Will "Altar Girls" lead to Women Priests?

[Harpazo]

Glory to Jesus Christ!

When I was Catholic, I was completely put off by the whole idea of altar girls. I am almost positive that one would not find them at a Tridentine Mass, but they are rather common amongst the Novus Ordo types. Does anyone think that altar girls will eventually lead to female deacons and eventually priests? I think it’s only a logical step (unless the practice is to completely cease, of course), but that it would most likely cause a schism in the Church of Rome.

Anyone have thoughts about this?

In Christ,
Andrew

 

[nickybr38]

I don’t think so.

The roles are different, too different for one to lead to another. Besides which, the Church CANNOT ordain female priests, even if it wanted to.

 

[kozlosap]

My DD25 and almost all the girls AND boys in her class at her elementary CS all served mass at the two parishes that the school served. It was a wonderful learning experience for ALL of the kids. I certainly haven’t seen any indication that any of the girls expected to be able to become priests. DD25 eventually attended Loyola Marymount (Jesuit) in LA and is now at a Jesuit law school in Chicago in her third year. If I hear the kids complaining about the laws of the Church, it is never about women becoming priests - it’s usually about how the Church should OK the use of condoms in sub-Saharan Africa where the rate of AIDS is over 25% in the heterosexual population. Additionally, the BOYS were never afraid to serve with the girls, for goodness sakes, they had been in class together by the time they started to serve, for six years! For 9 years, DD25 was in class with 23 boys and 7 girls! As a teacher for 30 years, I can tell you that I would have hated to teach that! I guess there were way more boys born in 1984, LOL! Walk in Peace with the Lord!

 

[truoc]

To answer your question, no, I don’t think so.

I said this in another thread, but no one answered it (and it’s related to your question). Will “alter girls” lead to more nuns and other female vocations? Just food for thought.

 

[Dum_Spiro_Spero]

It will never, ever happen. Women are not the “proper matter” required in the sacrament of Holy Orders. They can not and will not EVER be ordained in THe Catholic Church. No many how many women they send up to the altar to play altar boy, lector, cantor, etc will ever change that…all the proponents of this heresy should go ahead and get prepared to have their feelings hurt, because it will never change and they are only wasting their time…and their efforts are all in vain. I think the proponents of women’s ordination and sad and pathetic creatures and I constantly pray for their conversion to the true Catholic Faith.

 

[Apollos]

Will “Altar Girls” lead to Women Priests?

No, and that’s why allowing them is cruel.

 

[Phemie]

No, and that’s why allowing them is cruel.

How is it cruel? They go in fully knowing, if the parents have done their job, that they can never become priests.

While I don’t care one way or the other whether females are allowed to serve at the altar, I think using this type of excuse to keep them out is disingenuous. In most dioceses it doesn’t even lead to the boys becoming priests why would we worry about the girls?

 

[kozlosap]

How is it cruel? They go in fully knowing, if the parents have done their job, that they can never become priests.

While I don’t care one way or the other whether females are allowed to serve at the altar, I think using this type of excuse to keep them out is disingenuous. In most dioceses it doesn’t even lead to the boys becoming priests why would we worry about the girls?

:thumbsup:Exactly!!

 

[Dum_Spiro_Spero]

If parents wanted to really do their jobs, they wouldn’t allow their daughters to serve in the first place.

How is it cruel? They go in fully knowing, if the parents have done their job, that they can never become priests.

While I don’t care one way or the other whether females are allowed to serve at the altar, I think using this type of excuse to keep them out is disingenuous. In most dioceses it doesn’t even lead to the boys becoming priests why would we worry about the girls?

 

[lizaanne]

No, and that’s why allowing them is cruel.

Perfect response. Not sure there is anything else valuable to add - this says it all.

~Liza

 

[buffalo]

No.

Altar girls do have a negative effect on vocations though.

The Rise of the Altar Girls

Yesterday, reporter of all things Catholic John Allen covered the story of the pentennial International Pilgrimage of Altar Servers that brought an estimated 50,000 alter servers to Rome for a rally with the Holy Father. Of particular interest, Allen notes, was the predominance of female attendees:
For the first time this year, the female altar servers in attendance outnumbered the males. According to organizers, the balance was roughly 60-40 in favor of females. The official Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, pointed to the turnout as a symbol of “the massive entry in recent decades of girls and young women into a role once reserved exclusively to males.”
That’s striking given that in some quarters, the very idea of altar girls remains controversial.

There are many fine altar girls out there, and their desire to serve is admirable. It reflects, in fact, a very feminine quality, like Martha, they feel compelled to serve the one they love. But as the 1994 letter from the Congregation for Divine Worship permitting girls to serve on the altar noted, **the tradition of having boys serve at the altar “has led to a reassuring development of priestly vocations. Thus the obligation to support such groups of altar boys will always continue.” But the predominance of altar girls would suggest that allowing girls to serve negatively effects groups of altar boys. In fact, they are driving boys away from altar serving. And for those boys who do continue to serve, the presence of altar girls makes it difficult for altar serving to be considered an apprenticeship for the priesthood. If altar serving is going to continue as a way of fostering priestly vocations, it seems that another form of service needs to be found for altar girls. **

…

http://www.firstthings.com/blogs/firstthoughts/2010/08/05/the-rise-of-the-altar-girls/

more…

 

[Phemie]

If parents wanted to really do their jobs, they wouldn’t allow their daughters to serve in the first place.

As long as Rome says it’s OK, and the bishop says it’s OK, and the priest says it’s OK, I see nothing wrong with allowing one’s daughter to be an altar server. One “NO” in that line-up and then it’s a different story.

 

[Milesius]

Its impossible for that to happen.

 

[Dum_Spiro_Spero]

I’m sorry, but I will side with 1960 years of tradition over a fallible ruling from Rome, her Bishops and Priest, especially on something which started as an abuse and resulted in Rome capitulating in hopes of appeasing modernist liberals. I know I am on the right side of this and I feel sorry for your’s and others’ daughters who are encouraged to take part in something that goes against Catholic Tradition…how confusing is it going to be when this problem is addressed and eradicated? They were encouraged and allowed to do something, which their parents endorsed…all the while, it was not appropriate should never have been allowed…it is going to leave a bad taste in their mouth with The Church when this sharade is finally put to an end.

As long as Rome says it’s OK, and the bishop says it’s OK, and the priest says it’s OK, I see nothing wrong with allowing one’s daughter to be an altar server. One “NO” in that line-up and then it’s a different story.

 

[kozlosap]

If parents wanted to really do their jobs, they wouldn’t allow their daughters to serve in the first place.

Really? It is “allowed” by the Church. When and IF the practice becomes “against the law”, then parents will explain to their female children that they are not allowed to serve, until then, the truth of current Church practice is in place. I attend 7:30 a.m. Sunday Mass every week. Last Sunday the alter servers (not sure if they were male or female) did not show up. Who served Mass - a beautiful 70 year old widow who is very active in all parish activities! She is a RCIA teacher and CCD instructor. During weekday morning masses she also serves. I did not hear one of the 250 attendees at Mass complain or talk about being scandalized. I, for one, thanked the Lord that Jeanne was there to serve. Our assistant Pastor was also grateful and indicated so at the end of Mass. Of course, this is a Jesuit parish eek with a congregation that is very loving and thoughtful, so what more can I say?

 

[Bluegoat]

No.

Altar girls do have a negative effect on vocations though.

The Rise of the Altar Girls

Yesterday, reporter of all things Catholic John Allen covered the story of the pentennial International Pilgrimage of Altar Servers that brought an estimated 50,000 alter servers to Rome for a rally with the Holy Father. Of particular interest, Allen notes, was the predominance of female attendees:
For the first time this year, the female altar servers in attendance outnumbered the males. According to organizers, the balance was roughly 60-40 in favor of females. The official Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, pointed to the turnout as a symbol of “the massive entry in recent decades of girls and young women into a role once reserved exclusively to males.”
That’s striking given that in some quarters, the very idea of altar girls remains controversial.

There are many fine altar girls out there, and their desire to serve is admirable. It reflects, in fact, a very feminine quality, like Martha, they feel compelled to serve the one they love. But as the 1994 letter from the Congregation for Divine Worship permitting girls to serve on the altar noted, **the tradition of having boys serve at the altar “has led to a reassuring development of priestly vocations. Thus the obligation to support such groups of altar boys will always continue.” But the predominance of altar girls would suggest that allowing girls to serve negatively effects groups of altar boys. In fact, they are driving boys away from altar serving. And for those boys who do continue to serve, the presence of altar girls makes it difficult for altar serving to be considered an apprenticeship for the priesthood. If altar serving is going to continue as a way of fostering priestly vocations, it seems that another form of service needs to be found for altar girls. **

…

http://www.firstthings.com/blogs/firstthoughts/2010/08/05/the-rise-of-the-altar-girls/

more…

I don’t think anyone should be surprised that there are more girls - there are more women who attend church than men. And a greater proportion of men seem to be involved mostly because their spouse wants them to be.

When I was a student, we had male and female alter servers, but the boys who were possibly interested in the priesthood also belonged to a discernment group. Mostly they chatted and drank scotch I think, but there were a lot of vocations.

 

[Dum_Spiro_Spero]

Heart touching story…what is the relevance?

Really? It is “allowed” by the Church. When and IF the practice becomes “against the law”, then parents will explain to their female children that they are not allowed to serve, until then, the truth of current Church practice is in place. I attend 7:30 a.m. Sunday Mass every week. Last Sunday the alter servers (not sure if they were male or female) did not show up. Who served Mass - a beautiful 70 year old widow who is very active in all parish activities! She is a RCIA teacher and CCD instructor. During weekday morning masses she also serves. I did not hear one of the 250 attendees at Mass complain or talk about being scandalized. I, for one, thanked the Lord that Jeanne was there to serve. Our assistant Pastor was also grateful and indicated so at the end of Mass. Of course, this is a Jesuit parish eek with a congregation that is very loving and thoughtful, so what more can I say?

 

[Belloc_Fan]

Glory to Jesus Christ!

When I was Catholic, I was completely put off by the whole idea of altar girls. I am almost positive that one would not find them at a Tridentine Mass, but they are rather common amongst the Novus Ordo types. Does anyone think that altar girls will eventually lead to female deacons and eventually priests? I think it’s only a logical step (unless the practice is to completely cease, of course), but that it would most likely cause a schism in the Church of Rome.

Anyone have thoughts about this?

In Christ,
Andrew

John Paul II, in Ordinatio Sacerdotalis declared:

Wherefore, in order that all doubt may be removed regarding a matter of great importance, a matter which pertains to the Church’s divine constitution itself, in virtue of my ministry of confirming the brethren (cf. Lk 22:32) I declare that **the Church has no authority whatsoever **to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the Church’s faithful.

If the question wasn’t closed before, it certainly is now. So no, altar girls **cannot **lead to priestesses, because the Church wouldn’t have the power to ordain them.

 

[Scoobyshme]

Glory to Jesus Christ!

When I was Catholic, I was completely put off by the whole idea of altar girls. I am almost positive that one would not find them at a Tridentine Mass, but they are rather common amongst the Novus Ordo types. Does anyone think that altar girls will eventually lead to female deacons and eventually priests? I think it’s only a logical step (unless the practice is to completely cease, of course), but that it would most likely cause a schism in the Church of Rome.

Anyone have thoughts about this?

In Christ,
Andrew

No it cannot lead to women priests because the Church doesn’t have the authority to override what Jesus set up.

BUT, it will lead and has led to less vocations to the priesthood.

 

[Corki]

No, it won’t happen because the connection between altar service and vocations has been severed. Altar service used to emphasize the service and put the boys in a positon to have a “brush” with the concept of priesthood. As one poster here put it, the focus of altar service has become the children themselves.

My DD25 and almost all the girls AND boys in her class at her elementary CS all served mass at the two parishes that the school served. ** It was a wonderful learning experience** for ALL of the kids.

Altar service didn’t use to have, as its purpose to be a learning experience for the kids.

(not picking on you kozlosap. whether you meant to or not, you put into words the idea I wanted to express)