Girl Altar Servers

  • Thread starter Thread starter CatholicLife
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
John_Larocque said:
Well, the Pope was wrong to do it, anyway.
Click to expand...
I don’t know where the suggestion come from that this was initiated by Rome but anyone who would suggest this would have been initiated by His Holiness has a screw loose 🙂 Look to the bishop of the Eparchy.
 
The presence of altar girls in the Latin Rite was initiated by bishops primarily in North America and Europe and belatedly given an imprimatur by the last pontiff. I don’t know why Byzantine-rite parishes are now apparently dabbling with the practice, maybe it’s a particularly North American disease. Most of the really bad liturgical irregularities in the Latin-rite were initiated in this way - enough of these clerics or bishops would establish the practice in a given jurisdiction, eventually Rome would be forced to weigh in on the matter, and rather than face a schism with these hierarchs, give these practices a blessing after the fact.
 
bkovacs said:
He would not altar the traditions of the Eastern churches!. If he did, he would have a mass exodus. The Eastern churches are not “Roman” Catholic. They are Catholic of an Eastern rite, or better put. Orthodox Christians in communion with Rome. That’s all!. Plus altar girls being used for any reason in the Byzantine Churches are a liturgical abuse that must not be promoted whatsoever.
Click to expand...
You are right, he wouldn’t do that, for the reason you stated. But, he still retains the official canonical right to do anything he wants.
 
bkovacs said:
He would not altar the traditions of the Eastern churches!. If he did, he would have a mass exodus. The Eastern churches are not “Roman” Catholic. They are Catholic of an Eastern rite, or better put. Orthodox Christians in communion with Rome. That’s all!. Plus altar girls being used for any reason in the Byzantine Churches are a liturgical abuse that must not be promoted whatsoever.
Click to expand...
This is absolutely correct, from my limited knowledge of the Eastern rites who are in communion with Rome, and the Vatican’s dealings with the various rites, all of the traditions of that particular rite are to remain intact. If I am wrong pleas correct me
 
XB!

Unfortunately there are those who feel they can interpret or disregard what is very clear particular law in their own way, whether that be civil or ecclesiastical law. Several Eastern Catholic churches and even several Orthodox jurisdictions have unfortunately engaged in this practice which is against the traditional conventions of altar servers.

The Ukrainian Catholic particular law in the US is very clear on this. Article 278, Section 2 states clearly:
Under no circumstances, whatsoever are members of the female gender permitted to act as sub-deacons or altar servers.
Click to expand...
 
While most secular culture continues to degrade women, and we indeed often degrade ourselves, I believe that the Catholic and Orthodox churches continue to offer us clarity on the great dignity of women, properly understood in the complementary roles men and women have in all spheres. His Holiness John Paul II of blessed memory has provided us with beautiful teachings on this in his Theology of the Body work. Fr. Tom Loya is, I think, the best teacher today on TOB, and of course he is a Byzantine priest. 🙂 Sadly the noise of the secular world drowns out the inherent wisdom we all carry, and need to nourish about the beauty and dignity of our roles, different but complementary, to the glory of God.
 
Females are not allowed behind the iconostasis in any Orthodox Church jurisdiction.
The reason not is the same for why there are no female priests. Altar servers are actually extensions of the priest. Only a man can function as an Orthodox priest since he is an icon of Christ. By extension, only a male can serve the priest behind the iconostasis since the server/acolyte is an extension on the priest, an extension of the priest as an icon of Christ. Jesus Christ is the God/Man. Hence, only a male can represent him on earth.
 
I once read that there is a Melkite Catholic tradition that unmarried girls carry candles around the altar during the Little Entrance on the feast of the Entrance of the Mother of God into the Temple. I do not know which Orthodox Church is its counterpart, but do they have this tradition?
 
Looking at the pictures, especially the one on the top left…sure looks like a long-haired boy to me.
 
Хрїстос воскресу!

All of you are to some extent right.

The Pope has universal authority and jurisdiction over the whole Communion of the Saints. However, he lets the Patriarchs decide over matters of their particular church just as he lets Latin Bishops rule over their own diocese.

And Altar Girls …? No. If Girls want to serve/glorify the Most Holy Trinity, they can sing at the Choir.

I haven’t heard of such a Tradition of Girls carrying Candles for the Entrance in the Melkite Church, much lesser in it’s Orthodox Counterpart.
 
Dear brother GunslingerSaint,
GunslingerSaint said:
The Pope has universal authority and jurisdiction over the whole Communion of the Saints. However, he lets the Patriarchs decide over matters of their particular church just as he lets Latin Bishops rule over their own diocese.
Click to expand...
The Pope does not “let” them do anything. The heirarchical order of the Church has been established in Sacred Tradition. Bishops of whatever grade rule over their jurisdiction by canonical authoriity, not papal authority.

For Latin bishops, it is somewhat different since the constitution of the Latin Church permits their Patriarch a larger share in their affairs.

But if you want to continue this discussion, let’s do it in the new “Papal Prerogatives Revisited” thread I started.

Blessings
 
I have attended Divine Liturgies in very many Churches (in Canada and the US) in both Orthodox and Eastern Rite Catholic. I have seen girl servers twice in:
  1. An OCA (Orthodox Church of America) parish, (I think it was Pennsylvania) and,
  2. A Melkite Catholic Church. (but don’t remember where that was).
I felt uncomfortable about it, but otherwise focused on the Liturgy.
 
Despite whatever concessions or allowances the Catholic Church has made in these last 45 years to allow Female Altar Servers on the Sanctuary and it being part of the cause as too why many Catholic Churches see less Altar Boys on the sanctuary and additionally less young men entering the priesthood. Then regrettably the Catholic Church must take partial deserving fault and responsibility and lick its own wounds.

This may sound as a harsh criticism against the Church, but its a fact.

The other pitfalls as to our declining priesthood is a result of the allurements caused by modernity.

Seems like we ALL need a swift kick in our complacency.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top