"Minor Orders" in Traditional communities

[ReaderT]

Hey all, just a few questions about Minor orders:

“Minor” orders (Lector, Acolyte, Porter, etc.) were suppressed in 1972, but how about in traditional communities (FSSP, TLM parishes, etc)?

• Do you ordain or tonsure Lectors / Subdeacons / Acolytes?
• Do you call men by their title? (as in the Eastern church: “How are you, Reader George? Subdeacon Stephen is over there…”)
• Do these men wear the cassock or any other distinguishing garb outside service, as we do in the East?
• In general what’s the role of minor orders in your community / society?

Thanks in advance
-Reader T

 

[Fauken]

Do you ordain or tonsure Lectors / Subdeacons / Acolytes?

Yup, they’re ordained.

Do you call men by their title? (as in the Eastern church: “How are you, Reader George? Subdeacon Stephen is over there…”)

I’ve never heard them addressed as such. Subdeacons are, if I remember correctly, are formally addressed in letters as “Reverend Mr.” Deacons are addressed the same way.

Do these men wear the cassock or any other distinguishing garb outside service, as we do in the East?

I’ve seen subdeacons in the ICKSP wear cassock, so I think so, at least for them.

In general what’s the role of minor orders in your community / society?

Generally they’re seminarians still in formation, so they don’t have much of a role outside the seminary, I assume.

 

[OldCAFMember]

Please understand that prior to 1972, the subdiaconate was a major order, not minor. Look in any text prior to Vatican II, and you will see the three holy orders listed as subdeacon, deacon, and priest. Bishop was seen as the fullness of the priesthood, rather than a separate order, which is why bishops were consecrated, rather than ordained. Subdeacons incurred the obligations of the breviary and celibacy, and were titled as The Rev Mr. Theologians did not claim that the subdiaconate was divinely instituted as the others were (which is what made it possible to discard it), , but it was ancient, as we know that it already existed in the year 250.

Since the order was suppressed, and canon law now only recognizes deacons, priests, and bishops and clerics, subdeacons of traditional communities are a gray area, as they are canonically still laymen. For this reason, their time in the subdiaconate is usually quite brief, ranging from a few weeks to three months. The terms of Ecclesia Dei allows them the privilege of being titled The Rev. Mr., and they function as clerical subdeacons, but canonically, they are not clerics until they are deacons, unlike the past. They are not usually in parishes during this time, so it rarely comes up there. But when it does, they are subdeacons.

For clarity the four minor orders are porter, lector, exorcist, and acolyte.

 

[twf]

Of course Eastern Catholic Churches still truly and canonically ordain subdeacons et al…