VATICAN COMMUNICATION ON FEMALE ALTAR SERVERS

Congregation for Divine Worship Following is the text of a communication sent from the Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments to the presidents of episcopal conferences permitting altar girls. Rome, 15 #xcellence, $t is m% dut% to communicate to the &residents of the #piscopal Conferences that an authentic interpretation of Canon '() *' of the Code of Canon +aw will soon ,e pu,lished in Acta Apostolicae Sedis. -s %ou .now, Canon '() *' la%s down that/ 0+aici ex temporanea deputatione in actioni,us liturgicis munus lectoris implere possunt1 item omnes laici muneri,us commentatoris, cantoris aliisve ad normam iuris fungi possunt.0 2he &ontifical Council for the interpretation of +egislative 2exts was recentl% as.ed if the liturgical functions which, according to the a,ove canon, can ,e entrusted to the la% faithful, ma% ,e carried out e3uall% ,% men and women, and if serving at the altar ma% ,e included among those functions, on a par with the others indicated ,% the canon. -t its meeting of () 4une 1!!', the mem,ers of the &ontifical Council for the $nterpretation of +egislative 2exts examined the following 5du,ium6 which had ,een proposed to them/ Utrum inter munera liturgica quibus laici, sive viri sive mulieres, iuxta C.I. C. Can. 230 #2, ungi possunt, adnumerari etiam possit servitium ad altare. 2he following response was given/ !A irmative et iuxta instructiones a Sede Apostolica dandas.! Su,se3uentl%, at an -udience granted on 11 4ul% 1!!' to the ost Reverend 7incen8o Fagiolo, -rch,ishop #meritus of Chieti97asto and &resident of the &ontifical Council for the $nterpretation of +egislative 2exts, &ope 4ohn &aul $$ confirmed the decision and ordered its promulgation. 2his will ,e done in the near future. $n communicating the a,ove information to %our #piscopal Conference, $ feel o,liged to clarif% certain aspects of Canon '() *' and of its authentic interpretation/ 1: Canon '() *' has a permissive and not a preceptive character/ 0+aici . . . possunt.0 arch 1!!"

;ence the permission given in this regard ,% some <ishops can in no wa% ,e considered as ,inding on other <ishops. $n fact, it is the competence of each <ishop, in his diocese, after hearing the opinion of the #piscopal Conference, to ma.e a prudential =udgment on what to do, with a view to the ordered development of liturgical life in his own diocese. ': 2he ;ol% See respects the decision adopted ,% certain <ishops for specific local reasons on the ,asis of the provisions of Canon '() '. -t the same time, however, the ;ol% See wishes to recall that it will alwa%s ,e ver% appropriate to follow the no,le tradition of having ,o%s serve at the altar. -s is well .nown, this has led to a reassuring development of priestl% vocations. 2hus the o,ligation to support such groups of altar ,o%s will alwa%s continue. (: $f in some diocese, on the ,asis of Canon '() *', the <ishop permits that, for particular reasons, women ma% also serve at the altar, this decision must ,e clearl% explained to the faithful, in the light of the a,ove9mentioned norm. $t shall also ,e made clear that the norm is alread% ,eing widel% applied, ,% the fact that women fre3uentl% serve as lectors in the +iturg% and can also ,e called upon to distri,ute ;ol% Communion as #xtraordinar% inisters of the #ucharist and to carr% out other functions, according to the provisions of the same Canon '() *(. ": $t must also ,e clearl% understood that the liturgical services mentioned a,ove are carried out ,% la% people ex temporanea deputatione, according to the =udgment of the <ishop, without la% people, ,e the% men or women, having an% right to exercise them. $n communicating the a,ove, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments has sought to carr% out the mandate received from the Supreme &ontiff to provide directives to illustrate what is laid down in Canon '() *' of the Code of Canon +aw and its authentic interpretation, which will shortl% ,e pu,lished. $n this wa% the <ishops will ,e ,etter a,le to carr% out their mission to ,e moderators and promoters of liturgical life in their own dioceses, within the framewor. of the norms in force of the >niversal Church. $n deep communion with all the mem,ers of %our #piscopal Conference. $ remain ?ours sincerel% in Christ, Cardinal -ntonio &refect aria 4avierre @rtas