"ALTAR GIRLS": FEMINIST IDEOLOGY AND THE ROMAN LITURGY

ROMAN THEOLOGICAL FORUM ^ | July 2000 | Rev. Brian W. Harrison, O.S., M.A., S.T.D.

[Land of the Irish]

When some of our lads in the Ponce Cathedral and pro-Cathedral teams were first told of the Vatican's decision in 1994, and were asked how they would feel about serving alongside of girls, the spontaneous reaction was decidedly cool: "No, Father. It wouldn't work well. You'd soon get situations where boyfriends and girlfriends would be on the altar together, making eyes at each other, smooching at the sign of peace, and so on."

[Land of the Irish]

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[narses]

Unity in diversity!

[sydney smith]

How can a man seriously assist at a Mass with little girls at the altar? Imagining St. Ignatius kneeling in prayer as Brittany and Ashley at the altar help the priest while he faces the people, arms outstretched, and a broad grin on his face wishing all present peace and love is almost too much to bear. Novus ordo chaos at it's finest.

[narses]

Little girls (and little boys) are like flowers, they adorn all that they are near. Altar Girls though include the teenage Brittany Types. Those would make reverence difficult at best.

[TradicalRC]

Excellent article. Consider it bookmarked.

It's a shame that the Church is kowtowing to an ideology that promotes divorce, lesbianism, abortion, contraception and many other positions that should render them anathema.

What has light to do with darkness?

[sinkspur]

How can a man seriously assist at a Mass with little girls at the altar?

This is a very curious statement, syd.

Troubling, actually.

[B Knotts]

Girl altar boys is an allowance of, at best, extremely questionable "need," that, in my opinion, should never have been granted.

Being a mere conservative Catholic, I understand the motivation and desire for collegiality (especially regarding the separated Churches of the East), but this one was way overboard, and pacifies no one except the most looney feminist fringe.

It also sends an inappropriate, if unintentional, message in direct contradiction to Ordinatio Sacerdotalis.

[ejo]

Haven't you had the feeling lately, when attending a Mass that you might have inadvertantly stepped into the wrong church??

[Maximilian]

Haven't you had the feeling lately, when attending a Mass that you might have inadvertantly stepped into the wrong church??

Well not lately, but that's because I haven't attended a New Mass in a long time. But every time that I read or see anything about a New Mass or the post-conciliar Church (like the diocesan newspaper they insist on mailing to my house even though I don't want it), I get the distinct feeling that I'm in the "wrong church," and I don't just mean the building. I get the distinct feeling that the post-conciliar church is now one more branch of protestantism -- there are Methodist protestants and Lutheran protestants and Baptist protestants, and now there are Catholic protestants -- they are all now different sects of protestantism. They look like protestants, they act like protestants, they believe like protestants, why not call a spade a spade?

[Robert Drobot]

I get the distinct feeling that the post-conciliar church is now one more branch of protestantism

It's the one house fits all religions New Church. They don't want to let go of the One True Faith because they can't take His Church with them.

On their own, they might last a year or two before each bishop independently decides he's got to be the main man.

Its an ego thing, not a worship thing. No god or a false god - no matter - the only focus is who's number one. Born in hell, and perish in hell. It's a matter of time.....His time.

[sydney smith]

Have you always taken yourself so seriously? You must have been a glum child.

[JesseHousman]

Troubling, actually.

If we didn't know differently we'd think that this was uttered by a DemocRAT. Sounds like something Teddy Kennedy would say about one of the current administration's proposals: " I find this troubling."

[narses]

"This is a very curious statement, syd. "

Why? Would a surgeon operate with a little girl in the operating theater? What are you suggesting by your comments?

[GirlShortstop]

**This is a very curious statement, syd.**

Why? Would a surgeon operate with a little girl in the operating theater?

Narses, you are ignoring a fact in your question:  Priests (like it or not) celebrate the Mass with altar girls.

Personally I can understand sinkspur's use of "curious", but I'm not obliged, nor inclined to elaborate further.
FReegards.

[narses]

"Narses, you are ignoring a fact in your question: Priests (like it or not) celebrate the Mass with altar girls."

No, I am not ignoring that. I am questioning why Sink would find SS point 'disturbing'. Just because some priests celebrate "mass" with cookies or while dressed in Islamic religious garb or at the beach in swim wear, those facts don't change my opinion that such things are 'disturbing'. The above article clearly lays out the many ways in which girls at the Altar can be 'disturbing'. You and sink seem to find fault with SS for agreeing with the article. You indicate you are not inclined to explain why and that is your prerogative, but if you change your mind, I'd be interested in hearing your views.

[narses]

Please substitute 'curious' for 'disturbing' in attribution to Sink's comments. I misquoted him.

[rogator]

"Haven't you had the feeling lately, when attending a Mass that you might have inadvertantly stepped into the wrong church??"

I got this feeling in 1969 when I returned from Viet Nam. I went to Mass at a church near my new assignment in California and I heard for the first time at Mass the doxology after the Pater Noster.
We immediately left thinking that we had accidently been attending a Protestant service.

[sinkspur]

Why? Would a surgeon operate with a little girl in the operating theater?

Not a good analogy; he wouldn't operate with little boys in the theater either.

I can't believe the ink that has been spilled over this issue, and, apparently in Atlanta, the issue of whether to wash women and children's feet.

These bishops are playing with fire by simply mandating a change and not explaining the reason behind it. Priests will simply ignore them, or have no servers at all, or cancel the washing of the feet ceremony.