Two notes on Rome rally of altar boys (and girls)

Howls from cynics not withstanding, there still is something good about priests mentoring boys in the context of liturgical service. The presence of girls changes the dynamic. If we value the opportunity for girls to serve at the altar, then we should still find ways for boys, especially those with vocations, to spend time with priests.

There are reactionary priests all over the US, who get their theology and marching orders from Mother Angelica and her cabal of priests, who are kicking altar girls off of the altar when they come into a parish, claiming it is not required to have them and that priestly voactions have suffered from their presence. All this with the acquiescence of the local bishop. Bishop Morlino in Madison is a prime example. It has also happened in my hometown parish, St. Williams, in the Dallas Diocese.

Who Repealed Vatican II? Nice moniker. No one repealed it. It's just that people finally know what Vatican II really said, not the progressive spin that you folks gave us.

There are abundant excellent reasons for restricting service in the sanctuary to males. Those flinging allegations of "reaction" and resistance to Vatican II are merely dealing in jargon and seem not to have considered what those terms even mean.

Maleness of the altar server is important because it reflects and amplifies the maleness of the priest. Maleness of the priest is important because as alter Christus, he represents the Lord. As for the maleness of Jesus, that too is important, for it reflects the spousal paradigm, throughout the Judeo-Christian history of salvation, that God has chosen to reveal his regard for his people.

Apart from discouraging male altar boys at an age when most lack the maturity and social confidence of girls, altar girls obscure the sacramentally vital sign of the priest's maleness, rendering it incidental so that it no longer signifies. Altar girls are thus a counter-sign to the sacrament of Holy Orders, contributing to the confusion of many of the faithful, as this thread already shows.

"In 2003, the use of altar girls was briefly part of a draft Vatican document on liturgical “abuses,” though that document was softened after strong internal criticism."

Yes, and thank the Holy Spirit for that!! If we desire to keep our young people engaged and further their development as Catholics, we must allow their direct participation in liturgy. We, as parents know instinctively, that actual "doing" reinforces, interiorly, the truths and practices of our faith. So I apologize to my daughter who in 1975 was kicked out of a beginning altar server class because she was a girl. She missed out on her earnest desire to serve at the altar. Our schools and religious education programs also offer young people opportunities for service and planning of para-liturgical services, again to give them the experience and to interiorize the way to follow Jesus.

@Barbie

I would just like point out that the idea that "doing" something at the Liturgy is what makes us "interiorize the way to follow Jesus" is precisely the idea that does damage to the Christian lay vocation. The documents of the Second Vatican Council (particularly Apostolicam Actuositatem) make it clear that the lay vocation is to change the world in the image of Christ: live a life of holiness (living stone, spiritual sacrifices, prayer, sacraments, etc.), teach the faith, console the sorrowing, visit shut-ins, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, shape your neighborhood, state, and country is accordance with authentic Gospel-values, share the Good News of how Christ is transforming your life. This is the lay vocation! It is marvelous and the priestly vocation and the sacred Liturgy are meant to support and unfold that vocation. The more we get distracted with the thinking that "doing" at the Liturgy is being involved, being active, or being a good (or real, etc.) Catholic, the less we really do to build the Kingdom of God in this world. All this distraction is precisely what the Enemy wants.

Let's keep our eye on what is primary and not get distracted with arguments that, at bottom, are really about power-structures and control.

Regards,
Tarcisius

"The practice has been banned in a handful of dioceses around the world..."

Well, not quite. The norm is still for male servers, and the exception for female servers, in all parts of the Latin church. I think what this normally grammatically reliable reporter meant to say was, " The practice hasn't been taken up by a handful of dioceses..."

Anyway, let's not get our knickers in a twist over something the Church allows. I'm the MC at my parish, and we have a 50/50 gender split among the servers, and I pray that all of them will be led to their vocations by this nearness to the Lord.

And yet active participation should not be reduced to activity. The liturgy is not the work of humans but the work of God. The full, active, and conscience participation encouraged by Vatican II is an interior participation that comes through unity with Christ. It moves toward contemplation. I would even suggest that service at the altar can distract from active participation (Mary and Martha). We should never say that our children participate less--at least in the Vatican II sense--when they are not serving at the altar.

Girls should not be allowed into the sanctuary to serve! Push them out in a polite way. We are sowing a seed that in 15 years will produce females who will push for ordination.
As you know the instituted ministries of lector and acolyte are reserved for males. Irtwas also a VatII requirement non instituted female readers do so from outside the sanctuary. The feminist agenda which sees things in terms of gender war rather than socialogical and anthropological realities. Boys and girls do not like the same things and where ever girls are admitted boys will withdraw. Sports is a good example of this. In education men are becoming fewer as females move into the profession and men withdraw
Women are not allowed into the sanctuary because of OT precedents, the example of our Lord and the female deity principal based on fertility.
The use of male latr servers is a choice with male servers the norm. No priest can be forced to use female servers.
However in reality as with many things we introduce change only because it is change and we think breaking taboos is "modern". Like frogs in boiling water we are slowly destroying the credentials and passing on of the Faith in its integrity. If concubinage was not expressly forbidden how many priets would turn up to St Peters with their concubines I wonder?
Since when does percentages make something right?

"She missed out on her earnest desire to serve at the altar"

Yes, because the object of the Mass is all about the desires of man...

Benedict XVI was rightly acting with Charity toward the children. However, this does not change the Church's teaching on the matter which clearly states when use of girls can, not should, be used; i.e. in remote places where there are not enough boys available.

This fundamental error of "spirit" is a result of a self-focused "my participation" mentality that is one of origins of twisted interpretations of what Vatican II actually said.

Considering the majority of Bishops were in error during the 4th century Arian heresy, and against which stood a handful of Bishops and St. Athanasius, and took the Council Nicaea to silence and correct... it might do well for the "my role" cheerleaders of "modernism" to actually read the Vatican II documents; not the opinions and commentary of secular theologians.

"The road to hell is paved with the skulls of erring priests, with bishops as their signposts." ~ St. John Chrysostom

AMDG
HCSKnight

Quote from Orbis Catholicvs Secvndvs:

"However, just for the record, it is in the footprint of our tradition for only males to serve at the altar in the holy of holies.

Girls are given pride of place in the front pew with the Madonna and angels. Their place is not in the sanctuary; not in the East nor in the West. Our predecessors knew this and we had best be clear in our instruction on this delicate point so as to avoid further confusion."

http://www.orbiscatholicus.org/2010/08/international-gathering-of-altar....

It's a waste of time talking about "common sense" around here, but I'm a glutton for punishment.

Altar servers are generally young children, full of innocence. They don't interact like adults; the boys think that the girls have "cooties."

As the numbers in the article show: Now that girls are playing "altar boy," the young boys go find something else to do.

At this age, boys and girls should be given separate ministries. I know of a parish in which the young girls are taught how to be sacristans, preparing the altar and sanctuary for Mass. Much too complicated for a young boy, but the girls love it.

Parishes nowadays are too "enlightened" to figure out common-sense solutions to keeping all of the young people involved.

Cant resist commentng...

1) Over 10 years as a lector, can't recall any priest acting encouraging to a (male) altar server.
2) Fr A Greeley's book, Priests..., demonstrates that while priests are satisfied with their vocation they are not inclined to actively encourage others.
3) John Eldridge's book "Wild at Heart" demonstrates that feminine Christianity does not offer an appeal to the sensibilities of young action oriented boys/young men.
4) As a grammar schooler, the only clasmate who indidcated a delight in playing with friends at celebrating Mass was named Diane.
5) If you wish to restrict altar serving to males, it is not as though you have a waiting list of candidates.

When you conside the sexual abuse crisis, and the reality that so much of the seminariar community has in recent years been populated by a homosexually significant population, why would any reasonable person promote their children's interest in a hostile environment.