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In the Heart of the Church |
Clergy Congregation's Letter to Permanent Deacons
"We Must Love the Poor In a Preferential Way"
Cardinal Claudio Hummes, Archbishop Emeritus of São Paulo,
Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy
August 10, 2009
My
Dear Permanent Deacons:
The Church discovers more and more the richness of the permanent
diaconate. Whenever Bishops come to the Congregation for the Clergy,
on the occasion of their ad limina visits, the theme of the
diaconate, among others, is often commented upon and the prelates
are generally very much pleased and full of hope in regard to you,
Permanent Deacons. This fills all of us with joy. The Church thanks
you and recognizes your dedication to your qualified ministerial
work. At the same time, the Church would like to encourage you on
the way of personal sanctification, in your prayer lives and in the
spirituality of the diaconate. To you one can equally apply what the
Pope has said to priests, for the Year for Priests, that is that it
is necessary “to work in favor of this pull of priests toward
spiritual perfection, upon which, above all, depends the efficacy of
their ministry.” (discourse of March 16, 2009).
Today, on this feast of St. Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr, I would
like to invite you to reflect upon two areas, your ministry of the
Word, and your ministry of Charity.
We recall with gratitude the Synod on the Word of God, celebrated in
October of last year. We, ordained ministers, have received from the
Lord, through the mediation of the Church, the task of preaching the
Word of God to the ends of the earth, announcing the person of Jesus
Christ, who has died and risen, His Word and His Kingdom, to every
creature. This Word, as the final Message of the Synod affirms, has
one voice which is His, Revelation, has one will which is His, Jesus
Christ, and one Way which is His, Missionary Activity. To know
Revelation, to adhere unconditionally to Jesus Christ as a
fascinated and enamored disciple, to base oneself always upon Jesus
Christ and to be with Him in our Mission, this is then what awaits a
permanent deacon, decisively and without any reservation. From a
good disciple a good missionary is born.
The ministry of the Word which, in a special way for Deacons, has as
its great model St. Stephen, Deacon and Martyr, requires of ordained
ministers a constant struggle to study it and carry it out, at the
same time as one proclaims it to others. Meditation, following the
style of lectio divina, that is, prayerful reading, is one well
traveled and much counseled way to understand and live the Word of
God, and make it ones own. At the same time, intellectual,
theological and pastoral formation is a challenge which endures
throughout life. A qualified and up to date ministry of the Word
very much depends upon this in depth formation.
We are awaiting, in the proximate future, a document of the Holy
Father regarding the Synod which we have referred to. This must be
welcomed with an openness of heart and with profound commitment to
study it.
The second reflection regards the ministry of Charity, taking as a
great model St. Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr. The diaconate has its
roots in the early Church’s efforts to organize charitable works. At
Rome, in the third century, during a period of great persecution of
Christians, the extraordinary figure of St. Lawrence appears. He was
archdeacon of Pope Sixtus II, and his trustee for the administration
of the goods of the community. Our well beloved Pope Benedict XVI
says regarding St. Lawrence: “His solicitude for the poor, his
generous service which he rendered to the Church of Rome in the area
of relief and of charity, his fidelity to the Pope, from him he was
thrust forward to the point of wanting to undergo the supreme test
of martyrdom and the heroic witness of his blood, rendered only a
few days later. These are universally recognized facts.” (Homily
Basilica of St. Lawrence, November 30, 2008).
From St. Lawrence we also take note of the affirmation “the riches
of the Church are the poor.” He assisted the poor with great
generosity. He is thus an ever more present example to permanent
deacons. We must love the poor in a preferential way, as did Jesus
Christ; to be united with them, to work towards constructing a just,
fraternal and peaceful society. The recent encyclical letter of
Benedict XVI, Caritas in Veritate (Charity in Truth), should be our
updated guide. In this encyclical the Holy Father affirms as a
fundamental principle “Charity is the royal road of the social
doctrine of the Church” (n. 2). Deacons must identify themselves in
a very special way with charity. The poor are part of your daily
ambiance, and the object of your untiring concern. One could not
understand a Deacon who did not personally involve himself in
charity and solidarity toward the poor, who again today are
multiplying in number.
My dear Permanent Deacons, may God bless you with all his love and
make you happy in your vocation and mission! With respect and
admiration, I greet the wives and children of those of you who are
married. The Church thanks you for the support and multifaceted
collaboration which you give to your respective spouses and fathers
in their diaconal ministry. In addition, the Year for Priests
invites us to manifest our appreciation for our dear priests, and to
pray for them and with them.
Vatican City, Feast of St. Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr, August 10,
2009
Cláudio Cardinal Hummes
Archbishop Emeritus of Sao Paulo
Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy
This page is the work of the Servants of the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and
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