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

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National Directory for Permanent Deacons

to the Magisterium of the Church. This integrated intellectual forma tion is meant to support and prepare the deacon for his primary min isterial roles of word, liturgy, and charity. 36 Based on Scripture and Tradition, the documents of the Second Vatican Council, the Catechism of the Catholic Church , the General Directory for Catechesis , 37 and the National Directory for Catechesis of the USCCB, this formation must take into account the following theological and practical content: a. Introduction to Sacred Scripture and its authentic interpretation; the theology of the Old and New Testaments; the interrelations among Scripture, Tradition, and the Magisterium; the use of Scripture in spiritual formation, preaching, evangelization, catechesis, and pas toral activity in general b. Introduction to the study of the Fathers of the Church and an ele mentary knowledge of the history of the Church c. Fundamental theology, with illustration of the sources; topics and methods of theology; presentation of the questions relating to Revelation and the formulation of the relationship between faith and reason, which will enable the participant to explain the reason ableness of the faith 38 d. Dogmatic theology, with its various treatises: Trinity, creation, Christology, ecclesiology including the Church as a communion of Churches (Latin and Eastern Catholic Churches sui iuris ), 39 ecu menism, Mariology, Christian anthropology, sacraments (especially theology of the ordained ministry), and eschatology e. Christian morality in its personal, familial, and social dimensions, including the Church’s teaching on sexuality, the social doctrine of the Church, and health care ethics

36 37

See ADUS.

GDC, no. 120.

38 See St. John Paul II, Encyclical On the Relationship Between Faith and Reason ( Fides et Ratio ) (Washington, DC: United States Catholic Conference, 1998). 39 Committee on the Relationship between Eastern and Latin Catholic Churches, NCCB, Eastern Catholics in the United States of America (Washington, DC: United States Catholic Conference, 1999).

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