I have a question, which is not rhetorical but honest: is any of the Apocrypha ever part of the weekly lectionary in the RC or various Orthodox churches?
yes, and has been for almost 2,000 years. what you call the “apocrypha” were in the Greek Septuagint, which was the Bible used by St Paul and all the other Apostles. We have no record from their writings nor in Sacred Tradition that these books were not accepted as Scripture. If the Bible only contains 66 books, this means that no one had the correct Bible for the first 1,500 years of Church History and the same men used by the Holy Spirit to compile the 27 book NT, somehow got the OT canon wrong. if that is possible, who is to say that they didn’t get the NT wrong as well. see how dangerous this thinking is?
one more point, those who defend the 39 book OT canon point to the Jews and say it is the canon they accept. true enough, but these are the same Jews that Jesus declared to be spiritually blind. He promised the Holy Spirit would be given to believers and lead them to all truth. So the Church, guided by the promised Holy Spirit, was able to determine Scripture from non-Scripture. I believe our God is great enough and powerful enough to make sure His people have the correct Scriptures, not be wrong for 1,500 years. Hopefully you agree.
I have a question, which is not rhetorical but honest: is any of the Apocrypha ever part of the weekly lectionary in the RC or various Orthodox churches?
Yes. For example, yesterday’s (Sunday, July 20, 2014) first Reading at Mass was Wisdom 12.13, 16-19.
Looking at my lectionary, the answer is "yes, mostly."
Tobit -- 6 Weekday Mass readings in Year I
Judith -- --
Esther (12:14-16, 21-25)one pericope in the weekday readings
Wisdom -- 15 pericopes in both Sunday and Weekday readings
Sirach (or Ecclesiasticus)-- a whole bunch, spread across both the Sunday and Weekday cycles
Baruch -- 4 pericopes, Sundays and weekdays
Daniel: The Song of Azariah is used as one of the First Readings
I can't find it readily, but I think the Song of the Three Holy Children is sometimes used as a Responsory Psalm, probably when the Fiery Furnace episode is the First Reading
1 Maccabees -- 4 pericopes, all on weekdays of the first cycle
II Maccabees -- 3 pericopes, one on a Sunday, two on weekdays
This is just from running my eyes down the list of the Roman Missal Lectionary, 1970 edition. There might be some "presider's choice of readings" or "alternate readings" for special Masses or feast days of saints, I don't know.
I can't speak for the Orthodox, they have a different lectionary.
It's very nice, by the way, to answer a question by an inquirer who is actually looking for an answer. :o)