Minister (Catholic Church) - Instituted Ministries

Instituted Ministries

In certain traditionalist Catholic priestly societies, whether enjoying the favour of the Holy See (like the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter) or not (like the Society of St. Pius X), the rites of conferring of tonsure, what were called minor orders (of Porter, Lector, Exorcist, and Acolyte) and subdiaconate continue to be used, as before the coming into force of the apostolic letter Ministeria quaedam of 15 August 1972, which, of the minor orders, which it called instituted ministries, preserved for seminarians being prepared for priesthood those of lector and acolyte, and indicating that episcopal conferences, if they wished, could use the term "subdeacon" instead of "acolyte". The specific functions of all of these, whatever the rite by which they are conferred, are clearly not reserved to them. Lay people may and do perform the functions of a lector or acolyte. Laypersons of good character may act as ushers, porters, lectors, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, cantors, or may teach the faith as catechists and may advise the clergy or church courts, including serving as judges on marriage tribunals.

Since the entry into force of the 1983 Code of Canon Law, one becomes a member of the clergy upon ordination to the diaconate. Earlier, it was the rite of tonsure that made one a cleric.