Talk:Deacon
From Academic Kids
Hi Claudine, Thanks for reorganizing the article. It's much improved. There is one visible difference in the role of the deacon in Orthodox worship that I can see: if a priest is present, the priest (or perhaps the bishop if a bishop is present) will read the Gospel; the deacon might read the Gospel if a priest is not present. The deacon has a more prominent role in leading the people in the Litany, and in censing the icons and people, as well as "other duties as assigned." Perhaps you'll find a way to integrate this in smoothly; I'll see if I can find anything more complete.
Something else this article should probably discuss is the role of deaconesses, both historically and today. There are different views of history, as people sometimes try to interpret the history according to their ideas of what the role of "women in ministry" should be today. Wesley
Actually, the Orthodox service books call for the deacon to read the Gospel even when a priest or bishop is present.
Women in Catholicism
"This rule is not among the infallible dogmas of the church, unlike the rules for priesthood."
While I agree that it is not "infallible dogma" of the Church that women cannot be deacons, I dispute that it is "infallible dogma" that women cannot be priests. Various popes have declared that women are ineligible for Holy Orders, and Pope John Paul II, quoting Pope Paul VI, wrote in Ordinatio Sacerdotalis that the Church lacks the authority to ordain women. However, these statements are not infallible; the only "infallible" statements are the two ex cathedra dogmas: the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption. Any pope, including Benedict XVI, can "overturn" these statements by declaring that the Church does in fact have the authority to ordain women.
As a Catholic scholar, I would require very reputible proof before I would accept the claim that the position of the Church on the ordination of women is infallible. Essjay 12:20, May 12, 2005 (UTC)
Married deacons in Orthodoxy
"A married deacon may not be elevated to the priesthood" might be true in the Eastern Rite Catholic churches, but it is absolutely not true in Orthodoxy. Where do you think we get married priests? JHCC 03:37, 16 Jun 2005 (UTC)
- I'm sorry, I'm responsible, mea culpa! When I merged in "permanent deacon," I divided the Roman Catholic/Eastern Orthodox/Anglican section into individual sections under that heading. I did a "cut and paste" of various sections, and when I cut and pasted that section, I forgot to remove that clause. I'm sorry, I'm a bad, bad man, and if anyone needs me, I'll be in the corner thinking about what I did. ;-> Essjay · talk 04:06, Jun 16, 2005 (UTC)
- Ego te absolvo, in nomine patri, et filii, et spiritu sancti, et wikipedii, amen. Go, and sin on more. JHCC 13:11, 16 Jun 2005 (UTC)
