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Acolytes on Corpus Christi in the Black Forest (2012): Long-lived everyday life
Photo:
Patrick Seeger / DPA
With an apostolic letter, Pope Francis reorganized some of the tasks that women and girls in the Catholic Church have long since taken on in this country.
Women as lecturers or girls as commissioned acolytes are now also officially provided for in canon law.
According to the ordinance "Spiritus Domini" ("Spirit of the Lord"), baptized lay people of the appropriate age and ability should be able to be appointed according to the prescribed liturgical rite.
Canonical law was changed for this purpose.
This allows women to officially exercise these services as lay people in the liturgical service on a permanent basis.
The previous version of the law still referred to "male laypeople".
Women can no longer be denied office in principle
It has long been practiced that women distribute communion or read readings at the Eucharist.
So far, however, their task has been limited in time and has taken place without an official commission.
In practice, therefore, little will likely change, but women can no longer be refused these honorary positions in principle.
Girls should now be able to be officially commissioned as acolytes.
Giving both sexes the opportunity to exercise the office of acolyte and lecturer increases recognition of the valuable contribution made by so many lay people, including women, wrote Francis in a letter to the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Luis F. Ladaria.
The central offices in the Catholic Church - the ordination offices of deacon, priest and bishop - are still reserved for men.
During the divine service, lecturers are primarily responsible for giving the reading.
They are denied a sermon, that is, a theological address according to the Gospel.
This task falls to priests and bishops, also because in the view of the Church they follow Jesus.
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