Young Women As Altar Servers

[BlondewithaBrain]

This Sunday in my local newspaper, the cover story’s title read, “Place in the Church?” The story described the recent Vatican proposal to favor boy altar servers over girl altar servers. The church fears that girl servers would stir up the women and the priesthood debate, because girls who serve on the Lord’s altar want to become priests themselves. To say the least, I was furious. Women and young girls have such a small role in the Catholic church as it stands, that I think depriving young women of serving the Lord on his altar (something they enjoy) is an outrage. Even though I know that the church will probably never instate this policy, it is the fact that the Vatican has this type of attitude that is disturbing. I am a Catholic myself, but it is sad how the Catholic church continues to diminish itself in the public eye. However, if this policy was ever enforced, the Catholic church would lose another young woman. (And I am NOT an altar server.)

[Dave]

A small role? I think not! Consider the Blessed Mother! She was neither a priest nor an altar server, but she had, and continues to have, a really high place in the Church!

[Aloysius]

if ur faith is so weak that a policy like this would cause u to cease being Catholic.....

no offense, that disgusts me

i think it's alright for women to be altar servers (NOT PRIESTS!) but u know what, why is it that important? if i was not allowed to be an altarserver, say they only let girls be altar servers, i would not leave the Church. the fact that you're allowed to be present at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass should be enough, right?

whether or not women serve as altar servers is a matter of discipline. It is not that important one way or the other. Some ppl want only male altar servers because it sparks up an interest in the priesthood and gets them discerning at an early age. with female altar servers, it could get them discerning the religious life at an early age. I have no problem with it, but if it was not allowed i wouldn't be in the least angry about it.

i think on this topic u need to take a humility check

(just my opinion)

[dUSt]

I am a Catholic myself, but it is sad how the Catholic church continues to diminish itself in the public eye.

It saddens me how the public eye continues to diminish itself against the Church.

[Jake Huether]

This Sunday in my local newspaper, the cover story’s title read, “Place in the Church?”  The story described the recent Vatican proposal to favor boy altar servers over girl altar servers.  The church fears that girl servers would stir up the women and the priesthood debate, because girls who serve on the Lord’s altar want to become priests themselves.  To say the least, I was furious.  Women and young girls have such a small role in the Catholic church as it stands, that I think depriving young women of serving the Lord on his altar (something they enjoy) is an outrage.  Even though I know that the church will probably never instate this policy, it is the fact that the Vatican has this type of attitude that is disturbing.  I am a Catholic myself, but it is sad how the Catholic church continues to diminish itself in the public eye.  However, if this policy was ever enforced, the Catholic church would lose another young woman.  (And I am NOT an altar server.)

Yes, David is correct.

To add...

The Vatican is anything but "sexist". It's descision on making alter service "boy" only, isn't based on the fact that women can't (or even shouldn't) do it. The consideration was made due to the fact that alter service has always been prime "calling" ground for young men to the priest hood. However, since both boys and girls can be alter servers (at the present time), young boys may not really see it as a future "priest" possition, based on the fact that girls cannot be priests, yet they can be alter servers. See the connection? If girls are alter servers, it takes away from the possition in that it automatically seperates it from the priesthood. In order to "foster" this calling ground, the Vatican is considering making it more of a smooth sail into the priesthood. The connection between alter service and the priesthood might be more clear if it is for boys only.

Hope that helps.

[IcePrincessKRS]

I agree with Dave and Jake. Serving on the altar for boys is definately giving them a small taste of what it would be like to be a priest.

Personally I dislike the idea of female altar servers unless they are absolutely necessary (which is rarely the case from my experience). I think that it does give the false impression that someday women may become priests, which won't happen.

I attend a parish where we usually have about 15 altar boys serving for Sunday Mass--thats ONE Mass mind you. I think its beautiful, and maybe one day several of these boys and young men will discover a calling to the priesthood.

[Jake Huether]

It rubs me the wrong way to hear this... Sorry, maybe it's cause I'm a guy. Give me a break. The only position (yup, one only) that the Church doesn't permit women to serve in is the priesthood. That is, the possition of Christ. Every other position in the Church is up for grabs! My mother is VERY active in the Church!

If we look at it rationally too - even most men aren't called to the priesthood! So, the majority of the "church service" is gender nuetral anyway!

Get a grip on yourself.

Don't leave the Body of Christ because of jealously (and no, you may not be jealous for yourself - but you are displaying it for the female community).

[BLAZEr]

Ok, I think its time for a little catechesis up in here, rather than just arguing based on personal preference:

In the Church there used to be several minor order that were required in preparation for Holy Orders. Among those were exorcist, lector, acolyte, etc. . . .

After Vatican II, Pope Paul VI stopped requiring the minor orders, but did not supress them. They just became unnecessary on the way to priesthood. Already it was common to have young boys serve as acolytes (altar servers) on a temporary basis without being installed as Acolytes. This would be Extraordinary Acolytes (boys that were trained to do the function of the Acolyte and would be called upon in an as needed basis).

In the United States in the 1970's it became common to allow young girls to also participate in this service. I would say that it seems, historically, to have been an effort by some Churches to pave the way for the ordination of women. As the number of young women serving the altar increased, the number of young men decreases . . . almost by the same rate. So today, it is more common to see a young girl up there rather than a young boy.

I would ask this question: What purpose does having a young girl as an altar server have? It used to be that the Altar Servers were groomed to consider a vocation to the priesthood. And they would see their service as assisting the priest as helping them to understand the ministry of the priest at the altar. I know many young girls who are altar servers (since I train them) and they are confused why they can do everything the boys can do but can't be priests. They do not see the difference in their function, so they have a hard time understanding the difference in their identity. I try to be very patient to help them understand the different roles that men and women have in the Church, like the different roles mom and dad have in a family. Still, this is becoming a blur to them also. I thinkt he problem is that we identify according to function rather than being.

I think the whole altar girl thing causes more problems than its worth. First of all the priest does not ever NEED altar servers. They help, but they are not required. I would rather see Altar Servers discontinued entirely rather than see the tradition (with a small t) of girls serving at the altar continue.

Finally, I think the biggest problem with the Church is that everyone only considers being active in the Church doing some sort of ministry (lector, altar server, Eucharistic minister, basket passer, greeter, door opener, usher, candle lighter, blah blah blah). Hogwash, the biggest job of the Church is prayer and evangelization. I have news for you, but the Ministry of the laity is out there in the world, sharing Christ with your co-workers, and neighbors, and students, and teachers, etc . . . the priests job is to minister to the flock, the flocks job is to minsiter to the world . . . at least that's what Vatican II teaches. Nothing new, just the same thing the Church has ALWAYS taught.

If you feel like you don't have a role in the Church, it's probably because you aren't praying. God will show you your role, if you are faithful to him in prayer.

Unfortunately today we have it all backwards.

[Jake Huether]

Amen to dat!

Thanks, BLAZEr!

[BlondewithaBrain]

Replying to my “replies” from the post is difficult for me, considering I need to be civil about it. Whew ..ok.. first of all, I dislike the fact that in the “debate” of this topic, the problem turned into a problem concerning my faith. I NEVER said I didn’t feel like I had a role in the church, nor did I say that I was going to leave the Catholic church. I simply stated that, if and when (hopefully never) a policy like this would be put into action, I would have serious doubts about the church, and my reasons of being a member, probably ending in my leaving. I do understand that being an altar server is intended to be a road to priesthood, however I don’t think that just because boys may get more out of serving without girls present, means that girls shouldn’t be allowed to do it at all. http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20030...928/1024070.asp

Personally, I don't understand why I need a humility check when I am expressing my opinion about an issue..

[BLAZEr]

Hey Blonde, I would just ask a couple of questions:

Do you think the Catholic Church teaches the truth? Do you believe the Eucharist is the real and substantial Body and Blood of Jesus Christ?

If you do, why would you leave it over something as silly as whether or not girls get to serve mass?

There are those who built there house on sand . . . and when a strong storm came it washed away the foundations.

By the way, check your signature: 1Cor 13: Love is not easily angered. . ..

Edited September 29, 2003 by BLAZEr

[Jake Huether]

nor did I say that I was going to leave the Catholic church.  I simply stated that, if and when (hopefully never) a policy like this would be put into action, I would have serious doubts about the church...probably ending in my leaving.

Okay,

I don't understand.

You said first: "nor did I say that I was going to leave the Catholic Church."

But then imediately after that you say that you WOULD PROBABLY leave teh Church.

We weren't bashing you because you were GOING to leave the Church. We were amaized that you would consider leaving.

[BlondewithaBrain]

ok, I got ya, I meant I am not going to leave the church, UNLESS this policy is instate..meaning I'm not going to leave the the church NOW. When I wrote it, I just wanted to make it clear that I wasn't going to leave the Church now..i hope that cleared it up..

[Dave]

But if it was instated, then why would you EVER leave the Church if it teaches the truth?

[BlondewithaBrain]

I would leave the church because I feel that restricting young women from serving their Lord on the altar is unreasonable, and moreso, the catholic church's justification of doing so is not valid for me.