It would be incorrect to view the diaconate following the same trajectory as other ordained ministries (priests and Bishops) in the Church.
These, while at the service of the Church and the Kingdom of God in the world, share some common characteristic. But we might boldly claim that in the life of today’s Church, the emphases and roles of diaconate have been shifting towards that world stage on which the joys and pains, struggles and achievements of the people of God are lived out. A brief glance at the different forms diaconal service is taking in different continents will reveal that this ministry is very closely connected with the evolving history and struggle of the individual nation and continent.
But that would only be one side of the coin. The other side, concerned with the life of the Church, would focus on the relationship of this ministry with the development of lay ministries. These have flourished in the so-called mission countries. And statistically, at least, it would seem that the growth of lay ministries – particularly in poor countries – has not led to a corresponding expansion of the diaconate. But let’s have a look at the various arrangements: how it is lived in North America, in South America, in Asia and Oceania and in Africa.
Some 70 per cent of the total number of deacons are in North America, with 15,763 in the United States alone. There, deacons live in a socio-religious context, clearly marked by ethnic diversity, at the forefront of the process of “hispanisation” of American Catholicism and the consequent fragmentation of cultural expressions.
In the US, the diaconate has taken on four characteristics reflecting the main concerns during the pre-ordination training period. These are: cultural diversity, the family, ecumenism and social justice. These areas of investigation and concern are seen as priorities during the actual formation period, simply because of the consensus that these are the areas that will occupy most of the attention of deacons when they join the active ministry.
I might add that, after the events of 11 September, the American Church has had to reassess some of its priorities in a changing socio-political scenario. I am not aware that deacons in active ministry have been invited to be part of the process. But I do believe that their voices and experiences, resulting from close contact with the people to whom they minister would have been a valuable addition.