zwergel88 Posted August 28, 2004 Posted August 28, 2004 so my question is this, I know that girl alter servers are frowned upon, and not really a good idea. What about a girl being a Eucharistic minister/Extrordinary minister/whatever ? To me it doesn't seem that terribly different from being an alter server. I have an opportunity to sign up to be one this weekend, and I just wanted to make sure everything's kosher for a girl to be one?
Piccoli Fiori JMJ Posted August 28, 2004 Posted August 28, 2004 Most of the population at our parish is female, or at least the population most involved. I'm sure it doesn't make any difference really, what gender the EM are. OUr church is rather lax on a lot of things and is rather liberal, I guess.
franciscanheart Posted August 28, 2004 Posted August 28, 2004 i've never heard of there being a problem with girl altar servers, maybe i have a lot to learn. i am a eucharistic minister and a lector. i know lots of girls that are eucharistic ministers and a lot that are altar servers. maybe our church doesnt do things the right way though. hmmmm
little_angel202 Posted August 28, 2004 Posted August 28, 2004 considering that in 1344 king Philpip of Valois had to recieve a special dispensation from the Pop just to touch the Sacred vessles, what do you think my opinion on this matter would be?
zwergel88 Posted August 28, 2004 Author Posted August 28, 2004 I don't know what you opinion would be. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that I know that girl atler servers are allowed, there are a ton of them at my parish. Alot of people don't like it though because of the proximity to the priesthood or something. I just wondered if girl EM's were an orthodox thing or like a new thing that some people dont' like. I guess that it's not that big of a deal.
zwergel88 Posted August 28, 2004 Author Posted August 28, 2004 bump, I'd still like more opinions please.
voiciblanche Posted August 29, 2004 Posted August 29, 2004 I don't like girl EM's anymore than I like girl altar servers (which is very little.) I strongly dislike how frequently EM's are used, anyway, so I wouldn't encourage anyone to become an EM right now. But if anyone had to do it, I'd prefer it be a man. I'd prefer that Acolyte's (sp?) would do it.
cmotherofpirl Posted August 29, 2004 Posted August 29, 2004 The Church has approved girl altar servers and female EMOHC, so therefore we accept them as well. It is not necessary to be more Catholic than the Pope.
toledo_jesus Posted August 29, 2004 Posted August 29, 2004 Just how do we go about expunging the term "Eucharistic Ministers" from our vocabulary?
Andrea348 Posted August 29, 2004 Posted August 29, 2004 [quote name='cmotherofpirl' date='Aug 29 2004, 12:13 AM'] The Church has approved girl altar servers and female EMOHC, so therefore we accept them as well. It is not necessary to be more Catholic than the Pope. [/quote] more Catholic than the Pope...lol...that is a great analogy... Personally, I think that female EM's are ok. I understand the hesitation with female altar servers because you want to keep the young boys close to the priests in hopes that they might realize their vocation to the priesthood (if present.) I think it is ok for females to be eucharistic ministers because most EM's I've seen are old enough to know what their vocation in life is. I don't know...just what I was thinking.
cmotherofpirl Posted August 29, 2004 Posted August 29, 2004 I would like alter servers to be only male as well, but nobody asked me opinioon. The term Eucharistic Minister is incorrect. THe Minister of Communion is the Bishop, with the priests assisiting him. You are an Extra-ordinary Minister of Holy Communion. EMOHC. The Diocesean Director of Liturgy here said he never wanted to hear that term again or else. He never specified what "else" was....
Iacobus Posted August 29, 2004 Posted August 29, 2004 [quote name='voiciblanche' date='Aug 28 2004, 11:04 PM'] I don't like girl EM's anymore than I like girl altar servers (which is very little.) I strongly dislike how frequently EM's are used, anyway, so I wouldn't encourage anyone to become an EM right now. But if anyone had to do it, I'd prefer it be a man. I'd prefer that Acolyte's (sp?) would do it. [/quote] Redemptionis Scaramentum said that [quote]47.] It is altogether laudable to maintain the noble custom by which boys or youths, customarily termed servers, provide service of the altar after the manner of acolytes, and receive catechesis regarding their function in accordance with their power of comprehension.[/quote] And conuntie to say... [quote]Girls or women may also be admitted to this service of the altar, at the discretion of the diocesan Bishop and in observance of the established norms.[122][/quote] Therefore, Ambers comment is okay and not trying to be "more Catholic than the pope." The Church is encourging male servers as a step for the vocations, that is the intent. Seeing as females cannot be ordined, allowing them to serve may be displacing a male. Moreover, the Church left this topic up to the Bishops of the indiuval diocese. So it can be okay in one area and not in an other (two diocesan bishops said no to female servers). She merely said it was "allowable" but stopped short of condoning it. So I see no err in what Kiddo said about servers.
JP2Iloveyou Posted August 29, 2004 Posted August 29, 2004 Just a quick note, no one, male or female, may be a Eucharistic Minister. Furthermore, they may not be an Extradorinary Minister of the Eurcharist. Members of both genders may be Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, per the local ordinary's permission. This may seem like a small little detail but it leads to much confusion if misused. In addition, it is a simple matter of obedience. My parish still uses the term "Eucharistic Minsters." It drives me crazy. RS could not have been more clear on this point.
zwergel88 Posted August 29, 2004 Author Posted August 29, 2004 hmm, still confused also, please don't argue over the terminology
Noel's angel Posted August 29, 2004 Posted August 29, 2004 in our parish, girl altar servers are fine and female Eucharistic ministers are fine as well [quote]Just a quick note, no one, male or female, may be a Eucharistic Minister. Furthermore, they may not be an Extradorinary Minister of the Eurcharist.[/quote] we have male and femalr Eucharistic Ministers, thats what we call them, we dont have Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist
qfnol31 Posted August 29, 2004 Posted August 29, 2004 Technically there shouldn't be so many Extraordinary Ministers that this becomes an issue. I know of a place, a monastery, where about 400 people attend for Mass on First Fridays. Even those nights, there are two Ministers of Holy Communion, and they're both Priests. Mind you, this is an order with many Priests who could be Ministers at those Masses, but they aren't. Last Saturday I went to St. Patrick's, the Cathedral up in New York City. They had a pretty large number of people at Mass, and only had 9 Priests as Ministers and two nuns as Extraordinary Ministers during Holy Communion. The true Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion is the Acolyte (Canon Law 230), who also happens to be a male. Sorry if that sounded harsh. I'm against the use of Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, much to all my friends' dismay, because I think they are abused way too much today. Believe me, 95% of all the Masses I've been to that use them could easily not and not lengthen their time by much. Now to answer the first question, do I think women should be just as active as men? Honestly, I don't for a few reasons. One, it is the men who are Priests and Deacons, and that is their role, to be the Ordinary Ministers. I know that they have been allowed by Rome, and of course I can't do anything to stop that, but it's not really wrong for us to mention our concerns to our Priest. Come to find out today, our Priest may be getting ride of girl altar servers at a few of the Masses. I think the idea of allowing men and women (or boys and girls) to become synonymous in their roles is to imply that they are the same in soul, and that there need be no distiction elsewhere. I disagree with this, and think that it is really liberating women to show them that they don't have to be like men (sorry, that's something taken from Cardinal Ratzinger). In our society, it seems that women are constantly told that they need to be just like men in everything, and can do everything men do...well, that's not exactly the case... Anways, I promise not to say more on this for a while...I seem to have strong feelings. :ph34r:
qfnol31 Posted August 29, 2004 Posted August 29, 2004 [quote name='Noel's angel' date='Aug 29 2004, 12:43 PM'] in our parish, girl altar servers are fine and female Eucharistic ministers are fine as well we have male and femalr Eucharistic Ministers, thats what we call them, we dont have Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist [/quote] A Eucharistic Minister is a poor name for the Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. There is no such thing as a Eucharistic Minister, but rather Ordinary and Extra-ordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. No one is a Minister of the Eucharist, for that is an improper name for Holy Communion.
zwergel88 Posted August 30, 2004 Author Posted August 30, 2004 Okay, thanks guys for your help, from what I gather from all this, it seems like it should be okay.
voiciblanche Posted August 30, 2004 Posted August 30, 2004 [quote name='qfnol31' date='Aug 29 2004, 03:04 PM'] A Eucharistic Minister is a poor name for the Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. There is no such thing as a Eucharistic Minister, but rather Ordinary and Extra-ordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. No one is a Minister of the Eucharist, for that is an improper name for Holy Communion. [/quote] Note on the name deal - I generally refer to Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion as "EM's." By this, I mean E - Extraordinary M - Ministers. I'm sure there are others that do the same thing.
cmotherofpirl Posted August 30, 2004 Posted August 30, 2004 You might be using the terms "EM" and know that it means Extra-ordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, but does everyone you are talking to have the same understanding?
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