Der Diakon als Vermittler: Eine kleine praktische Theologie des Amtes

The duties of a deacon in the Catholic Church are determined by two dominant visions of this office. Contemporary views of the diaconate place the deacon in one of the following alternatives: either as a social worker or as a parish assistant. When these roles are viewed as being mutually exclusive, the result makes it more difficult to achieve the necessary renewal and redefinition of the office of deacon. This article tries to develop both aspects and to define the original variety of duties of this Ancient office for our times. The most complete answer is that the deacon is in the service of the Kingdom of God, with the official duty to communicate this Kingdom. In their conclusions the authors argue that the deacons in the totality of their collegium should represent the variety of services to the Kingdom of God and should not limit themselves to one exclusive model.