New Delhi: Latin rite parishes in India will follow Pope Francis’ example and include women and others for the Washing of the Feet ritual on Holy Thursday.

Cardinal Oswald Gracias, president of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) has asked its member Latin rite dioceses in the country to follow Pope Francis’s direction regarding the Washing of the Feet ritual.

The cardinal’s March 9 letter quotes a decree the Pontifical Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments issued on January 21 that allows women’s inclusion in the Holy Thursday ritual.

However, the papal instruction is not applicable to other two Catholic rites in the country, Syro-Malabar and Syro-Malabar Churches. They can continue to with the tradition of washing the feet of only 12 men, symbolizing Christ’s act at the time of Last Supper.

A January 28 letter from the Pontifical Congregation for Eastern Churches to Cardinal George Alencherry, head of the Syro-Malabar Church, clarifies that the changes in the Holy Thursday rituals are applicable only to Latin parishes.

The decree and the Pope’s letter that prompted the changes “mention specifically and only ‘the roman rite’ and ‘the Roman Missal,’” adds the letter signed by the congregation’s secretary Jesuit Archbishop Cyril Vasil and under secretary Dominican Father Lorenzo Lorusso.

Cardinal Gracias’ letter says the Pope had surprised the world when he washed the feet some girls and non-Catholics on his first Maundy Thursday service as the pontiff.

“Although the Vatican Spokesman, Fr. Federico Lombardi, said that this was not to be taken as a changing the discipline of the Church, it is now clear that the Holy Father was giving a message,” the cardinal explains.

The new decree has changed the earlier rule that only the feet of 12 men could be washed. The term “men” has been changed to “people of God” allowing the inclusion of women.

After some reflection, Pope Francis has given directions to the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments to issue a Decree, In Missa In Cena Domini, making some changes in the regulations for the Washing of the Feet. The Instructions makes the following changes:

The new decree does not the number to 12, but only says “the pastor may select a small group of the faithful.” The group could include “men and women, an it is appropriate that they consist of young and the old, healthy and sick, clerics, consecrated persons and lay people.”

Cardinal Gracias says the composition of the group would vary from parish to parish. “For example, in some parishes there may not be clerics available to form part of the group. So one should not go out of the way to make sure that each of these categories is part of the group,” the prelate says.

Cardinal Gracias urges the parishes to choose the group to represent “the variety and unity of each part of the people of God.”

He also instructs parishes not to make the group too small or too large. According to him, 12 is “a logistically convenient number.” He cautions that “too big a number would disturb the service and on the other hand, having too small a number might not give the Washing of the Feet its adequate significance.”

The cardinal, who is also the archbishop of Bombay, India’s largest diocese, says he has asked his priests to include poor, underprivileged and disadvantaged people in the group. “This will bring out more clearly the meaning of Our Lord’s action of humility and charity in the Washing of the Feet.”

In case of resistance in following the instructions, the cardinal wants the matter discussed at parish council meetings to resolve the difficulties.

The Church leader wants priests to use homily to instruct the changes both those whose feet are washed as well as others