the word “viri.” It’s a small matter to be sure, yet the precedent it establishes might have ripples throughout the Church. Before 2005, I would run into liturgical dance advocates who would say: “They’ve done it in the Papal Mass.” Those voices faded away, and liturgies began to imitate Benedict over the next 8 years. It will be interesting to see what sort of liturgical spirit develops from the Franciscan Papacy.
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I received this in the Zenit News update today –
In Christ, Marian
Vatican Spokesman on Participation of 2 Women in Foot Washing Ceremony
“The very beautiful and simple gesture of a father who desired to embrace those who were on the fringes of society”
Vatican City, March 29, 2013 (Zenit.org) | 267 hits
Here is a press release Fr. Thomas Rosica, CEO of Salt & Light and Assistant to the Director of the Vatican Press Office, sent today to journalists regarding Thursday’s Mass celebrated by Francis at the Juvenile Detention Center, “Casal del Marmo”.
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In response to the many questions and concerns raised over Pope Francis washing the feet of 12 young people at the Roman Juvenile Detention Centre on Holy Thursday evening, especially that two were young women, Fr. Lombardi has sent me the following information to be shared with you.
One can easily understand that in a great celebration, men would be chosen for the foot washing because Jesus, himself washing the feet of the twelve apostles who were male. However the ritual of the washing of the feet on Holy Thursday evening in the Juvenile Detention Centre in Rome took place in a particular, small community that included young women. When Jesus washed the feet of those who were with him on the first Holy Thursday, he desired to teach all a lesson about the meaning of service, using a gesture that included all members of the community.
We are aware of the photos that show Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, then-Archbishop of Buenos Aires, who in various pastoral settings washed the feet of young men and women. To have excluded the young women from the ritual washing of feet on Holy Thursday night in this Roman prison, would have detracted our attention from the essence of the Holy Thursday Gospel, and the very beautiful and simple gesture of a father who desired to embrace those who were on the fringes of society; those who were not refined experts of liturgical rules.
That the Holy Father, Francis, washed the feet of young men and women on his first Holy Thursday as Pope, should call our minds and hearts to the simple and spontaneous gesture of love, affection, forgiveness and mercy of the Bishop of Rome, more than to legalistic, liturgical or canonical discussions.