Francis' motu proprio "Antiquum Ministerium", instituting the "ministry of Catechist"

APOSTOLIC LETTER

ISSUED "MOTU PROPRIO"
BY THE SUPREME PONTIFF

FRANCIS

"ANTIQUUM MINISTERIUM"

INSTITUTING
THE MINISTRY OF CATECHIST

 

1. The ministry of Catechist in the Church is an ancient one. Theologians commonly hold that the first examples are already present in the writings of the New Testament. The service of catechesis may be traced back to those “teachers” mentioned by the Apostle in writing to the community of Corinth: “Some people God has designated in the Church to be, first, apostles; second, prophets; third, teachers; then, mighty deeds; then, gifts of healing, assistance, administration, and varieties of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work mighty deeds? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? Strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts. But I shall show you a still more excellent way” (1 Cor 12:28-31).

Earthquake: Francis decrees women can occupy the former Minor Orders of Lector and Acolyte | Update: Full Text of Motu Proprio

Swedish Lutheran female "bishops"

[UPDATE: Full English text of the motu proprio at the end of the post.] 

Of course, for us Traditional Catholics, the Minor Orders never ceased to exist. And for good reason: the  last major dogmatic Council, Trent, mentions all seven orders explicitly in the Canons and decrees related to Session XXIII 

But after Vatican II, the new elites severed the minor orders (Acolyte, Exorcist, Lector, and Porter) and one of the Major Orders (the Subdiaconate) from the Diaconate and Presbyterate. They became mere functions that could be performed by laymen, though demanded (the functions of Acolyte and Lector) from those who aspired to the Diaconate.

The limitation of these venerable positions, that have always been held by men since Apostolic times (since they are intimately joined to the cursus honorum of the Priesthood), to men was broken today by a motu proprio of Francis opening them to "lay people"-- that is, including women.

The Motu Proprio is available here (in Italian and Spanish); Francis' letter explaining it is available here (in Italian). A summary of the motu proprio and the letter sent by Francis to the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith provided by Vatican News:

With a Motu proprio released on Monday, Pope Francis established that from now on the ministries of Lector and Acolyte are to be open to women, in a stable and institutionalized form through a specific mandate.

Op-ed: "Is the Married Permanent Diaconate a Trojan Horse to attack the sacred priesthood?"

Rev. Deacon Nick Donnelly

Rorate Contributor

The Pan-Amazonian synod has realised the fears of certain Fathers of the Second Vatican Council that the creation of the married permanent diaconate would undermine and eventually abolish the sacred Tradition of priestly celibacy in the Latin Church. The Final Document of the Amazonian synod proposes that permanent deacons are ordained priests:

“…we propose to establish criteria and dispositions on the part of the competent authority, in the framework of Lumen Gentium 26, to ordain as priests men who are apt for it and who are recognized by the community, who are fruitful permanent deacons and who receive an adequate formation for the priesthood, even if they have a legitimately constituted and stable family…With regard to this, some wished that the topic be addressed in a universal way.”(Final Document, 111.)

Op-Ed: "Why the Amazon Synod is an attack on Our Lord’s institution of the Apostolic Ministry"

by the Rev Deacon Nick Donnelly

The Synod’s proposal that women be admitted to the ministries of lector and acolyte at first sight appears unexceptional but in reality it signifies an assault on Our Lord’s reservation of the apostolic ministry to men. This reservation is set out in Pope St John Paul II’s Ordinatio sacerdotalis which states:

“Priestly ordination, which hands on the office entrusted by Christ to his Apostles of teaching, sanctifying and governing the faithful, has in the Catholic Church from the beginning always been reserved to men alone. This tradition has also been faithfully maintained by the Oriental Churches.” (Ordinatio sacerdotalis).

The Amazon synod’s recommendation is about beginning to formally unravel and discard this sacred Tradition by incremental steps to the long term goal of the ‘ordination’ of women. Paragraph 102 of the synod recommends that women are formally instituted into the ministries of lector and acolyte. Paragraph 102 concludes:

Ecclesia Amazonica - Prepare Your Hearts: Deaconesses Coming Up Sometime in the Near Future

The Amazon Synod, indirectly bankrolled by the pro-abortion Ford Foundation via its main organizer (REPAM), ended today with an explosive decision, one that will shake the foundations of the Church even more than it did the Anglican Communion decades ago.

In his final statement to the Synod, after the final document had been approved by the participants (the document should be available within the hour), Francis announced an explosive decision: he will recreate the commission for the study of the female diaconate, and he will name its new members.

What does that mean? 

In August 2016, Francis first established a commission to study female deacons. The commission reached the only logical result, though, as fits this pontificate, a muddled one: there can be no female deacons, not in the sense of the current use of the word "deacon", because the deaconesses of biblical times were charity workers, and not in Holy Orders, as the true Order of the Diaconate has always been.

Now, prompted by his handpicked Amazon Synod, Francis has announced he will reopen the commission, pick new members, and now we can be sure they will reach whatever result he tells them to reach. Which can only be one.

And the Catholic wars will make the battles of the Anglicans look like child's play.

"Deaconesses": Pope establishes "Special Commission for the Study of the Diaconate of Women"

[For background on decision, see previous post.]

From the Holy See Press Office Bollettino:

On May 12, 2016, the Holy Father, in the course of the meeting -- in the format of dialogue in the Paul VI Hall -- with the participants at the Plenary Assembly of Superiors-General, expressed his intention of "establishing an official commission that can study the question" of the Diaconate of women, "especially regarding the first years of the Church".

After intense prayer and mature reflection, His Holiness has decided to institute the Commission for the Study of the Diaconate of Women, calling to take part in it the following: