Clergy's life outside the Church

[DanB]

One member of the clergy is the Diaconate (Deacons). Many deacons assist the priest and parishes for a small salary. Many have primary jobs or supplement their deacons salary.

That said, what types of jobs can or should a deacon have outside his deacon’s duties? Can they have job’s that may cause scandal to their call as deacons?

I know a deacon who acts as a “Chaplain” and marries and does funerals of others with beliefs outside of our faith. I even challenged him thinking that was odd and teetering on scandal. He said the diocese is aware of his activities. I do believe he is acting kindly to those in need of spiritual guidance, but acting outside the Church is peculiar to me.

I don’t believe we as laypeople can get a license as a JP and marry people, due to our faith.
Any expert advice out there?

 

[Caesar]

I’ll divide this up to answer it easier,

One member of the clergy is the Diaconate (Deacons). Many deacons assist the priest and parishes for a small salary. Many have primary jobs or supplement their deacons salary.

That said, what types of jobs can or should a deacon have outside his deacon’s duties? Can they have job’s that may cause scandal to their call as deacons?

The deacon at my parish is an accountant. His “day-job” supplements his tiny pay from the parish. He really only performs his duties as a Deacon at Sunday Mass. He is sometimes called on to Baptize, but thats about it. There are also a few transitional deacons, but they are in the seminary so obviously do not have jobs.

That being said, deacons should not have jobs that would conflict with their duties to the Church. The sacrament of Holy Orders supercedes everything else in one’s life. He may have a job on the side, but this job must not limit his duties as a deacon.

My opinion in this matter is that the permament diaconate is a good thing, but deacons should have “full-time” duties, rather then treating their office as something occaisional or a hobby. Prefferably, in my mind, the permament deacon should be celibate and reside in the rectory with the priests. The restoration of the permament diaconate was a good thing, but I think that all the aspects of it should have been restored.

I know a deacon who acts as a “Chaplain” and marries and does funerals of others with beliefs outside of our faith. I even challenged him thinking that was odd and teetering on scandal. He said the diocese is aware of his activities. I do believe he is acting kindly to those in need of spiritual guidance, but acting outside the Church is peculiar to me.

I don’t believe we as laypeople can get a license as a JP and marry people, due to our faith.
Any expert advice out there?

The deacon you are reffering to is indeed problematic and abusing his office. The purpose of the deacon is to assist the priests in his duties. This can include presiding over marriages and funerals, but these duties properly belong to the priest (especialy since Catholic weddings and funerals should take place within the Mass, and a deacon cannot celebrate Mass). It is unfortunate and troubling that the Diocese knows of this, yet does not take action.

 

[bilop]

I’ll divide this up to answer it easier,

That being said, deacons should not have jobs that would conflict with their duties to the Church. The sacrament of Holy Orders supercedes everything else in one’s life. He may have a job on the side, but this job must not limit his duties as a deacon.

My opinion in this matter is that the permament diaconate is a good thing, but deacons should have “full-time” duties, rather then treating their office as something occaisional or a hobby. Prefferably, in my mind, the permament deacon should be celibate and reside in the rectory with the priests. The restoration of the permament diaconate was a good thing, but I think that all the aspects of it should have been restored.

I don’t think this makes a lot of sense. The permanent Diaconate is largely aimed at married men. They usually have families to support, so they need to work outside the church, unless they are retired. It would be very hard to support a family on what the Church pays a celibate Priest. I would think if a Deacon was unmarried, and therefore celibate, most would go ahead and be ordained as Priests. Your proposed changes would make the permanent Diaconate largely irrelevent.

God Bless

 

[DanB]

The gist of the orginal question is: Does a Catholic deacon have to officiate only Catholic weddings and funerals?

I think so, but I am aware of one that does part of his non deacon duties as a chaplain i.e. airport chaplain, and performs weddings and funerals for those that work there or those traveling through regardless of their faith group. He doesn’t operate within the guidelines of the Catholic faith, although he is an ordained deacon.

Now what do you think?

 

[Mt_28_19_20]

The gist of the orginal question is: Does a Catholic deacon have to officiate only Catholic weddings and funerals?

I think so, but I am aware of one that does part of his non deacon duties as a chaplain i.e. airport chaplain, and performs weddings and funerals for those that work there or those traveling through regardless of their faith group. He doesn’t operate within the guidelines of the Catholic faith, although he is an ordained deacon.

Now what do you think?

Well, not having read up on relevant canons, I would venture a resounding YES, a Catholic deacon should only officiate Catholic weddings and funerals. Who does he think impowered him as a deacon? What’s he going to do, officiate secular weddings? Great example of wisdom that situation would be!

Michael

 

[Mt_28_19_20]

My opinion in this matter is that the permament diaconate is a good thing, but deacons should have “full-time” duties, rather then treating their office as something occaisional or a hobby. Prefferably, in my mind, the permament deacon should be celibate and reside in the rectory with the priests. The restoration of the permament diaconate was a good thing, but I think that all the aspects of it should have been restored.

Where did that come from? Celibate deacons? What should be restored is the intergity of some deacons. I have a friend who is a deacon, whose brother is a priest. This deacon has had no problem going to strip bars during a bachelor party. Anyway, what is the basis for celibate deacons? Or is this just a slant toward celibacy worship? Notice the different interpretation of “husband of one wife” within the same chapter of 1 Tim 3: one interpretation for priestly celibacy, and another interpretation for married deacons:

 1 Tim 3:2-4 "An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,  not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money. He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity "

1 Tim 3:12 “Deacons must be husbands of only one wife, and good managers of their children and their own households.”

Must not think or question, must not think or question, must not think or question, else someone will tell me they think me not Catholic.

Michael

 

[Caesar]

You all misunderstood my point. Let me explain this better.

The office of the permament diaconate existed in the pre-medieval Church. The original role of the deacon was to assist the bishop, and there were many deacons of great importance in the early Church (several Popes were raised to the throne of St. Peter directly from the diaconate). Later the deacons took on Liturgical roles, the subdiaconate developed, and they became more common in parish churches where they assisted the priests. The permament diaconate in the Latin Rite gradually declined in favor of the transitional diaconate, until it was restored by Pope Paul VI.

Unfortunately, several problems have emerged. The first is that many see the permament diaconate as an alternative to the priesthood for married men (in fact, thats how my diocese tends to advertise it). This is certainly not a desirable approach to the diaconate, which is a vocation in itself. Despite what I was told by one misinformed woman, a deacon is not a married priest. Also, the diaconate is completely open to single men as well (like priests in the Eastern Rites, a deacon cannot get married after his ordination- married man may become a deacon, but a deacon cannot get married- hence a deacon who is not married must be celibate).

The second problem that comes to my mind is that the diaconate tends to be seen as something “on the side”, almost like a hobby or pastime, rather then a holy sacrament which leaves permament mark on the soul. This undermines the very reason for the restoration of the permament diaconate.

I agree that a married deacon cannot devote himself to his sacramental vocation on a fulltime basis, as a priest can, due to family obligations. But this, unfortunately, tends to foster the problems I touched on above. Hence my opinion that deacons should live a celibate life in full service of the Church as priests do. The diaconate is a state of life, not a part-time job. This would also be of benifit in practical matters of parish administration and such.

 

[bilop]

You all misunderstood my point. Let me explain this better.

The office of the permament diaconate existed in the pre-medieval Church. The original role of the deacon was to assist the bishop, and there were many deacons of great importance in the early Church (several Popes were raised to the throne of St. Peter directly from the diaconate). Later the deacons took on Liturgical roles, the subdiaconate developed, and they became more common in parish churches where they assisted the priests. The permament diaconate in the Latin Rite gradually declined in favor of the transitional diaconate, until it was restored by Pope Paul VI.

Unfortunately, several problems have emerged. The first is that many see the permament diaconate as an alternative to the priesthood for married men (in fact, thats how my diocese tends to advertise it). This is certainly not a desirable approach to the diaconate, which is a vocation in itself. Despite what I was told by one misinformed woman, a deacon is not a married priest. Also, the diaconate is completely open to single men as well (like priests in the Eastern Rites, a deacon cannot get married after his ordination- married man may become a deacon, but a deacon cannot get married- hence a deacon who is not married must be celibate).

The second problem that comes to my mind is that the diaconate tends to be seen as something “on the side”, almost like a hobby or pastime, rather then a holy sacrament which leaves permament mark on the soul. This undermines the very reason for the restoration of the permament diaconate.

I agree that a married deacon cannot devote himself to his sacramental vocation on a fulltime basis, as a priest can, due to family obligations. But this, unfortunately, tends to foster the problems I touched on above. Hence my opinion that deacons should live a celibate life in full service of the Church as priests do. The diaconate is a state of life, not a part-time job. This would also be of benifit in practical matters of parish administration and such.

My point was strictly practical. Given the requirement of celibacy, most men would prefer to be ordained a Priest; and the Church would prefer to ordain them Priests so they can perform all the sacraments (esp. given the Priest shortage). The permanent Diaconate really is a role for married men called to serve the Church. I think a celibate permanent Diaconate would only make sense in a world of abundent priestly vocations. Like in the past when most Friars were not ordained b/c they weren’t needed, and the Church would pick and choose who would be the Priests.

God Bless

 

[Caesar]

My point was strictly practical. Given the requirement of celibacy, most men would prefer to be ordained a Priest; and the Church would prefer to ordain them Priests so they can perform all the sacraments (esp. given the Priest shortage). The permanent Diaconate really is a role for married men called to serve the Church. I think a celibate permanent Diaconate would only make sense in a world of abundent priestly vocations. Like in the past when most Friars were not ordained b/c they weren’t needed, and the Church would pick and choose who would be the Priests.

God Bless

Once again, that would seem to be a problematic view of the diaconate. It is not simply an alternative to the priesthood for married men, and this is certainly not the reason for the restoration of the permament diaconate. The Sacrament of Holy Orders is not a side-job or a hobby, it is a state of life.

Not every man who is called to serve the Church has a vocation to the priesthood. A vocation to the diaconate has a specif purpose, just as a vocation as a priest, or a brother, monk, friar, ect. serves a specific purpose in the Church. A man shouldnt become a deacon simply because he is married and cannot be a priest.

Futhermore, I think celibacy is really a non-issue. It is merely a law binding to the clergy in the Latin Rite, with instances of exception. A discipline like this should have no bearing on the vocation one is called to.

 

[Mt_28_19_20]

I agree that a married deacon cannot devote himself to his sacramental vocation on a fulltime basis, as a priest can, due to family obligations. But this, unfortunately, tends to foster the problems I touched on above. Hence my opinion that deacons should live a celibate life in full service of the Church as priests do. The diaconate is a state of life, not a part-time job. This would also be of benifit in practical matters of parish administration and such.

Family obligations do not intrinsically limit others, such as doctors, nurses, firefighters, the president, from performing their vocation on a full time basis.

Also, the Catholic faith is a state of life, not a part-time job, whether lay person or priest, whether married or single.

Michael

 

[Biblioassistant]

Our deacon is a retired man. He spends a lot of time working with the St. Vincent de Paul center, he conducts the Stations of the Cross during Lent and officiates at Benediction. He preaches occasionally, conducts Baptisms and Weddings. He’s a nice guy, although he isn’t a very good preacher. But he tries.

 

[Tonks40]

We have four deacons in our parish (big parish) to assist our pastor and two associate pastors. They are either working full-time or retired - all of them are marriage, mostly with grown children.

I believe many of them became deacons at this time because like Mt 28 19-20 states, they realize that it IS a vocation and a way of life. I don’t think the married deaconate distracts from their duties - but their families are enhanced by them.