church business under the sanction of his own bishop.” 25 This language seems to remove
deacons from the roles of administrator and establish this role as that of the priest. Although the
relationship between the deacon and the bishop never disappears, and certainly there were
examples of deacons rising to great status in the church, (St. Francis of Assisi) by the beginning
of the sixth century little reference is made to the diaconate. If mentioned at all, deacons by the
Middle Ages are relegated to assistants of the priests, which had emerged as the only Holy
Order, not necessarily the bishop. No longer necessary to the celebration of the Eucharist,
deacons will “serve at table”, as “secretary of altar” at the whim of the priest. 26 Priests receive
the power to consecrate at ordination, while deacons receive the power to serve priests in the
administration of the sacraments. 27 The role of the deacon would certainly diminish. Although
rarely mentioned in Church writings, the diaconate does not disappear from the Church. In fact,
contrary to some historians it remained a part of the church as evidenced by the discussions of
The Council of Trent.
25
Early church Texts. The Canons of the Council of Chalcedon (451) - the original Greek text with English
Translation - and Latin. Accessed June 31, 2018 http://www.earlychurchtexts.com/public/chalcedon_canons.htm,
26.
26
Cf. Norbert Brockman SM. Ordained to Service: A Theology of the Permanent Diaconate (Hicksville, NY:
Exposition Press, 1976), 28-29
27
International Theological Commission. From the Diakonia of Christ to the Diakonia of the Apostles, 2002.
Accessed May 21, 2018.
http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/cti_documents/rc_con_cfaith_pro_05072004_diaconate_en
.html., 18
19