Certificate Correspondence

1. John Lilburne's letter of 18 March 2001.

2. Most Reverend Hart's letter of 20 March 2001.

3. John Lilburne's letter of 21 March 2001.

4. Most Reverend Hart's letter of 23 March 2001..

Sunday 18 March 2001

Most Reverend Denis Hart DD
PO Box 146
East Melbourne 3002

My Lord,

I am writing to request a copy of the certificate for me being instituted as a reader at St Patrick's Cathedral on 27 February 2000, by Archbishop Pell. I have not been given a copy, or the original, but I expect that it would be on my personal file. That there should be such certification seems clear from Canon 1050.3.

There may also be additional documentation on the office I received (as opposed to the ministry). According to Canon 145 "An ecclesiastical office is any function constituted in a stable manner by divine or ecclesiastical law to be exercised for a spiritual purpose." According to Canon 156 "The provision of any office whatsoever is to be made in writing."

In addition, there may be documentation on a change of office, that may have occurred when I ceased to be a seminarian last year.

Copies of this documentation would be of considerable assistance to me in clarifying my rights and responsibilities as an instituted reader. If the documentation described above, does not exist, at least on my personal file, that would also be helpful information.

I would be happy to pay any fees associated with obtaining copies of this documentation. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about what I am asking for, or would like to discuss it with me in person.

Yours sincerely,

JOHN LILBURNE.

20 March 2001

Dear John,

Your letter of 18 March 2001 has been received.

We do not have on file a certificate relating to your receiving the Ministry of Reader.

The invariable practice of this Diocese since the Council has been only to give the Ministry of Lector and Acolyte to those who are in transition to later ordination to diaconate and priesthood, and only to give certificates for Ordinations. I trust that this will be helpful.

With every good wish,

Yours sincerely in Christ,

Most Reverend Denis J Hart DD

Titular Bishop of Vagada

VICAR GENERAL

21 March 2001

My Lord,

Thank you for your letter of 20 March 2001.

I am quite sure that there would have existed some sort of written record that I was instituted as a Lector on 27 February 2000 at St Patrick's Cathedral by Archbishop Pell.

Rather than a formal certificate, perhaps there was a letter with a list of those instituted. Can you confirm for me that such a document exists? Can you provide me with a copy of it?

Perhaps the record has been destroyed or is held by the seminary. Should I be making my enquiries there, rather than to you?

Is there some sort of policy document of the Diocese that would help me accept that I do not have (or have never had) the Office of Lector?

Is it your opinion that someone can be instituted as a Lector, have the Ministry of Lector, but not have the Office of Lector? I accept that the Office of Lector could later be removed, but just after the ceremony would they be considered to have the office? Wouldn't it be deceptive of the bishop to use the words of the homily "As readers and bearers of God's word, you will assist in this mission, and so take on a special office within the Christian community" but not actually give them an office?

Your assistance in clarifying my rights and responsibilities in this matter would be greatly appreciated. I also believe it is important that they are clarified for the seminarians.