Cacciaguida

Defending the 12th century since the 14th; blogging since the 21st.

Catholicism, Conservatism, the Middle Ages, Opera, and Historical and Literary Objets d'Art blogged by a suburban dad who teaches law and writes stuff.


"Very fun." -- J. Bottum, Editor, FIRST THINGS

"Too modest" -- Elinor Dashwood

"Perhaps the wisest man on the Web" -- Henry Dieterich

"Hat tip: me (but really Cacciaguida)" -- Diana Feygin, Editor, THE YALE FREE PRESS

"You are my sire. You give me confidence to speak. You raise my heart so high that I am no more I." -- Dante

"Fabulous!"-- Warlock D.J. Prod of Didsbury

Who was Cacciaguida? See Dante's PARADISO, Cantos XV, XVI, & XVII.


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Tuesday, April 06, 2004
 
The agony of da feet

With Holy Thursday coming up, you need to read the Old Oligarch's theological analysis of the traditional foot-washing ceremony. While it is licit to use laymen in this ritual, its meaning -- contrary to just about every homily you've ever heard about it -- is not confined to humility and "service". Rather, the original foot-washing was an integral part of Our Lord's ordination of the Apostles as priests, and ever since, the ritual has featured sacerdotal imagery and implications.