The marginal role of the modern altar server

Roberto of Messainlatino.it reports that the declining presence of altar servers in parish celebrations is a symptom of a crisis in Catholic identity and vocations. He states that altar service was previously a way to foster priestly vocations and spiritual discipline, but it has become sporadic or folkloristic.

The report attributes this decline to post-conciliar ideological choices, specifically the systematic infantilization of the role. Roberto claims that as liturgical action shifted toward a community-focused model, the altar server stopped being a solemn assistant learning sacred gestures and reverence. Instead, the role has become a form of animation that young people often abandon when they reach adolescence to avoid being associated with practices perceived as childish.