Below is an article which I read somewhere. It explained plausible reasons on the restoration of the Permanent Deaconate Ministry in the Philippine Catholic Church.
I hope and pray that the CBCP will study and open their hearts for the Ministry in the Philippines.
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ARE PERMANENT MARRIED DEACONS NEEDED IN THE PHILIPPINE CATHOLIC CHURCH?
Domingo Q. Reblora Jr. & Pio Antonio P. Viado
Many things maybe discussed on the topic permanent diaconate especially because of its rich history and its essential importance in the life of the Church. However, this paper intends to simply provide the readers a brief description of what permanent married diaconate is all about and its possible inclusion in the Philippine Catholic Church hierarchy. The author uses some writings of St. Paul and other Church documents which deal on the ministry/office of diaconate to support his view that permanent married diaconate is in fact very probable and necessary in the Philippine Catholic Church.
Introduction
The Philippines is considered to be the only predominantly Catholic Christian nation in the whole of Asia. Approximately, eighty percent of eighty five million Filipinos are Catholic Christians. (However, some experts are now contesting this declaration with the creation of East Timor, a former part of Indonesia, as the youngest nation in Asia.) Filipinos owe their being Christians from the Spaniards as early as 1521 when Magellan set foot on the Philippine soil somewhere in Mactan, Cebu. A few more years from now, the Filipino people will be celebrating their five hundred years in Catholic faith. At the outset, this reality calls the Filipino people in general to be grateful to the gift of faith given to them. However, if we look deeper and honestly ask ourselves where did this faith bring us, one cannot help but be saddened by the reality that our faith was not matched with efforts to transform our society into a genuine Christian society. The presence of massive graft and corruption cases among our political leaders or in government offices and the further widening of the gap between the rich and the poor are clear signs that our faith indeed has not been a potent force to effect change in our society. Evidently, there is a question on the aspect of faith-witnessing among Filipinos. The following words of St. James is so applicable to many of us.
What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well, but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it? So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead (James 2:14-17).
Brief History of Permanent Diaconate
In order to shepherd the people of God and to increase its number without cease, Christ the Lord set up in his Church a variety of offices which aim at the good of the whole body” (Lumen Gentium, 18).
One of the offices in the Church included in the Roman Catholic Church’s tradition is the office of permanent diaconate. The other two offices are those of priests and of bishops. Originally, the word deacon comes from the Greek word diakonos which ordinarily means servant. In other instances, diakonos is also being translated as "waiter".
Russell Shaw (1969) in his book Permanent Deacons says that many scholars trace the history of diaconate to the incident recorded in the Acts of the Apostles 6:1-7. There was a dispute that arose among the early Christian community because of some complaints that there were members of the community who were left out in the distribution of the food. When the problem reached the twelve apostles, the twelve gathered the members of the community and instructed them to choose seven men known to be upright and respected upon whom they eventually lay their hands so that the seven may officially preside in the distribution of food to the needy (Shaw, 1969).
In those days, when the number of disciples was increasing the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. So the twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, it would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait at tables. Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word. This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them (Acts 6:1-6).
Some experts were questioning whether the seven mentioned above were really deacons in the full sense of the term. What is clear however is that the ministry of the diaconate became a separate office in the Church as early as 57A.D. The letter of St. Paul to the Philippians makes a specific reference to diaconate as a recognized order or office in the early Church (Shaw, 1969).
Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus, to all the holy ones in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the overseers and ministers (In other version of the Bible, the word used was deacons instead of ministers.): grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (Phils 1:1-2).
Indeed the letters of St. Paul to the different early Christian communities provide the unquestionable biblical foundation to the office of diaconate. St. Paul’s letter to Timothy was one of his most precise discussions about the ministry of diaconate where Paul laid down the criteria for those to be chosen as deacons.
…deacons must be dignified, not deceitful, not addicted to drink, not greedy for sordid gain, not holding fast to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. Moreover, they should be tested first; then, if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons. Deacons may be married only once and must manage their children and their households well. Thus those who serve well as deacons gain good standing and much confidence in their faith in Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 3:8-10; 12-13).
Pope Paul VI in his Apostolic Letter Containing Norms for the Order of Diaconate says:
From the apostolic age the diaconate has had a clearly outstanding position among these ministries, and it has always been held in great honor for the Church. Explicit testimony of this is given by the apostle Paul both in his letter to the Philippians in which he sends his greetings not only to the bishops but also to the deacons, and in a letter to Timothy, in which he illustrates the qualities and virtues that deacons must have in order to be worthy of their ministry (Ad Pascendum, 2).
But even as the permanent diaconate flourished in the early centuries of the Church, the seeds of its decline began to appear. At the beginning of the sixth century, there was already a gradual decline in the permanent diaconate in the Catholic Church. In fact, during the Middle Ages the diaconate remained only as a transitional order conferred on those who are preparing for ordination to priesthood. However, there were also some occasional exemptions to this rule. One of them is St. Francis of Assisi who was ordained only as a deacon. For many centuries however, the Catholic Church discarded the practice of ordaining candidates who intended to become permanent deacons (The Permanent Diaconate).
The idea about the restoration of permanent diaconate resurfaced in the Catholic Church during the Second World War. There were priests imprisoned in Nazi concentration camps who thought of possible benefits the Church can enjoy if permanent diaconate is still in practice. The interest on the idea of restoring permanent diaconate continued in the Church. It was taken up by many scholars and theologians and was even discussed in a number of Catholic books and periodicals. Consequently, Pope Pius XII spoke positively on the possible restoration of permanent diaconate, however, he thought that it was not yet the proper time (The Permanent Diaconate).
During the Second Vatican Council, the leaders of the Catholic Church decided that the right time for the restoration of the permanent diaconate has arrived.
The permanent character of the order was restored and renewed when the Council in October 1963 called for the reestablishment of the ministry of the permanent deacon. In June 1967, Pope Paul VI carried out the desire of the Council when he published the Apostolic Letter Sacrum Diaconatus Ordinem in which he reestablished the permanent deaconate in the Latin Church. The Council, in its Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, echoes the ancient image and concerns of the New Testament when it speaks of the ministry and nature of the deaconate (The Permanent Diaconate).
The Catechism of the Catholic Church discusses the office of the diaconate and makes reference on permanent married deacons as significant members in the order of hierarchy in the Catholic Church. It states that:
Since the Second Vatican Council restored the diaconate as a permanent rank in the hierarchy, - while the Churhes of East had always maintained it. This permanent diaconate can be conferred to married men constitute an important enrichment for the Church mission. Indeed it is appropriate and useful that men who carry out a truly diaconal ministry in the Church, whether in its liturgical and pastoral life or whether in its social and charitable works should be strengthened by the imposition of hands which has come down from the apostles. They would be more closely bound to the altar in their ministry would be more fruitful through the sacramental grace of the diaconate (CCC, 1571).
Furthermore, the Second Vatican Council's Lumen Gentium clearly states that the ministry of diaconate has been part of the Catholic Church’s hierarchy since the beginning. Likewise, the same document speaks of the possible restoration of the ministry and office of the permanent married diaconate since it is understood as extremely necessary for the life of the Church.
At a lower level of the hierarchy are to be found deacons, who receive the imposition of hands “not unto the priesthood, but unto the ministry”... 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 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 competent local episcopal conferences, of one kind or another, with the approval of the Supreme Pontiff, to decide whether and where it is opportune that such deacons be appointed. Should the Roman Pontiff think fit, it will possible to confer this diaconal order even upon married men, provided they be of more mature age, and also on suitable young men, for whom, however the law of celibacy must remain in force (Lumen Gentium, 29).
As early as 1967 Pope Paul VI began the restoration of the permanent diaconate as suggested by the documents of the Second Vatican Council in Lumen Gentium (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church) and Ad Gentes Divinitus (Decree on the Church’s Missionary Activity). However, as clearly stated in Lumen Gentium 29, only those countries who formally applied for the restoration of permanent diaconate in their jurisdictions will be given permission to start the reinstatement of permanent diaconate (US Bishops' Committee on Permanent Diaconate, 1971). The United States was one of those countries who immediately applied for the restoration of the ministry of permanent diaconate.
The question of restoring the ministry of permanent diaconate in the United States was taken up by the bishops of the United States organized as National Conference of Catholic Bishops. Bishop Ernest Unterkoefler of Charleston, S.C. headed the committee. The committee was tasked to study the matter and make sensible recommendations. The United States bishops overwhelmingly voted to ask the Holy See for the permission to restore permanent diaconate both for married and unmarried men on April 23, 1968. The Holy See granted their request on August 26, 1968 (Shaw, 1969).
Ministry of the Diaconate
At present the idea of permanent married diaconate is something new or even unknown to majority of Filipino Catholics because we are only familiar with diaconate as a stage on the way to ordination to the priesthood. In other words, what we know is only about the transitional diaconate. It should be noted that there are actually three kinds of deacons: 1) the transitional deacons – those who serve as deacons for six months or more and eventually get ordained as priests; 2) the permanent celibate deacons – those who are ordained as deacons and have no intention of moving up to the hierarchy of priest but still promise to remain single; and lastly 3) the permanent married deacons – those who are already married prior to their ordination to diaconate. Like the permanent celibate deacons, the married deacons will be deacons in perpetuity (Canon 1035;1037).
The nature of the ministry of the diaconate is distinctly different from the ministry of the priests and bishops. In the early Church, members of the community as well as priests and bishops appreciate the dedication of deacons in their ministry. Basically, the ministry of the diaconate can be summarized into three aspects: works of charity, pastoral duties and liturgical celebrations. One way to know the importance given to the office and ministry of the diaconate historically was to look into how this office was recognized in the Church..
Accordingly, the diaconate flourished in a wonderful way in the Church, and at the same time gave an outstanding witness of love for Christ and the brethren through the performance of works of charity, the celebration of sacred rites, and the fulfillment of pastoral duties (Ad Pascendum, 7).
Although the office and ministry of the diaconate was generally appreciated by the members of the Church, there were recorded instances of abuses on the part of the deacons. Some deacons performed other functions reserved to the office of either priests or bishops. Thus, for the deacons and the rest of the members of the Church to be properly guided on the roles, duties, and functions of deacons, Pope Paul VI outlines specific tasks which the local ordinary can assign to a deacon. They are as follows:
- Assisting bishops and priests at liturgical services;
- Administering baptism;
- Distributing Eucharist to the faithful, to the dying, and giving benediction;
- Acting as the official witness at weddings;
- Administering sacramentals and presiding at funeral and burial services
- Preaching and reading the Scriptures to the faithful;
- Presiding at services of worship and prayer in the absence of a priest;
- Conducting services of the Word, in places where priest is not available;
- Performing charitable and administrative duties in the name of the hierarchy;
- Leading scattered communities of the faithful “in the name of the parish priest and bishop”;
- Promoting and encouraging the lay apostolate (Shaw, 1969. p.8).
In a deeper analysis, the specific tasks which a bishop can assign to permanent deacons can be of great help to the local Churches who are in great need of the presence of an ordained minister. Also the presence of permanent married deacons in the Philippines will not only lessen the liturgical/sacramental workload of priests and bishops but at the same time give them more opportunities to do pastoral work.
The Need for Permanent Diaconate in the Philippine Context
Today, many tend to believe that a great number of Filipino Catholics are Christians only during Sundays and may be considered as “nominal Catholics.” Where does the problem lie? Why are we like this? There could be many possible reasons but one thing is clear, the Christian faith that we embrace for almost five hundred years now does not resonate on us at all. We were just sacramentalized as a nation but we were never truly evangelized. Because of this, the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines in 1991 called for a renewed integral evangelization of the Filipino people. Unfortunately, sixteen years had passed since then but still we cannot see any significant development on the way Filipinos live out their faith. Our Church’s manpower through the leadership of priests and bishops is not enough to fully focus on this noble endeavor. Hence, it is not surprising that a vast majority of our priests are being forced to concentrate their ministry only on the administration of sacraments to the Filipino faithful. The researchers do not discredit the importance of sacramental celebrations especially that of the Sunday Eucharist because for the majority of the Filipino faithful it is the main occasion when they experience being a Church. In fact, generally, it is the only time in the week when they get spiritual nourishment (PCP II, 179). However, the priests have other functions equally vital to sacramental celebrations. These functions are currently being set aside or at least given minimal attention due to shortage of priests and bishops. An example of these functions is catechetical formation. Today, it is not uncommon that some Catholics receive sacraments without being properly catechized. Yet according to PCP II “no sacraments should be administered without first instructing the participant on the meaning of the sacrament they are to receive” (PCP II, 178).
Given the unbalanced ratio and proportion between the priests and the Filipino faithful, the researchers believe that the presence of permanent married deacons would be of great help to the local Church especially because statistically, the average yearly ordination of Filipino candidates to priesthood is significantly dwindling both among the religious and diocesan seminaries.
Is there a need for the restoration of permanent married diaconate in the Philippines? Honestly, the researchers feel that there is in fact a great need. In the Diocese of Imus for instance, there are several parishes with the parish priest as the only ordained minister. Yet there are so much to be done pastorally. If an ordained minister will be serious in all responsibilities and will do them religiously, chances are, this ordained minister will be disappointed and “burned out”. It will be a great loss to the Church if our promising young priests get burned out just because they were faithful to their duties when there are possible ways to lessen their burden and one of them is through the restoration of the ministry and office of the permanent married diaconate.
However the researchers believe that the growing need for priests should not be the only rationale for the restoration of permanent diaconate in the Philippine Catholic Church. The researchers also do not agree that the restoration of permanent married diaconate is a temporary solution to the problem of shortage of priests in the Philippines. Rather the essential truth about married deacons should be the basis for its restoration. It has to be highlighted that married deacons are actually included in the threefold hierarchy of orders – bishops, priests, deacons (Canon 1009). Hence, it has its own reason to exist independent from the needs of the Church. To clarify this, it is imperative that permanent diaconate be properly understood firstly in terms of who the deacons are and only secondly what service they can do to the Church. A deacon is a person either single or married with special mission that requires special relationship within the community of the faithful. With such understanding, not only the candidates to diaconate themselves but the whole community as well where he is serving will realize that the deacon's roles, duties, functions of service are to be exercised not only as a response to the needs of the Church but must be seen in the light of all those relationships to which his office is connected. With this, the deacons will be recognized in whatever they do as persons who share in a proper and distinct way in the priesthood of Christ, and who are special servants of Christ and his Church. (US Bishops’ Committee on the Permanent Diaconate, 1971).
Thus, the researchers do not agree to the restoration of permanent diaconate in the Philippines only as substitute to the growing needs for priests but rather because indeed, they have been in the order of hierarchy since the Apostolic period.
Nevertheless, we cannot disregard the fact that shortage of priests is the main reason why permanent married diaconate is being restored in many places. In fact, this shortage was one of the major arguments during Second Vatican Council in restoring the ministry of permanent diaconate (Shaw, 1969). Also, at the moment, that would be the easiest argument to the Filipino faithful to comfortably accept the presence of a permanent deacon in the Philippine Church. Soon, the Filipino faithful would slowly realize the essential importance of the ministry of the permanent married deacons to the life of the Church.
Conclusion
Indeed, it is not only possible but rather necessary that the ministry and office of the permanent married diaconate be restored in the Philippine Catholic Church. Yet, everything is in the hands of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines. If they will ever will it, it could be very easily done. In fact, the specific directives for implementation are already contained in a motu propio on the permanent diaconate issued by Pope Paul VI on June 28, 1967. The said document clearly defines the step by step procedure on how to request the Holy See to grant permission for the restoration of permanent diaconate (Shaw, 1969).
... First, it is up to the national bishop’s conferences to decide, with papal approval, whether the deaconate is to be restored in the territory over which they have jurisdictions; Second, in seeking approval for the restoration from Rome, the bishop’s conferences must set out their reasons and the details of the plans they propose to follow; Third, once the Holy See has approved the plan of a particular national hierarchy, it is up to individual diocesan bishops to decide whether the deaconate will be restored in their dioceses, to examine candidates for the office and to ordain them (Shaw, 1969 p.7).
There are many dioceses in the United States alone which have the program for permanent diaconate. The Philippine Catholic Church hierarchy can study them and make them its models in creating its own program.
Majority of permanent married deacons in the United States who are still in their 40s and 50s are just part time in their ministry (Saturdays and Sundays). The researchers believe that the same can be done here in our country. I am sure there are many dedicated and capable young men and former seminarians who are willing to undergo the program if they have to do the ministry on a part time basis. Thus, a diocese or parish does not have to worry so much on how to support the financial needs of the family of the permanent married deacons. They can likewise make as a requirement that candidates for permanent married diaconate must have a stable source of income for their family. Also the families of permanent married deacons can be living examples of how family life can be a real domestic Church.
Certainly, it is high time that the CBCP tries to reexamine its stance about permanent married diaconate and perhaps conduct a thorough research about its possibility and acceptability. It is up to the Philippine Catholic Church hierarchy to decide.
Reference
Episcopal Commission on Catechesis and Catholic Education (1994). Catechism of the Catholic Church. Manila: Word and Life Publications.
Acts and Decrees of the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines (1992). Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.
Paul VI (1972). Ad Pascendum (Apostolic Letter Containing Norms for the Order of Diaconate). Vatican City: Vatican Press Office.
U.S. Bishops’ Committee on the Permanent Diaconate. (1971). Permanent Deacons in the United States: Guidelines on Their Formation and Ministry. United States Catholic Conference Publications Office. Washington, D.C.
Shaw, Russell (1969). Permanent Deacons: Who, What and Why. United States Catholic Conference Publications Office Washington D.C.
Lumen Gentium (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church). (1964). Vatican Council II.
Wikipedia. (2007 February) "Deacon" Retrieved May 17, 2007 from World Wide web: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deacon
The Permanent Diaconate (2007, Jan. 26) London: Archdiocese of Southwark. Retrieved May 18, 2007 from World Wide Web: http://rcsouthwark.co.uk/permdiac.html.
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