My first thought is "Why is this in the anonymous forum"? I cannot see how the topic fits any of the criteria set by the forum owner for anonymous posting.  It might be concerning that there are males too timid to have the courage of their convictions and to be able to boldly speak out without hiding behind anonymity.

Anyways, I agree with this from Reply #4 (subsequently attacked in Reply #8):

It’s called chivalry and being a gentlemen, something that was, for the most part, lost by the X generation and the generations that followed.

Chivalry, being a gentleman, having consideration for others, have always been high marks of tradition and signs of a civilized people. When a family is about to enter a church should the husband / father approach first and hold the door open while his family enters? Or, should he boldly go in first and let the door slam in the face of his wife and the mother of his children?

We will soon recall the Holy Family's flight into Egypt. The art depictions of this journey all show Mary holding the infant Jesus and riding a donkey. St. Joseph is variously shown leading the donkey, walking alongside it, or following behind, which is to say that there is no defined tradition about where he was in the procession. Do some think these depictions are wrong and that St. Joseph should be on the donkey with the Blessed Mother walking behind, to "show a woman's place" so to speak?

You bring up an interesting point. Did husbands and wives even sit together during Mass before Vatican II? Weren't the sexes segregated?

I believe that was the custom at one point, I'm not sure what the children did (Girls with the mother and boys with the father?  All small children with the mother?).  I was born in 1951 and in my pre VII era families sat together. at Mass.  At parochial school Masses we were segregated, girls on the Gospel side and boy on the Epistle side.

My first thought is "Why is this in the anonymous forum"? I cannot see how the topic fits any of the criteria set by the forum owner for anonymous posting.  It might be concerning that there are males too timid to have the courage of their convictions and to be able to boldly speak out without hiding behind anonymity.

And who made you the forum police?

I used to stand aside and let my wife go first to the communion rail out of chivalry, ladies first, open the door for her sort of thing.  I no longer do.  I now lead her to the communion rail.  

A while back after giving it some thought, I noticed the priest always gives communion to the husband first at a Nuptial Mass.  I've never asked why that is, but that is reason enough for me to have made the change. 

God Bless

cz

I've read so many crazy things on this site.

Yeah, no kidding! So now simple etiquette, with it's roots in Christian Chivalry, is promoting feminism? Good grief. By that logic, since altar boys precede the Priest when he is making his way to the altar to commence the Mass, the Church Herself must be promoting some kind of ageism! I hope it doesn't go to those boy's heads! /s

Possibly just so that they're sitting in the same places when they return to their seats.

You mean swapped places…

I always follow my wife when we go up for communion.  Always.