Question for Deacons about blessings

[AJB328]

This question is for any Deacons out there, but obviously for anyone else who has an extra 2 cents laying around.

From what I’ve read Deacons (in the Roman Rite) can bless most sacramentals, so what exactly can’t a deacon bless?

And when you’re asked to bless a rosary, a miraculous medal, any saint medal, a crucifix, etc. do you use different formulas for each one, do you ad lib one? What actually constitutes a blessing? (Does the sign of the cross have to be made, the invocation of the Trinity, the name of reference of the person who will use the sacramental, etc)

-AJ

 

[maryjk]

This question is for any Deacons out there, but obviously for anyone else who has an extra 2 cents laying around.

From what I’ve read Deacons (in the Roman Rite) can bless most sacramentals, so what exactly can’t a deacon bless?

And when you’re asked to bless a rosary, a miraculous medal, any saint medal, a crucifix, etc. do you use different formulas for each one, do you ad lib one? What actually constitutes a blessing? (Does the sign of the cross have to be made, the invocation of the Trinity, the name of reference of the person who will use the sacramental, etc)
-AJ

I only have one cent extra laying around. But let me share it with you.

I have never had anyone approach our deacon and have him say no. So I am not sure what sacramental he can’t bless. And I send a bunch of people to him.

Our deacon tends to ad lib. In fact, he has the most beautiful blessings. They are geared toward the item being blessed.

He always ends with the sign of the cross.

 

[Gorgias]

A deacon can generally bless objects, not people. His blessings should take place in the context of a particular rite of blessing (for instance, those found in the Book of Blessings).

There are items that may only be blessed by priests, and still other items that may only be blessed by bishops.

But, as far as sacramentals go, yeah… deacons can generally bless them.

 

[maryjk]

A deacon can generally bless objects, not people. His blessings should take place in the context of a particular rite of blessing (for instance, those found in the Book of Blessings).

There are items that may only be blessed by priests, and still other items that may only be blessed by bishops.

But, as far as sacramentals go, yeah… deacons can generally bless them.

Not people?

I know I have seen our deacons bless people.

 

[AJB328]

I found this in and old thread and is part of the reason I asked the question:

Can. 1169 §1 Consecrations and dedications can be validly carried out by those who are invested with the episcopal character, and by priests who are permitted to do so by law or by legitimate grant.
§2 Any priest can impart blessings, except for those reserved to the Roman Pontiff or to Bishops.
§3 A deacon can impart only those blessings which are expressly permitted to him by law.

I just couldn’t find any place that says what is and what isn’t permitted by law.

 

[Lapey]

I found this in and old thread and is part of the reason I asked the question:

Can. 1169 §1 Consecrations and dedications can be validly carried out by those who are invested with the episcopal character, and by priests who are permitted to do so by law or by legitimate grant.
§2 Any priest can impart blessings, except for those reserved to the Roman Pontiff or to Bishops.
§3 A deacon can impart only those blessings which are expressly permitted to him by law.

I just couldn’t find any place that says what is and what isn’t permitted by law.

Outside of the context of the Mass, a deacon can bless pretty much everything a priest can bless. In the Mass, the celebrant should be the one to do all blessings, including the nuptual blessing in a wedding. The deacon will only bless the rings if he is presiding over the sacrament of matrimony in the Mass.

You will find references to the proper rites books, Book of Blessings, and it’s commentary; here and the commentaries of the canon law you can find more info.

 

[Lapey]

A deacon can generally bless objects, not people. His blessings should take place in the context of a particular rite of blessing (for instance, those found in the Book of Blessings).

There are items that may only be blessed by priests, and still other items that may only be blessed by bishops.

But, as far as sacramentals go, yeah… deacons can generally bless them.

Almost correct, deacons can bless people unless it is in a Mass. Now whether there are limitations of faculties depending on the ordinary, that I cannot tell you.

Also, anytime there is a priest present, the deacon should defer to the priest. he is a higher level of the hierarchy.

 

[maryjk]

Almost correct, deacons can bless people unless it is in a Mass. Now whether there are limitations of faculties depending on the ordinary, that I cannot tell you.

Also, anytime there is a priest present, the deacon should defer to the priest. he is a higher level of the hierarchy.

I have found that deacons are generally more available.

Now before anyone takes that statement the wrong way, let me say that our priests are very busy on Sundays. They are hearing Confessions, visiting classrooms, saying Mass and yes, blessing items and people. Generally, right after Mass, they are greeting parishioners.

The deacon on the other hand seems to be able to walk away first.

That is when I grab him to bless items that have been recently purchased.

 

[bben15]

I have found that deacons are generally more available.

Now before anyone takes that statement the wrong way, let me say that our priests are very busy on Sundays. They are hearing Confessions, visiting classrooms, saying Mass and yes, blessing items and people. Generally, right after Mass, they are greeting parishioners.

The deacon on the other hand seems to be able to walk away first.

That is when I grab him to bless items that have been recently purchased.

Note that you can gain a partial indulgence by using a sacramental blessed by a priest, so the priest might be a good idea.

 

[Tarpeian_Rock]

Note that you can gain a partial indulgence by using a sacramental blessed by a priest, so the priest might be a good idea.

Does your source specify priest because, perhaps, when it was written it did not contemplate an active diaconate performing sacramental blessings, or does it specify that the partial indulgence does not apply to sacramentals blessed by a deacon? Since the Church has specified that a deacon can bless sacramentals, it would seem strange to deny such an indulgence when the object has been blessed by a deacon.

 

[bben15]

Does your source specify priest because, perhaps, when it was written it did not contemplate an active diaconate performing sacramental blessings, or does it specify that the partial indulgence does not apply to sacramentals blessed by a deacon? Since the Church has specified that a deacon can bless sacramentals, it would seem strange to deny such an indulgence when the object has been blessed by a deacon.

The faithful, who devoutly use an article of devotion (crucifix or cross, rosary, scapular or medal) properly blessed by any priest, obtain a partial indulgence.

Source: Article 35 catholic.org/clife/prayers/indulgw.php

 

[Gorgias]

maryjk:

Not people?

I know I have seen our deacons bless people.

Mary,

The fact that some people do things doesn’t guarantee that they do them licitly.

Almost correct, deacons can bless people unless it is in a Mass.

Almost correct.

Now, I have to be careful in the way that I proceed. I want to be clear that I’m not attempting to lash out at you personally, Deacon Lapey, or at the order of the diaconate – since I know that you care deeply about your ordination and about the diaconate – but rather, about what the Church says about blessings in this regard. Fair enough?

Ed Peters has written in his blog about blessings, and part of what he’s written applies to our discussion here. He writes, “[d]eacons are authorized to give any blessings so listed in the Book of Blessings” and points us to c. 1169.3 (“A deacon can impart only those blessings expressly permitted by law”).

So, if we look at it objectively, we see that the Church permits deacons to give blessings only that are expressly granted in the Book of Blessings. In some cases – that is, in the case of rites of blessing that exist in that ritual book – people are what are being blessed, and so we can’t categorically say that deacons cannot bless people. However, when folks ask whether deacons can bless a person, they tend to mean to ask whether an impromptu blessing can be given. To this question, the answer clearly is “no.”

But, deacons are ordained persons, and so, there are blessings that are proper to their order. These are contained within the proper rites of the Church. So, it’s not always a matter of “deferring to the priest,” but rather, deferring to the law of the Church. The “limitations” aren’t those “of the ordinary,” but rather, those of Church law.

 

[AJB328]

Note that you can gain a partial indulgence by using a sacramental blessed by a priest, so the priest might be a good idea.

I was thinking about this as well when I wrote the original question. Does anybody know if there is a difference between a Deacon’s vs Priest’s blessing? Is there any sort of literature on this?

In another thread that didn’t really get much of a response I also asked if there is a difference between the efficacy of an improvised blessing vs one that is recited from a book of blessings?

I hope I’m not sounding too nit picky or anything like that. I’m part of the RCIA group at my parish and a candidate brought up a question about sacramentals which lead to the deacon question, and none of us seemed to know for sure.

 

[Tarpeian_Rock]

Mary,

The fact that some people do things doesn’t guarantee that they do them licitly.

Almost correct.

Now, I have to be careful in the way that I proceed. I want to be clear that I’m not attempting to lash out at you personally, Deacon Lapey, or at the order of the diaconate – since I know that you care deeply about your ordination and about the diaconate – but rather, about what the Church says about blessings in this regard. Fair enough?

Ed Peters has written in his blog about blessings, and part of what he’s written applies to our discussion here. He writes, “[d]eacons are authorized to give any blessings so listed in the Book of Blessings” and points us to c. 1169.3 (“A deacon can impart only those blessings expressly permitted by law”).

So, if we look at it objectively, we see that the Church permits deacons to give blessings only that are expressly granted in the Book of Blessings. In some cases – uthat is, in the case of rites of blessing that exist in that ritual book – people are what are being blessed, and so we can’t categorically say that deacons cannot bless people. However, when folks ask whether deacons can bless a person, they tend to mean to ask whether an impromptu blessing can be given. To this question, the answer clearly is “no.”

But, deacons are ordained persons, and so, there are blessings that are proper to their order. These are contained within the proper rites of the Church. So, it’s not always a matter of “deferring to the priest,” but rather, deferring to the law of the Church. The “limitations” aren’t those “of the ordinary,” but rather, those of Church law.

Ed Peters has also written extensively that married deacons lose the right to be intimate with their wives, concerning which Rome disagrees with him. So I question whether he is a final authority on things diaconal.

 

[Gorgias]

Ed Peters has also written extensively that married deacons lose the right to be intimate with their wives, concerning which Rome disagrees with him. So I question whether he is a final authority on things diaconal.

Good approach: argue the man, not the case! (Ad hominem attacks are always the most valid approach…!)

Yet, this isn’t a matter of an interpretive stance on a disputed subject; it’s a simple matter of a single section of one canon (which I’ve already quoted once – “A deacon can impart only those blessings expressly permitted by law”). Go ahead, look it up yourself. The ‘final authority’ here is canon law, not Ed Peters.

 

[Lapey]

Note that you can gain a partial indulgence by using a sacramental blessed by a priest, so the priest might be a good idea.

Does your source specify priest because, perhaps, when it was written it did not contemplate an active diaconate performing sacramental blessings, or does it specify that the partial indulgence does not apply to sacramentals blessed by a deacon? Since the Church has specified that a deacon can bless sacramentals, it would seem strange to deny such an indulgence when the object has been blessed by a deacon.

Source: Article 35 catholic.org/clife/prayers/indulgw.php

This is not, in my opinion, the intent of this article. There is nothing in the B of B or canon law or the commentaries which differentiate the “priestly” blessing from the “diaconal” blessing; if you can find it I would appreciate you sharing it. If you take the literal and strict meaning then a deacon cannot lead the Penitential Rite at Mass, which in reality is the deacon’s role.

What I do agree with is that this was written in a time where the Church had been void of a permanent diaconate for hundreds of years. This is why I was reluctant to post for a bit, there are many differing views on what is valid or licit for a deacon. But I must refer to my diocesan canonist, our Vicar General on these matters. According to our diocesan guidelines, a validly ordained deacon with full faculties with no canonical impediments or restrictions is fully authorized to confer the blessing upon sacramentals, which is the main question of this thread. From that there is no mention of a difference between the blessings the three levels of the hierarchy, except what is reserved to bishops and those items reserved to members of specific communities; even some of those have had those restrictions reduced; i.e. Benedictine medals can now be blessed by any validly ordained priest or deacon and not reserved to Benedictine Priest as it once was. Now in both mentioned prohibiting the deacon, they also prohibit a diocesan priest in the same way, authorization.

I am not arguing any point on what the article means, much is left to interpretation and perception unfortunately; so if you disagree with my post, please know that we will have to agree to disagree until the Vatican comments!

PS. Please know too, I am no expert on anything dealing with indulgences; but again there are no differences mentioned in any binding authoritative source that I have found in my research.

 

[Lapey]

Mary,

The fact that some people do things doesn’t guarantee that they do them licitly.

Almost correct.

Now, I have to be careful in the way that I proceed. I want to be clear that I’m not attempting to lash out at you personally, Deacon Lapey, or at the order of the diaconate – since I know that you care deeply about your ordination and about the diaconate – but rather, about what the Church says about blessings in this regard. Fair enough?

Ed Peters has written in his blog about blessings, and part of what he’s written applies to our discussion here. He writes, “[d]eacons are authorized to give any blessings so listed in the Book of Blessings” and points us to c. 1169.3 (“A deacon can impart only those blessings expressly permitted by law”).

So, if we look at it objectively, we see that the Church permits deacons to give blessings only that are expressly granted in the Book of Blessings. In some cases – that is, in the case of rites of blessing that exist in that ritual book – people are what are being blessed, and so we can’t categorically say that deacons cannot bless people. However, when folks ask whether deacons can bless a person, they tend to mean to ask whether an impromptu blessing can be given. To this question, the answer clearly is “no.”

But, deacons are ordained persons, and so, there are blessings that are proper to their order. These are contained within the proper rites of the Church. So, it’s not always a matter of “deferring to the priest,” but rather, deferring to the law of the Church. The “limitations” aren’t those “of the ordinary,” but rather, those of Church law.

Gorgias,

I appreciate your response and especially the way you respecfully refuted my post.

I’d like to talk more ofline with you on this topic and others as I have come to know you are a respected and well educated posted in many Church matters. I will send you a PM.

Thanks!

 

[maryjk]

Mary,

The fact that some people do things doesn’t guarantee that they do them licitly.

Gee, really. I’ve never thought of that.

Maybe that is why I posted as I did. With a confused smiley.

 

[shawnbm]

So, in reading through all of this am I correct that a deacon would be able to licitly bless a group of folks he leads in a scripture or RCIA class?

 

[FrDavid96]

This question is for any Deacons out there, but obviously for anyone else who has an extra 2 cents laying around.

From what I’ve read Deacons (in the Roman Rite) can bless most sacramentals, so what exactly can’t a deacon bless?

And when you’re asked to bless a rosary, a miraculous medal, any saint medal, a crucifix, etc. do you use different formulas for each one, do you ad lib one? What actually constitutes a blessing? (Does the sign of the cross have to be made, the invocation of the Trinity, the name of reference of the person who will use the sacramental, etc)

-AJ

I deacon can only impart those blessings which the Church specifically allows him to perform. See canon 1169.3

That means that the “default” answer to your question is “no.” That’s only the starting-point, however. From there, we must look at the individual blessings to determine if a deacon can impart the blessing or not.

Here are a few examples:
A deacon may bless most sacramentals (crosses, medals, statues, etc. etc.) intended for private devotion (specifically excluding those displayed in a church or chapel). See the Book of Blessings number 1442 and 1444. #1444 states “the present order may be used by a priest or deacon.”

Contrast that with the blessing to be used for “Objects for Use in Churches” which specifies that only a priest can perform these blessings (Book of Blessings #1261).

A deacon can bless a rosary. There is a special blessing for a rosary, and deacons are specifically permitted to use it (BB 1465).

However, when we look at the blessing of a scapular (BB 1488 and following) there is no mention of a deacon performing the blessing–which means that he cannot do so.

Now, here’s the thing: The specific blessing of a scapular implies membership in a confraternity. If that’s the case, the deacon is not able to perform the blessing. Yet, at the same time, the Book of Blessings (#1442) specifically mentions “scapulars” in that more generic blessing of items for private devotion (remember, that’s the one that deacons may indeed do the blessing). So, if one has a scapular purely as a matter of private devotion, the deacon can bless it. On the other hand, if it’s a scapular presented as part of an induction into a confraternity, only a priest can bless it.

Remember that the Church’s laws/norms state that a deacon can only perform the blessing if the Church specifically permits him to do it. This differs from the blessings given by priests, as priests can perform any legitimate blessing unless the blessing is reserved (either to a bishop, or to specific presbyters).

In practical terms, the priest asks himself “is this blessing specifically reserved, meaning that I cannot do it?” While a deacon must ask himself "does the Church specifically permit me to do this blessing?"

There is really no simple answer to your question. It’s a matter of determining exactly what blessing we’re talking about and then looking at the text of the blessing itself to see if a deacon can do it.

Some examples of blessings that cannot be done by a deacon:

Blessing of a chalice. Book of Blessings #1362
Blessing of church bell. BB1309
Blessing of a cemetery (however, a deacon can bless an individual grave in an un-blessed cemetery). BB 1419
Blessing of a cross for public veneration (a deacon can bless one for private devotion) BB 1236

As for items intended for liturgical use (pyx, alter linens, hymnals, etc).
A deacon can bless these when he uses the short form outside of Mass (BB 1346), but only outside of Mass. If the blessing is done within the Mass, it must be done by the priest.

A deacon cannot bless missionaries (BB 453) but he can bless travelers (BB 618).

Confused yet?

At the risk of being redundant, the way to answer your question is to say that deacons can only do those blessings which the Church specifically says he may do—and that’s a matter of looking at the particular blessing for the occasion/object and seeing whether or not he’s able to do it.

If it says he can, then he can. If it does not specifically say that he can, then he cannot.