Louis BIRA sx
The liturgy of the Holy Thursday provides that after the homily, the priest washes the feet of the 'men' who have been chosen; where circumstances permit. For the past 3 years, in saint Kizito’s catholic community-Rokel/Archdiocese of Freetown/Sierra Leone, we have been trying to experience this rite of washing of the feet in a different way.
1. Not just men, but especially women
In the rite of the Holy Thursday, the priest is supposed to wash the feet of men. In so doing, he embodies the figure of Christ, Master and Lord (Jn 13:13) who sets an example by lowering himself and washing the feet of his disciples. In 2019, at a meeting to prepare for the celebration of Holy Week, I suggested that the gesture of the washing of the feet could be made by men. Each spouse was invited to wash his wife's feet.
The reason behind this choice was that in a culture where husbands are always served by their wives, it would be more evangelical than this time men wash women's feet. In this way, men would put into practice this exhortation of the Apostle Paul: "You men love your wife by the example of Christ: he loved the Church, he gave himself up for her" Eph 5:25. The proposal was welcomed, although some men expressed reluctance. And on Holy Thursday 2019, after I washed the feet of a woman, the other men followed by washing their wives' feet. The gesture pleased to the community. At the evaluation meeting, it was suggested that this gesture be repeated the following year with the same formula. Last year we were unable to do so because of restrictions on the covid-19 virus.
2. Not only the priest, but also all those in authority
For the celebration of the Holy Thursday 2021, as the restrictions due to Covid-19 have been eased here in Sierra Leone, our community has once again tried to experience the gesture of the washing of the feet in a different way. This time, it was that the priest and all the heads of movements and associations washed the feet of certain members of whom they are the guides and authorities. The reason behind this choice was that if the priest represents Christ the Head in the community, it is during the celebration of the sacraments and especially the Eucharist.
However in everyday life, the community is not guided by the priest alone. In Saint Kizito’s community, we have the "chairman" and the "chairlady" of the community. They assume the role of first community leaders. After them, there are the catechist and the various leaders of movements and associations. All these leaders together with the priest form the executive committee of the community, a kind of great council of the community.
Being a chairman, a chairlady or a leader in a Christian community does not mean that one is vaccinated against the virus of the chief to be served and not to serve. This virus is nourished by traditional customs where the desire to be a leader is far from being motivated by the sole concern of service. This is why encouraging the leaders of the Christian community to wash the feet of certain members, as the priest often does, is to draw all the consequences of these words of the Lord: "The disciple is not above his Master" (Jn 13:16). By washing the feet of his disciples, Christ set an example to his disciples. He then invited them to do the same for each other (Jn 13:14), as a sign of a love that puts itself at the service of all.
If the rite provides that only the feet of the men are to be washed, this orientation has a well-dated cultural background and is not absolute. The washing of the feet is a gesture of service in the manner of Christ. There is no justification for women to be excluded, as it is observed in some dioceses and parishes in Africa. Pope Francis once washed the feet of prisoners in Rome, including a woman. By asking the men of our community to wash the feet of their wives, we have only followed a tradition that is beginning to take shape in the Church.
Furthermore, the new commandment received at the Last Supper is a commandment for any disciple of Christ. By extending the gesture of the washing of the feet to all the leaders of our saint Kizito’s community, we wanted to reaffirm that the ministerial priesthood does not exhaust the role of the servant in the Church. This role is the responsibility of all the baptized and especially those who assume specific functions in the community. The hope is that the whole community will become a community where everyone learns to wash each other's feet.
The liturgy of the Holy Thursday provides that after the homily, the priest washes the feet of the 'men' who have been chosen; where circumstances permit. For the past 3 years, in saint Kizito’s catholic community-Rokel/Archdiocese of Freetown/Sierra Leone, we have been trying to experience this rite of washing of the feet in a different way.
1. Not just men, but especially women
In the rite of the Holy Thursday, the priest is supposed to wash the feet of men. In so doing, he embodies the figure of Christ, Master and Lord (Jn 13:13) who sets an example by lowering himself and washing the feet of his disciples. In 2019, at a meeting to prepare for the celebration of Holy Week, I suggested that the gesture of the washing of the feet could be made by men. Each spouse was invited to wash his wife's feet.
The reason behind this choice was that in a culture where husbands are always served by their wives, it would be more evangelical than this time men wash women's feet. In this way, men would put into practice this exhortation of the Apostle Paul: "You men love your wife by the example of Christ: he loved the Church, he gave himself up for her" Eph 5:25. The proposal was welcomed, although some men expressed reluctance. And on Holy Thursday 2019, after I washed the feet of a woman, the other men followed by washing their wives' feet. The gesture pleased to the community. At the evaluation meeting, it was suggested that this gesture be repeated the following year with the same formula. Last year we were unable to do so because of restrictions on the covid-19 virus.
2. Not only the priest, but also all those in authority
For the celebration of the Holy Thursday 2021, as the restrictions due to Covid-19 have been eased here in Sierra Leone, our community has once again tried to experience the gesture of the washing of the feet in a different way. This time, it was that the priest and all the heads of movements and associations washed the feet of certain members of whom they are the guides and authorities. The reason behind this choice was that if the priest represents Christ the Head in the community, it is during the celebration of the sacraments and especially the Eucharist.
However in everyday life, the community is not guided by the priest alone. In Saint Kizito’s community, we have the "chairman" and the "chairlady" of the community. They assume the role of first community leaders. After them, there are the catechist and the various leaders of movements and associations. All these leaders together with the priest form the executive committee of the community, a kind of great council of the community.
Being a chairman, a chairlady or a leader in a Christian community does not mean that one is vaccinated against the virus of the chief to be served and not to serve. This virus is nourished by traditional customs where the desire to be a leader is far from being motivated by the sole concern of service. This is why encouraging the leaders of the Christian community to wash the feet of certain members, as the priest often does, is to draw all the consequences of these words of the Lord: "The disciple is not above his Master" (Jn 13:16). By washing the feet of his disciples, Christ set an example to his disciples. He then invited them to do the same for each other (Jn 13:14), as a sign of a love that puts itself at the service of all.
If the rite provides that only the feet of the men are to be washed, this orientation has a well-dated cultural background and is not absolute. The washing of the feet is a gesture of service in the manner of Christ. There is no justification for women to be excluded, as it is observed in some dioceses and parishes in Africa. Pope Francis once washed the feet of prisoners in Rome, including a woman. By asking the men of our community to wash the feet of their wives, we have only followed a tradition that is beginning to take shape in the Church.
Furthermore, the new commandment received at the Last Supper is a commandment for any disciple of Christ. By extending the gesture of the washing of the feet to all the leaders of our saint Kizito’s community, we wanted to reaffirm that the ministerial priesthood does not exhaust the role of the servant in the Church. This role is the responsibility of all the baptized and especially those who assume specific functions in the community. The hope is that the whole community will become a community where everyone learns to wash each other's feet.