Posted on 11/13/2010 12:43:20 AM PST by 0beron
Editor: It's just a matter of time?
Assignments since 1972 already no longer required ordination.
Vatican City (kath.net/KAP) Benedict XVI is evidently planning to allow women to act as lectors at services. This was confirmed by the new prefect of the Vatican Bishops Congregation, Cardinal Marc Ouellet, this Thursday afternoon. Ouellet outlined this in the context of the post-synodal document "Verbum Domini" by Pope Benedict XVI., which dealt with "The word of God in life and in the mission of the Church".
In the 220 page document on the structure of the recommendations of the Bishops Synod 2008 dealt with the necessity of a "rediscovery" of the Bible for the life of the Church, for the engagement in society and for inter-religious dialogue.
(Excerpt) Read more at eponymousflower.blogspot.com ...
From the GIRM:
101. In the absence of an instituted lector, other laypersons (note that it says laypersons) may be commissioned to proclaim the readings from Sacred Scripture. They should be truly suited to perform this function and should receive careful preparation, so that the faithful by listening to the readings from the sacred texts may develop in their hearts a warm and living love for Sacred Scripture.
From Verbum Domini:
Proclamation of the word and the ministry of Reader
The Synod on the Eucharist had already called for greater care to be taken in the proclamation of the word of God.[204] As is known, while the Gospel is proclaimed by a priest or deacon, in the Latin tradition the first and second readings are proclaimed by an appointed reader, whether a man or a woman. I would like to echo the Synod Fathers who once more stressed the need for the adequate training[205] of those who exercise the munus of reader in liturgical celebrations,[206] and particularly those who exercise the ministry of Reader, which in the Latin rite is, as such, a lay ministry. All those entrusted with this office, even those not instituted in the ministry of Reader, should be truly suitable and carefully trained. This training should be biblical and liturgical, as well as technical: “The purpose of their biblical formation is to give readers the ability to understand the readings in context and to perceive by the light of faith central point of the revealed message. The liturgical formation ought to equip readers to have some grasp of the meaning and structure of the liturgy of the word and the significance of its connection with the liturgy of the Eucharist. The technical preparation should make the readers skilled in the art of reading publicly, either with the power of their own voice or with the help of sound equipment.”[207]
Whether you agree or not with females exercising the ministry of reader, this is not anything new or an innovation proposed by the current Holy Father (it predates him by a couple of decades).
The relevant paragraph from Verbum Domini
Proclamation of the word and the ministry of Reader
The Synod on the Eucharist had already called for greater care to be taken in the proclamation of the word of God.[204] As is known, while the Gospel is proclaimed by a priest or deacon, in the Latin tradition the first and second readings are proclaimed by an appointed reader, whether a man or a woman. I would like to echo the Synod Fathers who once more stressed the need for the adequate training[205] of those who exercise the munus of reader in liturgical celebrations,[206] and particularly those who exercise the ministry of Reader, which in the Latin rite is, as such, a lay ministry. All those entrusted with this office, even those not instituted in the ministry of Reader, should be truly suitable and carefully trained. This training should be biblical and liturgical, as well as technical: “The purpose of their biblical formation is to give readers the ability to understand the readings in context and to perceive by the light of faith central point of the revealed message. The liturgical formation ought to equip readers to have some grasp of the meaning and structure of the liturgy of the word and the significance of its connection with the liturgy of the Eucharist. The technical preparation should make the readers skilled in the art of reading publicly, either with the power of their own voice or with the help of sound equipment.”[207]
What it says:
- It MUST be a priest or deacon that reads the Gospel.
- A person exercising the ministry of Reader reads the preceding Reading(s).
- Not every person exercising such ministry is instituted to do so, but must be suitably trained to exercise the ministry.
- As it is a lay ministry, it may be exercised by either a man or a woman.
What the document does not say:
- That there are plans (or that there are not plans) to allow women to be instituted as Lectors.
Also, given that Deacons ARE Ordained (not simply instituted) and that they enter the Clerical state in doing so, the speculation by Vatican Radio's German correspondent is entirely off-base. Framed in the context that I have already mentioned, that would be a huge leap in praxis, and even a huge leap in logic. I am a seminarian, and an instituted Lector, and when I was instituted with my class, it was made extremely clear to us that this is not identical to the old Minor Order of Lector - i.e. we are not clerics, and do not enjoy any of the privileges of being Minor Clergy, as they have been suppressed in the Latin Rite.
All of that said, I certainly think that allowing women to be instituted as Lectors would be extremely destructive to genuine liturgical reform in the Latin Rite, and would widen the chasm that remains between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, as well as between the Catholics and the Traditionalist Catholics who are separated in varying degrees - and that restoring all of the Minor Orders (and as such limiting them only to men) would go a long way in helping to reconcile with both of these groups
But not publicly proclaiming it in a Catholic Mass... unless you happen to be a Catholic priest or deacon.
Every Christian can and should read the Gospels (and the rest of the Bible) - and the Catholic Church is encouraging it fervently! This limitation is only about proclaiming the Gospel at Mass.
Don't know what Bible the Pope is using but God's Word is NOTHING about inter-religious dialogue.
God's Word is ALL about inter-religious dialogue - drawing the entire world to His Son, Jesus Christ. That is the only purpose of said 'inter-religious dialogue'.
“All of that said, I certainly think that allowing women to be instituted as Lectors would be extremely destructive to genuine liturgical reform in the Latin Rite, and would widen the chasm that remains between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, as well as between the Catholics and the Traditionalist Catholics who are separated in varying degrees - and that restoring all of the Minor Orders (and as such limiting them only to men) would go a long way in helping to reconcile with both of these groups.”
Just a quick note of minor disagreement with your otherwise fine post. I am assuming that an “Instituted Lector” is the same as a Reader in the Orthodox Church. In the Church of Constantinople and its Eparchies as well as in at least the Church of Greece, women are in fact tonsured as Readers which is for us a minor order. If I recall correctly, and it was many, many years ago, I believe a woman was tonsured by our then bishop as a Reader the same day I was.
As an aside, do you folks tonsure altar boys? We do. In fact any man who is allowed into the altar (women are not allowed in) is supposed to be tonsured. This is not really a big deal as most Orthodox boys, traditionally, are altar boys at one point in their lives.
Ok I'm not a Catholic but I've got to ask what would the reading of the first be or what type of readings. And the same question goes for the second readings. What type would it also be.
The only thing I can think of is one reading is from the Old Testament and the other a reading is from the New Testament.
Really? You better tell St. Paul. Acts 17:22-31.
Not from the pulpit at Mass you don’t.
Guys, for the record, your contact on church matters is 0beron, not Oberon. His begins with a Zero, mine begins with an Oh. No harm no foul, but I hate to think that he’s missing his pings.
No, they don’t tonsure altar boys, but I am sure they used to tonsure them when they were actual “acolytes” - one of the minor orders.
What do lectors really do in Catholic services?
We had a female reader for a passage on the crucifiction. She could not finish the job. She just starting crying uncontrollably. Everybody joined with her.
there are several readings preceding the Gospel reading. The first is usually from the Old Testament, although during Easter the first comes from The Acts of the Apostles. After this there is a Psalm, usually sung. Then there is a reading from one of the Epistles in the New Testament.
For the last reading, the Gospel, everyone stands and it is taken from one of the four Gospel accounts. It usually covers a direct teaching of Jesus Christ or a parable.
There is no “inter-religious dialogue” in Acts 17:22-31. There is no “dialogue” at all. It is a direct proclamation telling idol worshipers to repent of their idolatry and believe upon the resurrected Christ.
We don’t call preaching “dialogue.”
I have preached to groups of Buddhists in Asia and told them to repent of their Buddhism and trust Jesus Christ alone. It can’t be called “dialogue with the Buddhists.
If the church is empty, has their been a sermon? Preaching requires two, hence dialogue. After all, St. john tells us that "In the beginning was the Logos" (in the original greek). After the creation of Adam it became a dia-logos.
I don’t get it... In my parish (Roman Catholic), we have had female lectors for years.
“Whether you agree or not with females exercising the ministry of reader, this is not anything new or an innovation proposed by the current Holy Father (it predates him by a couple of decades).”
Exactly!!!!
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