Church Documents on the Permanent Diaconate

 The Second Vatican Council

• The Dogmatic Constitution on the Church (Lumen gentium), #29
• The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (Sacrosanctum concilium), #35
• The Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation (Dei Verbum), #25
• The Decree on Missionary Activity (Ad gentes), #16
• The Decree on Eastern Catholic Churches (Orientalium ecclesiarum), #17

Papal Documents and Statements

Pope Paul VI

• Sacrum Diaconatus Ordinem: 18 June 1967
• Ad Pascendum: 15 August 1972
• Ministeria Quaedam: 15 August 1972

Pope John Paul II

• Address to the Deacons of the United States, Detroit, 19 September 1987
• Pastores Dabo Vobis
• Deacons Serve the Kingdom of God: 6 October 1993
• The Deacon Has Many Pastoral Functions: 13 October 1993
• Deacons Are Called to a Life of Holiness: 20 October 1993
• The Deacon’s Ordination: Deacons Are Configured to Christ the Servant, Address to a Joint Plenarium on the Diaconate: 30 November 1995
• Deacons: Active Apostles of the New Evangelization: Address to Permanent Deacons and their Families during the Jubilee Celebration for Deacons, 19 February 2000

Vatican Documents and Statements

• Circular Letter from the Congregation for Divine Worship the Discipline of the Sacraments , concerning scrutinizes regarding the Suitability of Candidates for Orders (Prot. N. 589/97: 28 November 1997)
• Basic Norms for the Formation of Permanent Deacons (Congregation for Catholic Education) and Directory for the Ministry and Life of Permanent Deacons (Congregation for Clergy), 22 February 1998
• Note on the Minister of the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, with Commentary, Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, 11 February 2005
• Letter from the Congregation on Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, addressing the question of dispensation from the diriment impediment of entering into a second marriage and remaining in the ministry on the part of permanent deacons who are widowed (Prot. N. 180/05: 13 July 2005)
• Apostolic Letter "Motu Proprio" Omnium in Mentem 2009

USCCB Documents and Statements

• The National Directory for the Formation, Ministry and Life of Permanent Deacons in the United States (2004)
• Basic Standards for Readiness, a document related to diaconate formation (2004)
• Visit of Consultation Teams to Diocesan Permanent Diaconate Formation Programs, Sixth Revision (2004)
• Protocol for the Incardination/Excardination of Deacons

Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA)

• Final Diaconate Post-Ordination Report 2006-2007