A 2001 Vatican ruling has resurfaced, confirming that bishops cannot require priests to use female altar servers. The letter, issued by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments under Cardinal Jorge Arturo Medina Estévez, was published on 27 July 2001 and reaffirmed the rights of priests over liturgical decisions in their parishes.
The document states: “A priest may not be obliged to have women or girls as altar servers, nor may the diocesan Bishop oblige him to do so.” It also quotes a circular letter sent to the presidents of episcopal conferences on 15 March 1994: “It will always be very appropriate to follow the noble tradition of having boys serve at the altar,” noting the role of such service in fostering vocations to the priesthood. The letter was issued in response to an unnamed bishop who had written to the Vatican seeking to mandate female altar servers for all priests in his diocese.
