Role Of Deacons....

[MithLuin]

Ah, here it is:

[quote]Can. 277 §1 Clerics are obliged to observe perfect and perpetual continence for the sake of the Kingdom of heaven, and are therefore bound to celibacy. Celibacy is a special gift of God by which sacred ministers can more easily remain close to Christ with an undivided heart, and can dedicate themselves more freely to the service of God and their neighbour.

§2 Clerics are to behave with due prudence in relation to persons whose company can be a danger to their obligation of preserving continence or can lead to scandal of the faithful.

§3 THE DIOCESAN BISHOP HAS AUTHORITY TO ESTABLISH MORE DETAILED RULES CONCERNING THIS MATTER, AND TO PASS JUDGEMENT ON THE OBSERVANCE OF THE OBLIGATION IN PARTICULAR CASES.[/quote]

Obviously in the US, the way this has been handled is to defer this requirement to the time of the wife's death, should she predecease her husband the deacon.


And from the USCCB:

[quote]A married deacon, with his wife and family, gives witness to the sanctity of marriage. The more they grow in mutual love, conforming their lives to the Church’s teaching on marriage and sexuality, the more they give to the Christian community a model of Christ-like love, compassion, and self-sacrifice.[/quote]


In the East, periodic continence is required (of both married clergy and laity) on particular fast days and penitential seasons, as well as when receiving holy communion (well, not [i]when[/i]....). A modified form of this could be introduced in the West for the permanent diaconate, but it has not been at this time.


ETA: Crossposted. Yes, you are right, it seems there has been some discussion about this recently, and will likely result in canon lawyers having a field day with what to do about it. Part of the 'guinea pig' issue of having a resurgence after the role of the deacon fell away for so long. But current teaching is [i]not[/i] that permanent deacons must remain continent. If it is changed to that in the future, the USCCB will have to rewrite its instructions on the role of the deacon.

Edited June 23, 2011 by MithLuin

[Nihil Obstat]

[quote name='MithLuin' timestamp='1308867012' post='2257824']
Ah, here it is:



Obviously in the US, the way this has been handled is to defer this requirement to the time of the wife's death, should she predecease her husband the deacon.


And from the USCCB:




In the East, periodic continence is required (of both married clergy and laity) on particular fast days and penitential seasons, as well as when receiving holy communion (well, not [i]when[/i]....). A modified form of this could be introduced in the West for the permanent diaconate, but it has not been at this time.
[/quote]
That is the way it's currently being interpreted. However, that part you bolded was specifically addressed in the second article I posted. That author (was it Mr. Peters?) disagreed that bishops are permitted to release a deacon from continence with this canon.

Very much not a closed case at the moment, from what I can tell.

[MithLuin]

Yes, that was Prof. Ed Peter's take on it (as you can see, we crossposted).

At this time, no one is advising married men who are being ordained to the permanent diaconate (or the priesthood, for that matter, with the Anglican converts) that they ought to be practicing continence. That may change in the future.

But until that time...this is what Prof. Peters has to say:

[quote]“Despite the reservations expressed above on the applicability of Canon 4
to issues of the obligations of continence on married deacons, it is nevertheless
consistent with, I suggest, a deeper principle that is relevant here, namely,
that one cannot be held to have surrendered fundamental rights without an
express awareness that that is being done. Thousands of married men have
been ordained to the permanent diaconate in recent decades. Neither they
nor their wives have been informed as to the possibility, let alone as to the
canonical conclusion explored herein, that admission to major orders in
the Western Church carries with it the obligation of “perfect and perpetual
continence for the sake of the kingdom of heaven.” These husbands and
wives, therefore, cannot be held to have consented to the surrender of a right to
something as fundamental as conjugal relations and for that reason it seems
that they should not be bound to observe c. 277, which provision would
otherwise be clearly applicable to clerics in their position and their wives.”

http://communio.stblogs.org/Ed%20Peters%20Studia%20c.%20277%20Diaconal%20Sexual%20Continence.pdf
(from a comment on Fr. Z's blog)[/quote]



Obviously, this was something that was considered when Canon Law was revised in 1983. As Prof. Peters points out,

[quote]Some members of the coetus [group revising canon law] believed that [i]Lumen gentium[/i] [29?, 42?] had overturned the obligation of continence for married deacons. For reasons I have suggested in the Studia article, and which I can develop in more detail later, it is incorrect to hold that Lumen gentium departed from the ancient and unbroken Western obligation of clerical continence, but, what is important here is that some members of the coetus thought that [i]Lumen gentium[/i] had done so and therefore, they believed that an explicit exception from the general clerical obligation of continence for married deacons was needed. So motivated, the coetus drafted an exception to what would eventually be Canon 277 § 1, and it was that exception which, after appearing successively in the 1977 Schema de Populi Dei, the 1980 Schema Codicis, and the 1982 Schema Codicis, was eliminated by John Paul II in late 1982.

In brief, what John Paul II removed from the proposed 1983 Code was a provision that its authors had drafted expressly to exempt married deacons from the general clerical obligation of continence.

Edward N. Peters, JD, JCD 19/20 February 2011
http://www.canonlaw.info/a_deacons.htm [/quote]

It is not clear to me why that exemption was written in but later removed, but it seems there was some disagreement in Rome over how this situation should be handled.

Edited June 23, 2011 by MithLuin

[Nihil Obstat]

[quote name='MithLuin' timestamp='1308871591' post='2257868']
Yes, that was Prof. Ed Peter's take on it (as you can see, we crossposted).

At this time, no one is advising married men who are being ordained to the permanent diaconate (or the priesthood, for that matter, with the Anglican converts) that they ought to be practicing continence. That may change in the future.

But until that time...this is what Prof. Peters has to say:





Obviously, this was something that was considered when Canon Law was revised in 1983. As Prof. Peters points out,



It is not clear to me why that exemption was written in but later removed, but it seems there was some disagreement in Rome over how this situation should be handled.
[/quote]
Yeah, I'd imagine we wouldn't want to or be able to hold our deacons to a law about which they weren't informed, or even about which they were specifically told could be disregarded. It's a situation that I hope will be clarified for us in the future. Professor Peters makes very good points, and as a canon lawyer it's more or less safe to assume that he's considering any variables that we might miss.

[cmotherofpirl]

Our diocese has 43 new permanent deacons this week, their assignments took up several pages of the paper

I have never heard of any permanent married deacon ever being told he couldn't have relations with his wife, that is a violation of the covanent of marriage. The only deacons it has applied to were the transistionals who were going on to the priesthood.

[CatherineM]

I think a lot of people look on deacons as replacements for parishes that don't have priests. That was some of the thinking that had Oklahoma quickly forming deacon programs before the final paperwork came down (and why the first class mistakenly had women in it) and why the long time archbishop here in Edmonton didn't want any deacons at all.

So long as they are used in fulfillment of their vocation, rather than trying to use them to fill holes in the dyke.

[cmotherofpirl]

[quote name='CatherineM' timestamp='1308884910' post='2257941']
I think a lot of people look on deacons as replacements for parishes that don't have priests. That was some of the thinking that had Oklahoma quickly forming deacon programs before the final paperwork came down (and why the first class mistakenly had women in it) and why the long time archbishop here in Edmonton didn't want any deacons at all.

So long as they are used in fulfillment of their vocation, rather than trying to use them to fill holes in the dyke.
[/quote]
All of our parishes have at least one priest, because we have just completed a very long processes of closing and combining many inner city parishes. But because of the age of our diocese, the deacons can spend a lot of time visiting the frail elderly etc. We also have a new crop of priests to be ordained as well.
Sunday is our first patron feast day as a new parish, the bishop is coming to say Mass.

[CatherineM]

[quote name='cmotherofpirl' timestamp='1308886583' post='2257953']
All of our parishes have at least one priest, because we have just completed a very long processes of closing and combining many inner city parishes. But because of the age of our diocese, the deacons can spend a lot of time visiting the frail elderly etc. We also have a new crop of priests to be ordained as well.
Sunday is our first patron feast day as a new parish, the bishop is coming to say Mass.
[/quote]
That's fantastic. We have an increase in vocations, but aren't there yet. I run into priests who cover more than one parish, and they just look so tired.

[Cam42]

[quote name='cmotherofpirl' timestamp='1308886583' post='2257953']
All of our parishes have at least one priest, because we have just completed a very long processes of closing and combining many inner city parishes. But because of the age of our diocese, the deacons can spend a lot of time visiting the frail elderly etc. We also have a new crop of priests to be ordained as well.
Sunday is our first patron feast day as a new parish, the bishop is coming to say Mass.
[/quote]


See, that is what the deacon should be doing first, as he is called to service...the liturgical ministry exists to be sure, but the real ministry of the deacon is to fulfill the roles of service to the faithful...the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. And to preach and preside at devotions and gatherings outside the Mass...to do the things most proper to him...

I think that Bishop Sample addresses this specifically and I agree with it wholeheartedly.

[fides quarens intellectum]

[quote name='cmotherofpirl' timestamp='1308883936' post='2257938']
Our diocese has 43 new permanent deacons this week, their assignments took up several pages of the paper
[/quote]

wow - that's great! all glory to God!

[cmotherofpirl]

Called to serve: 44 men to be ordained as deacons
archived from: 2011-06-13
by: Deacon Stephen J. Byers

Class of 2011 is a diverse yet cohesive group

Forty-four men from nearly as many walks of life and parishes throughout the diocese will enter an ancient yet never more timely ministry of service to the church as Bishop David Zubik ordains them to the sacred order of deacon on Saturday, June 11, at St.Paul Cathedral.

One of the men, Kevin Fazio, just completed his third year of theology studies at St. Vincent Seminary; he will become a deacon as one of the major transitional steps on his way to the priesthood. The other 43 men will embrace the diaconate as their permanent ministry now that they have completed a long, formative and sometimes arduous training program that began in 2006.

“The most meaningful aspect of the formation experience has been journeying with my classmates as we discerned the call of God,” said James Mackin. “Over the years, I have grown in my love of God with a group of men who have varied personalities, occupations and talents, yet who are all on the same journey — that of walking with and serving the Lord.”

Indeed, the Class of 2011 of the permanent diaconate program is a diverse yet cohesive group.

The men range in age from 40 to 66, with the average being 56. Two are single; the rest are married and, collectively, have a total of 116 children and 46 grandchildren.

They come from 37 parishes and five of the six counties that comprise the Diocese of Pittsburgh, Greene County being the only one not represented. Allegheny County, on the other hand, has the most members by far: 34. Three of the men, who though originally baptized in another Christian denomination, subsequently were received into full communion with the Catholic Church.

All except 13 of the men have their roots in western Pennsylvania. Harry DeNome came from Pescara, Italy, as a boy. Ross Dacal emigrated to the United States from Camaguey, Cuba, as a teenager and then, as a young man, sang with opera companies throughout Europe.

Others were born in Alabama, New York, New England or other parts of Pennsylvania. Thomas Krulikowski and Richard Long have ties to the same Scranton parish — St. Lucy — where they both were baptized, eight years apart. All found their way to the Pittsburgh area at some point in their lives. Nineteen of the men hold advanced academic degrees, including three doctorates.

Among these men are attorneys, teachers, a certified public accountant, an orthodontist and a university professor. Two hold managerial positions with the U.S. Postal Service. Several work for parishes — as a pastoral associate/business manager, maintenance manager and faith formation director.

The banking industry is represented in their careers, as are marketing, global trade, insurance, mortgage lending, health care, media/technology, development/planned giving, public health, software development, the non-profit sector and other fields of employment.

No fewer than eight of them were trained in engineering: mechanical, electrical, nuclear, petroleum and natural gas, electronic, chemical and — in the case of Anton Mobley, who at one time worked on developing the engine for the F-22 advance tactical fighter — aerospace.

Eight others are retired from their professional careers.

“At this stage of my life, I could not think of anything more rewarding or fulfilling than to live every day in service to the people of the diocese,” said Frederick Eckhardt, who spent 33 years teaching at Carrick High School.

Despite everything that makes them individuals, all of them, together, will enter a ministry of service in the church that dates to the time of the apostles but faded as a distinct role over the centuries until being reinvigorated by the Second Vatican Council, which even opened the ministry of deacon to married men.

Permanent deacons in the church today number 37,200 worldwide, 17,000 in the United States, and, prior to this weekend, 35 in active ministry in the Diocese of Pittsburgh.

Deacons engage in liturgical service at the altar; teach, catechize and evangelize others in the faith; and engage in varied ministries of service and charity at hospitals, jails, food banks and anywhere people need to hear the good news of the Gospel, of which each deacon at his ordination is designated as a herald.

Following ordination, the new deacons will receive a particular ministerial assignment from Bishop Zubik that they must balance with other commitments in their lives, particularly their job and family responsibilities. It’s a challenge they’re eager to embrace.

“I can be a witness to God’s love and peace in all areas of my life: my work, my home, my parish and my community,” Gary Molitor said.

Likewise, said Robert Koslosky, “Deacons have the opportunity to bring the presence of Christ into the ‘marketplace’ of people’s lives.”

One does not become a deacon quickly or easily. The men of the Deacon Class of 2011 spent five years in a formation program that consisted of academic training in theology, Scripture, canon law, ecclesiology, homiletics and many other relevant topics, as well as intense personal, spiritual and pastoral development.

“The diaconal formation experience, especially spiritual formation, has significantly changed me,” said Richard Fitzpatrick. “My prayer life is much richer, more focused on others, and my relationship with God is much closer. I have learned to trust and depend on the Holy Spirit to guide me.”

Much of the formation experience has focused on fostering in the candidates an attitude that can best be described as “the heart of a deacon,” which, according to William Carver, “requires a deep sense of love, humility, obedience, patient concern for the poor, the sick, the spiritual needs of others and a true devotion to prayer.”

More simply, Kevin Lander said, “The heart of a deacon, to me, means seeing others as Christ would see them.”

Keith Kondrich sees it this way: “A deacon’s heart must first encounter the Sacred Heart of Jesus and literally be consumed by the love of God! Then, and only then, can the deacon’s heart reach out, indeed ‘speak’ to other individual hearts about the love of God through an attentive ear, a supportive shoulder, an encouraging word, an act of charity, a voice of justice or, perhaps, just by sharing a cup of tea.”

For some of these men, the road to ordained ministry began with a simple suggestion by a family member, a parishioner, their pastor, a deacon they knew or some mix of influences.

“There wasn’t just one person who inspired me to pursue the diaconate,” Joseph Basko said. “It’s been a combination of people over the last 20 years. They’ve all inspired me by their commitment to the church and their faith, through their examples of caring for others.”

Regardless of who first got their attention, all of them soon came to recognize that it was God himself who was calling them to become a deacon. They listened, and they answered. What advice would they give to someone who thinks he, too, might be called to the diaconate someday?

Prayer was the inescapable answer that they expressed, but in this particular way by Herbert Riley Jr.: “Pray to the Holy Spirit for guidance, and then, when you think you have your answer, pray even more.”

Deacon Byers is director of the diocesan Department for the Diaconate.

www.pittsburghcatholic.org

[Nihil Obstat]

[quote name='cmotherofpirl' timestamp='1308883936' post='2257938']
I have never heard of any permanent married deacon ever being told he couldn't have relations with his wife, that is a violation of the covanent of marriage. The only deacons it has applied to were the transistionals who were going on to the priesthood.
[/quote]
The arguments are Professor Peters', not mine. He'd be more qualified than either of us combined to discuss it, and considering his credentials he probably also knows the laws surrounding marriage.

[MithLuin]

It would be a violation of the marriage covenant for the husband to deny his wife conjugal rights (or vice versa). It would not, however, be a violation for both of them (together) to voluntarily give up these rights. A couple may choose to be continent for a time...or indefinitely...and this would not make them 'not married'. A married person would not, however, be free to unilaterally take a vow of celibacy, which is why the canon law reference to a man needing his wife's permission to become a deacon is relevant. Still, I can't see the church approving a public vow of celibacy for a person who is living with his spouse. That's a cause for scandal waiting to happen, isn't it?

And you are right, [b]Cmom[/b], the deacons are not instructed to remain continent by any US bishop (that I am aware of). And they do [i]not[/i] make a vow of celibacy/continence when they are ordained - they simply vow [u]obedience[/u] to their bishop, and promise to live celibately in the event of their wife's death and not to remarry.* By bringing up this canon and discussing its implications, Prof. Peters is questioning current practices, not expecting the deacons themselves to interpret canon law and start living continence on their own. In other words...he's looking for the bishops (or ultimately Rome) to address this issue for deacons in the future. I don't know if any alteration to canon law is planned for the near future, but more explicit instruction on this matter might happen in the next revision. It was certainly something that was considered in the 1983 version, but tabled.


* Should his wife die, and the bishop approve, the permanent deacon may be ordained a priest, as well (assuming he is called to that).

Edited June 24, 2011 by MithLuin

[cmotherofpirl]

[quote name='Nihil Obstat' timestamp='1308899119' post='2258003']
The arguments are Professor Peters', not mine. He'd be more qualified than either of us combined to discuss it, and considering his credentials he probably also knows the laws surrounding marriage.
[/quote]

The rules concerning deacons and marriage are not a big secret and are very clear: deacons may marry before they become deacons, and if their wife dies they may not remarry. I somehow doubt that his arguments that the law was possibly misinterpreted at this point are going to change the practices of the Church.

[Nihil Obstat]

[quote name='cmotherofpirl' timestamp='1309142291' post='2258962']
The rules concerning deacons and marriage are not a big secret and are very clear: deacons may marry before they become deacons, and if their wife dies they may not remarry. I somehow doubt that his arguments that the law was possibly misinterpreted at this point are going to change the practices of the Church.
[/quote]
Ed Peters has written many good articles on Canon Law. He makes a very specific, [i]academic[/i] case that states that the law is currently being misapplied.