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Joined: May 2006
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Can anyone tell me if it is a current practice in the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Passaic for men to receive the minor order of subdeacon? If yes, is this minor order used only in the context of permanent deaconate formation or can there be a sense of permanency for the subdeaconate as well?
Any thoughts are appreciated.
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If it is not, it certainly should be. The Latins have zillions of them since VatII under the new label of Acolytes all over the world. Every parish should have a few. Can't have enough of them.
P
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Dear Leo the Oblate,
My parish is considering ordaining a man as a Subdeacon and he will be such permanently to help with the Cantoring etc.
Alex
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Jessup B.C. Deacon Member
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At present, in the Eparchy of Passaic, men are ordained to Subdiaconate, after being ordained as Readers (Lectors), but it is usually only a transitional stage to Diaconate or Priesthood.I was ordained a subdeacon for about twenty minutes during the Divine Liturgy in which I was also ordained to Diaconate. It could be made a permanent thing, but that is up to the ruling Bishop.
Fr. Deacon Robert
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Orthodox domilsean Member
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The issue here is that the subdiaconate is a minor order for the orthodox, but is considered part of major orders for the Latins (and now most Eastern Catholic Churches). We need to restore the true subdiaconate to the Eastern Catholic Churches. How many Orthodox parishes have men who have gone to seminary and now are great assets to the parish and diocese as subdeacons? I know of many subdeacons, some of whom hope to marry and move into major orders, but many who are happy serving the Church in this role.
Talk about a pipe line of vocations.
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Jessup B.C. Deacon Member
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Jessup B.C. Deacon Member
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Correction. Subdiaconate is part of Minor Orders in the Eastern Catholic Churches. It has been supressed in the Latin Church. Major orders, in Catholicism, consist of Diaconate, Priesthood, and Episcopacy.
Fr. Deacon Robert
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There are no 'minor orders' in the Latin church anymore. The subdeacon role was revitalised and the name was changed to Acolyte, although as the VatII document on this states if the bishops wish they could still call it Subdeaconate. I quick look out the window will show that there are now many thousands of acolyte/subdeacons out there. We are only about 40+years behind not doing something about the subdeacon.
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In United States many Latin bishops are reluctant to officially install men to the "ministries" (they are no longer referred to as orders) of lector and acolyte. In one instance I am aware of a bishop claimed such installations would create an unhealthy hierarchy within the parish.
Personally, I believe the reason the ministries of lector and acolyte are not utilized by Latin bishops is the canonical restriction that only men can be installed to these ministries. Some dioceses have chosen to commission men and women to be "pastoral ministers." Of course, the most common solution chosen be Latin bishops is to allow pastors to commission men and women as readers, altar servers, and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion on a parochial level only. This way they avoid most of the canonical issues of officially installing men to ministries of lector and acolyte. Therefore, these ministries are, in reality, only used on a transitional basis for candidates to Holy Orders.
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The Eparchy of Toronto has a specific subdiaconal track within the Diaconate program for those who wish to remain subdeacons indefinitely.
One of my classmates has elected to remain a subdeacon, and I myself strongly considered remaining a subdeacon. I was one for five years -call me a "slow discerner" - but God, my spiritual father, my wife and a bishop thought otherwise (in that order).
I cherish those years and believe it is imperative we restore the tonsured reader and subdiaconate as orders within our parishes by cheirotesia post-haste. FDD
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One of the experiences behind my question was my chance meeting of a subdeacon last year during a trip to the Mid-West. I was quite impressed with the fullness with which he lived out his subdeaconate. It led me to wonder about the availablity of such an option to one who may not feel called to the permanent deaconate.
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Down here we have heaps of Acolyes but installed Readers are as rare as hens teeth because it excludes women from reading. Every parish has at least a few Acolytes. My local seems to have about 4 of them. The RC school principal and a local farmer are in their ranks.
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As I have said in the past, the loss of the subdiaconate to the metropolia is nothing short of a residual Latinization. Pope Paul VI's elimination of minor orders was meant exclusively for the Latin Church.
And as our number of deacons grows, so should the subdiaconate, since subdeacons are ministers of the deacon principally, not the presbyter.
As was mentioned, this is the most sensible and ancient form of a leadership pipeline...it is an organic path of development that we have lost touch with. Each ordo signifies a certain ministry or role that has its own challenges and contributions. Some are called to higher orders, but not all. Altogether, they manifest the catholic pleroma of worship.
Not sure why this is not taken more seriously....why maintain the leapfrog to presbyter, whith a quick skip through the diaconate? the Church's ancient model of organic growth makes far more sense.
Gordo
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Leo, actually that was me last Sts. Peter and Paul (see your PM).
The Instruction from Rome is quite explicit about the restoration of the minor orders. Would that it be implemented immediately.
Actually a main liturgical role of the subdeacon is for Hierarchal services; but certainly since he won't be serving for the Bishop on a regular basis (unless he is in a cathedral parish) there are many other tasks to be done (with the blessing of the priest, of course).
Outside of the role in pontifical services he can have an important role as the senior server at the Altar, the "chief petty officer" for the "servers' corps", coordinating the serving schedules, training the servers, etc. This was one of my favorite things as a subdeacon.
He should be the primary person for cleaning and changing altar linens, as only he other than the Deacon, Priest or Bishop may touch the altar.
He should also be the person preparing the wheat, wine and oil for Vigils, heating the water, making sure the Antidoron is ready (or baking it himself, as in my case), getting the wine cruets ready, prepare any special vestments (such as Forgiveness Vespers or Holy Saturday when color changed occur during services), preparing needed texts for the Liturgy to be readily at hand for the priest, etc. or making sure these tasks are carried out by one of the servers, again with the blessing of the priest. FDD
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What if one's priest doesn't know what a subdeacon is?? Also, Diak, do you wear a double orarion? Just curious. -uc
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