I've been quiet on this issue for quite a while now, thinking about it, listening to people. But I've finally made a decision - I'm against female altar servers - even while I humbly respect the right of Rome to say they're OK. (In other words, I'm not gonna be starting a letter-writing campaign to my parish or anything.)
Here's my reasoning, plain and simple: We need more priests, we need more vocations to the priesthood, and letting girls serve as altar servers doesn't help accomplish that goal.
For those who want to argue with me, posing the oft-repeated question - "But what HARM is it doing allowing female altar servers?" - I answer back with another question: Tell me what GOOD it does?
Interesting, I accidentally stumbled upon this article yesterday, which just adds more fuel to the fire: Boys Will Be Boy Altar Servers. It really helps support the argument FOR male-only altar servers, check it out.
We have good friends who recently left a too-liberal Catholic parish. Last night we were told they finally selected a new one, and guess what one of the reasons was in choosing the one they did? Male-only altar servers. It really does make a difference to some people.
I'm not leaving my parish anytime soon. And I wouldn't leave my parish over something like this. But I have to say that if I was choosing a new one, the presence of female altar servers would be an immediate, possible indication to me of the church's general attitude toward all things Catholic.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Catholic Complaint #2 - Female Altar Servers
Posted by Charlotte at 12:42 PM
Labels: Altar Servers, Catholic Complaints, Female Altar Servers
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
16 comments:
Yes, I can see how a parish that lets girls serve Mass is *obviously* suspect. I mean, gee, I wasn't the least little weensiest bit mad at the "altar boy" who argued for allowing abortion rights at age 14. Little Mr. Can't-be-bothered-to-stand-up-for-the-faith was allowed to serve Mass and couldn't not only be bothered to defend the faith, but spat in its face was allowed to serve, but I, a lowly "nothing" female wasn't allowed to serve, but did manage to put it out on the line FOR the prolife postition in my 9th grade public school class.
I darn near LOST my faith over the injustice. Interesting to see you think the girls should be shoved to the back of the bus again. Thanks, but no thanks. Ever think a girl might want to serve Mass and develop such a dedication to the Eucharist she might want to become a nun? No, I suppose that thought never entered your brain.
I love it when people purposely troll around for blog topics they have issues with.
I suspect, gemoftheocean, you are extremely familiar with all of the arguments FOR male-only altar servers. I also suspect you don't care to address the reason and logic of those arguments, given that you obviously have personal issues with an unfortunate situation that has no bearing at all on the general topic I've brought up.
Yes, it HAS crossed my mind that female altar servers might possibly want to become nuns. In fact, the priest at my parish buys into this argument. Nonetheless, I don't believe that there is a direct line of cause-effect between being an altar server and a nun. Whereas there is gobs of evidence to prove that many, many boys over the ages HAVE had a desire for priesthood after serving as an altar boy.
Sorry to enrage, but in my opinion, the only reason many altar girls become altar girls is because, well, because they can. That's it. Or they come from a home with the "you can do anything a boy can do" mentality. None of which, again, helps vocations to the priesthood.
I know a young boy who is heartbroken that he can't serve at mass as much as he wants to because there are girls in line in front of him on the list. That's a shame.
A potential call to the vocation of being a sister is not dependant upon being a female altar server. A young woman who feels the eucharist is the connection to her potential vocation would do well to spend alot of time in eucharistic adoration.
Gemoftheocean accidentally makes a strong case against girl altar servers by every word (and particularly the underlying tone, attitude and assumptions) of her comment... 'It's about me, it's about my rights, it's about equality - and those who disagree with me are either malicious or bad (or probably both...)'
Nice post!
Our church doesn't have female altar servers. This was one of the reasons we joined this parish to begin with, so your friend is not alone. One of our sons is an acolyte (usually thurifer or server). He wears traditional altar garb (surplice and cassock) and beneath it, a dress shirt, dress pants, dress socks, and dress shoes. Ours is a mostly elderly parish and they all adore my son and think he is very reverent. We tease him about his "fan club" every week.
My daughter, on the other hand, is in the choir and altar guild, and is very happy with her role there.
gemoftheocean: I hope you are aware that the Church is not a democracy, and that girls and boys are actually different.
Perhaps you would have an easier time in life if you were to read "The Privilege of Being a Woman," and began to understand what it is that a woman is and why your dignity does not depend on doing everything the boys do. It's not about injustice, and as my dear friend said, "Why would I want to be equal to a man? Why would I stoop so low?"
But then again, if it is all about you, there probably isn't much room for God's plan anyway.
God bless you.
My wife and I are in a very faithful parish that has produced a great percentage of vocations, men and women, to the men that are currently in seminary for the diocese, as well as been a big influence in a great percentage of the new, young priests. I think a better gauge is the actual Mass and how it is celebrated, either faithfully to the letter of the written liturgy, instead of whether or not girls are allowed up on the sanctuary to serve the priest. Our parish also has adult male servers to act as guides and leaders of the children and to act as a teacher; almost as a liturgical master of ceremonies if need be, especially during important feasts or solemnities, or if the the bishop visits. I am one of these men.
If the Church allows girl altar servers I would be careful as to not get caught up in a spirit of overzealousness as to act 180 degrees to what the church deems appropriate in it's infinite wisdom when it comes to liturgy. Are some liturgical issues present? Yes, such as the problematic translation that we are currently using from the Latin, etc., but those issues are being resolved slowly but surely.
I do not think it is that simple, to say that those who disapprove of girl altar servers 'are acting 180 degrees to what the Church deems appropriate.'
The history of this particular controversy is interesting: the Church historically has only allowed men to serve at the altar. In the 1970s dispobedient clerics introduced girl altar servers in a deliberate act of defiance. The Holy Father (JPll) did not approve of this: indeed he assured Mother Teresa (who was also concerned) that he would not change the rules on this.
Then a 'dubium' was submitted tot he Vatican, asking whether girls were in fact permitted (by this time the Holy Father was not well, remember) and a letter came back form the relevant congregation to say 'yes they were.'
However, there had been no formal change to the law, and a response to a dubium is normally a clarification of the law, not a means of changing it. As everyone had known the law for centuries, this was a very... let us say... odd occurrence. At best it was post hoc legitimisation, to avoid a confrontation.
So as I see it girl altar servers are an innovation introduced by disobedience, legalised post hoc by an anomolous method, and totally out of keepting with the history and traditions of the universal Church.
To leap from this to conclude that this is the mind of the Church is a big jump!
And I think our current Holy Father is just the man to address this anomaly, even if it causes howls of protest from the modernists...
hey! thanks for posting this. we live in florida right now but are planning to move to minneapolis (where i'm from) in a few months. st. louis park (the first parish in the article) is one of the neighbourhoods we'd like to live in. it is good to know that there is a somewhat orthodox novus ordo parish there.
although, i guess, i still haven't decided if i want to pursue the latin rite or the byzantine. and the tac! that is something to look into as well.
our church didnt allow females until 2002, because sadly enough boys were not signing up;-( many families, mine included, only allow their boys to serve though. but i am not against it really. like gemoftheocean said, it may make them want to pursue a religious vocation to be a sister or nun.
The only parish in my area that I'm aware of that does not allow female altar servers is the one at which there is an EF Mass. (The pastor does not allow them there at the EF or the OFs he offers.) I assisted in (attended) the Masses at this parish for a while, but actually I have chosen to go elsewhere, for a variety of reasons, but one of which is that I like that the OF parish I attend, which is quite orthodox in most ways, does allow female altar servers. The Vatican evidently allows their use, and the most compelling would-be argument against them - that vocations to the priesthood are fostered where no girls are allowed on the altar - doesn't really convince me 100%. I have to believe that a vocation to the ministerial priesthood is a gift from God; it will exist whether the man has served on the altar as a boy or not. (And no one is *barring* boys from serving, of course.) I think God cares too much about us to let us "miss" our vocation in life, especially one as important as serving Him via the priesthood. Also, to be honest, I gravitate away from people, like some traditionalists, who seem angry at the use of female altar servers. I find anger for that particular reason, especially from grown men, to be really off-putting.
Just as an aside, I have much greater objections to the use of Eucharistic Ministers during the Mass than to that of female altar servers. The OF parish I attend uses them too unfortunately. I position myself in the church so that I'll be able to go to a priest for Communion, but I wish parishes would promote the idea that it's only the consecrated hands of the priest that should be touching the Eucharist.
As far as girls discerning their vocations and God's will for us through Eucharistic Adoration, why would that not also apply to boys, or any of us? This is something that all of us should be doing.
Joanne
The argument I've heard behind girl altar servers is that it gets them one step closer to fighting the "oppressive" "rule" against women priests.
Which is why I'm against it. The priesthood is a vocation for MEN and MEN only; my femininity, my equality, my dignity is not contingent on whether or not I get to wear an alb on Sundays and help Father X with Mass. Just as those things aren't contingent on my inability to be a priest.
gemoftheocean: What the altar boy did was scandalous and he needed a talking to and a turn in the confessional. And, perhaps you don't know this, but someone at the parish DID call him out and he DID make a confession and do penance for advocating abortion. If he didn't, he certainly should NOT have been allowed to serve. His actions - as reprehensible as they are - do not, however, justify having altar girls.
I think it would be great if we could re-instate altar societies in most parishes. Wouldn't that bring about a respect for the altar/the Eucharist for our young ladies?
We have three kids so far, all girls. The guy in charge of altar servers keeps telling us that he's "got his eye" on our girls to be servers when they're old enough. We were a bit uncomfortable with the idea, even though we figured it was "O.K." since our pastor is an orthodox priest. Thanks for writing about this and helping to clarify a few points for me. We won't be allowing them to serve now. I guess that I should learn to listen to my gut feelings!
I was one of those guys that would have served, but girls were taking spots.
No one has a right to serve at the altar, if a priest so chose, he could have no assitants at the altar.
Jesus set it up to that males were clerics (even though the women were the ones that didn't ditch him come Calvary), Allowing women at the altar confuses this role. If a Church had altar rails, women could serve from outside the sanctuary (which was how many Conventual Masses were served)...In short, I do not promote altar girls, but there are extraordinary situations where they can serve, but they should serve from outside the sanctuary
I understand how having male only helps, for there are so many female only activities out there, but the parishes around here are quite small.
I was a female altar server from the time I was eleven till the time I entered college. It was a wonderful experience for me and really deepened my faith and my connection to the mass. At the time I joined I was unaware that women had only recently been given the honor of assisting the priest during holy mass. I understand both sides of the issue, but I still stand by the decision I made at eleven.
According to Canon 230#2 liturgical functions that can be trusted to be carried out by the lay members of the congregation can be carried out by either female or male members if the local bishop so decrees. An altar server may be dressed in garb similar to those of the clergy, but they are still lay people and fall under Canon law 230#2. A priest, deacon, or acolyte must be male because they are following in the footsteps of Peter, the rock and father of our Church.
Jesus opened the faith to all people, Jews, Gentiles, males, females, the rich and poor. Jesus and his followers saw to it that the congregation of the Holy Church is composed of peoples of all nations. Allowing females and children to participate in liturgical functions not just because they can, but because they have a true desire to serve is what I believe is the right thing to do. I applaud the Pontifical Council for giving me the opportunity to serve Christ at his altar. However, if the Holy See later finds that altar servers are a bit more than lay people I will succeed and find a new way to serve my church off the altar.
Post a Comment