Q: We are having a discussion about whether the celebrations of Admission to Candidacy (separate candidates) and the celebration of the Installation of Readers and Acolyte can be celebrated in the same liturgy. We know a candidate can not receive admission and installation all at one time, but can the two rituals take place at the same time?
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A: I don’t know of anything forbidding it. But there are no guidelines explaining how to do it either.
We have a few combined liturgies in the liturgical books: baptism and the rite of reception at the Easter Vigil is perhaps the most often used. There’s even a combined ordination of deacons and priests.
Sometimes pastors get other requests: combining confirmation with a wedding, or an infant baptism during the Palm Sunday Mass. It’s probably more common in mission countries.
The Vatican doesn’t give guidelines how to combine such liturgies, so priests figure out something on their own. In general, I think such combinations provide more convenience than liturgical integrity.
So, I guess you could do it, but it doesn’t seem advisable to me if there’s another way to do it.
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| Q: You recently answered a question about combining the rite of admission to candidacy for major orders with the installation of readers and acolytes. https://paulturner.org/combined-liturgies/. You said you didn’t know of anything forbidding it, but paragraph 3 of the introduction of the rite of admission says it cannot be combined with ordinations or either of the institution ceremonies. == A: You are correct. Thank you for writing. The rite of admission to candidacy may not be combined with the institution of lectors or acolytes. |