Vatican, 25 April, 2023 / 1:22 pm (ACI Africa).
Pope Francis discussed his vision for lay ministry in the Church in an April 22 speech, noting that all baptized people are called to take part in the mission of the Church regardless of whether or not they hold a formal lay ministry title such as lector or catechist.
He also emphasized the importance of lay ministers working in service to others rather than as a way to inflate their egos.
“I get angry when I see lay ministers who — pardon the expression — are ‘puffed up’ by this ministry. This is ministerial, but it is not Christian. They are pagan ministers, full of themselves, aren’t they? Beware of this: They must never become self-referential. Service is one-directional, it is not a round trip: That will never do,” the pope said, speaking to the plenary assembly of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family, and Life.
Pope Francis meets with participants of the plenary assembly of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family, and Life on April 22, 2023, at the Vatican. Credit: Vatican Media
Pope Francis has made changes in recent years to certain lay ministry roles, including a change in Church law in January 2021 making women eligible to be formally instituted to the lay ministries of lector and acolyte. A lector is a person who reads Scripture — other than the Gospel, which is only proclaimed by deacons and priests — to the congregation at Mass, while an acolyte assists deacons and priests in liturgical actions, especially the Mass.