On Ordinations (Deaconate)

In our diocese, in about a week, there will be ordinations of four deacons, and I thought I would elaborate a little on Ordinations, especially of Deacons. Ordination Liturgies are almost always held at a Diocesan level, with the Bishop presiding.

In the years prior to the Second Vatican Council, the only men ordained as deacons were seminarians who were completing the last year or so of graduate theological training, who received the order several months before ordination to the priesthood.

Following the recommendations of the council (in Lumen Gentium 29), in 1967 Pope Paul VI restored the Diaconate.

Lumen Gentium 29: At a lower level of the hierarchy are deacons, upon whom hands are imposed "not unto the priesthood, but unto a ministry of service."(74*) For strengthened by sacramental grace, in communion with the bishop and his group of priests they serve in the diaconate of the liturgy, of the word, and of charity to the people of God. It is the duty of the deacon, according as it shall have been assigned to him by competent authority, to administer baptism solemnly, to be custodian and dispenser of the Eucharist, to assist at and bless marriages in the name of the Church, to bring Viaticum to the dying, to read the Sacred Scripture to the faithful, to instruct and exhort the people, to preside over the worship and prayer of the faithful, to administer sacramentals, to officiate at funeral and burial services. Dedicated to duties of charity and of administration, let deacons be mindful of the admonition of Blessed Polycarp: "Be merciful, diligent, walking according to the truth of the Lord, who became the servant of all."(75*)

(74) Constitutiones Ecclesiac aegyptiacae, III, 2: ed. Funk, Didascalia, II, p. 103. Statuta Eccl. Ant. 371: Mansi 3, 954.
(75) S. Polycarpus, Ad Phil. 5, 2: ed. Funk, I, p. 300: Christus dicitur . omnium diaconus factus .. Cfr. Didache, 15, 1: ib., p. 32. S.Ignatius M. Trall. 2, 3: ib., p. 242. Constitutiones Apostolorum, 8, 28, 4: ed. Funk, Didascalia, I, p. 530.

Since these duties, so very necessary to the life of the Church, can be fulfilled only with difficulty in many regions in accordance with the discipline of the Latin Church as it exists today, the diaconate can in the future be restored as a proper and permanent rank of the hierarchy. It pertains to the competent territorial bodies of bishops, of one kind or another, with the approval of the Supreme Pontiff, to decide whether and where it is opportune for such deacons to be established for the care of souls. With the consent of the Roman Pontiff, this diaconate can, in the future, be conferred upon men of more mature age, even upon those living in the married state. It may also be conferred upon suitable young men, for whom the law of celibacy must remain intact.

Note: I've left the footnotes in. References in Footnote 75 refer to texts in "The Early Church Fathers", which a historian might find interesting./fss

There is only one Order of Deacons, so the adjective "permanent" as in "Permanent Diaconate" is no longer used. Men preparing for the priesthood are ordained to the (transitional) diaconate, first.

Men studying for the Dioconate undergo a formation period of four to five years. This training resembles a collegiate course of study. They are instructed in philosophy, theology, Holy Scriptures, homiletics, sacramental studies, evangelization, ecclesiology, counseling, and pastoral care and ministry before ordination. Although they are assigned to work in a parish, deacons are directly responsible to the local Bishop who appoints them. Unlike most clerics, permanent deacons may also have a secular profession and do not receive a salary for their ministry.

The ministry of the deacon in the Catholic Church is described as one of service in three areas: the Word, the Liturgy and Charity. The deacon's ministry of the Word includes proclaiming the Gospel during the Mass, preaching and teaching. His liturgical ministry includes various parts of the Mass proper to the deacon, including being an ordinary minister of Holy Communion and the proper minister of the chalice when Holy Communion is administered under both kinds. The ministry of charity involves service to the poor and marginalized and working with parishioners to help them become more involved in such ministry. As clerics, they are required to recite the Liturgy of the Hours daily.

Deacons, like priests and bishops, are ordinary ministers of the sacrament of Baptism and can serve as the church's witness at the sacrament of Holy Matrimony, which the bride and groom administer to each other (though if the exchange of vows takes place in a wedding Mass, or Nuptial Mass, the Mass is celebrated by the priest and the deacon acts as another witness). Deacons may preside at funeral rites not involving a Mass (e.g., the final commendation at the gravesite or the reception of the body at a service in the funeral home), and may assist the priest at the Requiem Mass. They can preside over various services such as Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, and they may give certain blessings. They cannot hear confession and give absolution, anoint the sick, or celebrate Mass.

At Mass, the deacon is the ordinary minister of the proclamation of the Gospel (in fact, a priest, bishop, or even the Pope should not proclaim the Gospel if a deacon is present) and of Holy Communion (primarily, of the Precious Blood). Deacons have the faculty to preach the homily by right of their ordination unless the priest presider retains that ministry to himself at any particular Mass.

The vestments most particularly associated with the Western Rite Catholic deacon are the alb, stole and dalmatic (image). Deacons, like priests and bishops, must wear their albs and stoles; deacons place the stole over their left shoulder and it hangs across to their right side, while priests and bishops wear it around their necks. The dalmatic, a vestment especially associated with the deacon, is worn during the celebration of the Mass and other liturgical functions; its use is more liberally applied than the corresponding vestment of the priest, the chasuble.

A bit of history ...

By John F. Fink
Second of a five-part series
From very early times, deacons were regarded as having a special relationship to bishops. The early Christian document Didascalia Apostolorum (“Teachings of the Apostles”) described a deacon as “the eyes and ears, the mouth, heart and soul of the bishop.” The ordained ministry in the Church was considered to be much like a triangle, with priests and deacons in a complementary relationship to the bishop. It’s possible that the origin of deacons was recorded in the sixth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. The Apostles told the people to select seven upstanding men “filled with the Spirit and wisdom” to help them in works of charity. After the men were selected, the Apostles “prayed and laid hands” on them. Among them was Stephen, a man “filled with grace and power,” who was soon to become the first Christian martyr. Perhaps these seven men were not deacons in the sense we now understand the term, but the account given in Acts is in accord with the concept of the diaconate as it soon took shape in the Church.

St. Ignatius of Antioch, around the year 100, said that deacons were “ministers of the Church of God” and explained that their task was nothing less than to continue “the ministry of Jesus Christ.” Ignatius mentioned two specific functions of deacons: writing letters for the bishop and assisting him in the ministry of the word, and serving as his legate from one local Church to another. They also represented the bishop in providing service to the poor and the needy of the community.

Even before Ignatius’ time, though, deacons held responsible positions in the Church. The New Testament’s First Letter to Timothy contains this admonition:
“Deacons must be dignified, not deceitful, not addicted to drink, not greedy for sordid gain, holding fast to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. Moreover, they should be tested first; then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons.”

Paul’s letter continued: “Deacons may be married only once and must manage their children and their households well. Thus those who serve well as deacons gain good standing and much confidence in their faith in Christ Jesus” (1 Tm 3:8-13).

Undoubtedly, the most celebrated deacon in Catholic history was St. Lawrence, who was martyred in 258. The esteem in which the Church holds him is evident by the fact that the celebration of his life on Aug. 10 ranks as a feast rather than a memorial as is the case for most saints in the liturgical calendar. Lawrence served under Pope St. Sixtus II and was charged with the responsibility for the material goods of the Church of Rome and the distribution of alms to the poor.

So why and how did the diaconate decline? There was no single reason or cause. Basically, it was a matter that both priests and deacons experienced a kind of identity crisis that in some places led to a rivalry that sometimes boiled over into open conflict. By the fourth century, the liturgical role of deacons was stressed at the expense of the ministry of the word (preaching and teaching) and the ministry of charity.

By the fifth century, deacons were doing little except performing liturgical functions. At this time, too, the idea spread that the diaconate was simply an introductory stage in holy orders, a step on the way toward ordination as a priest. Eventually, by the seventh century, the only deacons in the Western Church (as contrasted to the Eastern Church) were men who would soon become priests.
It remained that way until the time of World War II in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Priests who were imprisoned in Nazi concentration camps speculated that permanent deacons might have been able to do much good in their parishes. This speculation continued in Europe after the war and was discussed in articles in Catholic periodicals and in books.

In 1957, Pope Pius XII spoke favorably about the possibility of restoring the permanent diaconate, but eventually concluded that “the time is not yet ripe.” The Second Vatican Council decided that the time was ripe.

Source: The Criterion Online Edition (www.archindy.org/criterion). © Archdiocese of Indianapolis. The website of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, IN, has much useful and well-written educational material. We thank them for making it available on the web. /fss

Men who are interested in Deaconate Vocation should contact their Diocesan Chancery for further information.

Although I usually write my reflections in my own words, this is more of an overview of the Office of the Diaconate, and this above information comes from solid sources, and I just couldn't improve on those.

The Office of Deacon is steeped in Catholic History and Tradition, and so next time you think of the Deacon(s) in your parish, please say a prayer for them, too.

May the Lord bring you peace!

Fred Schaeffer, SFO
September 4, 2009

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