This article examines the significance of the breaking news — at least on 11 January 2021— from the Vatican about Pope Francis modifying Canon 230 §1 of the Code of Canon Law to officially grant women access to the ministries of lector and acolyte. The breaking news, I argue, was not about "Access of Women to the Ministries of Lector and Acolyte" but "Modifying Canon 230 §1 of the Code of Canon Law".
This article explores why this is significant and whether ultimately it could lead to the full Monty of the ordination of women to the Catholic diaconate, presbyterate and episcopate. Although coming 62 years too late after the decision by Pope John XXIII on 25 January 1959 to renew the 1917 Code of Canon Law, the recent decision to modify the Code in this regard is a significant step in Bergoglian reforms enabling women what Sacrosanctum Concilium described as “that fully conscious and active participation”. With the Apostolic Letter Spiritus Domini and the letter to the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Pope Francis has effectively opened the door slightly ajar for the ordination of women as deacons, priests and bishops in the Catholic Church.
The modification of Canon 230 §1 has chipped at two mountains in the way of female ordination: male-gendered clericalism and patriarchy. In practice though, what has happened is that canonical legislation has just caught up with Sensus Fidelium in many parts of the Catholic Church where women ply their trade as lectors and acolytes or extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist on an equal footing with their women folk.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- A Potted History of the Ministries of Lector and Acolyte
- How much did Pope Francis Modify Canon 230 §1?
- Why this Decision is Significant ...
- There will always be Naysayers.....
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This article examines the significance of Pope Francis' decision to modify Canon 230 §1 of the Code of Canon Law, which allows women to serve as lectors and acolytes. The author analyzes the historical context of the ministries of lector and acolyte, the implications of the Pope's decision, and the potential impact on the future of women's ordination in the Catholic Church.
- The Historical Context of the Ministries of Lector and Acolyte
- The Significance of Pope Francis' Decision to Modify Canon 230 §1
- The Potential Implications for Women's Ordination in the Catholic Church
- The Reactions to Pope Francis' Decision
- The Role of the Code of Canon Law in the Catholic Church
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Introduction: This chapter introduces the topic of Pope Francis' decision to modify Canon 230 §1 of the Code of Canon Law, which allows women to serve as lectors and acolytes. The author discusses the idiom "to close the stable door after the horse has bolted" as a metaphor for the reaction of some Catholics to this decision. The author also highlights the historical context of the decision, emphasizing that it was a long time coming.
- A Potted History of the Ministries of Lector and Acolyte: This chapter provides a historical overview of the ministries of lector and acolyte, tracing their development from their establishment by Pope Paul VI in 1972 to their official opening to lay men in 1983. The author also discusses the evolving role of women in these ministries.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The primary keywords and focus topics of this text include Pope Francis, Canon Law, women's ordination, lector, acolyte, Catholic Church, Magisterium, Vatican II, Synod for the Amazon, Spiritus Domini, and the Code of Canon Law.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Dr Tarcisius Mukuka (Autor:in), 2021, Pope Francis opens up Ministries of Lector and Acolyte to women. Closing the Stable Door after the Horse has Bolted, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/990173
