Q: Why are there two tiers of ministers? Deputed readers and communion ministers versus instituted lectors and acolytes? Why isn’t everyone the same?
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A: The liturgy of the church favors instituted ministers. But in reality, we don’t have them. Into that void steps other ministers.
Instituted ministers are supposed to go through some kind of formation, and to pledge to devote their lives to their service. Their whole spirituality is to be built around the Word of God or the Eucharist. Now that both women and men may be instituted as ministers, we may see this opening up. But I doubt that every reader in every parish is going to be instituted a lector, nor will every communion minister be instituted as an acolyte. So we’ll probably still end up with two tiers. Some are making a lifetime commitment in the presence of a bishop or major superior. Others are not.