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ALTAR BOY
(ACOLYTE)
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Acolytes or Altar Boys are laymen (usually young boys) who normally perform duties of an acolyte (CATHOLIC ALMANAC, page 270). Acolyte is the highest of four minor orders by which one is charged to offer the cruets of wine and water at Mass , to light and bear candles at solemn functions and to serve in minor capacities during liturgical functions. POST VATICAN II Function of acolytes remains the same, but they are called ministries, not orders, and their conferring is called installation, not ordination. This ministry is often exercised by an adult (VATICAN COUNCIL, Rev.Flannery,O.P., page 429) From THE PRICELESS GIFT, approved 4/17/80 by John Paul II . "Women, however, are not permitted to act as altar servers. (Ed. Note: This does not refer to Extraordinary Eucharistic Ministers, which women may become. They distribute the Hosts to the people, and do not serve the priest as an acolyte or altar boy.) CATHOLIC JOURNALS Letter in CATHOLIC VOICE, 9/13/83. About the altar girl controversy; they are forbidden (Quotes CONSTITUTION ON THE SACRED LITURGY and NORMS OF EUCHARISITIC PRACTICE) . . . The more altar girls the less altar boys and vocations to the priesthood. This is where is all begins. From THE WANDERER (St. Paul, MN), 4/21/94, Throwing out a 2,000 year Tradition...Vatican Congregation Discovers Canon Law Allows Altar Girls. Nearly 30 years ago, advocates of women's ordination to the priesthood began employing altar girls as a means to promote their cause, a violation of the Church's 2,000-year-old tradition and a deviant practice that took deep root in many American Catholic dioceses. Over that period, Vatican officials, prominent North American cardinals, archbishops, bishops, priests and laity argued that the use of altar girls constituted a serious liturgical abuse. Now, the Vatican has, apparently, switched sides in the long-running altar girl controversy. Last week...a letter written...by Cardinal Ortas, prefect of the Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship, (declared) that the Code of Canon Law did not prohibit girls from serving Mass, and bishops had a right to determine whether or not girl servers could be used in their dioceses. The letter constitutes a stunning reversal of Church law, a humiliating defeat for orthodox Catholics...and a victory of tremendous psychological value for dissidents , and disobedient Catholics. Some wonder if its release was a pre-emptive strike to block a reaffirmation of the traditional ban ..following reports that Pope John Paul II gave Mother Teresa of Calcutta his word that he would not approve altar girls. From DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER, 7/7/94, p. 5. '"U.S. bishops overwhelmingly' welcome Vatican ruling on altar girls.The National Conference of Catholic Bishops 'overwhelmingly' supported the Vatican's March ruling permitting females to serve at the altar, according to an NCCB announcement. "...'The NCCB expresses its gratitude to the Holy Father and his collaborators for their pastoral concern on this matter.'" SECULAR JOURNALS From ORLANDO SENTINEL, 8/24/86. "According to a survey conducted for the Archdiocese of Miami, 80% of the respondents approved of altar girls. A spokesman, Marsha Whelan, said, `My sense is we're right in there. . . that, nationally, we fit in with how most Catholics think.'" |