Deacons

  • Thread starter Thread starter hcruz402
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
H

hcruz402

Guest
If this has been addressed in this space on another previous forum, then I apologize for asking this, in advance.

Now, in the Latin Rite, I am keenly aware of what a deacon can and cannot do (and that deacons are involved in different sorts of ministries), as far as Sacramental/Liturgical Actions are concerned:

CAN:
  1. Baptize
  2. Officiate at weddings as the Church’s official witness/presider (The bride and the groom confer the Sacrament on each other, however)
  3. Is an ordinary minister, when it comes to the distribution of the Holy Eucharist (Either at Mass or bringing Viaticum to the dying, etc.)
  4. Preside over funerals, wakes, and burial services
  5. Preside over Quinceañeras
  6. Lead the congregation in the Penitential Rite (Say the “You were sent to heal the contrite of heart…, etc.” component), Read the Gospel Reading at Mass, give the Homily, lead the congregation in the Sign of Peace, and dismiss the congregation
CANNOT:
  1. Consecrate the Eucharist/Say Mass
  2. Grant absolution/Hear confessions
  3. Anoint the Sick (Because of its aspect of the forgiveness of sins (under certain circumstances); tied in with the Sacrament of Penance/Reconciliation)
  4. Confirm
  5. Ordain
My question is, “Can deacons impart blessings (i.e., rosaries, holy water, etc.), and if so, then which ones? Moreover, am I missing anything else, as to what deacons can and cannot do (i.e., blessing people with the monstrance, exposing the Blessed Sacrament for benediction)?”

Pax Vobiscum,

Herbert Cruz
 
hcruz402 said:
My question is, “Can deacons impart blessings (i.e., rosaries, holy water, etc.), and if so, then which ones? Moreover, am I missing anything else, as to what deacons can and cannot do (i.e., blessing people with the monstrance, exposing the Blessed Sacrament for benediction)?”
Click to expand...
Herbert,

Yes, deacons can impart blessings. As a general rule, they can bless things, not people, but specifically, they can give any blessing in the Book of Blessings that permits the deacon to pray the blessing. (I know that this is an incomplete answer, but it would be kind of tedious to list them…)

And yes, a deacon can expose the Eucharist for Adoration, and is able to perform the Benediction.
 
Gorgias said:
Herbert,

Yes, deacons can impart blessings. As a general rule, they can bless things, not people, but specifically, they can give any blessing in the Book of Blessings that permits the deacon to pray the blessing. (I know that this is an incomplete answer, but it would be kind of tedious to list them…)

And yes, a deacon can expose the Eucharist for Adoration, and is able to perform the Benediction.
Click to expand...
The “Book of Blessings” would seem to have numerous examples where deacons are authorized to bless people, so I don’t believe it’s correct to say that in general a deacon can’t bless people. Examples:

Order for the blessing of families and members of families: “A minister who is a priest or deacon says the prayer of blessing with hands outstretched . . . . .”

Order for the annual blessing of families in their own homes: “The present order may be used by a priest or deacon.”

Order for the blessing of a married couple outside Mass: “The present order may be used by a priest or deacon.”

Orders for the blessing of children: “The present orders may be used by a priest or a deacon.”

Order for the blessing of parents before childbirth: “These orders may be used by a priest or a deacon . . .”

Order for the blessing of a mother after childbirth: “A minister who is a priest or deacon concludes the rite by facing the mother and saying . . .”

Orders for the blessing of the sick: “The present order may be used by a priest or a deacon.”

And so on. It would seem that deacons can, in fact, bless people. I realize that the prior response did reference the “Book of Blessings” in general but I think it’s pretty clear that, as a generality, deacons CAN in fact bless people.
 
Could you clarify part of your statement above: You appear to have written that per DB deacons are prohibited from presiding at liturgies outside of Mass, performing rites associated with preparing for the funeral, including at the funeral home, and at the graveside. Around here deacons do all those things frequently. Is there an abuse problem, or a syntax problem?

And, our deacon participates in the washing of the feet - he gets handed the wet towels. Keeps him humble.
 
Tarpeian_Rock said:
Could you clarify part of your statement above: You appear to have written that per DB deacons are prohibited from presiding at liturgies outside of Mass, performing rites associated with preparing for the funeral, including at the funeral home, and at the graveside. Around here deacons do all those things frequently. Is there an abuse problem, or a syntax problem?

And, our deacon participates in the washing of the feet - he gets handed the wet towels. Keeps him humble.
Click to expand...
I think the list of things which are prohibited to deacons was part of a parenthetical insert into the list of things a deacon CAN do. So presiding at liturgies outside of Mass, performing rites associated with preparing for the funeral, including at the funeral home, and at the graveside ARE things a deacon can do since that comes after the parentheses.

(I had to read that part of (name removed by moderator)'s post two or three times myself because it was kind of confusing.)
 
It can be hard to say things without parenthetical inserts. You can get into trouble just by trying to say things simply because there are often many exceptional cases. Parenthetical inserts sometimes help keep the ‘but what about this case’ people at bay but you run the risk of REALLY confusing the people trying to understand the simple case.

One way you confound the people who need simple statements. The other way you confound the lawyers, logicians, theologians, mathematicians… 🤷
 
I do not wish to sound pedantic, Deacon Jeff, but one of the faculties of the ordained that you mentioned was to marry. In the Sacrament of Matrimony, however, don’t the bride and the groom confer the Sacrament on each other?
 
Tarpeian_Rock said:
The “Book of Blessings” would seem to have numerous examples where deacons are authorized to bless people, so I don’t believe it’s correct to say that in general a deacon can’t bless people. Examples:

Order for the blessing of families and members of families: “A minister who is a priest or deacon says the prayer of blessing with hands outstretched . . . . .”

Order for the annual blessing of families in their own homes: “The present order may be used by a priest or deacon.”

Order for the blessing of a married couple outside Mass: “The present order may be used by a priest or deacon.”

Orders for the blessing of children: “The present orders may be used by a priest or a deacon.”

Order for the blessing of parents before childbirth: “These orders may be used by a priest or a deacon . . .”

Order for the blessing of a mother after childbirth: “A minister who is a priest or deacon concludes the rite by facing the mother and saying . . .”

Orders for the blessing of the sick: “The present order may be used by a priest or a deacon.”

And so on. It would seem that deacons can, in fact, bless people. I realize that the prior response did reference the “Book of Blessings” in general but I think it’s pretty clear that, as a generality, deacons CAN in fact bless people.
Click to expand...
We have a deacon who blesses everyone. He traces a cross with his thumb on our foreheads. I’m pretty sure he’s authorized to do everything he does.
 
Elizium23 said:
We have a deacon who blesses everyone. He traces a cross with his thumb on our foreheads. I’m pretty sure he’s authorized to do everything he does.
Click to expand...
I’ll let someone else answer, he may very well be permitted to do so - I don’t know - but just the fact that he does so isn’t necessarily a definitive answer. I know of at least one elderly lady EMHC at my local geographical parish who extends her hand to bless children etc. who come up in the communion line. This practice is utterly and completely forbidden by Rome, but it doesn’t stop numerous EMHCs in parishes across the world from attempting such. Of course a deacon does have faculties to bless under certain circumstances…just saying.
 
twf said:
I’ll let someone else answer, he may very well be permitted to do so - I don’t know - but just the fact that he does so isn’t necessarily a definitive answer. I know of at least one elderly lady EMHC at my local geographical parish who extends her hand to bless children etc. who come up in the communion line. This practice is utterly and completely forbidden by Rome, but it doesn’t stop numerous EMHCs in parishes across the world from attempting such. Of course a deacon does have faculties to bless under certain circumstances…just saying.
Click to expand...
Yes deacons can bless persons, I do so on a regular basis. Besides the examples in the book of blessings, there are blessings the deacons have the faculties to give in various liturgies i.e. baptisms, weddings, funerals and benediction of the Eucharist.
Deacon’s Jeff list very complete.
He mentioned the washing of feet, but since Pope Francis performs the ceremony wearing a deacon’s stole, the discussion against deacons being able to do so has gone away for the most part.
Also the laity can give blessings, although it is discouraged for them to do so in the communion line.

Dcn. Frank
 
Tarpeian_Rock said:
The “Book of Blessings” would seem to have numerous examples where deacons are authorized to bless people, so I don’t believe it’s correct to say that in general a deacon can’t bless people.
Click to expand...
I’ll stick with what I said: in general, ‘things’, but where permitted in the ‘Book of Blessings’, ‘people’. You’ve pointed out formal orders of blessings which people; this is precisely what I’m referring to. 😉
And so on. It would seem that deacons can, in fact, bless people. I realize that the prior response did reference the “Book of Blessings” in general but I think it’s pretty clear that, as a generality, deacons CAN in fact bless people.
Click to expand...
No. Outside of the blessings contained in the book, deacons are not, in general, to bless people. (Many do, nevertheless, but we’re talking about what’s permitted, not what people do outside of that realm, right?)
 
Gorgias said:
I’ll stick with what I said: in general, ‘things’, but where permitted in the ‘Book of Blessings’, ‘people’. You’ve pointed out formal orders of blessings which people; this is precisely what I’m referring to. 😉

No. Outside of the blessings contained in the book, deacons are not, in general, to bless people. (Many do, nevertheless, but we’re talking about what’s permitted, not what people do outside of that realm, right?)
Click to expand...
As a deacon I don’t walk around with the Book of Blessings in my pocket to pull out every time I am requested to give a blessing. It is a useful tool for at specific occasion can be used.
I give blessings, to people, to things and quite most of the time it they are not with the use of the Book. Yes, in general, all deacons are allowed to do so.
There are a few things that I cannot bless when the object is going to be use in a church.

Dcn Frank
 
Deacon, doesn’t the law itself grant the faculty to priests to confirm anyone in danger of dying and those they receive into full communion or baptize as adults?
 
FAB said:
As a deacon I don’t walk around with the Book of Blessings in my pocket to pull out every time I am requested to give a blessing. It is a useful tool for at specific occasion can be used.
I give blessings, to people, to things and quite most of the time it they are not with the use of the Book. Yes, in general, all deacons are allowed to do so.
There are a few things that I cannot bless when the object is going to be use in a church.

Dcn Frank
Click to expand...
Our Deacons bless everyone present at various meetings at their conclusion.
 
FAB said:
As a deacon I don’t walk around with the Book of Blessings in my pocket to pull out every time I am requested to give a blessing. It is a useful tool for at specific occasion can be used.
I give blessings, to people, to things and quite most of the time it they are not with the use of the Book.
Click to expand...
And, where it’s a blessing that the Book permits, all is well.
 
pianistclare said:
Our Deacons bless everyone present at various meetings at their conclusion.
Click to expand...
This is because it’s one of the blessings that exists in the Book of Blessings. See this link for the text of the blessing.

In other words, it’s one of the blessings that’s expressly granted to both priests and deacons.

In short, then: priests are able to bless people and things – with formal blessings, or extemporaneous blessings – and deacons are able to bless (most) objects and also, where permitted by the Book of Blessings. 🤷
 
Gorgias said:
This is because it’s one of the blessings that exists in the Book of Blessings. See this link for the text of the blessing.

In other words, it’s one of the blessings that’s expressly granted to both priests and deacons.

In short, then: priests are able to bless people and things – with formal blessings, or extemporaneous blessings – and deacons are able to bless (most) objects and also, where permitted by the Book of Blessings. 🤷
Click to expand...
😊
I don’t think I was disagreeing. :confused:
 
What about exorcisms? Hopefully this isn’t a need that comes up more than monthly in your parish, but you never know. I am sure no one but a bishop can authorize someone to do that, but is a deacon someone he can authorize?

My understanding is that only a priest can be a “pastor”, but that deacons can be pastoral administrators but somewhere there is a designated priest-pastor, for purposes of relating to the diocese. But what about chaplain? If a deacon is based at a hospital or school where there is no priest chaplain, what would the deacon’s canonical status be? I know institutions put chaplain job titles on many persons, including Protestant ministers or laypeople, but in terms of Catholic ecclesiastic status?

I suppose it may make a difference if it is a Catholic or secular, hospital or college. In some situations there is a designated “Catholic chapel” with the Blessed Sacrament reserved. I wonder if that means there needs to be a clerical “chain of command” so to speak, where a only a priest, who has a full time job somewhere else, has ultimate responsibility. It would seem that might put the deacon in a different role than someone who works in a secular institution, with no Catholic chapel.

In any event, I am grateful for the deacon I work alongside. He not only makes sandwiches for our Mission, he teaches by example what it means to be a loving servant, to high schoolers; and to me.
 
I’m fairly sure a deacon could be a chaplain, but there are disadvantages to this - they can’t hear confessions or give the anointing of the sick. AFAIK, only a priest can perform exorcisms.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top