What Can (and Can’t) a Deacon Do?
Q: We have a permanent deacon at our parish. Some of us are wondering if the pastor sometimes allows him to do things that he’s not supposed to do… for example, occasionally the deacon preaches a homily at Sunday Mass instead of the priest. Is that permissible? What are the limits of what a deacon can do? —Jay
A: It’s a good question! Lay Catholics generally understand that because a deacon is not a priest, there are some sacramental/liturgical actions which he cannot perform. But occasionally the laity are taken aback when they see a deacon engaged in some sort of ministerial activity which they thought only a priest could do. Let’s take a look first at what it really means to be a deacon, and then at the ministerial actions which he may rightly perform. Then we’ll be able to see whether the deacon whom Jay describes was doing anything improper by preaching at Mass.
First and foremost, it’s important to realize that a deacon is a cleric (c. 266.1). This is true whether he’s a permanent deacon, or a seminarian who’s preparing eventually to be ordained a priest (known as a transitional deacon). Becoming a deacon isn’t comparable to becoming an altar-server or a lector. People who agree to assume these latter two roles may sometimes be “commissioned” in some sort of ceremony in church, but a deacon must actually be ordained by a bishop! An altar-server or lector might later relinquish his responsibilities, but once a man becomes a deacon, there’s no going back to the lay state. Ordination brings with it an ontological change in the person, which cannot be undone. (See “Can a Priest Ever Return to the Lay State?” for more on this issue.)
As a cleric, a deacon is incardinated into a diocese or religious institute, a concept that was addressed in greater detail in “Clerical Incardination: Priests for Life, Part I.” If he’s a transitional deacon, who will ultimately be ordained a priest, he normally returns to his studies at the seminary after his diaconal ordination. If he’s a permanent deacon, he is bound to minister where the diocesan bishop assigns him, most commonly in a parish, assisting the pastor in ministering to the parishioners.
And the rest: http://canonlawmadeeasy.com/2013/09/26/what-can-and-cant-a-deacon-do/
A: It’s a good question! Lay Catholics generally understand that because a deacon is not a priest, there are some sacramental/liturgical actions which he cannot perform. But occasionally the laity are taken aback when they see a deacon engaged in some sort of ministerial activity which they thought only a priest could do. Let’s take a look first at what it really means to be a deacon, and then at the ministerial actions which he may rightly perform. Then we’ll be able to see whether the deacon whom Jay describes was doing anything improper by preaching at Mass.
First and foremost, it’s important to realize that a deacon is a cleric (c. 266.1). This is true whether he’s a permanent deacon, or a seminarian who’s preparing eventually to be ordained a priest (known as a transitional deacon). Becoming a deacon isn’t comparable to becoming an altar-server or a lector. People who agree to assume these latter two roles may sometimes be “commissioned” in some sort of ceremony in church, but a deacon must actually be ordained by a bishop! An altar-server or lector might later relinquish his responsibilities, but once a man becomes a deacon, there’s no going back to the lay state. Ordination brings with it an ontological change in the person, which cannot be undone. (See “Can a Priest Ever Return to the Lay State?” for more on this issue.)
As a cleric, a deacon is incardinated into a diocese or religious institute, a concept that was addressed in greater detail in “Clerical Incardination: Priests for Life, Part I.” If he’s a transitional deacon, who will ultimately be ordained a priest, he normally returns to his studies at the seminary after his diaconal ordination. If he’s a permanent deacon, he is bound to minister where the diocesan bishop assigns him, most commonly in a parish, assisting the pastor in ministering to the parishioners.
And the rest: http://canonlawmadeeasy.com/2013/09/26/what-can-and-cant-a-deacon-do/
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