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Hi, Henrik —
A master of ceremonies is a liturgical
minister who coordinates the choreography,
if you pardon the term, in the sanctuary (and
probably the nave, when appropriate,
for example for processions) during
complex liturgical ceremonies and
Masses, such as pontifical Masses
and papal Masses, where the number
of participants get unwieldy and
they are unfamiliar with the territory.
He directs the altar boys, the priests,
the deacons, and anyone else who
is on the altar.
Often, the MC is a priest and works
closely with the bishop.
I don't have firsthand knowledge
of the term in Latin but it's probably magister
caerimoniarum.
Becoming one probably involves becoming
a priest and being noted for your
liturgical expertise, grace, and
[aplomb|assurance], although some of it is likely
accidental — they
needed someone, you happened to be
available and you seemed competent, so
that's what you got assigned to do.
According to Wikipedia the
idea of
an MC goes back to the days of the
emperor Constantine in 324 and may
in fact have been borrowed from imperial
practice. This makes sense.
Eric
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