Abstract

After the promulgation by the Pope John Paul II of the Code for the Latin Church, deacon received the possibility to assist at the marriage under normal conditions on the basis of a delegation from the local ordinary or a pastor. Deacons should fulfill this function outside the Mass, however not towards marriages of the faithful of the Latin Church with a faithful of the Eastern Church (Catholic and Non-Catholic).Delegating the deacon should be held according to the same principles as delegating the priest. The instructions announced after the 1983 Code, enacted by the Polish Bishop’s Conference and the translations of the ceremonies into Polish do not mention any limits for the deacons to be The Official Witness of Marriage. According to the Polish law, the deacon can assists in the solemnization of the concordats marriage.
The aim of this article is to present the evolution of the universal laws and Polish particular laws, regulating the possibility of deacons assisting at marriages unto the promulgation of the Code of the Canon Law by the Pope John Paul II in 1983.