Diaconate Ministry

Called to Serve

2011-11-30T18:34:00.000-08:00

St. Joan of Arc Knights Newsletter - December, 2011

Fellow Knights and your Ladies,

This Advent and Christmas will be different from the previous forty-one years since Mass in English began. We have a new Missal, which, by the time you read this, will have already been inaugurated at the First Sunday of Advent Mass. If you were asked why this change is happening, how would you respond? (And, you might be asked.)

The answer, is two-fold. There have been some changes to the Latin original (Mass of Paul VI) which came out of post-Vatican Council II in 1969: several Saints have been added and their are a few changes to the Ordinary part of the Mass, especially to the dismissal; you can read about these changes (it's now called the Third Roman Missal of the Mass of Paul VI) on the St. Joan of Arc website (SaintJoanCatholic.org).

There is a more important reason, however. The initial translation of the Mass of Paul VI is not as close to the Latin as the new translation. In some cases, several words would be collapsed into fewer. Conversely, some words were added which change the meaning. For example, "Let us proclaim the mystery of Faith" is now, simply, "The mystery of Faith." The "mystery" is Christ present in all of His fullness, in all He is and has done, in the Eucharist. We then respond with one of three affirmations of faith; the old translation makes it sound as though the response is the mystery. Subtle difference, isn't it? Similar differences can be found all through the revised translation. By embracing the new translation, and allowing the words to deepen our experience of the liturgy, we can come closer to Christ and His Church, and, especially, to the Father, in the power of the Holy Spirit.

There are two primary meanings to the season of Advent: preparing to celebrate the first coming of Christ Jesus and preparing to greet Him when He comes again, at the end of time. Our preparation is particularly successful as we seek to encounter Christ Jesus everyday, hidden in the Eucharist, in our service to the poor, the sick, and the dying, and in one another. When we greet each other with Merry Christmas, let it be the culmination of a fruitful Advent. Find time to seek out the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession), pray much, and rejoice in the gift of the new Mass translation.

Have a holy season of Advent and a very Merry Christmas,

Deacon Rex Pilger

Called to Serve

2011-10-03T19:55:00.000-07:00

For St. Joan of Arc Knights of Columbus October Newsletter:
October is full of days that mean a lot to Catholics: Feasts of St. Thérèse of Lisieux (1st) and St. Francis of Assisi (4th), Columbus Day (12th), and All Hallows Eve (Halloween, of course, the 31st). It's also the month dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary (the Feast day is the 7th) and has become especially dear to the pro-life movement. In Columbus we see the intrepid explorer and example to all Knights. In Francis we see what complete dedication to the Gospel can accomplish (basically he saved the Church from corruption and neglect). In Thérèse we find the epitome of simple devotion to Christ in all things.
Let us pray the Rosary this month for the protection of innocent life and strength to follow the commited example of the two Saints with the courage of Columbus. Then let us conclude October in preparation for honoring All Saints.
Deacon Rex

Herm-Confusion

2011-09-01T09:34:00.000-07:00

"The term hermeneutics covers both the first order art and the second order theory of understanding and interpretation of linguistic and non-linguistic expressions." link In religious terms, hermenetics refers to the study of Sacred Scripture.

The term hermanuetics refers to the study of a beloved, composite character in a popular television series.

A Little Good News

2011-08-05T09:50:00.001-07:00

See: http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/273800/some-positive-pro-life-trends-michael-j-new

Cross-post

The Growing Tyranny...

2011-08-02T11:09:00.000-07:00

An email sent to my Congressman:

The Administration's new claim that pregnancy is a disease is appalling. And, imposing this view on health professionals and insurance providers (as well as on us who pay the premiums) in violation of their (and our) consciences is abhorrent. We know your stand on life issues, but even you have to agree that imposition of such values on others is a gross violation of freedom. It's time for you to draw the line and speak up against this tyrannical exercise of power.

Further information:

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/273466/misguided-birth-control-crusade-continues-greg-pfundstein

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/273439/what-would-orwell-say-helen-m-alvare

Hanging in there

2011-07-31T16:33:00.000-07:00

August 2011 St. Joan of Arc Knights of Columbus Newsletter

The Sunday readings for August begin with the episode of the storm on the lake. As Jesus approaches the disciples, seemingly walking on the water, Peter seeks to join the Lord. Everything is fine until Peter is distracted by the wind and takes his eyes off Jesus. As the Lord saves Peter, he asks, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

With this Gospel, a homily could almost write itself... In the storms of life, why do we doubt? And, the answer is simple: because of the storm! Think of all of the challenges life brings: loss of job, poor health, marital discord, a daughter's unexpected pregnancy, fallen-away family members, death of a family member... These challenges happen; life happens. And, in the end, we all face death. The rebuke that Jesus offered Peter is also an invitation. When the storms hit, and doubt rises, we can call on the gift of faith that overcomes doubt.

Hang in there!

Deacon Rex Pilger

Freedom and Life

2011-06-28T15:23:00.000-07:00

July letter to Praise Ministers [home-bound members of St. Joan of Arc Parish]:

I have always found it interesting that our country's founding fathers had to endure the humid heat of a Philadelphia summer while hammering out the Declaration of Independence. One of the consequences of their courage in approving Thomas Jefferson's work and putting their signatures to it (including Catholic Charles Carroll) was providing for religious freedom in the subsequent Bill of Rights. Even we Catholics found a place within this new nation to freely worship the Triune God by celebrating the Eucharist and attempt to follow in the footsteps of the Son. We can be grateful for this freedom and for a country in which we can raise children and grandchildren. By the same token, however, the freedom we possess must be maintained and nurtured.

We all know, do we not, that over the past 38 years millions of unborn children have been denied the most basic freedom of all - life? I suspect that our country's founders would have been appalled by this incredible evil. Further, the evil that attacks unborn innocent life is threatening the elderly, the disabled, and the psychologically disturbed with euthanasia and assisted suicide. The dimensions of the threats to life are so pervasive that we can become numb to them or deny their reality. In parallel with anti-life movements, marriage, the best place for children to be born and thrive, is also under attack.

But, if we do acknowledge the bloody reality of unnatural death and the undermining of marriage, what can we do? Are we helpless?

Prayer is, first and foremost, the foundational response. Let us offer our prayers, daily, to God the Father, through the Son, in the power of the Holy Spirit: (1) for mercy on our country for continuing to tolerate and even encourage this evil, (2) for bestowal of grace on political candidates to firmly commit to doing everything in their power to defend life and the family, (3) for inspiration for voters to select pro-life candidates, (4) for elected leaders to implement pro-life and pro-marriage constitutional amendmentsand laws, (5) for grace for pregnant women to deliver their children and either care for them or offer them for adoption, (6) for inspiration for young people to embrace chastity, (7) for the strengthening of marriages in the midst of cultural turmoil, and, (8) for the coming of the Kingdom, the heavenly Jerusalem, where there will be no more tears, no more death or mourning, wailing or pain.

We also need to actively reach out to our political leaders -- admonish those who support the evils and encourage those who seek to nurture life. We need to affirm our religious leaders when they speak the truth. We should support pro-life movements with our prayers and financial resources to the extent we are able.

Freedom is not free. It requires sacrifice and vigilance. The freedom of the sons and daughters of God needs to be sustained and regained with every generation. We are grateful to our veterans who fought for this freedom and for our young men and women who are presently fighting for us overseas. Yet, there is also a battle here at home, for the unborn, married people, the elderly, and the disabled. We need to redouble our efforts to restore respect for life and family.

Happy Independence Day!

Deacon Rex Pilger

DOMA in the Code - Section 3

2011-04-29T08:46:00.000-07:00

-CITE-
1 USC Sec. 7 01/07/2011
-EXPCITE-
TITLE 1 - GENERAL PROVISIONS
CHAPTER 1 - RULES OF CONSTRUCTION
-HEAD-
Sec. 7. Definition of "marriage" and "spouse"
-STATUTE-
In determining the meaning of any Act of Congress, or of any ruling, regulation, or interpretation of the various administrative bureaus and agencies of the United States, the word "marriage" means only a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife, and the word "spouse" refers only to a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife.
-SOURCE-
(Added Pub. L. 104-199, Sec. 3(a), Sept. 21, 1996, 110 Stat. 2419.)
-End-

Link: http://uscode.house.gov/download/pls/28C115.txt

DOMA in the Code - Section 2

2011-04-29T08:05:00.000-07:00

-CITE-
28 USC Sec. 1738C 02/01/2010
-EXPCITE-
TITLE 28 - JUDICIARY AND JUDICIAL PROCEDURE
PART V - PROCEDURE
CHAPTER 115 - EVIDENCE; DOCUMENTARY
-HEAD-
Sec. 1738C. Certain acts, records, and proceedings and the effect thereof
-STATUTE-
No State, territory, or possession of the United States, or Indian tribe, shall be required to give effect to any public act, record, or judicial proceeding of any other State, territory, possession, or tribe respecting a relationship between persons of the same sex that is treated as a marriage under the laws of such
other State, territory, possession, or tribe, or a right or claim arising from such relationship.
-SOURCE-
(Added Pub. L. 104-199, Sec. 2(a), Sept. 21, 1996, 110 Stat. 2419.)
-End-

Link: http://uscode.house.gov/download/pls/28C115.txt

DOMA Text

2011-04-29T07:57:00.000-07:00

One Hundred Fourth Congress

of the

United States of America

AT THE SECOND SESSION

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Wednesday,

the third day of January, one thousand nine hundred and ninety-six

An Act

To define and protect the institution of marriage.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Defense of Marriage Act’’.
SEC. 2. POWERS RESERVED TO THE STATES.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 115 of title 28, United States Code, is amended by adding after section 1738B the following:
‘‘§ 1738C. Certain acts, records, and proceedings and the effect thereof
‘‘No State, territory, or possession of the United States, or Indian tribe, shall be required to give effect to any public act, record, or judicial proceeding of any other State, territory, possession, or tribe respecting a relationship between persons of the same sex that is treated as a marriage under the laws of such other State, territory, possession, or tribe, or a right or claim arising from such relationship.’’.
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 115 of title 28, United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 1738B the following new item: ‘‘1738C. Certain acts, records, and proceedings and the effect thereof.’’.
SEC. 3. DEFINITION OF MARRIAGE.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 1 of title 1, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
‘‘§ 7. Definition of ‘marriage’ and ‘spouse’
‘‘In determining the meaning of any Act of Congress, or of any ruling, regulation, or interpretation of the various administrative bureaus and agencies of the United States, the word ‘marriage’ means only a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife, and the word ‘spouse’ refers only to a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife.’’.
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 1 of title 1, United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 6 the following new item:
‘‘7. Definition of ‘marriage’ and ‘spouse’.’’.

Link: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-104hr3396enr/pdf/BILLS-104hr3396enr.pdf

He is Risen! Alleluia

2011-04-24T08:08:00.000-07:00

For the second successive year health issues have prevented me from serving the Triduum. The peak celebrations of the year, and I've been unable to participate.

I'm reminded of St. Paul:

Three times I begged the Lord about this, that it might leave me, but he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness." I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me. Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong. (II Cor 12:8-10)

At the least I plan on serving the last Mass of the day in my home parish, St. Joan of Arc, later this morning.

Sioux City Sooth

2011-04-17T20:39:00.000-07:00

The blogger at Sioux City Deacon Formation suggests that the clerical obligations of perpetual continence and celibacy stated in Canon 277 are equivalent and unified: one single obligation. Whether he would agree or not, I see this inference as equivalent to the logical argument advanced in a letter to Homiletic and Pastoral Review (last letter in thread). See also here. That is, if perpetual continence implies celibacy, celibacy requires perpetual continence. And non-celibacy therefore implies the possibility of non-continence, with moral law additionally requiring continence outside of marriage.

April 2011

2011-03-27T21:03:00.000-07:00

For St. Joan of Arc Praise Ministry and Knights of Columbus Newsletters, April 2011

With April comes the end of Lent and Holy Week, culminating in the greatest celebration of the Church year, Easter. One of the principal focuses of Lent this year in the Archdiocese of Denver is extra prayer in support of the gift of life. The evil of abortion has become big business in our country, with abortion providers profiting from the deaths of the unborn and the scarring of mothers who yield to the horrible temptation of killing the child within. As our culture has become accustomed to this evil, other attacks on the sanctity of life grow stronger: assisted suicide, embryonic stem cell “research” (experimenting on embryos to create clones, thereby killing the unborn, and use the products for “healing” of other people), and euthanasia (the intentional murder of the elderly and the disabled).

The primary weapon against evil in the world is prayer: pray for the defenseless who are endangered by these threats. Pray for the conversion of those who advocate these evils. And, especially, pray for the pregnant woman tempted by abortion and for depressed and suffering people tempted to suicide. Offer everyday pains and suffering along with prayers for life. Additional weapons include writing and calling key political leaders to oppose further anti-life legislation voting for pro-life leaders.

It makes sense to have Lent provide the opportunity to focus on the gift of human life as a prelude to celebration of the gift of eternal life at Easter. The Lord Jesus, the son of God, freely emptied himself of his divine prerogatives so as to be born of a Virgin, and to live a human life like ours in all things but sin. He walked among us, teaching, healing the sick, and casting out evil He drew a small group of disciples around him, taught them, and showed them what they, too would be called to do. He then suffered from their lack of understanding and their abandonment of him (the beginning of his Passion), and he gave himself over to be scourged, taunted, crowned with thorns, and, finally, the culmination of the Passion, crucified. By his death, our sins (when we confess them) are forgiven. By his wounds, we were healed! But the gift of Christ Jesus is greater than that, because, by the power of the Holy Spirit, He was raised from the dead. And, His resurrection opens the gates to Heaven. For those who say “yes!” to the gift of faith in Christ Jesus, are baptized, and seek to follow him in the paths he lays out, eternal life is a reality even in this life. By our seeking to do the will of the Father and follow his Son, the Father comes to us to make a dwelling place of both of them with us. We Catholics believe the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, which allows the Holy Trinity to live within us, comes with Baptism, and is strengthened by Confirmation and nourished by Eucharist.

The Catholic Church is pro-life, in the everyday, and pro-eternal life, for that which is to come.

Pray in all ways, always.

May you have a fruitful Lent and a happy and holy Easter.

Deacon Rex Pilger

A special day...

2011-03-27T13:08:00.000-07:00

Today our third oldest grandchild, Abigail, celebrates her third birthday. She will now get to share her day with the memory of her Great-Grandmother Louise, my mother, who passed away this morning.

We were blessed to have Grandma Louise here in Colorado since July of last year. And, I hope that she was blessed with the presence of so many family -- not only four of her seven grandchildren and two of seven great-grandchildren, but also cousins of my father, both of their generation, but also mine and younger. Rest in peace, Mother.

Four generations: Louise with (front-to-back): Abigail on Mary's lap, Mackayla with Andrew, and Rex (August, 2010).

Too far?

2011-02-23T10:36:00.000-08:00

First posted in April, 2005: link.
Taken from If God Exists Why is He Hiding? (Crossing the Threshold of Faith):

Journalist:"Why doesn’t [God] reveal Himself more clearly?"

Pope John Paul II: "It is precisely in this birth, and then through the Passion, the Cross, and the Resurrection that the self-revelation of God in the history of man reached its zenith — the revelation of the invisible God in the visible humanity of Christ."
"Could God go further in His stooping down, in His drawing near to man…? In truth, it seems that He has gone as far as possible. He could not go further. In a certain sense God has gone too far! Didn’t Christ perhaps become ‘a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles’ (1Cor 1:23)? Precisely because He called God His Father, because He revealed Him so openly in Himself, He could not but elicit the impression it was too much… Man was not longer able to tolerate such closeness…"

How could God reveal any more of himself than he has in Christ? Recall Luke’s parable of Lazarus and the rich man. Once the rich man has begun experiencing the torments of his afterlife, he wants to send Lazarus to the rich man’s brothers. But Abraham tells him that even should someone rise from the dead there are those (such as the brothers) who would not believe.
We have all that we really need until Christ’s second coming. Is it too much?

Flowers, cards, and chocolate

2011-02-06T21:43:00.000-08:00

For those of us who are married, or soon to enter into that state, February is (whether we like it or not) the month of Valentines, hearts, flowers, cherubs, pink and red. February 14, St. Valentine’s Day, is important not only to wives and fiancés but also florists, greeting card vendors, chocolate companies, and restaurants. Perhaps you remember the 7-11 commercial from a few years ago. As I recall it, a young woman is shown in the Valentine’s card aisle of a larger store, agonizing and agonizing over which card best expresses her depth of feeling. Then we see a young man purchasing his Big Gulp in the local convenience store, and, seeing the display on the counter, says to the clerk, “And, oh yeah, this too,” handing over the top card from the rack. The final scene shows the same young woman collapsing in tears over the completely, absolutely perfect expression of affection her boyfriend provides in that very same 7-11 card.
Because we know so little about St. Valentine – there may have been several early Romans name Valentinius, at least one of whom was a soldier and martyr for the faith – the Church no longer honors him on the official calendar. But we do know that there was a martyr who witnesses his love for Christ by the sacrifice of his life. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians, which includes the passage instructing wives to subordinate themselves to their husbands, also instructs us:

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the Church and handed himself over for her. (Eph 5:25).

That is, our wives are to subordinate themselves to us so that we can sacrifice ourselves for them. Which shows the greater and deeper obligation, subordination or sacrifice? We see how our wives give of themselves almost out of a natural impulse for their children, grandchildren, parish, friends, and, yes, their husbands. Our obligation is to ever more completely offer ourselves over to our wives, our family, our Church.
By the way, how much time do you spend in selecting the perfect card? Happy Valentine’s Day!
Deacon Rex Pilger
February, 2011, Newsletter, St. Joan of Arc Knights of Columbus

The clock is ticking... or is it?

2011-01-19T13:25:00.000-08:00

In the past few days, the canonical "issues" with conjugal rights for married deacons have been raised again, this time by Edward Peters' son. He states:

In simple terms, permanent deacons are obligated by law to refrain from sexual relations with their wife once they are ordained. [emphasis in original]

And

Fair warning: the argument is air-tight

Why? Because his father says so, apparently. Yet, he also notes:

FINAL POINT: THIS WON’T BE DECIDED BY US. [EMPHASIS in original]

No, the argument is not air-tight. Fundamentally and formally, the argument is illogical, as I first noted here (last letter) and here. Deacon William Ditewig makes the same observation:

If clerical CELIBACY flows from the desire for clergy to be CONTINENT, then wouldn't the very removal of the requirement for CELIBACY in the case of certain clerics not also remove the requirement for CONTINENCE? (I'm not shouting here; I'm simply typing for emphasis.) All clerics are to be continent. Therefore, all clerics are to be celibate. But not all clerics are celibate. Therfore [sic], not all clerics are continent. [EMPHASIS in original]

Father Lewis Berry comes to a similar conclusion (third comment):

I do not agree that the language of Canon 277&1 which states that the requirement of celibacy is premised on the value of continency in any way necessitates the corresponding view that the dispensation from the requirement of celibacy leaves the obligation of continency in place; I believe that the inference is quite the reverse. The marriage "right" or "usage" is derived from both natural and revealed law and cannot be considered to have been waived by mere implication of either law or collateral event.

Is the foundation of the controversy really just smoke and mirrors?

And, why the big push now, since the 2005 Studia Canonica article has been out there for going on six years? Near the end of the paper we read:

Finally, however, because such a practice is, it seems certain [sic], one actually "contrary to canon law," it could obtain force of law only if it was "legitimately" observed for "thirty continuous and complete years." The norm in question, of course, c. 277 of the 1983 Code, while consistent with earlier law, has itself been in place only for some twenty years. (p. 178-179).

2013 is only a couple of years away. It further appears that the author is not disinterested and wants his interpretation to be affirmed by Church authority:

This welcome articulation of the value of celibacy in its own right appeared in the 1982 Schema Codicis, c. 279, §1,67 and, as we have seen, was carried into the final form of the canon in the 1983 Code without amendment. (p. 169) [Emphasis added]

As a number of people have observed, either in their comments on existing posts or in their own blogs, proper Church authority has already acknowledged the legitimacy of married deacons exercising their marital rights:

The Sacrament of Matrimony sanctifies conjugal love and constitutes it a sign of the love with which Christ gives himself to the Church (cf. Eph. 5:25). It is a gift from God and should be a source of nourishment for the spiritual life of those deacons who are married. (Basic Norms for the Formation of Permanent Deacons & Directory for the Ministry and Life of Permanent Deacons No. 61)

Yes, higher Church authority could redefine the rights and obligations of married deacons. Until then, if ever, I think the "question" is resolved.

Illogic and Law

2011-01-17T21:45:00.000-08:00

The new/old clericalism continues to assert itself. Unintentionally, perhaps, attacks on the married diaconate may indicate that the restored ministry is critical to the Holy Spirit's plan for the Church. The argument that Canon 277 of the Code requires continence for married deacons is illogical, if not irrational.Further, the contention that removal of an explicit provision for diaconal marital relations from a preliminary draft of the Code implies the opposite is similarly fallacious. Since the scholastics of the Middle Ages, the consistency of reason and faith has been recognized as orthodox; if a contention is fallacious, it is not an argument.
Further, an authoritative implementation of the Code (the Directory for the Ministry and Life of the Permanent Deacon) explicitly recognizes conjugal love as nourishment for the spiritual life of the married deacon. The contention that married deacons are to abstain from intimacy within marriage is inconsistent with both Divine and natural law and not supported by Canon Law.
Married deacons, trust in the Lord and in His Spirit Who lead the Church!
See, I am doing something new! Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? (NAB)
Behold I do new things, and now they shall spring forth, verily you shall know them: (D-RB)

Baptism of the Lord - 2011 - Gospel and Homily

2011-01-10T07:21:00.000-08:00

Link

January K of C Newsletter

2010-12-29T23:41:00.001-08:00

For St. Joan of Arc Knights of Columbus January newsletter:

What is the saying: "Another day, another dollar"? Don't we all wish! Here is another year. While we may naturally look back on the last year, its joys and its sorrows, with either regret or satisfaction, we can only look forward to the new year with wonder: what will it bring to our families, our parish and church, our country, ourselves? Some people make resolutions for the new year -- to lose weight or give up smoking, to look for a new job or decide to focus on working harder at their existing job.
All of this is well and good, but is it enough for us who call ourselves Catholic? A new year is quite truthfully another year of grace. It is more time granted us to look at our lives honestly, to recognize those parts of us that are inclined to sin, and to resolve, with God's grace to confess that sin, do penance, and resolve (!) to avoid sin in the future. And, we can seek to get closer to God in prayer and in action; certainly as Knights there are ample opportunities for action, and we can carve out a bit more time to spend with the Lord in quiet prayer. We can also take advantage of opportunities to witness our faith to others, by faithfulness to the Gospel and sharing the Good News with both the poor and the affluent, and especially our own families. We can also seek to learn more about our faith.
I'm going to try to give some practical assistance with this last item over the next year. As many of you may know, my principal ministry is working with men studying to be deacons. I particularly focus on practical liturgy, marriage, and Sacred Scripture. There are a number of things that may be of interest to my fellow knights that I will attempt to offer.
May you and your families have a wonderful and blessed new year, and may our Knights of Columbus Council grow in service and holiness in this new year of grace.
Deacon Rex Pilger

Grandchildren at Mass

2010-12-28T21:58:00.000-08:00

Link

2010 Christmas Gospel and Homily

2010-12-27T19:58:00.000-08:00

St. Joan of Arc Parish, Arvada, Colorado USA

Direct link.

Diaconate Ministry in Wordle

2010-12-13T15:24:00.000-08:00

Diaconate Ministry in Wordle:

Other Wordle graphic analyses:

Plate Frames

Strange Loops

R and R's T and T

Advent 2010

2010-11-27T15:13:00.000-08:00

For St. Joan of Arc Knights of Columbus December newsletter:

Advent is the season of hope with anticipation and waiting without anxiety. We are invited by the Church to look forward to the final coming of Christ Jesus at the end of time. At the same time we prepare to celebrate His first coming in the Incarnation. We look forward by looking back, beginning with the words of Jesus: “…for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”

How should we prepare, what are we to do? We are invited by Isaiah: “Come, let us climb the LORD’s mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his paths.”

Consider the words of the old hymn: “Rise up, O men of God! Be done with lesser things. Give heart and mind and soul and strength to serve the King of kings.”

Let us not be distracted by the red and green that surrounds the season, but focus on the violet color of anticipation and the rose of sublime joy.

Deacon Rex Pilger

Authority of a Document

2010-11-04T21:49:00.000-07:00

What is the significance and authority of the Directory for the Ministry and Life of the Permanent Deacons? The introduction includes this statement:

The Directory for the Ministry and Life of Permanent Deacons, as in the case of the Directory on the Ministry and Life of Priests, has, together with its hortative character, juridically binding force where its norms “recall disciplinary norms of the Code of Canon Law” or “determine with regard to the manner of applying universal laws of the Church, explicitate their doctrinal basis and inculcate or solicit their faithful observance”.(1) In these specific cases, it is to be regarded as a formal, general, executory Decree (cf. canon 32).

No doubt the Society of St. Piux X is unimpressed with this assertion.

When will it* go away?

2010-10-03T18:48:00.000-07:00

A couple of years ago a letter to Homiletic and Pastoral Review (reproduced here -- first letter in post) exposed an apparent discrepancy in the Code of Canon Law for the Latin Roman Catholic Church. Part of the letter reads as follows:

Thank you for publishing the article by Rex H. Pilger, Jr., “The Ministry of the Deacon” (Homiletic and Pastoral Review, (November 2006) on the restored permanent diaconate. However, the author seems unaware of the current lively discussion of 1983 CIC 277 and the formal requirement of continence for all men in Major Orders.

Several persons responded to the initial letter, and the author who initiated the discussion in HPR eventually doubled down on his argument in another letter (also included in the same post).

I responded with my own letter to HPR (also included -- the last letter --- in the same post referenced above), which offered several arguments that married deacons are excluded from Canon 277 and, therefore, permitted married chastity with their wives: 1) There are no "Major Orders" in the Roman Rite post Vatican Council II. 2) Formal logical analysis of Canon 277 excludes married clergy from the requirement of perpetual continence. 3) A preliminary schema which explicitly exempted married deacons and was removed from the promulgated 1983 Code wasn't necessary because the Code recognizes the existence of marital rights in the Sacrament of Matrimony. 4) The diaconal ordination rite does not include a promise of continence for married candidates, while it includes a promise of celibacy for unmarried candidates. 5) The liturgical office of the deacons is not united with the offering as the diaconate, while clerical, is not a degree of the ministerial priesthood (based on Lumen Gentium and the Catechism). 6) The Spirit continues to inspire the post-Conciliar Church just as He did the early Church.

A seventh argument can be added: the Directory for the Ministry and Life of the Permanent Deacon,* promulgated by the Congregation for the Clergy, implicitly acknowledges that intimate relations are part of the life of the married deacon:

The Sacrament of Matrimony sanctifies conjugal love and constitutes it a sign of the love with which Christ gives himself to the Church (cf. Eph. 5:25). It is a gift from God and should be a source of nourishment for the spiritual life of those deacons who are married. (No. 61)

The issuance of Omnium in Mentem, which harmonizes Canons 1008 and 1009 with Lumen Gentium and the Code of Canon Law, strengthens argument number 5.

As the rights of married deacons and their wives to live marital chastity are still being questioned (see, e.g., the latest comments at this link), especially by those both inside and outside of the Church who first raised the issue, each of the arguments advanced above, and elaborated elsewhere might be worth addressing.

Perhaps the most significant point I've advanced is the formal logical argument (no. 2 above). To quote myself:

... consider the logical content of part of Canon, 277: The obligation of continence implies the obligation of celibacy. An equivalent, complementary, form of this statement is: the non-obligation of celibacy implies the non-obligation of continence. Married persons, then, are not obligated to continence within the state. (Of course, all persons have the obligation of continence outside of marriage, as rooted in natural and divine law.)

No one has satisfactorily responded to this line of argument. One attempt was initially incoherent, while the subsequent attempt fell back on appeal to authority (the author's). The same source also cast doubt on one suggestion of mine -- that the incompatibility of Lumen Gentium and the Catechism with Canons 1008 and 1009 would probably lead to a change in the Code -- by questioning my personhood (who was I?); well, the Code was indeed changed, not because of me (!), but because of an inconsistency which a number of people previously observed. Curiously, Omnium in Mentem came as a surprise to many, even going so far as to undermine their understanding of the sacramental theology of the diaconate in relation to the priesthood, as it should. Deacons are clerics but they are not priests; priests are clergy; clergy are not necessarily priests.

Should the teaching authority of the Church proclaim anything different from that which I have inferred, I will humbly submit to that teaching.
_______________________________________________________________________________
* The new clericalism.
** Authority of the Vatican Directory.
[Corrections to the text have been made since its first posting.]

Omnium in Mentem - English Version

2010-10-03T08:44:00.000-07:00

The Vatican has now made an English translation of Omnium in Mentem available: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/apost_letters/documents/hf_ben-xvi_apl_20091026_codex-iuris-canonici_en.html.

For a discussion of the content of this Moto Proprio as it relates to the diaconate, see this earlier post.

As of the date of this post (October 3, 2010), the English version of the Code of Canon Law has not been completely updated to incorporate these changes.

The [update, 1/23/2011: currently online] text of the two canons reads as:

Can. 1008 By divine institution, the sacrament of orders establishes some among the Christian faithful as sacred ministers through an indelible character which marks them. They are consecrated and designated, each according to his grade, to nourish the people of God, fufilling in the person of Christ the Head the functions of teaching, sanctifying, and governing.

Can. 1009 §1. The orders are the episcopate, the presbyterate, and the diaconate.

§2. They are conferred by the imposition of hands and the consecratory prayer which the liturgical books prescribe for the individual grades.

Revised paragraph three is missing. It is should read:

§3. Those who are constituted in the order of the episcopate or the presbyterate receive the mission and capacity to act in the person of Christ the Head, whereas deacons are empowered to serve the People of God in the ministries of the liturgy, the word and charity.

Watch this space as I'll be watching the Canon 1009 space.

[update, 1/23/2011]: The modified text of the two Canons, in light of the revised English version should read:

Can. 1008 By divine institution, some of the Christian faithful are marked with an indelible character and constituted as sacred ministers by the sacrament of holy orders. They are thus consecrated and deputed so that, each according to his own grade, they may serve the People of God by a new and specific title.
Can. 1009 §1. The orders are the episcopate, the presbyterate, and the diaconate.
§2. They are conferred by the imposition of hands and the consecratory prayer which the liturgical books prescribe for the individual grades.
§3. Those who are constituted in the order of the episcopate or the presbyterate receive the mission and capacity to act in the person of Christ the Head, whereas deacons are empowered to serve the People of God in the ministries of the liturgy, the word and charity.

Sacrament of Service

2010-10-02T20:08:00.000-07:00

Who is the servant, the suffering one…who will not crush the reed. Who empties himself? Not clinging to his divinity? Who assumes the form of a slave? Who washes feet? Who pours out himself as a libation, running the good race? Who waits on table, seeing that widows and orphans are fed? Who binds up wounds, and proclaims liberty to captives? Israel, the prophet, the Messiah, the apostle, the deacon, the priest.

Hidden in the Old and revealed in the New is Christ Jesus. Further discovered in the New are the apostles, disciples, elders, and servants – those who comprise the Church. Hidden even in the New is that which provides for the continuation of the Church – the written word itself, and the Word made sacramentally flesh in the remembrance which is to continue from east to west, the perfect sacrifice of praise.

In the preserved, extraordinary bloodless sacrifice of the altar, for centuries celebrated in Latin, the deepest mystery of the Gospel in the church was made real day after day, year after year. The practical mystery of a fading language, unfamiliar to the masses, expressed in its non-vernacular the hidden mystery of Eucharist.

Four Centuries of Latin rite came to a watershed transformation with the beginning of the celebration of Eucharist in the vernacular, following the directives of Vatican Council II. Mass in English, Spanish, German…the language of the people…was the most dramatic of the changes introduced by the Council. Fasting and meat abstinence disciplines were relaxed; new, free-standing altars were erected, so the celebrant faced the assembly. The ministry of bishops, priests, and laity were rearticulated, with special emphasis on the call of all to both holiness and the apostolate.

For some, the changes after Vatican II did not go far enough, and profound discontent arose, with numerous priests and religious leaving their ministry to marry. Expectations of changes in moral teachings were similarly unfulfilled, as the post-Council reflection on the constancy of Church teaching produced recognition of such teaching as persistent, constant, and, therefore, ordinary and unchangeable. The Gospel is both changeless and ever adaptable to changing circumstances. The same yesterday, today, and forever is the Lord, so, too, is his message, hidden in the Old and revealed in the New.

(Scribbled February 24, 2004, but never published or posted until now.)

October – The Month of the Most Holy Rosary

2010-10-01T21:31:00.000-07:00

Did you know…? October 7, the Feast of the Most Holy Rosary, owes its origin to a remarkable victory of European Christians (the Holy League) over Muslim Turks in the eastern Mediterranean Sea in 1571. The destruction of the Turkish fleet ended dominance of the Ottoman Empire over the Mediterranean and the threat of further expansion of the Muslim world into Christian Europe. The league of European countries who won the battle attributed their success to the intercession of Our Lady of the Rosary, as thousands of Catholics in Rome prayed the beads in support of their ships in battle, far to the east.

While other popes instituted and refined the name and date of the Feast of the Most Holy Rosary, Pope Leo XIII, one the great pontiffs of the Nineteenth Century, extended emphasis on praying the Rosary throughout the month of October. Brother Knights of Columbus are strongly urged to pray the Rosary, and are given a special rosary upon entering the Order. Isn’t it fair to say that we are very much today engaged in battle, Christians, especially Catholics, against rampant evils in the world: abortion, euthanasia, assisted suicide, embryo destruction for “scientific” research, terrorism…? Our Lady, tradition tells us, tasked the Dominicans with spreading the Rosary, and subsequently inspired men and women and children (remember Fatima) down through the ages to faithfully pray, asking her intercession with her Son. We need action to fight these evils, but that action must be undergirded with prayer. Our late John Paul II treasured the beads and even added five more mysteries (the Luminous) for us to meditate on.

Welcome the Rosary beads onto your fingers, meditate on the mysteries, and offer your concerns and those of the whole world into the hands of the Lord, via the prayer that honors his extraordinary Mother.

In Christ Jesus, Son of God and Son of Mary,

Deacon Rex Pilger

KC Council 12392 Knights Talk October 2010

As a new school year begins...

2010-08-27T22:37:00.000-07:00

September...

For families with school or college-age children, it's time for another year. Summer vacation is over, though occasional warm days still occur. For those with grown children, the school year still affects their lives, from lower speeds in school zones to the sounds of children playing at recess. Our oldest grandchild (and only grandson) begins First Grade in far-off Minnesota, while his younger sister (age four) and two girl cousins (ages 2 1/2 and 1), closer to home, await the challenge of Kindergarten; of course the cousins have no idea what is in store.

Whether it be the changes of seasons or the arrival of another year, time rolls on. What about our lives? For husbands and fathers (and grandfathers, too) time seems to move so fast.As we try to provide for our families, sometimes we may lose sight of what our lives are all about. We have such great hopes for our children and grandchildren -- success in school and, ultimately life. But, for Catholic fathers, the hope is even more profound: that each child "catch" the reality and truth of the faith and carry it with them throughout their lives. Our hope and our prayer need to be made real in every conscious moment, so that we fulfill the promise made at their baptisms: to teach them to love God and neighbor.

For the single, never-married man, for whom wife and family may be in the future, there may be different calls, faint at first, but maybe still insistent... to celibacy and maybe even the priesthood or religious life.

For the widower, there is the memory of that beloved wife, and the hope to someday join her and all who have gone before, in the light of Christ's presence at the end of time.

As the challenges of a new year and a new season present themselves, let us, each Knight, renew our own commitment to fulfilling the vocation God has called us to, through virtue, service, love, faith, and prayer.

KC Council 12392 Knights Talk September 2010

Omnium in Mentem Fascination

2009-12-23T21:22:00.000-08:00

Blog comments on Benedict XVI’s Motu Proprio, Omnium in Mentem as it relates to the identity and ministry of deacons range over quite a spectrum. One Anglo-Catholic thinks it's part of a conspiracy to rope more of the Anglican flock into reunion with Rome. At least two commentators (one a deacon, the other a self-identified canon lawyer!) think the changes in Canons 1008 and 1009 will make it easier to “ordain” women deacons. Other typical responses are puzzlement, if not apathy. At least one canon lawyer’s website betrays shock if not confusion. One blogger thinks that the proclamation is merely correcting an error (score one for her).

The changes in the two canons resolve a conflict among Lumen Gentium and the 1997 Catechism of the Catholic Church on one hand and the 1983 Code of Canon Law. The International Theological Commission described the conflict in 2003 (English version, 2004) -- From the Diakonia of Christ to the Diakonia of the Apostles. At the heart of the conflict is the applicability of the term “in persona Christi capitis” to not only bishops and priests, but also deacons. Lumen Gentium and the 1997 Catechism limit the term to only bishops and priests while the 1983 Code includes application of the term to deacons as well. The first edition of the Catechism was consistent with the 1983 Code. One of the principal changes included in the 1997 Catechism restored consistency with Lumen Gentium; with that change the Code was the only outlier. The Motu Proprio achieves consistency among all three Magisterial documents in regard to this particular teaching.

Are there any further implications beyond consistency? Of course, there are.

Let’s dismiss the silliness first:
No, it’s not a conspiracy “against” Anglicans.
Ordain women deacons? Please! Canon 1024 (“A baptized male alone receives sacred ordination validly.”) hasn’t been changed.
Other comments related to a fragmentation of the ministerial priesthood are inverted. Instead of an identification of priesthood and the clerical state (see canon 266), perhaps another question should be the focus. Do priests lose their diaconal identity when they receive the priesthood? Consider the first (apparently unchanged) part of Canon 1008: “By divine institution, the sacrament of orders establishes some among the Christian faithful as sacred ministers through an indelible character which marks them” (emphasis added). The faculties a deacon receives upon ordination continue into priesthood and episcopacy. The deacon himself is the matter of the sacrament; the form is the contained in the Rite of Ordination to the Diaconate.

Perhaps this is still puzzling or seemingly irrelevant. Nevertheless it is important to not only deacons, but also priests and bishops -- indeed the entire People of God.

Update - English version of Omnium in Mentem: link.

2007 Book Review - The Deacon at Mass

2009-12-22T19:09:00.000-08:00

Original published in Homiletic and Pastoral Review (November, 2007; December, 2009, corrections and additions underlined)

Book Review

The role of the Deacon

THE DEACON AT MASS: A THEOLOGICAL AND PASTORAL GUIDE. By William T. Ditewig (Paulist Press, 997 Macarthur Blvd., Mahwah, N. J. 07430, 2007), xii + 126 pp. PB $14.95.

Deacon Ditewig’s latest book interprets the role of the deacon in light of the revised General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) and the post-GIRM instruction, Redemptionis Sacramentum (RS). (1) He introduces his interpretation with a brief history of the restoration of the permanent diaconate in the Latin Church, drawing on his previous work. While Deacon Ditewig serves in the Secretariat for the Diaconate of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops,* his interpretations are clearly personal, with anecdotes drawn from personal experience and those of other deacons.

Ditewig quotes John Paul II (p. 6): “The service of the deacon is the Church’s service sacramentalized.” If the timing of the book had been delayed a bit, he could have quoted Benedict XVI’s Deus Caritas Est as well: “The Church’s deepest nature is expressed in her three-fold responsibility: of proclaiming the word of God (kerygma-martyria), celebrating the sacraments (leitourgia), and exercising the ministry of charity (diakonia). (2) Thus deacons are the visible sacramental signs of the ministry of the Church.

The author appropriately cites RS: “Let all Deacons then, do their part so that the Sacred Liturgy will be celebrated according to the norms of the duly approved liturgical books” (p. 10). RS could have been quoted further: “…it is the right of all of Christ’s faithful that the Liturgy, and in particular the celebration of Holy Mass, should truly be as the Church wishes.” (3)

Consistent with the GIRM and RS, Ditewig admonishes deacons to serve Mass as often as possible and to be fully vested in not only alb and stole, but cincture (where appropriate) and, especially, dalmatic. Ditewig proposes a useful rule: when the celebrant wears the chasuble, the deacon wears the dalmatic; he implies another: if a deacon is present at Mass, he should serve and fulfill all the roles proper to him [if another deacon is not serving].

The author has strong opinions. The preaching of the deacon should be distinctive: “prophetic… to take the Gospel out of the assembly and into the world at large” (p. 19-20). One could add the connection of Word with Eucharist as prerequisite to evangelization. “[L]iturgy demands that on occasion, certain parts are to be sung, and this includes parts assigned to the deacon” (p. 31). [Reviewer’s experience:] Even the most musically-challenged can develop acceptable chanting abilities.

There is one controversial idea asserted by Ditewig: In proclaiming the Gospel, the deacon “acts in persona Christi” (p. 91).** An authoritative study (4) considered the term in relation to deacons (in addition to priests and bishops), without coming to a definitive conclusion.

The ministry of deacon along with the entire Church finds its source and summit in the Liturgy. The book can be valuable if it encourages deacons to probe more deeply into their liturgical identity, especially in the GIRM and RS. By careful study, the deacon can assess what in fact the Church intends, beyond the opinions interpreters [including the reviewer] may express. Long-ministering deacons will find echoes of their own experience in Ditewig’s anecdotes and should also find motivation for even more faithful exercise of their liturgical identity.

Deacon Rex H. Pilger, Jr.
Arvada, Colo.

End Notes

(1) Redemptionis Sacramentum, On certain matters to be observed or to be avoided regarding the Most Holy Eucharist, Vatican (2004).
(2) Pope Benedict XVI, Deus Caritas Est, Vatican (2006).
(3) RS, no 12.
(4) From the Diakonia of Christ to the Diakonia of the Apostles, Hillenbrand Books, Mundelein, IL., 124p. (2004)

Homiletic and Pastoral Review, v. CVIII, no. 2, November, 2007, p. 78-79.

© Ignatius Press

* DeaconDitewig is now a professor at Saint Leo University, Saint Leo, Florida.

** According to Benedict XVI’s (2009) Motu Proprio, Omnium in Mentem, “in persona Christi capitis” applies only to priests and bishops.

Motu Proprio - Clarification in Code of Canon Law

2009-12-15T18:11:00.000-08:00

As predicted in a 2008 letter to Homiletic and Pastoral Review (link: last letter in post), the Code of Canon Law is now to be consistent with both the Catechism of the Catholic Church and Lumen Gentium in the distinction between Bishops and Priests (who act in persona Christi capitis) and Deacons who serve as ministers of liturgy, Word and charity.

See: From the Diakonia of Christ to the Diakonia of the Apostles (2003, 2004).

See also In Persona Christi and the Deacon (2007).

Temporary English text of the Motu Proprio (OMNIUM IN MENTEM): link; courtesy Jimmy Akin.org (link).

Update - Official English text: link.

Back to the Future?

2009-12-06T11:27:00.000-08:00

Weak and skinny as I am, I'm eager to return to work and active ministry, to the extent I can. Now, I have to deal with red tape imposed by our benevolent government on corporations to move from medical leave to full-time employee again. So I can't predict how soon I can get back with my talented coworkers to design and develop the next versions of our software.

Ministry-wise, I'm aiming to serve one Christmas Eve Mass. I may not be able to carry the Book of the Gospels or the gifts from the people to the altar, but I should be able to prepare the bread and pour the wine. I'd be eager to preach, too, but I'm not sure my voice is strong enough for everyone to hear, even with a mike.

I'm dependent on God's time, I guess, not my own schedule.

In the meantime, there's time spent with my wife and family, time to pray and write, time to thank God and his people for this amazing reprieve.

The Latest Struggle…

2009-11-28T14:10:00.000-08:00

Until this summer, I thought my struggles as a man, deacon, husband, father, grandfather, software product manager, and geophysicist were all well-defined: juggle family, job, and ministry responsibilities while getting out of debt. It had been twelve years since my last surgery. And, yes, there was a troublesome fibrillation, but it was under control, after all – heartbeat and blood thinners, with frequent monitoring. Oh, and yes, the weight was a bit troublesome, but I lost ten pounds since February by cutting down on wine and fat and was on the cholesterol meds, too. (Oh, if the heart starts fibrillating, the nurses in ER get testy like librarians asking for your missing library card, if you admit to driving yourself to the hospital, even if you said you stayed in the right lane, just in case.)

But, the pain in the chest in late July was undeniable. This time my wife was home and drove me in. That almost forgotten surgery (two episodes) had come undone. The optimistic young surgeon scheduled the laparoscopic procedure that would fix it for early September. A success, he felt. One and a half weeks later, feeling better, I returned home.

Alas, within hours I was retching and heaving. Returning to the ER, to X-rays and cat scans and fluoroscopes the news was like that with my second surgery (which repaired the first failed lap procedure thirteen years ago), only worse. No, the third surgery hadn’t failed, but rather, much of the stomach had penetrated the diaphragm.Three weeks later I awoke in an ambulance transporting me from the critical care hospital to a rehabilitation facility where I spent the next five weeks. I thought the ambulance was taking me to a South Louisiana facility (I had been ordained in Baton Rouge twenty-one years earlier); I thought to myself, well the archbishop must know what he is doing by sending me here.

The intervening time was to me a time of crazy hallucinations – I was on a late night call-in show hosted by Pat Sajak and the audience thought I was pretty funny; another time I was watching Bret Favre (still dressed in green and yellow) in a reality competition to find the next tailback to play with him; then my wife and I were adopting a child from New Zealand (with five grown children and four grandkids I’m sure she would have been delighted).

My wife gradually filled in the reality of those lost weeks. Three weeks unconscious in the ICU. Prayers of family, friends, fellow deacon and KC families, parishioners and even strangers flooded the heavens. Even my mother-in-law in Florida reported hearing from a friend to be sure and pray for a seriously ill deacon in Colorado. A deacon-doctor whom I had taught in diaconate formation provided valuable advice to her as she made the hard decisions and warned her of the tracheotomy that was likely to be required (it was).

Hallucinations continued for the first week or so – somehow the insurance had provided for our garage to be converted into a simultaneous recovery room at the hospital and twenty miles away at home – it was better than the Star Trek Holodeck room: “reality” in two places. And my bed was recovered from a German auto accident. I later explained to my wife the dual spaces were why I kept asking where we were. Another time I thought I was helping rebel New Mexicans against their rich oppressors and managed to remove my IV’s in the struggle.

Recovery was too, too slow. Retching continued along with the pain. My chest looked like the GPS map on my wife’s Tom-Tom, or like a railroad map, with most routes headed east.

Finally… home. And forty pounds lighter. I hadn’t weighed this little since I was what, 25? I wrote my boss that I was now a skinny old man. As I lay in bed, I discovered how difficult it was to lay on my side – bony leg on bony leg.

Two weekends in a row and I’m able to go to Sunday Mass – not to serve, that’s not in the plan yet, but just to worship with my caring parishioners is enough. Both times our Pastor announces my presence to joyful applause. And, I'm able to go to my company's annual pre-Thanksgiving celebration; unfortunately most of co-workers must have headed to the mountains.

Even at home, the retching continued, if under some control. A month later, a visit to the surgeon convinced him to re-hospitalize me – over Thanksgiving. Biggest hurdle: pain. I agreed to stop the oxycodone. And then accept alternative nausea med – reglan. I had forgotten that it had been tried at the rehab place, where I had hated the hyperactive side effects. Well, I got to feel the effects again. But, happily the gastroenterologist said – let’s lower the dosage. It worked. Hooray! And, he has a plan for transitioning to a comparable medicine down the road. A little residual pain without retching is definitely worth it.

For the two days I’m confined local Extraordinary Ministers bring Holy Communion. One tells me it’s only her third time. I tell her I’m a deacon and how much I appreciate her new ministry. I give her a mini-homily about how we Catholics have the extraordinary blessing of Eucharist and the responsibility of living our lives not only for ourselves but for all but doing penance for all, and she responded, yes, including our children and politicians in our country and especially state, with which I strongly agreed. (I hope my sufferings more than compensate for not only my own sinfulness, but for my family, my friends, and strangers – even politicians). I mentioned that I know most of the deacons in Denver and she expressed her joy in a newly ordained deacon’s recent homily, for which I promptly took some credit – he was another I had taught. Before leaving she asks for my deacon blessing – so I'm still ministering from my hospital bed.

I now am home with my long-suffering wife. She’s delighted and I’m content for now. It’s been about twenty-eight hours. We spent the morning with me as navigator of my wheelchair while she propelled us around Super Target, Christmas shopping for the grandkids (we saved $10.69 on this “Black Saturday”). I’m still skinny, weak, and feeling old (my goatee is only a memory – too much gray), but, praise God! I’m still here. No retching so she can join me in sharing our bed for the first time in months.

And my wife continues to tell me stories of what happened “while I was sleeping”: Of her tears and the comfort she received from our sons, of the care of all our children for Dad, of her anxieties, her conversations with the physicians, and the decisions she made… of the care of deacons, especially John and Joe, my two supervisors, and my (non-Catholic) boss. She said that what I said during my hallucinations was indeed very funny; she me she wished she could have written them down, but she was too busy holding me down.

Come Monday physical therapy starts. And I have to remind myself to eat. I will see my primary physician – constantly surprised by my latest adventures (his name is Tom and “My Lord and My God” is posted on the wall of one of his examination rooms – appropriate for a Thomas, don’t you think?)

My wife helps me with the timing of the meds and reality checks, but soon, I hope, I’ll get back to work and active ministry. I hope they’ll recognize me.

Ephesians 5

2009-07-10T20:41:00.000-07:00

Homiletic and Pastoral Review has published an article on Ephesians 5 and marriage. Link: http://www.hprweb.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=200:ephesians-5-bridegroom-and-bride

At the end of the article there is this comment: "This, his first article in HPR, ran in the July 2009 issue." Actually, this is the second article by the author to appear in HPR; the first article can be found at: http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?id=7428&CFID=10166111&CFTOKEN=24546498.

Startling but Familiar

2009-03-06T19:41:00.000-08:00

The letter reproduced in the previous post includes this all too common assertion:

I believe government should not interfere in a woman's right to choose and medical decisions are between a woman and her doctor.

We've been hearing and reading this sentiment for nearly a half-century. However, as familiar as these "beliefs" may be, there is something profoundly inhuman about them, especially the second: "medical decisions are between a woman and her doctor."

Does any woman think of an abortionist as really "her" physician? The abortion doctor is there for the woman for only one reason: to end her pregnancy. The decision to end the nascent life in her womb is not a matter of debate between an expectant woman and the medics with the anaesthetic, the chemicals, and the tools.

There is something chilling about not "interfering"; the congressperson's assertion could be restated as:

I believe that we should leave unfortunately pregnant women to fend for themselves. They got themselves in this situation. They should seek out the panacea of abortion without any concern from anyone else. Send them off alone to a cold, sterile place to make this trivial decision.

Is this what we have come to: preserving the convenience of some by isolating and ignoring the many? What a callous, shocking attitude towards women. Isn't this idea really misogynism in its cold, lifeless heart-of hearts?

A Canned Response

2009-03-06T18:43:00.000-08:00

Last month, a Congressman provided this response to a citizen concerned about FOCA -- the so-called Freedom of Conscience Act:

February 19, 2009
Dear Rex,
Thank you for contacting me about your position on H.R. 1964, the Freedom of Choice Act. I appreciate hearing from you on such an important issue because it enables me to better represent the beliefs and values of our district.
I believe government should not interfere in a woman's right to choose and medical decisions are between a woman and her doctor. I also believe we must do all we can to reduce unintended pregnancies through comprehensive sex education programs that include abstinence education. As you know, H.R. 1964 would declare the policy of the United States that every woman has the fundamental right to choose to: (1) bear a child; (2) terminate a pregnancy prior to fetal viability; or (3) terminate a pregnancy after fetal viability when necessary to protect her life or her health. In addition, the bill would also prohibit a federal, state, or local governmental entity from: (1) denying or interfering with a woman's right to exercise such choices; or (2) discriminating against the exercise of those rights in the regulation or provision of benefits, facilities, services, or information.
Currently, the bill is under review by the House Committee on the Judiciary of which I am not a member. Rest assured I will closely monitor the progress of the bill during the 111th Congress, and will keep your views in mind.
Even though we were unable to find common ground this time, I understand and am respectful of your strong beliefs on this important topic. I look forward to working with you in the future on the many issues where we are in agreement.
I encourage you to continue to contact me about the issues that are important to you. Please visit my website ... where you can also sign up for my electronic newsletter and receive periodic updates on my activities as your Representative in Washington.

Because of a desire to post and discuss this message, the Congressperson was contacted again to ask permission for posting the email together with identifying information. This was the response to that request…

March 5, 2009

Dear Rex,

Thank you for contacting me about your position on H.R. 1964, the Freedom of Choice Act. I appreciate hearing from you on such an important issue because it enables me to better represent the beliefs and values of our district.

….

I encourage you to continue to contact me about the issues that are important to you. Please visit my website … where you can also sign up for my electronic newsletter and receive periodic updates on my activities as your Representative in Washington.

Yes, the two letters are identical. This implies (does it not?) that the congressperson’s staff is not reading communications closely. However, explicit permission to reproduce the email has still not been received. So, the Congressperson will remain unidentified.

Succeeding posts will comment on the email response and the (expanded) website quotation.

Who's on First?

2009-02-08T19:10:00.000-08:00

A posting on Deacon Greg Kandra's blog, SSPX and married deacons: "completely unlawful", is certainly an intriguing read. The criticism of the married diaconate quoted in the post, from a Society of St. Pius X website, implies the Society arrived at their judgment no earlier than 1995, some years before other critics of the ministry checked-in to the essentially the same place. (The author of this blog became aware of the SSPX article some time ago, but didn't see reason to cite it before now.)

Some of the same arguments against a married deacon being ordained or being allowed marital rights are found in both the SSPX article and subsequent letters and postings of others. Of course, SSPX cannot invoke the canons of the 1983 Code of Canon Law, as they apparently and unsurprisingly do not accept it (link; oddly, while enumerating 1983 canons that the Society cannot "accept," canons which mention married deacons are not included in the list).

Some of those commenting on Deacon Kandra's post may not be familiar with the 2007-2008 HPR letter thread on the subject of marital rights for deacons, although it is linked from one of the web pages cited by a comment and indirectly referenced in another.

Two of the comments on Deacon Kandra's post are worth quoting here, as they supplement the arguments advanced in the last letter of the HPR thread:

Dcn Scott Dodge said...
What Dr. Peters and Fr Van Hove ignore, assuming that the above accurately reflects their considered views, is the decree of the council and the canonical status of a dogmatic constitution, namely Lumen Gentium, and the universal and supreme legistlative authority of the pope as exercised in the motu proprio, Sacrem Diaconatus Ordinem, particularly numbers 2 and 11-13:
2. When asking the Apostolic See for approval, the reasons must be explained which favor the introduction of this new practice in a region as well as the circumstances which give well-founded hope of success. Likewise, the manner will have to be indicated in which the new discipline will be implemented, that is to say, whether it is a matter of conferring the diaconate on 'suitable young men for whom the law of celibacy must remain intact, or on men of more mature age, even upon those living in the married state,' or on both kinds of candidates."
11. Older men, whether single or married, can be called to the diaconate. The latter, however, are not to be admitted unless there is certainty not only about the wife's consent, but also about her blameless Christian life and those qualities which will neither impede nor bring dishonor on the husband's ministry.
12. The older age in this case is reached at the completion of the thirty-fifth year. Nevertheless, the age requirement is to be understood in this sense, namely, that no one can be called to the diaconate unless he has gained the high regard of the clergy and the faithful by a long example of truly Christian life, by his unexceptionable
conduct, and by his ready disposition to be of service.13. In the case of married men care must be taken that only those are promoted to the diaconate who while living many years in matrimony have shown that they are ruling well their own household and who have a wife and children leading a truly Christian life and noted for their good reputation.
All of this is codified in the CIC [Code of Canon Law]. Besides being codified, these documents must inform any interpretation of the canons in the revised code as they were promulgated prior to and are constitutive of the new code. So, anyone who presumes to say that married deacons, who live in the married state in a conjugally normal way, are invalidly or illicitly ordained are clearly in error. Such a one also, either explicitly, or by implication, believes their bishop, the Holy Father, and an ecumenical council to be error.Besides the idea that celibacy is required in order to live in the clerical state is clearly not of apostolic origin, a simple reading of the New Testament will disabuse anyone of that erroneous idea. Besides, look not only at the Orthodox churches, but the Eastern churches in communion with Rome, we validly and licitly ordain married men to the presbyterate. February 5, 2009 11:04 AM
Thomas Welbers said...
So far in these comments nobody has actually looked at canon 3 of the First Council of Nicaea to see that the interpretation of the SSPX is erroneous from the getgo. This is the complete text: "The Great Synod has stringently forbidden any bishop, presbyter, deacon, or any one of the clergy whatever, to have a subintroducta dwelling with him, except only a mother, or sister, or aunt, or such persons only as are beyond all suspicion." (See: http://www.csun.edu/~hcfll004/nicaea.html) "Subintroducta" specifically is not a wife, but a woman living in the same household with a celibate man or group of men. (See: http://home.comcast.net/~walkswithastick/relationshipsSk.html)
The question of mandatory celibacy of the clergy -- or at least total abstinence from sexual intercourse if they already had wives -- was introduced at the Council, possibly at the instigation of the few western bishops, under the Spanish Hosius, but was opposed by most eastern bishops. The Spanish Council of Elvira in 306 AD is the first instance of a disciplinary canon (of a local council) requiring absolute sexual abstinence (continence) not only for the ordained but also for "others with a position in the ministry." It is speculated that Hosius wanted to use the Council of Nicaea to extend this prohibition universally, something the Council specifically refused to do.
Interestingly, it was St. Paphnutius, an aged Egyptian monk who had been severely deformed in the persecution under Diocletian, who hobbled to the podium, and in severe language denounced those who would impose such a burden on the clergy. In the words of the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia, "Paphnutius earnestly entreated his fellow-bishops not to impose this obligation on the orders of the clergy concerned. He proposed, in accordance 'with the ancient tradition of the Church', that only those who were celibates at the time of ordination should continue to observe continence, but, on the other hand, that 'none should be separated from her, to whom, while yet unordained, he had been united'. The great veneration in which he was held, and the well known fact that he had himself observed the strictest chastity all his life, gave weight to his proposal, which was unanimously adopted. The council left it to the discretion of the married clergy to continue or discontinue their marital relations." It's interesting to review the other 19 of the disciplinary canons of Nicaea to see how many of them are still relevant, or, as in the case of canons 17 and 20, observed even by the conservative of Catholics. February 5, 2009 3:34 PM

Ordination Rite for Deacons

2008-11-11T15:55:00.001-08:00

The Ordination Rite for Deacons can be found at: http://www.carr.org/~meripper/deacon/o-deacon.htm

Deacons and Marriage

2008-10-02T14:38:00.001-07:00

Below is a thread of letters discussing Marriage and the Diaconate from Homiletics and Pastoral Review.

Homiletic & Pastoral Review, April 2007, p. 6.
No use of marriage rites after ordination
Editor: Thank you for publishing the article by Rex H. Pilger, Jr., “The Ministry of the Deacon” (Homiletic and Pastoral Review, (November 2006) on the restored permanent diaconate. However, the author seems unaware of the current lively discussion of 1983 CIC 277 and the formal requirement of continence for all men in Major Orders. There has been confusion and disorder over this since the permanent diaconate was restored, and Deacon Pilger’s essay is incomplete without adverting to that canon in the Code which states that married men in Major Orders are expected to abstain from the “use of marriage rights’ after ordination. Wives have the right to refuse to consent to their husband’s ordination for this precise reason. Readers should consult Edward N. Peters, “Canonical Considerations on Diaconal Continence” published in Studia Canonica 39 (2005) 147-180.

Reverend Brian Van Hove, S. J.
White House Retreat
St. Louis, Missouri

Homiletic & Pastoral Review, November 2007 , p. 3-4
Deacons and marriage rights
Editor: I write concerning the letter by Brian Van Hove, S.J., about the permanent diaconate and marriage rights in the April 2007 issue of HPR.
HPR has so many excellent articles lately that I wondered whether this one slipped through by accident. It appears that the author read Canon 277 and forgot to do a follow-up on the Text and Commentary of the Code of Canon Law and arrived at his own conclusions. On pages 210 and 211 of the commentary a very unlively but factual and down-to-earth discussion of the two vocations of marriage and the permanent deaconate [sic] makes the whole discussion about whether allowed or not completely irrelevant and basically does not leave much room for any discussion at all.
I what the author said were true, then this would be a denial of the ends and purpose of one vocation in preference to another. I believe this would be called an oxymoron. But it certainly did lead to a lot of surprised comments and exclamations when I showed the article to several permanent deacons. Some wondered whether it was a lack of study in depth or just a bunch of sour grapes.
Fr. Richard Kosterman
Antigo, Wis.

Homiletic & Pastoral Review, November 2007 , p. 4
The Use of Marriage Rights
Editor: There is a great deal of interest in the union of the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church. It seems to me, that no matter how many discussions take place between Popes and Patriarchs, Metropolitans and Bishops, and clouds of theologians from both sides, everyone is overlooking the very people who will make or break any union. After all this happened once before. Almost all the hierarchy had agreed by the laity of the Eastern Church flat out rejected it and all the words meant nothing.
The letter of Brian Van Hove, S.J., in the April issue of HPR is another indication of what will prove to be the impossibility of the laity of the Orthodox Church accepting another union. The letter tells us that anyone ordained to what are called Majore Orders is “expected to abstain from the use of marriage rights after ordination.”
In Orthodix parishes, when the married priest or deacon and his wife have a child it is a time of happiness in the parish. Everyone is glad that their clergy are living a normal sort of life. The Eastern Church prizes celibacy, which is why there are so many monasteries for men and women, especially in Russia.
Orthodox people will never understand the reasoning behind the idea of having married clergy who, apparently, aren’t supposed to be married while they are married.
Father Vincent
Wayne, Penn.

Homiletic & Pastoral Review, March 2008 , p. 6-7
Between Quinisext and Canon 277: A Combined Response to Father Vincent and to Father Kosterman
The history of the ecclesiastical discipline of continence in the Eastern Churches is this. Until the 692 A.D. Quinisext Council [“In Trullo”], all married clergy in East and West practiced perfect apostolic continence. They completed their families before ordination and lived “as brother and sister in the Lord”.
The Eastern Church’s appeal to Paphnutius was demolished by Alfons Maria Stickler. “Paphnutius” was invented to persuade Council and Emperor to legitimize a return to Levitical or temporary continence for priests and deacons. The Western Church rejected that canon from Quinisext and continued the original apostolic practice. Eventually, the Western Church stopped ordaining married men altogether and ordained only celibate men. This shift made it clearer that the offering of the One Sacrifice in the Person of the Bridegroom is the unsurpassable fulfillment of masculine nuptiality. There is no remainder for a wife, and deacons are required to be celibate because their liturgical office is integrated with that offering.
The Eastern return to the Levitical discipline was never formalized. Orthodox priests and deacons abstain before and after Divine Liturgy “from the one blessing not washed away in the Flood” for one day, three days, seven days and perhaps during all of Great Lent. Temporary continence prevents the Orthodox lower clergy from celebrating “daily Mass” because such frequency would entail de facto perpetual continence. Only the bishop, because he is chosen from the celibate monks, can celebrate “daily Mass”. The Moscow Patriarchate canonized St. John of Kronstadt in 1990. After ordination to the priesthood, the saint announced that he and his matushka were living in continence. By this choice they returned to the practice of the first centuries of the undivided Church.
Some years ago I occasionally visited a Russian Orthodox priest-friend on Saturday evenings. I learned from him that he always camped out on the living room couch because his celebration of the Divine Liturgy was scheduled for the next morning. This is Levitical practice, like Zachariah who lived in the temple during the time of his service. Zachariah and the priests left their wives at home and returned to them after temple duty.
Despite Paul VI’s Sacrum Diaconatus Ordinem (A.A.S. 59 [1967] 697-704) which presupposes apostolic continence, many on the religious left continued to promote the permanent diaconate as “a wedge in the door” opening to the real agenda: the abolition of mandatory priestly celibacy. Sacred Tradition and the canons of Western councils requiring apostolic continence for married clergy, especially Elvira and Carthage, were ignored. A noncontinent diaconate was to be the “first step”. Some bishops in Europe attempted to ordain married “viri probati” as priests, but Paul VI stopped these efforts.
As Edward N. Peters illustrated visually, the revised draft of Canon 277 for the 1983 CIC contained an exception from continence for permanent deacons. The pope, acting in his office as pope, removed the exception. There are no exceptions written into Canon 277, and commentaries on the law have no canonical standing in the church.
Father Kosterman can obtain a brief of Edward Peters’ analysis of Canon 277 at his website: http://www.canonlaw.info/a_deacons.htm. The analysis is set out fully in Peters’ article “Canonical Considerations on Diaconal Continence” in Studia Canonica 39/1-2 (2005) 147-180. The earlier studies of Alfons Stickler, Roman Cholij and Christian Cochini are essential to our understanding of the tradition of apostolic continence and its relation to the Holy Eucharist. Cochini and Cholij wrote their doctoral dissertations on that subject. Henri Crouzel and Stefan Heid offer yet further documentation.
Given the chaos and incoherencies of East and West, Pope Benedict’s 2005 restriction on second marriages for permanent deacons precisely because it is apostolic tradition, assures a lively future discussion of clerical continence. The sources of the Tradition, especially before the novelty of Quinisext, will not disappear. Can we say that the Holy Spirit did not guide the early church?
Any adequate theology of the nuptial symbolism of the Eucharistic sacrifice cannot conceive of a sacred ministry other than that instituted by our Lord. This ministry is the representation in his Person of the Bridegroom’s sacrificial fidelity to his Bride, a fidelity which is unqualified and unconditioned (I Timothy 3:2).
Reverend Brian Van Hove, S. J.
White House Retreat
St. Louis, Missouri

Homiletic & Pastoral Review, July 2008, p. 5-6:
Marriage rights of deacons
Editor: I would say regarding the marriage rights of permanent deacons that one can answer in the positive only if one rejects the corpus of positive teaching on this subject. Cardinal Gibbons, in his famous book Faith of Our Fathers, quotes St. Jerome: “The churches of the East, of Egypt, and of the Apostolic See, adopt their clergy (bishops, priests, deacons) from among virgins, or if they have wives, they cease to live as married men” (Adv. Jovin., lib 3). This is the defense of clerical celibacy against the Protestants which needs to be recovered in the household of God.
Mark Gross
Boise, Idaho

Homiletic & Pastoral Review, October 2008, p. 4-5:
Continence for Married Deacons
Editor: In March 2008 HPR, Father Brian Van Hove expands his initial argument (made in HPR, April, 2007) that, according to the Code of Canon Law “married men in Major Orders are expected to abstain from the use of marriage rights after ordination.” The claim primarily rests on a 2005 paper of Edward Peters (Studia Canonica, 39, 147-180) supplemented by anecdotal information. Dr. Peters’ and Father Van Hove’s analyses appear to be flawed.
First, a minor detail: “Minor Orders” were suppressed by Paul VI. There are at present only “Orders.”
Second, consider the logical content of part of Canon, 277: The obligation of continence implies the obligation of celibacy. An equivalent, complementary, form of this statement is: the non-obligation of celibacy implies the non-obligation of continence. Married persons, then, are not obligated to continence within the state. (Of course, all persons have the obligation of continence outside of marriage, as rooted in natural and divine law.)
Third, Dr. Peters argues that because an interim schema of the Code included an explicit exemption of married deacons from obligations of continence and celibacy, although the statement was removed from the final version, therefore the obligation persists. There is another explanation; the “exemption” wasn’t necessary: Explicit provision for marital rights in marriage is already existent by virtue of the sacramental marital state (almost a tautology). Further, as part of the diaconal ordination rite, only unmarried candidates take a vow of celibacy; married candidates do not take a corresponding vow of continence. The ordination rite promulgated by Paul VI continued without change subsequent to publication of the 1983 Code. Lex orandi, lex credeni.
Finally, Father Van Hove writes “… deacons are required to be celibate because their liturgical office is integrated with that offering [of the One Sacrifice].” Is the deacon’s office integrated with the offering? In the initial version of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, #875, following Canons 1008-9, states, “This fact [grace must be given and offered] presupposes ministers of grace, authorized and empowered by Christ. From him, they receive the mission and faculty (‘the sacred power’) to act in persona Christi Capitis.” This could be interpreted as incorporating deacons into the priestly office. However, the definitive version of the Catechism reads: “This fact presupposes ministers of grace, authorized and empowered by Christ. From him, bishops and priests receive the mission and faculty (‘the sacred power’) to act in persona Christi Capitis; deacons receive the strength to serve the people of God in the diaconia of liturgy, word, and charity, in communion with the bishop and his presbyterate.” Deacons are not integrated into the ministerial priestly office; they serve in communion with it (might we expect a clarification within Canons 1008-9 in a future revision to the Code, to bring it into concord with the catechism?).
Certainly, the experience of the Eastern Churches helps illuminate the meaning of ordained ministry, but the Code applies only to the Latin Rite. And, whether the “religious left” want to use the restored diaconate for its own purposes is irrelevant to understanding the ministry; few deacons are involved in advocating such destructive change. Rather, in the battles being fought for orthodoxy in the Church, many, if not most, deacons are in the forefront of the struggle, believing, teaching, and practicing the Faith. Father Van Hove asks rhetorically, “Can we say that the Holy Spirit did not guide the early Church?” We can respond similarly, “Does the Holy Spirit not guide today’s Church?”
Rex H. Pilger
Arvada, Colorado
© Ignatius Press 2007, 2008

Update (11/6/2008): Dr. Peters has posted a response to the arguments in the last letter: http://www.canonlaw.info/a_deacons2.htm.

Mystery of the Beloved Disciple

2007-08-27T08:45:00.000-07:00

In another web log find a series of Scriptural analyses entitled, the Mystery of the Beloved Disciple.

CHAPTER 1 -- EXTRAORDINARY
CHAPTER 2 -- INTIMACY
CHAPTER 3 -- THE MYSTERY OF THE BELOVED DISCIPLE
CHAPTER 4 -- WITNESS
CHAPTER 5 – WHO ARE THE PROPHETS? WHERE ARE THE PROPHETS?
CHAPTER 6 -- EMPTY
CHAPTER 7 -- THE PROPHETS OF TODAY: II
CHAPTER 8 -- LORDSHIP
CHAPTER 9 -- PARABLES
CHAPTER 10 -- MARRIAGE: INTIMATE LOVE AS A SIGN OF GOD'S CALL TO INTIMACY
CHAPTER 11 -- JOURNEY FROM THE WILDERNESS INTO THE PROMISED LAND
CHAPTER 12 -- WHAT'S IN THE NAME?
CHAPTER 13 -- EUCHARIST
CHAPTER 14 -- HEALING AND WHOLENESS
CHAPTER 15 -- CONCLUSION

Original posted at: http://deaconsbench.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!9D4504B62AB45CE4!137.entry?&_c02_owner=1

In Persona Christi and the Deacon

2007-08-27T08:10:00.000-07:00

A possibly controversial assertion appears in a new book on Deacons and the Mass [1]. The author states “As minister of the Word, the deacon has a special responsibility for bearing the Gospel into the assembly and proclaiming the Gospel to all. In this ministry he acts ‘in persona Christi’, since it is Christ’s own Gospel, and ultimately Christ himself who proclaims that Gospel.” [2] I question the applicability of this term to deacons.
To my knowledge, the first application of the specific term “in persona Christi” to deacons in an official Church document occurs in the Code of Canon Law of 1983 [3] (emphasis mine):

Canon 1008: By divine institution some among the Christian faithful are constituted sacred ministers through the sacrament of orders by means of the indelible character with which they are marked; accordingly they are consecrated and deputed to shepherd the people of God, each in accord with his own grade of orders, by fulfilling in the person of Christ the head [Latin: in persona Christi Capitis] the functions of teaching, sanctifying and governing.
Canon 1009: 1. The orders are the episcopacy, the presbyterate, and the diaconate. 2. They are conferred by an imposition of hands and by the consecratory prayer
which the liturgical books prescribe for the individual grades.

The first edition of the Catechism of the Catholic Church [4] seems to follow Canon 1008:

875: … No one can bestow grace on himself; it must be given and offered. This fact presupposes ministers of grace, authorized and empowered by Christ. From him, they receive the mission and faculty ('the sacred power') to act in persona Christi Capitis. The ministry in which Christ's emissaries do and give by God's grace what they cannot do and give by their own powers, is called a “sacrament” by the Church's tradition. Indeed, the ministry of the Church is conferred by a special sacrament.

However the second edition of the Catechism [5] reads:

875: … No one can bestow grace on himself; it must be given and offered. This fact presupposes ministers of grace, authorized and empowered by Christ. From him, bishops and priests receive the mission and faculty (“the sacred power”) to act in persona Christi Capitis; deacons receive the strength to serve the people of God in the diaconia of liturgy, word, and charity, in communion with the bishop and his presbyterate. The ministry in which Christ's emissaries do and give by God's grace what they cannot do and give by their own powers, is called a “sacrament” by the Church's tradition. Indeed, the ministry of the Church is conferred by a special sacrament.”

The latter expression (in the second edition of the Catechism) is more consistent with what was written by the Fathers at Vatican Council II [6] than the former (in the first edition):

28. … 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. By the power of the sacrament of Orders, in the image of Christ the eternal high Priest, 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. Partakers of the function of Christ the sole Mediator, 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…
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”.

If we examine the sources for Vatican Council II and of the Catechism, plus the teachings of the recent popes, before and since the Council, we find that the term “in persona Christi” finds application to the priesthood only, especially in relationship to the peak moment of the Liturgy, the words of institution within the Eucharistic Prayer:
Pius XII [7]:

40. Only to the apostles, and thenceforth to those on whom their successors have imposed hands, is granted the power of the priesthood, in virtue of which they represent the person of Jesus Christ before their people, acting at the same time as representatives of their people before God….
68. The august sacrifice of the altar, then, is no mere empty commemoration of the passion and death of Jesus Christ, but a true and proper act of sacrifice, whereby the High Priest by an unbloody immolation offers Himself a most acceptable victim to the Eternal Father, as He did upon the cross. “It is one and the same victim; the same person now offers it by the ministry of His priests, who then offered Himself on the cross, the manner of offering alone being different.”
69. The priest is the same, Jesus Christ, whose sacred Person His minister represents. Now the minister, by reason of the sacerdotal consecration which he has received, is made like to the High Priest and possesses the power of performing actions in virtue of Christ's very person.

Paul VI [8]:

29. … acting in the person of Christ, the priest unites himself most intimately with the offering, and places on the altar his entire life, which bears the marks of the holocaust.

John Paul II [9]:

8. The priest offers the holy Sacrifice in persona Christi… Awareness of this reality throws a certain light on the character and significance of the priest celebrant who, by confecting the holy Sacrifice and acting “in persona Christi,” is sacramentally (and ineffably) brought into that most profound sacredness, and made part of it, spiritually linking with it in turn all those participating in the eucharistic assembly.

Benedict XVI [10]:

[News item] Celebrating the Chrism Mass on Holy Thursday with the priests of Rome, Pope Benedict XVI said that priests should prepare themselves thoroughly to celebrate Mass and administer the sacraments, remembering that they act in the person of Christ.

In light of consistent Tradition, from well before Pius XII through Vatican Council II, the definitive edition of the Catechism, and Benedict XVI, the term “in persona Christi” is intrinsically identified with the priesthood (and “in persona Christi Capitis” with the episcopacy and priesthood), not the diaconate. The Code of Canon Law, which is not a theological treatise, is an outlier in this regard. Perhaps we might anticipate a future update of the Code to more definitively articulate this understanding, with changes analogous to those made in the second edition of the Catechism.
Notes: [1] Ditewig, W. T., The Deacon at Mass, Paulist Press, 2007. [2] Ditewig, , p. 90-91. [3] Holy See, Code of Canon Law, 1983. [4] Holy See, Catechism of the Catholic Church (First Edition), 1994. [5] Holy See, Catechism of the Catholic Church (Second, “Definitive” Edition), 1997. [6] Vatican Council II, Lumen Gentium, 1964. [7] Pius XII, Mediator Dei, Encyclical, 1947. [8] Paul VI, Sacredotal Caelibatus, Encyclical, 1967. [9] John Paul II, Dominicae Cenae, Apostolic Exhoration, 1980. [10] CWNews: Benedict XVI, “At Chrism Mass, Pope reflects on priest's vestments” Apr. 5, 2007, http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=50344

First posted at: http://deaconsbench.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!9D4504B62AB45CE4!155.entry?&_c02_owner=1