Since the suppression of the subdiaconate and minor orders in 1972, the Church has retained only two instituted ministries for laymen: Acolyte and Reader. The Latin Mass rubrics still assume the older structure of major and minor clerics, including the restrictions on a minor cleric serving as a straw subdeacon. That clerical system no longer exists outside of former Ecclesia Dei communities.
(more…)Category: Subdeacon
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Where Did the Subdeacon’s Duties Go? A Closer Look at Ministeria Quaedam
When Pope Paul VI issued Ministeria Quaedam in 1972, he stated:
“The functions heretofore assigned to the subdeacon are entrusted to the reader and the acolyte.”
At first glance, this appears to suggest a simple redistribution of duties. The functions of the subdeacon would now be carried out by the reader and the acolyte. However, the reality of the liturgy after Ministeria Quaedam tells a different story.
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In practice, many of the subdeacon’s traditional responsibilities were not taken up by the lay ministries of Acolyte or Reader. Instead, they were taken over by the deacon. The chart below summarizes where each of the subdeacon’s duties actually ended up: -
The Role of the Subdeacon in the Early Novus Ordo Mass
Paul VI’s new order of Mass went into effect on the First Sunday of Advent, 1969. At that time, there were still three major orders in the Catholic Church: Priest, Deacon, and Subdeacon. The office of the Subdeacon was not formally suppressed until January 1, 1973. For about two years, there was a curious overlap, the new Missal was in use, yet the Subdeacon remained.
It has always been a great matter of curiosity to me what role the Subdeacon had in the revised Mass. It is often assumed that the Subdeacon must have had little or no responsibilities in the Novus Ordo. However, this is not the case. While his role was not as pronounced as in the Traditional Latin Mass, the Subdeacon had distinct and meaningful duties in the early Ordinary Form.
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