Deacons as a lector

[Digitnomy]

So could we drop the qualifier at the end, and simplify your earlier sentence to:
“I think it is wrong for the deacon to participate in prominent role as a reader in a Mass” ?

 

[OddBird]

@Abby1, I am not sure I get what exactly bothers you. Is it that your deacon does the first readings, or is it that he does the first readings without being vested ?

 

[JohnLilburne]

The qualifier is needed because if the Deacon is participating as a Deacon at the Mass then this applies:

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.”

 

[Cor_ad_Cor]

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.

Except the priest doesn’t cease being a deacon, just as a bishop doesn’t cease being a priest. Hence the fact that the bishop can wear the dalmatic if he chooses. Likewise, the deacon doesn’t cease being a lector. These are graduations in the ministries, not solo roles that are traded in like cars.

 

[starlady]

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.

Interesting. My dad, once he was ordained a permanent deacon, was no longer allowed to perform the duties of being a reader or EMHC when not vested. So his name was removed from the rotation for scheduling those duties.

I’m not sure what the basis is for this restriction, but I will have to ask him.

 

[Jen95]

BartholomewB:

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.

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…”).

A ringing endorsement indeed! “I close my eyes throughout the Mass so I don’t have to see what’s going on!”
Full conscious and active participation!

 

[Phemie]

po18guy:

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…”).

A ringing endorsement indeed! “I close my eyes throughout the Mass so I don’t have to see what’s going on!”
Full conscious and active participation!

I have to admit I’ve done the same, many times. It’s easier to concentrate on what’s really happening when you don’t see things that would distress you or cause you to lose focus on what’s happening on the altar and start to concentrate on things that shouldn’t be happening. I’d call that full and conscious participation.

 

[paperwight]

Interesting. My dad, once he was ordained a permanent deacon, was no longer allowed to perform the duties of being a reader or EMHC when not vested. So his name was removed from the rotation for scheduling those duties.

I’m not sure what the basis is for this restriction, but I will have to ask him.

That’s strange. In our parish, both of our Permanent Deacons come up to be EMHCs, even when not vested.

 

[starlady]

starlady:

Interesting. My dad, once he was ordained a permanent deacon, was no longer allowed to perform the duties of being a reader or EMHC when not vested. So his name was removed from the rotation for scheduling those duties.

I’m not sure what the basis is for this restriction, but I will have to ask him.

That’s strange. In our parish, both of our Permanent Deacons come up to be EMHCs, even when not vested.

Interesting, perhaps it is just a diocesan preference.

 

[Jen95]

But don’t you think it’s a sad state of affairs? That there are potentially so many weird things happening that it is less distressing to keep one’s eyes closed during that which is supposed to be the source and summit of our faith?

 

[tafan2]

That is much different than being a lector. They are not functioning as EMHC, but are functioning as OMHC. Which is proper (although they should have their stole on).

It is the same as the old days at large parishes before EMHC, and the non-celebrating priests would appear at mass just to help distribute communion. Indeed, one can make the case that all priests and deacons present at mass should be distributing communion before and lay people are.

 

[JohnLilburne]

Can a deacon who is not vested at Mass proclaim any readings at that Mass?

The answer is no, following the General Introduction to the Lectionary of Mass: “54. During the celebration of Mass with a congregation a second priest, a deacon, and an instituted reader must wear the distinctive vestment of their office when they go to the lectern to read the word of God.”

[Excerpt from the English translation of the Lectionary © 1981, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved.]

 

[JohnLilburne]

Can a vested deacon proclaim the first reading instead of an instituted lector?

The answer is no, because the General Introduction to the Lectionary for Mass has:

“51. ‘The reader has his own proper function in the eucharistic celebration and should exercise this even though ministers of a higher rank may be present.’”

A footnote at the end of this refers to the 1975 GIRM, n. 66.

This instruction makes no sense if one has the mistaken belief than those of higher rank are also readers – if one has the mistaken belief that a Deacon is an Instituted Lector.

[Excerpt from the English translation of the Lectionary for Mass © 1981, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved.]

 

[JohnLilburne]

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.”

A similar expression to this is in the current GIRM, n. 5: “For the celebration of the Eucharist is an action of the whole Church, and in it each one should carry out solely but totally that which pertains to him, in virtue of the place of each within the People of God.”

[Excerpt from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 2010, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved.]

 

[Gorgias]

Likewise, the deacon doesn’t cease being a lector.

Hmm… I was with you on the “priests don’t cease being deacons; bishops don’t cease being priests and deacons”, but I’m not sure on this last statement.

A deacon is no longer in the ministry of “instituted lector”; rather, when he proclaims readings, he does so as a deacon. Likewise, when a priest or deacon purifies the vessels at Mass, he doesn’t do so in the ministry of instituted acolyte; he does so according to his ordained ministerial role.

 

[Bernoulli]

Hmm… I was with you on the “priests don’t cease being deacons; bishops don’t cease being priests and deacons”, but I’m not sure on this last statement.

I agree. Deacons, priests and bishops have a sacramental character, which is permanent, but lower ministries don’t have that.

 

[pnewton]

As it has happened, then it can happen.

 

[dochawk]

That’s strange. In our parish, both of our Permanent Deacons come up to be EMHCs, even when not vested.

Is it even possible for a deacon to be an EMHC, given that he is already one of the ordinary ministers of the sacrament in the RCC?

(it’s different in the East. Deacons are our idea of EMHC :crazy_face: There have been, though, a couple of very rare cases in which bishops have designated specific lay males to distribute in cases where the priest is physically unable to do so. Also, sometimes bishops authorize late diaconal candidates to distribute).

 

[Glennon_P]

Is it even possible for a deacon to be an EMHC, given that he is already one of the ordinary ministers of the sacrament in the RCC?

Excellent point.

 

[tafan2]

Not fair, I made that point above