The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-04-13
SOLEMN RITE.
Ceremony Of Washing
Of the Feet.
August and Significant Religious
Rite at the Roman Catholic
Cathedral Yesterday.

A large congregation at the Roman
Catholic Cathedral yesterday after
noon witnessed the ceremony of The
Washing of the Feet" The people
gathered close around the open space
Immediately back OF the chancel rah
nificant rite with the deepest interest.
All over the world at about the same
hour this service Is held in Roman
Catholic churches. The Pope at Rome
washes the feet Of poor Italians and
gives them their loaf Of bread and their
piece Of money, as does the Emperor
OF Austria In Vienna. For centuries
Maundy Thursday has been commem-
GRATED with this soiemnity.
Long before o'cioek, the time ap-
pointed for the service, the people be-
gan 20 come in. They listened to the
service with an expression that seem
ed 20 indicate q welcome sense of
peace and rest from toll. When the
seats in the forward half of the nave
were filed they sat or knelt on the
floor in the aisles. The children OF
both sexes, who were in great num-
bers, found places nearby where they
could see well. Through these the
| twelve men whose feet were TO be
washed made their way to the chairs
| placed for them before the front pews,
| and prayed before sitting down. They
were rough, middle-aged working
men, whose lives had evidently been
very hard and frightened with little
| Joy; the idea of the selection for this
ceremony being to choose the poorest
men in the parish. Some were ma
tives, some were Portuguese; there
was one Chinese. One or two, from
the whiteness of their hair, were vel
along in years. All wore new white
blouses.
The door at the left of the altar
opened and two tiny aeolytes came ou
bearing on trays the large loaves Of
bread which were to be distributed
Presently the opposite door admitted
the Bishop of PanOpOlis, the deacon
and the sub-deacOn, and the attendant
aeolytes, who bore lights and incense
looming down the steps, the deacon
read the ritual from the book support
ed by the sub-deacon. Then the Bish
op made an address, first in Hawaiian
then IN Portuguese, and finally in Eng
feet of His twelve Apostles the las
day of his life on earth and en-
joined that His example be followed
He went on 10 explain what it meant
and how the service teaches the i'm
portance Of practicing humility in on
daily lives.
His violet alb was then removed, anC
he tied an apron around his waist anC
went down on his knees before the frs
man. These men had removed thei
shoes-those who wore any-and thu
congregation now gathered four deel
around the hollow square formed b.
the chairs and the table, and looked
on with the closest attention. kneelin,
successfully before each of the twelv
ment, the Bishop poured over eacl
mans right foot little water from
the brass ever which was caught in tn
basin below, wiped il off with a towel
kissed the mans foot, and then wipet
il off again. An acolyte handed him
loaf of bread, which he gave the man
and one of his assistants passed hin
, piece Of silver money for the sam
purpose Meanwhile the appointed of
flee had been in course OF repetition
After the Bishop had washed his hand
and resumed his alb, he proceeded wit
lhc dHbiphOhdi oNi 'iNc, All VI "hASh
specially ordained for the occasion, an
soon the procession went out as ii ha
come in, the acolytes leading.
The deep religious significance OF tn
ceremonial was evidently fully felt b.
all within the church. To those VIII
were possessed OF property and he'll
high position il was a striking lessol
in the humility of the Church while Z
the very poor it promised the riches o
the Kingdom to be gained by self
, abnegation. The people filed out slowl
as If 10th 10 leave the scene.