THE Archdiocese of Sydney has re-established a permanent diaconate after more than a decade in hibernation.
From this week, the restored diaconate will have its own website and begin selection of candidates for its diaconate programme.
Sydney Auxiliary Bishop Julian Porteous has been appointed Director of the Sydney diaconate, with Bernard Toutounji, Education officer for the Life, Family and Marriage Centre for the Archdiocese, ss Executive Officer.
Mr Tatuanhim, who will split his working week between the diaconate and his duties with the Life, Family and Marriage Centre, says the re-establishment of the diaconate is a return to the fullness of the Sacrament of the Holy Orders: Bishop, Priest and Deacon.
The sacred Order of Deacons and permanent diaconates gradually declined throughout the 20th century in Western Churches, and in Sydney the last few men to be ordained permanent deacons was in 2000.
A 5 May statement from the Archdiocese said that Sydney Cardinal George Pell is eager to restore a permanent diaconate to the harbour city and cites the Second Vatican Council as providing the basis for renewal of this ancient and vital role.
“I am happy to re establish a programme for the selection, formation and deployment of deacons in the Archdiocese,” Cardinal Pell said.
The Sydney Archdiocese currently has five permanent deacons and the Cardinal said he prayed other men would feel called to “this life of service,” pointing out that the word “deacon” literally means “servant.”
In a recent address to the permanent deacons of Rome, Pope Benedict XVI said the role of deacon was to serve the poor and noted in modern times a new poverty had emerged, describing this as a “spiritual and cultural poverty”.
Currently, there are 35,000 deacons worldwide compared with 409,000 priests but in keeping with Vatican II, and at Pope Paul VI’s urging at the time, permanent diaconates are once again becoming part of the life of the Latin Church, Cardinal Pell said.
One of the reasons permanent diaconates fell into abeyance in the West is partly due to ignorance and also because the role of a deacon is often misunderstood, Mr Toutounji said.
Unlike a priest, a deacon can marry – or be married – and have a family of his own. Many of a deacon’s duties are similar to those of a parish priest. He is an official minister in the liturgy and is entitled to carry out Baptisms, celebrate marriages and officiate at funerals. He can also minister to his parishioners, witness his faith and provide pastoral care. However, he is not permitted to celebrate Mass and the Holy Eucharist, nor is he permitted to hear Confessions.
Men who believe they may have a vocation as a deacon should pray, talk it over with their parish priest or pastoral mentor as well as family, Mr Tatuanji said, and urged them to also make contact with the Archdiocese’s new diaconate.
“The path of discernment is not one to be rushed into,” he cautioned.
The diaconate programme includes four years of personal, spiritual, theological and pastoral formation, including a theology degree from an approved Catholic institution. The formation programme consists of giving part of a weekend each month to deepen the candidate’s spiritual life and to equip him for the skills needed in serving the People of God,” Mr Tatuanji said.