Father Lombardi: "I imparted the message from the Pope, to also admit girls to the foot washing."

Foot Washing of Women and the Unbaptized 

(Rome) The only real change in the liturgy which Pope Francis has introduced in the three years of his pontificate relates to the washing of feet on Holy Thursday. Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi told the Catholic weekly Famiglia Cristiana about the background of the first foot washing of the feet of the Argentine pope in 2013 and weaves it into a legend.

Other interventions in the liturgy remained informal and concern the Pope's gestures: not to give   Communion at public Masses or not to kneel during the consecration. The only formal change, with a decree of the Congregation for Divine Worship, concerns the Missa in Cena Domini, which begins the three holy days.

Problematic shift in axis

The official change relates to the admission of women to the foot washing. It's a problematic axis shift for those - and among them is of course the Pope - who know the importance of this gesture by Jesus Christ at the Last Supper. This involves the establishment of the Eucharist and of the Sacrament of Holy Orders by Jesus, who washed the feet of the Twelve Apostles in this context - only men. He washed neither the feet of everyone, nor members of a marginalized, despised or discriminated groups.  For the masses, it involves a nice gesture of humility, which is why the admission of women just seems like an overdue measure of what is already supposedly a "misogynist" and "exclusive" Church.

Prison Chaplain Father Gaetano Greco

As Archbishop of Buenos Aires,  Jorge Mario Bergoglio washed the feet of women and also girls several times on Holy Thursday.  As Pope, he went far beyond the now adopted Decree and also washed the feet of the unbaptized. Nothing of this can be found in the new standard-setting, however. The papal model remains and urged to follow suit. The foot washing as a social spectacle?

"As he had already done it in Buenos Aires"

Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi wrote to the Catholic weekly Famiglia Cristiana :

"The freedom of the gesture and its concrete physicality  immediately and deeply touched the hearts of people. In this sense, the Mass  of the Last Supper in the youth prison of Casal del Marmo was one of the first important experiences that I experienced ​​personally. According to the usual liturgical custom,  the foot-washing should take place only for young men.                                                                                                                                                       I I allowed myself to send the Pope a discreet message about the discomfort of the young inmates and the prison chaplain, and the answer was in fact immediate. As we all know, he washed and the girls and the Muslims feet, as he had already done it in Buenos Aires ... "

Vatican spokesman fabricates a legend

According to Vatican spokesman Father Lombardi, the desire that even the girls, one of them a Mohammedan, should have  their feet washed, was fed to the prison chaplain by Father Lombardi  from the Pope. Thus,  the Vatican spokesman is woven into a legend.

It is common practice in the Church that a pope formally, usually acts through requests of others. A bishop retires by the Pope when reaching the age limit. Officially, this is "only"  the resignation of the bishop in question. The Pope does not dismiss him, but releases him, if desired. The bishop, however, is forced by the Church law to this resignation.

Vatican spokesman Lombardi reported facts but omitted some details. The fact is that the prison chaplain, Father Gaetano Greco, a third Order Capuchin, officially expressed his wish. But the fact is that the instructions came from the Vatican, including the request,  that the chaplain  - even on behalf of youth inmates -  expressed a corresponding request.

Father Lombardi confirmed it indirectly to Famiglia Cristiana: "As we all know, he washed the feet of girls and  the Muslims, as he had already done it in Buenos Aires ...". The idea for the gesture was neither spontaneous nor did it originate  in the prison. Young prisoners would not have  such an idea.

Chaplain: "Religions are important, but when it comes to the human reality ..."

Even prior to the papal visit to Casal del Marmo the cue was, according to instructions by the Vatican communication sites, all on the foot washing. The washing of the feet was the central,  world mediated, "social, humble and humane" gesture, as with TV2000, the television channel of the Italian Episcopal Conference, was ready days before Holy Thursday in 2013. The day before, Chaplain Greco was even invited to a broadcast. The liturgical significance of foot washing has been deliberately distorted by this emphasis, because the far more important institution of two sacraments was ignored.

In the TV2000 broadcast, the emphasis was made that even members of other religions should have  their feet washed. "That's very nice," said the moderator. On the question of whether the twelve people were already selected, the prison chaplain answered: "Everyone asks that. I have compiled a list, but a final decision has not yet been made."

On the washing of the feet of the unbaptized  Father Greco said:

"It seemed to me well from the beginning to support such a hypothesis, precisely because of this sense of community, that it should be among all people. The religion is important, but when we come to the human reality, I think there are more important things."

"Of course," said the moderator of the Catholic radio station.

Father Lombardi on the election of Pope Francis: "I was just simply shocked"

In Famiglia Cristiana the Vatican spokesman Father Lombardi also told of his reaction as the election of Cardinal Bergoglio was announced on 13 March, 2013:

"When I heard the announcement by Cardinal Tauran from the loggia of St. Peter's, I was speechless. I knew that the announcement of the name of the new pope would be moving, but not to this extent. He was a Jesuit, a brother of mine, but I did not know him, only indirectly, apart from a very brief encounter in the days before in the corridors of the general congregations of cardinals before the conclave. Even if his name had been mentioned a few times among the papabili, I had never taken him into consideration, because the appointment of a Jesuit as Bishop or Cardinal, much les the Pope, is far outside the expected! After the announcement, everyone who stuck his nose in my office found me jubilant, because the Pope is a brother of mine. But they were surprised by my helplessness. I was neither happy nor sad. I was simply just shocked."

Next  Father Lombardi said:

"I was in my office in the press office and the conference room,  colleagues were waiting on me and my first comment. I felt speechless ... Then I took courage and said that two things that were immediately clear to me, as to highlight the big news: the name of Francis - firstly - and the fact that he is Hispanic.  Choosing a name that no one elected had chosen so far - and what a name! - pointed to an extraordinary freedom, of a courage and clarity. Poverty, care for creation, peace,  which is as the pope should himself say even a few days later. The origin from the end of the world, of course, 'brought a new perspective to be in a different way of looking at situations and issues facing humanity and the Church in the world today, which was soon heard. It seems I am not to have been mistaken."

Text: Giuseppe Nardi 

Image: Difesa del Popolo / MiL hot)

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

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