When Pope Francis washes women’s feet, arguments follow

[Glass*Soul]

From the Religion News Service: When Pope Francis washes women's feet, arguments follow. Who's right? | Religion News Service

Pope Francis will also observe the Holy Thursday rite [of foot washing]...at a center for people with disabilities. There he will wash the feet of a number of residents, all lay people and perhaps some of them women and even non-Christians or nonbelievers.

Apparently this is technically against the rules but not unpresidented.

Anyway, I found this comment quite interesting:

A Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Thomas Rosica, said Tuesday that Francis’ decision to include women and nonbelievers was meant as a gesture “to embrace those who were on the fringes of society.” The official rules, he said, can sometimes be a distraction from “the profound messages of the Gospels and of the Lord of the Church.”

What is the profound message of the Gospel, what does being on the fringes of society have to do with it, and how does restricting foot washing to men distract from it?

What should Christians do when a rule distracts from the Gospel message?

 

[keith99]

Only read the first bit of the linked article and it had a very funny part.

Seems the tradition and 'law' to exclude women only goes back to 1955.

Oops, I guess in at least one way instead of breaking the real longstanding tradition he is fact restoring the older ways!

 

[ForJesusChrist]

Everyone is equal in God's eyes. No harm done here, no 'rules' have been broken.

God Bless

Praise Jesus

 

[PsychoSarah]

This new pope (well, not so new maybe anymore) sure knows how to attract attention.

 

[Paradoxum]

The rules suck; Go Pope!

It's refreshing to see a less legalistic Christian making noise, and better expressing the spirit of Christianity.