Formation of Candidates for the Permanent Diaconate According to the Instructions Contained in the "Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Diaconorum Permanentium"
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12775/TiCz.2021.004Keywords
Sacrament of Holy Orders, ordained ministry, permanent diaconate, theology of the diaconate, sacramentality of the diaconate, formation of permanent deacons, diaconia of the liturgy, the word and charity, spirituality of the deacon, vocational discernmentAbstract
The Church holds the view that one of her primary tasks is to ensure that candidates for the diaconate receive an adequate formation that corresponds to the spirit of the age. The rapidly evolving conditions in which the permanent diaconate finds itself, including cultural and social transformation, the advancement of ecclesial and secular sciences or the development of diaconal and Christian life at different stages require that a deacon should receive solid formation. The document Ratio fundamentalis institutionis diaconorum permanentium, published by the Congregation for Catholic Education on 22 February 1998, presents the formation of candidates for the permanent diaconate as a process that comprises various stages and dimensions. The programme of formation – excluding the preparatory period – is required to last at least three years for both young and mature candidates. The former must undertake their formation in national or diocesan centres of formation established for this very purpose; in exceptional cases, they may participate in distance learning courses by using various means of communication. In the case of the mature candidates, whether they be married or celibate, the Ratio fundamentalis envisions a programme of formation that would be decided by the Episcopal Conference. The models of formation for mature candidates must take into account their familial and professional commitments. Candidates who belong to Institutes of Consecrated Life or Societies of Apostolic Life are required to undergo formation in accord with the directives of the Ratio of their own Institute or Society, if applicable. They may also avail themselves of the programme that is available in their diocese of residence. The document of the Congregation underlines the fact that the entire ecclesial body ought to be involved in and responsible for the formation of deacons, namely: bishops, major superiors, directors of formation, tutors, spiritual directors, parish priests, professors, members of the community of formators for the permanent diaconate and members of the candidates’ communities of origin. Given that formation is, at the same time, self-formation, the diaconal candidate himself is a necessary and irreplaceable agent in his own formation who – being aware of his own identity and the goal to which he aspires – must achieve that goal through appropriate means and methods.
References
Cabié R., Le diaconat: un renouveau? Du diacre d’autrefois au diacre d’aujourd’hui, Bulletin de littérature ecclésiastique 107 (2006) 1, pp. 105-121.
Catechismo della Chiesa Cattolica, 11.10.1992, Città del Vaticano 1992.
Codice di Diritto Canonico, 3.02.1983, Città del Vaticano 1983.
Congregazione per l’Educazione Cattolica, Lettera circolare ai Rev.mi Rappresentanti Pontifici Come è a conoscenza sulla formazione dei candidati al diaconato permanente, Prot. N. 137/69, 16.07.1969: EV 3 (1968-1970), pp. 834-837.
Congregatio de Institutione Catholica, Ratio fundamentalis institutionis diaconorum permanentium, 22.02.1998, AAS 90 (1998), pp. 843-879.
Congregatio de Institutione Catholica – Congregatio pro Clericis, De diaconatu permanenti, declaratio coniuncta, 22.02.1998, AAS 90 (1998), pp. 835-842.
Durán y Durán J., Das Amt des Diakons im Dokument vov Aparecida 2007, Diaconia XP 43 (2008) 1-2, pp. 83-94.
Giovanni Paolo II, Costituzione apostolica Spirituali militum curae, 21.04.1986, Libreria Editrice Vaticana 1986.
Giovanni Paolo II, Enciclica Solicitudo rei socialis, 30.12.1987, Libreria Editrice Vaticana 1987.
Giovanni Paolo II, Enciclica Redemptoris missio, 7.12.1990, Libreria Editrice Vaticana 1990.
Giovanni Paolo II, Esortazione apostolica post-sinodale circa la formazione dei sacerdoti nelle circostanze attuali Pastores dabo vobis, 25.03.1992, Libreria Editrice Vaticana 1992.
Durán y Durán J., Das Amt des Diakons im Dokument vov Aparecida 2007, Diaconia XP 43 (2008) 1-2, pp. 83-94.
Marczewski M., Formacja diakonów stałych, Roczniki Teologiczne 47 (2000) 6, pp. 163-190.
Martini C. M., La diaconia come ministero della speranza, in: La Chiesa diaconia ministeriale della salvezza, a cura di G. Bellia, Reggio Emilia 2004, pp. 25-33.
Martins J. S., Norme fondamentali per la formazione dei diaconi, Il diaconato in Italia 110 (1998), pp. 46-53.
Montan A., Il profilo del diaconato permanente nel vigente Codice di Diritto Canonico, Seminarium 48 (2008) 4, pp. 751-785.
Paulus PP. VI, Litterae apostolicae motu date Sacrum diaconatus ordinem, 18.06.1967, AAS 59 (1967), pp. 697-704.
Paulus PP.VI, Litterae apostolicae motu proprio datae nonnullae normae ad sacrum diaconatus ordinem spectantes statuuntur Ad pascendum, 15.08.1972, AAS 64 (1972), pp. 534-540.
Petrolino E., I diaconi annunziatori della Parola, ministri dell’altare e della carità, Cinisello Balsamo 1998.
Petrolino E., I diaconi per la chiesa del terzo millennio, in: La Chiesa diaconia universale di salvezza, a cura di G. Bellia, Reggio Emilia 2004, pp. 91-98.
Policarpo, Epistula ad Philippenses, Patres Apostolici, I, ed. F.X. Funk, Tubingae 1901.
Presciutti M. - Farneti A., La formazione, Orientamenti Pastorali 7 (2005), pp. 173-179.
Sacrosanctum Concilium Oecumenicum Vaticanum II, Constitutio dogmatica de Ecclesia Lumen gentium, 21.11.1964, AAS 57 (1965), pp. 5-67.
Sacrosanctum Concilium Oecumenicum Vaticanum II, Decretum de institutione sacerdotali Optatam totius, 28.10.1965, AAS 58 (1966), pp. 713-727.
Sacrosanctum Concilium Oecumenicum Vaticanum II, Decretum de pastorali Episcoporum munere in Ecclesia Christus Dominus, 28.10.1965, AAS 58 (1966), pp. 673-701.
Sacrosanctum Concilium Oecumenicum Vaticanum II, Constitutio pastoralis de Ecclesia in mundo huius temporis Gaudium et spes, 5.12.1965, AAS 58 (1966), pp. 1025-1115.
Schinella I., La dimensione intellettuale nella formazione diaconale, Seminarium 48 (2008) 4, pp. 849-898.
Schiavone P., Quale formazione per il diaconato permanente?, in: Il diaconato permanente, Napoli 1983, pp. 99-145.
Selejdak R., Tożsamość, duchowość, formacja i posługa diakonów stałych, Częstochowa 2003.
Selejdak R., Diakonat stały w świetle dokumentów Soboru Watykańskiego II, posoborowego Urzędu Nauczycielskiego Kościoła i narodowych «Rationes institutionis diaconaorum permanentium», Warszawa 2010.
Zardoni S., I diaconi nella Chiesa. Ricerca storica e teologica sul diaconato, Bologna 19912
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2021 Theology and Man
![Creative Commons License](http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nd/4.0/88x31.png)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
CC BY ND 4.0. The Creator/Contributor is the Licensor, who grants the Licensee a non-exclusive license to use the Work on the fields indicated in the License Agreement.
- The Licensor grants the Licensee a non-exclusive license to use the Work/related rights item specified in § 1 within the following fields: a) recording of Work/related rights item; b) reproduction (multiplication) of Work/related rights item in print and digital technology (e-book, audiobook); c) placing the copies of the multiplied Work/related rights item on the market; d) entering the Work/related rights item to computer memory; e) distribution of the work in electronic version in the open access form on the basis of Creative Commons license (CC BY-ND 3.0) via the digital platform of the Nicolaus Copernicus University Press and file repository of the Nicolaus Copernicus University.
- Usage of the recorded Work by the Licensee within the above fields is not restricted by time, numbers or territory.
- The Licensor grants the license for the Work/related rights item to the Licensee free of charge and for an unspecified period of time.
FULL TEXT License Agreement
Stats
Number of views and downloads: 364
Number of citations: 0