Altar boys (o sorry i mean) "servers"

[PJM]

I read a quote in these forums that said something like

“Boys don’t want to do what little girl are doing”

and because of that boys are not attracted to the possibility of being a priest since more and more girls are replacing them at the altar.

Do you believe this is true?

Oh my YES

And as for the orginal OP…

How dare one be so politically incorrect:thumbsup:

God bless you!

PJM m.c. (dad and grandpa)

 

[Paul_Folbrecht]

This would strike me as wrong. While it may not be ideal, it has been indulted, so the Mass is not illicit or invalid.

You should probably do some research on what the pontiff (John Paul II) who was reigning when this practice was introduced (ILLICITLY at first, just like communion in the hand) actually had to say about it.

Like other such issues in the modern Church, sidestepping it by saying “it’s technically legal” only cuts it from a rather naive point of view.

There were two sides here - which were you, or are you, on?

 

[Shlomey]

“Pope Gelasius in his ninth letter (chap. 26) to the bishops of Lucania condemned the evil practice which had been introduced of women serving the priest at the celebration of Mass. Since this abuse had spread to the Greeks, Innocent IV strictly forbade it in his letter to the bishop of Tusculum: “Women should not dare to serve at the altar; they should be altogether refused this ministry.” We too have forbidden this practice in the same words in Our oft-repeated constitution Etsi Pastoralis, sect. 6, no. 21.”

-Allatae Sunt, Benedict XIV

Eh…we have more altar girls than boys in my parish…is that wrong?

 

[I_Believe]

Females do not belong in the Sanctuary.

Any Catholic who understands Catholicism knows this. Any Catholic who does not know this is under the wrong impression, perhaps jaded by the errors which have been pushed forward by the wolves.

Anyone who thinks I’m in error or just rambling on, please look at the words of our Holy Father BXVI in my signature below. He said this in his first Mass as Pope.
zenit.org/article-12826?l=english

At one time, traditionalists were dismissed as renegades and dissidents, their concerns ignored. Now, we have the same concerns being raised by some of those in the Vatican.

For almost every single concern raised by the trad movement, there is a similarly worded quotation to be found stated by prominent Clergy in the Hierarchy. The Mass, Communinion in the hand, etc, etc.

When a list of quotes by prominent Clergy is posted concerning the terrible mistake made in introducing revolutionary changes in the Liturgy, it is ignored. When an individual member of the forum expresses the same opinion, they are attacked viciously and acused of schismatic mentality.

Wake up people. The Church has been fighting novelty since Her earliest times.

“What if some novel contagion seek to infect the whole Church, and not merely a small portion of it? Then he will take care to cling to antiquity, which cannot now be led astray by any novel deceit.” -St. Vincent of Lerins († 445)

Indults do not trump Tradtion.

 

[T700]

Females do not belong in the Sanctuary.

Any Catholic who understands Catholicism knows this. Any Catholic who does not know this is under the wrong impression, perhaps jaded by the errors which have been pushed forward by the wolves.

Anyone who thinks I’m in error or just rambling on, please look at the words of our Holy Father BXVI in my signature below. He said this in his first Mass as Pope.
zenit.org/article-12826?l=english

I must be missing it. Could you point out the section in your linked document where the Holy Father says that women do not belong in the sanctuary? Thanks.

Paul

 

[malphono]

… do some research on what the pontiff (John Paul II) who was reigning when this practice was introduced (ILLICITLY at first, just like communion in the hand) actually had to say about it. …

If memory serves, the business of communion in the hand came about just about the time the Novus Ordo was promulgated. (I seem to think it was in Memoriale Domine issued in 1969.) That, of course was a different pontificate than you mention.

I could well be wrong about this, but I seem to recall first hearing of the practice of female altar servers sometime in the early 1970’s which would, of course, put it during the same pontificate as above. Either way, though, if the practice was introduced illicitly, and the reigning pontiff was unkindly disposed to it, the question is why was it (tacitly, at least) allowed to continue?

In the end, the one practice seems to be officially legal, and the other at least “technically” so. And no, I do not support either. Quite the contrary. But we can always hope that the current Successor of S Peter will negate what his predecessor(s) allowed and/or ignored.

 

[captbackfire]

I would refuse to serve the Mass if an “altar girl” were present. Gladly, I only serve the EF, so I never have to worry about it.

It makes me sick whenever I see it.

Why?

capt

 

[osmond]

I read a quote in these forums that said something like

“Boys don’t want to do what little girl are doing”

and because of that boys are not attracted to the possibility of being a priest since more and more girls are replacing them at the altar.

Do you believe this is true?

Not universally, but in many cases most definitely.

 

[Dicerning]

I read a quote in these forums that said something like

“Boys don’t want to do what little girl are doing”

and because of that boys are not attracted to the possibility of being a priest since more and more girls are replacing them at the altar.

Do you believe this is true?

in 1980 it was boys only and there were 50 boys serving Mass 13 of them were in my brothers senior in HS class. Last Fall my mother mentioned that there are now 14 altar servers at the parish…ALL OF THEM ARE GIRLS.

Must be just a coincidence.

 

[Dauphin]

Why?

capt

Because it prepares a whole new wave of women demanding to be ordained, and I’ll be forced to live through the horror show. The Church will come under immense pressure to abandon the Catholic doctrine and the Apostolic Tradition.

 

[puzzleannie]

this parish has never had girls as servers. we are having great difficulty getting enough servers, the reason has everything to do with the parents’ willingness to commit to getting the children here for training and scheduled Masses, and very little to do with the child’s own willingness and readiness to serve.

 

[MariaG]

Our church allows girl servers. But we have overwhelming more boys than girls. It helps that the teens continue to choose to serve. In fact, a couple of boys are going to a vocational discernment retreat.

But I do agree it is more a matter of giving children, all of them, an opportunity to serve the Church in a real and important way. If the Church would provide opportunities for girls to serve the Church, most would not even want to be servers.

 

[ProVobis]

Girls drink milk, so do boys. Girls watch cartoons, so do boys. Girls ride bikes, so do boys. Girls receive communion, so do boys.

No, I think it is incorrect to assume that just because a female does something that a male will not. I now will sit back and wait for the CAF-storm to form for several pages.

Paul

You may be right about that but can’t the role of altar serving now be fulfilled by non-Catholics as well?

 

[T700]

You may be right about that but can’t the role of altar serving now be fulfilled by non-Catholics as well?

Really? I’ve never heard of that. It certainly sounds like a terrible idea. I’m not doubting you, but could you cite an authoritative document I could read?

Thanks,
Paul

 

[ProVobis]

Really? I’ve never heard of that. It certainly sounds like a terrible idea. I’m not doubting you, but could you cite an authoritative document I could read?

Thanks,
Paul

I don’t know for sure either. It just hit me because I know readers or choir members or the organists don’t need to be Catholic to perform their roles within the liturgy.

 

[captbackfire]

Because it prepares a whole new wave of women demanding to be ordained, and I’ll be forced to live through the horror show. The Church will come under immense pressure to abandon the Catholic doctrine and the Apostolic Tradition.

Since Catholics will never allow women to be ordained, can you not just perceive the “horror show” as a thing to be endured rather than feared?

capt

 

[Dauphin]

Since Catholics will never allow women to be ordained, can you not just perceive the “horror show” as a thing to be endured rather than feared?

capt

It would be best to snuff it out now before it causes many souls to be lost.

 

[tonio5555]

I’m young enough to vividly remember my days as a NO “server.” I began serving a few years after girls were allowed in our diocese. I hated serving with girls… it didn’t feel right. At that young age children are still in the “boys/girls” have cooties stage. I was so happy to be scheduled for a Mass with no female servers or when the girls didn’t show up. Amongst the boys we had a sense of comraderie, the priests spoke to us about vocations. These are my fondest memories on the altar. And no I did not get involved with the EF until long after my serving days ended, at that young age I just knew I did not like serving with females and it felt wrong.

 

[PJM]

Indulted it only because Vatican calls to end the practice were almost universally ignored.

The Church is not infallible in every little thing; She can (and does) make imprudent decisions. In this altar boy’s opinion, allowing girl altar-boys was very imprudent.

Juan is correct!

Many american bishops in direct disobedience to our Supreme Pontiff, forced the issue by claimimg it was a Vatican II issue. It’s not! There forced compliance became as intended, so “common place” that Rome feared trying to “return the geni to the bottle (of obedience.”)

Love and prayers to All,

PJM m.c.

 

[PJM]

You may be right about that but can’t the role of altar serving now be fulfilled by non-Catholics as well?

NO they may not!

But, that does not mean that they ARE NOT!

God bless,

PJM m.c.