The Pope ended the Jubilee of Permanent Deacons on Sunday in Rome. They are married men who can baptize, proclaim the Gospel and simply help out in the parish.
The closing event was a Mass in St. Peter's Square where the Pope asked the deacons to be available to God's daily surprises and not have specific schedules.
POPE FRANCIS
'One who serves is not worried about the timetable. It deeply troubles me when I see a timetable in a parish: 'From such a time to such a timeâ?. And then? There is no open door, no priest, no deacon, no layperson to receive people... This is not good.â?
Pope Francis said that meekness is one of the virtues of deacons, people who do not try to imitate the priests, but must be discreet, patient, understanding and never scream.
POPE FRANCIS
'A disciple of Jesus cannot take a road other than that of the Master. If he wants to proclaim him, he must imitate him. Like St. Paul, he must strive to become a servant. In other words, if evangelizing is the mission entrusted at baptism to each Christian, serving is the way that mission is carried out. It is the only way to be a disciple of Jesus.â?
After the Mass, Pope Francis wanted to personally greet some deacons and their wives. They were only a small part of the 43,000 deacons the Catholic Church has around the world.
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