National Directory

129

CANDIDATE STAGE OF DIACONAL FORMATION

Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (November 28, 1997), scrutinies are to take place prior to institution into the ministries of lector and acolyte 30 and prior to ordination to the diaconate. 31 242. Required documentation and procedures for institution into the min istries of lector and acolyte include the following (these are to be fol lowed when petitioning for institution into the ministry of lector and repeated when petitioning for the ministry of acolyte): a. The candidate handwrites his request to be admitted to the specific ministry. This request must be composed by the candidate person ally and written in his own hand; it “may not be copied formulary, or worse, a photocopied text.” 32 b. The director of formation prepares a personal report, which should be detailed, making use of the model found in the Circular Letter and which should include the candidate’s annual self and peer assessments. c. The candidate’s proper pastor is consulted, and he writes a letter of recommendation. d. The committee on admission interviews the candidate’s wife, if he is married, to ascertain her understanding of her husband’s insti tution into these ministries as part of the formation discernment process. e. Faculty and pastoral assignment supervisors provide assessments of the candidate. f. A smaller team from the committee on admission interviews the candidate to ascertain his knowledge of the ministry to be received and his capacity to fulfill its responsibilities. g. Other documentation is provided, as requested by the committee. 33 243. “It should not be permitted that the candidate’s family or the par ish community presume his future Ordination” before the call of the competent authority, especially by mailing invitations or making other preparations for the ordination celebration. “Behavior of this kind can constitute a form of psychological pressure that must be avoided