The End of the Male Clergy? Here's What's Happening Behind the Scene
Posted on 01/26/2025 2:08:09 PM PST by ebb tide
Following his Canon Law changes in 2021, Pope Francis has now instituted men and women as Lectors four times, citing the 'common priesthood' in doing so. Liturgical scholars have warned that such actions contradict centuries of Catholic Tradition.
Pope Francis instituted 40 men and women in the ministry of Lector today, marking the fourth time he has done so since his controversial changes to Canon Law in 2021.
During Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica on January 26, Pope Francis formally instituted 23 women and 17 men as Lectors, handing them a copy of the Bible and instructing them to proclaim the faith to young and old:
As readers and bearers of God’s word, you will assist in this mission, and so take on a special office within the Christian community; you will be given a responsibility in the service of the faith, which is rooted in the word of God, You will proclaim that word in the liturgical assembly, instruct children and adults in the faith, and prepare them to receive the sacraments worthily.
The ceremony is a recently formed event, and takes place in light of the Pope’s two liturgical writings in 2021. These include his motu proprio “Spiritus Domini” – by which he changed Canon Law to open up the male roles of lector and acolyte to women – and his apostolic letter “Antiquum ministerium,” which further drew on texts from Vatican II to establish the lay ministry of catechist for both men and women.
The 40 men and women hailed from Europe, South America and the Philippines, and it is by far the largest group to receive the ministry in the four years that Francis has performed the ceremony.
Prior to the Second Vatican Council, the Catholic Church formed seminarians for the priesthood by the series of minor and major orders.
However, in his 1972 motu proprio “Ministeria quaedam,” Pope Paul VI curtailed the “minor orders” of Tonsure, Porter, Lector, Exorcist and Acolyte, as well as the major order of subdeacon, highlighting instead “the universal priesthood of believers.” Paul VI also changed the minor orders from “ordinations” to “institutions.”
The minor orders of Lector and Acolyte are still practiced in seminaries offering the post-conciliar liturgy, but referred to as “ministries” rather than minor orders, due to Ministeria quaedam.
Since Paul VI’s text, the liturgical actions traditionally performed by seminarians holding the respective “minor orders” have been performed by lay men and women in the Novus Ordo liturgy.
By virtue of his 2021 text Spiritus Domini, Francis codified what had become widespread practice in the Novus Ordo liturgy and raising it to a formal ministry.
READ: Pope Francis’s inclusion of ‘female ministries’ continues his pattern of rupture
To accompany the new motu proprio, Pope Francis penned a letter, addressed to then-prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), Cardinal Luis Ladaria Ferrer SJ. In his letter, the Pope asserted that there is “an ever greater urgency today to rediscover the co-responsibility of all the baptized in the Church, and especially the mission of the laity.”
Drawing from the Amazon Synod in Spiritus Domini, Francis urged “the need to think about ‘new paths for ecclesial ministeriality.’ Not only for the Amazonian Church, but for the whole Church, in the variety of situations.”
Focusing his attention on the institution of female ministers, Francis quoted again from the Amazon Synod, saying “it is urgent that ministries be promoted and conferred on men and women[.] … It is the Church of baptized men and women that we must consolidate by promoting ministry and, above all, the awareness of baptismal dignity.”
However, liturgical scholars have opposed Francis’ move. One such individual is Dr. Peter Kwasniewski – Thomist and liturgical scholar – who has long warned against Francis’ opening of the Church’s orders to women and laymen.
Authoring a book-length response to the question of women as ministers – Ministers of Christ: Recovering the Roles of Clergy and Laity in an Age of Confusion – Kwasniewski defended the traditional Catholic teaching on reserving the liturgical ministries to men only.
Spiritus Domini, he wrote, was “a tectonic shift both in theology and in praxis,” before adding:
The motu proprio Spiritus Domini therefore commits a double categorical error by conflating the dignity of the baptized with the dignity of active liturgical ministry.
Joining Kwasniewski was Bishop Athanasius Schneider, of Astana, who has written at length on the liturgical history and import of male-only roles at the altar.
READ: Bp. Schneider shows why instituting women as lectors, acolytes is a huge problem
Commenting on the role of women in the liturgy, Schneider wrote:
“The liturgical service of women in the Eucharistic liturgy, as reader and as acolyte and servant at the altar, was altogether excluded in the theological reasoning of the whole Old Testament and New Testament traditions, as well as of the two-thousand-year-old Eastern and Western tradition of the Church (see the cited study by Martimort).”
Instead, he posited the “common priesthood” – the aspect cited by recent popes in expanding liturgical roles to laity – as being exercised by praying from the nave of the church: “the common priesthood, on the other hand, is represented by those persons who, during the liturgy, are gathered in the nave of the church, representing Mary, the ‘handmaid of the Lord,’ who receives the Word and makes it fruitful in the world.”
With files from David McLoone.
Ping
People need to STOP calling this obvious evil, “Pope”. Pope Benedict did not offer a valid resignation; Pope is not a “shared” position and as such, this evil was not validly elected. He was placed, much like so many of the world “leaders” now. Absolute Evil is currently squatting in the seat, defiling all that it touches. I’ll say it again, STOP calling this evil, “Pope”. The “But… but… but he’ IS the Pope” mentality only allows the evil to continue in the face of common sense. The answer is NO.
I have a question about these Lectors.
I’ve been going to various Catholic churches since 1997. Almost every Sunday.
They call the people who do the readings lectors. 100% of the time one of the two has been a woman. I estimate 60% of the time both are women. When one is a man the prayers of the faithful are led by a woman.
Are these Lectors appointed by the Pope something different? I would observe that for at least the last 28 years women reading from the Bible at Mass is nearly universal practice.
“Are these Lectors appointed by the Pope something different?”
Slightly. In 2021, Bergoglio formalized “lector” and “acolyte” as official “ministries” open to women. As you correctly note, the job of “lector” at Novus Ordo has been done by women for at least the last 40 years, but it was done on an informal basis without installing such lectors in any sort of official ceremony. Critics see this as Bergoglio inching toward female ordination as he remains enamored with the idea that the Church’s future is in aping liberal protestantism
Communits use the hegelian dialectic which is basically incrementalism.
Heartbreaking. This pope is destroying the Church. I waffle constantly with returning to the Church, but then this stuff happens, and he also blesses same sex unions, there’s still no real accounting for all the pedophilia and homosexual behavior in churches and seminaries, and the Church actively undermines the sovereignty of the USA by financially supporting, transporting and hiding illegals.
I deal with my own choices & consequences, but still grieve for the Church of my youth.
There’s a chick in DC who likes to wear Bishop garb and would make a perfect “Lector” for Francis.
,,, the way the Vatican’s going we’ll all be ahead of the game if we’re our own bishop. I’ll get a Hillary Klinton bishop themed pant suit sorted for myself. It’s gonna be fun.
This “CU Next Tuesday” pope is about one thing!
DESTROYING the Church. Nothing else!!!!!
Schism incoming.
,,, Frank’s serving Moloch.
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