Pope Confers Lay Ministries On Women, Formalising Recognition Of Roles

The ministries of lector and acolyte existed before but were officially reserved to men.

Pope Francis on Sunday for the first time conferred the lay Roman Catholic ministries of lector and catechist on women, roles that previously many had carried out without institutional recognition.

He conferred the ministries at a Mass in St. Peter's Basilica, where, in an apparent reference to resistance to change by some conservative, he criticised those who need to have rigid regulations and "more rules" in order to find God.

Last year, Francis changed Church law on the ministries of lector and acolyte, which mainly had been reserved to seminarians preparing for priesthood, saying he wanted to bring stability and public recognition to women already serving in the roles.

Lectors read from scripture, acolytes serve at Mass, and catechists teach the faith to children and adult converts.