Women and Girls as Altar Servers
Date: November 23, 2025
Author: Fr. Edward McNamara, LC
Question: A recently baptized friend does not understand why some churches reserve the service of the altar to boys. She would be in favor of also having girls at the service of the altar. Thank you for an explanation. — V.D., Bordeaux, France
Answer: This is a somewhat complex issue and has been subject to several historical and canonical developments over the last 60 years or so.
First of all, it is an established fact in Catholic doctrine that the ministerial priesthood is reserved to males.
Although historically the so-called minor orders (porter, lector, exorcist and acolyte) and the major orders of subdiaconate and diaconate were once envisioned as stable permanent orders, they eventually evolved into steps along the way toward the priesthood. Hence, reception of the minor orders was reserved to men who had already received the rite of first tonsure through which they became clerics from the canonical point of view.
Since these orders had become steps along the road to priesthood and thus were exercised only briefly and by very few men at any one time, some of the necessary functions that they carried out during the celebration of holy Mass and other liturgical functions in parishes were undertaken by boys or men who substituted for the clerical orders.
It also became a custom that, at least during the celebration of the liturgy, women were forbidden to even enter the sanctuary area.
A partial exception was allowed in places where the priest was the only male present. A woman was allowed to recite the necessary responses in Latin from the altar rail without entering the sanctuary.
This remained the situation for many centuries.
Following the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council, and in the light of certain theological reflections on such topics as the royal or common priesthood of the faithful, there were many changes in liturgical practice.
For example, the Mass and other rites were celebrated in the local language, the number and variety of biblical readings was broadened, and there was greater emphasis on the active participation of the entire assembly. This also led to adaptations in the design and plan of churches and the sanctuary area. For example, the ambo was restored as a place for proclaiming the Liturgy of the Word, and the priest's presidential chair became a place in the sanctuary and not just an item of furniture.
With these changes in mind, in 1973, Pope St. Paul VI published an apostolic letter, Ministeria Quaedam, in which he announced his decision to abolish first tonsure and the erstwhile "minor orders" of porter, lector, exorcist and acolyte and the "major order" of subdeacon.
Entry into the clerical state would be henceforth exclusively through ordination as deacon. The Pontiff replaced these minor orders with the two ministries of lector and acolyte. The new "lay" ministries were no longer reserved to seminarians. However, because of the historic connection of the ministries with the sacrament of orders, the Holy Father decided that they would be open only to male laity.
The above document also made a distinction between the lay ministry of lector and that of acolyte. While No. V of this document foresaw the possibility that any lay person could be allowed to proclaim the readings (except the Gospels) as a temporary designated minister, this possibility was not extended to altar servers, which remained reserved to men or boys.
In practice, this led to a situation in which the supposedly lay ministries of instituted lector and acolyte remained reserved to those aspiring to ordination either as priests or permanent deacons. Very few dioceses implemented the instituted ministries, especially that of lector, reserved only to men when, as a matter of fact, in most parishes around the world women were also proclaiming the readings as temporary designated readers.
With respect to female altar servers the law that forbade them was usually applied, although some countries did receive permission for exceptions.
However, on June 6, 1994, Pope St. John Paul II approved an authentic interpretation of Canon c. 230, §2 (AAS, 86 [1994], p. 541). This interpretation said:
"Canon 230.2 reads as follows: ‘Lay persons (laici) by temporary deputation may fulfill the function of lector during liturgical services; likewise all lay persons (laici) may carry out the functions of commentator and cantor or other functions in accordance with the norm of law.’
"On 30 June 1992, the members of the Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative Texts pronounced on the following question that had been raised: ‘Whether, among the liturgical functions that lay persons, men or women, may exercise according to Canon 230.2 of the Code of Canon Law, may also be included service at the altar (servitium ad altare).’ The answer given was: ‘Yes, and in accordance with instructions to be given by the Apostolic See.’"
This simple interpretation opened up the possibility of women and girls serving at the altar.
However, the reply said that it would be in accordance with the instruction of the Holy See. The then Congregation for Divine Worship issued the following instructions:
"Canon 230.2 has a permissive and not a preceptive character: ‘laici ... “possunt”.’ (‘lay persons ... “may”’). Hence the permission given in this regard by some bishops can in no way be considered as binding on other bishops. In fact, it is the competence of each bishop, in his diocese, after hearing the opinion of the episcopal conference, to make a prudential judgment on what to do, with a view to the ordered development of liturgical life in his own diocese.
"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 also led to a reassuring development of priestly vocations. Thus the obligation to support such groups of altar boys will always continue.
"If in some diocese, on the basis of Canon 230.2, the bishop permits that, for particular reasons, women may also serve at the altar, this decision must be clearly explained to the faithful in the light of the above-mentioned norm. It shall also be made clear that the norm is already being widely applied, by the fact that women frequently serve as lectors in the liturgy and may also be called upon to distribute Holy Communion as extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist and to carry out other functions, according to the provisions of the same Canon 230.2.
"It must also be clearly understood that the liturgical services mentioned above are carried out by lay people ‘ex temporanea deputatione’ (‘by temporary deputation’), according to the judgment of the bishop, without lay people, be they men or women, having any right to exercise them."
A further clarifying letter from the Congregation for Divine Worship, published in 2001, said priests are not compelled to have girls serve at the altar, even when their bishops grant permission.
Therefore, at least from the end of the previous century, the prevailing liturgical law is that girls may serve at the altar. But it leaves to the bishop the choice of permitting women and girls for a good reason and to the pastor of each parish the decision as to whether to act on the bishop's permission.
It must be said that, at least in the English-speaking world, the vast majority of diocese admit the use of girls as altar servers. The situation differs around the world in accordance with local cultural traditions.
Those diocese and parishes which do not admit girls for this service usually have had especially positive experiences in promoting vocations to the priesthood by catering especially for boys who tend to have a greater need for such structured activities as altar service than girls, who are usually more mature and responsible at the pre-teen stage of life.
It must also be observed, however, that interest in pursuing a vocation usually happens within a broader culture of openness to the call in which other elements come into play, such as the example and spiritual guidance given by good priests, and family support.
Some pastors say that after more than 30 years of experience with female altar servers, the vocational advantage of this separation of sexes is less marked. This is especially so where serving at Mass forms part of a wider Catholic structure, such as a school, or when siblings serve together.
Finally, on January 11, 2021, Pope Francis issued an apostolic letter, Spiritus Domini, issued motu proprio (by his own impulse), modifying Canon 203 §1, of the Code of Canon Law, regarding access of women to the ministries of lector and acolyte. He also released a letter to the prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Luis Ladaria, explaining his reasoning for the decision.
In the document the Pope changed the law substituting the expression: "lay men" for "lay persons." This action eliminated the reservation of the lay ministries to men and hence permits that women can be formally instituted to the lay ministries of lector and acolyte.
In the decree and explanatory letter, Pope Francis gave the reasons why he considered this change was opportune:
"A number of Synods of Bishops had ‘highlighted the need to deepen the subject doctrinally’ in light of present-day challenges and the need to support evangelization.
"Accepting these recommendations, a doctrinal development has taken place in recent years which has highlighted how certain ministries instituted by the Church are based on the common condition of being baptized and the regal priesthood received in the Sacrament of Baptism.
"A consolidated practice in the Latin Church has also confirmed, in fact, that these lay ministries, since they are based on the Sacrament of Baptism, may be entrusted to all suitable faithful, whether male or female."
He also mentioned said that the previous reservation of these non-ordained ministries to men had "its own meaning in a certain context but can be rethought in new contexts, always having as their criteria fidelity to the mandate of Christ and the will to live and proclaim the Gospel transmitted by the Apostles and entrusted to the Church."
Although it is yet premature to see how this change will play out in practice — after all, an instituted minister is usually an adult, and institution requires reaching a certain minimum level of formation — it does take a further step in removing any remaining legal barriers, and pastoral doubts, to woman acting as altar servers.
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