Girl Altar Servers

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In my Orthodox church, girls are not allowed in the altar space, which is to say behind the iconostasis. I don’t know of any Orthodox parishes in the Russian tradition which do.

I suppose one could say processing outside is a whole different ball of wax, but these girls seem to be wearing sticharions. If they are, that implies that they are accepted as altar servers by their bishop and pastor, whomever that might be.

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I don’t want to come off as intractably hostile to the concept, but I would venture to say it is not traditional to have the ladies processing with repidia, processional crosses and candles.
 
choy said:
i don’t know much about Eastern Catholicism, but if the Vatican allows it for the Latin Rite, why wouldn’t it be allowed in the Eastern Rite? it will be up to the individual bishops to actually allow it in their archdiocese
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Women (and girls) in the Ruthenian Catholic Church are forbidden from liturgical ministries behind the iconostas, according to Ruthenian Particular Law for the Metropolia of Pittsburgh.

They serve as cantors, ushers, and lay readers, but their ministry is outside the iconostas.
 
choy said:
i don’t know much about Eastern Catholicism, but if the Vatican allows it for the Latin Rite, why wouldn’t it be allowed in the Eastern Rite? it will be up to the individual bishops to actually allow it in their archdiocese
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Rome has nothing to say about it. If its the Melkites, Patriarch Gregorio,s equal with Pope Benedict would have to deal with it. 🙂
 
choy said:
i don’t know much about Eastern Catholicism, but if the Vatican allows it for the Latin Rite, why wouldn’t it be allowed in the Eastern Rite? it will be up to the individual bishops to actually allow it in their archdiocese
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Not in the Extra-Ordinary Form does it.
 
Girl Altar boys are an abuse in the Byzantine tradition (and the Latin for that matter, but that’s a whole 'nother ball game).
 
ciero said:
Rome has nothing to say about it. If its the Melkites, Patriarch Gregorio,s equal with Pope Benedict would have to deal with it. 🙂
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thats what i said

the Vatican allows it but its up to each individual bishop to actually say if its allowed within their archdiocese
 
Formosus said:
Girl Altar boys are an abuse in the Byzantine tradition (and the Latin for that matter, but that’s a whole 'nother ball game).
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girl altar boys are an abuse, period

boys should be altar boys
and girls should be altar girls

but girls cannot be altar boys

😃
 
bkovacs said:
Is this a long haired boy. I think not!.

Palm Sunday 2009

Check out Photos

picasaweb.google.com/stjohnsmckeesport/PalmSunday2009#
picasaweb.google.com/stjohnsmckeesport/Pascha2009#5371332372724854706
(altar girls)!.

St John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church.
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Natasia is definitely not a masculine name… But it’s also not a Ruthenian parish.

I haven’t found UGCCPL on line in english… so I don’t know if the UGCC permits it, forbids it, or makes no call on it.
 
choy said:
thats what i said

the Vatican allows it but its up to each individual bishop to actually say if its allowed within their archdiocese
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The Pope’s allowance on this matter is according to his role as Latin Patriarchate. Whether or not girl altar boys are allowed is up to the ruling synod of whichever Sui Iuris church is in question.
 
choy said:
thats what i said

the Vatican allows it but its up to each individual bishop to actually say if its allowed within their archdiocese
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NO!!:mad: The Vatican may allow it for the Latin church, but they (the Vatican ) hav NO say as to what goes on in a Byzantine, Maronite or Coptic Church!
 
ciero said:
NO!!:mad: The Vatican may allow it for the Latin church, but they (the Vatican ) hav NO say as to what goes on in a Byzantine, Maronite or Coptic Church!
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Really? But isn’t the Pope the leader of the whole Catholic Church, not just the Latin Rite?
 
Nowhere_Man said:
Really? But isn’t the Pope the leader of the whole Catholic Church, not just the Latin Rite?
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I’m not an expert, but my understanding is that the Pope is the leader of the whole Catholic Church, and also the head of the Latin Rite. Decisions that he makes with regard to dogma are binding throughout all of the rites. Decisions on changeable parts of liturgy are made by him as head of the Latin Rite and would only apply there.

The heads of the other rites would be making a decision about whether altar servers could be girls in their rites. But they couldn’t decide (e.g.) that they didn’t accept the Assumption of Mary.

–Jen
 
**The 1917 Code of Canon Law restricted ministry at the altar to males (CIC §13). The revised 1983 Code of Canon Law does not retain that canon; in virtue of canon 6, §1 it ceases as that Code law. However, canon 2 specifies that liturgical law remains in effect. The provisions of the General Instruction to the Roman Missal (no. 70) permit women to be appointed to ministries performed outside the sanctuary. They may also be permitted to perform some that are carried on inside the sanctuary; proclaiming the readings before the gospel is explicitly mentioned (no. 70) and distribution of the Eucharist is referred to, implicitly admitting women to the sanctuary (no. 68). Although a subsequent instruction indicated that women are not allowed to serve as altar servers, the Code no longer states this prohibition and the force of this later instruction ceases. The provisions of the General Instruction to the Roman Missal need to be interpreted in keeping with conditions of particular churches. **
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Far be it from me to say that I am a chauvinist. But if the Catholic Church wants to promote young men into the priesthood then it must maintain an appropriate atmosphere on every parish sanctuary that inspires MEN ONLY into the priesthood.
This is the local Bishops responsibility which is sadly neglected in many dioceses.
 
choy said:
girl altar boys are an abuse, period

boys should be altar boys
and girls should be altar girls

but girls cannot be altar boys

😃
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The term altar boys really bothers me. Even in the case of males only, it should be altar servers. There are quite a few servers around that are old enough not to be called boys anymore. If you are 12 or younger you are a boy, if you are 18 then you are a man.
 
centurionguard said:
Far be it from me to say that I am a chauvinist. But if the Catholic Church wants to promote young men into the priesthood then it must maintain an appropriate atmosphere on every parish sanctuary that inspires MEN ONLY into the priesthood.
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Right. Because God forbid a young girl should serve at the altar and be inspired to become a nun.
centurionguard said:
This is the local Bishops responsibility which is sadly neglected in many dioceses.
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The bishops’ “duty” to prohibit girls from serving isn’t being neglected; it’s non-existent. Roma locuta est. A useful article with citations is in Wikipedia here.
 
Godfollower said:
Right. Because God forbid a young girl should serve at the altar and be inspired to become a nun.

The bishops’ “duty” to prohibit girls from serving isn’t being neglected; it’s non-existent. Roma locuta est. A useful article with citations is in Wikipedia here.
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Serving at the altar is not the duty of a nun. The duty of a nun is to pray- same as any other monastic who has not been ordained. If girls are becoming nuns because they want to hang around and serve at the altar they’re doing it for the wrong reason.
 
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