09/08/2021
๐๐๐ ๐ฟ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐พ๐ ๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐:
(๐๐๐๐๐ผ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฟ๐๐ผ๐พ๐๐ & ๐๐๐ผ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฟ๐๐ผ๐พ๐๐)
On August 10, the Church celebrates the feast of the patron saint of deacons, none other than, St. Lawrence. Maybe it would be fitting if we also take this moment to talk about the roles of Deacons in the Catholic Church.
For the record, deacons are considered members of the clergy. Deacons can baptize, witness marriages, perform funeral and burial services outside of Mass, distribute Holy Communion, preach the homily , and are obligated to pray the Breviary each day. This way, in addition to the biblical readings at daily Mass, the cleric is also exposed to more Sacred Scripture each day of his life.
In the hierarchy of the Catholic Church, you have the Pope at the top (well, after God), cardinals, bishops, priests, and then of course, the deacons. Catholics recognize two types of deacons: the transitional and the permanent deacon.
Basically, transitional deacon will become a priest, while permanent deacons usually do not. Sometimes the bishop will ordain both transitional and permanent deacons at the same ceremony, which can make it difficult to tell the difference. But there's more to this that we need to understand.
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โThe diaconate is the first โorderโ in the sacrament of holy orders, and for those called to the priesthood it is the first order they receive. All men on their way to the priesthood must first be ordained a deacon. This is called the โtransitionalโ diaconate, because it marks a transition to the presbyterate.
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โPermanent deacons are men ordained to an office in the Catholic Church who normally have no intention or desire of becoming priests. He can be single or married. If the latter, he must be married before being ordained a deacon. If his wife dies before him, he may be ordained a priest if the bishop permits and approves.Permanent deacons, especially those who are married, have secular jobs to support their families and also help the local pastor by visiting the sick, teaching the faith, counseling couples and individuals, working on parish committees and councils, and giving advice to the pastor.
Note: In the Philippines, there are no permanent deacons. Its institution was raised during the second Plenary Council of the Philippines but it did not receive the necessary support of the bishops.
Sources:
(1) The Role of Deacons in the Catholic ChurchโDummies (Retrieved on August 9, 2021);
(2) What is the difference between a transitional and a permanent deacon?โAleteia (Retrieved on August 9, 2021);
(3) ๐ท Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation,
