Altar Girls - Official or Not?

[Eilish_Maura]

Fair enough. If I were to ask a followup question:
"Which order or which group in religious life have among their duties anything to do with the celebration of the liturgy?"

.

My answer would that the question has no importance nor bearing on being able to have approval to allow girls to be altar servers since such a LOW number of altar BOYS go on religious life in any form.

 

[jmcrae]

Fair enough. If I were to ask a followup question:
"Which order or which group in religious life have among their duties anything to do with the celebration of the liturgy?"

.

Any that are affiliated with a parish Church, a cathedral, or a basilica, and any that have their own private chapels on-site, since they would be called upon to catechize the parish (do the Altar server training, train the readers and EMHCs, the Sacristans, etc.), if they are in a parish, and if they have their own chapel then obviously all of the duties that do not fall to the priest himself would fall to themselves.

They would also most likely be in charge of baking the hosts and making the wine for the celebrations of the Mass, and would need to be familiar with the requirements for these, as well.

 

[MrS]

My answer would that the question has no importance nor bearing on being able to have approval to allow girls to be altar servers since such a LOW number of altar BOYS go on religious life in any form.

Once again you avoid the obvious.

The question was meant to clarify or expand on another posters answer.

Try again please.

 

[John_Lilburne]

I don’t think anyone has mentioned instituted acolytes yet.

If there are enough instituted acolytes, it is not permitted to use altar girls. Only men can become instituted acolytes.

“100.** In the absence of an instituted acolyte**, lay ministers may be deputed to serve at the altar and assist the priest and the deacon; they may carry the cross, the candles, the thurible, the bread, the wine, and the water, and they may also be deputed to distribute Holy Communion as extraordinary ministers.”

It is particularly important that instituted acolytes are not absent when the bishop is presiding. From the Ceremonial of Bishops:
“28. … When necessary, acolytes should instruct those who serve as ministers in liturgical rites by carrying the book, the cross, candles, or the censer or by performing other similar duties. But in celebrations presided over by the bishop it is fitting that all such ministerial functions be carried out by formally instituted aoclytes, and if a number are present, they should divide the ministries accordingly. [footnote 35 See Paul VI, Motu Proprio *Ministeria Quaedam … no. VI …]”
(From Ceremonial of Bishops, Liturgical Press, 1989, ISBN 0-8146-1818-9, page 24).

So niether boys or girls are what the liturgical books intend, particularly when a bishop presides.

 

[Eilish_Maura]

Once again you avoid the obvious.

The question was meant to clarify or expand on another posters answer.

Try again please.

There is no reason to ‘try again’.

The obvious is that being an altar server enriches the spiritual life of those who serve. What young altar servers becomes may or may not include the religious life or the priesthood.

 

[MrS]

Any that are affiliated with a parish Church, a cathedral, or a basilica, and any that have their own private chapels on-site, since they would be called upon to catechize the parish (do the Altar server training, train the readers and EMHCs, the Sacristans, etc.), if they are in a parish, and if they have their own chapel then obviously all of the duties that do not fall to the priest himself would fall to themselves.

They would also most likely be in charge of baking the hosts and making the wine for the celebrations of the Mass, and would need to be familiar with the requirements for these, as well.

Altar servers have direct (name removed by moderator)ut on the celebration of the liturgy. Hence my question was meant to center on direct (name removed by moderator)ut, not indirect or preparations for, or duties that fall to the priest himself.

If girls are allowed to served in direct (name removed by moderator)ut… then what religious order does or could this prepare them for? All the other indirect ministries can be learned from other sources. (not to say that boys learn to be priests from serving… but they certainly could learn to WANT to be priests)

 

[jmcrae]

There is no reason to ‘try again’.

The obvious is that being an altar server enriches the spiritual life of those who serve. What young altar servers becomes may or may not include the religious life or the priesthood.

In any case, I already answered the question. Persons in religious life participate quite actively in the training of all who are involved in the liturgy, and in the preparations for the liturgy. The person who knitted the altar cloths and purificators in your parish, and who made the ciboria, the chalices, and the patens, was most likely a female religious. If you have stained glass windows in your church, they were designed, painted, fired, and welded (and possibly even installed) by female religious. All of these things require intimate familiarity with the Mass and its requirements - things that people learn when they serve at the altar.

 

[childofmary1143]

Girl altar boys – hermaphrodites or transexuals?

It was a typo and you know it. Like the first sentence you typed in Post #9

 

[jmcrae]

Altar servers have direct (name removed by moderator)ut on the celebration of the liturgy. Hence my question was meant to center on direct (name removed by moderator)ut, not indirect or preparations for, or duties that fall to the priest himself.

If girls are allowed to served in direct (name removed by moderator)ut… then what religious order does or could this prepare them for?

Anything that requires dedication, voluntary service, and intimate knowledge of the Mass, which is pretty much any female religious order. (They don’t just sit there and pray all day, you know. They make all the stuff that the priest uses at Mass and everything with which the Church is appointed - his vestments, the altar cloths, the statues, stained glass windows, mosaics, etc. - and they train the people who help the priest.)

Other than priests, female religious are more likely to need to know what people learn when they are Altar servers. Certainly, the 95% of boys who go into business aren’t going to use what they learned as Altar servers in any direct way.

 

[THurifer2]

ROME, 3 FEB. 2004 (ZENIT).
“Female altar servers are permitted in all but two U.S. dioceses. They are also common in most English-speaking countries, and in Western Europe. The situation is patchier in the rest of the world, going from total absence to the occasional diocese that allows them.

From the point of view of liturgical law, an official interpretation of Canon 230, Paragraph 2, of the Code of Canon law on the possibility of delegating certain liturgical offices led to a 1994 letter from the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments clarifying that girls may serve at the altar. But bishops are not bound to permit them to do so, nor could the episcopal conference limit the bishop’s faculty to decide for himself.

A further clarifying letter published in 2001 said priests are not compelled to have girls serve at the altar, even when their bishops grant permission.

The 1994 letter states: “It will always be very appropriate to follow the noble tradition of having boys serve at the altar. As is well known, this has led to a reassuring development of priestly vocations. Thus the obligation to support such groups of altar boys will always continue.”

The letter also recommends to bishops to consider “among other things the sensibilities of the faithful, the reasons which would motivate such permission and the different liturgical settings and congregations which gather for the Holy Mass.”

Therefore the Holy See’s recommendation is to retain as far as possible the custom of having only boys as servers. But it leaves to the bishop the choice of permitting women and girls for a good reason and to the pastor of each parish the decision as to whether to act on the bishop’s permission.

It is important not to focus this debate using political categories such as rights, equality, discrimination, etc., which only serves to fog the issue. We are dealing with the privilege of serving in an act of worship to which nobody has any inherent rights.

The question should be framed as to what is best for the good of souls in each diocese and parish. It is thus an eminently pastoral and not an administrative decision, and this is why it should be determined at the local level.

Among the pastoral factors to be weighed is the obvious yet often forgotten fact that boys and girls are different and require different motivational and formative methods.

*This difference means that both boys and girls usually go through a stage when they tend to avoid common activities.

Preteen boys in particular are very attracted to activities that cater especially for them, and they tend to reject sharing activities with girls. *

Lots of words I quoted. Still wont change the FACT that girls will no longer be serving at my parish. By the way doesn’t lincoln have like 100 seminarians and another 50 FSSP seminarians.?

 

[Eilish_Maura]

Lots of words I quoted. Still wont change the FACT that girls will no longer be serving at my parish. By the way doesn’t lincoln have like 100 seminarians and another 50 FSSP seminarians.?

Not sure why you quoted the post as it was not intended to changing anything at your parish.

I did post it because of the comments underlined.

 

[Brendan]

Anything that requires dedication, voluntary service, and intimate knowledge of the Mass, which is pretty much any female religious order. (They don’t just sit there and pray all day, you know. They make all the stuff that the priest uses at Mass and everything with which the Church is appointed - his vestments, the altar cloths, the statues, stained glass windows, mosaics, etc. - and they train the people who help the priest.)

So, in other words, a better role for the girls in the parish is as part of the Altar Society, making and preparing the decorations of the parish, and doing repair work on the vestments and altar cloths.

It would teach them voluntary service and prepare them for a role closer to what they would have in religious life.

 

[Eilish_Maura]

In general, being an altar server - boy or girl - is not an apprenticeship for anything at all.

It is an opportunity to give service to the parish.

 

[jmcrae]

So, in other words, a better role for the girls in the parish is as part of the Altar Society, making and preparing the decorations of the parish, and doing repair work on the vestments and altar cloths.

It would teach them voluntary service and prepare them for a role closer to what they would have in religious life.

Probably - if there is an Altar Society in the parish, of course.

But what does being an altar server teach a boy about being a priest?

As far as I can tell, boys “get out of it” the same as what girls “get out of it” - the opportunity to develop the habit of service, and the chance to interact with others who also are in the habit of service.

 

[Windmill]

Just an interjection here:

The Vatican allows altar girls, but no bishop is obligated to allow them. If he says no, everyone under him is prohibited form employing girls.

The bishop may allow altar girls, but no pastor under him is obligated to use them. If he says no, no priest celebrating Mass at that parish can employ them.

If the pastor allows altar girls, even a visiting priest or associate pastor can exercise his right to not have girl altar servers at the Mass he is celebrating.

I guess the point is this: the Vatican has made it so that if, at any point in the “chain of command” the hierarch says “No”, then altar girls cannot be used at any level beneath him. The language of the laws here are far from “encouraging”. Contrast that with the language the Vatican uses for altar boys (as quoted above).

Also, we need to remember that Cardinal Esteviz, when prefect of the CDWDS said, “No one has a right to service at the Altar”. Therefore, if a priest says no altar girls, parents can’t protest to the Bishop and claim their rights are being trampled on.

The language is clear: boys are strongly encouraged, girls are permitted but with many restrictions.

 

[Brendan]

But what does being an altar server teach a boy about being a priest?

That be serving the *alter Christus *at the altar, he might find inspiration to become the *alter Christus *himself.

 

[Brendan]

In general, being an altar server - boy or girl - is not an apprenticeship for anything at all.

It is an opportunity to give service to the parish.

As an apprenticeship to a trade, no.

As a source of preparation to the priesthood, it most certainly is.

As has been posted before, the Vatican considers that to be “well known”

( “As is well known, this has led to a reassuring development of priestly vocations”.) - CDWDS

 

[Eilish_Maura]

As an apprenticeship to a trade, no.

As a source of preparation to the priesthood, it most certainly is.

As has been posted before, the Vatican considers that to be “well known”

( “As is well known, this has led to a reassuring development of priestly vocations”.) - CDWDS

It can be but history has shown it does not generate that much in terms of vocations (or we would be hip deep in priests).

 

[jmcrae]

95% of boy altar servers go into business.

The majority of the girls, by contrast, enter into some kind of service to the church.

So, it may not be so much what the kid gets out of altar serving, but what the Church gets out of it, and that’s probably why girls are being permitted.

 

[johnnydigit]

My dd served for a few years in our parish back in PA, and she loved it…and I think it enabled her to become more devoted to Christ and His teachings–she really understood mass better, and she always cherished those moments.

To encourage vocations to the religious life and the habit of Church volunteerism among girls, and to train all the children of the parish to become devoted and attentive at Mass.

Just as boys should not be given the impression that Church is a “girl activity,” neither should girls be given the impression that Church is “for boys only.”

Anything that requires dedication, voluntary service, and intimate knowledge of the Mass, which is pretty much any female religious order. (They don’t just sit there and pray all day, you know. They make all the stuff that the priest uses at Mass and everything with which the Church is appointed - his vestments, the altar cloths, the statues, stained glass windows, mosaics, etc. - and they train the people who help the priest.)

Other than priests, female religious are more likely to need to know what people learn when they are Altar servers. Certainly, the 95% of boys who go into business aren’t going to use what they learned as Altar servers in any direct way.

as was said, to understand why altar serving should be reserved for boys, and girls in an emergency only, it requires intimate knowledge of the Mass.

just like many other abuses going on, it is from a lack of intimate knowledge that people insist on doing them. sorry if it sounds overly harsh to call it an abuse, but to promote it as many people have here lends itself to such criticism. instead of offering these reasons, as valid as they may sound, you should be figuring out ***why ***our Holy Mother Church has made such a decision. you will see that they overshadow the reasons that people have given here.

But what does being an altar server teach a boy about being a priest?

As far as I can tell, boys “get out of it” the same as what girls “get out of it” - the opportunity to develop the habit of service, and the chance to interact with others who also are in the habit of service.

altar serving has everything to do with teaching a boy about the priesthood. it is similar to being a squire to a knight. can a girl learn a lot about sword fighting, blacksmithing, and honor as a squire? sure, but she will never become a knight. she can learn those things elsewhere. besides, it is not just about those basic services. it includes the life and essence of the knight as a man. she is snatching away the position of a male squire, regardless of how many squires actually become knights which is irrelevant.

in the same way, if in an emergency, sure the knight can have a girl help him with his armor, but she still shouldn’t be instituted as a squire.

this pamphlet, by Fr. Paul O’Sullivan, O.P.The Wonders of the Mass, shed a lot of light on the subject and helped to explain this to me. most key for me was that it’s not just about what you see, but what you can’t see. unlike being a knight, during the Mass there are many holy things going on in heaven and on earth, some of which are the many graces being bestowed on the boy by serving in the Mass.

you want to learn about being a priest, go to a priest and take part in what he does. you want to learn about being a nun, go to a nun and take part in what she does. a boy learns about being a man from his father, and a girl from her mother. you can make as many exceptions to these as you want, but these are the main foundations of the matter, the cornerstones that will make them last.

conserve Catholicism, don’t liberally protest it!