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18. For the nurturing and constant growth of the People of God,
Christ the Lord instituted in His Church a variety of ministries,
which work for the good of the whole body. For those ministers, who
are endowed with sacred power, serve their brethren, so that all who
are of the People of God, and therefore enjoy a true Christian
dignity, working toward a common goal freely and in an orderly way,
may arrive at salvation.
This Sacred Council, following closely in the footsteps of the
First Vatican Council, with that Council teaches and declares that
Jesus Christ, the eternal Shepherd, established His holy Church,
having sent forth the apostles as He Himself had been sent by the
Father;[169] and He willed that their successors, namely the
bishops, should be shepherds in His Church even to the consummation
of the world. And in order that the episcopate itself might be one and
undivided, He placed Blessed Peter over the other apostles, and
instituted in him a permanent and visible source and foundation of unity
of faith and communion.[170] And all this teaching about the
institution, the perpetuity, the meaning and reason for the sacred
primacy of the Roman Pontiff and of his infallible magisterium, this
Sacred Council again proposes to be firmly believed by all the
faithful. Continuing in that same undertaking, this Council is
resolved to declare and proclaim before all men the doctrine concerning
bishops, the successors of the apostles, who together with the
successor of Peter, the Vicar of Christ,[171] the visible Head
of the whole Church, govern the house of the living God.
19. The Lord Jesus, after praying to the Father, calling to
Himself those whom He desired, appointed twelve to be with Him, and
whom He would send to preach the Kingdom of God;[172] and these
apostles[173] He formed after the manner of a college or a stable
group, over which He placed Peter chosen from among them.[174]
He sent them first to the children of Israel and then to all
nations,[175] so that as sharers in His power they might make all
peoples His disciples, and sanctify and govern them,[176] and
thus spread His Church, and by ministering to it under the guidance
of the Lord, direct it all days even to the consummation of the
world.[177] And in this mission they were fully confirmed on the
day of Pentecost[178] in accordance with the Lord's promise:
"You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and
you shall be witnesses for me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and in
Samaria, and even to the very ends of the earth".[179] And the
apostles, by preaching the Gospel everywhere,[180] and it being
accepted by their hearers under the influence of the Holy Spirit,
gather together the universal Church, which the Lord established on
the apostles and built upon blessed Peter, their chief, Christ
Jesus Himself being the supreme cornerstone.[181][182]
20. That divine mission, entrusted by Christ to the apostles,
will last until the end of the world,[183] since the Gospel they
are to teach is for all time the source of all life for the Church.
And for this reason the apostles, appointed as rulers in this
society, took care to appoint successors.
For they not only had helpers in their ministry,[184] but also, in
order that the mission assigned to them might continue after their
death, they passed on to their immediate cooperators, as it were, in
the form of a testament, the duty of confirming and finishing the work
begun by themselves,[185] recommending to them that they attend to
the whole flock in which the Holy Spirit placed them to shepherd the
Church of God.[186] They therefore appointed such men, and
gave them the order that, when they should have died, other approved
men would take up their ministry.[187] Among those various
ministries which, according to tradition, were exercised in the
Church from the earliest times, the chief place belongs to the office
of those who, appointed to the episcopate, by a succession running
from the beginning,[188] are passers-on of the apostolic
seed.[189] Thus, as St. Irenaeus testifies, through those who
were appointed bishops by the apostles, and through their successors
down ln our own time, the apostolic tradition is manifested [190]
and preserved.[191]
Bishops, therefore, with their helpers, the priests and deacons,
have taken up the service of the community, [192] presiding in
place of God over the flock,[193] whose shepherds they are, as
teachers for doctrine, priests for sacred worship, and ministers for
governing.[194] And just as the office granted individually to
Peter, the first among the apostles, is permanent and is to be
transmitted to his successors, so also the apostles' office of
nurturing the Church is permanent, and is to be exercised without
interruption by the sacred order of bishops. [195] Therefore,
the Sacred Council teaches that bishops by divine institution have
succeeded to the place of the apostles, [196] as shepherds of the
Church, and he who hears them, hears Christ, and he who rejects
them, rejects Christ and Him who sent Christ.[197][198]
21. In the bishops, therefore, for whom priests are assistants,
Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Supreme High Priest, is present in
the midst of those who believe. For sitting at the right hand of God
the Father, He is not absent from the gathering of His high
priests,[199] but above all through their excellent service He is
preaching the word of God to all nations, and constantly administering
the sacraments of faith to those who believe, by their paternal
functioning[200] He incorporates new members in His Body by a
heavenly regeneration, and finally by their wisdom and prudence He
directs and guides the People of the New Testament in their
pilgrimage toward eternal happiness. These pastors, chosen to
shepherd the Lord's flock of the elect, are servants of Christ and
stewards of the mysteries of God,[201] to whom has been assigned
the bearing of witness to the Gospel of the grace of God,[202]
and the ministration of the Spirit and of justice in glory.[203]
For the discharging of such great duties, the apostles were enriched
by Christ with a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit coming upon
them,[204] and they passed on this spiritual gift to their helpers
by the imposition of hands,[205] and it has been transmitted down
to us in episcopal consecration.[206] And the Sacred Council
teaches that by episcopal consecration the fullness of the sacrament of
Orders is conferred, that fullness of power, namely, which both in
the Church's liturgical practice and in the language of the Fathers
of the Church is called the high priesthood, the supreme power of the
sacred ministry.[207] But episcopal consecration, together with
the office of sanctifying, also confers the office of teaching and of
governing, which, however, of its very nature, can be exercised only
in hierarchical communion with the head and the members of the college.
For from the tradition, which is expressed especially in liturgical
rites and in the practice of both the Church of the East and of the
West, it is clear that, by means of the imposition of hands and the
words of consecration, the grace of the Holy Spirit is so
conferred,[208] and the sacred character so impressed,[209]
that bishops in an eminent and visible way sustain the roles of Christ
Himself as Teacher, Shepherd and High Priest, and that they act
in His person.[210] Therefore it pertains to the bishops to
admit newly elected members into the episcopal body by means of the
sacrament of Orders.
22. Just as in the Gospel, the Lord so disposing, St. Peter
and the other apostles constitute one apostolic college, so in a
similar way the Roman Pontiff, the successor of Peter, and the
bishops, the successors of the apostles, are joined together.
Indeed, the very ancient practice whereby bishops duly established in
all parts of the world were in communion with one another and with the
Bishop of Rome in a bond of unity, charity and peace,[211] and
also the councils assembled together,[212] in which more profound
issues were settled in common, [213] the opinion of the many
having been prudently considered,[214] both of these factors are
already an indication of the collegiate character and aspect of the
episcopal order; and the ecumenical councils held in the course of
centuries are also manifest proof of that same character. And it is
intimated also in the practice, introduced in ancient times, of
summoning several bishops to take part in the elevation of the newly
elected to the ministry of the high priesthood. Hence, one is
constituted a member of the episcopal body in virtue of sacramental
consecration and hierarchical communion with the head and members of the
body.
But the college or body of bishops has no authority unless it is
understood together with the Roman Pontiff, the successor of Peter
as its head. The pope's power of primacy over all, both pastors and
faithful, remains whole and intact. In virtue of his office, that is
as Vicar of Christ and pastor of the whole Church, the Roman
Pontiff has full, supreme and universal power over the Church. And
he is always free to exercise this power. The order of bishops, which
succeeds to the college of apostles and gives this apostolic body
continued existence, is also the subject of supreme and full power over
the universal Church, provided we understand this body together with
its head the Roman Pontiff and never without this head.[215]
This power can be exercised only with the consent of the Roman
Pontiff. For our Lord placed Simon alone as the rock and the bearer
of the keys of the Church,[216] and made him shepherd of the
whole flock;[217] it is evident, however, that the power of
binding and loosing, which was given to Peter,[218] was granted
also to the college of apostles, joined with their
head.[219][220] This college, insofar as it is composed of
many, expresses the variety and universality of the People of God,
but insofar as it is assembled under one head, it expresses the unity
of the flock of Christ. In it, the bishops, faithfully recognizing
the primacy and pre-eminence of their head, exercise their own
authority for the good of their own faithful, and indeed of the whole
Church, the Holy Spirit supporting its organic structure and harmony
with moderation. The supreme power in the universal Church, which
this college enjoys, is exercised in a solemn way in an ecumenical
council. A council is never ecumenical unless it is confirmed or at
least accepted as such by the successor of Peter; and it is
prerogative of the Roman Pontiff to convoke these councils, to
preside over them and to confirm them.[221] This same collegiate
power can be exercised together with the pope by the bishops living in
all parts of the world, provided that the head of the college calls
them to collegiate action, or at least approves of or freely accepts
the united action of the scattered bishops, so that it is thereby made
a collegiate act.
23. This collegial union is apparent also m the mutual relations of
the individual bishops with particular churches and with the universal
Church. The Roman Pontiff, as the successor of Peter, is the
perpetual and visible principle and foundation of unity of both the
bishops and of the faithful.[222] The individual bishops,
however, are the visible principle and foundation of unity in their
particular churches, [223] fashioned after the model of the
universal Church, in and from which churches comes into being the one
and only Catholic Church.[224] For this reason the individual
bishops represent each his own church, but all of them together and
with the Pope represent the entire Church in the bond of peace, love
and unity.
The individual bishops, who are placed in charge of particular
churches, exercise their pastoral government over the portion of the
People of God committed to their care, and not over other churches
nor over the universal Church. But each of them, as a member of the
episcopal college and legitimate successor of the apostles, is obliged
by Christ's institution and command to be solicitous for the whole
Church,[225] and this solicitude, though it is not exercised by
an act of jurisdiction, contributes greatly to the advantage of the
universal Church. For it is the duty of all bishops to promote and to
safeguard the unity of faith and the discipline common to the whole
Church, to instruct the faithful to love for the whole mystical body
of Christ, especially for its poor and sorrowing members and for those
who are suffering persecution for justice's sake,[226] and
finally to promote every activity that is of interest to the whole
Church, especially that the faith may take increase and the light of
full truth appear to all men. And this also is important, that by
governing well their own church as a portion of the universal Church,
they themselves are effectively contributing to the welfare of the whole
Mystical Body, which is also the body of the churches.[227]
The task of proclaiming the Gospel everywhere on earth pertains to the
body of pastors, to all of whom in common Christ gave His command,
thereby imposing upon them a common duty, as Pope Celestine in his
time recommended to the Fathers of the Council of Ephesus.[228]
From this it follows that the individual bishops, insofar as their own
discharge of their duty permits, are obliged to enter into a community
of work among themselves and with the successor of Peter, upon whom
was imposed in a special way the great duty of spreading the Christian
name.[229] With all their energy, therefore, they must supply
to the missions both workers for the harvest and also spiritual and
material aid, both directly and on their own account. as well as by
arousing the ardent cooperation of the faithful. And finally, the
bishops, in a universal fellowship of charity, should gladly extend
their fraternal aid to other churches, especially to neighboring and
more needy dioceses in accordance with the venerable example of
antiquity.
By divine Providence it has come about that various churches,
established in various places by the apostles and their successors,
have in the course of time coalesced into several groups, organically
united, which, preserving the unity of faith and the unique divine
constitution of the universal Church, enjoy their own discipline,
their own liturgical usage, and their own theological and spiritual
heritage. Some of these churches, notably the ancient patriarchal
churches, as parent-stocks of the Faith, so to speak, have begotten
others as daughter churches, with which they are connected down to our
own time by a close bond of charity in their sacramental life and in
their mutual respect for their rights and duties.[230] This
variety of local churches with one common aspiration is splendid
evidence of the catholicity of the undivided Church. In like manner
the episcopal bodies of today are in a position to render a manifold and
fruitful assistance, so that this collegiate feeling may be put into
practical application.
24. Bishops, as successors of the apostles, receive from the
Lord, to whom was given all power in heaven and on earth, the mission
to teach all nations and to preach the Gospel to every creature, so
that all men may attain to salvation by faith, baptism and the
fulfilment of the commandments.[231] To fulfill this mission,
Christ the Lord promised the Holy Spirit to the Apostles, and on
Pentecost day sent the Spirit from heaven, by whose power they would
be witnesses to Him before the nations and peoples and kings even to
the ends of the earth.[232] And that duty, which the Lord
committed to the shepherds of His people, is a true service, which in
sacred literature is significantly called "diakonia" or
ministry.[233]
The canonical mission of bishops can come about by legitimate customs
that have not been revoked by the supreme and universal authority of the
Church, or by laws made or recognized be that the authority, or
directly through the successor of Peter himself; and if the latter
refuses or denies apostolic communion, such bishops cannot assume any
office.[234]
25. Among the principal duties of bishops the preaching of the
Gospel occupies an eminent place.[235] For bishops are preachers
of the faith, who lead new disciples to Christ, and they are
authentic teachers, that is, teachers endowed with the authority of
Christ, who preach to the people committed to them the faith they must
believe and put into practice, and by the light of the Holy Spirit
illustrate that faith. They bring forth from the treasury of
Revelation new things and old,[236] making it bear fruit and
vigilantly warding off any errors that threaten their flock.[237]
Bishops, teaching in communion with the Roman Pontiff, are to be
respected by all as witnesses to divine and Catholic truth. In
matters of faith and morals, the bishops speak in the name of Christ
and the faithful are to accept their teaching and adhere to it with a
religious assent. This religious submission of mind and will must be
shown in a special way to the authentic magisterium of the Roman
Pontiff, even when he is not speaking ex cathedra; that is, it must
be shown in such a way that his supreme magisterium is acknowledged with
reverence, the judgments made by him are sincerely adhered to,
according to his manifest mind and will. His mind and will in the
matter may be known either from the character of the documents, from
his frequent repetition of the same doctrine, or from his manner of
speaking.
Although the individual bishops do not enjoy the prerogative of
infallibility, they nevertheless proclaim Christ's doctrine
infallibly whenever, even though dispersed through the world, but
still maintaining the bond of communion among themselves and with the
successor of Peter, and authentically teaching matters of faith and
morals, they are in agreement on one position as definitively to be
held.[238] This is even more clearly verified when, gathered
together in an ecumenical council, they are teachers and judges of
faith and morals for the universal Church, whose definitions must be
adhered to with the submission of faith.[239]
And this infallibility with which the Divine Redeemer willed His
Church to be endowed in defining doctrine of faith and morals, extends
as far as the deposit of Revelation extends, which must be religiously
guarded and faithfully expounded. And this is the infallibility which
the Roman Pontiff, the head of the college of bishops, enjoys in
virtue of his office, when, as the supreme shepherd and teacher of all
the faithful, who confirms his brethren in their faith,[240] by a
definitive act he proclaims a doctrine of faith or morals.[241]
And therefore his definitions, of themselves, and not from the
consent of the Church, are justly styled irreformable, since they are
pronounced with the assistance of the Holy Spirit, promised to him in
blessed Peter, and therefore they need no approval of others, nor do
they allow an appeal to any other judgment. For then the Roman
Pontiff is not pronouncing judgment as a private person, but as the
supreme teacher of the universal Church, in whom the charism of
infallibility of the Church itself is individually present, he is
expounding or defending a doctrine of Catholic faith.[242] The
infallibility promised to the Church resides also in the body of
Bishops, when that body exercises the supreme magisterium with the
successor of Peter. To these definitions the assent of the Church
can never be wanting, on account of the activity of that same Holy
Spirit, by which the whole flock of Christ is preserved and
progresses in unity of faith.[243]
But when either the Roman Pontiff or the Body of Bishops together
with him defines a judgment, they pronounce it in accordance with
Revelation itself, which all are obliged to abide by and be in
conformity with, that is, the Revelation which as written or orally
handed down is transmitted in its entirety through the legitimate
succession of bishops and especially in care of the Roman Pontiff
himself, and which under the guiding light of the Spirit of truth is
religiously preserved and faithfully expounded in the
Church.[244] The Roman Pontiff and the bishops, in view of
their office and the importance of the matter, by fitting means
diligently strive to inquire properly into that revelation and to give
apt expression to its contents;[245] but a new public revelation
they do not accept as pertaining to the divine deposit of
faith.[246]
26. A bishop marked with the fullness of the sacrament of Orders,
is "the steward of the grace of the supreme priesthood," [247]
especially in the Eucharist, which he offers or causes to be
offered,[248] and by which the Church continually lives and
grows. This Church of Christ is truly present in all legitimate
local congregations of the faithful which, united with their pastors,
are themselves called churches in the New Testament.[249] For
in their locality these are the new People called by God, in the
Holy Spirit and in much fullness.[250] In them the faithful are
gathered together by the preaching of the Gospel of Christ, and the
mystery of the Lord's Supper is celebrated, that by the food and
blood of the Lord's body the whole brotherhood may be joined
together.[251] In any community of the altar, under the sacred
ministry of the bishop,[252] there is exhibited a symbol of that
charity and "unity of the mystical Body, without which there can be
no salvation."[253] In these communities, though frequently
small and poor, or living in the Diaspora, Christ is present, and
in virtue of His presence there is brought together one, holy,
catholic and apostolic Church.[254] For "the partaking of the
body and blood of Christ does nothing other than make us be transformed
into that which we consume". [255]
Every legitimate celebration of the Eucharist is regulated by the
bishop, to whom is committed the office of offering the worship of
Christian religion to the Divine Majesty and of administering it in
accordance with the Lord's commandments and the Church's laws, as
further defined by his particular judgment for his diocese.
Bishops thus, by praying and laboring for the people, make
outpourings in many ways and in great abundance from the fullness of
Christ's holiness. By the ministry of the word they communicate
God's power to those who believe unto salvation[256] and through
the sacraments, the regular and fruitful distribution of which they
regulate by their authority,[257] they sanctify the faithful.
They direct the conferring of baptism, by which a sharing in the
kingly priesthood of Christ is granted. They are the original
ministers of confirmation, dispensers of sacred Orders and the
moderators of penitential discipline, and they earnestly exhort and
instruct their people to carry out with faith and reverence their part
in the liturgy and especially in the holy sacrifice of the Mass. And
lastly, by the example of their way of life they must be an influence
for good to those over whom they preside, refraining from all evil
and, as far as they are able with God's help, exchanging evil for
good, so that together with the flock committed to their care they may
arrive at eternal life.[258]
27. Bishops, as vicars and ambassadors of Christ, govern the
particular churches entrusted to them [259] by their counsel,
exhortations, example, and even by their authority and sacred power,
which indeed they use only for the edification of their flock in truth
and holiness, remembering that he who is greater should become as the
lesser and he who is the chief become as the servant.[260] This
power, which they personally exercise in Christ's name, is proper,
ordinary and immediate, although its exercise is ultimately regulated
by the supreme authority of the Church, and can be circumscribed by
certain limits, for the advantage of the Church or of the faithful.
In virtue of this power, bishops have the sacred right and the duty
before the Lord to make laws for their subjects, to pass judgment on
them and to moderate everything pertaining to the ordering of worship
and the apostolate.
The pastoral office or the habitual and daily care of their sheep is
entrusted to them completely; nor are they to be regarded as vicars of
the Roman Pontiffs, for they exercise an authority that is proper to
them, and are quite correctly called "prelates," heads of the people
whom they govern.[261] Their power, therefore, is not destroyed
by the supreme and universal power, but on the contrary it is
affirmed, strengthened and vindicated by it,[262] since the Holy
Spirit unfailingly preserves the form of government established by
Christ the Lord in His Church.
A bishop, since he is sent by the Father to govern his family, must
keep before his eyes the example of the Good Shepherd, who came not
to be ministered unto but to minister,[263] and to lay down his
life for his sheep.[264] Being taken from among men, and himself
beset with weakness, he is able to have compassion on the ignorant and
erring.[265] Let him not refuse to listen to his subjects, whom
he cherishes as his true sons and exhorts to cooperate readily with
him. As having one day to render an account for their
souls,[266] he takes care of them by his prayer. preaching, and
all the works of charity, and not only of them but also of those who
are not yet of the one flock. who also are commended to him in the
Lord. Since, like Paul the Apostle, he is debtor to all men, let
him be ready to preach the Gospel to all,[267] and to urge his
faithful to apostolic and missionary activity. But the faithful must
cling to their bishop, as the Church does to Christ, and Jesus
Christ to the Father, so that all may be of one mind through
unity,[268] and abound to the glory of God.[269]
28. Christ, whom the Father has sanctified and sent into the
world, [270] has through His apostles, made their successors,
the bishops, partakers of His consecration and His
mission.[271] They have legitimately handed on to different
individuals in the Church various degrees of participation in this
ministry. Thus the divinely established ecclesiastical ministry is
exercised on different levels by those who from antiquity have been
called bishops, priests and deacons.[272] Priests, although
they do not possess the highest degree of the priesthood, and although
they are dependent on the bishops in the exercise of their power,
nevertheless they are united with the bishops in sacerdotal
dignity.[273] By the power of the sacrament of
Orders,[274] in the image of Christ the eternal high
Priest,[275] they are consecrated to preach the Gospel and
shepherd be faithful and to celebrate divine worship, so that they are
true priests of the New Testament.[276] Partakers of the
function of Christ the sole Mediator,[277] on their level of
ministry, they announce the divine word to all. They exercise their
sacred function especially in the eucharistic worship or the celebration
of the Mass by which acting in the person of Christ [278] and
proclaiming His Mystery they unite the prayers of the faithful with
the sacrifice of their Head and renew and apply [279] in the
sacrifice of the Mass until the coming of the Lord[280] the only
sacrifice of the New Testament namely that of Christ offering
Himself once for all a spotless Victim to the Father.[281] For
the sick and the sinners among the faithful, they exercise the ministry
of alleviation and reconciliation and they present the needs and the
prayers of the faithful to God the Father.[282] Exercising
within the limits of their authority the function of Christ as
Shepherd and Head,[283] they gather together God's family as a
brotherhood all of one mind,[284] and lead them in the Spirit,
through Christ, to God the Father. In the midst of the flock they
adore Him in spirit and in truth.[285] Finally, they labor in
word and doctrine,[286] believing what they have read and
meditated upon in the law of God, teaching what they have believed,
and putting in practice in their own lives what they have
taught.[287]
Priests, prudent cooperators with the episcopal order,[288] its
aid and instrument, called to serve the people of God, constitute one
priesthood [289] with their bishop although bound by a diversity of
duties. Associated with their bishop in a spirit of trust and
generosity, they make him present in a certain sense in the individual
local congregations, and take upon themselves, as far as they are
able, his duties and the burden of his care, and discharge them with a
daily interest. And as they sanctify and govern under the bishop's
authority, that part of the Lord's flock entrusted to them they make
the universal Church visible in their own locality and bring an
efficacious assistance to the building up of the whole body of
Christ.[290] intent always upon the welfare of God's children,
they must strive to lend their effort to the pastoral work of the whole
diocese, and even of the entire Church. On account of this sharing
in their priesthood and mission, let priests sincerely look upon the
bishop as their father and reverently obey him. And let the bishop
regard his priests as his co-workers and as sons and friends, just as
Christ called His disciples now not servants but friends.[291]
All priests, both diocesan and religious, by reason of Orders and
ministry, fit into this body of bishops and priests, and serve the
good of the whole Church according to their vocation and the grace
given to them.
In virtue of their common sacred ordination and mission, all priests
are bound together in intimate brotherhood, which naturally and freely
manifests itself in mutual aid, spiritual as well as material,
pastoral as well as personal, in their meetings and in communion of
life, of labor and charity.
Let them, as fathers in Christ, take care of the faithful whom they
have begotten by baptism and their teaching.[292] Becoming from
the heart a pattern to the flock,[293] let them so lead and serve
their local community that it may worthily be called by that name, by
which the one and entire people of God is signed, namely, the Church
of God.[294] Let them remember that by their daily life and
interests they are showing the face of a truly sacerdotal and pastoral
ministry to the faithful and the infidel, to Catholics and
non-Catholics, and that to all they bear witness to the truth and
life, and as good shepherds go after those also,[295] who though
baptized in the Catholic Church have fallen away from the use of the
sacraments, or even from the faith.
Because the human race today is joining more and more into a civic,
economic and social unity, it is that much the more necessary that
priests, by combined effort and aid, under the leadership of the
bishops and the Supreme Pontiff, wipe out every kind of
separateness, so that the whole human race may be brought into the
unity of the family of God.
29. At a lower level of the hierarchy are deacons, upon whom hands
are imposed "not unto the priesthood, but unto a ministry of
service."[296] For strengthened by sacramental grace, in
communion with the bishop and his group of priests they serve in the
diaconate of the liturgy, of the word, and of charity to the people of
God. It is the duty of the deacon, according as it shall have been
assigned to him by competent authority, to administer baptism
solemnly, to be custodian and dispenser of the Eucharist, to assist
at and bless marriages in the name of the Church, to bring Viaticum
to the dying, to read the Sacred Scripture to the faithful, to
instruct and exhort the people, to preside over the worship and prayer
of the faithful, to administer sacramentals, to officiate at funeral
and burial services. Dedicated to duties of charity and of
administration, let deacons be mindful of the admonition of Blessed
Polycarp: "Be merciful, diligent, walking according to the truth
of the Lord, who became the servant of all."[297]
Since these duties, so very necessary to the life of the Church, can
be fulfilled only with difficulty in many regions in accordance with the
discipline of the Latin Church as it exists today, the diaconate can
in the future be restored as a proper and permanent rank of the
hierarchy. It pertains to the competent territorial bodies of
bishops, of one kind or another, with the approval of the Supreme
Pontiff, to decide whether and where it is opportune for such deacons
to be established for the care of souls. With the consent of the
Roman Pontiff, this diaconate can, in the future, be conferred upon
men of more mature age, even upon those living in the married state.
It may also be conferred upon suitable young men, for whom the law of
celibacy must remain intact.
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