In his video for the month of May, Pope Francis asked Christians to pray for deacons, saying they “are not second-level priests,” but “part of the clergy,” called to serve and live their vocation in and with their family.
The role of deacons was widely discussed during the 2019 Amazon synod. The synod's final document says deacons should “promote integral ecology, human development, social pastoral work and service to those in situations of vulnerability and poverty.”
The pope prays that deacons may be “faithful in their service to the Word and the poor,” and “an invigorating symbol for the entire Church.
