Downtown Basilica Ignores Rubrics: Holy Thursday Foot Washing

Up-update: Barb Krallis wrote to intemperately inform us that we didn't get her right. She's the one who corrected our error. No malice was meant in our incompetence.

Update: Just a small correction. We've been informed that the USCCB Mandatum is actually unacceptable and flies in the face of the rubrics from Rome.

Edit: It should come as no surprise that in the decadent post-Conciliar age, that quite a few parishes aren't concerned about the rubrics. During Holy Week, on Thursday, there is what is called, the Mandatum, or the washing of feet, which requires that men only are chosen.

Barb Kralis was kind enough to forward the USCCB's surprisingly good ruling on this question.

At least one Minneapolis parish, and likely many more, are going to violate the rubrics and carelessness with respect to the things that are God's. St. Mary's Basilica is one of two such buildings with this honor in the United States. It has a reputation for dissent and abusing the Sacraments. It's quite possible that blasphemy is committed there every Sunday.

Despite boasting a large number of parishioners, there is no evidence that the Sacrament of Penance is regularly available, but you can present yourself as an "Ecological Steward".

The Basilica, which often features many Liturgical abuses, including ad libbing by its priests and pastor, omitting the creed, omitting gestures and creating an atmosphere hostile to Christianity, is going to engage in that Liturgical abuse this year. They've provided us with proof that they've done this in the past.

Despite efforts to get a statement from the Pastor, he refuses to say if he supports the Archbishop's campaign in defense of marriage and continues to feature the "art" of Lucinda Naylor, who was fired from the Basilica religious education office for dissenting from the Archbishop's work as Bishop.

From Parish Website

No word on whether or not a Rabbi will discuss cabala and utter trivial comments which defame Catholic teachings this year as he did last year. He's an important part of the parish's universal contempt for the Church, Her ministers and teachings.

Holy Thursday Mandatum

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 THE WASHING OF FEET, reads:
"After the Homily, where a pastoral reason suggests it, the Washing of Feet follows. The men who have been chosen (viri selecti) are led by the ministers to seats prepared in a suitable place. Then the priest (removing his chasuble if necessary) goes to each one, and, with the help of the ministers, pours water over each one's feet and then dries them."
Regarding the phrase viri selecti, the Chairman of the then-Committee on the Liturgy, after a review of the matter by the committee, authorized the following response which appeared in the Newsletter of February 1987:

Link to USCCB site....