Pope Francis has accepted the request of Filipino bishops to ordain married or single males to be everlasting deacons as a part of efforts to handle the dearth of clergymen, in response to a submit on the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) web site.
“Please be assured of the Holy Father’s prayers that it will bear much fruit for many years to come,” mentioned the Vatican, via Substitute for General Affairs of the Vatican’s Secretariat of State Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra.
The prelate additionally lauded the transfer of the bishops as a “noble initiative for the good of the holy people of God in the Philippines”.
The CBCP report defined that “the diaconate is the first of three ranks in ordained ministry — bishops, priests, and deacons.”
“Deacons preparing for the priesthood are known as transitional deacons. Permanent deacons, on the other hand, can be conferred upon a single or married man who does not intend to be ordained as a priest.”
The bishops mentioned the difficulty in the course of the CBCP plenary meeting held final January 2023. The proposal was accepted throughout their second plenary assembly in July.
The CBCP then despatched the request to Pope Francis via a letter final July 25 by which the prelates mentioned that deacons “will be a good leaven for evangelization especially for those who live in the margins of society not only geographically but also socio-pastorally due to lack of priests”.
“The restoration of permanent diaconate in the Philippines will enliven even more the engagement of the lay faithful in society,” wrote Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, CBCP president.
The similar report mentioned that “the CBCP is expected to come up with a formation program for permanent deacons such as who may be a candidate, what age, and the length of formation, among others.” — BAP, GMA Integrated News
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
