The National Directory for the Formation, Ministry, and the Life of Permanent Deacons in the United States (Ascension)

NDPD 209

National Directory for Permanent Deacons

209 Each aspirant will be interviewed by the committee on admission to appraise his readiness for admission into the candidate stage of forma tion. The committee will also meet separately with the wife of a married aspirant to ascertain her level of consent and support for her husband’s promotion into candidate formation. Finally, the committee will review all pertinent data on the aspirant. The vote of each member and the rationale for the vote is to be recorded. The director of formation, on behalf of the committee, will prepare “a declaration which outlines the profile of the [aspirant’s personality] . . . and a judgment of suitabili ty.” 20 This declaration, accompanied by the individual vote and rationale of each member of the committee, is prepared for the diocesan bishop, who selects those to be admitted to candidate formation. A copy of the declaration and the diocesan bishop’s letter to the aspirant regarding his acceptance into candidacy, as well as a copy of the personal, handwrit ten, and signed letter of consent prepared by the married aspirant’s wife, is placed in the petitioner’s personal file. 21 IV. THE RITE OF ADMISSION TO CANDIDACY 210 The Rite of Admission to Candidacy is to be celebrated as soon as pos sible after the aspirant is admitted. In this rite, the one who aspires to ordination publicly manifests his will to offer himself to God and the Church to exercise a sacred order. In this way, he is admitted into the ranks of candidates for the diaconate. 22 “Enrollment among the can didates for the diaconate does not constitute any right necessarily to receive diaconal ordination. It is a first official recognition of the positive signs of the vocation to the diaconate, which must be confirmed in the subsequent years of formation.” 23

20 21

BNFPD, no. 44.

CL, enclosure III, especially nos. 4, 6, and 8.

22 St. Paul VI, Apostolic Letter Ministeria Quaedam (August 15, 1972), www.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/la /motu_proprio/documents/hf_p-vi_motu-proprio_19720815_ministeria-quaedam.html (Latin only). Membership in the clerical state occurs at ordination and not at the time of candidacy. 23 BNFPD, no. 48.

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