Pope Francis’s prayer intention for this month is for deacons. A Catholic deacon is ordained clergy. But they are not priests. They cannot confect the Eucharist or forgive sins. But they can marry, bury, baptize and preach.
Deacons marry and have families. Priests don’t. The deacons I know also have real jobs in the real world and must support their families, all while carrying the pastoral load of being a deacon.
Deacons do not control or have the final say about anything in a parish. The priest is the pastor, and he is the boss.
Here is how Pope Francis describes it:
Deacons are not second-level priests.
They are part of the clergy and live their vocation in and with their family.
They are dedicated to the service of the poor, who carry within them the face of the suffering Christ.
They are the guardians of service in the Church.
Let us pray that deacons, faithful in their service to the Word and the poor, may be an invigorating symbol for the entire Church.
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