Cardinal Sarah: Priests Do NOT Have To Wash Women's Feet On Holy Thursday

Cardinal Robert Sarah, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments made clear that priests are not obliged to wash the feet of women on Holy Thursday.  Please read the articles at the Wanderer and Aletia

As we all know, Pope Francis amended Canon Law to permit the washing of women's feet this past January.  Prior to that, the washing of women's feet on Holy Thursday was a direct violation of canon law.  However, some of the more progressively-inclined bishops, in the wake of the canon law change, have taken it upon themselves to require their priests to wash women's feet.  The latter is actually a misrepresentation of the canon law change, and most likely a deliberate misrepresentation.

Mindful of the moral and theological quandary in which faithful priests now find themselves (including some in my diocese who, for obvious reasons, must not be named), Cardinal Sarah stated that the individual priest "has to decide in accord with his own conscience, and according to the purpose for which the Lord instituted this feast".

So what is this purpose for which the Lord established this feast?  We all know from basic catechesis that the purpose was two-fold: the institution of the Eucharist AND the institution of the Sacrament of Holy Orders.  The Wanderer article picks up on an important point.  We read in John 13 of the washing of the feet of the Apostles.  After He is finished, Jesus exhorts them to wash one another's feet.  Notice that He doesn't say "wash the feet of any random person".  It would appear that the priests are to wash the feet only of men who are in Holy Orders or preparing for the same.  It is unseemly, therefore, to wash the feet of women and even more so of non-Catholics.

Regrettably the pope is preparing to depart once again from the focus on the priesthood.  He intends to wash the feet of some Islamic refugees.  It's supposed to be a "powerful symbolic gesture", you see.  At a time when many countries are waking up to the dangers to which they've exposed their citizens by unbridled immigration, when they are starting to take measures to protect their own people, the pope will try to lull their consciences back to sleep.  This "symbolic gesture" is really quite political in nature, one that if heeded, will contribute to the endangerment of Christians throughout Europe.

Getting back to Cardinal Sarah's statement, priests are reassured that they can decline to wash the feet of women.  They cannot be coerced into doing so.  It is my understanding that the washing of feet itself is entirely optional.  I hope and pray that many priests will take heart and stand strong against progressive tyranny, even from their own chanceries.

Please spread this, as many priests may not be aware of Cardinal Sarah's pronouncement.

Pope Francis' Latest Liturgical Insult - Condemned By Vortex

Last week the pope decreed that women be admitted to the number of those who have their feet washed during Holy Thursday services.  As I stated in my post last week, the fact that he is issuing a decree that now allows this to happen stands as proof that before this decree, the washing of women's feet was forbidden.  In the past, the pope has broken canon law himself.  In fact, during one such service he washed the feet of a "transexual woman" - well, ok, it really was a man but you see the potential for scandal when Church law is disobeyed.

Several years ago, when Benedict XVI was still the reigning pope, Michael Voris put out an excellent Vortex that detailed why the Church had restricted the foot-washing to men.  Since the current pontiff was elected, Voris has adopted a policy never to criticize the doings and sayings of the pope.  However, he already did so, without realizing at the time what was to come.  But the truths he stated in his video are as relevant now as they were then.

I post the video now.  If it "disappears" please advise via comments - for once something is on the internet, it never ever really disappears.

By Its Rotten Fruit You Shall Know It - God Of Surprises That Is

Events of the past three days, spawned in great part by the lead of Pope Francis as he invokes this "god of surprises", makes painfully obvious that this "god of surprises" that the pope invokes is nothing more than a filthy false idol.  As noted in a post two days ago, we saw how Lutherans received Holy Communion.  It is sacrilege for non-Catholics to receive Holy Communion; that priest knew full well what he was doing.  May God bring him to speedy repentance.  Even if the pope ordered him to offer Holy Communion to non-Catholics, he was bound by the sacrament that he received not to commit mortal sin.  On the heels of this sacrilege we have a new outrage.

The pope ordered Cardinal Robert Sarah, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, to issue a decree ordering that women be admitted to the washing of the feet during Holy Thursday liturgies.  Edward Pentin gives full details in the National Catholic Register, along with the full text of Cardinal Sarah's decree.  Note that in his decree, the Cardinal ascribes full responsibility for this foolishness to the pope; who can blame him?  Indeed, in his letter to Cardinal Sarah, the pope said he had "the intention of improving the way in which it is performed so that it might express more fully the meaning of Jesus' gesture in the Cenacle."  Yep!  For over two thousand years, the Church had no idea what it was doing when it restricted the rite to men.  In fact, Jesus Christ Himself had no idea what He was doing when He washed only the apostles' feet on Holy Thursday night.  It has always been the Church's teaching that this rite was reflective of the Sacrament of Holy Orders.  Is the "god of surprises" once again trying to get women admitted to that Sacrament?

The demon(s) that masquerade(s) as this "god of surprises" seem(s) to have in mind the complete deconstruction of the Sacred Tradition of the Roman Catholic Church.  Let's be clear - when we say "Sacred Tradition" we are talking about the revealed will of Jesus Christ as He has communicated it to His Church.  God's teaching and will do not change for God Himself cannot change.

I will note that there is one tiny piece of silver lining to this dark cloud that the pope just released.  In issuing the order stating that "from now on the pastors of the church may choose" women to participate, he is acknowledging that prior to the order, that women were not allowed to participate.  In other words, he is acknowledging his own disobedience to Canon law, as well as thousands of other progressive clergymen.  What, if anything, will be done to repent of so many sins of disobedience to the Church on those occasions?  Do we hear crickets?

I believe the order does specify that those chosen must be Catholics, although heaven only knows what he means by "people of God".  Will he add insult to injury by continuing to select non-Catholics for the foot-washing?  I suppose we should breathe a sigh of relief that he did not order priests to select women, although progressive bishops can now use this order to coerce their faithful priests into doing so.

When I first heard of this order, this poem came to mind: "Disobey!  Have your way!  Then one day, they'll say ok!"  The poem would be a perfect fit except that this papal order is not a reluctant concession, but one given in all enthusiasm.  It is right up his ally, as is apparent from his previous patterns of action and speech.

Let us pray that these abominations end soon, for they are wreaking havoc with the eternal destinies of many thousands, if not millions of souls.

Holy Thursday - Pope Francis Washed The Feet Of A "Transexual Woman"

I put the phrase "transexual woman" because in reality what is being described is a man who has mutilated himself to appear to be a woman.  He calls himself "Isabel" and has given an interview about the travesty.  I'll link you to the Glora.TV site for that video has English subtitling.

As you'll hear, the poor man has been confirmed in his dangerous delusions by the actions of the pope - or the people who arranged to have his feet washed by the pope.  It is unclear how much the pope knew of this man.  For that matter we cannot guess the level of knowledge possessed by the priest who gave to "Isabel" Holy Communion.  They may have sincerely believed that he is a woman.  That said, the foot-washing scandal with "Isabel" would never have happened if the pope had respected Canon Law's prohibition against the washing of women's feet on Holy Thursday.

Holy Thursday Rubrics Violated At My Parish

This past Sunday I wrote what I intended to do if my parish's Holy Thursday service was marred by the washing of women's feet.  All the while of course I was praying that our parish wouldn't surrender to the temptation (I mean that word in every sense) to political correctness and false sense of "inclusion" to violate the rubrics for Holy Thursday.  Alas, I was disappointed although not the least bit surprised.  As I announced earlier, I knelt and prayed a Rosary in reparation for the violations occurring on the altar steps before our eyes.  Not my eyes, though, for I refused to give that debacle my visual attention.  Two women were up there.  One I don't know, but the other is one who (I thought) would have known better than that.  I suspect poor catechesis had a significant role to play here.

My blogging colleague Connecticut Catholic Corner has done excellent work with this, compiling many sources including this from Fifth Column.  She even posted a letter from the Vatican that confirms that Holy Thursday feet-washing is reserved for men only.  I will post it below.  I will also post an "oldie-but-goodie" from the Vortex on this matter.

Julie's post asks a good question: "Is Pope Francis a Bad Example to Catholics?"  It's a fair question.  Unfortunately with respect to Holy Thursday rubrics, the answer is an unequivocal "YES!"  I think I just saw a good portion of my parish (St John Neumann in Gaithersburg) get blind-sided, snookered and hog-tied big-time by his poor example.

If Holy Thursday Services Are Profaned

Today Holy Week starts.  In this week, particularly during the Triduum, we celebrate our redemption.  These are our highest Holy Days - much more so than Christmas.  On Facebook walls and blog posts everywhere I see the call to turn away from the muck of the world and focus solely on prayer, etc.  They also include the fight against dissidence within the Church.  Would that it were possible - but it isn't.  That goes double when we may well find dissidence rubbed in our faces during Triduum liturgies.

This week's Catholic Standard has a picture similar to this that appeared in the Washington Times two years ago.  I don't see that picture in the online version of the Standard, but I think a gauntlet has been tossed.  I hope I'm wrong, but I suspect parishes could well be put under pressure to admit women to the Holy Thursday foot-washing.  If that happens, we cannot just politely sit there and pretend all is hunky-dorry with the world.  So - what to do?

For some of us ladies, we may need to act beforehand, for that's when our participation in the foot-washing may be solicited.  Of course we have to decline (for we cannot participate in dissidence) - and let them know why.  Be polite and respectful, but be very firm, clear and complete in your explanation.

Now if we're at the service and we see men and women going up to the altar, what then?  Here's what I'll do, should I be so unfortunate as to see that.  I will immediately kneel (but lean back in the seat so as not to disturb the person in front of me), pull out my Rosary, bow my head and pray a prayer in reparation.  I will not look up at the travesty happening on the altar.

It's a pity that we must consider these actions during Holy Week, but we must deal with reality as it presents itself, not as we'd ideally like it to be.

There's No Possible Way To Spin What Pope Francis Did

I refer, of course, to the now-infamous and yes, scandalous conduct of the Holy Thursday service at Rome's Casal del Marmo prison for minors.  The Holy Father washed the feet of twelve minors - including two women, one of them Muslim.  This is in direct contravention to canon law that stipulates that only the feet of men be washed, if that ceremony is included in a Holy Thursday liturgy.

This is wrong on so many counts.  Yes, he's the Holy Father and he can initiate a change to canon law.  But changing a law is not equivalent to breaking a law.  Unfortunately the latter happened yesterday.  Father John Zuhlsdorf believes that the pope is trying to make clear that the Church is compassionate.  Well, be that as it very well may, the ends do not justify the means.  That principle of moral theology binds even upon the Holy Father.

The Pope has just, by example, led many people to think that the Vatican cannot be taken seriously.  If the Holy Father can break canon law, by what logic can he ever insist that others do so?  Witness the example set forth by King David (read some Old Testament here).  After his adultery with Bathsheba and subsequent murder of Uriah, he lost all moral credibility in the eyes of his sons; all of the notable ones ended badly (including Solomon).  Yesterday the Holy Father stepped perilously close to that precipice and may even have tripped over the edge.  I'm sure that wasn't his intent, but that was a very foreseeable effect.  Some sober thought on his part might have led him to anticipate that.

For a "case in point" of the disaster that was unleashed yesterday, I refer you to a comment on the blog of my colleague at Tenth Crusade; see what "Catechist Kev" said at "Mar 29, 4:51pm".  This scenario will be repeated many times over in the next few months and even years.

Another commenter on one of the other blogs raised this interesting point regarding of the young Muslim girl. She has now been touched by a leader of a religion other than that of Islam.  Her life may well be in danger if her family is of the "jihad" variety.  Did the Holy Father and his advisers consider that?  In their crusade for simplicity, perhaps they've mistaken that for simplistic thinking that doesn't consider all aspects of a given course of action.

This current Holy Father seems to have a disregard for some of the traditions of the papacy, most particularly that of the vestments.  In perhaps a misguided zeal for "simplicity", might he have forgotten that these traditions have historical roots that transcend not only his personality and tastes but those of his predecessors and successors?  Among other things, they are meant to convey the sublime dignity and authority of the Petrine office and cannot be jettisoned with utter abandon.  Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio is no longer merely a Jesuit from Argentina.  He is now the Holy Father, the Pontiff who holds Peter's keys.  I pray that he learns to appreciate the dignity and responsibility of that office for he causes many to doubt that such appreciation has already occurred.

Violation Of Holy Thursday Rubrics At St Matthews Cathedral

Last year the Holy See made plain that the ritual of the washing of feet during the Holy Thursday Mass was restricted to men.  That is, the one washing the feet has to be a priest and those getting their feet washed have to be men.  The reason is that the washing of feet originally done by Our Lord to His disciples is seen as part and parcel of the institution of the Sacrament of Holy Orders.  A good write-up is found here.  Here's another.

Michael Voris of the Vortex predicted that this would provoke some, uh, "liturgical creativity", shall we say?  Click here if you cannot see embedded video.



Here's the link to the book on the Mandatum.

This past Holy Thursday, this abuse happened at the Cathedral of St Matthew.  I'm sure it happened elsewhere in the Archdiocese of Washington.  So what makes this one so noteworthy?  Well, see for yourselves (from the Washington Times).  That's right!  Cardinal Wuerl himself is washing the feet of women.  More "pastoral style", I suppose?

In my last post, I mentioned three priests unjustly treated for their fidelity to the Magisterium - one of them by the Archdiocese of Washington.  I cannot imagine any one of these priests disobeying the Vatican on this manner.  Perhaps that is why they (at least Fr Guarnizo) are being thrown under the bus.

Real Catholic TV on Father Pfleger

There will be four youtube clips.  Because the youtubes won't show if they're put before a jump-break, I'll put that break after this sentence, so this post doesn't take the whole main page.  Please click "read more".