" />
" />
" />
" />
" />| Recent Featured Videos and Articles | Eastern “Orthodoxy” Refuted | How To Avoid Sin | The Antichrist Identified! | What Fake Christians Get Wrong About Ephesians | Why So Many Can't Believe | “Magicians” Prove A Spiritual World Exists | Amazing Evidence For God | News Links |
| Vatican II “Catholic” Church Exposed | Steps To Convert | Outside The Church There Is No Salvation | E-Exchanges | The Holy Rosary | Padre Pio | Traditional Catholic Issues And Groups | Help Save Souls: Donate |  |
Pope St. Zachary Against Altar Girls
Many years ago we cited Pope Benedict XIV and Pope St. Gelasius condemning the practice of altar girls. After we promoted those references in our material, the passages became widely circulated and they were quoted by other people and groups on the internet.
Pope Benedict XIV: “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.” (Allatae Sunt #29, July 26, 1755)
This is a new citation on the matter from Pope St. Zachary in 747. Note that he condemns the priests who allowed this abuse.
Pope St. Zachary, To Pippin (With Chapters), (Codex Epistolaris Carolinus 5), Jan. 5, 747, Chap. 5: [Against The Practice Of Altar Girls] “Chapter 26 in the book of blessed Pope Gelasius’ decrees concludes on these [questions]: that ‘it is wrong for women to minister at the holy altar or to presume to do anything of what are reckoned to be the duties of men. Nonetheless we have heard (to our annoyance) that such great contempt for divine matters has arisen that women are being encouraged to minister at sacred altars and their sex, as unsuitable as it is, to perform all those things allotted to the service of men. However the whole guilt and blasphemy for each one of the pernicious crimes we have proscribed falls upon the priests, who either commit them, or, in failing to expose those committing them, indicate that they favor wicked excesses.’”
Sign up for our free e-mail list to see future vaticancatholic.com videos and articles.
Recent Content
^