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Traditional Catholic Faith => The Sacred: Catholic Liturgy, Chant, Prayers => Topic started by: 2Vermont on March 28, 2024, 11:14:28 AM

Title: Maundy Thursday: Washing of the Feet
Post by: 2Vermont on March 28, 2024, 11:14:28 AM
I read in my (St Andrew's) missal today that it was traditional to wash the feet of 13 poor men.  Why 13 and not 12?
Title: Re: Maundy Thursday: Washing of the Feet
Post by: Philip on March 28, 2024, 11:27:57 AM
When St. Gregory the Great performed the service a thirteenth figure appeared, believed to have been Angelic. From that time, until the 1955 reforms, the Pope washed the feet of thirteen paupers.
Title: Re: Maundy Thursday: Washing of the Feet
Post by: 2Vermont on March 28, 2024, 01:04:21 PM
When St. Gregory the Great performed the service a thirteenth figure appeared, believed to have been Angelic. From that time, until the 1955 reforms, the Pope washed the feet of thirteen paupers.
Thanks Philip!
Title: Re: Maundy Thursday: Washing of the Feet
Post by: Philip on March 28, 2024, 01:10:06 PM
Thanks Philip!
You are welcome 2Vermont.

I saw an article (https://www.liturgicalartsjournal.com/2024/03/tapestries-of-papal-court-for-holy.html) earlier about the tapestries that were hung up in St. Peter's Basilica for the service.  They are over 500 years old and there are also images in the article of the thirteen poor men lined up.
Title: Re: Maundy Thursday: Washing of the Feet
Post by: Ladislaus on March 28, 2024, 04:21:07 PM
Bergoglio's re-imagined the washing of feet:
https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/28/europe/pope-washes-feet-maundy-thursday-intl/index.html
Quote
Pope [sic] Francis breaks with tradition in annual ritual by washing the feet of women only

Even CNN characterizes it as a "break from Tradition".
(https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/ap24088610119744.jpg?q=w_1015,c_fill/f_webp)
Title: Re: Maundy Thursday: Washing of the Feet
Post by: Ladislaus on March 28, 2024, 04:41:45 PM
I read in my (St Andrew's) missal today that it was traditional to wash the feet of 13 poor men.  Why 13 and not 12?

From what I read, it's only the Pope who was supposed to wash the feet of 13.
Title: Re: Maundy Thursday: Washing of the Feet
Post by: Philip on March 28, 2024, 05:00:04 PM
From what I read, it's only the Pope who was supposed to wash the feet of 13.
All the major authors on ceremonial Martinucci, Le Vavasseur, Fortescue etc and the Caeremoniale Episoporum indicate otherwise, e.g.:

[img width= height=]https://books.google.co.uk/books/content?id=sLsOAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA420&img=1&zoom=3&hl=en&sig=ACfU3U04DTjFglM0n4I8A4pvGHoWGqo7oQ&ci=210%2C197%2C760%2C318&edge=0[/img] (https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=sLsOAQAAIAAJ&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&dq=Le%20Vavasseur&pg=PA420&ci=210%2C197%2C760%2C318&source=bookclip)
Title: Re: Maundy Thursday: Washing of the Feet
Post by: Miseremini on March 28, 2024, 05:06:47 PM
Bergoglio's re-imagined the washing of feet:
https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/28/europe/pope-washes-feet-maundy-thursday-intl/index.html
Even CNN characterizes it as a "break from Tradition".
(https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/ap24088610119744.jpg?q=w_1015,c_fill/f_webp)
WOW! and they all got dressed up for the occasion.
Title: Re: Maundy Thursday: Washing of the Feet
Post by: Ladislaus on March 28, 2024, 05:52:36 PM
WOW! and they all got dressed up for the occasion.

Well, they were prisoners (in jail), so they probably didn't have much better.  And it's probably good that they wore pants, or otherwise Bergoglio would have been looking up womens' skirts (from his low angle).
Title: Re: Maundy Thursday: Washing of the Feet
Post by: Ladislaus on March 28, 2024, 06:09:38 PM
All the major authors on ceremonial Martinucci, Le Vavasseur, Fortescue etc and the Caeremoniale Episoporum indicate otherwise, e.g.:

[img width= height=]https://books.google.co.uk/books/content?id=sLsOAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA420&img=1&zoom=3&hl=en&sig=ACfU3U04DTjFglM0n4I8A4pvGHoWGqo7oQ&ci=210%2C197%2C760%2C318&edge=0[/img] (https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=sLsOAQAAIAAJ&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&dq=Le%20Vavasseur&pg=PA420&ci=210%2C197%2C760%2C318&source=bookclip)

When Pius XII moved to inside the Holy Thursday Liturgy, it specified 12.  Before then it was an extra-liturgical custom.  So I imagine it's a question of whether you're using the pre-1955 or 1955+ Missal.