Fr. Z on Pope and altar girls in Germany

It goes without saying that the phenomenon of Altar-Frauen is not an isolated one, but iconic of 101 other liturgical novelties that were not only never mandated by Vatican II but never envisioned (except perhaps by revisionists who even then were entertaining hopes of women's ordination and other "We-Are-Church"-variety novelties). The fact that that such practices have been legitimated and mainstreamed over the past few decades does not change this.

Fr. Zuhlsdorf offers notable commentary on some incisive observations made by Fr. Franz Schmidberger (SSPX Superior for Germany) on the style of Papal Masses during the Holy Father's recent visit to Germany.

Here is a piece of the interview with Fr. Schmidberger:

Q: What do you as the District Superior think of a celebration of the Eucharist in a football stadium with a colorful opening act and with both boys and girls serving as altar servers?

Fr. Schmidberger: All those mass meeting have in them the danger of an “event”, that is they lack the sacral character, dignity and sanctity. And also, in the whole history of the Church, there have never been any female altar servers, simply because this service at the altar is connected in a remote way to that of the Priest, and according to the will of our Lord this is reserved for men. Female altar servers is an invention made by liberal churchmen, for whom the spirit of the times is more important than the faith and the consciousness of the Church, the “sentire cum Ecclesia”. (emphasis by Fr. Z.)

Fr. Zuhlsdorf then comments:

This is a rather clever answer, given the Communiquè of the Holy See: Meeting between CDF and the SSPX during which the “Doctrinal Preamble” was consigned. In that we read this:

This preamble enunciates some of the doctrinal principles and criteria of interpretation of Catholic doctrine necessary for guarantying fidelity to the Magisterium of the Church and to the sentire cum Ecclesia, while leaving open to legitimate discussion the study and theological explanation of expressions and particular formulations present in the texts of the Second Vatican Council and of the Magisterium which followed.

Fr. Zuhlsdorf's final comment: "I think Fr. Schmidberger has a good point." So do I.