Porter
PORTER
Also known as doorkeeper, or ostiary. Historically, the first of the minor orders or steps that led to the priesthood. In the early Church the principal function of the porter was to guard the doors of the church and to exclude those who were not authorized to enter. The porter was also given the duties of ringing the bells to announce the divine services and of assisting the preacher.
This order, instituted by the Church, was not considered a sacrament by many theologians. In the rite of ordination the candidate was first instructed by the ordaining prelate in the duties of his office. The essential action in this rite was the presentation of keys to the candidate along with the words recited by the ordaining prelate as found in the Pontifical. The ceremony also included the opening and shutting of the doors of the church and the ringing of the church bell by the candidate.
By the apostolic letter Ministeria quaedam dated Aug. 15, 1972, Pope Paul VI suppressed, among other things, the minor order of the porter.
Bibliography: p. de puniet, The Roman Pontifical: A History and Commentary, tr. m. v. harcourt (New York 1932) 122–140. m. andrieu, "Les Ordres mineurs dans l'ancien rite romain," Revue des sciences religieuses 5 (1925) 232–274. w. croce, "Die niederen Weihen und ihre hierarchische Wertung," Zeitschrift für katholische Theologie 70 (1948) 257–314.
[t. j. riley/eds.]
porter
por·ter1 / ˈpôrtər/ • n. 1. a person employed to carry luggage and other loads, esp. in a railroad station, airport, or hotel. ∎ a person employed to carry supplies on a mountaineering expedition. ∎ an attendant in a railroad sleeping car or parlor car. 2. dark brown bitter beer brewed from malt partly charred or browned by drying at a high temperature.por·ter2 • n. an employee in charge of the entrance of a hotel, apartment complex, or other large building.