After the Vatican Council II in the Catholic Church the service of permanent deacons has been restored. In the world there are over 37 thousand of them. In Poland the first deacons were ordained in 2008. The service of permanent deacons is the restoration of the permanent and proper level of holy orders, and in consequence it consolidates and enriches the hierarchical structure. At the same time it is a gift for the whole Church understood as a community of complementary states, offices, services and charismas. In Poland, for various reasons, there is a risk that permanent deaconate will be treated as a pastoral experiment. If this happens so, it would be a damage to the development and the deserved place for the deacons' service, but also in a way it would be wasting the chance to consolidate the communal character of the Church.
The article compares how the documents of the CBK National framework programme of priestly formation and the Guidelines for the formation, life and ministry of permanent deacons in the Czech Republic take into account the different mission of deacons and priests in the Church in their preparation for their service and subsequent permanent formation. An emphasis on solidarity, knowledge of the social teaching of the Church, the diakonia of the Word of God, liturgy and charity and charity work readiness predominate in the formation of the diaconal ministry. A particular emphasis is placed on the formation of the entire family of a married deacon. The formation of priests, in contrast, emphasizes his role as a pastor and teacher with a greater emphasis on knowledge and the ability to lead God‘s people to the freedom to follow Christ.
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