Maundy (from Old French mandé, from Latin mandatum meaning "command"), or Washing of the Saints' Feet, Washing of the Feet, Nipter, or Pedelavium or Pedilavium, is a religious rite observed by various Christian denominations. The word mandatum is the first word of the antiphon sung at the rite of washing the feet: Mandatum novum do vobis ("I give you a new commandment", ).

The ceremony commemorates the commandment of Christ that his disciples should emulate his loving humility in the washing of the feet (). The medieval Latin term mandatum (mandé, maundy), came to apply to the rite of foot-washing on the Thursday preceding Easter Sunday, known in English as "Maundy Thursday" since at least 1440 (written as Maunde þursday).

Some Christian denominations throughout Church history have practiced foot washing as a church ordinance, including Adventists, Anabaptists, Free Will Baptists, Missionary Methodists, and Pentecostals. Of these, certain denominations, such as the Dunkard Brethren Church, regularly practice feetwashing as part of the lovefeast, which includes the holy kiss, feetwashing, communion, and a communal meal. Many Christian denominations (including Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans, as well as certain Presbyterians and Methodists, among others) observe the liturgical washing of the feet on Maundy Thursday of Holy Week.

Biblical reference and background

The example and command foot washing of Jesus is found in (KJV):

Jesus demonstrates the custom of the time when he comments on the lack of hospitality in one Pharisee's home by not providing water to wash his feet in Luke 7:44:

Foot washing is mentioned in several places in the Old Testament of the Bible (e.g. Genesis ; ; ; ; 1 Samuel ; et al.). 1 Samuel is the first biblical passage where an honored person offers to wash feet as a sign of humility. In John 12, Mary of Bethany anointed Jesus' feet presumably in gratitude for raising her brother Lazarus from the dead, and in preparation for his death and burial. The Bible records washing of the saint's feet being practised by the early church in I Timothy perhaps in reference to piety, submission and/or humility. There are several names for this practice: maundy, foot washing, washing the saints' feet, pedilavium, and mandatum.

History

The rite of foot washing finds its roots in scripture, where Jesus tells his followers "to wash one another's feet" (cf. ). After the death of the apostles or the end of the Apostolic Age, the practice was continued.

Footwashing was practiced in the early centuries of post-apostolic Christianity, with Tertullian (145–220) mentioning the practice as being a part of Christian worship in his De Corona. Footwashing was done with a basin "of water for the saints' feet" and a "linen towel", prior to the reception of the Eucharist. Additionally, in the 1st century, Christian women went to locations in which marginalized people resided (such as prisons) and washed their feet. The early Church Father Clement of Alexandria linked the new sandals given to the Prodigal Son with feetwashing, describing "non-perishable shoes that are only fit to be worn by those who have had their feet washed by Jesus, the Teacher and Lord." The early Church thus saw footwashing to be connected to repentance, involving a spiritual cleansing by Jesus.

Around 256 AD, Cyprian, the bishop of Carthage, wrote about footwashing teaching "the hands how to act in service".

It was practiced by the Church at Milan (c. 380) and is mentioned by the Council of Elvira (300). The Church Fathers Origen, as well as John Chrysostom and Augustine (c. 400) encouraged the practice as an imitation of Christ.

Observance of foot washing at the time of baptism was maintained in Africa, Gaul, Germany, Milan, northern Italy, and Ireland.

According to the Mennonite Encyclopedia "St. Benedict's Rule (529) for the Benedictine Order prescribed hospitality feetwashing in addition to a communal feetwashing for humility"; a statement confirmed by the Catholic Encyclopedia. It apparently was established in the Roman church, though not in connection with baptism, by the 8th century.

The Greek Orthodox Church counted footwashing among the sacraments, though it was not practiced that often.

The Synod of Toledo (694) "declared that footwashing should be observed on Maundy Thursday" and Roman Catholic churches thus came to observe footwashing on that day.

The Albigenses and the Waldenses' practiced footwashing as a rite.

There is some evidence that it was observed by the early Hussites; and the practice was a meaningful part of the 16th century radical reformation, which resulted in Anabaptist denominations regularly practicing footwashing as an ordinance.

Denominations practicing ritual foot-washing Many Christian denominations (including Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans, as well as certain Presbyterians and Methodists, among others) observe the liturgical washing of the feet on Maundy Thursday of Holy Week. Some Christian denominations throughout Church history have practiced foot washing as a church ordinance, including Adventists, Anabaptists (such as Conservative Mennonites and the Dunkard Brethren), Free Will Baptists, Missionary Methodists, and Pentecostals. Of these, certain denominations, such as the Dunkard Brethren Church, regularly practice feetwashing as part of the lovefeast, which includes the holy kiss, feetwashing, communion, and a communal meal.

Roman Catholic

In the Catholic Church, the ritual washing of feet is now associated with the Mass of the Lord's Supper, which celebrates in a special way the Last Supper of Jesus, before which he washed the feet of his twelve apostles. Evidence for the practice on this day goes back at least to the latter half of the 12th century, when "the pope washed the feet of twelve sub-deacons after his Mass and of thirteen poor men after his dinner." From 1570 to 1955, the foot-washing service was celebrated separately from that of the Holy Thursday Mass, typically done several hours after the Mass had ended. For many years Pius IX performed the foot-washing in the sala over the portico of St. Peter's Basilica.

In 1955 Pope Pius XII revised the ritual and inserted it into the Mass. Since then, the rite is celebrated after the homily that follows the reading of the gospel account of how Jesus washed the feet of his twelve apostles (). Some persons who have been selected – usually twelve, but the Roman Missal does not specify the number – are led to chairs prepared in a suitable place. The priest goes to each and, with the help of the ministers, pours water over each one's feet and dries them. There are some advocates of restricting this ritual to clergy or at least men.Washing of the Feet on Holy Thursday. Catholic Online. 29 March 2006.

In a notable break from the 1955 norms, Pope Francis washed the feet of two women and Muslims at a juvenile detention center in Rome in 2013. NPR, 28 March 2013. Logos, 28 March 2013. In 2016 it was announced that the Roman Missal had been revised to permit women to have their feet washed on Maundy Thursday; previously it permitted only males to do so. In 2016 Catholic priests around the world washed both women's and men's feet on Holy Thursday and "their gesture of humility represented to many the progress of inclusion in the Catholic church."The Catholic Church puts one foot forward on the path to including women The Washington Post, 26 March 2016

At one time, most of the European monarchs also performed feet washing in their royal courts on Maundy Thursday, a practice continued by the Austro-Hungarian Emperor and the King of Spain up to the beginning of the 20th century (see Royal Maundy). In 1181 Roger de Moulins, Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller issued a statute declaring, "In Lent every Saturday, they are accustomed to celebrate maundy for thirteen poor persons, and to wash their feet, and to give to each a shirt and new breeches and new shoes, and to three chaplains, or to three clerics out of the thirteen, three deniers and to each of the others, two deniers".E.J. King, The Rule Statutes and Customs of the Hospitallers 1099–1310 (London: Methuen, 1934), p. 39.

Lutheran and Anglican Foot washing rites are practiced by the Lutheran and Anglican churches and is most often carried out during the liturgy of the Eucharist of Lord's supper on Maundy Thursday. The priest washes the feet of women and men in the congregation, as Christ did before the Last Supper, before the Eucharist, Stripping of the Altar and removal of the blessed sacrament to a place of repose.

Foot-washing is sometimes performed at ordination services where the Bishop may wash the feet of those who are to be ordained. It has at times been practiced in connection with baptism, and at times as a separate occasion. In the Anglican church the King of England, as Supreme Governor undertakes the commemoration of Royal Maundy instead of washing feet.

Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic The Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches practice the ritual of the Washing of Feet on Holy and Great Thursday (Maundy Thursday) according to their ancient rites. The service may be performed either by a bishop, washing the feet of twelve priests; or by an Hegumen (Abbot) washing the feet of twelve members of the brotherhood of his monastery. The ceremony takes place at the end of the Divine Liturgy.

After Holy Communion, and before the dismissal, the brethren all go in procession to the place where the Washing of Feet is to take place (it may be in the center of the nave, in the narthex, or a location outside). After a psalm and some troparia (hymns) an ektenia (litany) is recited, and the bishop or abbot reads a prayer. Then the deacon reads the account in the Gospel of John, while the clergy perform the roles of Christ and his apostles as each action is chanted by the deacon. The deacon stops when the dialogue between Jesus and Peter begins. The senior-ranking clergyman among those whose feet are being washed speaks the words of Peter, and the bishop or abbot speaks the words of Jesus. Then the bishop or abbot himself concludes the reading of the Gospel, after which he says another prayer and sprinkles all of those present with the water that was used for the foot washing. The procession then returns to the church and the final dismissal is given as normal.

Oriental Orthodox

Foot washing rites are also observed in the Oriental Orthodox churches on Maundy Thursday.

In the Coptic Orthodox Church the service is performed by the parish priest. He blesses the water for the foot washing with the cross, just as he would for blessing holy water and he washes the feet of the entire congregation.

In the Syriac Orthodox Church, this service is performed by a bishop or priest. There will be some 12 selected men, both priests and the lay people, and the bishop or priest will wash and kiss the feet of those 12 men. It is not merely a dramatization of the past event. Further it is a prayer where the whole congregation prays to wash and cleanse them of their sins.

Anabaptist Groups descending from the 1708 Schwarzenau Brethren, such as the Grace Brethren, Church of the Brethren, Brethren Church, Brethren in Christ,Manual of Doctrine & Government of the Brethren in Christ Church (PDF) Old German Baptist Brethren, and the Dunkard Brethren regularly practice foot washing (generally called "feetwashing") as one of three ordinances that compose their Lovefeast, the others being the holy kiss, the Eucharist and a fellowship meal. Historically related groups such as the Amish and most Mennonites also wash feet, tracing the practice to the 1632 Dordrecht Confession of Faith. For members, this practice promotes humility towards and care for others, resulting in a higher egalitarianism among members.

Moravian