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.
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: