Male-only Altar Servers?

[Crusader]

Fullsizesedan:

Allowing everyone to participate has its benefits as well. And with the current crisis in regards to sexual abuse of altar boys, some parents are naturally cautious about allowing their sons to perform this service. A nondiscriminatory policy increases the numbers so the ministry is performed.

Serving at the altar is a powerful way to foster priestly vocations. For that reason serving at the altar should be limited to those who might possibly receive priestly voations.

Let’s put the priesthood ahead of the demands of popular culture.

Let’s also not make excuses for altar server programs that do not receive the attention and support they deserve.

 

[Catholic2003]

Crusader:

Rather than read my post you seem to be mired in a swamp of misandry.

Serving at the altar is a powerful way to foster priestly vocations. For that reason serving at the altar should be limited to those who might possibly receive priestly voations.

Just as not discriminating against females is a powerful way for the Church to be a role model for social justice in the world.

In my parish, no one who wants to be an altar server is turned down due to lack of openings. So those who are discerning priestly vocations still have the opportunity to do so.

 

[Crusader]

Catholic2003:

Just as not discriminating against females is a powerful way for the Church to be a role model for social justice in the world.

In my parish, no one who wants to be an altar server is turned down due to lack of openings. So those who are discerning priestly vocations still have the opportunity to do so.

“Social justice” is not the focus of the Mass, or serving at the Altar. The focus of the Mass is the sacrifice of Jesus Christ to God the Father for propitiation of our sins.

“Social justice” should never become a euphemism for political correctness.

There is a practical limit to everything and that includes the number of altar servers at each Mass. It’s still lamentable if a young man only gets to serve every month or two because others are taking slots that should go to boys or men who might have priestly locatons.

 

[Catholic2003]

Crusader:

The focus of the Mass is the sacrifice of Jesus Christ to God the Father for propitiation of our sins.

And female altar servers are just as capable as male altar servers as far as the focus of the Mass is concerned.

“Social justice” should never become a euphemism for political correctness.

I’m not sure what this comment has to do with anything.

Crusader:

There is a practical limit to everything and that includes the number of altar servers at each Mass. It’s still lamentable if a young man only gets to serve every month or two because others are taking slots that should go to boys or men who might have priestly locatons.

Even serving every month or two is a great privilege. And it’s even more lamentable if Church-sponsored discrimination drives people away from the truth into the falsehood of schismatic denominations, or worse.

 

[Crusader]

Catholic2003:

And female altar servers are just as capable as male altar servers as far as the focus of the Mass is concerned.

Even serving every month or two is a great privilege. And it’s even more lamentable if Church-sponsored discrimination drives people away from the truth into the falsehood of schismatic denominations, or worse.

Serving at the altar is a powerful way to foster priestly vocations. For that reason serving at the altar should be limited to those who might possibly receive priestly voations.

Suggesting it would be “Church-sponsored discrimination” to limit this ministry to males-only is insulting, not to mention inaccurate.

Allowing female altar servers is up to each individual bishop. Further, no priestly celebrant is obligued to use female altar servers. There are many, many dioceses/parishes throughout the world that do not allow female altar servers.

Your sexist scare tactics are also quite unfortunate. To repeat:

Serving at the altar is a powerful way to foster priestly vocations. For that reason serving at the altar should be limited to those who might possibly receive priestly voations.

 

[Catholic2003]

Crusader:

Suggesting it would be “Church-sponsored discrimination” to limit this ministry to males-only is insulting, not to mention inaccurate.

Do you consider the “Church-sponsored” part or the “discrimination” part to be inaccurate and/or insulting?

Crusader:

There are many, many dioceses/parishes throughout the world that do not allow female altar servers.

Thus perpetuating the perception of misogyny in the Church which has contributed to the heresy of denying the Church’s teaching on the inability of priestly ordination of women. I don’t understand why you would consider this a good thing.
Cursader:

To repeat:

Repeating a non-sequitur doesn’t make it any more logical.

 

[Crusader]

Catholic2003:

Thus perpetuating the perception of misogyny in the Church which has contributed to the heresy of denying the Church’s teaching on the inability of priestly ordination of women. I don’t understand why you would consider this a good thing.

The Church does not mandate that female altar servers be used. It allows them to be used. Individual bishops are not forced to allow female altar servers, and individual celebrants are not obligued to use female altar servers.

Serving at the altar is a powerful way to foster priestly vocations. For that reason serving at the altar should be limited to those who might possibly receive priestly vocations. It’s sad if you cannot grasp this.

For people to place the desires of sexist misandrists ahead of fostering priestly vocations is deeply troubling, but certainly not unexpected in this day and age. Just another example of people attempting to influence the Church by the demands of politically correct popular culture, and not God’s will.

 

[quasimodo]

More important (IMHO) than male only servers to the goal of vocations are:

1. larger families. most vocations come form families of 4 to 7 children
2. priests serving in a parish for longer term. Here they move parishes every 6 years (though some are re-enlisted for another 6 years.) This is not long enough for a priest to “raise” several generations of young men and develop a mentoring relationship with them

 

[Catholic2003]

Crusader:

The Church does not mandate that female altar servers be used. It allows them to be used. Individual bishops are not forced to allow female altar servers, and individual celebrants are not obligued to use female altar servers.

The Church does not mandate the use of altar servers at all. Permanently installed acolytes are also an option.

Crusader:

Serving at the altar is a powerful way to foster priestly vocations. For that reason serving at the altar should be limited to those who might possibly receive priestly vocations. It’s sad if you cannot grasp this.

Given that all but two of the bishops in the United States feel the same way I do, you might consider that it is you who is missing an important concept here.

Crusader:

For people to place the desires of sexist misandrists ahead of fostering priestly vocations is deeply troubling, but certainly not unexpected in this day and age. Just another example of people attempting to influence the Church by the demands of politically correct popular culture, and not God’s will.

The fact that you consider failing to discriminate against females to be misandry says a lot about your own attitude towards women. But I’m afraid you are confusing your own issues with God’s will here. If it were God’s will that there be no female altar servers, then it would be against divine law.

 

[Crusader]

Catholic2003:

The fact that you consider failing to discriminate against females to be misandry says a lot about your own attitude towards women. But I’m afraid you are confusing your own issues with God’s will here. If it were God’s will that there be no female altar servers, then it would be against divine law.

They fact that you characterize my posting as discriminating against females clearly shows that you have a hidden agenda. You place popular culture (in this case a variant of misandry/sexism) ahead of priestly vocations. No matter how you want to frost it, it’s still not gonna sell.

 

[Catholic2003]

Crusader:

They fact that you characterize my posting as discriminating against females clearly shows that you have a hidden agenda.

The fact that I characterize your proposal to categorically disallow females as being altar servers (when there is no reason in divine law to do so) as discriminating against females clearly shows that I know how to use the dictionary.

discrimination (noun)

the act, practice, or an instance of discriminating categorically rather than individually

 

[A.Pelliccio]

Hey im new to the board, so first off “howdy”. Secondly whats the age limit on being an altar server? The reason I ask is because I just turned 18 and I’m trying to learn more about my faith(CCD was a joke) and I want to help out in my Church. Alter server, usher, free minister of the eucharist (i think its called that, deacon, or priest, those are the issues i debate in my head daily.

Anthony Pelliccio

 

[kellie]

Crusader:

Rather than read my post you seem to be mired in a swamp of misandry.

Serving at the altar is a powerful way to foster priestly vocations. For that reason serving at the altar should be limited to those who might possibly receive priestly voations.

Is there any reason why it hasnt been mentioned that a girl serving at the altar may be contemplating becoming a nun, and serves at the altar to help foster that calling ??

 

[beng]

kellie:

Is there any reason why it hasnt been mentioned that a girl serving at the altar may be contemplating becoming a nun, and serves at the altar to help foster that calling ??

It’s way different. Religious sister is very differnt than priesthood.

 

[beng]

Catholic2003:

The fact that I characterize your proposal to categorically disallow females as being altar servers (when there is no reason in divine law to do so) as discriminating against females clearly shows that I know how to use the dictionary.

Female Altar server is ONLY if there’s no Altar Boys. It’s a “just in case” situation, not a common things to have, like what happen nowadays.

Female altar boys doesn’t compute.

 

[Crusader]

kellie:

Is there any reason why it hasnt been mentioned that a girl serving at the altar may be contemplating becoming a nun, and serves at the altar to help foster that calling ??

Some would suggest the opposite. That said person would be serving at the altar in the midst of the sanctuary as an altar server, but would not be doing so as a nun. Unless she was an altar servering nun of course.

I have even heard that some people believe it’s unfair to allow female altar servers when they cannot become priests or deacons…

It might make more sense for someone contemplating becoming a nun to get involved in some of the areas where nuns spend their time.

 

[WhiteDove]

Lots of good points here. I lean towards males only. As a previous poster said, the Church is becoming too feminized. And, young boys need exclusively male activities to lure them in. It should be a badge of honor for a young boy, If girls are allowed, it loses it’s charm for them. That’s just the reality of school-boy psychology.

Where I live there are small two parishes that share one priest. One of them is very conservative, has only males readers and only altar boys. They are very well trained, like soldiers at attention. It really is nice. The men are way more involved at that parish. The other parish has more lukewarm people.

Another parish that is near my work, where I’ve gone a few times, has very poorly trained altar servers. One boy was fidgeting and looking at his watch frequently, obviously bored. It was a distraction from an otherwise lovely Mass.

 

[Catholic2003]

beng:

Female Altar server is ONLY if there’s no Altar Boys. It’s a “just in case” situation, not a common things to have, like what happen nowadays.

This is completely incorrect. There is absolutely no requirement in canon or liturgical law that female altar servers can only be used when no males are available.

beng:

Female altar boys doesn’t compute.

I wonder why the Holy Father couldn’t figure that out. Are you claiming to know more about the subject that he does?

 

[TLM_Altar_Boy]

Perhaps I can offer the opinions of an altar boy.

At my parish, our priest celebrates Mass according to both the current missal and the missal of 1962 (Novus Ordo and Tridentine). For Mass according to the Novus Ordo he allows female altar servers whereas, keeping with the ancient tradition of the Roman rite, he allows only males to serve at the Tridentine Mass.

I only serve at the Tridentine Mass. As such, I have never had the opportunity to serve with a female altar server; however, most servers I know have. The general consensus among younger altar boys (10 down) is that they simply do not like serving with girls. Many dislike it to the point that they would quit serving entirely.

One point that I am surprised no one has brought up is the ideas of older altar boys who serve with altar girls. It is a simple fact that having female altar servers, almost always through no fault of the altar girls, exposes many altar boys to near occasion of sin. Once again I rely upon anecdotal evidence, but the vast majority of altar boys (though they might not admit it) are focused more on the altar girls than the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

Certainly these are not the only reasons I support the laudable tradition of having only boys serve at the altar, but it seems that this conversation was lacking the opinions of someone “in the trenches”, so to speak. As per usual, I was more than happy to oblige and give my two cents.

 

[NM2]

Catholic2003:

In my parish, no one who wants to be an altar server is turned down due to lack of openings. So those who are discerning priestly vocations still have the opportunity to do so.

I agree. Nobody is keeping boys who may be discerning a vocation from being servers. The Church has said girls may also be servers, so girls may also be servers, and I accept that willingly.