Diaconal Primacy: Ministry Ad Intra and Ad Extra

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Pope Francis Christmas Greeting to Roman Curia Full Text


The annual Christmas "greeting" of Pope Francis has always been one of criticism. The subject is always church reform, specifically the reform of the Roman Curia. While people delight in seeing the Curia being humbled if not humiliated, we should keep in mind that Francis sees the diseases of the Curia and its cures as applying to the whole Church. The Curia are part of a bigger problem of clericalism in the Church..

This years greeting focuses upon "diaconal primacy."  Now anything the Pope says about the deaconate needs to be taken very seriously as applying to the whole Church. 

It has been obvious to me from early on that he intends to restore women deacons to the Church. His emphasis upon giving greater dignity to women, coupled with saying no again to the priesthood, and the absence of anything about women deacons was the first clue. So I was not surprised that he granted the request of women religious superiors to investigate the role of women deacons in the early church. I am sure that he regards that as a request from a synod, since Abbots were part of early church councils in many cases. He is not going to go against the clear request of a synod.

The big problem for Francis is not WOMEN deacons, but DEACONS. He has clearly expressed his concerns about turning lay leaders into deacons, and regarding the deaconate as a merit badge for outstanding lay leaders.  I see him as in the process of rethinking the deaconate. This "greeting" gives us important clues to his initial rethinking.

Key Points about Diaconal Ministry 


1. Diaconal Primacy: Francis grounds diaconal ministry in the humility of God. A God who not only became human flesh but also became a servant washing the feet of mankind.  That means diaconal ministry applies to the whole Church most especially to the Petrine ministry as servant of the servants of God.  In the ancient phrase quoted by Francis. The deacon is guardian of service in the Church.

This opens up the theological possibility of regarding the order of deacons as being a sign that all ministry in the church, from lay ministry to the Petrine is one of service. In the current deaconate there is nothing that deacons do that lay people  could not be authorized to do without being ordained a deacon. Why then ordain a person (man or woman) to the deaconate? Answer, in order to be a greater sign of the Humility of God. Ordination to the deaconate (and priesthood, and episcopacy) does not set one above but rather places one at greater service to everyone!

2. Diaconal Primacy and ministry is both ad intra and ad extra. The deacon is both the ear and the mouth of the bishop. The ear is both the organ of hearing and balance. The mouth is the organ of both taste and speech.

This opens the possibility of grounding all ministry (lay and ordained) upon a diaconal primacy vision that is both ad intra and ad extra. Indeed the Apostolate of the Laity of Vatican II says that the lay apostolate is both ad intra and ad extra. The main peculiarly of lay ministry is that the world is preeminently the domain of the apostolate of the laity. 

3. Diaconal Primacy as being at one with the heart and soul of the bishop. Francis then proceeds to use this idea to criticize in depth the curia and the people in it for being out of tune with his reform.

This opens up the possibility of a leveling of the hierarchy in the church. Francis has emphasized again and again the importance of the bishop being with the people, sometimes in front of them, sometimes beside them, sometimes following them. That is, the unity that exists within the church much proceed from the efforts of everyone to be of one heart and soul. 

4. Diaconal Primacy as grounding us in the world in the outside situation. The importance of a sense of extraversion, attention to the outside, the senses as a bridge to the world, that grasp reality and situate us in reality.

This opens up the possibility of regarding laity as exercising particular leadership in bringing attention to the outside, to being a bridge to the world, and grasping the reality of the situation.
Ordination to the deaconate (and priesthood and episcopacy) should mainly be of people who have demonstrated this lay charism of being in touch with the world. This would be a great change from the past which often ordained people who had distanced themselves from the world especially with monastic vows. 


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