Allowing girl acolytes ends prejudice, inequality

Catholic News Service reports that the Vatican says allowing girls to serve at the altar as acolytes has ended prejudice and inequality:


Permitting girls to serve at the altar marked the end of a form of inequality in the church and allowed girls to experience the formative power of directly assisting with the mystery of the Eucharist -- the core of the Christian faith, said the Vatican newspaper.

Assisting the priest during Mass is both a service and a privilege and represents "a deep and responsible way to live one's Christian identity," said an article published Aug. 7 in L'Osservatore Romano.
...

Permitting girls to assist at the altar "has meant the idea they were impure because of their gender came to an end" and has meant girls, too, "could live out this extraordinarily important formative experience," it said.

The article came the same week Pope Benedict XVI met with more than 53,000 altar servers from Europe during his Aug. 4 weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square. The majority of young pilgrims, aged 14-25, were female -- 60 percent, according to organizers.


First you let them be acolytes - pretty soon they think they can be priests!

Posted by Ann Fontaine on August 9, 2010 11:16 PM | |
Comments (3)

This same pope has stated that denying women the opportunity of serving at the altar as priests actually honors them as women. The mental gymnastics required to believe that are difficult at best. I do not believe it.

Posted by Peter Pearson [TypeKey Profile Page] | August 10, 2010 7:00 AM

Way back in the mid 60's a young woman asked me, "Father, can I be an acolyte." Not able to think of a single rational reason why she couldn't, I said, "Yes." Then a woman wanted to be a layreader. All because of that "yes" we now have women as priests, bishops, and even Primate.

Rome better watch out. Once the door is opened even a crack to that irresistable
force, they can expect a woman pope in 50 years or so.

Posted by Paul Woodrum [TypeKey Profile Page] | August 10, 2010 10:08 AM

Hooray for priests like you, Paul. There is a photo of girl acolytes in Jackson WY from the 20s -- I think this has been happening for a long time in the west.

Posted by Ann Fontaine [TypeKey Profile Page] | August 10, 2010 11:27 AM

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