Deacons saying mass?

[melensdad]

Just curious, but if a priest has to share his time with several parishes, it is my understanding that a deacon is allowed to say mass? Is this true?

I’m simply curious, we are fortunate enough to have a priest and 2 deacons at our parish. But I know of some parishes that have to share a priest, consequently the priest is not able to attend every mass at the various parishes. What happens? How does this work? Do I simply misunderstand?

 

[childofmary1143]

Just curious, but if a priest has to share his time with several parishes, it is my understanding that a deacon is allowed to say mass? Is this true?

I’m simply curious, we are fortunate enough to have a priest and 2 deacons at our parish. But I know of some parishes that have to share a priest, consequently the priest is not able to attend every mass at the various parishes. What happens? How does this work? Do I simply misunderstand?

To the best of my knowledge a Deacon can officiate at a Baptism, witness a Marriage and even perform Confession in a life or death circumstance but I don’t believe that a Deacon can celebrate Mass.

 

[MSParrott]

Great question! I’m interested to hear others take on this as well.

Our parish has 1 Priest and 1 Deacon - last night they were both present at Mass - the Deacon read the Gospel and the Priest shared the Homily (not sure why it worked out that way, but it didn’t bother me). Other times when they have both been present, one of them performs both Gospel and Homily. My experience on it (FWIW) is that it was kind of touching, since the Deacon is a young man and you could feel the Holy Spirit coming from him. I just adore both our Priest and Deacon, our parish is very lucky to have them.

Side note - our Deacon does not perform the Mass without our Priest or a visiting Priest present and he does not hear Confessions.

 

[StatCrux]

I have not seen the provision that Deacon’s can hear confessions in life or death situations. I don’t believe they can. That is reserved to the priesthood. They can celebrate Baptisms and marriages but cannot celebrate the Mass. They often assist at the Mass by reading the Gospel or preaching the homily.

 

[Rolltide]

Just curious, but if a priest has to share his time with several parishes, it is my understanding that a deacon is allowed to say mass? Is this true?

A deacon cannot say a Mass. However, what you might have witnessed was a deacon presiding over a Communion service, which looks somewhat similar, except that the Eucharist has been consecrated beforehand. No transformation of species takes place in a Communion service. These occur sometimes when a priest is going to be out-of-town during the week.

 

[1ke]

Just curious, but if a priest has to share his time with several parishes, it is my understanding that a deacon is allowed to say mass? Is this true?

No. Only one who has been ordained a priest can consecrate the Eucharist and “say Mass.”

But I know of some parishes that have to share a priest, consequently the priest is not able to attend every mass at the various parishes.

Our priest is responsible for three parishes. He says one mass at each on the weekend.

I don’t understand what you mean by the priest not being ‘able to attend every mass’ because without a priest there is no Mass.

What happens? How does this work? Do I simply misunderstand?

A deacon or other designated person can lead a Communion Service if there is no priest available. But, in a shared parish situation, typically the priest would say one Mass per weekend at each parish-- unless there is a very great distance involved.

 

[YADA]

A Deacon cannot “say Mass”, a Deacon could preside over a Communion Service …

The old saying goes a Deacon can “Match Em, Spash Em and Dispatch Em”

But though a Deacon can ‘witness’ a marriage he cannot perform a Nuptial Mass … and he can perform a funeral service but not a Funeral Mass …

Baptisms can be performed by any person in an emergency, even a lay person … But Deacons can perform baptisms …

As for the confessions, ony a priest can hear a confession …

That said … I think in a state of emergency any Christian who asked a person [especially a CHristian] to help them prepare for death and facing their God would be honor bound to respond [if a priest was not available] in a charitable manner to the best of their abilities, providing comfort of God’s love for the individual… and leave the rest to God to sort out …

If person was at the point of death and no priest available … only a cold heart would tell them …“Sorry, no priest…”

 

[puzzleannie]

I have not seen the provision that Deacon’s can hear confessions in life or death situations. I don’t believe they can. .

no they may not, they are not priests and do not have the faculty to forgive sins, that is why they also may not give the sacrament of anointing of the sick (and why our bishop has forbidden all those who visit the sick, bring communion, serve as chaplains etc. from anointing with any kind of oil, except for priests administering this sacrament, to end the confusion).

No a deacon may not under any circumstances celebrate Mass alone because he is NOT a priest and cannot under any circumstances confect the Eucharist. What he, or any duly authorized and prepared lay person in the absence of a deacon, may do is conduct a communion service according the prescribed rite, but this is NOT a “mini-Mass” and should not be described as such.

 

[Pong]

Oh, they can hear a confession no problem… they just can’t do anything with it.

 

[Newbie2]

The old saying goes a Deacon can “Match Em, Spash Em and Dispatch Em”

Never heard that one.

 

[mystified]

Some people have incorrectly dubbed a Eucharistic service with presanctified hosts as as “Deacon’s Mass”. As other have stated, only a priest or bishop can celebrate the Mass.
According to a Deacon friend, a Deacon MAY hear a confession in a life-and-death situation, but he cannot grant absolution. My friend hopes he is never in this position.

 

[porthos11]

Some people have incorrectly dubbed a Eucharistic service with presanctified hosts as as “Deacon’s Mass”. As other have stated, only a priest or bishop can celebrate the Mass.
According to a Deacon friend, a Deacon MAY hear a confession in a life-and-death situation, but he cannot grant absolution. My friend hopes he is never in this position.

The term “hear confession” is too closely associated with the sacrament, and so should probably not be used in this context.

Deacons, like laypeople can aid the dying into an act of perfect contrition but as you said, cannot grant absolution.

 

[THurifer2]

If there is no priest…there is no Mass.

The pope just recently released a statement that more or less says SCAPs are not supposed to be routine thing and using the priest shortage as an excuse is not considered a routine thing.

 

[THurifer2]

According to a Deacon friend, a Deacon MAY hear a confession in a life-and-death situation, but he cannot grant absolution. My friend hopes he is never in this position.

Anyone can hear such a confession since it is not really a confession. Without a priest there can be no sacramental confession. A sacramental confession is the only type of confession recognized by the church.

 

[THurifer2]

Other times when they have both been present, one of them performs both Gospel and Homily. My experience on it (FWIW) is that it was kind of touching, since the Deacon is a young man and you could feel the Holy Spirit coming from him. I just adore both our Priest and Deacon, our parish is very lucky to have them.

.

FYI if a deacon is present and vested…he is SUPPOSED to read the gospel…That is the norm. He may give the homily.

 

[YADA]

FYI if a deacon is present and vested…he is SUPPOSED to read the gospel…That is the norm. He may give the homily.

And he woud process the Gospel Book into the church as well and serve as a Minister of the Cup during Communion … Minister of the Cup is a title for a Deacon

 

[childofmary1143]

To the best of my knowledge a Deacon can officiate at a Baptism, witness a Marriage and even perform Confession in a life or death circumstance but I don’t believe that a Deacon can celebrate Mass.

Here is where I read that a Deacon could hear a confession in a life or death situation:

newadvent.org/cathen/11618c.htm

If you scroll down about halfway you will see the following paragraph (emphasis mine):

The same exaggerated notion appears in the practice of confessing to the deacons in case of necessity. They were naturally preferred to laymen when no priest was accessible because in virtue of their office they administered Holy Communion. Moreover, some of the earlier councils (Elvira, A. D. 300; Toledo, 400) and penitentials (Theodore) seemed to grant the power of penance to the deacon (in the priest’s absence). The Council of Tribur (895) declared in regard to bandits that if, when captured or wounded they confessed to a priest or a deacon, they should not be denied communion; and this expression “presbytero vel diacono” was incorporated in the Decree of Gratian and in many later documents from the tenth century to the thirteenth.** The Council of York (1195) decreed that except in the gravest necessity the deacon should not baptize, give communion, or “impose penance on one who confessed”. Substantially the same enactments are found in the Councils of London (1200) and Rouen (1231), the constitutions of St. Edmund of Canterbury (1236), and those of Walter of Kirkham, Bishop of Durham (1255). All these enactments, though stringent enough as regards ordinary circumstances, make exception for urgent necessity. **No such exception is allowed in the decree of the Synod of Poitiers (1280): “desiring to root out an erroneous abuse which has grown up in our diocese through dangerous ignorance, we forbid deacons to hear confessions or to give absolution in the tribunal of penance: for it is certain and beyond doubt that they cannot absolve, since they have not the keys which are conferred only in the priestly order”. This “abuse” probably disappeared in the fourteenth or fifteenth century; at all events no direct mention is made of it by the Council of Trent, though the reservation to bishops and priests of the absolving power shows plainly that the Council excluded deacons.

However Trent has removed that possibility now. I apologise for any confusion.

 

[THurifer2]

Here is where I read that a Deacon could hear a confession in a life or death situation:

newadvent.org/cathen/11618c.htm

If you scroll down about halfway you will see the following paragraph (emphasis mine):

The same exaggerated notion appears in the practice of confessing to the deacons in case of necessity. They were naturally preferred to laymen when no priest was accessible because in virtue of their office they administered Holy Communion. Moreover, some of the earlier councils (Elvira, A. D. 300; Toledo, 400) and penitentials (Theodore) seemed to grant the power of penance to the deacon (in the priest’s absence). The Council of Tribur (895) declared in regard to bandits that if, when captured or wounded they confessed to a priest or a deacon, they should not be denied communion; and this expression “presbytero vel diacono” was incorporated in the Decree of Gratian and in many later documents from the tenth century to the thirteenth.** The Council of York (1195) decreed that except in the gravest necessity the deacon should not baptize, give communion, or “impose penance on one who confessed”. Substantially the same enactments are found in the Councils of London (1200) and Rouen (1231), the constitutions of St. Edmund of Canterbury (1236), and those of Walter of Kirkham, Bishop of Durham (1255). All these enactments, though stringent enough as regards ordinary circumstances, make exception for urgent necessity. **No such exception is allowed in the decree of the Synod of Poitiers (1280): “desiring to root out an erroneous abuse which has grown up in our diocese through dangerous ignorance, we forbid deacons to hear confessions or to give absolution in the tribunal of penance: for it is certain and beyond doubt that they cannot absolve, since they have not the keys which are conferred only in the priestly order”. This “abuse” probably disappeared in the fourteenth or fifteenth century; at all events no direct mention is made of it by the Council of Trent, though the reservation to bishops and priests of the absolving power shows plainly that the Council excluded deacons.

However Trent has removed that possibility now. I apologise for any confusion.

you will notice that Trent simply pointed out that the practice was an error. and You will also notice that in the article you quoted also pointed out that those very early councils indicated that any chrsitan lyaman could hear confessions as well.

 

[Pious_Mat]

Also, I’m pretty sure that a Deacon cannot preside at at Missa Sicca, where only previously consecrated hosts are used. The only example of the Missa Sicca left in the modern liturgy (1962 & 1970 missals) is the Good Friday Service, which is rightly called a Mass, being a Missa Sicca or “dry Mass.”

That said, I’m nearly positive that a Deacon cannot preside over a Good Friday celebration.

 

[childofmary1143]

you will notice that Trent simply pointed out that the practice was an error. and You will also notice that in the article you quoted also pointed out that those very early councils indicated that any chrsitan lyaman could hear confessions as well.

Yes I did and that is why I said that Trent corrected that.