A gender debate on foot washing

IN a move that brings a national debate home to Southwest Florida Catholic churches, Bishop Frank Dewane (pictured) has reminded priests that only men should have their feet washed during a pre-Easter ceremony.

Many Catholic priests in Southwest Florida have customarily washed the feet of male and female parishioners on the Thursday before Easter in a symbol of humbly serving others.

Dewane, who became bishop in 2006, has garnered a reputation for bringing a more hands-on and conservative interpretation of church rules than his predecessor to his role as shepherd of 250,000 Catholics in Southwest Florida.

In the past, he has banned speakers on abortion from his churches, and last month he threatened to ex-communicate Catholics who went to a ceremony to install women as priests.

Dewane sent his “Rules of the Road” letter to churches on Friday for the series of Masses and events leading up to Easter, and it included the foot washing clarification, the diocese said.

“The washing of the feet of chosen men which, according to tradition, is performed on this day, represents the service and charity of Christ, who came ‘not to be served, but to serve.’ This tradition should be maintained,” the letter read, quoting church rules.

The letter goes on to explain that women were included once, but that was a special case and does not indicate a change in policy.

In response, some priests called the bishop with concerns about having to change their church’s ritual and exclude women, the diocese said.

Dewane’s letter was sent in response to questions about church policy on the washing of feet, and was not meant as an edict “from on high,” diocese spokesman Bob Reddy said.

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