Acolyte

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(Greekakolouthos; Latinsequens, comes, a follower, an attendant).

An acolyte is acleric promoted to the fourth and highestminor order in theLatin Church, ranking next to asubdeacon. The chief offices of an acolyte are to light thecandles on the altar, to carry them in procession, and during the solemn singing of the Gospel; to prepare wine and water for thesacrifice of the Mass; and to assist the sacredministers at the Mass, and other public services of theChurch. In theordination of an acolyte thebishop presents him with acandle, extinguished, and an emptycruet, using appropriate words expressive of theseduties. Altar boys are often designated as acolytes and perform theduties of such. Theduties of the acolyte inCatholicliturgical services are fully described in the manuals of liturgy, e.g. Pio Matinucci, "Manuale Sacrarum Caeremoniarum" (Rome, 1880), VI, 625; and De Herdt, "Sacrae Liturgiae Praxis" (Louvain, 1889), II, 28-39.

It is just possible that the obscure passage in the life of Victor I (189-199),erroneously attributed byFerraris (I, 101) toPius I (140-155), concerningsequentes may really mean acolytes (Duchesne, Lib. Pont., I, 137; cf. I, 161). Be this as it may, the first authentic document extant in which mention is made of acolytes is a letter (Eusebius,Church History VI.43), written in 251, byPope Cornelius to Fabius,Bishop ofAntioch, and in which we possess a definite enumeration of the Romanclergy. There existed at that time inRome forty-sixpriests, sevendeacons, seven sub-deacons, forty-two acolytes, and fifty-twoexorcists,lectors, and doorkeepers. It is worthy of note that two hundred and fifty years later the "Constitutum Silvestri," a document of about 501 (Mansi, "Coll. Conc., " II, 626; cf. "Lib. Pont.," ed. Duchesne, Introd., 138), gives forty-five acolytes as the number inRome.Pope Fabian (236-250), the immediate predecessor ofCornelius, had dividedRome into sevenecclesiastical districts or regions, setting adeacon over each one. A redistribution of theclergy of the city soon followed according to these seven divisions. The Roman acolytes were subject to thedeacon of the region, or, in case of his absence or death, to thearchdeacon. In each region there was adeacon, asubdeacon, and according to the numeration above, probably six acolytes. Ancientecclesiastical monuments and documents lead us to believe that asubdeacon was a sort of head-acolyte or arch-acolyte, holding the same relation to the acolytes as thearchdeacon todeacons, with this difference, however, that there was only onearchdeacon, while there was adeacon for each region. As late as the first half of the tenth century we meet with the term arch-acolyte in Luitprand ofCremona ("Antapodosis", VI, 6; Muratori, "SS. Rer. Ital.", II, 1, 473), where it stands for a "dignity" (q.v.) in themetropolitan church ofCapua. We may therefore regard the ministry of thesubdeacon and acolyte as a development of that of thedeacon. Moreover, these three categories ofclerics differ from the lower orders in this, that they are all attached to the service of the altar, while the others are not.

The letters ofSt. Cyprian (7, 28, 34, 52, 59, 78, 79) give ampleproof of the fact that at Carthage also, in the middle of the third century, acolytes existed.Eusebius (De Vita Constant., III, 8) mentions the acolytes present at theCouncil of Nice (325), not as designated for the service of the altar, but aspersons attached to the retinue ofbishops. The "Statuta Ecclesiae Antiqua", often referred to as the decrees of the so-called FourthSynod of Carthage (398), but really belonging to the end of the fifth, or the early part of the sixth, century (Duchesne, "Christian Worship", 332, 350), prove that this order was then known in theecclesiastical province of Arles inGaul, where these decrees were enacted. It would seem, however, that all the churches in the West, and more especially the smaller churches, did not have acolytes. We might conclude that atReims, in the fifth century, there were no acolytes, if we could attach credence to the will of Bishop Bennadius, predecessor ofSt. Remigius. He gives all the categories ofclerics except this one (Flodoard, Hist. Rem. Eccl., I, ix, in P.L., LXXXV, 43). In theChristian epigraphy of Gaul mention is made, as far as is known, of only one acolyte, viz., atLyons in 517 (La Blant, "Inser. chrét. de la Gaule," I, 36), and, in general, very few epigraphs of acolytes are found in the first five centuries. In theIrish Collection of Canons (Collectio Canonum Hibernensis, ed. Wasserschleben, Giessen, 1874, 32) the arch-acolyte is not mentioned among the sevenecclesiastical degrees, but placed with the psalmist and cantor outside the ordinaryhierarchy.

In the sixth canon of the aforementioned "Statuta" theduties of acolytes are specified, as they are by a contemporary writer,John the Deacon, in his letter to Senarius (P.L., LIX, 404). Specific information concerning the place andduties of acolytes in theRoman Church between the fifth and ninth centuries is drawn from a series of ancient directions known as the "Ordines Romani" (q.v.-Duchesne, op. Cit., 146 andpassim). According to them there were inRome (perhaps also inCarthage, and other large Western cities) three classes of acolytes, all of whom, nevertheless, had theirduties in relation to theliturgical synaxes or assemblies: (1) those of the palace (palatini), who served the Pope (orbishop) in his palace, and in theLateran Basilica; (2) those of the region (regionarii), who assisted thedeacons in theirduties in the different parts of the city; (3) those of the station (stationarii), who served in church; these last were not a distinct body, but belonged to the regional acolytes. Regional acolytes were also termed titular (titulares) from the church to which they were attached (Mabillon, "Comm. in Ord. Rom.", in his "Musaeum Italicum," II, 20; for an old epigraph in Aringhius, 156, seeFerraris, I, 100; Magani, "Antica Lit. Rom.",Milan, 1899, III, 61 - see alsoCITY OF ROME. Acolytes of the palace were destined in a particular manner to the service of thePope, assisting him not only in church functions, but also as ablegates, messengers of thepapal court, in distributingalms, carrying pontifical documents and notices, and performing otherduties of like character. These offices, however, acolytes shared with readers andsubdeacons, or arch-acolytes. AtRome they carried not only theeulogia, or blessed bread, when occasion required, but also the Blessed Eucharist from the Pope's Mass to that of thepriests whoseduty it was to celebrate in the churches (tituli). This is evident from the letter ofInnocent I (401-417) to Decentius,Bishop ofGubbio, inItaly (P.L., XX, 556). They also carried the sacred species to the absent, especially to confessors of thefaith detained inprison (seeTARSICIUS). This office of carrying the Blessed Eucharist,St. Justin, who sufferedmartyrdom about 165 or 166, had previously assigned todeacons (Apolog., I, 67), which would indicate that at that time acolytes did not exist.

We learn still further from the "Ordines Romani" that when the Pope was to pontificate in a designated district all the acolytes of that region went to the Lateran Palace to receive and accompany him. In the sixth or seventh century, perhaps a little earlier, the chief acolyte of the stational church, carrying thesacred chrism covered with a veil, and, directing the procession, preceded on foot the horse on which the Pope rode. The other acolytes followed, carrying the Gospel-book, burses, and other articles used in the holy sacrifice. They accompanied the Pope to the secretarium orsacristy (seeBASILICA). One of them solemnly placed the book of Gospels upon the altar. They carried seven lightedcandles before the pontiff entering the sanctuary. With lightedcandles, two acolytes accompanied thedeacon to theambo for the singing of the Gospel. After the Gospel, another acolyte received the book, which, placed in a case and sealed, was later returned to the Lateran by the head acolyte. An acolyte carried to thedeacon at the altar, thechalice and pall; acolytes received, and cared for, the offerings gathered by the Pope; an acolyte held thepaten, covered with a veil, from the beginning to the middle of the canon. In due time acolytes bore, in linen bags, or burses suspended from their necks, theoblata, orconsecrated loaves from the altar to thebishops andpriests in the sanctuary; that they might break the sacred species (seeFRACTIO PANIS). It will be seen from these, and otherduties devolving upon acolytes, that they were in a large measure responsible for the successful carrying out of pontifical and stational ceremonies. This was particularlytrue after the foundation of theSchola Cantorum atRome, of which there is clear evidence from the seventh century onward. Being then the only ones inminor orders engaged in active ministry, acolytes acquired a much greater importance than they had hitherto enjoyed.Cardinal priests had no other assistants in their titular churches. DuringLent, and at the solemnization ofbaptism, acolytes fulfilled all the functions which hitherto had devolved upon theexorcists, just as thesubdeacon had absorbed those of thelector or reader.Alexander VII (1655-67) abolished themedieval college of acolytes described above and substituted in their place (26 October, 1655) the twelve votingprelates of the Signature of Justice. As evidence of their origin theseprelates still retain, atpapal functions, many of the offices orduties described above.

According to the ancientdiscipline of theRoman Church the order of acolyte was conferred as the candidate approached adolescence, about the age of twenty, as thedecree ofPope Siricius (385) to Himerius,Bishop ofTarragona, inSpain, was interpreted (P.L., XIII, 1142). Five years were to elapse before an acolyte could receivesubdeaconship.Pope Zosimus reduced (418) this term to four years. TheCouncil of Trent leaves to the judgment ofbishops to determine what space should elapse between the conferring of the acolythate andsubdeaconship; it is also interesting to note, with Dr. Probst (Kirchenlex., I, 385), that the Council's desire (Sess. XXIII, c. 17, de ref.) concerning the performance of ministerial services exclusively byminor-orderclerics was never fulfilled. In ancientecclesiasticalRome there was no solemnordination of acolytes. At communion-time in any ordinary Mass, even when it was not stational, the candidate approached thePope, or in his absence, one of thebishops of the pontifical court. At an earlier moment of the Mass he had been vested with thestole and thechasuble. Holding in his arms a linen bag (porrigitur in ulnas ejus sacculus super planetam; a symbol of the highest function of theseclerics, that of carrying, as stated above, theconsecrated hosts) he prostrated himself while the Pontiff pronounced over him a simple blessing (Mabillon, op. Cit., II, 85, ed. Paris, 1724). It may be well to mention here the twoprayers of the ancient Roman Mass-book known as the "Sacramentarium Gregorianum" (Mabillon, Lit. Rom. Vetus, II, 407), said by the Pontiff over the acolyte, and the first of which is identical with that of the actual Roman Pontifical "Domine, sancte Pater, aeterne Deus, qui ad Moysen et Aaron locutus es," etc.

According to the aforementioned "Statuta Ecclesiae Antiqua," which give us the ritual usage of the most important churches in Gaul about the year 500, the candidate for acolyte was first instructed by thebishop in theduties of his office, and then acandlestick, with acandle extinguished, was placed in his hand by thearchdeacon, as a sign that the lights of the church would be in his care; moreover, an emptycruet was given him, symbolical of his office of presenting wine and water at the altar for the holy sacrifice. A short blessing followed. (SeeMINOR ORDERS;FRACTIO PANIS;EUCHARIST;MASS.)

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