Vatican may prohibit female alter (sic) service [Catholic Caucus]

ndsmcobserver.com ^ | October 14, 2003/Updated September 2012 | Amanda Michaels

[Salvation]

Vatican may prohibit female alter (sic) service

By Michaels, Amanda

Published: Tuesday, October 14, 2003

Updated: Wednesday, September 12, 2012 11:09

 

• Only nine years after the Vatican gave women permission to serve beside their male counterparts at the altar, a new proposal threatens to force them back into the crowd.

On Sept. 23, the Italian Catholic monthly, "Jesus," released advanced text of an article featuring excerpts from a draft document, or directive, written by the Vatican congregations for Divine Worship and the Sacraments and for the Doctrine of the Faith. Distributed on June 5, the document was an expansion on the papal encyclical published in April that cut down on abuses during Mass, specifically during Communion.

According to reports, in addition to banning applause and dancing at Mass - both of which often occur at papal services - the document specified that the use of female altar servers should be avoided "unless there is a just pastoral cause," and that "priests should never feel obliged to seek girls for this function."

However, both the Catholic News Service, the media extension of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), and the National Catholic Reporter (NCR) stated that the directive was almost immediately sent back for revisions.

"On June 29, the cardinals in charge of the two offices working on the document had a meeting and rejected it," said John Allen, Rome correspondent for the NCR. "The final version is expected by Christmas, and at least for now it says nothing on altar girls."

Though the news of the proposal's rejection is cause for much relief among female acolytes, the mere suggestion of restricting their use has stirred up controversy all over the United States and Western Europe, where the practice has become commonplace.

Since 1994, the USCCB has held that each individual bishop has the power to decide whether or not females within their diocese should be altar servers - a verdict based on the interpretation of 1983 Canon Law 230.2, said Sheila Garcia, USCCB Secretariat for Family, Laity, Women and Youth. To this date, very few dioceses across the country have prevented women from serving.

[Salvation]

Obviously, the author does not know the difference between 'alter' and 'altar'.

That's why you see (sic) in the title.

[SnakeDoctor]

Always inspires confidence when the headline has misspellings.

SnakeDoc

[Salvation]

Has this come to your church or diocese?

Catholic Ping!

[SnakeDoctor]

Apologies ... didn’t see the Caucus heading before I posted. Southern Baptist, signing off.

SnakeDoc

[Salvation]

No problem.

[jobim]

Amen. And I do believe many of our “American Catholic” priests have altar egos.

[Salvation]

There are many that are humble and reverent and do not celebrate the Mass for their own edification. In fact, if they are, they shouldn’t even be a priest.

But I know you were speaking, tongue in cheek.

[onyx]

Has this come to your church or diocese?

No.

[jtal]

"unless there is a just pastoral cause,"

At first I was very excited to read this, then I saw we have the usual open-ended escape clause.

[virgil]

My parish has never allowed female altar servers. Probably never will.

[Salvation]

I would really like to see that at my parish.

We have a new Bishop in western Oregon. Dare I hope for this change in one year?

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

The dates on this are 2003 & 2012

[basil]

As a Catholic woman, I have never felt comfortable with women serving at the altar. Guess I’m too old for the “winds of change”.

[Salvation]

Yep. An update for the 2012 — must be that the USCCB hasn’t ruled on it completely.

Bah!

[Steelfish]

I have come to accept female altar servers. What I can’t accept was the removal of altar rails and the taking of communion in one’s own hands.

[catbertz]

My daughter is an altar server at our parish. Most of the servers are female, as only a few boys volunteered. If this comes to pass, then c’est la vie. Our faith will accommodate the shifting ground.

[Morgana]

I thought it already was

[Salvation]

An altar server, then an acolyte — were steps to becoming a priest.

Sad that this has happened — but I am so happy that it may be on the way back.

Almost all the sacristans at my church are women. There are a lot of things that we can do behind the scenes.

Steelfish, I’m with you on the altar rails being put back and receiving Communion on the tongue. After you read a book by Maria Simma about the poor souls in Purgatory “Get Us Out of Here” you will NEVER EVER receive the Body of Christ in your hand again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Salvation]

The boys don’t want to serve with a girl. They like to serve with another boy.

[steve86]

I’ve never been to a Mass with female altar servers and never will be.