Wednesday, August 4, 2010

International Gathering of Altar Servers in the Vatican


The past few days have been a blast.  A very important event.  A first ever.

Huge support of German youth for the Pope.  I had never seen so many German and Bavarian flags in St. Peter's Square.

It was an honor to participate as a fellow altar boy with some circa 60,000 plus fellow altar servers.

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.

4 comments:

  1. The term acolyte is taken from the Greek, and means follower/companion. Acolyte is a minor order, the fourth degree and the last of the minor orders. "Their duty is to attend and serve the ministers who are in major ordres." -- Catechism of the Council of Trent.

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  2. Bravo in admitting only males to the sanctuary. Like Communion on the tongue whilst kneeling a tradition to be restored.

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  3. However, it is also the tradition for altar servers to dress properly for that office . . . so why do we see huge crowds of casually-dressed young men ?

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  4. Where there are insufficient number of pious young men to fulfill all the needs for altar servers, pious young women should continue to be allowed to serve.

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