(First of two parts)
My dear friends,
Back in 1971, my archbishop asked me to start the permanent diaconate program in the Archdiocese of New Orleans. He gave me the assignment in June, instructing that the first class start in September. I wrote him a letter listing 13 reasons why such a program should not be put together in three months. The last one, I felt, was the best: the permanent diaconate had not been used in the Church for 15 centuries; another year would not make any difference.
For the same reason, it is not surprising today that many Catholics do not understand what permanent deacons are or what they do. Although its roots are ancient, the permanent diaconate was only restored 30 years ago by the Second Vatican Council.
This year, it is marking its 20th anniversary in our archdiocese. We currently have 130 “reputable men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom” (Acts 6:3) serving as permanent deacons in our parishes. Some people refer to them as “glorified altar boys” because they see them only on Sundays, assisting the priest at mass. Others incorrectly refer to deacons as “married priests,” because most of them have wives and children.
It is time to correct those misconceptions. Deacons are not “married priests” although they have received the sacrament of Holy Orders and therefore are part of the clergy, rather than the laity.
The order of the diaconate is actually the first of three “levels” of the sacrament of Holy Orders. The second is the order of priesthood, and the third is the order of the episcopacy, which is often referred to as “the fullness” of the priesthood. (When a man goes from priest to bishop, he is not just appointed but ordained, as happened with our own auxiliary bishops in 1997.)
As recounted in Acts, chapter 6, the diaconate was created by the Apostles, who wanted to devote themselves exclusively “to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” They appointed seven men literally “to serve at table,” and thus minister to the needs of the growing Christian community.
Since Catholic theology holds that the Apostles were made priest-bishops by Jesus as the Last Supper, the diaconate as a separate order in the church actually antedated the priesthood as separate from the office of bishop. Deacons fade from view after the 5th century, however, when the diaconate becomes the final step on the journey to priesthood. (Even today, seminarians are ordained deacons before they become priests.)
Vatican II decreed the restoration of the diaconate as a separate and permanent institution, partly in response to requests from the bishops of Africa and Latin America. North America, however, is where the diaconate has truly flourished. More than 11,800 deacons, nearly half of the world's total, reside in the United States.
The diaconate is open to men aged 35 or older, married or single. If they are single, they take a vow of celibacy; if they are married and lose their wives, they cannot re-marry. (The Church deems that marriage is not an impediment to Holy Orders, while Holy Orders is an impediment to marriage — but that's another column.)
In a way, deacons are “glorified altar boys” because they do assist the priest at Mass. But they do far more than altar servers, in that, because of their ordination, they have the official right to prepare the chalice before the consecration, read the Gospel, preach the homily and distribute Communion. If a priest is not available to celebrate Mass, a deacon can conduct a communion service, which consists of a liturgy of the word followed by distribution of Holy Communion.
Deacons also administer the sacraments of baptism and marriage, bring Viaticum to the sick, and lead wake and graveside services at funerals. The only things they cannot do that priests can do are consecrate the Eucharist, hear confession and administer the sacrament of anointing.
Ordinarily, deacons work voluntarily. They are expected to have jobs or retirement income. In fact, the deacons' order of priorities should be their families, their careers, and then church work. They cannot become deacons unless their wives give their consent and their families are fully supportive.
The diaconate, however, is not a post one achieves only by undergoing certain training. It is truly a vocation, a call from God. There is a process of assessment and evaluation by competent authorities who recommend a candidate to the bishop for training. Just as priests are called to represent Christ, the High Priest, here on earth, deacons are called to represent Christ, the servant. Their embodiment of this virtue of service is what gives deacons their unique position in the Church.
