Do parish priests have the right to use only boy altar boys?

[Titus]

The argument you present is that Vatican II is at fault for the lack of clergy and religious being produced by your Mother’s parish, not that the allowance of female servers is the cause.

I don’t think either one of these things is in-and-of-itself the cause, rather these are all symptoms of a greater problem within the Church.

I don’t think he Paed was trying to blame V2. He was saying that the answer of those in favour of girl altar servers is that the vocations production of boy-only parishes is a coincidence. Is that fair paed?

Of course boys only programs are just a symbol of a conservativism and reverence that will produce priests.

 

[PatienceAndLove]

Of course boys only programs are just a symbol of a conservativism and reverence that will produce priests.

So true.

 

[Paed]

I
Of course boys only programs are just a symbol of a conservativism and reverence that will produce priests.

Lex Orandi/ Lex Credendi

Vatican II was as valid as any other council. However its “spirit” was hijacked and remains in the bondage of liberal theolgians who think they are more Catholic than the pope. Curran, Kung, schilbx (sp), McBrien etc. etc. etc. They deny the Authority of the pope and call for individuals to dicern with their own consciences to determine morals…didn’t augustine say the conscience was a pupil not a teacher. And female altar servers being present is one of the many pieces in the puzzle of liberalism that has brought our church to near ruin… Female altar servers as mentioned by many examples in this thread has at least some impact on vocations. Even if it has a tiny negative impact then it is not a good practice. Did I say that Female Altar servers was the Cause of the vocations crisis? No! But I did say in some instances (as mentioned by personal testimony in this thread) it has cause some to move away from a “calling” to the priesthood. It happened in my youth. For fact several devout young men bolted for the door when the girls showed up ( I witnessed it with my own eyes). One of them was an obvious vocation in the waiting.

 

[MusicMan]

Blaming the vocations crisis on female altar servers is an example of post hoc ergo propter hoc.

 

[Titus]

Blaming the vocations crisis on female altar servers is an example of post hoc ergo propter hoc.

So is your argument that the two are a coincidence?

Or is it more plausible that more conservative parishes have male-only programs and produce more priests?

 

[Paed]

Blaming the vocations crisis on female altar servers is an example of post hoc ergo propter hoc.

I will agree with you sort of. I have witnessed with my own eyes 25 years ago several devout young men leave the ranks of altar boys…one of which was a good candidate for seminary…I also know that when I was an altar boy, during induction our priest told us the primary reason (not the sole reason but the primary) for our duty was to foster a potential vocation to the priesthood.

 

[johnnydigit]

From a pastoral perspective, two issues arise.

1. For many priests, serving Mass was pivotal in discerning their call to the priesthood. Every time a girl servers, she is displacing a boy (or the possibly of a boy serving). Particularly today, a pastor must do all he can to foster vocations. This may seem like such a small detail, but to a boy deciding what to do with his life, it is a priceless experience.
2. The feminization of the liturgy and Catholicism. We can see that, in many places, mostly women have stepped up to these ministries and the result is that the younger generation has come to believe that church is for women, not men. Allowing girls to serve destroys a reason for boys to serve. It becomes a normal activity, rather than a special opportunity that they are uniquely invited to seize.

While female altar servers are allowed, the pastoral situation demands that they not be employed. Allowing girls to serve discourages boys to serve and therefore enacts, on the parish level, a vocational suicide. In a world that is shouting its loudest to tell them that priesthood is worthless, their one safe-haven, the Church, needs to provide a place that recognizes and encourages young men to serve at her altars as priests. Of course, God can overcome the obstacles that the feminists, etc. would like to place in the way and he reach the heart of a young man. Why don’t we try to help him out?

having a girl server initially seems harmless, but it could lend a very shy boy to think, “well they got it under control. i guess it’s not imperative they need me.”
it’s that slight chance that we don’t want to encourage. if there is a scarcity, hopefully a boy will have the courage to step forward, eventually. letting a girl do it just lets the boy who was about to put his foot forward, set it back down. hopefully time, and hopefully encouragement from the family and community, will crack the boys’ shell.

how many countless times have i done the “should i? shouldnt i? should i? shouldn’t i?” dance in my head, recounting the number of extraordinary ministers in my head before going up, or volunteering to lector, serving, or collecting. often it takes a while to work up the courage, and i would have eventually done it, but someone else usually steps up.

so i vote NO to girl servers.

I must point out that these young men were all good altar servers, but their vocations were fostered by their parents. And their parents being good parents is what enabled these young men to be good servers too.

i think times have changed. the young generation now is faced with a generation that looks poorly on the church and vocations, and many vocations i’ve encountered (including myself), had little influence, if not discouragement, by parents. it looks like JP2’s dream is coming true, and God is intervening to renew the Church with solid, very spiritual, and very orthodox men who have been through the dirt of our generation and can’t take it anymore.
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