What is the basis for the thought that altar servers need to be male?
I was an altar server in the 70s. Back then, girls were not allowed. My church tried them for a little while but were quickly told not to use them.
As an altar server in the 70s, I had a lot more functions than what altar servers do today. I held the Lectionary for the priest to read. I participated in the distribution of the Host by holding a crumb catcher under people’s chin. I had many functions for Stations of the Cross and weddings.
Could it be that these functions were eliminated because of female altar servers?
My husband was an altar boy in the early 60s. His main memory is being clouted on the head ‘cause he goofed up during the Mass. The priests were tough in those days.
The principle reason is to place young men on the road to the priesthood. A young man that served at the Gregorian Latin Mass from say 6 years of age till he was 18, knew the mass and rubrics and Latin better than 99% of the priests today.