An investigation has been conducted recently with quanrante-two deacons and their wives of Vendee, in order to make the point about how this ministry is lived and collected in the Vendee. Yesterday evening, at its quarterly meeting, the South Vendee diaconal fraternity, composed of ten couples, made a replay.
The first evidence is the realization of two pitfalls to avoid: to assimilate the deacon in a "sub-priest", or to make a "super-secular"!
one hand indeed, there is a risk, especially when dealing with the declining number of priests, will be replaced by deacons, and assimilate them to "priests-bis." A number of priests, but also many lay people are indeed in them as the ideal replacement, by dawn, which could supplement the lack of priests and play a little role of these in a number of functions to plan liturgical particularly but not only.
other hand, there is also the temptation to assign responsibilities to the deacons of conduct or direction, both with regard to the animation of the parishes that church services or movements. As they were ordained, they are seeking and more easily than the laity to manage a particular service or mission.
course, deacons hear about the needs of Christian communities that suffer of the lack of ordained ministers, and they do not refuse to serve! But the primary place of mission is to find "on the threshold", in proximity to these people that the church would otherwise be far away, and this, in the example of Christ the Servant, as visible signs of a church that loves what world and in his name.
There is a balance to be constantly between "celebrate" and "serve" and to keep a proper balance between the tasks of the priest, deacon and layman, a healthy complementarity and mutual understanding!
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