[badabing98]

I never did like the idea of Altar girls.

[MudPuppy]

thank goodness we're in Arlington
I'm thankful we have plenty of boys to serve...
Our Parish has 8 masses every weekend and 2-3 altar boys serve every mass.
I'm female and I much prefer seeing well trained young men on the altar.
Which is also why I declined when asked to volunteer for EEM (and volunteered my husband).

[A.A. Cunningham]

Hopefully the Pope will end this experiment and reinstitute the wearing of the cassock and surplice for altar boys.

[Sacajaweau]

My brother was an altar boy. I really, really wanted to ring those bells, too.

I was about 8. No one was in church. I jumped the rail, knelt, bowed my head reverently, and rang the bells three times saying mea culpa, mea culpa, mea culpa.

I re-jumped the rail, genuflected and went on my way. I still picture God laughing at my brave attempt to fulfill my desire!!

[GraniteStateConservative]

because altar serving has always been a prime recruiting ground...

Ummmm... yeah. That's the problem.

[Mershon]

Two Novus Ordo parishes in Greenville, SC with NO ALTAR GIRLS!

We have 5-7 altar boys serving at every DAILY Mass. Fourteen on Sundays. Looking to go to 20!

Oh, and there are NO ALTAR GIRLS at every single Traditional Latin rite of Mass EVER--which we also have at my parish.

[sionnsar]

At least two dioceses in the United States - in Arlington, Va., and Lincoln, Neb. - still don't allow girls to be altar servers.

We're Anglican, not Roman Catholic, but girls as altar servers is strictly forbidden.

Some clerics worry that girls will continue taking over altar serving duties, simply because boys and girls often don't like participating in the same activities.

Exactly (or at least part of) the answer our bishop gave to a question.

[PanzerKardinal]

The emergence of girls and women on the altar is if not a conscious, then at least a subconscious effort to inculcate people to the notion of women priests.

You go to mass and see "altar girls", women readers, women bringing up the offering, and women passing out the Holy Body of Christ. So why must the only role exculsively male be the Priest?

[Dumb_Ox]

The push for altar girls peaked about the time I was hiting altar boy age. I remember the smarmy priest getting up and saying "Since we aren't allowed to have altar girls, we'll have no altar servers at all."

Of course he was given a standing ovation, because nobody would boo a priest even if he deserved it. Maybe if he hadn't elevated feminist ideology over his pastoral duties, my peers and I wouldn't have spent our school years without any significant faith formation.

[Tax-chick]

We handled the question simply enough with our family: "Your Dad and I feel it's more appropriate for boys to be altar servers." End of discussion. My oldest son likes it because he doesn't have to sit with his sisters, or have me nudging him when it's time to sing. The second one volunteers when we have baptisms, so he can be closer to the babies - although maybe he won't when our new one is born, since he's allowed to hold his brother, not just look :-).

However, I wonder if the shortage of boys in many locations doesn't have something to do with so many families putting sports ahead of faith. One or both of my boys serves at practically every Mass they attend, because the scheduled servers, whether boys or girls, just don't show up.

[NYer]

Altar girls may be a step toward the Catholic church someday allowing women as deacons or priests, said Mike Reineck, who trains and schedules servers at Our Lady of the Assumption.

Guess he didn't get the memo. ORDINATIO SACERDOTALIS

[netmilsmom]

"Altar girls may be a step toward the Catholic church someday allowing women as deacons or priests, said Mike Reineck, who trains and schedules servers at Our Lady of the Assumption."

HAHAHAHAHAHA!
Not in this lifetime, bub.

Not to brag or anything, but we have 200 Altar Boys at our parish.
Altar Boys, Choir Girls. How life should be.

[It's me]

"There's not as many distractions - you're paying attention to what you have to do instead of what's going on around you," she said. "As guys get older, they think it's uncool."

...to serve with girls. That is what my now 16 year old says. The girls flirt with the boys during Mass. He couldn't take it anymore. He misses serving Mass and blames the girls.

[Armando Guerra]

I remember my days as an alter boy. I truly enjoyed it. Unfortunately, I was too innocent to understand that the priest at our parish in charge of alterboys was a predator (and is now doing time). Although too innocent to know the sexual connotations, his penchant for taking you out for a spanking on your birthday was enough for me to think him odd and avoid him which turned out to be a good thing and spared me from having to deal with it.

Therein lies my concern as a father. I am now not sure about the idea of my sons being alterboys if it were still a boys only undertaking. I actually do feel more comfortable having girls around the boys at the time they are getting prepared and the social functions. At the same time, I would prefer the traditional approach of it remaining boys only and agree it is a prelude to a greater push for priestesses. I just wish the parishes would actually use this opportunity to recruit more nuns. While the drop in vocations for priests have been great in this country, it has been even worse for nuns.

[rzeznikj at stout]

As a former Altar Server in my parish, I can agree.

I have nothing against girls, but to have them as servers does seem to be an awfully Liberal move.

That move is showing its colors right now. The fact is that by altar serving, it was thought that the act of assisting the priests and deacons at the altar would inspire them to become priests and deacons themselves, effectively aiding in the defense of the perpetuity of the Church against cleric shortages.

Since women cannot become priests, I believe that female altar servers defeat this whole purpose.

On the same token, it can't be reversed. Especially in this country. The Feminazis and the womyn would scream bloody murder if anyone cut out the female altar server.

The end result is that we're in between a rock and a hard place. Literally.

[RFT1]

The parish I attend, has only altar boys, 82 of them, and it is not a supersize parish, in fact its probably a little smaller than the diocean average. Of course, it doesnt have EMHCs either, while it does have the most priestly and female religous vocations of any parish in the diocese. I wonder there is a lesson to be learned.............

[gbcdoj]

The New Feminist Face of the Roman Liturgy - Fr. Brian Harrison, O.S.

[baa39]

"most servers volunteer for similar reasons - to get more out of church and to be able to participate rather than just sit, kneel and stand for an hour."

What a stupid comment. I know it's not the main point of the article but the Mass is extremely participatory, people are not out there like robots kneeling and sitting, they are doing it for a reason, part of the prayer, etc." Also the fact he says "church" not mass shows this reporter likely is not Catholic. This is how stereotypes of Catholics get perpetuated.

[A.A. Cunningham]

The use of girls as altar servers was never mandated and it was left to the discretion of the bishop of each diocese whether or not they would be allowed. Some bishops have seized this opportunity to further their agenda. However, no priest is required to use girls to serve Mass. Let's hope BXVI closes the loophole.

Letter of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments

On possible admission of girls, adult women and women religious to serve alongside boys as servers in the Liturgy

Notitiae - 421-422 Vol 37 (2001) Num/ 8-9 - pp 397-399

A Bishop recently asked the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments whether a Diocesan Bishop would be able to oblige his priests to admit women and girls to service at the altar. This Dicastery has considered it opportune to send this letter to the Bishop in question, and given its particular importance, to publish it here.

Prot. N.2451/00/L

July 27, 2001

Your Excellency,

Further to recent correspondence, this Congregation resolved to undertake a renewed study of the questions concerning the possible admission of girls, adult women and women religious to serve alongside boys as servers in the Liturgy.

As part of this examination, the Dicastery consulted the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts which replied with a letter of July 23, 2001. The reply of the Pontifical Council was helpful in reaffirming that the questions raised by this Congregation, including the question of whether particular legislation could oblige individual priests in their celebration of the Holy Mass to make use of women to serve at the altar, do not concern the interpretation of the law, but rather are questions of the correct application of the law. The reply of the aforementioned Pontifical Council, therefore, confirms the understanding of this Dicastery that the matter falls within the competence of this Congregation as delineated by the Apostolic Constitution Pastor Bonus, § 62. Bearing in mind this authoritative response, this Dicastery, having resolved outstanding questions, was able to conclude its own study. At the present time, therefore, the Congregation would wish to make the following observations.

As is clear from the Responsio ad propositum dubium concerning can. 230, § 2, and its authentic interpretation (cf. Circular Letter to the Presidents of Episcopal Conferences, Prot. n. 2482/93 March 15, 1994, see Notitiae 30 [1994] 333-335), the Diocesan Bishop, in his role as moderator of the liturgical life in the diocese entrusted to his care, has the authority to permit service at the altar by women within the boundaries of the territory entrusted to his care. Moreover his liberty in this question cannot be conditioned by claims in favor of a uniformity between his diocese and other dioceses which would logically lead to the removal of the necessary freedom of action from the individual Diocesan Bishop. Rather, after having heard the opinion of the Episcopal Conference, he is to base his prudential judgment upon what he considers to accord more closely with the local pastoral need for an ordered development of the liturgical life in the diocese entrusted to his care, bearing in mind, among other things, the sensibilities of the faithful, the reasons which would motivate such a permission, and the different liturgical settings and congregations which gather for the Holy Mass (cf. Circular Letter to the Presidents of Episcopal Conferences, March 15, 1994, no. 1).

In accord with the above cited instructions of the Holy See such an authorization may not, in any way, exclude men or, in particular, boys from service at the altar, nor require that priests of the diocese would make use of female altar servers, since "it will always be very appropriate to follow the noble tradition of having boys serve at the altar" (Circular Letter to the Presidents of Episcopal Conference, March 15, 1994, no. 2). Indeed, the obligation to support groups of altar boys will always remain, not least of all due to the well known assistance that such programs have provided since time immemorial in encouraging future priestly vocations (cf. ibid.)

With respect to whether the practice of women serving at the altar would truly be of pastoral advantage in the local pastoral situation, it is perhaps helpful to recall that the non-ordained faithful do not have a right to service at the altar, rather they are capable of being admitted to such service by the Sacred Pastors (cf. Circular Letter to the Presidents of Episcopal Conferences, March 15, 1994, no. 4, cf. also can 228, §1, Interdicasterial Instruction Esslesiae de mysterio, August 15, 1997, no. 4, see Notitiae 34 [1998] 9-42). Therefore, in the event that Your Excellency found it opportune to authorize service of women at the altar, it would remain important to explain clearly to the faithful the nature of this innovation, lest confusion might be introduced, thereby hampering the development of priestly vocations.

Having thus confirmed and further clarified the contents of its previous response to Your Excellency, this Dicastery wishes to assure you of its gratitude for the opportunity to elaborate further upon this question and that it considers this present letter to be normative.

With every good wish and kind regard, I am, Sincerely yours in Christ,

Jorge A. Card. Medina Estévez
Prefect

Mons. Mario Marini
Under Secretary

Altar Girls

---

Many Catholics are perplexed by the authorization of girl altar servers by the Pope. They are uncertain about the pastoral wisdom of this decision given 1) the shortage of vocations to the priesthood, 2) the traditional place of altar boys as a source of vocations, 3) the tendency of some younger boys to not want to share activities with girls and 4) the natural religiosity of the female sex which results in their saturating non-ordained offices in the Church. Yet, it is a decision which has been made by the highest authority in the Church and to which Catholics must defer and make their peace.

     See:  [/library/curia/cdwcomm.htm]

It is important to make some theological distinctions, too. This is not a matter of faith but of Church discipline. While having boys serve at the altar is a long-standing ecclesiastical tradition it is nonetheless a human institution, NOT divine, and therefore capable of change for sufficient reason. The judgment about what is sufficient rests with the Holy See.

What MIGHT have been those reasons? Since the Church had already opened other non-ordained offices to women (Reader, Extraordinary Eucharistic Minister, chancellor, marriage tribunal official and so on), all of which were previously excluded to women, and in some cases lay men also), the exclusion of girls from the unofficial office of "altar server" was something of an anomaly. In fact, it was on canonical grounds which the Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative Texts proposed ending this exclusion. For his part, the Pope may have been looking ahead to the publication only a few weeks later of Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, his letter affirming the male only priesthood. The two decisions taken together amount to drawing precise theological lines between what is Church tradition and what is Apostolic Tradition, allowing women all offices in the Church not excluded by Divine Law (such as the priesthood).

In granting the permission the Pope gave to each bishop the full authority to decide whether pastoral circumstances in his diocese necessitated the authorization of altar girls. In an interpretation of this ruling, the Pontifical Commission for the Interpretation of Legislative Texts has stated, with papal approval, that even if a bishop permits altar girls in his diocese, priests are not required to use them.

---

Answered by Colin B. Donovan, STL

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[RKBA Democrat]

"I never did like the idea of Altar girls."

I'm not aware of an eastern Catholic church that has female altar girls. Women and girls don't go behind the iconostasis, so that would pretty much take care of the idea of having female altar servers.

[arthurus]

Having altar girls reduces male participation anyway by making religion more of a woman's thing, something that the women take care of. I see that happening in my own parish. Female priests would give us 75% female congregations.