Receiving minor orders but not going on to priesthood

[Catholic.Man]

Something I’ve always wondered about minor orders: If a man receives minor orders in a traditional seminary, say he’s a porter or an acolyte, and he leaves the seminary, deciding not to continue on to priesthood, does the church continue to recognize him as having that order? If he went on to be a married member of an FSSP parish, would he continue to serve any special function in the church, or would he just be looked on as a layman? Very interested to know how this would play out.

 

[Shakuhachi]

Good question. Seems to me they would stick.

 

[InThePew]

What used to be called minor orders were abolished by Paul VI in his Apostolic Letter Ministeria Quaedam and replaced with two ministries - reader and acolyte - and changed when entrance into the clerical state happens from tonsure (which was abolished) to the diaconate. Thus, all those who receive either or both of the ministries are, and remain, laymen unless and until they are ordained.

These ministries don’t cease if a man does not go on to ordination and are still, in a sense, recognised although there are more intended as preparatory steps towards ordination rather than conferring any benefits or special function in the church.

 

[Catholic.Man]

The minor orders are still given to seminarians in FSSP seminaries. They were never fully abolished by Paul VI, who included in his letter the possibility of their continued use, and they were revived with Pope Benedict XVI Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum. My question pertains to priests who are formed in these traditional seminaries

 

[Cham65]

Yes they are still used in the Scots College in rome and are key milestones on the way to the Priesthood

 

[InThePew]

My question pertains to priests who are formed in these traditional seminaries

And my response above applies nonetheless

The Instruction on the Apostolic Letter Summorum Pontificum from the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei makes it clear that the Letter does not introduce any change to the Code of Canon Law and consequently, those who receive minor orders remain laymen (as opposed to clerics). Presumably they could exercise the functions of their order within an EF mass but this would only apply to the acolyte and sub-diaconate as none of the others confer an exerciseable function (unless you count opening doors and ringing the church bell…) and even then the role of acolyte can be conferred on any layman.

 

[Usige]

there are more intended as preparatory steps towards ordination rather than conferring any benefits or special function in the church.

Pope Paul VI actually did not intend for the instituted ministries to just be stepping stones on the path to ordination. Just like the Diaconate, they were intended to be stable ministries and not only intended as milestone on the path to the clergy.

Strictly speaking, each ministry does have a specific function both in the liturgy and in areas of the life in the Church. Acolytes and lectors are supposed to be involved in teaching as part of their ministry, but it is rarely recognized as part of what they are instituted to do.

Unfortunately in many places the instituted ministries are treated much like minor orders and the Diaconate were; things you pass through on the way to ordination.

 

[InThePew]

There are very few instituted acolytes (or reader) outside of the ordination pathway (so those either currently or previously in formation for the priesthood) Paul VI’s intention notwithstanding. While he had probably envisioned that installation of men in these ministries (outside of formation houses and seminaries) would become widespread, that never actually eventuated. While those ministries do have a function in the Church, there is nothing an instituted reader or acolyte can do what they couldn’t do before or that any other layperson cannot do (generally speaking). To put it another way, a person does not have to be an instituted reader / acolyte in order to proclaim the word or serve at mass or to teach / catechise for that matter.

 

[Catholic.Man]

those who receive minor orders remain laymen

Blockquote
Interesting, thank you for clearing this up! I’m somewhat confused as to how this is this not a direct contradiction of the following Canon of the Council of Trent:

“If anyone says that besides the priesthood there are not in the Catholic Church other orders, both major and minor, by which, as by certain steps, advance is made to the priesthood, let him be anathema.” (Canon 2 of the canons on the Sacrament of Order)

I believe the church can’t teach error, so I know there has to be an explanation (Paul VI was more aware of the council of Trent than I am, as I’ve only been a Catholic for 2 years, haha). Interested to know if anyone has wrestled with this.

 

[Catholic.Man]

Usige, I think it would be great if this was the case. These ministries are very important, and it would probably improve the devotion with which they were exercised if they were conferred in the proper way by the bishop to proven laymen who were committed to them for the long term. I wonder if there are parishes where this happens.

 

[InThePew]

“If anyone says that besides the priesthood there are not in the Catholic Church other orders, both major and minor, by which, as by certain steps, advance is made to the priesthood, let him be anathema.” (Canon 2 of the canons on the Sacrament of Order)

In one sense minor orders still exist; even if they’re not called that anymore they’re still steps towards the priesthood. Besides this there is also the order of the diaconate which is required in order to advance to priesthood.

 

[Genesis315]

“If anyone says that besides the priesthood there are not in the Catholic Church other orders, both major and minor, by which, as by certain steps, advance is made to the priesthood, let him be anathema.” (Canon 2 of the canons on the Sacrament of Order)

I believe the church can’t teach error, so I know there has to be an explanation (Paul VI was more aware of the council of Trent than I am, as I’ve only been a Catholic for 2 years, haha). Interested to know if anyone has wrestled with this.

These canons need to be read narrowly and with the meaning of those who proposed the error. This canon was directed at Protestants who denied the Church’s authority to institute the minor orders and who denied the sacrament of Holy Orders as a whole. They considered the minor orders invalid because they aren’t found in Scripture.

It doesn’t mean there must always and everywhere be minor orders, as the minor orders were developed in the early centuries of the Church, and were not there from the beginning. What the Church can institute, the Church can abolish.

In any event, they are still used in the Eastern Catholic Churches and in some special cases in the Latin Churches.

 

[OldCAFMember]

The minor orders are still given to seminarians in FSSP seminaries. They were never fully abolished by Paul VI, who included in his letter the possibility of their continued use, and they were revived with Pope Benedict XVI Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum. My question pertains to priests who are formed in these traditional seminaries

These orders were not revived with Benedict XVI’s Summorum Pontificum, but with St. John Paul II’s Ecclesia Dei Afflictam, in 1988. The FSSP has had these minor orders since that time, and others followed soon after.

 

[HomeschoolDad]

I have another question (or set of questions) concerning minor orders:

• Do minor orders (acolyte, exorcist, lector, porter) leave an indelible mark on one’s soul? That is, once conferred, does a man ever quit being in the minor order(s) which he has received? And does it have any bearing whatsoever on his salvation?
• Is the order of subdeacon major or minor? And same questions, does it leave an indelible mark on his soul, and does it affect his salvation?
• Do any of these orders carry an obligation of celibacy, whether during the time they are exercised, or afterwards? Subdeacon?

When I say “affect his salvation”, I mean “does it confer some kind of status on his soul, where he will be judged more strictly than a layman would be?”. I do know that priestly orders are indelible, and that the man remains a priest for all eternity. A man does not become a priest to make his own salvation easier. (Does a man remain a deacon for all eternity, assuming that he never moves on to the priesthood?)

 

[InThePew]

• Do minor orders (acolyte, exorcist, lector, porter) leave an indelible mark on one’s soul? That is, once conferred, does a man ever quit being in the minor order(s) which he has received?

No since they’re not sacraments and don’t really confer any special privileges not shared by other laymen. So while a man remains a lector, porter, acolyte, etc and could still exercise their ministry (in theory at least) they would presumably be dispensed of any obligations upon leaving the seminary.

• Is the order of subdeacon major or minor? And same questions, does it leave an indelible mark on his soul, and does it affect his salvation?

Major but not a sacrament. Subdeacons were (are) obliged to observe celibacy but, again this would be dispensed were they to leave prior to ordination as a deacon.

 

[HomeschoolDad]

• Is the order of subdeacon major or minor? And same questions, does it leave an indelible mark on his soul, and does it affect his salvation?

Major but not a sacrament. Subdeacons were (are) obliged to observe celibacy but, again this would be dispensed were they to leave prior to ordination as a deacon.

OK, really dumb question here — is ordination to the diaconate a sacrament, a manifestation of the sacrament of Holy Orders? And if so, does it leave an indelible mark on the soul?

 

[InThePew]

OK, really dumb question here — is ordination to the diaconate a sacrament, a manifestation of the sacrament of Holy Orders? And if so, does it leave an indelible mark on the soul?

Yes, it’s the first part of the sacrament of Holy Orders and thus leaves an indelible mark.

 

[Usige]

OK, really dumb question here — is ordination to the diaconate a sacrament, a manifestation of the sacrament of Holy Orders? And if so, does it leave an indelible mark on the soul?

As InThePew correctly states, the diaconate receives the sacrament of Holy Orders as the 1st of the 3 grades of those orders. So while a deacon might be dismissed from the clerical state (i.e. laicized), they can never be “un-ordained”.

In current practice and in the older schema, the instituted ministries as well as the minor orders and subdiaconate are more likely a sacramental versus a sacrament.

While all ministries/orders are instituted for service of others via the ministry of the Church, it is only through the sacrament of Holy Orders that a man receives a particular configuration as a permanent minister of Christ (Deacons as the image of Christ the Servant; Priests and Bishops in persona Christi Capitas). That sacramental character makes an ontological change that cannot be undone.

 

[HomeschoolDad]

While all ministries/orders are instituted for service of others via the ministry of the Church, it is only through the sacrament of Holy Orders that a man receives a particular configuration as a permanent minister of Christ (Deacons as the image of Christ the Servant; Priests and Bishops in persona Christi Capitas). That sacramental character makes an ontological change that cannot be undone.

The bolded last sentence is exactly the concept I was looking for. Thanks so much.

 

[Paul_Edwards]

• Do minor orders (acolyte, exorcist, lector, porter) leave an indelible mark on one’s soul?
• Is the order of subdeacon major or minor?

As to the first question, I spoke to an ICKSP priest about it. The answer given was that the Church has left this open to discussion but that he (this priest) takes the view as does a certain Saint he mentioned (can’t remember who) that the minor orders do indeed leave an indelible mark on the soul. I asked this question because I originally thought that the minor orders did not, and then I found out it was not as simple as that and that the answer is not defined by the church. In any case, the minor orders are never repeated the priest told me, regardless of whether or not they confer a character.

The Subdiaconate is a Major Order, hence in traditional groups like the ICKSP, upon Subdiaconate a person has to recite the entire divine office every day.

Nevertheless a person in minor orders is allowed to leave the seminary, even in traditional seminaries and this does not effect their salvation because it is genuinely because the seminary has realized that priesthood is not this candidates vocation (which the minor orders were leading towards).