Deacon

:This article deals with religious officials; for the sounding rocket, see Deacon (rocket)

Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, & Anglicanism

The diaconate is the lowest of the three ordained offices in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox churches. The other two offices are those of priest and of bishop.

Related Topics:
Ordained - Roman Catholic - Anglican - Eastern Orthodox - Oriental Orthodox - Priest - Bishop

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In Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Orthodox churches, deacons assist priests in their pastoral and administrative duties, but report directly to the bishop. They have a distinctive role in the liturgy, their main tasks being to read the Gospel and assist in the administration of the Eucharist.

Related Topics:
Liturgy - Gospel - Eucharist

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Anglican

In Anglican churches, deacons often work directly in ministry to the marginalized inside and outside the church: the poor, the sick, the hungry, the imprisoned. Unlike Orthodox and Roman Catholic deacons, Anglican deacons are permitted to marry freely, as are Anglican priests.

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Eastern Orthodoxy

In addition to reading the Gospel and assisting in the administration of the Eucharist, the deacon censes the icons and people, calls the people to prayer, prays the litanies (series of petitions) and has a role in the dialog of the Anaphora.

Related Topics:
Censes - Icon - Litanies - Anaphora

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Deacons vest in the sticharion, the orarion, and the epimanikia.

Related Topics:
Vest - Sticharion - Orarion - Epimanikia

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Deacons may not marry after being ordained, but a married man may be ordained a deacon, regardless of whether he remains a deacon or is ultimately elevated to the priesthood.

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In addition, the position of "protodeacon" (senior deacon) is recognized in Eastern Orthodoxy.

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See clerical celibacy.

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Roman Catholicism

Two sacraments are proper to the Roman Catholic deacon: Baptism and Holy Matrimony. Deacons are forbidden to perform the sacraments proper to priests (Reconciliation, Annointing of the Sick, and Eucharist) and bishops (Holy Orders and Confirmation). In the liturgy, it is proper for the deacon to proclaim the Gospel, offer the Intentions, and when the Eucharist is distributed under both species, to administer the Chalice.

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The vestment most particularly associated with the Roman Catholic deacon is the dalmatic. Deacons, like priests and bishops, wear the stole; however, deacons place the stole over their left shoulder and it hangs across to their right side, while priests and bishops wear it around the neck.

Related Topics:
Vestment - Dalmatic

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Often these deacons serve on a part time basis, and have another full time position. Permanent deacons may also act as parish administrators. In such a case, the deacon would be responsible for most administrative work, while a priest would serve on a part time basis to perform sacramental duties (a sacramental moderator). As in Anglican churches, deacons often work directly in ministry to the marginalized inside and outside the church: the poor, the sick, the hungry, the imprisoned.

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In the Roman Catholic church, women are not ordained to the diaconate. This is matter of tradition, however, in the same way that the Church does not regularly ordain married men to the priesthood. Married men may be ordained as deacons, however they may not marry after being ordained (unless they receive special dispensation). See clerical celibacy.

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Up through WWII ordination to the diaconate was regarded as a transitional stage leading to ordination to the priesthood. However, some Catholic leaders, particularly in Germany, seeing both problems during the war and a falling off in vocations for the priesthood after the war, called for a revival of the diaconate as a permanent role, and to allow married men to be ordained deacons. This was centered in West Germany growing out of discussions among clergy imprisoned in Nazi concentration camps. The bishops gathered in the Second Vatican Council called for the expansion of the permanent diaconate in the Dogmatic Constitution of the Church Lumen Gentium. On June 18, 1967 Pope Paul VI issued the motu proprio Sacrum Diaconatus Ordinem, re-establishing the permanent diaconate, followed up by the apostolic letter Ad Pascendum on August 15, 1972.

Related Topics:
WWII - Germany - West Germany - Second Vatican Council - Lumen Gentium - June 18 - 1967 - Pope Paul VI - Motu proprio - Sacrum Diaconatus Ordinem - Apostolic letter - Ad Pascendum - August 15 - 1972

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This change has lead to the emergence of the distinctive roles of permanent deacon and transitional deacon. Men on track to be ordained to the priesthood are first ordained to the transitional diaconate for a period of not less than six months. (Code of Canon Law, 1031) They then may be ordained to the priesthood. Men who wish to be deacons but do not seek ordination to the priesthood are ordained to the permanant diaconate. Because permanent deacons are not expected to be ordained to the priesthood, married men may be ordained; however, once ordained, a permanent deacon may never remarry, unless they receive special dispensation from church authorities. The permanent diaconate is particularly popular in the United States.

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The proper formal title for a deacon in the Roman Catholic Church is Reverend Mister. A permanent deacon is usually not addressed as 'Father' as a priest would be, but 'Deacon'.

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