I have been getting more and more news of parishes implementing some form of the Office or Liturgy of Hours for the people to sing.
I want to put this out there for informed readers with some knowledge to comment on (I am swamped with work at the moment):
Some friends and I (all laymen who pray the traditional Breviary privately) have discussed the idea of doing Vespers or Compline together some days during the week, since we’re all saying the Office anyway.
However, rather than just doing "group private recitation"…we were wondering about actual Public celebration of the Office (solemn or spoken).
Our pastor has expressed total willingness to let us use the church during those times, since nothing else is going on, and even to alert people in the bulletin, but he himself is not comfortable leading it. (One of the deacons may be, however…)
We’re working on memorizing the "Ordinary" chant parts, especially for Compline.
So, basically, my question is, what ministers are actually required for public celebration of the Office (solemn or otherwise)? Must the celebrant be a priest? Must the celebrant be a cleric? According to the internal rubrics of the Old Rite, must it be a cleric in major orders? Can the roles of hebdomadary and cantor be filled by lay substitutes (as the role of acolyte/altar server can)?
Since celebration of the Divine Office requires no particular sacramental powers, it would be nice if lay volunteers could actually lead it (in cassock-and-surplice like an altar server, at least). But I’m not sure if anything more than spoken "group private recitation" is possible…
