Theology Today - Vol 36, No. 3 - October 1979 - EDITORIAL

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The Permanent Diaconate
By Ernest J. Fiedler

FROM THE APOSTOLIC age the diaconate has had a clearly outstanding position among the variety of ministries which work for all the people of God. It has always been held in great honor by the church. Explicit testimony of this is given by the Apostle Paul both in his letter to the Philippians (Phil. 1:1) and in a letter to Timothy (I Tim. 3:8-13). Later, when the early writers of the church acclaim the dignity of deacons, they do not fail to extol also the spiritual qualities and virtues that are required for the performance of that ministry, namely, fidelity to Christ, moral integrity, and unity with the bishop.

In some ways, the deacon is more easily identified than either the priest or the bishop in the New Testament vocabulary. This is not to question the presence of all three types of ordained ministry at that time. Exegetes have wrestled with the terms "presbyteros" and "episcopos" for years. It seems clear that the term "presbyteros" need not always signify a priest. And, although the word "episcopos" is clear, contemporary exegetical study suggests that the distinction between bishop and priest in this early historical evidence is not only unclear, but may often amount to a nuance. Recent studies have suggested that the term "priest" indicated the state of one ordained and "bishop" the specific duty fulfilled by one of the priests. There is evidence that they took turns at such duties with the one who presided bearing the identification of bishop. Whether scholars will some day resolve all the questions relative to these two terms remains to be seen. The term "deacon" does not suffer from a similar ambivalence even though comprehension of the full extent of this ministry in the New Testament is limited.

From the very earliest days of the church deacons were understood to occupy a special place in the Christian community, set apart along with the "presbyter" (bishops or priests) for a special role modeled on that of Christ himself. The first definite reference to deacons in this sense- perhaps as early as 53 A.D.--occurs in Paul's letter to the Philippians,

Monsignor Ernest J. Fiedler is Executive Director of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on the Permanent Diaconate. He has held various parochial and teaching positions in the Roman Catholic Church, and Pope John XXIII named him as "peritus" (expert) at Vatican Ii He is the co-author of The Sacraments: An Experiment in Ecumenical Honesty (1970) and the author of The Priest's Guide to Parish Worship (1964).

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which is addressed to "all the holy ones at Philippi, with their bishops and deacons in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 1:1).

The presence of the diaconate is recorded in the New Testament. Some hold that its very origin is to be found in Acts 6. There we read of a dispute which arose in the church of Jerusalem between Greek-speaking and Aramaic-speaking Christians, the former complaining that some of their poor were not getting a fair share of the goods which the Christian community divided among people in need of help. When the argument came to the attention of the apostles, the leaders of the community, they declined to become directly involved, explaining: "It is not right for us to neglect the word of God in order to wait on tables." Instead, they told the people to select for this charitable work seven upstanding men "acknowledged to be deeply spiritual and prudent." The seven candidates were presented to the Apostles, who "prayed over them and then imposed hands on them." Among them was Stephen, "a man filled with grace and power," who for his courage in proclaiming the good news of Christ soon became the first Christian martyr (cf. Acts 6-7).

Whether or not these seven early Christians were the first deacons, the account in Acts accords with the understanding of the diaconate as it emerged and evolved in the church. "Deacon" comes from a Greek word-diakonos, which means servant or helper. It occurs frequently in the New Testament and is sometimes applied to Christ himself. But like the apostles, for whom it was "not right … to neglect the word of God in order to wait on tables," the deacons soon came to be understood as helpers in more than a material sense-"not servants of food and drink, but ministers of the church of God," as Ignatius of Antioch put it around 100 A.D., adding that the deacon's task was nothing less than to continue "the ministry of Jesus Christ."

In a special way, deacons were considered to be "helpers" of the bishop. Ignatius specifically mentions two functions of this sort: writing letters for the bishop and generally assisting in the ministry of the Word, and serving as the legate of the bishop from one local church to another. In addition, deacons often rendered assistance on the bishop's behalf to the poor and needy of the community. The special relationship between deacons and bishops was emphasized, among other places, in a third-century Christian document which speaks of the deacon as being ordained "for the ministry of the work designated by the bishop as being necessary to the church's ministry." Similarly, the contemporary German theologian Karl Rahner says that central to all that deacons did was the fact that they were "to help those who direct the church." It has been suggested that, in current terminology, one might say deacons, though they share certain basics in common, can be thought of as "specialists" available for assignment by the bishop to very specific tasks.

Even as the diaconate flourished, the causes of its eventual decline and disappearance began to appear as early as the third century. But

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the process itself was a complex one which extended over many centuries. No single reason suffices to explain what happened. In general, it appears that both priests and deacons experienced a kind of identity crisis which caused them to engage in a rivalry that occasionally boiled over in open conflict and finally became the diaconate's undoing. There were problems and failings on both sides. This failure to comprehend and appreciate the special value of the diaconate in its own right eventually resulted in its collapse.

That, however, was a long time happening. Part of the process, evident by the fourth century, was that increasing emphasis was placed on the liturgical role or deacons at the expense of the ministry of charity. By the fifth century, it seems, most deacons did little except perform liturgical functions. By this time, too, the idea had begun to gain currency that the diaconate was no more than an introductory stage in orders, a step on the way toward ordination as a priest. Its value as an integral part of the hierarchy of orders-deacons, priests, bishops-was obscured. By the medieval period, the office of deacon was, according to Rahner, close to being a "legal fiction."

So it remained for many centuries. There were deacons in the Western church, but they were men on their way to becoming priests. Few people imagined it being any different.

Impetus for the restoration increased during World War II. Perhaps surprisingly, one area of great support was in Nazi Germany. Two developments began to evolve at about the same time during the final days of the Third Reich. In retrospect they seem to exemplify once again the old dictum that the body of Christ grows strong during times of persecution and suffering, In "Cell Block 26" of the infamous Nazi concentration camp at Dachau, priests and ministers of various nationalities were imprisoned. During tortuous days, through a great deal of meditation, discussion, and prayer, a proposal was born. It was considered to be one important way the church and humanity might reestablish their identity once the horrors of the war were over. The vision was that blue and white collar workers, as well as others in business, should place themselves at the service of the church in the way the deacons had done in the early church. They were to assist people in need and serve at the Lord's Table.

Parallel to this, another development took shape in the life of a young man of sixteen. Arriving at the age of conscription into the army of the Third Reich, he refused to serve and went into hiding. With the entry of the Allied Forces a month later, he was never apprehended. The experience began a process within him, and in time a group was formed of young men who personally experienced almost every suffering of the war. In 1950 they arranged a social workers' seminar in Freiburg. They report that spontaneously the question of why they had chosen their particular vocation arose. They began using the word "deacon" to

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describe themselves as persons active in the spirit of Christ, the one who had come to serve. From this the diaconate movement in Freiburg and an international diaconate group were born. The young man's name is Hannes Kramer. He presented the idea to Karl Rahner, a native of Freiburg, who enthusiastically accepted the concept and provided the first extended contemporary theological articulation of the restoration of the permanent diaconate in the Roman Catholic Church. In 1962, Rahner edited a book including articles by thirty authors from around the world, and their theological work gained the attention of the Roman Catholic bishops of Germany. Through them the subject reached the floor of the Second Vatican Council as an idea with some accomplished theological research behind it, but they were not alone. Bishops from other parts of the world strongly supported the possibility of the restoration of the diaconate as a permanent order in its own right.

III

Ultimately, the Council addressed the permanent deacon in six different documents. The most central reference is in paragraph #29 of the document on the Church ("Lumen Gentium"). Reference should also be made to #20 and #41 of the same document, and to the documents on Liturgy ("Sacrosanctum Concilium" #68); Missions ("Ad Gentes" # 1 5,16); Bishops ("Christus Domines" # 1 5); Revelation ("Dei Verbum" #25); and the Eastern Church ("Orientalium Ecclesiarum" # 1 7). The pertinent section from "Lumen Gentium" states:

Deacons … receive the imposition of hands "not unto the priesthood, but unto the ministry." For, strengthened by sacramental grace they are dedicated to the People of God, in conjunction with the bishops and his body of priests, in the service of the liturgy, of the Gospel and of works of charity. It pertains to the office of a deacon, in so far as it may be assigned to him by the competent authority, to administer baptism solemnly, to be custodian and distributor of the Eucharist, in the name of the Church, to assist at and to bless marriages, 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 the prayer of the faithful, to administer sacramentals, and to officiate at funeral and burial services. Dedicated to works of charity and functions of administration, deacons should recall the admonition of St. Polycarp: "Let them be merciful, and zealous, and let them walk according to the truth of the Lord, who became the servant of all."

Since, however, the laws and customs of the Latin Church in force today in many areas render it difficult to fulfill these functions, which are so extremely necessary for the life of the Church, it will be possible in the future to restore the diaconate as a proper and permanent rank of the hierarchy. But it pertains to the competent local episcopal conferences … with the approval of the Supreme Pontiff, to decide whether and where it is opportune that such deacons be appointed (Lumen Gentium, 29).

These principles were further elaborated by Pope Paul VI in three post-conciliar Apostolic Letters: "Sacrum Diaconatus Ordinem" (June 18, 1967), "Ad Pascendum" (August 15, 1972), and "Minsteria Quaedam" (August 15, 1972).

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The bishops of the United States requested the restoration of the permanent diaconate in 1968, and Pope Paul VI granted this in August of the same year. Within the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, there is now a Bishops' Committee on the Permanent Diaconate supported by a Secretariat with full-time staff at Conference headquarters in Washington, D.C. In 1971, the Bishops' Committee on the Permanent Diaconatc issued the document, "Permanent Deacons in the United States: Guidelines on their Formation and Ministry" (a document that is slated for updating during 1980-81). These "Guidelines" were based on the experience of the first thirteen formation centers in this country.

In 1968, four formation centers were opened. In the first five-year period of the diaconal restoration (1968-1973), the number of diocesan formation centers increased to twenty. In the second five years (19731978), there were formation centers in one hundred twenty-four dioceses. At present, there are one hundred seventy Roman Catholic dioceses in the United States. So, the growth can be properly recognized as phenomenal. In numbers of ordained deacons and candidates, an annual survey in October, 1978, found 3,151 ordained deacons and 2,466 candidates in the U.S. At present, this accounts for over half of the ordained Roman Catholic permanent deacons in the world.

Among the reasons for restoring the diaconate advanced during the Council was that this step would help alleviate the shortage of priests in various parts of the world. Deacons, it was reasoned, would be able to perform many of the functions of priests and would help to create and sustain a sense of Christian community among people who rarely saw a priest.

This consideration is valid and even compelling in particular situations. But it is not a satisfactory rationale if it is taken to imply that the diaconate is merely an expedient, a temporary solution to a problem, for which there would be no particular need or reason if there were enough priests to go around. On the contrary, the central fact about the diaconate is that it is an integral part of the three-fold hierarchy of orders, with its own intrinsic reason and right to exist, quite apart from the circumstances of a particular era and place which may give it special timeliness.

The Council did not intend restoration of the diaconate as an exercise in antiquarianism. It saw it as a response to today's realities and needs, and it has proved to be so. In the United States, deacons constitute a significant and growing force in the church's ministry of service to the Christian community and the world.

In deciding to ask the Pope to authorize restoration of the permanent diaconate here, the United States bishops pointed to two reasons--"to complete the hierarchy of sacred orders and to enrich and strengthen

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the various diaconal ministries at work in the United States with the sacramental grace of the diaconate."

As we have seen, the first of these reasons-"to complete the hierarchy of sacred orders"-refers to the fact that the diaconate is an integral part of the church's three-fold ordained ministerial hierarchy (bishops, priests, deacons). It is true that bishops and priests are able to do everything that deacons can (and that deacons can do many of the things priests and bishops can), but that is not the point. Rather, the ordained ministry in its fullness includes all three types of the sacrament of orders. Restoration of the permanent diaconate recognizes this fact. In this connection it deserves mention that deacons-are not to be understood as priests' assistants-though in practice they do render important assistance to many pastors and priests. Rather, from very early times deacons were regarded as having a special relationship to the bishop. One early writer, echoing others, refers to the deacons as "the eyes, the cars, the heart, and the mouth of the bishop." Thus, the "hierarchy" in question does not so much run in a descending line-from bishop to priest to deacon-as it is triangular, with priests and deacons in a parallel, complementary relationship to the bishop.

As for the second reason, "to enrich and strengthen the various diaconal ministries … with the sacramental grace of the diaconate," this expresses the importance of the sacramental principle in Christian life. As Rahner puts it, "when the office and the divine assurance of the grace necessary for fulfilling the office can be given in a sacramental manner, . . . then they should be given in this way." Although it is possible for a lay person with proper authorization to do most of the things a deacon does ("the various diaconal ministries"), ordination to the diaconate officially recognizes, strengthens, and confirms one who does diaconal work as a life-long commitment. Vatican II put it this way:

It would help those men who carry out the ministry of a deacon-preaching the word of God as catechists, governing scattered Christian communities in the name of the bishop or parish priest, or exercising charity in the performance of social or charitable works-if they were to be strengthened by the imposition of hands which has come down from the apostles. They would be more closely bound to the altar and their ministry would be made more fruitful through the sacramental grace of the diaconate (Decree on the Church's Missionary Activity, 16).

To understand diaconal ministry, it is essential to see deacons in the context of the three general areas of service-the ministries of the word, the liturgy, and charity-with which they have traditionally been associated. Everything a deacon does as a deacon is done in this framework.

In the first category, the deacon's most solemn functions are to proclaim the gospel and preach (which is a way of expounding the gospel message). But the ministry of the word also extends to many

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other activities by which Christ's good news is proclaimed and taught. So, typically, one can find deacons engaged in adult religious instruction of children and young people. Others are involved in programs for engaged couples, in marriage and family enrichment activities, and in programs of sacramental preparation.

As for the ministry of liturgy, the deacon has a number of official functions within the eucharistic liturgy besides proclaiming the gospel and preaching. Also, deacons are ordinary ministers of the Eucharist, may officiate at benediction, administer sacramentals, solemnly administer baptism, witness and bless marriages, officiate at wakes, funerals, and burial services. Typically, deacons bring communion to the sick and elderly confined to their homes or to institutions. In the absence of a priest they organize and preside over prayer services and Scripture services. Others engage in liturgical planning and coordination.

The sign of service is considered to be a particular identifying mark of the deacon. The Ritual of Ordination stresses that the deacon be recognized as the "servant" in the community. Recognizing that all Christians have a common gospel mandate to serve one another, Pope Paul VI in "Ad Pascendum" calls deacons to be the "instimulators" ("stimulator"; "facilitator"; "animator") of service in Christian community. They are a particular sacramental sign for the whole body of Christians. Sometimes permanent deacons are called "lay" deacons. It is an understandable mistake. Except when performing liturgical functions, deacons do not wear distinctive garb; they are called "Mister," not "Father" ; most are family men who work full-time in a broad spectrum of secular occupations and settings. But despite appearances, the deacons are not laymen. They are ordained ministers, as priests and bishops are.

With regard to the ministry of charity, the possibilities are virtually limitless. Deacons appropriately minister in such settings as hospitals, old people's homes, schools and campuses, community centers, prisons, and rehabilitation facilities. They engage in social work and in many forms of social action on behalf of the needy and the disadvantaged. They may use their talents in performing administrative duties in diocesan or other church-related offices and agencies. In the United States, there has been much emphasis on the importance of having deacons who belong to minority racial and ethnic groups-Hispanic, Black, American Indian, Eskimo, etc.-minister to those same communities.

In the final analysis, however, permanent deacons should be understood not in terms of what they do but what they are. The same might be said of the members of any group in the church, since the functions absolutely unique to a particular order or state of life-things only bishops can do, only religious can do, only lay people can do, etc.-are few in number and give a very inadequate picture of those who do them. Although all permanent deacons are involved in some way in the three general areas of diaconal ministry-word, liturgy, charity-their

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specific activities can vary so much that a detailed functional description applicable to all is out of the question. Essentially, the United States Bishops' Committee on the Permanent Diaconate has commented that the permanent deacon is a person "with a special mission requiring special relationships within the community of God's people." The Committee adds that although many individual deacons' activities may vary, the central elements of diaconal identity are the same in all cases: the invitation of the Spirit, public expression of and response to this call through ordination, sharing in fraternal accountability for the realization on earth of God's kingdom, acceptance by the community they are called to serve, and complete self-commitment to service in Christ's name and that of the church.

A crucial aspect of the permanent diaconate is the fact that the deacon is a link between clergy and laity, between liturgy and everyday life, between the church and the world. As mature men-most of them married, with children, and engaged in secular occupations-deacons bring to the ranks of the clergy new and valuable insights based on personal experience into the attitudes, problems, and aspirations of lay people. Again, as ministers whose service at the altar is an essential part of their ministry yet who also minister through and in a wide range of other activities and settings, deacons dramatize in a special way the fact that worship, far from being isolated from life, is-or should be- intimately linked to it. As one writer puts it, "with one foot in a sanctuary and the other in the midst of God's needy people, [the deacon] proclaims in himself the unity of liturgy and life."

Finally, as ordained ministers who are leaders and servants of the Christian community yet who, also in most cases, live and work in secular surroundings, deacons have unique opportunities to bring Christian values into the world.

In ethnic background, education, and occupation these deacons are a mixed group. About three out of four are Caucasian, fifteen percent Hispanic, five percent Black, and the rest are divided among other groups (American Indians, Eskimos, Chinese-American, Nisei, etc.). A majority have at least some college education, and about fifteen percent have done graduate work. However, by no means is the diaconate restricted-cither in theory or practice-to those with higher education. More than a third of the deacons in the U.S. have not pursued formal education beyond the high school level, and some have an eighth grade education or less.

The number of "full time" deacons (those engaged in full-time work of a religious or church-related nature) is very small, and most of them are in education-as parish directors of religious education, teachers, etc. A few work on chancery staffs, and a few more as full-time ministers in correctional facilities (a considerably larger number work in such institutions on a part-time basis). However, the overwhelming

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majority of deacons perform diaconal service on a part-time basis on weekends and after work.

The term "full-time" can be misleading since it supposes also a ,.part-time" deacon. Experience has already manifested that the witness of the deacon "at the workbench" provides a significant presence. Ordination does not specify only a few hours a day or a week.

The text of I Timothy 3:8-13 pertaining to the selection of candidates for the diaconate has a contemporary resonance. The parallels are clear:

In the same way, deacons must be respectable men whose word can be trusted, moderate in the amount of wine they drink and with no squalid greed for money. They must be conscientious believers in the mystery of the faith. They are to be examined first, and only admitted to serve as deacons if there is nothing against them. In the same way, the women must be respectable, not gossips but sober and quite reliable. Deacons must not have been married more than once, and must be men who manage their children and families well. Those of them who carry out their duties well as deacons will earn a high, standing for themselves and be rewarded with great assurance in their work for the faith in Christ Jesus (Jerusalem Bible translation).

The first part of this passage is frequently stated in colloquial terms as looking for an individual with a "track record" of apostolic activity in the church. Normally, the recommendation of the pastor or a priest is expected as well as recommendations of others such as secular business superiors or associates. Insofar as possible the recommendation of the Christian community is also sought. The second part of the passage notes that "they are to be examined first." This examination is translated variously in English-language versions of the New Testament with such words as "test," "scrutiny," and similar words. In such a process today it is not only a question of modern behavioral tools such as psychological testing for both diaconal candidate and wife when the candidate is married (as ninety-five percent are).

The official minimum age for ordination as a permanent deacon in the United States is thirty-five (although dispensations permitting ordination at thirty-two and a half can be granted with the approval of the Holy See). Candidates can of course begin their studies before then. Most training programs last two to three years-in some cases, two years before ordination and one year after-and many offer or require continuing education following ordination. Training generally includes studies in theology, Scripture, homiletics, canon law, communication skills, counseling, etc. as well as field experiences. Spiritual formation is an integral and critically important part of every program. Deacons may be either married or single. If single, however, they are not permitted to marry following ordination; and, if a married man becomes a widower after being ordained, he is not permitted to remarry.

Wives have a crucial role in relation to the ministry of married deacons. A supportive attitude on the part of his wife is necessary for the admission of a married candidate to a diaconate program. In

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addition, such programs make it a point to offer wives opportunities to share in their husbands' experiences of study and spiritual formation as well as their ministry.

VII

After so many positive statements, the question arises legitimately about possible problems encountered thus far in the restoration. Are there any? It would be foolish to say that there are not. However, at this stage, it is perhaps better to call them "areas of concern" rather than problems. Sufficient evidence is present that efforts are being made to avoid the possible pitfalls. Among the potential pitfalls from the Roman Catholic perspective are the danger of a new "clericalism." It has been frequently stated that we are not interested in "mini-priests" or "glorified acolytes." In more formal terms it might be stated that there is concern that the restored diaconate not be cast in terms of a pre-Vatican II ecclesiology. In that ecclesiology, ministry had finally come to be defined in terms of ordained ministry alone. Yves Congar called this "hierarchology." During the last one hundred fifty years this had become the dominant focus to isolate and define ecclesial ministry. As late as the 1950s the activity of the laity in the church was officially defined as "a participation of the laity in the apostolate of the hierarchy." It was monarchical, juridical, and authoritarian, and certainly could not be seen in terms of the ecclesiology coming from the Second Vatican Council. The Council returned with new insights to two distinctive factors clearly evident in New Testament ecclesiology: the community and a variety of ministries. Even our parish structures of today are still greatly influenced, in practice, by the former ecclesiology. We would not like to see the deacon as the witting or unwitting prolongation of such a state even though it is clearly recognized that he shares in the sacrament of orders.

Ninety-seven percent of the presently ordained deacons do not receive stipends and retain their secular profession or occupation. The "Guidelines" of 1971 state: "Relative to his diocese and church community, the deacon freely gives his apostolic services, just as do his lay confreres, who are equally members of the church and whose contribution of service is no less valuable because they receive no money. The difference between these groups is that the services of one are at the level of the sacrament of orders" (# 155).

The "Guidelines" (#148) of 1971 state: "In this context of identification with )ay people, questions of a deacon's ordinary attire and his title of address have arisen. The Catholic Theological Society's report suggested that deacons 'resemble in dress and manner the laymen from whose ranks he is chosen but never separated' " (Par. 23). This same emphasis against external signs of a new and somewhat segregated class in the church (such as clerical collars, black suits and ties, the title "Reverend") has been powerful both from lay people and priests. The

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Bishops' Committee endorses the hope that deacons will resemble lay people "in these matters of life style."

In liturgical functions the proper vestment for the deacon is the alb and diaconal stole crossed over the left shoulder. The dalmatic is worn on festive occasions.

Another concern might be termed "liturgism." We are not interested in a body of deacons that is constituted by a group of merely liturgical functionaries. Again this is not to ignore the essential importance of the liturgical dimension to his vocation. The danger is that he be so completely a man of liturgy that the dimension of service all but disappears.

A third concern is the relationship between priests and deacons. With the appearance of the deacon, the priest may well be somewhat threatened. His ministry and his functioning within that ministry are still somewhat reflective of the former ecclesiology. If care is not taken at this initial stage of the restoration, we could repeat the history of the fourth and fifth centuries when tensions developed between the well established order of deacons and the developing collegial groupings of priests. It is sad but evidently true. Today, with centuries of more or less well-organized priestly groupings, the same mistake could be made from the other side of the coin.

Ten years ago, as the restoration of the diaconate began in the United States it was remarked that "the Holy Spirit is calling us onto uncharted waters." The process of charting the waters is well under way. The future looks to a horizon already filled with the dawn of a new dimension of Christian service.