I Am To Be An Instituted Acolyte

[Groo the Wanderer]

Well, I as informed today by my pastor that I was to report to the Bishop at the cathedral in February to be instituted as an acolyte. My jaw dropped and made a really stoopid-looking face. I had not realized that the Latin rite still used any of the minor orders, except as preparation for the diaconate or presbytery. Needless to say, I am still in shock and elated as well.

Now I gotta go do more research on what an instituted acolyte is supposed to do, dress, etc. I have read about it in passing, but never researched it fully. Anyone know about this in depth (sorry - need to know about the present Latin Rite, not Eastern Rites even tho they are so loverly, and not ancient Latin Rite).



wow




i mean





wow

Edited January 17, 2010 by Groo the Wanderer

[Resurrexi]

The minor orders are awesome. Unfortunately, the minor orders of porter and exorcist don't exist outside of certain traditionalist communities like the FSSP and ICRSS. I wish they were restored, along with the subdiaconate (which is actually a major order).

[Lil Red]

[quote name='Groo the Wanderer' date='17 January 2010 - 10:44 AM' timestamp='1263750276' post='2039130']
Well, I as informed today by my pastor that I was to report to the Bishop at the cathedral in February to be instituted as an acolyte. My jaw dropped and made a really stoopid-looking face. I had not realized that the Latin rite still used any of the minor orders, except as preparation for the diaconate or presbytery. Needless to say, I am still in shock and elated as well.

Now I gotta go do more research on what an instituted acolyte is supposed to do, dress, etc. I have read about it in passing, but never researched it fully. Anyone know about this in depth (sorry - need to know about the present Latin Rite, not Eastern Rites even tho they are so loverly, and not ancient Latin Rite).



wow




i mean





wow
[/quote]+JMJ+
cool

[Resurrexi]

[quote name='Groo the Wanderer' date='17 January 2010 - 12:44 PM' timestamp='1263750276' post='2039130']
(sorry - need to know about the present Latin Rite, not Eastern Rites even tho they are so loverly, and not ancient Latin Rite).
[/quote]

The extraordinary form is the present Roman Rite just as much as the ordinary form is.

[laetitia crucis]

Congratulations, Groo!!!

This is truly fantastic news!!!

[Aloysius]

Paul VI suppressed the minor orders but retained the offices of lector and acolyte, saying that they "should no longer be called minor orders; their conferral will not be called ordination, but institution"

these are the norms from Ministeria Quaedam relevant to what Acolytes are today:

[quote]2 What up to now were called minor orders are henceforth to be called ministries.
3 Ministries may be assigned to lay Christians; hence they are no longer to be considered as reserved to candidates for the sacrament of orders.
4 Two ministries, adapted to present-day needs, are to be preserved in the whole Latin Church, namely, those of reader and acolyte. The functions heretofore assigned to the subdeacon are entrusted to the reader and the acolyte; consequently, the major order of subdiaconate no longer exists in the Latin Church. There is, however, no reason why the acolyte cannot be called a subdeacon in some places, at the discretion of the conference of bishops.
...
6 The acolyte is appointed in order to aid the deacon and to minister to the priest. It is his duty therefore to attend to the service of the altar and to assist the deacon and the priest in liturgical celebrations, especially in the celebration of Mass; he is also to distribute communion as a special minister when the ministers spoken of in the Codex Iuris Canonici can. 845 are not available or are prevented by ill health, age, or another pastoral ministry from performing this function, or when the number of communicants is so great that the celebration of Mass would be unduly prolonged. In the same extraordinary circumstances an acolyte may be entrusted with publicly exposing the blessed sacrament for adoration by the faithful and afterward replacing it, but not with blessing the people. He may also, to the extent needed, take care of instructing other faithful who on a temporary basis are appointed to assist the priest or deacon in liturgical celebrations by carrying the missal, cross, candles, etc., or by performing other such duties. He will perform these functions more worthily if he participates in the holy eucharist with increasingly fervent devotion, receives nourishment from it, and deepens his knowledge about it.

As one set aside in a special way for the service of the altar, the acolyte should learn all matters concerning public divine worship and strive to grasp their inner spiritual meaning: in that way he will be able each day to offer himself entirely to God, be an example to all by his gravity and reverence in church, and have a sincere love for the Mystical Body of Christ, the people of God, especially for the weak and the sick. [/quote]

there really should be no EMHC in the Church other than instituted acolytes (and even they should be only used in extra-ordinary circumstances)

[KeenanParkerII]

WoO, I'm gonna pray for your career in the Church.

EDIT: What's your name? O_o

Edited January 17, 2010 by KeenanParkerII

[Lil Red]

[quote name='Resurrexi' date='17 January 2010 - 11:02 AM' timestamp='1263751361' post='2039136']
The extraordinary form is the present Roman Rite just as much as the ordinary form is.
[/quote]
+JMJ+


you know what he meant. quit being deliberately obtuse.

[Resurrexi]

[quote name='Lil Red' date='17 January 2010 - 01:20 PM' timestamp='1263752419' post='2039144']
+JMJ+


you know what he meant. quit being deliberately obtuse.
[/quote]

It's important to realize that the extraordinary form is not merely something from the past, not merely something for liturgical historians to study: it is the Mass of the Church in the modern world; it is today's Roman Rite.

[Lil Red]

[quote name='Resurrexi' date='17 January 2010 - 11:25 AM' timestamp='1263752705' post='2039147']
It's important to realize that the extraordinary form is not merely something from the past, not merely something for liturgical historians to study: it is the Mass of the Church in the modern world; it is today's Roman Rite.
[/quote]
+JMJ+
yeah, because all of us here are noobs.

[Resurrexi]

[quote name='Lil Red' date='17 January 2010 - 01:40 PM' timestamp='1263753610' post='2039153']
+JMJ+
yeah, because all of us here are noobs.
[/quote]

I never said that they were. People just need to use correct terminology. The extraordinary form is the current Roman Rite, and our language shouldn't imply that it isn't.

[Aloysius]

now now... let's not bicker...

one thing I do wonder, and I don't remember this being addressed anywhere by Rome... since Paul VI expressly suppressed the minor orders, what exactly is their status in the Extraordinary Form? obviously all the rituals and what not imply it's a form of ordination... but Paul VI seems to imply that from now on some of the minor orders do not exist at all in the Roman Rite.

I suppose when Summorum Pontificum says that the older form of the mass was never suppressed, even though the language of Paul VI often very clearly tried to make it sound suppressed, that would mean that actual ordination to the minor orders was also not suppressed, just replaced in the Novus Ordo but still possible to be done within the context of the Roman Rite.

here's Paul VI's Ministeria Quaedam:
http://www.ewtn.com/library/PAPALDOC/P6MINORS.HTM

[jeffpugh]

[quote name='Groo the Wanderer' date='17 January 2010 - 12:44 PM' timestamp='1263750276' post='2039130']
Well, I as informed today by my pastor that I was to report to the Bishop at the cathedral in February to be instituted as an acolyte. My jaw dropped and made a really stoopid-looking face. I had not realized that the Latin rite still used any of the minor orders, except as preparation for the diaconate or presbytery. Needless to say, I am still in shock and elated as well.

Now I gotta go do more research on what an instituted acolyte is supposed to do, dress, etc. I have read about it in passing, but never researched it fully. Anyone know about this in depth (sorry - need to know about the present Latin Rite, not Eastern Rites even tho they are so loverly, and not ancient Latin Rite).



wow




i mean





wow
[/quote]
Dude, plus one. Congrats.

[quote name='Resurrexi' date='17 January 2010 - 12:46 PM' timestamp='1263750396' post='2039132']
The minor orders are awesome. Unfortunately, the minor orders of porter and exorcist don't exist outside of certain traditionalist communities like the FSSP and ICRSS. I wish they were restored, along with the subdiaconate (which is actually a major order).
[/quote]
Subdiaconate is a major order, eh? So what role do they have outside of the mass?

[quote name='Resurrexi' date='17 January 2010 - 01:25 PM' timestamp='1263752705' post='2039147']
It's important to realize that the extraordinary form is not merely something from the past, not merely something for liturgical historians to study: it is the Mass of the Church in the modern world; it is today's Roman Rite.
[/quote]
Plus one.

[quote name='Lil Red' date='17 January 2010 - 01:40 PM' timestamp='1263753610' post='2039153']
+JMJ+
yeah, because all of us here are noobs.
[/quote]
Instead of being snarky, try and think of all those who read this forum who probably don't know. It's not a private room in which we all get together and have a glass of single-malted scotch and talk about the faith. It is important to time and time again re-enforce what the truth is.

[Laudate_Dominum]

Congradjewlayshuns(sp?) Groo!

[Norseman82]

[quote name='Groo the Wanderer' date='17 January 2010 - 12:44 PM' timestamp='1263750276' post='2039130']
Well, I as informed today by my pastor that I was to report to the Bishop at the cathedral in February to be instituted as an acolyte. [/quote]

I'm a little curious as to how a pastor can just grab a parishoner and tell him, "report to the bishop to be instituted as X". Are you currently an altar server at an EF Mass and this is just a formalization process?

And do minor orders have to take vows of celibacy? As I recall, you are married, and if your wife were to pass away, would you be able to remarry?