Q: Is it proper to have lay parishioners read portions of the Gospel Passion? If it is broken into a number of parts (not scripted as a play), should there be musical/choral interludes between the parts?
A: The Passion is divided into parts in the Lectionary. It’s fine if lay parishioners read the parts designated for a reader or the crowd. As I mentioned in a previous post, there is no provision for breaking the Passion with musical/choral interludes. At the Vatican, on Palm Sunday, the choir sings the part of the crowd, which introduces music into the proclamation. But the text is always the text of the Passion in proper sequence.