Suggestions by Cardinal Arinze
The Vatican has now published the English version of "The Year of the Eucharist: Suggestions and Proposals".
It is dated 15 October and the Italian version discussed at zenit.org. So the English translation has taken two weeks, an unusually long time.
I am pleased to see that instituted ministers are mentioned twice. First in n. 7:
"Even the sacramentals, as in the case of the Blessing of an abbot, the Religious Profession, the Consecration of Virgins, the Conferring of Instituted or Extraordinary Ministries, funeral rites find their normal context within the Mass.” The Instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum, n. 155, tended to emphasise the certificate for Extraordinary Ministers, rather than the ceremony. Now Cardinal Arinze has wisely emphasised that normally there should be a ceremony for them in Mass.
The second mention of instituted ministers is in a listing of suggestions for parishes, n. 35:
"... we suggest the following ideas: ...
"- Should increase or constitute liturgical groups in the parish. Look after the instituted ministers, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, altar servers, Schola cantorum (choir) etc."
Cardinal Arinze is courageously suggesting that the instituted ministers need to be looked after. The original Italian may be even stronger: "Cura dei ministri istituiti ...". I think the word "cura" is translated as "cure". So perhaps Cardinal Arinze is hinting that the situation regarding instituted lectors needs fixing.
I have been urging this for years, see romanrite.com/Lectors. Fixing this situation will require clearer messages from the Vatican. My suggestions are that the Pope use instituted lectors in all his ceremonies and that he write an Apostolic Exhortation about them.
But at least Cardinal Arinze has indicated the correct direction. As he wrote in n. 3: "Of course, it is not easy to reach the loftiest goals set forth in each community’s pastoral life, but we ought to work towards them."
By J.R. Lilburne, 29 October, 2004. I give what I have written on this page to the public domain.
The Year of the Eucharist, suggestions and proposals at vatican.va