Reader minor orders: Encyclopedia II - Reader minor orders - Roman Catholicism

Reader minor orders - Roman Catholicism

In the Roman Catholic Church, the reader is known in Latin as a lector and is not permitted to read the Gospel during the Mass. The reading of the Gospel is reserved specifically to the deacon, or in the absence of a deacon, to the priest. The function of proclaiming the readings is ministerial, not presidential, and therefore should, if at all possible, be exercised by individuals other than the presider. (Presidential referring to acts to be performed by the presider, ministerial referring to duties performed by someone other than the presider. GIRM No. 59)

When there is no cantor, the lector may be charged with chanting or reciting the Responsorial Psalm. The lector may also be charged, in the absence of a deacon or cantor, to read the General Intentions/Prayers of the Faithful. The lector or lectors may participate in the entrence procession and the recessional; if a Book of the Gospels is carried in procession, it may be carried by a lector if no deacon is present.

In the medieval Catholic church, the lector was a junior-level cleric and one of the four Minor Orders as defined by the Council of Trent. However, as a minor order, the lector was not part of the sacrament of Holy Orders. The lector wore the alb or the surplice.

In 1972 Paul VI reformed the order of lector by making it a lay ministry: "the above-mentioned ministries should no longer be called minor orders; their conferral will not be called ordination, but institution. ... 3. Ministries may be assigned to lay Christians; hence they are no longer to be considered as reserved to candidates for the sacrament of orders. ... 7. In accordance with the ancient tradition of the Church, institution to the ministries of reader and acolyte is reserved to men. ..." From Motu Proprio Ministeria Quaedam.

In most modern parishes, the office of lector is not an instituted office. Rather, it is performed on a rotating basis by non-instituted lay individuals, either men or women.

Before ordination as a deacon, the Code of Canon Law requires individuals to be instituted as a lector and an acolyte, and to have performed these functions for at least six months (Canon 1035).

Formerly, a difference between an instituted lector and somone temporarily performing their role was the requirement to wear vestments: "During the celebration of Mass with a congregation ... an instituted reader must wear the distinctive vestment of their office when they go to the lectern to read the word of God. Those who carry out the ministry of reader just for the occasion or even regularly but without institution may go to the lectern in ordinary attire..." (1981 General Introduction to the Lectionary for Mass, n 54.) Currently, with Vatican approval, a Conference of Bishops can decide to make vestments optional for lectors (2002 General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 339). For example in 2003 approval was given for the USA GIRM: "339. In the dioceses of the United States of America ... lectors, and other lay ministers may wear the alb or other suitable vesture or other appropriate and dignified clothing."

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Roman Catholicism", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki