The History of the Permanent Diaconate

The Permanent Diaconate is new and yet it is very old. The Diaconate had its origins in apostolic times and flourished in the first four centuries of the Church’s history. The institution of the Diaconate can be traced back to the Acts of the Apostles 4: 1-6. Later in St Paul’s first letter to Timothy we have a full description of the type of a man called to the Diaconate: 

            “Deacons must be respectable men whose word can be trusted, moderate in the amount of wine they drink and with no squalid greed of money. They must be conscientious believers in the mystery of the faith. They are to be examined first and only admitted to serve as deacons if there is nothing against them. In the same way the women must be respectable not gossips but sober and reliable. Deacons must not have been married more than once and must be men who can manage their children and families well. Those of them who carry out their duties well as deacons will earn a high reward for themselves and be regarded with great assurance in their work for the faith in Christ Jesus.” (1Timothy 3: 8-13)

From the beginning, the role of the deacon was associated with service to the members of the church. The deacon performed duties in collaboration with the bishop and priests. More specifically, the deacon in the early church was concerned with three tasks: he assisted in celebrating liturgy; he gave instructions in the faith, and directed charitable work.

While the Diaconate continued for many centuries as an effective part of the church’s ministry, it was not destined to retain its original importance. During the middle ages, for very complex reasons, the Diaconate as permanent ministry disappeared. In the Eastern Church, the deacon’s liturgical roles were fully retained, though the role of serving the needs of the community was gradually obscured. In the WesternChurch, the Diaconate became a stepping-stone to the priesthood. We call these deacons transitional.

It was the second Vatican Council that restored the Diaconate as a permanent ministry in the Church. In the discussion before, and at the council that led to this decision, three primary motives were at work. The first was a desire to restore to the Church the full complement of active apostolic ministries. A second motive was the desire to integrate and strengthen with sacramental ordination and grace those who were, in fact, already exercising diaconal functions. The third goal was to provide ministers for those regions where functions vital to the church’s life could not be carried out.

On 18 June 1967, Pope Paul VI in his “Moto Proprio Sacrum Diaconatus Ordinem” laid down the norms for the restoration of the permanent Diaconate in the Latin Rite. He further clarified the role and duties of this office in his letter of 15 August 1972 entitled “Ad Pascendum”.  The Pope placed the decision regarding its local restoration in the hands of each nation’s Episcopal conference. The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops eventually petitioned the Holy See to establish the permanent Diaconate, which was subsequently granted.

The experience of those men already ordained (and their wives and families) is the reservoir for future development. As the restored Diaconate takes root in the community, it will bring many blessings and teach many lessons. As diaconal ministry grows, it will help to deepen in all believers their own baptismal commitment. Ministry is not the privilege of the few, but the vocation of all who, by baptism, share the life of the Risen Christ. Born in the first century and reborn in our own time, the permanent Diaconate is one more way in which the followers of Jesus can continue to love as He did. Vatican II calls all believers to renew themselves with a fresh faith and a generous love. The restoration of the permanent Diaconate brings promise that the new Pentecost, for which Pope John XXIII lived and worked and prayed, will be realized more fully in our day.

Archbishop Plourde ordained the first permanent deacon in the Archdiocese of Ottawa English sector on16 September 1978, and sixty-five were ordained in subsequent years. Presently there are 80 Permanent Deacons who serve in our Archdiocese in the English and French sectors. Indeed the Deacons of our Archdiocese have been participating eagerly and creatively in the Church’s pastoral activity. Our pastoral activities range from homeless to prison to hospital to palliative ministry to pastoral care at long term care facilities Since it was restored, the Diaconate, in Canada, has developed in response to the pastoral needs of the Church.