, a lector is insitutued and blessed by the bishop. A reader is neither of these.Gwen,Can a non-Catholic, specifically a catachumen or candidate, be a reader at Mass?
If your answer is “no” I would greatly appreciate a reference.
If your opinion is “no,” that’s another thing.
Thanks
The only place I’ve ever seen this differentiation between lector & reader is on these boards. In real life in parishes the term is used interchangeably. When they are referring to an Instituted Lector they call him that.Surriter, thanks for the answer, but the link is confusing. The writer uses “lector” and “reader” interchangably and they are different. As I understand it, which of course may be totally wrong
kage_ar, thanks for your answer. I guess “other laypersons” could mean anyone suited, prepared, and commissioned by the priest?
The words reader and lector mean the same thing–and that often causes confusion. Many people (myself included) use the term “Lector” to refer to a duly instituted Lector, and the term “reader” to refer to a temporarily deputed lay reader. That’s nothing more than a convenient way to save some typing.Surriter, thanks for the answer, but the link is confusing. The writer uses “lector” and “reader” interchangably and they are different. As I understand it, which of course may be totally wrong
kage_ar, thanks for your answer. I guess “other laypersons” could mean anyone suited, prepared, and commissioned by the priest?
I am very confused about this. You mean women aren’t supposed to read at mass? I have heard the word “installation” before. I am guessing that means becoming an Instituted Lector, but a bishop has to do this? (I couldn’t wade through all that link you put up there-- thanks in advance for response).
Lector and Acolyte used to be minor orders on the way to ordination. That was discontinued (at least in the ordinary rite) and those minor orders became ‘instituted ministries’. They can be permanent or steps on the way to ordination to the diaconate (permanent or transitional). Few dioceses have permanent instituted lectors and acolytes, they limit those instituted ministries to those preparing for ordination. I know in our diocese we don’t even have Permanent Deacons, let alone Instituted Lectors and Acolytes, although I think for different reasons. Formation to become a Permanent Deacon would require going away to study as there is nothing in our diocese or even in our province. People aren’t lining up to do that. But when it comes to the instituted ministries I’m convinced from the things I’ve seen and heard that it’s strictly for PC reasons, just because it’s reserved for men and having these instituted ministries in parishes would be interpreted as a mysogenistic move by the Church. Most bishops won’t go there.
“Duly Instituted Lectors” are men who have been appointed and installed by the bishop in a special ceremony (similar to an ordination, but not an ordination).
The point I was trying to make there is that doing the readings at Mass is not something we should take too casually–and unfortunately, that’s often the case. People who do the readings can’t be “just anyone”, even though many people either think that way, or want it to be that way.
We call it a commissioning. All the different ministers (readers, EMHC, servers, etc) are commissioned. The Pastor vets those who would like to be EMHCs. They are trained and once he’s satisfied they meet the requirements he sends their names to the Bishop for approval. The Bishops sends back certificates giving them a commission for a set period of time (usually 2 years). When they are approved by the Bishop they are commissioned in a ceremony which is in one of our Canadian ritual books.
If the bishop does it in a specific ceremony, they are “Instituted” If a priest (or even the bishop himself) deputes them for a temporary period, they are “commissioned.”
