The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) will push for the presence of permanent deacons in the country to assist priests in their respective parishes. Bishop Pablo Virgilio David (Manila Bulletin photo)
CBCP president Kalookan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David said deacons will help perform tasks that are often given limited attention by priests due to lack of time such as visits to far-flung areas as well as other duties in the parish church. The term deacon comes from the Greek word “diákonos” which means "servant" or "minister." The word, which appears at least 29 times in the New Testament of the Holy Bible, designates an appointed member of the local church who assists by serving other members and meeting material needs. “If we have permanent deacons, we can deploy them in mission centers or stations as chaplains even while they are engaged in their secular life. This is the big difference since deacons are able to go around and live in their communities, they can serve as a good influence in helping spread the Word of God,” said Bishop David over Radio Veritas. “They may also continue to perform their jobs and earn a living while serving the Church,” the Church leader added. Deacons are allowed to get married, have a family, and earn a living while serving the Church. The CBCP, earlier, tackled the possibility of having permanent deacons in the Philippines during their plenary assembly in January. Bishop David said 63 out of the 73 bishops who attended the gathering supported the plan. He noted that the presence of permanent deacons may also help supplement the small number of priests in the country which he said is about 11,000 ministering to more than 80 million Roman Catholics.