Altar girls, pro and con?

[Aurelio]

Howdy!

Two dioceses very far apart, those of Lincoln Nebraska and of San Luis, Argentina, have supposedly “frowned on” using altar girls at mass, while others haven’t.

One arguement we heard a while back from a female relative had this interesting slant:

In many small, rural parishes acrorss Ameica, there is little or no parish infrastructure for such things as catechetical instruction, etc.

So, in effect, while being trained as altar girls, girls are far more likely to be getting at least *some * formal religious instruction, as opposed to none at all!

Frankly, after thinking about it, I believed she had a good point: certainly, even in small, out of the way places, we can see very gratifying examples of girls serving at Mass.

What other factors might there be, pro or con, in female altar servers?

Thanks!

Aurelio

 

[baltobetsy]

When girls serve at the altar, it becomes a “girl thing,” and the boys clear out. Boys who would be watching the priest and considering a vocation are no longer interested in serving.

Boys and men are more difficult to catechize because they’re less interested in spiritual things than girls and women (gross generalization, I know, but based on experience). If you take away this “boys only” activity, what will attract them to church?

Betsy

 

[Toni]

baltobetsy:

When girls serve at the altar, it becomes a “girl thing,” and the boys clear out. Boys who would be watching the priest and considering a vocation are no longer interested in serving.

Boys and men are more difficult to catechize because they’re less interested in spiritual things than girls and women (gross generalization, I know, but based on experience). If you take away this “boys only” activity, what will attract them to church?

Betsy

The girls take the role as altar girls and the boys leave.
I have seen parishes who have only altar boys have more vocations.
Girls can learn a lot in cleaning the church, washing the altar linens, taking care of the vestments etc. Actually my daughter learned more about these things than the boys.

 

[m134e5]

In today’s society, the distinct roles of men and women are blurred. This doesn’t have to include church.

 

[arieh0310]

m134e5:

In today’s society, the distinct roles of men and women are blurred. This doesn’t have to include church.

 

[Dr.Bombay]

Toni:

The girls take the role as altar girls and the boys leave.
I have seen parishes who have only altar boys have more vocations.
Girls can learn a lot in cleaning the church, washing the altar linens, taking care of the vestments etc. Actually my daughter learned more about these things than the boys.

I’ve been telling people for years that the Church would be much better served if the females would take more interest in vaccuming carpets, dusting pews and laundering altar linens. Nice to see that opinion confirmed. (And they call me a misogynist. HA!)

Besides, and I know I’ve pointed this out before…girls have cooties. I prefer a cootie-free sanctuary, thank you very much.

 

[susie_g]

Dr. Bombay:

Besides, and I know I’ve pointed this out before…girls have cooties. I prefer a cootie-free sanctuary, thank you very much.

 

[Lynn-D]

I have read it all now. Somehow boys will be shortchanged of religious vocations should girls serve on the altar. May I remind all that the Last Supper, where Jesus shared His body and his blood, was in itself an altar and women were servers at that altar.
Lynn-D

 

[Desert_82]

As I recall, the usual suspects clamouring for “ordination” of priestesses were the instigators of altar girls, and used the altar girl issue as a ‘good first step’. As I also recall, some of the worst places were disobediently using altar girls.

It is a faith killer, a vocation killer, a feminism enabler, and may even encourage dissenting vocations. Better to have one’s daughter praying reverently from the pew every Sunday. Better for them and better for the Church.

 

[arieh0310]

]
May I remind all that the Last Supper, where Jesus shared His body and his blood, was in itself an altar and women were servers at that altar. Lynn-D

Where do you read that in the Last Supper narratives?

 

[rkberlin]

Oh my goodness…are you afraid of little girls? Pretty sad, actually. I’m still waiting for the one Mass here at my parish when I can see the boys serve with reverence the way the girls do! There’s quite a lot of parishoners who are pretty upset about the constant giggling, messing up, shuffling feet and nudging the boys do. Funny how the cootie laden girls just stand there with reverence and do their jobs!

Besides, and I know I’ve pointed this out before…girls have cooties. I prefer a cootie-free sanctuary, thank you very much.

 

[Desert_82]

Lynn-D:

I have read it all now. Somehow boys will be shortchanged of religious vocations should girls serve on the altar. May I remind all that the Last Supper, where Jesus shared His body and his blood, was in itself an altar and women were servers at that altar.
Lynn-D

What?? The Catholic Church got along fine without altar girls for 2000 years. I’ve only heard about altar girls in the last 12 years or so.

 

[ChemicalBean]

Dr. Bombay:

I’ve been telling people for years that the Church would be much better served if the females would take more interest in vaccuming carpets, dusting pews and laundering altar linens. Nice to see that opinion confirmed.

Well, let’s get the males involved in cleaning and laundering the church stuff too. The Church, yes the whole world, will be even better served when all boys see their fathers picking up after themselves.

 

[Chris-WA]

From Catholic Answers:“In my parish we have been told that altar girls are now officially permitted. Is this true?”

No. The directive covering the liturgical ministry of women is given in the official liturgical instruction Inaestimabile Donum (no. 18), which says, “There are 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.”

These instructions are binding, and in full force. Furthermore, the 1983 Code of Canon Law states:

“Since he must protect the unity of the Universal Church, the bishop is bound to promote the common discipline of the whole Church and therefore to urge the observance of all ecclesiastical laws” (can. 292:1).

“He is to be watchful lest abuses creep into ecclesiastical discipline, especially concerning the ministry of the word, the celebration of the sacraments and sacramentals, the worship of God and devotion to the saints, and also the administration of property” (canon 292:2).

These statements provide a basis for protecting the liturgy from such innovations as females performing the role of acolyte. Not even a bishop has the authority to make any changes which conflict with the law of the Universal Church.

Seems pretty black and white to me. Why do so many parishes routinely violate church law in this way? Is it ignorance or flat out disobedience? Many issues can be solved simply by looking up official church documents. Why so many parishes fail to do this when considering such issues is a frustrating mystery to me.

I think Catholic fathers are being grossly negligent in this particular area. Whenever I see altar girls at our parish’s masses (which is every weekend), I think to myself, “Fathers, where are your sons?!?!”

 

[twiztedseraph]

I was trained with altar girls (I’m a guy). There were 4 or more guys, and I can only remember two girls…it was all even. You have to understand, most kids just want to have fun and dressing up in what looks like a large wheat sack (man I miss the cassocks) just doesn’t sit well with most kids.

I dunno, there are too many things to consider on this issue.

 

[swnunley]

Chris-WA:

From Catholic Answers:“In my parish we have been told that altar girls are now officially permitted. Is this true?”

No. The directive covering the liturgical ministry of women is given in the official liturgical instruction Inaestimabile Donum (no. 18), which says, “There are 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.”

These instructions are binding, and in full force. Furthermore, the 1983 Code of Canon Law states:

“Since he must protect the unity of the Universal Church, the bishop is bound to promote the common discipline of the whole Church and therefore to urge the observance of all ecclesiastical laws” (can. 292:1).

“He is to be watchful lest abuses creep into ecclesiastical discipline, especially concerning the ministry of the word, the celebration of the sacraments and sacramentals, the worship of God and devotion to the saints, and also the administration of property” (canon 292:2).

These statements provide a basis for protecting the liturgy from such innovations as females performing the role of acolyte. Not even a bishop has the authority to make any changes which conflict with the law of the Universal Church.

Seems pretty black and white to me. Why do so many parishes routinely violate church law in this way? Is it ignorance or flat out disobedience? Many issues can be solved simply by looking up official church documents. Why so many parishes fail to do this when considering such issues is a frustrating mystery to me.

I think Catholic fathers are being grossly negligent in this particular area. Whenever I see altar girls at our parish’s masses (which is every weekend), I think to myself, “Fathers, where are your sons?!?!”

Interesting thread - my wife and I were just talking about this last night.

I’ve read sections of canon law about altar servers. No distinction of gender was made, so the bishops took that to mean girl altar servers were permitted. It pretty much squashed my arguments about it, maybe not my opinions, but I didn’t feel that I could argue it from a legal standpoint any longer.

The canon law section quoted above doesn’t specifically mention altar server, unless Inaestimabile Donum is considered part of ecclesial law. If this is so, nearly every parish and diocese in the country is in violation of canon law. How could this be? Are the “progressives” that forceful? Or does the leadership consist of “appeasers” to such a serious degree that they would risk such aggregious violation of canon law? It doesn’t make sense to me. I must study further…

 

[Chris-WA]

swnunley:

Interesting thread - my wife and I were just talking about this last night.

I’ve read sections of canon law about altar servers. No distinction of gender was made, so the bishops took that to mean girl altar servers were permitted. It pretty much squashed my arguments about it, maybe not my opinions, but I didn’t feel that I could argue it from a legal standpoint any longer.

The canon law section quoted above doesn’t specifically mention altar server, unless Inaestimabile Donum is considered part of ecclesial law. If this is so, nearly every parish and diocese in the country is in violation of canon law. How could this be? Are the “progressives” that forceful? Or does the leadership consist of “appeasers” to such a serious degree that they would risk such aggregious violation of canon law? It doesn’t make sense to me. I must study further…

Perhaps “church law” was too strong. But does that mean bishops are free to violate the provisions of Inaestimabile Donum?

 

[swnunley]

Chris-WA:

Perhaps “church law” was too strong. But does that mean bishops are free to violate the provisions of Inaestimabile Donum?

Good question. This is a papal document instructing the bishops how Mass should go down. I don’t see there being any wiggle room on this. I just don’t know.

In my research so far, this document references Liturgicae Instaurationes, which says the same thing; that women are not to be altar servers. As an “idiot check” my wife asked does “women” include female children? My initial thought on that would be that it did, but…

I emailed my pastor on this. He’s usually orthodox in most matters, so what he has to say will be interesting.

 

[netmilsmom]

Lynn-D:

I have read it all now. Somehow boys will be shortchanged of religious vocations should girls serve on the altar. May I remind all that the Last Supper, where Jesus shared His body and his blood, was in itself an altar and women were servers at that altar.
Lynn-D

Yup, they served the bread and the wine just like people who bring up the gifts today.

I’m not sure I remember any women sitting at the table, unless you mean in the dredge called the DiVinci Codes.

 

[Kendy]

ChemicalBean:

Well, let’s get the males involved in cleaning and laundering the church stuff too. The Church, yes the whole world, will be even better served when all boys see their fathers picking up after themselves.

I needed that.