GIRM of England and Wales
In the United Kingdom the General Instruction of the Roman Missal for the dicoeses of England and Wales has been published in April 2005.
The whole text can be downloaded in PDF format from their website.
It was approved by Cardinal Arinze on 17 August 2004 "... we gladly confirm and approve the English translation of the Institutio Generalis Missalis Romani, excerpted from the third typical edition of the same Missal ...".
Also published is "Celebrating the Mass" which according to the forward is "a pastoral guide prepared by the Bishops of England and Wales. It is intended to assist everyone, clergy and lay faithful alike, in their understanding of the Mass, and to serve as a companion and guide to a greater appreciation and implementation of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal."
It includes:
"Instituted Acolytes and Lectors
"40. The instituted ministries of acolyte and lector were introduced in the reforms after Vatican II as a development replacing the former minor orders. [Footnote 41: Pope Paul VI, Motu Proprio, Ministeria Quaedam, 15 August 1972: AAS 64 (1972). pp 529-534]. The discipline of the Church is that only men may be admitted to these ministries. It is required that those preparing for Ordination be instituted to these ministries. It is rare that there are in parishes men formally instituted to these lay ministries. In parishes where there are men instituted to these ministries they should be encouraged to exercise them in collaboration with other lay ministers."
Encouragement for instituted ministers is excellent.
Collaboration is fine as long as it is understood as described in Ministeria Quaedam, n. 5, where the instituted lector "may also, insofar as may be necessary, take care of preparing other faithful who are appointed on a temporary basis to read the Scriptures in liturgical celebrations."
But in a guide to implement the 2002 GIRM it is disappointing that attention was not drawn to this part of it: "101. In the absence of an instituted lector, other laypersons may be commissioned to proclaim the readings from Sacred Scripture."
By J.R. Lilburne, 4 May, 2005. I give what I have written on this page to the public domain.