religious gender elitism

[sophiaserpentia]

About 100 men and women gathered outside Atlanta's Roman Catholic cathedral Thursday to protest the archbishop's exclusion of women from the Holy Thursday foot-washing ritual.

Contrary to the order from Archbishop John Donoghue, the protesters said the rite should include everyone. Donoghue did not address the protest during Mass Thursday night. He and his staff have refused to comment on the issue.

... In a letter last month to Atlanta priests, Donoghue said they should select 12 men from each parish to represent the apostles who had their feet washed by Jesus at the Last Supper.

from Faithful Decry Foot-Washing Ban of Women

It takes a special closed-ness of mind, and a special hatred of flesh, to think that the "fact" (disputed by some scholars and some non-canonical accounts) that Jesus' disciples were male sets a precedent that only people with penises deserve to participate in the remembrance of this event.

Jesus' message here was about humility, service, and compassion -- and this archbishop (and many before him) has turned it into something exclusionary.

Any mindset that reads the gospels and sees "people with penises" vs. "people without penises" instead of, just, people, is one that dehumanizes and closes the doors of the heart and soul.

Edit. It's difficult not to contrast the foot-washing scene in John, wherein Jesus washes the disciples' feet, with the foot-washing scene in Luke, where a woman (tradition says Mary Magdalene) washes Jesus' feet. If you restrict the remembrance of the scene in John to only male recipients, you are sending the subliminal message, intentionally or not, that it is fine for priests, who follow in the tradition of Jesus, to be served *by* women, but not to give service *to* women.

Comments

[akaiyume.livejournal.com]

The problem is defying discipline, in putting our selves and out cultural gender issues before the liturgical unity of the Church. That is the problem here and one of the greatest problems that the Catholic Church faces in western culture. Western culture teaches us to put the individual above all others, Catholicsim teaches us to put the community before ourselves.

I would think that simply being moral creatures teaches us to put the community before ourselves. (Yeah, I am being idealistic again.)

I can completely understand the fact that you are upset the the protests are detracting from what is the holiest time of the Catholic year. But these are members of the community who are protesting (I think. If someone is not a part of the Catholic community and is directly protesting this specific incidence they need to stop and think about what they are doing and why). What happens when the disciplines and the needs of the community itself are in conflict?

I understand putting community first. I understand and am more than willing to sacrifice my own needs and desires to bring about a greater good. I will admit that I am not religious enough to understand putting a liturgy above the needs of a community.

[badsede.livejournal.com]

I would think that simply being moral creatures teaches us to put the community before ourselves. (Yeah, I am being idealistic again.)

We believe the same, that everyone has an a conscience that will lead them to moral choices if they follow it.

What happens when the disciplines and the needs of the community itself are in conflict?

The disciplines exist to serve the needs of the community. What we are seeing here is one need coming into conflict with another. This community - due to its cultural baggage - finds needing or at least feeling they need - which does not decrease its validity - this variation from the norm. But the norm also fulfills the needs of the community, even if they are not aware of it.

So, a compromise must be made. The needs must be balanced. This is one change that seems quite reasonable to me. But change should not come this way. And it bothers me all the more that this was a surprise to the people protesting. The discipline was no secret, has been this way since the practice was re-established in '55. The ignorance of Catholics of Catholic practices really bothers me, whether it is because of lack of effort on the part of the person or lack of catechesis on the part of the Church.

I will admit that I am not religious enough to understand putting a liturgy above the needs of a community.

The liturgy serves the community in tremendous ways. It teaches, it sustains, it unifies, it edifies, it challenges. Assaults on the liturgy are therefore often assaults on these vital roles that it fulfills in the community. So, it is putting some needs of the community over other needs. The compromise must be found.