Bishop De Angelis rescinds decision.

Peterborough, ON--In various deanery meetings over several months, Bishop De Angelis of the Peterborough diocese notified his priests that certain abuses at the Holy Thursday liturgy--the washing of the feet of women and children, and the washing of hands as an alternative to the washing of feet--would end. All parishes would conform to the washing of the feet of men only, in accord with the example of Jesus at the Last Supper and in keeping with the established tradition of the Church.

This decision led to an uproar among the dissidents of the diocese, particularly within St. Alphonsus parish in west-end Peterborough, which is home to a number of teachers and others who would like to set the agenda for worship in the diocese. As a result, Bishop De Angelis gave in to the willful dissent and rescinded his decision. In a statement read out in some parishes at the Sunday liturgy on 13-14 March, and followed up by a letter to his priests dated 16 March, 2004, he said that "it has been decided for the time being to leave it (i.e., the liturgical rite of footwashing at the Holy Thursday Mass) to the discretion of individual pastors to set their own policies."

Comment:

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) and other documents, including the Gospel of John 13:1-15, leave no doubt that the bishop's understanding of the Holy Thursday liturgy is the correct one. It is regrettable that he felt it necessary to back down before the abusers.