Dr Phyllis Zagano and Dr Joe Grayland discuss the diaconate and the actual need for deacons and women deacons.
When we talk about the diaconate, we’re talking about many, many different things.
What good is the diaconate?
Why would anybody want to be a deacon, particularly a woman?
Why would a woman want to be a deacon?
And why would a parish priest want to have a deacon?
Well, if you can’t have an assistant priest, if you’re not knitting one in the basement these days, you’re well off to have a deacon.
But I don’t think that’s the only reason to have a deacon when we think of the diaconate as it’s, about its liturgical functions.
The deacon can do the wedding, the deacon can do the baptism, the deacon can do the funeral.
The diaconate to me is really bringing the gospel in action to the people of God.
So it’s the deacon, really historically, who managed the church’s charity.
And if we really recover the diaconate today, I think the deacon would be the one to help get the checkbook out of the pastor’s hands and spread the wealth around, take care of the poor.
I really think that that’s what it’s about, evangelisation and taking care of the poor.