www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Question regarding the Sanctuary

I have a question regarding the sanctuary and females. I�m not sure this is the proper forum in which to ask it, so please excuse me if I�ve made a mistake.

I worship at an UGCC, it being the only eastern rite parish in the state. It is an extremely small mission parish, with a bi-ritual priest. This priest recently asked us (all 10 of us) what the �custom� of the UGCC is in regards to women in and around the Sanctuary/Altar. None of us had an answer and so I am wondering if anyone can shed some light on this for me? Pointers to actual �official� sources would be most helpful, so that I might pass them on to Fr.

Any info. Greatly appreciated.

~Isaac

Isaac,

No women allowed behind the Iconostance.

Dear Isaac,

No women (or men who do not serve any liturgical function) should go beyond the Iconostasis.

In practice, this rule isn't always applied. And there are priests who will take newly-baptised girls into the iconostasis and around the altar, just as they do for boys.

I see no problem with that at all.

Alex

When we were baptized my son and I were led around the altar three times and my wife and daughter were presented before the icon of the Theotokos outside the iconostasis. I have never heard or seen an Orthodox Church doing this any differently, except of course in the case of an infant who would be held by the priest.

It seems nearly unthinkable to me that a priest serving in a church of Eastern heritage would be unaware of what the protocols are of who may be behind the iconostasis and who may not.

Andrew

I appreciate the responses so far, but can anyone please point me towards official statements regarding this issue? I don't want our bi-ritual priest to think I am expressing my personal opinion in attempting to answer his question.

As a mission, we struggle and make do. Rather than being critical of our bi-ritual priest and his lack of knowledge, we as a mission would rather educate him in love and much thanksgiving for his willingness to shepherd us until such a time that we have our own priest.

Your counsel and prayers are much appreciated. If you've a spare eastern rite Catholic priest laying around, send 'em our way!

~Isaac

Dear Isaac,

The priest himself should KNOW the rules on such a basic issue!

Is he a Latin priest who later received EC faculties?

As Andrew pointed out, it is incomprehensible that a priest with Byzantine Catholic faculties could be ignorant of the rules in this regard.

Alex

From the Particular Law of the Metropolia of Pittsburgh:

Canon 707 �8. Women are prohibited from serving at the altar.

Which is simply a reiteration of the Ordo Celebrationis published by Rome for the Ruthenian Recension which includes Ukranians. It also states women are not allowed in the sanctuary or to serve at the altar.

Fr. Deacon Lance

Thank you Fr. Deacon, that is exactly what I was looking for.

Alex/Andrew - I agree with you completely. Says something about the process whereby a Latin priest receives EC faculties... but that is a whole other thread. (I walk a fine line here, so will refrain from further comment.)

~Isaac

Isaac, the particular law of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in the USA applies to any priest serving within the UGCC in the States. The old Archeparchial Statutes have been replaced with the "Pastoral Guide of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in the USA" as of 1999, and these are in force for any priest, biritual or otherwise, serving in the UGCC in the USA. And as previously mentioned, the Ordo also gives basically the same instruction.

Article 462 of the Pastoral Guide of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in the USA:
FDD

Would this therefore prohibit female 'servers'? (I imagine yes, but want to clarify.) I ask because I get the feeling that this is the direction our priest's question might be headed.

~Isaac

The only possible exception to this is if you have an elderly widow woman who cleans the church. I think then it is permissible or at least the priest permit her to go behind the iconostasis and clean.

Article 462 of the Pastoral Guide of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in the USA:

Only priests, deacons, minor clerics and servers are allowed in the altar. The laity who do not perform any function relating to the services must not be given a place in the altar. Women are never permitted in the altar during any services.

That pretty much says it all. However, if your priest insists on splitting hairs call the chancery and have them give him a call to explain the plain meaning of: Women are never permitted in the altar during any services.

That seems very clear to me. Any services. But to clarify your question further, from Article 278, Paragraph 1 of the Pastoral Guide:

FDD

Many thanks for everyone's patience in instructing me on this matter.

~Isaac

I have run into one exception to the "no women in the altar" rule, in the context of Eastern Orthodoxy. There was a lecture at St. Tikhon's OCA (men's) Monastery, I believe last Fall, by the woman monastic who is superior of the OCA women's monastery in Elwood City, Pa. She indicated that the local Bishop blesses certain nuns to serve in the Altar when they have services at the monastery, since men (other than the priest) are not allowed inside the monastery. She stated that when she first saw this, when discerning a monastic vocation, that it was shocking to her.

Dn. Robert