About the Permanent Diaconate
BRIEF HISTORY OF THE DIACONATE
The Permanent Diaconate is new to most of us and yet it is an ancient order. The Diaconate had its origins in apostolic times and flourished in the first four centuries of the Church’s history. From the beginning, the role of the deacon was associated with service to the members of the church and the deacon performed duties in collaboration with the bishop. The deacon in the early church was concerned with three tasks: he assisted in celebrating liturgy; he gave instructions in the faith, and directed charitable work.
While the Diaconate continued and flourished for many centuries as an effective part of the church’s ministry, it was not destined to retain its original importance. For varied and complex reasons, sometime in the Middle Ages, the Diaconate as permanent ministry disappeared in the Western Church and relegated to a "transitional" order given to candidates on their way to priestly ordination. While we still distinguish between "transitional" and "permanent" deacons, this distinction does not create two ranks of deacons, but rather clarifies the direction in which the deacon is headed. The "transitional" deacon is simply on his way to priestly ordination. In the Eastern Church, both Catholic and Orthodox, the deacon’s liturgical roles were fully retained from Apostolic times to the present. An item of note however was that the Council of Trent (1545-63) did call for the restoration of the permanent diaconate for the entire Church. But again for many and complex reasons it was not until the Second Vatican Council, four centuries later, that this direction was implemented.
RESTORATION OF THE PERMANENT DIACONATE
At the Second Vatican Council, Lumen Gentium (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church) called for the restoration of the permanent diaconate.
"It may well be possible in the future to restore the diaconate as a proper and permanent rank of the hierarchy" (LG 29).
Pope Paul VI did so on June 18, 1967, the feast of St. Ephraim, a deacon. The Pope’s apostolic letter Sacrum Diaconatus Ordinem permitted episcopal conferences to request that the Holy See allow the ordination to the permanent diaconate of celibate and married men.
In April 1968, the American bishops made that request. Four months later it was granted. The first Standing Committee on the Permanent Diaconate was appointed by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops in November 1968. That committee developed the first program of study for the diaconate, with the first deacons being ordained in May and June 1971.
WHO IS A DEACON?
A deacon is an ordained minister of the Catholic Church. There are three groups, or "orders," of ordained ministers in the Church: bishops, presbyters (priests) and deacons. Deacons are ordained as a sacramental sign to the Church and to the world of Christ, who came "to serve and not to be served." The entire Church is called by Christ to serve, and the deacon, in virtue of his sacramental ordination and through his various ministries, is to be a servant in a servant-Church. The diaconal ministry of service is a very ancient and a very beautiful ministry in the Church.
HOLY ORDERS
Holy Orders is the sacrament through which the mission entrusted by Christ to his apostles [and their successors] continues to be exercised in the Church until the end of time.”Thus, it is the sacrament of apostolic ministry: “The mission of the Apostles, which the Lord Jesus continues to entrust to the Pastors of his people, is a true service, significantly referred to in Sacred Scripture as ‘diakonia,’ namely, service or ministry.” This diakonia “is exercised on different levels by those who from antiquity have been called bishops, priests and deacons.”“The ordained ministries, apart from the persons who receive them, are a grace for the entire Church.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church speaks of the Sacrament of Holy Orders in this way: Catholic doctrine, expressed in the liturgy, the Magisterium, and the constant practice of the Church, recognizes that there are two degrees of ministerial participation in the priesthood of Christ: the episcopacy and the presbyterate. The diaconate is intended to help and serve them.
The Sacrament of Holy Orders marks deacons “with an imprint (‘character’) which cannot be removed and which configures them to Christ, who made himself the ‘deacon’ or servant of all.”20For this level of Holy Orders, Christ calls and the Church asks the bishop to ordain deacons to be consecrated witnesses to service.
MINISTRY OF THE DEACON
All ordained ministers in the Church are called to functions of Word, Sacrament, and Charity, but bishops, presbyters and deacons exercise these functions in various ways. The deacon's ministry roles are explained as follows:
Minister of The Word
“Receive the Gospel of Christ, whose herald you now are. Believe what you read, teach what you believe, and practice what you teach.” This is the chrage given to the deacon at ordination, therefore his role includes the proclaimation of the Gospel at the liturgy, preaching, catechetical instruction and other forms of formal teaching.
Minister of Sacrament
As ministers of Sacrament, deacons assist priests and bishops in the celebration of the Eucharist, lead the faithful in prayer, baptize, witness marriages, and conduct wake and funeral services, gives Benediction with the monstrance or ciborium, and brings Viaticum to the dying (please note that this is not the same as the Sacrament of the Sick which is reserved for priests).
Minister of Charity
As ministers of Charity, deacons are leaders in identifying the needs of others, then marshalling the Church's resources to meet those needs. Deacons are also dedicated to eliminating the injustices or inequities that cause such needs.
Because of the long adsence of the permanent diaconate in the Western Church, the reaction to to the restoration of this ministry both by other clergy and the lay faithful can sometimes be one of confusion and hesitation. But as more time goes by and more are exposed to the ministry of the deacon, I hope all will come to a greaterunderstanding and appreciation of this expression of Holy Orders as a gift to both the Church and the world.
If you have any questions on the diaconate please send to me at micheld614@gmail.com and I will do my best to give an accurate and timely response.
The Permanent Diaconate is new to most of us and yet it is an ancient order. The Diaconate had its origins in apostolic times and flourished in the first four centuries of the Church’s history. From the beginning, the role of the deacon was associated with service to the members of the church and the deacon performed duties in collaboration with the bishop. The deacon in the early church was concerned with three tasks: he assisted in celebrating liturgy; he gave instructions in the faith, and directed charitable work.
While the Diaconate continued and flourished for many centuries as an effective part of the church’s ministry, it was not destined to retain its original importance. For varied and complex reasons, sometime in the Middle Ages, the Diaconate as permanent ministry disappeared in the Western Church and relegated to a "transitional" order given to candidates on their way to priestly ordination. While we still distinguish between "transitional" and "permanent" deacons, this distinction does not create two ranks of deacons, but rather clarifies the direction in which the deacon is headed. The "transitional" deacon is simply on his way to priestly ordination. In the Eastern Church, both Catholic and Orthodox, the deacon’s liturgical roles were fully retained from Apostolic times to the present. An item of note however was that the Council of Trent (1545-63) did call for the restoration of the permanent diaconate for the entire Church. But again for many and complex reasons it was not until the Second Vatican Council, four centuries later, that this direction was implemented.
RESTORATION OF THE PERMANENT DIACONATE
At the Second Vatican Council, Lumen Gentium (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church) called for the restoration of the permanent diaconate.
"It may well be possible in the future to restore the diaconate as a proper and permanent rank of the hierarchy" (LG 29).
Pope Paul VI did so on June 18, 1967, the feast of St. Ephraim, a deacon. The Pope’s apostolic letter Sacrum Diaconatus Ordinem permitted episcopal conferences to request that the Holy See allow the ordination to the permanent diaconate of celibate and married men.
In April 1968, the American bishops made that request. Four months later it was granted. The first Standing Committee on the Permanent Diaconate was appointed by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops in November 1968. That committee developed the first program of study for the diaconate, with the first deacons being ordained in May and June 1971.
WHO IS A DEACON?
A deacon is an ordained minister of the Catholic Church. There are three groups, or "orders," of ordained ministers in the Church: bishops, presbyters (priests) and deacons. Deacons are ordained as a sacramental sign to the Church and to the world of Christ, who came "to serve and not to be served." The entire Church is called by Christ to serve, and the deacon, in virtue of his sacramental ordination and through his various ministries, is to be a servant in a servant-Church. The diaconal ministry of service is a very ancient and a very beautiful ministry in the Church.
HOLY ORDERS
Holy Orders is the sacrament through which the mission entrusted by Christ to his apostles [and their successors] continues to be exercised in the Church until the end of time.”Thus, it is the sacrament of apostolic ministry: “The mission of the Apostles, which the Lord Jesus continues to entrust to the Pastors of his people, is a true service, significantly referred to in Sacred Scripture as ‘diakonia,’ namely, service or ministry.” This diakonia “is exercised on different levels by those who from antiquity have been called bishops, priests and deacons.”“The ordained ministries, apart from the persons who receive them, are a grace for the entire Church.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church speaks of the Sacrament of Holy Orders in this way: Catholic doctrine, expressed in the liturgy, the Magisterium, and the constant practice of the Church, recognizes that there are two degrees of ministerial participation in the priesthood of Christ: the episcopacy and the presbyterate. The diaconate is intended to help and serve them.
The Sacrament of Holy Orders marks deacons “with an imprint (‘character’) which cannot be removed and which configures them to Christ, who made himself the ‘deacon’ or servant of all.”20For this level of Holy Orders, Christ calls and the Church asks the bishop to ordain deacons to be consecrated witnesses to service.
MINISTRY OF THE DEACON
All ordained ministers in the Church are called to functions of Word, Sacrament, and Charity, but bishops, presbyters and deacons exercise these functions in various ways. The deacon's ministry roles are explained as follows:
Minister of The Word
“Receive the Gospel of Christ, whose herald you now are. Believe what you read, teach what you believe, and practice what you teach.” This is the chrage given to the deacon at ordination, therefore his role includes the proclaimation of the Gospel at the liturgy, preaching, catechetical instruction and other forms of formal teaching.
Minister of Sacrament
As ministers of Sacrament, deacons assist priests and bishops in the celebration of the Eucharist, lead the faithful in prayer, baptize, witness marriages, and conduct wake and funeral services, gives Benediction with the monstrance or ciborium, and brings Viaticum to the dying (please note that this is not the same as the Sacrament of the Sick which is reserved for priests).
Minister of Charity
As ministers of Charity, deacons are leaders in identifying the needs of others, then marshalling the Church's resources to meet those needs. Deacons are also dedicated to eliminating the injustices or inequities that cause such needs.
Because of the long adsence of the permanent diaconate in the Western Church, the reaction to to the restoration of this ministry both by other clergy and the lay faithful can sometimes be one of confusion and hesitation. But as more time goes by and more are exposed to the ministry of the deacon, I hope all will come to a greaterunderstanding and appreciation of this expression of Holy Orders as a gift to both the Church and the world.
If you have any questions on the diaconate please send to me at micheld614@gmail.com and I will do my best to give an accurate and timely response.