Klaipėdos universitetas

With the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965), the Catholic Church reintroduced the ministry of the permanent diaconate. Since then, ministers have been living and working in many regions of the world, now also in Lithuania. What is their mission? How will they have a lasting and fruitful impact? This article clarifies which biblical sources of diakonia and diaconate and which early Church texts can provide orientation, and raises the urgent question of a diaconate for women, as only men have been admitted to this ministry to date. This article goes on to examine those sources that can be considered fundamental for the reintroduction of this ministry by the Second Vatican Council, before turning to the Amazon Synod initiated by Pope Francis. The resulting synodal and post-synodal documents are presented, discussed and taken further, towards the vision of a Diaconal Church.

Emotional vulnerability and how to respond to it during the Corona pandemic are the focus of this article from the field of (pastoral) psychology. It outlines strategies for the accompaniment of people in crises and ways in which they deal with crises from monitoring to blunting, from behavioural immune systems to conspiracy theories. Revisiting old patterns of behaviour combined with a narcissistic rejection of one’s own fragility, or closing oneself off in acceptance of the call of a strong leader, as well as influencing social change based on solidarity, three psychological approaches can be identified as a way out of the crisis. It becomes apparent that we are not all in the same boat; on the contrary, the inequality between an inflatable boat and a luxury yacht is becoming more distinct. However, the Christian message of the resurrection of the dead brings hope, with caution and humility. After all, even the Crucified and Resurrected One allowed himself to be identified by his wounds.