ics ▁and ▁the ▁Liberal ▁Catholic ▁Church . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁Orth odox ▁Church , ▁the ▁three ▁minor ▁orders ▁in ▁use ▁are ▁those ▁of ▁sub de acon , ▁reader ▁and ▁ch anter . ▁ ▁Roman ▁Catholic ism ▁ ▁From ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁ 3 rd ▁century , ▁there ▁is ▁evidence ▁in ▁Western ▁Christian ity ▁of ▁the ▁existence ▁of ▁what ▁became ▁the ▁four ▁minor ▁orders ▁( ac oly tes , ▁ex or c ists , ▁door keep ers , ▁and ▁readers ), ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁of ▁cant ors ▁and ▁foss ores ▁( t omb ▁dig gers ). ▁The ▁evidence ▁for ▁readers ▁is ▁probably ▁the ▁earliest . ▁In ▁the ▁West , ▁unlike ▁the ▁East , ▁where ▁im position ▁of ▁hands ▁was ▁used , ▁the ▁r ite ▁of ▁ord ination ▁was ▁by ▁the ▁hand ing ▁over ▁to ▁them ▁of ▁objects ▁seen ▁as ▁instruments ▁of ▁the ▁office . ▁ ▁The ▁Council ▁of ▁S ard ica ▁( 3 4 3 ) ▁mentions ▁the ▁le ctor ate ▁alone ▁as ▁oblig atory ▁before ▁ord ination ▁to ▁the ▁dia con ate . ▁The ▁oblig ation ▁to ▁receive ▁all ▁four ▁minor ▁orders ▁appears ▁to ▁date ▁only ▁from ▁a ▁time ▁when ▁they ▁ceased ▁to ▁indicate ▁exercise ▁of ▁an ▁actual ▁function . ▁Even ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁years ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁no ▁minimum ▁age , ▁other ▁than ▁that ▁of ▁the ▁" age ▁of ▁reason ", ▁was ▁laid ▁down ▁for ▁receiving ▁minor ▁orders . ▁However , ▁the ▁ 1 9 1 7 ▁Code ▁of ▁Can on ▁Law ▁laid ▁down ▁that ▁nobody