Confusion about altar girls?!

[Shana]

I just came across a tract about alter girls written in '93. I was sort of shocked reading it because apparently altar girls are not approved by the Vatican. If altar girls are forbidden WHY is the practice so widespread and WHY is this news to me??! What’s the deal? I’m a 19 year old girl living in the US and have always been accustomed to seeing girls as altar servers so I’m a bit confused.

Here’s the tract: catholic.com/thisrock/1993/9305fea2.asp

Thanks.

 

[Just_Lurking]

From Wikipedia (see here):

In the period of liturgical experimentation following the Second Vatican Council, some dioceses allowed girls to act as altar servers. For example, this practice started as early as 1965 in Germany. The Vatican sought to put an end to such experimentation with the 1970 instruction Liturgicae instaurationes,[3] and affirmed that only males could serve the priest at the altar.[4] However, the practice nonetheless continued in some places, and the Vatican reaffirmed the prohibition against female altar servers in the 1980 instruction Inaestimabile donum.[5]

With the promulgation of the 1983 Code of Canon Law, some argued that this reservation to males no longer held,[6] based of the inclusion of both males and females in canon 230 §2: “Lay persons can fulfill the function of lector in liturgical actions by temporary designation. All lay persons can also perform the functions of commentator or cantor, or other functions, according to the norm of law.” In some dioceses, girls were allowed to act as altar servers under the new canon law, without any explicit decision on the matter from the Holy See.

The decision came in the form of a circular letter [1] from the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments to presidents of episcopal conferences on 15 March 1994, which announced a 30 June 1992 authentic interpretation (confirmed on 11 July 1992 by Pope John Paul II) from the Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative Texts. This authentic interpretation said that canon 230 §2 states that service at the altar is one of the liturgical functions that can be performed by both lay men and women. The circular letter, written by the cardinal-prefect of the Congregation, also clarified that canon 230 §2 has a permissive and not a preceptive character, that is, it allows, but does not require, the use of female altar servers. Thus it was for each diocesan bishop to decide whether to allow them in his diocese.

A later document [2] made clear that, even if a bishop decided to permit girl altar servers, the priest in charge of a church in that diocese was not obliged to accept them, since there was no question of anyone, male or female, having a right to become an altar server.

 

[jmcrae]

I just came across a tract about alter girls written in '93. I was sort of shocked reading it because apparently altar girls are not approved by the Vatican. If altar girls are forbidden WHY is the practice so widespread and WHY is this news to me??! What’s the deal? I’m a 19 year old girl living in the US and have always been accustomed to seeing girls as altar servers so I’m a bit confused.

Here’s the tract: catholic.com/thisrock/1993/9305fea2.asp

Thanks.

The rules have changed since then. Girls are now permitted to serve at the Altar, with their priest’s permission.

 

[scylla]

This was before they were approved, under the circumstances of the Bishop approving and the Priest approving in that particular parish. Most parishes in the United States allowed this after Pope John Paul gave permission for the practice. And those who were disobeying previously, then just continued to allow the practice.

The tract was probably pointing out how this practice was disobedient and against Church teaching. This is because it was a frequent abuse brought about by those who want women priests. They knew the symbolism behind having boys serve and wanted to destroy that male image of service and the thinking behind that. These days many girls serve without any agenda to promote women priests and are fully obedient to the Church. These girls serve out of love of God and not out of service to self. So there is no reason to feel bad about serving as it is allowed, unless the Pastor\Bishop doesn’t allow it.

So if you have served, thank you for serving and keep seeking ways to help out and support the Church. All are welcome to serve, though it is preferable to allow boys as if it inspires on priest out of 100 it is a good and faithful practice to encourage, all the while always we should uphold the dignity of women. In this case women and girls do not need to serve to be equal as your dignity flows from who you are, not what job you do.
(our culture teaches differently, but that is only if you look at things materialistically)

I have two little girls who serve Christ in one way by singing in the choir, I believe are much more beautiful and holy than the boys serving. I am a Dad, so I play favorites.

Look to Christ and how to best serve Him and you will find your way.

In Christ,
Scylla