What is the permanent diaconate and what can a Catholic deacon do?
Restored as a permanent rank by the Second Vatican Council, the permanent diaconate allows both married and single men to be ordained to sacred ministry for life. A deacon is an ordained minister who proclaims the Gospel at Mass, preaches homilies, administers solemn Baptism, witnesses and blesses Holy Matrimony, brings Viaticum to the dying, and presides at funeral vigils and burial services. Deacons also lead works of charitable outreach and social justice in parishes, embodying Christ the Servant.
Sources
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 1569-1571
- Acts 6:1-6
Awaiting review by the chaplaincy. Written in our own words; the Church's own texts are the authority.