The Holy See is not opposed to girls as altar servers, says
a press statement by the Catholic bishops of England and Wales.
According to the statement released Tuesday, the bishops discussed with the
Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments the much-leaked draft
instruction concerning abuses involving the Eucharist.
After the meeting, the episcopal conference's liturgy
adviser, Father Allen Morris, summarized the results for the forthcoming
December edition of the Liturgy Newsletter.
"Because the text of the instruction is not yet finalized, it is not
possible to say for certain what it will contain," he said. "However,
it is clear that bishops [will] remain free to authorize the ministry of altar
girls in their dioceses; that the encouragement to Communion under both
species, recently re-emphasized in GIRM, is not being withdrawn; and that
liturgical dance or perhaps more accurately 'rhythmic movement' such as is
indigenous to a local culture, most commonly in Asia and Africa, remains
authorized."
GIRM is a reference to the third revised edition of the General Instruction of
the Roman Missal.
Father Morris, who is secretary of the bishops' Department for Christian Life
and Worship, added that his understanding from the meeting was that "the
practice of interpolating dance and other 'entertainment' into the liturgy, in
ways more common in Europe and North America, continues to be considered
inappropriate."
Bishop Mark Jabale, chairman of the Department for
Christian Life and Worship, said: "Cardinal Francis Arinze
stated that the reasons these issues were being addressed was because of
particular situations in other countries where there were abuses. He said none
of that was related to the Church in England and Wales." Cardinal Arinze is the prefect of the Congregation for Divine
Worship.
Reflecting on leaks to newspapers that altar girls might be banned by the
Vatican, Bishop Jabale said: "The stories
unsettled people and caused an enormous number of letters to bishops. It was
not helpful and, in the end, these things are not going to happen."