Acolyte (Catholic Encyclopedia article)
Andrew Meehan · 1913
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Description
An acolyte, from Greek akolouthos, follower or attendant, holds the Latin church's fourth and highest minor order, just below a subdeacon. His chief offices are to light the altar candles and carry them in procession. He also carries them at the solemn singing of the Gospel, prepares wine and water for the Mass, and assists the sacred ministers at Mass and other public services.
At ordination the bishop presents him with an unlit candle and an empty cruet, with words expressing those duties. Altar boys are often called acolytes and perform such duties. The first authentic document naming acolytes is a letter of Pope Cornelius to Fabius of Antioch in 251, enumerating the Roman clergy. Later statutes, like the Statuta Ecclesiae Antiqua of Gaul about 500, set out the same ritual.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Andrew Meehan |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 1913 |
| COLLECTION | REFERENCE |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 11 KB |
| LICENSE | PUBLIC_DOMAIN |
| RIGHTS | PUBLIC DOMAIN |
| SOURCE | New Advent — Catholic Encyclopedia (1913) |