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"Rules" have changed throughout the history of the church. Priests could get married for the first few centuries. Should we go back to that rule and castigate all of the popes who've banned priestly marriage for the past 1600 or 1700 years?

To say that no customs should ever change in the church is ridiculous. Core beliefs should hold firm, but customs and practices have always been open to change, granted very slowly and with lots of deliberation.

I am not one who wants radical change in the church...I am far more of a traditionalist (14 of my first 16 years of education were at Catholic schools), but I'm not one of these no change, not no way, not no how types of Catholics.

In my mothers day, she was never allowed to set foot on the altar. Her uncle was a pastor and very prominent in his diocese which traditionally had been very conservative. The only exception was when the woman got married...the kneeler was put on the altar. Well, she married a non-Catholic and because of that they had to kneel at the communion rail...heaven forbid a non-Catholic (Christian nevertheless) step foot on the altar.

Obviously that rule has been relaxed. My mother is an elderly Eucharistic minister and obviously steps foot on the altar every week. And you will never meet a more conservative Catholic. (E.g, she can't stand any instrument but organ music in the church.) The fact that the rules allow women to step foot on that altar won't damn us all for eternity, it hasn't ruined the church. The same is true of woman wearing veils.

Traditions and customs can AND SHOULD evolve over time. Core beliefs should not change. I've never understood Catholics that hyperventilate about altered customs like BVM nuns not dressing as Black Veiled Monsters anymore. Those people need to get a life.

Last part of this vent...my favorite nun in the world -- as good a person as you will ever meet -- asked me a trick question..."How many sacraments are there?" Of course I answered "seven". "Ahaa!", she replied, "But only for you." She has no desire to be a priest (she's in her twilight years), and I frankly am not sure where I stand on the subject, but on the other hand stop insulting women by telling them that people can participate in seven sacraments...only men can.

But, I'm a Baptist, and I believe that only men should participate in the church service. I am not bashing Catholics, and I am not out to prove a political point.

My point of view is that all of the churches have their own rules, which they should follow faithfully. If they don't they will not have any influence in our lives. And without God's protection, we will cease to exist.

I do not know why you address this comment to me...

but on the other hand stop insulting women by telling them that people can participate in seven sacraments...only men can.

I agree with you 100%. My recollections mirror yours...I can clearly remember, as a young girl, thinking how it was somehow very wrong that our teachers, Sisters who had devoted their entire adult lives to their faith, could not set foot upon the altar...but any number of smart ass male contemporaries of mine could. At the age of 12.

I don't see female altar servers as the biggest problem facing the Church in America today. I see my Diocese, which paid out millions in pedophelia cases, asking the faithful for more offerings; I see Catholic education being priced out of the reach of the middle class ($6000 a year for HS in our Diocese); and I see the gross hypocrisy of 'catholic' (purposely with a lower case c) politicians being allowed free reign to use their faith as a prop rather than a theology they live by (think any Kennedy). I would be much more impressed if more Bishops spoke out against Catholic pols who vote against the ban on partial birth abortion rather than taking aim at 12 years girls as altar servers. Or clapping. The current controversy is more akin to rearranging the deck chairs on the Titantic .