www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West One diocese left w/o altar girls - opinions?

The Washington Post has reported that Bishop Loverde of the Diocese of Arlington will now permit parish priests to install altar girls. I guess the priests have to apply to the bishop to do that. (I'm not sure how it works.) This leaves only Lincoln, Nebraska prohibiting female altar servers.

What do practicing Roman Catholics think of this?

Traditionally, the position was that only those able to receive holy orders (someday) were permitted to serve the altar. It was seen as a grooming, a possible stepping stone to seminary. However, nowadays, this just isn't true. I don't think anyone sees an altar boy and thinks "can't wait till he's in seminary" or whatever. So having altar girls isn't so bad. I personally don't care either way, but I see no problems with altar girls.

there are pressing problems in the Roman Church that we could better spend our time on, anyway.

I think this is the pressing problem in the Church today:

Which is why Altar Girls will several damage the Church.

Women aren't allowed in the Sanctuary. (Yes, after Sanctuary that is a period)

There is only one woman allowed in the Sanctuary. I'll give you a hint as to who that is, She is more honorable than the Charubim and beyond compare more Glorius than the Seraphim.....

InCogNeat3, at the RCC nearest to us, there are not only altar girls but lay women who serve communion (EEM's I believe they're called).

It is not my place to criticize, since it is not my church. I will say I can't imagine my church ever entering in to any type of eucharistic communion with a body that allows such things though. When this topic has come up, I have heard the exact same thing from other people.

Very sad in my opinion that such things go on.

Andrew

I went to a Lenten sevice yesterday evening in a RC church and was surprised that there was a female worship leader. I think she was a nun. I haven't been there for Sunday Mass. I sometimes attend daily Mass there. I'll have to attend Sunday Mass there sometime to see what's going on. She did do a good job of swinging the censer, which was rather big!
The service was called 'Evensong' and was followed by a presentation of Islam by a Muslim lady.
I'm by no means an expert, but I do believe there were female deacons in the early church.
-Wolfgang

Well said.

-- John

There was a presentation on Islam at the church? Seriously?

Andrew

The correct understanding goes far beyond a possible future seminarian. The proper term acolyte goes back to the time when these positions were an ordained ministry within the Church.
The problem came when the minor orders were supressed. Orders however minor are reserved to men, it was unfortunate that these minor orders were done away with.
Personally I do not approve of female alter servers, I do however tolerate them. (After all it is not their faults). They do a good job and are consciencous.

Stephanos I

Yes, there was a presentation of Islam by a teacher in a local high school and I thought she did an excellent job. She was raised in Egypt and had gone to Catholic schools all her life. She said the incense reminded her of Egypt and the Mosques of her childhood. Next week, a rabbi is giving a presentation. Another topic was church architecture, which I missed.
-Wolfgang

Wow. What can I say.

Andrew

Dear Wolfgang,

"I'm by no means an expert, but I do believe there were female deacons in the early church." (I'm no expert either)(Obviously )

The early Church had Deaconesses. Deaconesses did not serve in the Sanctuary. Their role was to Minister to Women. At that time, a man could not speak to a woman without her husband or father's approval. Deaconesses worked to convert and Baptize women. Deaconesses Baptized women, because at that time everyone (or at least most) were baptized nude. Afterall, How effective could a Priest or Deacon minister to women if their ultimate goal was to dunk them in water in the nude? Wouldn't you undertake violence if a man approached your wife, daughter, sister, etc. and said something like "profess Jesus Christ as True God and True Man, take off all your clothes, I will dunk you in the water 3 times, and then you sinns will be forgiven you? Deaconesses did and could possibly still be crucial in effective Evangelization and Retention of Souls.

"quote:Originally posted by domilsean:
Traditionally, the position was that only those able to receive holy orders (someday) were permitted to serve the altar. It was seen as a grooming, a possible stepping stone to seminary. However, nowadays, this just isn't true. I don't think anyone sees an altar boy and thinks "can't wait till he's in seminary" or whatever. So having altar girls isn't so bad. I personally don't care either way, but I see no problems with altar girls.

There are pressing problems in the Roman Church that we could better spend our time on, anyway.

Well said.

-- John"

There are no more pressing problems in the Roman Catholic Church than conquering evil!

Dear Rilian,

" InCogNeat3, at the RCC nearest to us, there are not only altar girls but lay women who serve communion (EEM's I believe they're called).

It is not my place to criticize, since it is not my church. I will say I can't imagine my church ever entering in to any type of eucharistic communion with a body that allows such things though. When this topic has come up, I have heard the exact same thing from other people.

Very sad in my opinion that such things go on."

Yes, I also see Lay Eucharistic Ministers
and Altar Girls , etc. as huge impediments to reunion with other, more Orthodox Churches.

For once in my life, I'm considering being practical. Let's a bunch of us pool our resources, buy some nice land in Lincoln, Nebraska, and build a beautiful housing estate - once the word gets around that the Roman Catholic diocese there is actually orthodox, we should be able to sell the houses at a nice profit to Roman Catholics who have had it up to here with altar girls (otherwise known as "serviettes") and all the accompanying aberrations.

Incognitus