clerics in general and deacons in particular.”68 In the conclusion of the first section of this
document we find:
May the Episcopal Conferences and Ordinaries of the whole world, to whom the present
document is given, ensure that it becomes an object of attentive reflection in communion
with their priests and communities. It will be an important point of reference for those
Churches in which the permanent diaconate is a living and active reality; for the others, it
will be an effective invitation to appreciate the value of that precious gift of the Spirit
which is diaconal service.69
The permanent diaconate is a gift of the Holy Spirit to Christ’s Church. The permanent deacon is
to be engaged in a ministry of liturgy, service and charity.
In the Spring of 1968 the United States Bishops petitioned the Holy See for authorization to
restore the permanent diaconate. The reasons the bishops presented for their request were:
1. To complete the hierarchy of sacred orders and to enrich and strengthen the many and various
diaconal ministries at work in the United States with the sacramental grace of the diaconate
2. To enlist a new group of devout and competent men in the active ministry of the Church
3. To aid in extending needed liturgical and charitable services to the faithful in both large urban
and small rural communities
4. To provide an official and sacramental presence of the Church in areas of secular life, as well
as in communities within large cities and sparsely settled regions where few or no priests are
available
68
69
Ibid. 7
Ibid. 90.
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