“Diaconate Couples”?

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 4:51 pm by Deacon Greg Kandra

“Diaconate Couples”? 2016-09-30T16:51:35-04:00 Deacon Greg Kandra

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

A reader noted the following item, posted by the venerable Fr. Z last weekend.

The comments are his. Mine follow at the end.

From a reader:

Over Mother’s Day weekend I attended mass at a church I do not usually attend. I noticed their bulletin listed a “Deaconite Couple.” Is that allowed? Women aren’t allowed to be deacons are they? This church is very progressive; they do not even have kneelers, which is why i question the validity of a couple filling the role of a deacon.

Deaconite? Deaconite?

I know – and I fear – Kryptonite, but I have no knowledge of this ominous Dea-con-ite. I don’t like the sound of it at all.

Is this stuff that makes my head nearly explode when I hear some permanent deacons preach? Hmmmm…. I wonder if it comes in different colors.

No, friend. On your planet, women cannot now nor ever be in the future ordained deacons. Not even the strengthening rays of your Earth’s yellow Sun can give Holy Church the power to ordain women.

There are some pretty strange things in some places when it comes to the permanent diaconate, however. (I suspect the word you were after, friend, was “diaconate”.) I have seen goofiness galore, such as the parading of the permanent deacons’ wives into church during entrance processions and having them sit with the clergy. Very strange. A very bad idea.

At different points in history and in various places, the word “deaconess” has been used equivocally to indicate a certain ministry some women served. They were not ordained as the men who were deacons were and are now ordained.

The diaconate can, under the right circumstances, be conferred also on married men. On the men. Couples are not ordained. The deacons’ wives remain the deacons’ wives, no matter what good support they can give to their reverend husbands as they carry out their ministry. Any blurring of that boundary is probably done from either a lack of understanding of what Holy Orders are about or perhaps a ideological bent that seeks to shift or avoid the Church’s teachings and disciplines.

All in all, I think a lot of the silliness that surrounded the permanent diaconate is fading out. Programs of formation (where there are any) are getting better, longer, sounder. Younger men interested in the permanent diaconate are not carrying aging-hippie baggage. Fewer and fewer priests they have to work with have screwy notions about liturgy and doctrine.

A final note:

A deacon is a deacon is a deacon.

For those of you out there who send in questions about whether or not a permanent deacon can function as a deacon in a Solemn Mass in the older, Extraordinary Form…. YES. What part of their being a deacon is not getting through? They are no less deacons than transitional deacons (though there often can be quite a difference in training, which is understandable). A permanent deacon is ordained. A permanent deacon is a cleric. They are not hobby priests. A permanent deacon is a deacon and they are to do what deacons do.

Below is a picture of Your Humble Blogger with The Deacon’s Wife, at my Mass of Thanksgiving six years ago today. N.B.: she was the lector for the Mass. She processed in ahead of the deacon, as lectors do, at the start of Mass. She was seated in the first row of the congregation during Mass and, as we recessed out and I passed her pew, I impulsively reached out my hand and gestured for her to walk out with me. She took my hand and we left together.

I wouldn’t be here without her. Hell, I wouldn’t be anywhere without her. I hasten to add: nobody considers her “ordained,” and we certainly don’t consider ourselves a “deacon couple.” I’m clergy and she’s my wife and that’s that. I’m not aware of any married priests who consider themselves part of a “priest couple”— nor should they—no matter how involved the wife might be in her husband’s ministry. Dioceses and parishes that treat the diaconate that way are doing it a disservice, and creating an impression of something that doesn’t exist.

Deacons

Previous Post

May 20, 2013

Pope Francis: "Prayer Works Wonders, But We Have to Believe!"

Next Post

May 21, 2013 Fr. Fugee Arrested

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category "Mad Men" 9/11 advent All Things New Amazing video amazing videos amazon america Anglicans Anti-Catholicism art ascension thursday ash wednesday Atheists baltimore Bible Bishops Blogging bonnie engstrom Books bridgeport Brooklyn Chaplains children christian art christmas Church Churches CNEWA Converts criticism Deacons Death Penalty easter eastern christian Eastern Christians Ecumenism education Education Eucharist Europe euthanasia Evangelization Exorcism Family Feasts Gay rights Good Friday Great links Great Moments in Journalism Hanging with the saints heather renshaw Hispanic Catholics Hispanics History homelies Homilies Humor Hymn of the Week Immigration indianapolis Inspiration Interfaith news ireland Jesus Jews Journalism Judaism lent Liturgy logos Marriage Mary Media Medical news Mental health Middle East Monks Movies Music Muslims My world and welcome to it New Evangelization new york News Nuns Parenting Parish life peoria Persecution Politics politics Pope pope francis pope john paul Prayer Preaching Priests Pro-life Quote of the day radio rebecca frech ripp Ripped from the headlines rippred from the headlines Sacraments saints Scripture sex abuse Sex abuse crisis SEX ABUSE CRISIS TAGGED WITH: SEX ABUSE CRISIS The people in the pews the visitation project theatre This & that Thomas Merton Trappists TV Uncategorized uncategorized VATICAN Vatican vocation Vocations Voices & Views Women Worth a thousand words Writing Year of Faith year of mercy young people

Select a Month December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem after the exile?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Nehemiah Ezra Joshua Zerubbabel

Books by This Author Books by Deacon Greg Kandra

See All Titles »