Dear Carla:

Thank you for your question. This is one that many people are confused about.

First we must affirm that women are not subordinate in the Church. St. Paul makes one of the most vigorous cases for equality between men and women ever known in the ancient world (cf. Gal 3:28) and which forms the basis of understanding of equality and dignity of God's children with each other.

Women are not second class in the Church as some people assert. About 80% of the non-clergy positions in the Church are held by women. It is a woman the Church venerates as the First Christian, the First Disciple, the Queen of Heaven, and model for all Christians male and female.

It was the Catholic Church, through St. Paul, who for the first time in history raised women to equal dignity with men.

Women are hardly subordinate.

The roles within the Church are not separated by the sexes, but by status of clergy and laity. The fact that that only men can be priests is something chosen by God and is a fact that is compatible with the essential equality of men and women. The Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Inter isigniores, 6, said:

"...the priesthood does not form part of the rights of the individual, but stems from the economy of the mystery of Christ and the Church. [...]It therefore remains for us to meditate more deeply on the nature of the real equality of the baptized, which is one of the great affirmations of Christianity: equality is in no way identity, for the Church is a differentiated body, in which each individual has his or her role. The roles are distinct and must not be confused; they do not favour the superiority of some vis-à-vis the others, nor do they provide an excuse for jealousy; the only better gift, which can and must be desired, is love (cf. 1 Cor 12-13). The greatest in the Kingdom of heaven are not the ministers but the saints."

A discussion of a male-only priesthood is for another time, except to say that this was the choice of Jesus and no Pope has the power to change that. The priests are the "fathers" of God's children, not the "mothers".  Only men can serve in the role of "father."

We need to remind ourselves that the priesthood is not a right. Not every man can be priest. The restrictions given for women are also restrictions given to all lay men. This is what I meant earlier in saying this is not about men and women, this is about clergy and laity.

Now with that as a background, to your specific question.

St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 was dealing with a specific problem in the Corinthian Church but was also establishing a norm based upon the doctrinal economy taught by Christ. St. Paul was not saying that women could not speak. In fact he recognizes women speaking in the form of prophecy in 1 Corinthians 11:5. This passage in 1 Cor 14 is referring to women in the role as official teachers in the liturgy. This is made a little more clear in St. Paul's teaching to Timothy (cf. 1 Timothy 2:12) in which he says that "I permit no woman to teach or to have authority over men..." In both instances St. Paul is talking about the Church assembly, the liturgy. Thus, his teaching is not a blanket teaching that woman cannot teach or have authority outside of the liturgy and Church hierarchy. It is okay, then, for women to be captains of industry with authority over men, bosses, managers, teachers in universities, teachers in seminaries, etc. The prohibition is teaching in the liturgy (e.g., the homily) and authority in the Church hierarchy (the charism of governance the belongs to the bishops).

Now to the specific issue of readers in the Mass. Technically, "lectors" are men. Those authorized to read are first clergy and then those "installed in the office of Lector." The Installed offices of Lector and Acolyte must be men (either clergy or lay).

If there are insufficient numbers of clergy or installed officers to fulfill the function of Lector, then regular laity may do so on a temporary basis. Since women are members of the laity, that includes them.

Traditionally, the office of Lector was one of the minor orders of a man preparing for priesthood. Vatican II suppressed the minor orders in favor of the three main orders of deacon, priest, and bishop with what use to be the minor orders of acolyte and lectors given the status of "installed offices." Since then many times bishops would appoint to these "installed offices" young men studying for the priesthood, but in actuality these offices may be held by any Catholic lay man in good standing and who is otherwise qualified.

If bishops appointed sufficient numbers of men to be lectors and acolytes, there would be no need for the extraordinary ministers from the pews. The extraordinary AGAIN have become the same as ordinary.

Extraordinary non-installed lectors are suppose to be used only when needed and only on a temporary basis. Canon Law recognizes that in some parishes there may be lacking sufficient numbers of clergy and installed officers. Thus, these roles must be filled by somebody. The laity may be temporarily deputed to fill that need. But this is to be temporary, not ordinary. The bishops need to be appointing installed officers.

I suspect that the reason bishop's do not appoint installed officers is that the people would be in an uproar since they would no longer be able to participate as readers and altar servers (or more specifically, the women would up in an uproar).

Canonically, however, whenever these roles of reader and altar server are open to regular laity and not just to clergy and installed officers, then women may be included because they, too, are laity.

It was the same canonical technicality that allowed women and girls to be altar servers. But, as I said, if the bishops appointed sufficient numbers of installed officers (who must be men) then there would be no reason for women (or men) from the pews to serve as readers or altar servers (with the exception of boys as altar servers which Pope John Paul II said is a tradition that is to be maintained).

Anyway, that is how women can be readers.

This role of reader, for men or for women, however, is not a teaching role or a role of authority. It is merely reading the Scripture. Thus St. Paul's comments, which refer to teaching and authority, do not apply to the role of reading.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary