WASHING OF FEET (called in Latin pedilatium, and sometimes manclatum, from the first word of the " little chapter" in the service), one Of the ceremonial observances of the holy week (q.v.) in the Roman Catholic church. It forms part of the service of holy Thursday, which day, from the word mandatum, is also called Maundy Thursday. The origin of this observance is extremely ancient. It is founded on the example ana exhor tation of our Lord in John xiii. 5-14; and is traceable in the writings of Justin, Tertullian, Ambrose, and Augustine, as well as in many of the early councils. In some churches, however, or at least at some particular periods, the day fixed for the ceremonial was good Friday, although for many centuries it has uniformly been assigned to holy Thursday. It is necessary, however, to distinguish from the ceremonial of the holy week, another washing of the feet (also called which, in the case of catechumens, preceded baptism, and which, in many churches, was accompanied by a washing of the head, eaptdarium, and took place on palm Sunday (q.v.), thence called " Dominica Captilavii." To this usage Sts. Ambrose and Augustine distinctly refer. In the mediaeval and modern
church, the washing of feet has generally followed the solemn mass of the day. In those churches where the ceremony is still retained, the officiating bishop or priest, wearing a cope and girt with a towel, and attended by a.deacon and subdeacon, washes, dries, and kisses the right foot of a certain number of pilgrims, generally twelve, in memory of the twelve apostles; after which all the pilgrims are hospitably entertained, and served in person by the bishop, who distributes to each a dole in money or provisions. An appro priate service, consisting of a gospel (John xiii. 1-14) sung by the deacon, a chapter (" Man datum novuni") chanted by the choir, and a prayer by the bishop, accompanies the cere monial. The washing of the pilgrims' feet on holy:Thursday forms a very striking part iu the holy week ceremonial as carried out not only by the pope, but also by the bishops in most of the great cathedrals abroad. It was also practiced by king and other royal and noble personages, even down to a very recent date.