JP II started this snowball with his allowance of altar chicks.
Inaestimabile Donum
18. There are, of course, various roles that women can perform in the liturgical assembly: these include reading the Word of God and proclaiming the intentions of the Prayer of the Faithful. Women are not, however, permitted to act as altar servers.(27)
Rome, April 3, 1980, Holy Thursday.
This instruction, prepared by the Sacred Congregation for the Sacraments and Divine Worship, was approved on April 17, 1980, by the Holy Father, John Paul II, who confirmed it with his own authority and ordered it to be published and to be observed by all concerned.
+James R. Cardinal Knox
Prefect
+Virgilio Noe
Assistant Secretary
Many priests were unhappy with the “permanent deaconate”; while the Church claimed it was resurrecting something from the early Church, the priests saw it as letting men “play priest” while having a family (having it all, so to speak). There is little affinity between transitional and permanent deacons; I don’t think having the latter accomplished anything but diminishing the priesthood to the point where people would insist women could be priests as well - which is exactly what is happening. I know deacons and priests can’t do the same things, but it seems now the priest is reduced to the consecration. Use of “eucharistic ministers” (other fake priests, who don’t dress up and do include women) and “permanent deacons” have greatly reduced the priests’ role, especially when confession is rarely mentioned anymore. I really don’t understand what role a young seminarian thinks he will play in the American catholic Church...