Cleric Won’t Wash the Feet of Women
Boston Archbishop Sean O’Malley declined to wash the feet of women during a Holy Week ritual that symbolizes Jesus’ washing the feet of his disciples.
O’Malley, who was heeding instructions from the Vatican on the subject, washed the feet of 12 men -- representing the 12 male disciples of Jesus -- during his celebration of Holy Thursday Mass.
The practice of including women in the foot-washing ritual is controversial among some clergy. Traditionalists oppose it but others see it as an outdated rule that can alienate women from the church.
In Atlanta, about 100 men and women gathered on Thursday outside the city’s Roman Catholic cathedral to protest Archbishop John Donoghue’s directions to exclude women from the ritual.
O’Malley has no plans to institute a men-only rule throughout the Boston Archdiocese, said his spokesman, the Rev. Christopher Coyne.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
