Catholicism, Orthodoxy, Anglicanism
The diaconate is one of the major orders in the Catholic, Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox churches. The other major orders are those of bishop and presbyter (priest).
While the diaconate as a permanent order was maintained from earliest Apostolic times to the present in the Eastern churches (Orthodox and Catholic), it mostly disappeared in the Western church (with a few notable exceptions such as St Francis of Assisi) during the first millennium, with Western churches retaining deacons attached to diocesan cathedrals. The diaconate continued in a vestigial form as a temporary, final step along the course to ordination to the Roman Catholic priesthood. In the 20th century, the diaconate was restored as a permanent order in many Western churches, most notably in the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion, and The United Methodist Church.
In Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican churches, deacons assist priests in their pastoral and administrative duties, but often report directly to the bishop. They have a distinctive role in the liturgy, their main tasks being to proclaim the Gospel, preach, assist in the administration of the Eucharist and to serve the poor and outcast.
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