KANONICKOPRÁVNÍ ŘEŠENÍ OBTÍŽNÝCH ŽIVOTNÍCH SITUACÍ TRVALÝCH JÁHNŮ

The article attempts to evaluate the possible canonical solutions to certain painful situations related to the life and service of permanent deacons. It begins with a delimitation of the status of permanent deacons and consequently attempts to introduce a typology of issues connected with their situation. This arises out of various types of deacon life-status: permanent celibate deaconacy (within a diocese or in a certain institute of consecrated life or in an association of apostolic life), the non-celibate deaconacy of married men or the deaconacy of widowers. The canonical procedures deal with the laicization of a deacon – either of a married or a celibate one (at his own request or as an effect of a penalty) as well as with the case of a widowed married deacon intending to enter into a new marriage, for which case the canonical law appoints the impediment of sacred orders (can. 1087). Subsequently, additional procedures are described, as the proclamation of the invalidity of deaconal ordination, the dismissal from the clerical state of a religious deacon as well as the penalty dismissal from a religious institution, and other problematic situations. The author states that the canonical solutions predominantly appear only when the pastoral possibilities are exhausted and when it is necessary to solve the statutory issues or questions about the validity and liceity of certain acts.