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The Acolyte by Abraham Solomon, 1842. An acolyte is an assistant or follower assisting the celebrant in a religious service or procession. In many Christian denominations, an acolyte is anyone performing ceremonial duties such as lighting altar candles. In others, the term is used for one who has been inducted into a particular liturgical ...
[6] [7] Pope Benedict XVI spoke of Saint Tarcisius as "presumably an acolyte, that is, an altar server". [8] However, within the Latin Church, the term "acolyte" is also used in a more restricted sense, often specified as "instituted acolyte", [9] to mean an adult woman or man who has received the instituted ministry of that name.
An instituted acolyte is an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion by virtue of his institution. [7] Such acolytes are, in practice, seminarians or former seminarians, or those in deacon formation, although canon law allows the ministry to be conferred on any lay people, men or women, who have the age and qualifications that the episcopal conference is to lay down.
In Christianity, minor orders are ranks of church ministry. [1] In the Catholic Church, the predominating Latin Church formerly distinguished between the major orders—priest (including bishop), deacon and subdeacon—and four minor orders—acolyte, exorcist, lector, and porter (in descending order of seniority).
Acolyte, therefore, is the highest of minor Orders, and whose chief duties are to carry candles in procession, to light the candles on the altar, and to assist the priest in saying the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass (although the acolyte is not necessary for the effect of the Mass to take place; only the priest is required).
The Catholic Church had technically banned the practice of selling indulgences as long ago as 1567. As the Times points out, a monetary donation wouldn't go amiss toward earning an indulgence.
In the Catholic Church, authority rests chiefly with bishops, [4] while priests and deacons serve as their assistants, co-workers or helpers. [5] Accordingly, "hierarchy of the Catholic Church" is also used to refer to the bishops alone. [6] The term "pope" was still used loosely until the sixth century, being at times assumed by other bishops. [7]
In the year 2021, the elected Pope, Pope Francis, modified the Canon Law to state that all baptized persons, male and female, of the Catholic Church were allowed to lector and acolyte. Where women and girls already had the ability to exercise these functions "by temporary designation", he indicated their eligibility for these roles "on a stable ...