THE
P RTAL
November 2018
Page 9
Catholic Social Teaching
Deacons
Fr Ashley Beck
F or nearly
twenty years, I have been responsible for the academic formation of those training to
be permanent deacons in most of the dioceses of southern England and Wales (currently Southwark,
Westminster, Cardiff, Arundel and Brighton, Brentwood, East Anglia and Northampton). Since its formation,
the Ordinariate has also been part of the programme and has contributed some very good students.
This series of articles is about Catholic Social Teaching.
The Holy See, in its definitive document about the
training of deacons (last updated in 1998), the Basic
Norms for the Formation of Permanent Deacons, makes
it clear that deacons should have a specialist knowledge
of this branch of moral theology. While no reason is
given, this is presumably because most deacons are
or have been in secular employment, so have more
direct experience of some of the key issues of social
teaching than most priests. What this means is that in
the process of helping more Catholics to be aware of
social teaching (and, as I have reflected in past months,
there is a terrible level of ignorance among clergy and
laypeople) deacons have a key role to play.
The Second Vatican Council’s constitution on the
Church, Lumen Gentium, called for the diaconate as
a permanent order to be restored in the Latin rite.
For many centuries, as in the Church of England, the
diaconate had simply been a stepping stone on the
path to priesthood, the last year in seminary or first
year in a parish (in the Catholic Church, unlike the
Church of England, a deacon in pastoral ministry as
part of his formation goes to a completely new parish
for the beginning of his priestly ministry).
people are dependent on food banks and other sources
of support, this ministry will become increasingly
important in future years.
They also stand at the altar at Mass, assisting the
priest and proclaiming the gospel, also being involved
in a parish’s sacramental ministry to the sick and
housebound. They are also expected to preach the
Word of God, and in their formation, considerable
work is put into training them for this part of their
ministry.
In the half-century since the Council deacons have
played an increasingly important part of the life of
the Church in this country and many other parts of
the world. All the dioceses in this country and the
ordinariate have deacons or students in formation,
and the evidence shows that when efforts are made
to encourage vocations, many offer themselves – they
are selected according to national guidelines which
are similar to those used for those offering themselves
for priesthood, set up by the Bishops’ Conference.
Formation programmes are part time and take place
over three or four years.
In the southern programme with which I am
This was put into effect by Pope St Paul VI shortly involved (most of the teaching of which takes place at
after the council, but unfortunately decisions about St John’s Seminary, Wonersh, near Guildford), students
implementing the council’s wishes was delegated to are members of St Mary’s University in Twickenham.
bishops’ conferences, which has meant that in many For their first two years they study for a Foundation
places those wishes have not been implemented at degree in Pastoral Ministry (devised largely for our
all (e.g. much of Africa and Asia and, until recently, programme); in their last year, and if they wish after
Ireland).
their ordination, they now study for the new Master of
Arts degree in Catholic Social Teaching.
For the most part deacons are or have been in
ordinary jobs and are or have been married. They are
Over the years those of us involved in the formation
expected to have a particular ‘ministry of charity’ – in programme and community have been inspired by the
practical terms this means they should be pioneers commitment of the students and of their wives and
in the sharing and exploration of Christian witness families (many wives come to formation days and in
for social justice, and that they should have a co- the southern programme a special programme has
ordinating role for a parish’s practical charitable work. been devised for them).
As Britain heads for economic ruin and more and more
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