medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
In the British sources I've worked with, the distinction between diaconus/deacon and decanus/dean is usually clear. As for deacon's preaching, it was part of their office at least according to theological opinion.
Lombard’s Sentences is the locus classicus for later discussions of the seven orders. Here's the pertinent excerpt from what he says about deacons (Liber Sententiarum, Bk IV, D. 24, c. 140 (10); my translation--sorry, I don’t have a Latin transcription):
"A deacon’s duty is to assist priests and minister/help all those things performed in the sacraments of Christ; namely, in baptism, in anointing [of the sick], in the paten and chalice, and also to carry the offerings and place them on the altar. Also to prepare and vest the Lord’s table [i.e., altar], to carry the cross, and to preach (predicare) the Gospel and Epistle to the people. For just as the Old Testament ordered lectors to preach, so the New orders deacons. The duty of praying for and reciting the names of catechumens also pertains to the deacon."
Aquinas elaborates on this passage in SumTh III, Q. 67.
Maskell cites thirteenth-century admonitions to the seven clerical orders at the beginning of the Sarum pontifical. They claim authority from Lombard but aren’t direct quotes. The original is in “Monumenta Ritualia Ecclesiae Anglicanae,” 2nd ed. v. 2 (Oxford, 1882), pp. 237-49. Here’s a translation from William Dohar’s and my “Pastors and the Care of Souls in Medieval England” (pp. 66-67).
"They also receive from the bishop the Book of the Gospels by which they know they are heralds of the Gospel of Christ. For as lectors read the Old Testament, deacons preach the New Testament, in particular the Gospel, which they alone may proclaim in church. They are obliged to assist the priests in any sacramental ministry such as baptism, confirmation, bringing up and setting down the paten, chalice and offerings at the altar, arranging and dressing the Lord's table, carrying the cross and preaching on the gospel and the epistles. They also serve as announcers, calling out names. They are to urge people to attend to the Lord and to pray. They also proclaim and announce Christ's peace."
Best,
John
----- Original Message -----
From: "James Bugslag" <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Tuesday, April 2, 2013 6:51:33 PM
Subject: Re: [M-R] preaching in cathedrals
medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Hello John,
I wonder if you might explain a bit further about archdeacons and deacons.
Jim
________________________________________
From: medieval-religion - Scholarly discussions of medieval religious culture [[log in to unmask]] on behalf of John Briggs [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: April 2, 2013 5:07 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [M-R] preaching in cathedrals
medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
On 02/04/2013 22:34, James Bugslag wrote:
>
> Many thanks, James and Christopher. I was principally concerned with whether deacons might have preached, and it seems they did.
This would have been particularly true, of course, in the days when
archdeacons were deacons.
John Briggs
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--
John Shinners
Professor, Schlesinger Chair in Humanistic Studies
Saint Mary's College
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