AUC Theologica is a peer-reviewed journal for theology published twice a year. As we publish original papers in English, German, French, and Italian, our mission is to serve as a platform both for Czech researchers, who can present their research results in these languages, and for international contributors, who are invited to enter the academic theological discussion in the heart of Europe.
The journal focuses on a wide range of theological disciplines, such as systematic theology, biblical studies, patristic studies, pastoral and spiritual theology, religious education, church history, etc. Within these fields, the journal seeks to reflect the current theological questions and problems, which often requires interdisciplinary approaches. Supporting the intersection of various theological disciplines, we thus also welcome theological papers touching other academic fields including philosophy, sociology, literary studies, and science.
Each issue consists of two sections. The thematic section presents papers of the same focus. The section called ‘Varia’ invites papers dealing with various theological themes from the perspective of all Christian traditions. Our current and past issues are approachable for free on this website in the form of Open Access.
AUC THEOLOGICA, Vol 12 No 1 (2022), 41–62
Liturgical Ministries of Men and Women: Lectorate and Acolytate Then and Now
Radek Tichý
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14712/23363398.2022.17
published online: 25. 11. 2022
abstract
The article reflects on a recent change in the Catholic Church that women have been admitted to the liturgical ministry of lectors and acolytes by Pope Francis’ Motu proprio ‘Spiritus Domini’. The main research question of the article is: to what extent is this a complete innovation, a return to tradition, or an organic development of the liturgy? The research method rests on two pillars: first, the detailed study of the historical roots of these ministries in Christian antiquity; second, the study of the gradual adaptation of the lectorate and the acolyte in the second half of the 20th century. The conclusion of the article states that this is a logical consequence of the change that occurred in 1972 with Pope Paul VI’s Motu proprio ‘Ministeria quaedam’ and that we cannot speak of a historical breakthrough, given that women exercised these services before. In the appendix, the article offers a brief discussion of the female diaconate in relation to other liturgical ministries.
keywords: Liturgy; Catholic liturgy; Catholic church; Women’s liturgical ministry; Lectorate; Acolytate; History of liturgy
Liturgical Ministries of Men and Women: Lectorate and Acolytate Then and Now is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
148 x 210 mm
periodicity: 2 x per year
print price: 100 czk
ISSN: 1804-5588
E-ISSN: 2336-3398
