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HONG KONG Permanent Diaconate Moves From Uncertainty Toward Bright Future

July 12, 2007 | HK02903.1453 | 678 words Text size

HONG KONG (UCAN) -- One of Hong Kong's first two permanent deacons recalls feeling that his ministry was as uncertain and worrisome as the territory's future when he was ordained 10 years ago, four days after Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule.

Deacon Karl Tsang Fan-hing, 63, was ordained on July 5, 1997. Now, 10 years later, with nine permanent deacons and 11 candidates, the permanent diaconate is established in the local Church and accepted by Catholics.

Seminarians are ordained deacons before they become priests, but permanent deacons can be single or married men at the time of their ordination. Their roles include preaching and assisting the priest at Mass, administering Baptism, distributing Communion, and presiding at funerals and burial services.

Deacon Tsang, who is married and has two children and two grandchildren, was assigned first to a public hospital in Tuen Mun, a district without a hospital apostolate. Deacon Peter Lo Woo-lui, who was ordained with him and is now 67, led the lay prison pastoral ministry.

On July 8 Tsang, Lo and the seven other permanent deacons joined a thanksgiving Mass that Hong Kong diocese held to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the inauguration of the permanent diaconate. Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun of Hong Kong led the Mass at the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception, with Auxiliary Bishop John Tong Hon and 23 priests concelebrating.

Deacon Tsang told UCA News on July 9 that he senses parishioners' trust and acceptance of permanent deacons has deepened. In the beginning, he recalled, lay Catholics preferred to have priests perform funeral services and officiate marriages, considering it more formal and sacred.

This began to change as he introduced traditional Chinese elements into the funeral liturgy, such as placing the censer before the deceased's portrait and letting family and friends put a pinch of frankincense in it.

After a decade of trials, "the permanent diaconate here has gradually opened up, and the way now is bright and clear," just like Hong Kong in the post-handover era, Deacon Tsang said. With more ordinations, permanent deacons now are also involved in the labor and family apostolates, dealing with areas in which they have real-life experience.

Apart from administering baptisms and officiating marriages, his work includes supervising Catholic schools, teaching catechism, and providing pre-marital formation as well as marriage and family counseling. His life is busier than ever. He struggles to spend time with his wife, who complains he is often away from home, he said.

At the July 8 Mass, which about 1,000 people attended, Cardinal Zen said in his homily: "We appreciate the humble and quiet service of these brothers and their wives during the last decade. They get no salary from the Church, but we demand a lot from them."

He recalled some diocesan priests raised doubts when the late Cardinal John Baptist Wu Cheng-chung of Hong Kong "bravely started" the permanent diaconate in 1997.

At the anniversary Mass, two laymen were admitted as candidates to the permanent diaconate.

One of them, Stephen Kwok Ping-fai, 38, told UCA News the ministry is not solely for retirees, but a means of "lifelong commitment to serve." Kwok, a radiology technician, said he plans to serve in the diaconal ministry about 10 hours a week for now, as he waits for his 8-year-old twins to grow up and for the family finances to be more stable.

Hong Kong Vicar General Father Dominic Chan Chi-ming told UCA News the deacons have played a special role through their charitable work and by bearing life witness in society.

Cardinal Zen's concern for social justice and the marginalized has helped the diocese develop the social role of the permanent diaconate, explained the vicar, who is chairperson of the Diocesan Commission for the Permanent Diaconate.

With their advantage of being ordained persons living in the secular world, deacons can help develop a spirituality suited for laity, Father Chan said. Like Kwok, he added, some candidates have their specializations and are relatively young compared to those ordained earlier.

Hong Kong is the only diocese in China to ordain permanent deacons.

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