[nickcarraway]

They don't have enough priests and they are working very hard to alienate their largest group of active members, women

You have identified that women are the largest groupof active members among Catholics. Yet until recently, there were no altar girls. If altar girls were a deciding factor in alienating women, then why have women been the largest group of active members throughout the Church history?

[Lorianne]

I don't think barring altar girls is a deciding factor, it is one more factor on the heap. There are other issues in the article which would discourage women's participation, such as women being lay ministers, etc. It's the aggregate of discouragement of women being active in some ministries which I think will become discouraging for many women.

Also, I think the rulings would enforce very ethnocentric ideas of participation. I attended Catholic services in Africa and they were quite lively to say the least ... and culturally appropriate (IMO). I wonder what these people will think of their cultural expressions being banned in Mass, or even on church property?

I don't know the answer, I simply find it interesting to contemplate why the Church would be taking such positions.