Okay for lay person to do gospel reading?

[Chortle]

A lay person at my parish read the first gospel reading on Palm Sunday. The gospel reading that I’m refering to is the one prior to the procession and not the long gospel reading of the passion that the whole congregation participated in later in the liturgy. I called the priest on Monday to tell him that I had questions and asked for clarification. He said that it was “kosher” for a lay person to do this reading because we didn’t have a deacon to do it and he wants to encourage voices other than his own to be heard during the liturgy. I remain troubled by his answer. What are the Church’s instructions regarding this?

 

[MarieVeronica]

A lay person at my parish read the first gospel reading on Palm Sunday. The gospel reading that I’m refering to is the one prior to the procession and not the long gospel reading of the passion that the whole congregation participated in later in the liturgy. I called the priest on Monday to tell him that I had questions and asked for clarification. He said that it was “kosher” for a lay person to do this reading because we didn’t have a deacon to do it and he wants to encourage voices other than his own to be heard during the liturgy. I remain troubled by his answer. What are the Church’s instructions regarding this?

Hmm. I’m not sure. At our parish, on regular Sundays… we have lay people who do the first reading (Old Testament), and the second reading (books of St. Paul). I think that is the way it’s usually done. Then, a priest or deacon does the Gospel reading.

During the reading of the Passion (from St. Matthew) this past Sunday, however… three lay people took “parts” in the reading… with the priest reading the words of Our Lord… and the Deacon, acting as Narrator.

 

[pumpkinbeast]

I think it’s only okay if a priest or deacon couldn’t do it, or if it’s the Passion, which is read in parts, and the lay person isn’t taking on the role of Jesus(unless of course, again, neither a priest or deacon could do it).

But I could be wrong.

 

[japhy]

A lay person at my parish read the first gospel reading on Palm Sunday. The gospel reading that I’m refering to is the one prior to the procession … [T]he priest … said that it was “kosher” for a lay person to do this reading because we didn’t have a deacon to do it and he wants to encourage voices other than his own to be heard during the liturgy. … What are the Church’s instructions regarding this?

The only time a lay person may read the Gospel (or part of it) in Mass is during the reading of the Passion on Palm Sunday and Good Friday. Outside of Mass is another issue, but the first Gospel on Palm Sunday is part of the Mass. What the priest allowed is, in fact, not permitted.

If he wants other people to be heard during Mass, there are opportunities for that: the first and second readings, the responsorial psalm, the choir, the prayer of the faithful. If he wants other people to read the Gospel, perhaps he should encourage vocations to the diaconate and priesthood.

 

[mschrank]

Time to change parishes.

 

[benedictgal]

Under no circumstances (notwithstanding the proclamation of the Passion of the Lord on Palm Sunday and on Good Friday) should a lay person read the Gospel during the Mass. This is expressly forbidden under Redemptionis Sacramentum:

[63.] Within the celebration of the Sacred Liturgy, the reading of the Gospel, which is “the high point of the Liturgy of the Word”,139 is reserved by the Church’s tradition to an ordained minister.140 Thus it is not permitted for a layperson, even a religious, to proclaim the Gospel reading in the celebration of Holy Mass, nor in other cases in which the norms do not explicitly permit it.141

The priest offered a very poor explanation as to why he allowed this to happen. It is not within his authority to have permitted it.

 

[John_Lilburne]

There is a specific rubric in the Palm Sunday Mass, making it clear that this Gospel is to be read by a deacon or priest:
“Then the account of the Lord’s entrance is proclaimed from one of the four gospels. This is done in the usual way or, if there is no deacon, by the priest.” Roman Missal, Catholic Book Publishing Co., New York, 1985, page 123. This is also in Missale Romanum, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2002, ISBN: 8820972719, page 272, n. 7.

A caution about saying “A lay person may never read part of a Gospel in Mass, except the Passion.” What about the Communion Antiphon? For example 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time, it is from the Gospel According to Matthew 5:7-8:
“Happy are those who show mercy; mercy shall be theirs. Happy are the poor of heart, for they shall see God.”

Who may say this? From the 2002 General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) approved for the USA, which can be accessed from romanrite.com/girm.html :
“87. … If there is no singing, however, the Communion antiphon found in the Missal may be recited either by the faithful, or by some of them, or by a lector. Otherwise the priest himself says it after he has received Communion and before he distributes Communion to the faithful.”

 

[benedictgal]

There is a specific rubric in the Palm Sunday Mass, making it clear that this Gospel is to be read by a deacon or priest:
“Then the account of the Lord’s entrance is proclaimed from one of the four gospels. This is done in the usual way or, if there is no deacon, by the priest.” Roman Missal, Catholic Book Publishing Co., New York, 1985, page 123. This is also in Missale Romanum, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2002, ISBN: 8820972719, page 272, n. 7.

A caution about saying “A lay person may never read part of a Gospel in Mass, except the Passion.” What about the Communion Antiphon? For example 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time, it is from the Gospel According to Matthew 5:7-8:
“Happy are those who show mercy; mercy shall be theirs. Happy are the poor of heart, for they shall see God.”

Who may say this? From the 2002 General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) approved for the USA, which can be accessed from romanrite.com/girm.html :
“87. … If there is no singing, however, the Communion antiphon found in the Missal may be recited either by the faithful, or by some of them, or by a lector. Otherwise the priest himself says it after he has received Communion and before he distributes Communion to the faithful.”

John, the statement I made refers to the proclamation of the Gospel itself, not the Communion antiphon. This is also made very clear by Redemptionis Sacramentum. Yes, I am very well aware of the Communion Antiphon, as I’ve done that on many occasions. However, we are only referring to the actual proclamation of the Gospel, which a layman cannot do (with the exception of the Passion accounts proclaimed on Palm Sunday and Good Friday).