![\"Fr.](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/265\/2016\/03\/Better-feet.jpg\")
<\/a>Holy Thursday\u00a0Breaking News:\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\nPriests Occupy Steps of U.S. Vatican Embassy<\/span><\/h3>\nTwo Roman Catholic Women Priests\u2013Jane Via and Janice Sevre-Duszynska, and former Maryknoll Priest Roy Bourgeois, symbolically washed feet, fasted, and occupied the steps of the Vatican Embassy on Holy Thursday\u00a0as a\u00a0visible presence\u00a0inviting dialogue with Pope Francis on\u00a0Vatican policy regarding\u00a0women priests.<\/p>\n
On Holy Thursday, March 24th at 10 a.m., people from around the country gathered for a foot washing ceremony and protest in front of the Vatican Embassy in Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n
After the ceremony, three Roman Catholic priests\u00a0delivered a statement to the Papal Nuncio for Pope Francis calling for women\u2019s ordination and justice for women and gays in the Roman Catholic Church. They intend to\u00a0fast and occupy the steps of the Vatican Embassy in Washington, DC. until they receive\u00a0a response from Pope Francis. The Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigan\u00f2, serves as the Vatican\u2019s ambassador to the President of the United States and the gateway between the Catholic hierarchy in the United States and the Pope.<\/p>\n![\"Roy](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/265\/2016\/03\/Roy-Vatican-Embassy-225x300.jpg\")
<\/a>Roy Bourgeois approaches Vatican Embassy to hang stole on the door. Statement to Pope Francis is taped to the door. \u00a0(Photo\u00a0by Bob\u00a0Cooke)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nStole and\u00a0Statement posted on the Embassy Door<\/span><\/h3>\nThe priests hung a\u00a0red stole and posted a statement to Pope Francis on the Vatican Embassy door. The statement reads:<\/p>\n
TO POPE FRANCIS AND THE CATHOLIC CHURCH:<\/strong><\/p>\n\u201cWhere there is injustice, silence is complicity. We have come to the Vatican Embassy in Washington, D.C., to speak out against the grave injustice being done to women and gay people by the Catholic Church.<\/strong><\/p>\n1. WOMEN IN THE CHURCH: God created women and men equal: \u2018There is neither male nor female. In Christ you are one.\u2019 (Galatians 3:28) God calls both men and women to the priesthood, but Catholic women who are called are rejected because of their gender. Who are men to say that their call from God is authentic, but God\u2019s call to women is not?<\/strong><\/p>\nThe ordination of women is not a problem with God, but with an all-male clerical culture that views women as inferior to men. The problem is sexism and sexism, like racism, is a sin.<\/strong><\/p>\n2. GAYS IN THE CHURCH: The official teaching of the Catholic Church states that homosexuals are \u2018objectively disordered.\u2019 For millions of gay people, this teaching instills shame and self-hatred. It has contributed to gay people being rejected by their families, fired from their jobs, bullied and even killed. This teaching has also contributed to suicides, especially among teenagers.<\/strong><\/p>\nGod does not make mistakes in creation. Our all-loving God created everyone of equal worth and dignity: gay and straight. Our Church\u2019s teaching on homosexuality is cruel and is based on a theology inconsistent with the teaching of Jesus.<\/strong><\/p>\nWe are here today to call upon Pope Francis and the Catholic Church to ordain women and start treating LGBT people as equals.\u201d<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n![\"Roman](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/265\/2016\/03\/Jane-Janice-Roy-300x225.jpg\")
<\/a>Roman Catholic Women Priests Jane Via and Janice Sevre-Duszynka and Roy Bourgeois protesting at the Vatican Embassy (Photo by\u00a0Bob\u00a0Cooke)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nWho Are these Priests?<\/span><\/h3>\nJane Via, Ph.D., J.D. is a former professor of theology, a retired county prosecutor and an ordained Roman Catholic Woman Priest<\/a>. In 2005, she founded an independent Catholic parish in the Roman Catholic tradition which thrives in San Diego, CA. She is married and has two adult, feminist sons.<\/p>\nJanice Sevre-Duszynska, D.Min., a retired teacher and journalist, is an activist priest in the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests and an international leader for women\u2019s equality in the Roman Catholic Church. Her journey is explored in the award-winning documentary, \u201cPink Smoke Over the Vatican.\u201d<\/p>\n
Roy Bourgeois served as a Catholic priest for 40 years. He is a Purple Heart recipient and a Nobel Peace Prize nominee. In 2012, he was expelled from the priesthood and the Maryknoll Fathers because of his public support for the ordination of women.<\/p>\n
Why Wash Feet?<\/span><\/h3>\n![\"Freshly](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/265\/2016\/03\/DSC03335_2-249x300.jpg\")
<\/a>Freshly washed feet (Photo by Kathleen Gibbons Schuck)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nImagine that trudging in sandals along\u00a0dusty, dirt-covered roads\u00a0is\u00a0your primary way to move from one place to another. After walking for hours, you reach your destination and are warmly welcomed. \u00a0Before you sit down to eat, you are offered the chance to wash up. The root of the practice of foot washing lies in desert\u00a0hospitality. Historically, the\u00a0host provided water and a servant to wash the feet of their guests.<\/p>\n
During the past thirteen years, my\u00a0personal experience of dusty feet grew out of\u00a0twelve incredible weeks\u00a0wearing sandals\u00a0in Benin, Ghana, and Nigeria. I am always grateful when water is available to wash my feet. I have never been in a situation where\u00a0a servant washes my feet.<\/p>\n
Washing of the Feet<\/strong> is a religious rite observed by several Christian denominations. References to foot washing can be found in the Hebrew Scriptures (Genesis, Judges, Samuel, Song of Solomon, Psalms) and in the Christian Scriptures. \u00a01 Samuel 25:41 is the first passage where an honored person offers to wash feet as a sign of humility, affirming reform, change and the voiceless. In John 13:13-17, Jesus encourages us to follow his example.<\/p>\n\u201cIf I \u2013 your Teacher \u2013 have washed your feet, you should wash each other\u2019s feet. I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. The truth of the matter is, no subordinate is greater than the superior; no messenger outranks the sender. Once you know all these things, you\u2019ll be blessed if you\u00a0put them into practice.\u201d<\/strong><\/em> (The Inclusive Bible)<\/p><\/blockquote>\nThe practice of washing feet is\u00a0found in Eastern Orthodox, Byzantine Catholic, Coptic Orthodox and Syrian Orthodox Churches. Numerous Protestant groups including Seventh-day Adventists, Pentecostal<\/a> and Pietistic groups, some Anabaptists and several types of Southern Baptists, Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist and Brethren wash feet. In Progressive Judaism, the ritual \u2018Brit rechitzah\u2019 involves washing of the baby\u2019s feet.<\/p>\nIn many Roman Catholic Churches, historically, only men\u2019s feet were washed on Holy Thursday. For decades, I have chosen to celebrate\u00a0Holy Thursday in churches where both women and men participate in the foot washing ritual, oftentimes\u00a0where anyone in the assembly could exercise the option to\u00a0have their feet washed. \u00a0In 2015, Pope Francis officially changed the rubrics of the Roman Missal (prayers and texts used in Catholic worship) to open the foot washing rite to women and girls. This change of law\u00a0didn\u2019t have a significant effect\u00a0on me. Yet, in many Catholic Churches where only men\u2019s feet were washed, this Holy Thursday it was breaking news: Women as well as men were invited to the altar to have their feet washed!<\/p>\n
One of my most memorable Holy Thursdays occurred about ten years ago. I transported six\u00a0Nigerian and Ghanaian Sisters to Holy Thursday liturgy at a parish in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. So moved were they by having their feet washed and then washing the feet of the person behind them that they took pictures. Why not?\u00a0It was\u00a0a unique, powerful, and priceless experience for these women who had never seen anyone other than a priest or bishop wash men\u2019s feet on Holy Thursday. I will never forget the animated questions their participation in the ritual generated and the lyrical enthusiasm that emanated from\u00a0the car\u00a0as we drove home.<\/p>\n
What a beautiful way to demonstrate our\u00a0loving service to each other!<\/p>\n
Why Ordain Women?<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\u201cI had an education and experience equal to many priests, as well as a deep desire to serve the church, but my female body, according to official church teaching, made my longing to be a priest illegitimate.\u201d ~Jamie Manson<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Two Roman Catholic Women Priests\u2013Jane Via and Janice Sevre-Duszynska, and former Maryknoll Priest Roy Bourgeois, symbolically washed feet, fasted, and occupied the steps of the Vatican Embassy on Holy Thursday\u00a0as a\u00a0visible presence\u00a0inviting dialogue with Pope Francis on\u00a0Vatican policy regarding\u00a0women priests.<\/p>\n
On Holy Thursday, March 24th at 10 a.m., people from around the country gathered for a foot washing ceremony and protest in front of the Vatican Embassy in Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n
After the ceremony, three Roman Catholic priests\u00a0delivered a statement to the Papal Nuncio for Pope Francis calling for women\u2019s ordination and justice for women and gays in the Roman Catholic Church. They intend to\u00a0fast and occupy the steps of the Vatican Embassy in Washington, DC. until they receive\u00a0a response from Pope Francis. The Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigan\u00f2, serves as the Vatican\u2019s ambassador to the President of the United States and the gateway between the Catholic hierarchy in the United States and the Pope.<\/p>\n The priests hung a\u00a0red stole and posted a statement to Pope Francis on the Vatican Embassy door. The statement reads:<\/p>\n TO POPE FRANCIS AND THE CATHOLIC CHURCH:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cWhere there is injustice, silence is complicity. We have come to the Vatican Embassy in Washington, D.C., to speak out against the grave injustice being done to women and gay people by the Catholic Church.<\/strong><\/p>\n 1. WOMEN IN THE CHURCH: God created women and men equal: \u2018There is neither male nor female. In Christ you are one.\u2019 (Galatians 3:28) God calls both men and women to the priesthood, but Catholic women who are called are rejected because of their gender. Who are men to say that their call from God is authentic, but God\u2019s call to women is not?<\/strong><\/p>\n The ordination of women is not a problem with God, but with an all-male clerical culture that views women as inferior to men. The problem is sexism and sexism, like racism, is a sin.<\/strong><\/p>\n 2. GAYS IN THE CHURCH: The official teaching of the Catholic Church states that homosexuals are \u2018objectively disordered.\u2019 For millions of gay people, this teaching instills shame and self-hatred. It has contributed to gay people being rejected by their families, fired from their jobs, bullied and even killed. This teaching has also contributed to suicides, especially among teenagers.<\/strong><\/p>\n God does not make mistakes in creation. Our all-loving God created everyone of equal worth and dignity: gay and straight. Our Church\u2019s teaching on homosexuality is cruel and is based on a theology inconsistent with the teaching of Jesus.<\/strong><\/p>\n We are here today to call upon Pope Francis and the Catholic Church to ordain women and start treating LGBT people as equals.\u201d<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Jane Via, Ph.D., J.D. is a former professor of theology, a retired county prosecutor and an ordained Roman Catholic Woman Priest<\/a>. In 2005, she founded an independent Catholic parish in the Roman Catholic tradition which thrives in San Diego, CA. She is married and has two adult, feminist sons.<\/p>\n Janice Sevre-Duszynska, D.Min., a retired teacher and journalist, is an activist priest in the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests and an international leader for women\u2019s equality in the Roman Catholic Church. Her journey is explored in the award-winning documentary, \u201cPink Smoke Over the Vatican.\u201d<\/p>\n Roy Bourgeois served as a Catholic priest for 40 years. He is a Purple Heart recipient and a Nobel Peace Prize nominee. In 2012, he was expelled from the priesthood and the Maryknoll Fathers because of his public support for the ordination of women.<\/p>\n Imagine that trudging in sandals along\u00a0dusty, dirt-covered roads\u00a0is\u00a0your primary way to move from one place to another. After walking for hours, you reach your destination and are warmly welcomed. \u00a0Before you sit down to eat, you are offered the chance to wash up. The root of the practice of foot washing lies in desert\u00a0hospitality. Historically, the\u00a0host provided water and a servant to wash the feet of their guests.<\/p>\n During the past thirteen years, my\u00a0personal experience of dusty feet grew out of\u00a0twelve incredible weeks\u00a0wearing sandals\u00a0in Benin, Ghana, and Nigeria. I am always grateful when water is available to wash my feet. I have never been in a situation where\u00a0a servant washes my feet.<\/p>\n Washing of the Feet<\/strong> is a religious rite observed by several Christian denominations. References to foot washing can be found in the Hebrew Scriptures (Genesis, Judges, Samuel, Song of Solomon, Psalms) and in the Christian Scriptures. \u00a01 Samuel 25:41 is the first passage where an honored person offers to wash feet as a sign of humility, affirming reform, change and the voiceless. In John 13:13-17, Jesus encourages us to follow his example.<\/p>\n \u201cIf I \u2013 your Teacher \u2013 have washed your feet, you should wash each other\u2019s feet. I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. The truth of the matter is, no subordinate is greater than the superior; no messenger outranks the sender. Once you know all these things, you\u2019ll be blessed if you\u00a0put them into practice.\u201d<\/strong><\/em> (The Inclusive Bible)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The practice of washing feet is\u00a0found in Eastern Orthodox, Byzantine Catholic, Coptic Orthodox and Syrian Orthodox Churches. Numerous Protestant groups including Seventh-day Adventists, Pentecostal<\/a> and Pietistic groups, some Anabaptists and several types of Southern Baptists, Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist and Brethren wash feet. In Progressive Judaism, the ritual \u2018Brit rechitzah\u2019 involves washing of the baby\u2019s feet.<\/p>\n In many Roman Catholic Churches, historically, only men\u2019s feet were washed on Holy Thursday. For decades, I have chosen to celebrate\u00a0Holy Thursday in churches where both women and men participate in the foot washing ritual, oftentimes\u00a0where anyone in the assembly could exercise the option to\u00a0have their feet washed. \u00a0In 2015, Pope Francis officially changed the rubrics of the Roman Missal (prayers and texts used in Catholic worship) to open the foot washing rite to women and girls. This change of law\u00a0didn\u2019t have a significant effect\u00a0on me. Yet, in many Catholic Churches where only men\u2019s feet were washed, this Holy Thursday it was breaking news: Women as well as men were invited to the altar to have their feet washed!<\/p>\n One of my most memorable Holy Thursdays occurred about ten years ago. I transported six\u00a0Nigerian and Ghanaian Sisters to Holy Thursday liturgy at a parish in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. So moved were they by having their feet washed and then washing the feet of the person behind them that they took pictures. Why not?\u00a0It was\u00a0a unique, powerful, and priceless experience for these women who had never seen anyone other than a priest or bishop wash men\u2019s feet on Holy Thursday. I will never forget the animated questions their participation in the ritual generated and the lyrical enthusiasm that emanated from\u00a0the car\u00a0as we drove home.<\/p>\n What a beautiful way to demonstrate our\u00a0loving service to each other!<\/p>\n \u201cI had an education and experience equal to many priests, as well as a deep desire to serve the church, but my female body, according to official church teaching, made my longing to be a priest illegitimate.\u201d ~Jamie Manson<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/a>Stole and\u00a0Statement posted on the Embassy Door<\/span><\/h3>\n
<\/a>Who Are these Priests?<\/span><\/h3>\n
Why Wash Feet?<\/span><\/h3>\n
<\/a>Why Ordain Women?<\/span><\/h3>\n
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