Are You An Altar Server?

[kaidoh]

am not, but i can be then again i could ask if i can do the body or blood ummmmmm

[TLJC]

yes you are correct they are permissible...

but as stated above, they have been allowed since 1994 when many bishops and priests were using female servers against the churches wishes. It was only due to constant disobedience that Pope JP announced that although boys were preferred girls will also be allowed to serve but no church will be ordered to use them.

The first time in history that the church has changed the rules due to disobedience. Joseph Ratzinger will correct this soon.
Many bishops and priests still do not use them.
Jesus Christ used Math, Mark, Luke and John not Sally, Jenny, Debby and Alice!

[Noel's angel]

The formal ministries of the Church are open only to males, [b]while altar servers, readers and extraordinary ministers of Communion, whose function is to substitute for the lack of proper ministers, may be delegated to Catholics of either sex. [/b]
Even when these functions are carried out frequently, or even daily, they will always be [b]essentially delegated and substitutive[/b]. In this context the canonical decision to open service at the altar to girls was logical since every other delegated ministry had already been opened up.

This is certainly a break with a very long-standing custom of having only males serve at the altar even in substitutive roles. But it does not appear to be an issue of doctrine.

Nor does the Holy Father's decision open the way toward women's ordination. The papal declaration in "Ordinatio Sacerdotalis" that the Church has no power to ordain women is no mere statement of opinion but, as confirmed by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, an exercise of the gift of infallibility and therefore binding.

While the rights enjoyed by every Catholic are spelled out clearly by canon law, and include among other entitlements a right to the sacraments (see Canon 214), which is certainly not political, this fact has little to do with the question of a "right" to serve at the altar.

Serving at Mass, unlike the Catholic's right to assist at Mass and receive Communion, is a privilege and in some cases a vocation. But it can never be called a right. Therefore, no one has a right to do so and to frame the question in these terms is to use political categories to seek to demand what can only be humbly accepted.

[Noel's angel]

With respect to whether the practice of women serving at the altar would truly be of pastoral advantage in the local pastoral situation, it is perhaps helpful to recall that the nonordained faithful do not have a right to service at the altar, rather they are capable of being admitted to such service by the sacred pastors (cf. circular letter, 4; cf. also Canon 228.1; interdicasterial instruction "Ecclesiae de Mysterio," Aug. 15, 1997, 4; see Notitia 34 [1998] 9-42).

[TLJC]

All i know is the pope doesnt like it, most priests dont and most people that attend church dont.
I know alot about this subject and if you want some advice as i speak with lots of people day in and day out, not just over a forum and the word is... disgraceful...

May i ask you a question?

With all due respect why do you want to be a server when 99.9% of current boy servers dont like the idea, 80% of Priests dont and most bishops. That does not include the people who attend church.
I asked the lads who serve and they hate the idea and would leave if girls joined which in our church will never happen.
Is it your mothers idea? or did you really want to become a server and why? what gave you the idea?

[Noel's angel]

I don't want to be a server

[Noel's angel]

over here everyone is fine with it-must be those crazy Americans

[Noel's angel]

and anyways, no priest is forced to have female altar servers, even if the bishop permits it, so if 80% of priests don't agree with it, why do so few not allow females on the altar?

[avemaria40]

why would he want to limit the number of girls who sing in the choir? that's not fair at all, a girl can use her singing voice to bring others to Christ. are we not going to be allowed to do anything in church soon? wat next, will we have to sit in the back of the church?

[Noel's angel]

i doubt he actually said that-I haven't been able to find a place where he has said that

[TLJC]

he did say that, i am not quite sure why but i am sure there is a reason.

[url="http://list.haifa.ac.il/pipermail/alef/2005-April/002798.html"]http://list.haifa.ac.il/pipermail/alef/200...ril/002798.html[/url]
[url="http://list.haifa.ac.il/pipermail/alef/200...ril/002798.html"]http://list.haifa.ac.il/pipermail/alef/200...ril/002798.html[/url]

these are some websites, some are not in support of Ratzinger but at least its info on this topic. I dont know how anyone can claim to love God and yet turn away the Pope, Crazy crazy..


[quote]Towards the end of Pope John Paul II's life, the man who was to be his successor took on more and more tasks. The late pope allowed "his trusted friend" to make his office the most powerful in the Vatican, exercising an informal veto over the key job of appointing bishops. His hardline influence extended even to the ruling that parishes should not use female altar servers and choristers. In all of this the new Pope exhibited the stern unbending face of Catholicism.[/quote]

[url="http://www.faithfulvoice.com/ratzinger.htm"]http://www.faithfulvoice.com/ratzinger.htm[/url]
[url="http://www.sovo.com/blog/index.cfm?blogger=16"]http://www.sovo.com/blog/index.cfm?blogger=16[/url]

there are many many more sites these are the first 3 on google..

I am from the UK and here it is NOT allowed in most churchs, yes maybe some of them in some small little parts on the country but the overall is its a boys only role: 8 - 16 years old, or 17 - 28 for insight into priesthood, however 8-16 is preffered as sometimes if your 17-28 you can become a direct assist kind of like an altar server but with no role and no seat on the altar only a kneeling bench to the left or right and you take next inline of the sacrement, thats my church tho i dont know what others do.



avemaria40,

there are many things you girls can still do,

[quote]There are, of course, various roles that women can perform in the liturgical assembly: these include reading the Word of God and proclaiming the intentions of the Prayer of the Faithful. Women are not, however, permitted to act as altar servers". [/quote]


Also i do understand you want to be more involved..

Edited July 20, 2005 by TLJC

[Noel's angel]

you didn't really address my points, but anyway...

I don't see your point really, since no priest is forced to have females serve on the altar-if they don't like it, they don't have to have it. Non-ordained faithful have no right to serve at the altar anyway-they are given their mandate by their pastors.

[zabbazooey]

I want to serve but some people think I am too old (17)

[Noel's angel]

my friend was serving at 17

[zabbazooey]

I want to be an altar server, I don't know when the classes are. Lamest excuse ever, I know.

[zabbazooey]

I just called our Church office to ask about serving, and they said they wouldn't want me to because I would 'feel uncomfortable' witht eh junior high kids. D'oh! But I'm going to volunteer for the St. Vincent DePaul Society to help the poor.

[zabbazooey]

I'm not a Lurker anymore! Yay!!

[Noel's angel]

nah, just ask your priest, I'm sure he'll let you know

[Noel's angel]

ahhh well, i guess it just wasn't meant to be lol. St Vincent de Paul is a great group to be involved in as well

[zabbazooey]

Yeah i have to call the lady back today or tomorrow.