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The satanic attack on the Most Holy Eucharist continues unabated, with Jorge Bergoglio's latest Motu Proprio which allows women to act as lectors and acolytes.
How many of New Zealand's priests and even bishops - let alone lay people - realise that the people they refer to as 'readers', 'Eucharistic Ministers' and 'servers' are in fact subbing for what were once known as the minor orders of 'lector' and 'acolyte', which from time immemorial were reserved to men?
The ministries of lector and acolyte are part of the priestly formation process in seminaries. It's required that candidates for the priesthood receive the ministries of lector and acolyte before they're admitted to Holy Orders as a preparation for serving at the altar, according to Pope Paul VI’s motu proprio Ministeria Quaedam.
Up until now only men have been permitted to perform those functions, which pre-Vat2 were thought of as steps to the priesthood, but were demoted by Pope Paul VI to the status of ministries?
It's a bit late to wake up to that now. As of January 14, women can be installed as lectors and acolytes too. In other words the Jesuit papal foot has been joined by an arm and a leg to push the Church door open wider to the priestly ordination of women.
In his latest motu proprio, in other words his latest Good Idea (of very many: he had 34 Good Ideas in his first 7 years as pope) Spiritus Domini,” Pope Francis rewrites canon law by permitting the liturgical institution of female lectors and acolytes. The ministries of lector and acolyte are important stepping stones on the journey of a seminary candidate towards Holy Orders.
Canon law had previously technically allowed females to serve in these ministries only on a temporary basis, and according to the whim of the local bishop - so in New Zealand we were softened up by the insouciance, the "she'll be right" MO of our bishops, who got around the prohibition on women as lectors and acolytes by just letting them get on with the job.
In the Church of Nice, it seemed like a nice idea. Perhaps because it's so much easier to get women readers and girl servers, they like dressing up, and on the practical level they're better at it. No standing on ceremony in NZ, you know! "We have our own way of doing things here." And those ways don't usually include sticking to the rules, which once they've been forgotten can be officially abolished.
(Incidentally, the Minor Orders never ceased to exist. And for good reason: the last major dogmatic Council, Trent, mentions all seven orders explicitly in the Canons and decrees related to Session XXIII. )
An anxious reader asks: "What does this mean? Does a priest or bishop have discretion, so can he choose males as readers and altar servers in liturgical celebrations if he thinks they are better suited?"
Yes, nothing to say he can't.
"Will the priest or bishop get fragged if they don't have at least 50:50 males and females?"
Quite possibly. In some parishes or dioceses (like the Land of Mordor) almost certainly.
It would seem that the feminising of the Catholic Church will proceed apace, with liberal-minded women seizing the initiative not just for themselves, but pushing their daughters and granddaughters into the sanctuary too, to the point that boys who aren't enthused by their school's notions of maybe changing their sex will be even more put off by having to wear the same gear as the girls. And their fathers, no longer in such demand, so less pressured by their wives to "get up and read", will more and more leave the sanctuary to 'the weaker sex'.
What is your child/grandchild being taught at school? |
"What about the Latin Mass?"
What about it, indeed. Stalinda's ban on Communion on the tongue, which our bishops should never have allowed but instead went for it, and still do allow if parish priests have a mind to continue it (e g the Napier Marists) is a covert attack on the Latin Mass which insists on this time-hallowed and commonsensical practice - and also on male-only sanctuaries, for the same reasons, developed and honed by the Church over the centuries.
Will this edict threaten the Society of St Pius X (SSPX), who adhere to tradition and whose sanctuary at St Anthony's Whanganui is filled to overflowing with little boys and young men, and the pews with families likewise? Or will it have the opposite effect as more and more faithful Catholics, feeling increasingly marginalised in their Novus Ordo parishes by more and more violations of tradition, desert the NO for the usus antiquior?
Live-streamed Mass, St Anthony's Whanganui |
And what's the position now of a priest who celebrates the 'indult' Latin Mass (i.e. celebrated with permission from the bishop) and even now feels the weight of his parishioners' disapproval? If such a priest insists on his right to male servers only, will the bishop withhold or retract the indult?
"There is little doubt in my mind," says our anxious reader, "that Pope Francis is pressing as fast as he can to get female, married, gay priests. "I believe his assurances that he rejects female priests mean nothing."Behind all the efforts to impeach him a second time lurks “our ancient enemy,” the evil one, Satan. The malevolence that nailed Jesus to the cross is the same, in essence, as that which has impeached President Trump.
Anonymous says:
ReplyDeleteThis new move by Pope Francis to allow a greater role for women raises much confusion. Parishioners and priests will be dragged into even more battles with each other. It is important not to be led this way into arguing with each other.
It is the Pope's role, as keeper of Church doctrine, to issue clear and unambiguous doctrine statements that no one needs to argue about. Once again Pope Francis leaves us confused. This is the Pope who says "make a mess'. With this latest move he has surely done that once again.
It’s been a while since I have seen an altar boy at daily Mass. That’s understandable, mind you, because daily Mass is normally celebrated when most Catholics, especially potential male servers, are at work or school. Surely we would increase the numbers of those at daily Mass by offering Mass times to suit all, not just retirees and some shift workers; thus increasing the possibility of more altar boys – and the possibility of drawing more to the priesthood.
ReplyDeleteIt’s all very well to give women a greater church role (they’re already doing most of what’s being suggested anyway), but first let’s do all we can in creating a scenario for getting more priests.
It's a chicken-and-egg situation, I think. Most parish priests being elderly, they don't offer Mass before 9 - 9.30 a m. Consequently it's only elderly people who attend, in the main, so young people at work or school don't get a look-in; consequently the opportunities for boys to serve, as you say, are negligible.
ReplyDeleteIn my parish church, even with a Catholic school next door there are no altar servers during the holidays, many rostered during the term don't turn up and most who do are girls.