Deacons as a lector

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Abby1

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Would anyone know if a Deacon not vested at Mass (sitting in the pew), can come up and lector either of the first two readings. Ours does it quite often. I know if vested he is always to proclaim the Gospel, but what if he’s attending mass from the pew. Documentation please.
 
Abby1 said:
Documentation please.
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What kind of documentation are you expecting? Besides, when minor Orders were a more widespread thing, a Deacon would have been ordained as a lector before being ordained as a Deacon. So if they can proclaim the Gospel, then they are certainly able to do any of the two readings before it.
 
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something that actually says that an ordained deacon can not do this?
 
Deacons are still instituted as lectors and acolytes before they are ordained, aren’t they?
 
Anyone can read the first and second readings. They don’t have to be a deacon. They don’t have to be vested. That is up to the pastor or celebrant to decide, but there is no general rule of that kind for the Church as a whole.
 
BartholomewB said:
Anyone can read the first and second readings. They don’t have to be a deacon. They don’t have to be vested. That is up to the pastor or celebrant to decide, but there is no general rule of that kind for the Church as a whole.
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This👆

They would or should be in good standing with the church though, I.E. attending Mass regular and etc. I would suspect a Deacon would be. 🙂
 
Abby1 said:
Would anyone know if a Deacon not vested at Mass (sitting in the pew), can come up and lector either of the first two readings. Ours does it quite often. I know if vested he is always to proclaim the Gospel, but what if he’s attending mass from the pew. Documentation please.
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Why are you asking? Is someone else scheduled to read and he goes up anyway? Or is he just volunteering because there’s no one already assigned to read.
 
Glennon_P said:
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Phemie:
Deacons are still instituted as lectors and acolytes before they are ordained, aren’t they?
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Yes…
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So, as an instituted lector isn’t he supposed to be the first choice to read when he’s not acting as deacon?
 
I wouldn’t necessarily think so. I believe the Church wants it’s parishioners more involved, in what they are allowed to do. Part of that is the first to readings, announcements and etc. I’m not super knowledgable about Vat 2, and someone please correct me if I’m wrong, but I think part of it was to have the parishioners more involved.
 
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Pre-ordained deacons = “instituted lectors” after 1-2 years of diaconate formation = 1st, Psalm, 2nd readings plus training of readers
Ordained deacons = Gospel
Deacons in the pew = anything they are asked to do

From GIRM chapter III Duties and Ministries in the Mass (paragraph 101) at http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-wor...uction-of-the-roman-missal/girm-chapter-3.cfm, it states:
101. In the absence of an instituted lector, other lay people may be deputed to proclaim the readings from Sacred Scripture, people who are truly suited to carrying out this function and carefully prepared, so that by their hearing the readings from the sacred texts the faithful may conceive in their hearts a sweet and living affection for Sacred Scripture
 
Phemie said:
So, as an instituted lector isn’t he supposed to be the first choice to read when he’s not acting as deacon?
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That would appear to be the case.

However, the various national bishops’ conferences may set different rules in their nation and of course the bishop has authority over the rubrics in his diocese, so there will be variations from place to place.

My diocese has had a training program for lectors since the early 1980s, with thousands of lay men receiving that ministry since (yours truly included). I can say with a high degree of confidence that there is an instituted lector in the pew at every Sunday Mass in nearly every parish.

However, Bishops Bruskewitz and Conley - hardly in the “progressive” camp - have allowed persons who have not received the ministry of lector to read at Mass, presumably with sone instituted lectors in the pew at the same Mass.

So there must be some latitude for the local bishop in cases like this.
 
BartholomewB said:
Anyone can read the first and second readings. They don’t have to be a deacon. They don’t have to be vested. That is up to the pastor or celebrant to decide, but there is no general rule of that kind for the Church as a whole.
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Indeed! It strikes me on occasion that we live in a hyper-critical age, requiring proof of this or that. For this reason, I have adopted the practice of closing my eyes during much of the mass, lest I look past the log in my eye and take offense at the splinter in someone else’s. I do snap to attention and open them, without fail, at the third elevation (“Behold the Lamb of God…”).
 
I think it is wrong for the deacon to participate in prominent role as a reader in a Mass where he is not participating as a deacon. The 1963 Vatican II document, The Constitution on the Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium has:

“28. In liturgical celebrations each one, minister or layperson, who has an office to perform, should do all of, but only, those parts which pertain to that office by the nature of the rite and the principles of liturgy.”

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) has in n. 171, it has that the Deacon:

“f) carries out the duties of other ministers himself, if necessary, when none of them is present.”

Also from the GIRM:

“59. The function of proclaiming the readings is by tradition not presidential but ministerial. Therefore the readings are to be read by a reader, but the Gospel by the Deacon or, in his absence, by another Priest. If, however, a Deacon or another Priest is not present, the Priest Celebrant himself should read the Gospel, and moreover, if no other suitable reader is present, the Priest Celebrant should also proclaim the other readings as well.”

“99. The lector is instituted to proclaim the readings from Sacred Scripture, with the exception of the Gospel. He may also announce the intentions for the Universal Prayer and, in the absence of a psalmist, recite the Psalm between the readings.

In the celebration of the Eucharist, the lector has his own proper function (cf. nos. 194-198), which he himself must carry out.”

“101. In the absence of an instituted lector, other lay people may be deputed to proclaim the readings from Sacred Scripture, people who are truly suited to carrying out this function and carefully prepared, so that by their hearing the readings from the sacred texts the faithful may conceive in their hearts a sweet and living affection for Sacred Scripture.”

“107. Liturgical functions that are not proper to the Priest or the Deacon and are mentioned above (nos. 100-106) may even be entrusted by means of a liturgical blessing or a temporary deputation to suitable lay persons chosen by the pastor or rector of the church.”

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Ceremonial of Bishops has in the chapter “Offices and Ministries in the Liturgy of Bishops”

“ Readers

30 In liturgical celebrations readers have their own proper function and should exercise this, even though ministers of a higher rank may be present.

31 The office of reader was historically the first of the lesser ministries to emerge. This office exists in all the Churches and has never disappeared. Readers receive institution for an office proper to them: to proclaim the word of God in the liturgical assembly. Hence at Mass and in other rites of the liturgy readers proclaim the readings other than the gospel reading. When there is no cantor of the psalm present, the reader also leads the assembly in the responsorial psalm; when no deacon is present, the reader announces the intentions of the general intercessions.

Whenever necessary, the reader should see to the preparation of any members of the faithful who may be appointed to proclaim the readings from Sacred Scripture in liturgical celebrations. But in celebrations presided over by the bishop it is fitting that readers formally instituted proclaim the readings and, if several readers are present, they should divide the readings accordingly.

32 Conscious of the dignity of God’s word and the importance of their office, readers should be eager to learn how best to speak and proclaim, in order that those who listen may clearly hear and understand the word of God.

In proclaiming the word of God to others, readers should themselves receive it with docility and meditate on it with devotion so that they may bear witness to that word in their daily lives.”

I have omitted the footnotes in the above.

Code of Canon Law, Canon 230 §3 has “Where the needs of the Church require and ministers are not available, lay people, even though they are not lectors or acolytes, can supply certain of their functions, that is, exercise the ministry of the word, preside over liturgical prayers, confer baptism and distribute holy communion, in accordance with the provisions of the law.” (From ISBN 000599375X).

My interpretation of the above is that when there is no instituted lector, the envisaged solution is that another lay person does the reading. A deacon is permitted to do the first reading following GIRM 171 “f) carries out the duties of other ministers himself, if necessary, when none of them is present.” But the “none of them is present” should be taken as referring not just to instituted lectors but also to lay persons chosen by the pastor or rector of the church and entrusted by means of a temporary deputation (as described in GIRM 106). So if there is a lay person there who did the reading on Sunday there is no justification for the Deacon replacing them on Monday.

[Excerpts from the English translation of Ceremonial of Bishops © 1989, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. Excerpt from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 2010, ICEL. All rights reserved.]
 
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JohnLilburne said:
I think it is wrong for the deacon to participate in prominent role as a reader in a Mass where he is not participating as a deacon.
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So as I understand it, you argue that while a deacon is indeed an instituted lector, this role should be seen as tied to his training and office of deacon, moreso than to him personally. Thus if he’s not acting as deacon, he is in effect also not a lector?
 
When a man is ordained as a deacon he becomes a cleric. It would be incorrect to refer to him as a layman. Obviously this does not mean that he was not a layman, but that he is no longer one.

In the same way when he becomes a Deacon it is incorrect to refer to him as an Instituted Lector. This does not mean that he was not instituted, did not participate in the ceremony of institution. But he is no longer an Instituted Lector.

If he is ordained as a Priest, he is not referred to as a Deacon. It would be wrong for a Priest to read the Gospel at Mass when there is a Deacon participating in the liturgy as a Deacon. GIRM 175 describes the reading of the Gospel by a Deacon in Mass with a Deacon. It makes no sense to interpret this as allowing a Priest to do the reading because the Priest used to be a Deacon. The same applies if a Deacon were to do the first reading instead of an Instituted Lector.
 
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