Female Acolyte?

Conversation between a young male (YM) and an older lady (OL):

OL: What parish do you belong to?

YM: Well I live in Parish X but I attend mass in Parish Y where I am training to be an acolyte.

OL: Really? I became an acolyte many years ago....

Ummm. No you didn't. You may have been an altar server but never an acolyte.

First reference is Paul VI and Ministeria Quaedam:

7. In accordance with the ancient tradition of the Church, institution to the ministries of reader (lector) and acolyte is reserved to men.

Oops. Institution (permanent appointment - similar to ordination but NOT ordination) is reserved for men.

Second reference is to the so-called "escape" clause in Canon Law (link to relevant section):

Can. 230 s 1. Lay men who possess the age and qualifications established by decree of the conference of bishop scan be admitted on a stable basis through the prescribed liturgical rite to the ministries of lector and acolyte...

s 2. Lay persons can fulfil the function of lector in liturgical actions by temporary destination...

The first rule states that MEN can be instituted. The second states that ANYONE can do a similar function temporarily - in other words NOT instituted.

I guess it would be possible for OL to claim that canon law does not bind her but the challenge is that the claimed position is created by Canon Law - either you accept the creation and limitation OR you reject both. In either case, OL cannot be an instituted acolyte.

ABC 702 vs Reality

I normally listen to the ABC 702 on the way to and from work. The timing of my travel coincides with particular segments of the various shows that I happen to like.

Last Thursday, that changed. Three times I turned the radio off in disgust. Each time, the chirpy DJ (are they still called DJs when they don't use disks?) had announced that they were cutting across to an expert on the results of the papal election. Which expert? The former priest Paul Collins (he is no longer entitled to be called "Fr. Paul Collins").

I have to assume that the ABC has run out of real experts.

I am guessing that they will be consulting Craig Thompson for advice about the HSU, Mark Latham for the inside edge on current Labour policies, and Malcolm Fraser on the internal workings of the NSW cabinet.

For goodness sake, all of these people have an opinion but they are not the best source of advice on the current events in those organisations.

Habemus Papam: Franciscum

FRANCISCUS

13 March 2013

Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum;
habemus Papam:

Eminentissimum ac Reverendissimum Dominum,
Dominum Georgium Marium
Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae Cardinalem Bergoglio
qui sibi nomen imposuit Franciscum