Pope's foot-washing last straw for traditionalists

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Pope's foot-wash a final straw for traditionalists
By NICOLE WINFIELD | Associated Press – Fri, Mar 29, 2013

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Pope Francis, right, looks up to the Crucifix during the Passion of Christ Mass inside St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Friday, March 29, 2013. Pope Francis began the Good Friday service at the Vatican with the Passion of Christ Mass and hours later will go to the ancient Colosseum in Rome for the traditional Way of the Cross procession. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
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Associated Press/Gregorio Borgia - Pope Francis, right, looks up to the Crucifix during the Passion of Christ Mass inside St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Friday, March 29, 2013. Pope Francis began the …more

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis has won over many hearts and minds with his simple style and focus on serving the world's poorest, but he has devastated traditionalist Catholics who adored his predecessor, Benedict XVI, for restoring much of the traditional pomp to the papacy.

Francis' decision to disregard church law and wash the feet of two girls — a Serbian Muslim and an Italian Catholic — during a Holy Thursday ritual has become something of the final straw, evidence that Francis has little or no interest in one of the key priorities of Benedict's papacy: reviving the pre-Vatican II traditions of the Catholic Church.

One of the most-read traditionalist blogs, "Rorate Caeli," reacted to the foot-washing ceremony by declaring the death of Benedict's eight-year project to correct what he considered the botched interpretations of the Second Vatican Council's modernizing reforms.

"The official end of the reform of the reform — by example," ''Rorate Caeli" lamented in its report on Francis' Holy Thursday ritual.

A like-minded commentator in Francis' native Argentina, Marcelo Gonzalez at International Catholic Panorama, reacted to Francis' election with this phrase: "The Horror." Gonzalez's beef? While serving as the archbishop of Buenos Aires, the then-Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio's efforts to revive the old Latin Mass so dear to Benedict and traditionalists were "non-existent."

Virtually everything he has done since being elected pope, every gesture, every decision, has rankled traditionalists in one way or another.

The night he was chosen pope, March 13, Francis emerged from the loggia of St. Peter's Basilica without the ermine-rimmed red velvet cape, or mozzetta, used by popes past for official duties, wearing instead the simple white cassock of the papacy. The cape has since come to symbolize his rejection of the trappings of the papacy and to some degree the pontificate of Benedict XVI, since the German pontiff relished in resurrecting many of the liturgical vestments of his predecessors.

Francis also received the cardinals' pledges of obedience after his election not from a chair on a pedestal as popes normally do but rather standing, on their same level. For traditionalists who fondly recall the days when popes were carried on a sedan chair, that may have stung. In the days since, he has called for "intensified" dialogue with Islam — a gesture that rubs traditionalists the wrong way because they view such a heavy focus on interfaith dialogue as a sign of religious relativism.

Francis may have rubbed salt into the wounds with his comments at the Good Friday procession at Rome's Colosseum, which re-enacts Jesus Christ's crucifixion, praising "the friendship of our Muslim brothers and sisters" during a prayer ceremony that recalled the suffering of Christians in the Middle East.

Francis also raised traditional eyebrows when he refused the golden pectoral cross offered to him right after his election by Monsignor Guido Marini, the Vatican's liturgy guru who under Benedict became the symbol of Benedict's effort to restore the Gregorian chant and heavy silk brocaded vestments of the pre-Vatican II liturgy to papal Masses.

Marini has gamely stayed by Francis' side as the new pope puts his own stamp on Vatican Masses with no-nonsense vestments and easy off-the-cuff homilies. But there is widespread expectation that Francis will soon name a new master of liturgical ceremonies more in line with his priorities of bringing the church and its message of love and service to ordinary people without the "high church" trappings of his predecessor.

There were certainly none of those trappings on display Thursday at the Casal del Marmo juvenile detention facility in Rome, where the 76-year-old Francis got down on his knees to wash and kiss the feet of 12 inmates, two of them women. The rite re-enacts Jesus' washing of the feet of his 12 apostles during the Last Supper before his crucifixion, a sign of his love and service to them.

The church's liturgical law holds that only men can participate in the rite, given that Jesus' apostles were all male. Priests and bishops have routinely petitioned for exemptions to include women, but the law is clear.

Francis, however, is the church's chief lawmaker, so in theory he can do whatever he wants.

"The pope does not need anybody's permission to make exceptions to how ecclesiastical law relates to him," noted conservative columnist Jimmy Akin in the National Catholic Register. But Akin echoed concerns raised by canon lawyer Edward Peters, an adviser to the Vatican's high court, that Francis was setting a "questionable example" by simply ignoring the church's own rules.

"People naturally imitate their leader. That's the whole point behind Jesus washing the disciples' feet. He was explicitly and intentionally setting an example for them," he said. "Pope Francis knows that he is setting an example."

The inclusion of women in the rite is problematic for some because it could be seen as an opening of sorts to women's ordination. The Catholic Church restricts the priesthood to men, arguing that Jesus and his 12 apostles were male.

Francis is clearly opposed to women's ordination. But by washing the feet of women, he jolted traditionalists who for years have been unbending in insisting that the ritual is for men only and proudly holding up as evidence documentation from the Vatican's liturgy office saying so.

"If someone is washing the feet of any females ... he is in violation of the Holy Thursday rubrics," Peters wrote in a 2006 article that he reposted earlier this month on his blog.

In the face of the pope doing that very thing, Peters and many conservative and traditionalist commentators have found themselves trying to put the best face on a situation they clearly don't like yet can't do much about lest they be openly voicing dissent with the pope.

By Thursday evening, Peters was saying that Francis had merely "disregarded" the law — not violated it.

The Rev. John Zuhlsdorf, a traditionalist blogger who has never shied from picking fights with priests, bishops or cardinals when liturgical abuses are concerned, had to measure his comments when the purported abuser was the pope himself.

"Before liberals and traditionalists both have a spittle-flecked nutty, each for their own reasons, try to figure out what he is trying to do," Zuhlsdorf wrote in a conciliatory piece.

But, in characteristic form, he added: "What liberals forget in their present crowing is that even as Francis makes himself — and the church — more popular by projecting (a) compassionate image, he will simultaneously make it harder for them to criticize him when he reaffirms the doctrinal points they want him to overturn."

One of the key barometers of how traditionalists view Francis concerns his take on the pre-Vatican II Latin Mass. The Second Vatican Council, the 1962-65 meetings that brought the church into the modern world, allowed the celebration of the Mass in the vernacular rather than Latin. In the decades that followed, the so-called Tridentine Rite fell out of use almost entirely.

Traditionalist Catholics who were attached to the old rite blame many of the ills afflicting the Catholic Church today — a drop in priestly vocations, empty pews in Europe and beyond — on the liturgical abuses that they say have proliferated with the celebration of the new form of Mass.

In a bid to reach out to them, Benedict in 2007 relaxed restrictions on celebrating the old Latin Mass. The move was aimed also at reconciling with a group of schismatic traditionalists, the Society of St. Pius X, who split from Rome precisely over the Vatican II reforms, in particular its call for Mass in the vernacular and outreach to other religions, especially Judaism and Islam.

Benedict took extraordinary measures to bring the society back under Rome's wing during his pontificate, but negotiations stalled.

The society has understandably reacted coolly to Francis' election, reminding the pope that his namesake, St. Francis of Assisi, was told by Christ to go and "rebuild my church." For the society, that means rebuilding it in its own, pre-Vatican II vision.

The head of the society for South America, the Rev. Christian Bouchacourt, was less than generous in his assessment of Francis.

"He cultivates a militant humility, but can prove humiliating for the church," Bouchacourt said in a recent article, criticizing the "dilapidated" state of the clergy in Buenos Aires and the "disaster" of its seminary. "With him, we risk to see once again the Masses of Paul VI's pontificate, a far cry from Benedict XVI's efforts to restore to their honor the worthy liturgical ceremonies."

I love the traditionalist reaction. "BE GAUDY, DAMNIT!"

[Flagg]

Good for him. This is the first pope that hasn't been a complete tool. I mean he's still a tool on gay rights, contraception, and women's role in the church but considering how bad income disparity is all over the world I'm glad there's a major religious leader who isn't afraid to buck stupid traditions and the trappings of power.

[Korto]

I'm starting to like this pope (as compared to my "really couldn't give a fuck" of before)

By Thursday evening, Peters was saying that Francis had merely "disregarded" the law — not violated it.

That's hilarious. So, when I stole that money, I merely disregarded the law against bank robbing, not violated it.

It would be nice to see him loosen up some of the strictures, and make it more inclusive. It would be nice if this was an opening wedge, and I suppose it could be. Even if he was so inclined, I don't think he could make huge sweeping changes suddenly; it would probably only cause a massive schism and civil war (and it would also mean admitting they were wrong, and no organisation likes to admit they've been wrong), so this might be a subtle loosening process.
Or not.

Traditionalist Catholics who were attached to the old rite blame many of the ills afflicting the Catholic Church today — a drop in priestly vocations, empty pews in Europe and beyond — on the liturgical abuses that they say have proliferated with the celebration of the new form of Mass.

Or, it's because your teachings are a load of rubbish, and the educated parts of the world are becoming aware of that.

[Grumman]

I haven't been following what the new Pope's been up to, but good on him for the foot washing thing. If it's meant to be symbolic of the twelve apostles, it makes no more sense to say the most important thing was that they were all male than to say that two of them must be named "Judas".

Traditionalist Catholics who were attached to the old rite blame many of the ills afflicting the Catholic Church today — a drop in priestly vocations, empty pews in Europe and beyond — on the liturgical abuses that they say have proliferated with the celebration of the new form of Mass.

Uh huh. I think they misspelt "child".

[Broomstick]

Francis' decision to disregard church law and wash the feet of two girls — a Serbian Muslim and an Italian Catholic — during a Holy Thursday ritual has become something of the final straw, evidence that Francis has little or no interest in one of the key priorities of Benedict's papacy: reviving the pre-Vatican II traditions of the Catholic Church.

Right... because fancy dress and Latin mass is so much more important than actual people.

Virtually everything he has done since being elected pope, every gesture, every decision, has rankled traditionalists in one way or another.

Good!

For traditionalists who fondly recall the days when popes were carried on a sedan chair, that may have stung. In the days since, he has called for "intensified" dialogue with Islam — a gesture that rubs traditionalists the wrong way because they view such a heavy focus on interfaith dialogue as a sign of religious relativism.

Fuck the traditionalists, them. They probably long for the days of the crusades. Bunch of assholes.

The church's liturgical law holds that only men can participate in the rite, given that Jesus' apostles were all male. Priests and bishops have routinely petitioned for exemptions to include women, but the law is clear.

Really? Because in the Chicago area damn few churches seem to have been following that "law".

But the Pope's infallible, right? So if he's doing it, it must be OK.

"People naturally imitate their leader. That's the whole point behind Jesus washing the disciples' feet. He was explicitly and intentionally setting an example for them," he said. "Pope Francis knows that he is setting an example."

Good - now next year the fucking "traditionalists" can wash a few girl feet, too. What kind of a tool leaps from "washing this person's feet" to "make this person a priest"?

In a bid to reach out to them, Benedict in 2007 relaxed restrictions on celebrating the old Latin Mass.

While the vernacular mass certainly did come to dominate, its always been possible for Catholics to attend a Latin mass should they choose. It might require some travel, but it's not like it was forbidden. They're just pissy that not everyone is forced to be their brand of Catholic.

The society has understandably reacted coolly to Francis' election, reminding the pope that his namesake, St. Francis of Assisi, was told by Christ to go and "rebuild my church." For the society, that means rebuilding it in its own, pre-Vatican II vision.

Cause... they know better than God or the Pope, right?

[Terralthra]

Well, amusingly enough, in the old testament, "feet" is sometimes a euphemism for male genitalia. When a woman washed a man's feet, it was as often as not a metaphor for sex. Jesus washing all 12 disciples' feet has to take the record for earliest bukakke porn.

[Siege]

But the Pope's infallible, right? So if he's doing it, it must be OK.

Papal infallibility only pertains to explicitly ex cathedra teachings on faith or morals, not to every single thing the pope does or says. Having said that, the pope is one of the last old-school absolute rulers left on the planet so in that sense, yes, if he's doing it it's by definition okay as far as the Holy See is concerned. As the article also points out the pope's authority is ultimate, so he can pretty much do whatever he likes.

[Irbis]

Good for him. This is the first pope that hasn't been a complete tool. I mean he's still a tool on gay rights, contraception, and women's role in the church but considering how bad income disparity is all over the world I'm glad there's a major religious leader who isn't afraid to buck stupid traditions and the trappings of power.

Again, as I said in Papal thread, Pope John Paul I. He not only did several gestures that bordered as being as drastic as these above, he genuinely intended to reverse hardline stance on contraception and women his two successors would push instead. It's sad no one remembers the possibly most decent person on this seat in most likely several centuries.

[Crossroads Inc.]

Good for him. This is the first pope that hasn't been a complete tool. I mean he's still a tool on gay rights, contraception, and women's role in the church but considering how bad income disparity is all over the world I'm glad there's a major religious leader who isn't afraid to buck stupid traditions and the trappings of power.

Basically my thinking as well.

Right now this Pope is one I am starting to warm up to (as much as I can to a religious nut) if only because he is pissing off so many people. And really when it comes to religion, the more that is done the better.

[Mr Bean]

Traditionalist Catholics who were attached to the old rite blame many of the ills afflicting the Catholic Church today — a drop in priestly vocations, empty pews in Europe and beyond — on the liturgical abuses that they say have proliferated with the celebration of the new form of Mass.

Or, it's because your teachings are a load of rubbish, and the educated parts of the world are becoming aware of that.

You'd think that but there's solid evidence that new religions get popular because they demand more of their followers. There are several excellent examples of religions in America and the developing world who start out as more fundamentalist, get crazy popular then moderate things and become less and less popular. Thing is when you take a fundamentalist and change your religion you lose him but your still left with a believer at the end of the day who hunts out the newest sect while if you take a moderate and lose them you get an agnostic or atheist. There are people who desire belief in something greater than themselves and they tend to gravitate towards the more hardline religions.

You can see this in the Catholic church itself. Compare the teaching of Indonesian Catholics to American Catholics. Good oppression helps to because with a foe to pit yourself against you gain group cohesion and reinforce teachings.

[Ralin]

Papal infallibility only pertains to explicitly ex cathedra teachings on faith or morals, not to every single thing the pope does or says.

You know, that comes up in most every thread involving a papal decision. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that she was probably being flippant.

[Zaune]

Papal infallibility only pertains to explicitly ex cathedra teachings on faith or morals, not to every single thing the pope does or says. Having said that, the pope is one of the last old-school absolute rulers left on the planet so in that sense, yes, if he's doing it it's by definition okay as far as the Holy See is concerned. As the article also points out the pope's authority is ultimate, so he can pretty much do whatever he likes.

It's also a relatively recent decision that came about mostly as a result of sour grapes after being unceremoniously booted out of nearly all their territory by what's now the Italian government.

[Eternal_Freedom]

I hadn'tplanned to give a damn about the new guy, but I think I'll keep an eye on what he's up to. THe idea of the Pope pissing off the Catholic Church is just too damn funny not to watch.

[Highlord Laan]

I'm not surprised that the main sticking point traditionalists have with Francis is his devotion to two of the oldest precepts of the faith as it was told by Jesus in the Bible, those being forgiveness and humility.

[Flagg]

Good for him. This is the first pope that hasn't been a complete tool. I mean he's still a tool on gay rights, contraception, and women's role in the church but considering how bad income disparity is all over the world I'm glad there's a major religious leader who isn't afraid to buck stupid traditions and the trappings of power.

Again, as I said in Papal thread, Pope John Paul I. He not only did several gestures that bordered as being as drastic as these above, he genuinely intended to reverse hardline stance on contraception and women his two successors would push instead. It's sad no one remembers the possibly most decent person on this seat in most likely several centuries.

Yeah, I meant in my lifetime.

[Atlan]

"For traditionalists who fondly recall the days when popes were carried on a sedan chair"

Man, fuck those guys. The rest of society has moved a couple of centuries on, peabrains. Only dictators and cult leaders get away with that shit nowadays, and the last thing you want is for the pope to be regarded as either.

[Lord Revan]

"For traditionalists who fondly recall the days when popes were carried on a sedan chair"

Man, fuck those guys. The rest of society has moved a couple of centuries on, peabrains. Only dictators and cult leaders get away with that shit nowadays, and the last thing you want is for the pope to be regarded as either.

these people are unable to see change that doesn't involve reverting to previous version as anything but inherrently bad, it's people like these why conservative has come to mean 'person who longs for the "good old days" and is totally out of touch with reality' which isn't always the case.

[UnderAGreySky]

Things like this endear me to him a bit.

Pope breaks with tradition to bless a guide dog

Vatican City:

A yellow Labrador Retriever was among the first privileged to receive a physical blessing from Pope Francis’s hands this weekend.

Belonging to a visually impaired radio journalist, Asi� entered the Vatican’s vast Paul VI audience hall on Saturday and quietly sat down close to his owner as the pontiff thanked thousands of journalists from all over the world. They all came to Rome to cover the conclave that led to his election as the first Jesuit, first non-European, first Latin American pontiff.

“As I waited in line to enter the hall, the security guards told me that most likely I wouldn’t be allowed to get in with the dog,” Alessandro Forlani, who works for Italian RAI radio, wrote on his Facebook page.

“But after a few minutes, Vatican officials gave me the green light and I was accompanied by a Swiss guard to the audience hall. They let me sat near the first row of seats,” Forlani said.

At the end of the pope’s magnetic speech, a selected group of media notables and Vatican-linked communicators, was presented to the pontiff.

While the journalists lined up to be greeted by Pope Francis – some performing the “baciamano,” the traditional kissing the pope’s ring, others embracing him in bear hugs – Vatican officials approached Forlani.

“They said that Pope Francis had asked to meet me. He had seen Asi� and wanted to see both of us,” Forlani said.

Asi� walked on the stage, briefly sniffed the Pope’s white dress and black shoes and then waited patiently as Forlani talked to the pontiff.

“I asked for a blessing for my wife and daughter at home,” Forlani told Discovery News.

In a fitting image for a pope inspired by the patron saint of animals, Francis bent down to caress the dog.

“He said, ‘and a special blessing for you dog too.’ He broke the ceremonial rules as my presence on stage with Asi� wasn’t previously arranged,” Forlani said.

It wasn’t the only exception during the audience. Pope Francis departed from the prepared speech and offered insights on the conclave, revealing that cardinals suggested for him the papal name Hadrian after Pope Hadrian VI, who introduced reforms at the Vatican.

“Another told me, ‘No, no, your name must be Clement XV. That way you would get revenge on Clement XIV who suppressed the Jesuits,” he joked.

The 76-year-old pope confirmed that he decided to take the name Francis after St Francis of Assisi.

“He is the man of poverty, the man of peace,” he said.

“Ah, how I would like a Church that is poor,” he added, outlining his plans to make a Catholic Church an institution “of the poor, for the poor.”

(image re-hosted to prevent bandwidth leeching)

[Eternal_Freedom]

"Ah how I would like a church that is poor" and breaking the "rules" to bless a guide dog. This guy is rapidly approaching "acceptable" in my opnion.

[Broomstick]

Papal infallibility only pertains to explicitly ex cathedra teachings on faith or morals, not to every single thing the pope does or says.

You know, that comes up in most every thread involving a papal decision. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that she was probably being flippant.

^ This. (Thank you for reading my mind accurately)

[Broomstick]

"Ah how I would like a church that is poor" and breaking the "rules" to bless a guide dog. This guy is rapidly approaching "acceptable" in my opnion.

Blessing a guide dog is "breaking the rules"? Huh. Don't these people know that it's become a tradition in many places to bless animals of all sorts on the saint day of St. Francis of Assisi? Is it really so surprising that a Pope who took the name Francis after that saint would bless a guide dog?

People need to get over themselves.

[Irbis]

Blessing a guide dog is "breaking the rules"? Huh. Don't these people know that it's become a tradition in many places to bless animals of all sorts on the saint day of St. Francis of Assisi? Is it really so surprising that a Pope who took the name Francis after that saint would bless a guide dog?

Yes, in fact, this is one of the best known stories about St. Francis. Breaking what rules? It was more like ensuring people he really didn't meant Francis Xavier.

[UnderAGreySky]

"It was more like ensuring people he really didn't meant Francis Xavier."

Anything in particular about Xavier that he would not like to be confused with? (Genuine question - I went to a school named after SFX and so might not have the whole story)

[AniThyng]

My understanding is that since he's a Jesuit its just easier to assume he meant xavier rather them the other Francis.

[Irbis]

"It was more like ensuring people he really didn't meant Francis Xavier."

Anything in particular about Xavier that he would not like to be confused with? (Genuine question - I went to a school named after SFX and so might not have the whole story)

Xavier was militant missionary, inquisitor, counter-reformer, and overall, maybe not worst priest out there, but someone rather at odds with ecumenical message Church started to preach at meeting at Assisi. In fact, you can say he was St. Francis opposite in most, if not all things.