Q: Our pastor is training the third graders I teach as altar servers. Five in the class of 45 are baptized but not Catholic. I know they can be lectors but can they be altar servers? Could the Bishop give that permission?
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A: Back in 2017, I answered a question about unbaptized altar servers: https://paulturner.org/catechumens-altar-servers/
But in 2024 we got new legislation: https://paulturner.org/unbaptized-servers-updated/
Neither of these applies to baptized, non-Catholic servers.
Regarding readers, here’s another post: https://paulturner.org/readers-at-a-wedding/, where I advised that the bishop be consulted for children baptized in another denomination to serve at Mass.
From what I can tell, there is no clear restriction on baptized Christian children assisting at the altar, but they may read the scriptures only with permission from the bishop.
That said, it would be opportune to visit the parents of the children to enquire if they have any desire to join the Catholic Church so that the children may participate fully, consciously, and actively in the most important part of the Mass: holy communion.
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