Jennifer Zickel Fighting For The Rights Of Altar-Girls
Jennifer Zickel Fighting For The Rights Of Altar-Girls OUTH RIDING, Va. (WUSA) - - Jennifer Zickel never expected to be at the forefront of this fight but she believes it is now "God's calling." The …More
Jennifer Zickel Fighting For The Rights Of Altar-Girls
OUTH RIDING, Va. (WUSA) - - Jennifer Zickel never expected to be at the forefront of this fight but she believes it is now "God's calling."
The northern Virginia mom is lobbying the Arlington Diocese to reconsider allowing priests to change a policy the Vatican instituted in 1994. Back then, the Pope allowed girls to serve on the altar correcting what he called "a profound inequality."
Yet, the Arlington Diocese only started permitting girls into altar service in 2006 and allowed individual priests to make that decision.
Now, only 40% of the parishes in the diocese allow girls to serve.
Corpus Christi in South Riding was one of them until last fall. That's when the new pastor announced in the bulletin that boys alone will be trained.
"I had to leave mass. I had tears in my eyes because I knew what that meant for my family," said Jennifer Zickel mother of 2 young girls.
The Zickel family is one of about a dozen families who left the …More
OUTH RIDING, Va. (WUSA) - - Jennifer Zickel never expected to be at the forefront of this fight but she believes it is now "God's calling."
The northern Virginia mom is lobbying the Arlington Diocese to reconsider allowing priests to change a policy the Vatican instituted in 1994. Back then, the Pope allowed girls to serve on the altar correcting what he called "a profound inequality."
Yet, the Arlington Diocese only started permitting girls into altar service in 2006 and allowed individual priests to make that decision.
Now, only 40% of the parishes in the diocese allow girls to serve.
Corpus Christi in South Riding was one of them until last fall. That's when the new pastor announced in the bulletin that boys alone will be trained.
"I had to leave mass. I had tears in my eyes because I knew what that meant for my family," said Jennifer Zickel mother of 2 young girls.
The Zickel family is one of about a dozen families who left the …More
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The real sadness here is not the issue of "altar girls". Ms Zickel left the church over an issue that is on the "surface" of the church. She quotes Jesus, "Let the little children come to me", yet she now deprives her own children of the Eucharist. This is both a tragedy and a scandel. Maybe this is really more about her than about her children? Shame on her for being so selfish.
Temperance
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WOW! Isn't there better things to fight for? This is stupid! This woman has too much time on her hands. Can't she see that alter boys belong with the priest not the girls. Girls can't be priests so why should they be up there? Next thing you will see is gay teenage boys demanding to enter the convent! 
mareksitar
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This woman got it wrong;
she might have been spiritually abused;
not Blessed John Paul but perhaps Fr. Liar said that in her church.
she might have been spiritually abused;
not Blessed John Paul but perhaps Fr. Liar said that in her church.
signofcontradiction
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In 1755, Pope Benedict XIV said:
"Pope Gelasius in his ninth letter (chap. 26) to the bishops of Lucania condemned the evil practice which had been introduced of women serving the priest at the celebration of Mass. Since this abuse had spread to the Greeks, Innocent IV strictly forbade it in his letter to the bishop of Tusculum: "Women should not dare to serve at the altar; they should be altogether …More
In 1755, Pope Benedict XIV said:
"Pope Gelasius in his ninth letter (chap. 26) to the bishops of Lucania condemned the evil practice which had been introduced of women serving the priest at the celebration of Mass. Since this abuse had spread to the Greeks, Innocent IV strictly forbade it in his letter to the bishop of Tusculum: "Women should not dare to serve at the altar; they should be altogether refused this ministry." We too have forbidden this practice in the same words in Our oft-repeated constitution Etsi Pastoralis, sect. 6, no. 21."en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_altar_servers
In 1970 the Congregation for Divine Worship said: "In conformity with norms traditional in the Church, women (single, married, religious), whether in churches, homes, convents, schools, or institutions for women, are barred from serving the priest at the altar."
In 1980, the Congregation for Divine Worship repeated this prohibition in Inaestimabile Donum: "There are, of course, various roles that women can perform in the liturgical assembly ... Women are not, however, permitted to act as altar servers."
In 1994 the Congregation for Divine Worship issued a "clarification" of canon 230.2 in the 1983 Code of Canon Law. The canon did not explicitly mention altar servers, but the official clarification (twelve years later) said that it could be interpreted as permitting, but not requiring, bishops to allow women and girls to serve at the altar.
"The Holy See respects the decision adopted by certain Bishops for specific local reasons on the basis of the provisions of Canon 230 2. At the same time, however, the Holy See wishes to recall that it will always be very appropriate to follow the noble tradition of having boys serve at the altar. As is well known, this has led to a reassuring development of priestly vocations. Thus the obligation to support such groups of altar boys will always continue."
"Pope Gelasius in his ninth letter (chap. 26) to the bishops of Lucania condemned the evil practice which had been introduced of women serving the priest at the celebration of Mass. Since this abuse had spread to the Greeks, Innocent IV strictly forbade it in his letter to the bishop of Tusculum: "Women should not dare to serve at the altar; they should be altogether refused this ministry." We too have forbidden this practice in the same words in Our oft-repeated constitution Etsi Pastoralis, sect. 6, no. 21."en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_altar_servers
In 1970 the Congregation for Divine Worship said: "In conformity with norms traditional in the Church, women (single, married, religious), whether in churches, homes, convents, schools, or institutions for women, are barred from serving the priest at the altar."
In 1980, the Congregation for Divine Worship repeated this prohibition in Inaestimabile Donum: "There are, of course, various roles that women can perform in the liturgical assembly ... Women are not, however, permitted to act as altar servers."
In 1994 the Congregation for Divine Worship issued a "clarification" of canon 230.2 in the 1983 Code of Canon Law. The canon did not explicitly mention altar servers, but the official clarification (twelve years later) said that it could be interpreted as permitting, but not requiring, bishops to allow women and girls to serve at the altar.
"The Holy See respects the decision adopted by certain Bishops for specific local reasons on the basis of the provisions of Canon 230 2. At the same time, however, the Holy See wishes to recall that it will always be very appropriate to follow the noble tradition of having boys serve at the altar. As is well known, this has led to a reassuring development of priestly vocations. Thus the obligation to support such groups of altar boys will always continue."
signofcontradiction
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Pope John Paul II said explicitly that serving at the altar is not a "right."
The secularized thinking of the people in this article would have to conclude that the Church has been guilty of a profound injustice for almost two thousand years. If there is a "profound inequality" in having only males serve at the altar, what about the priesthood and the episcopacy?More
Pope John Paul II said explicitly that serving at the altar is not a "right."
The secularized thinking of the people in this article would have to conclude that the Church has been guilty of a profound injustice for almost two thousand years. If there is a "profound inequality" in having only males serve at the altar, what about the priesthood and the episcopacy?
The secularized thinking of the people in this article would have to conclude that the Church has been guilty of a profound injustice for almost two thousand years. If there is a "profound inequality" in having only males serve at the altar, what about the priesthood and the episcopacy?
Holy Cannoli
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In a better time and place these kinds of whinny little objections to church authroity would not have occurred.
www.cartoonstock.com/…/awhn183l.jpg
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In a better time and place these kinds of whinny little objections to church authroity would not have occurred.
www.cartoonstock.com/…/awhn183l.jpg
www.cartoonstock.com/…/awhn183l.jpg