John the Deacon (fl. 500) was a deacon in the Church of Rome during the pontificate of Pope Symmachus (498–514). He is known only from an epistle he wrote to a Senarius, a vir illustris who had asked him to explain aspects of Christian initiatory practice. John's response provides a "rather full description" of the catechumenal process and initiation rites at Rome at the beginning of the 6th century.

John describes his first-hand experience of the liturgical rites of initiation as practiced at Rome, and the theology behind them.[1] Two specific rites, namely a cross traced on the forehead and a taste of blessed salt, marked the entrance into the catechumenate,[2] "so the mind which is drenched and weakened by the waves of this world is held steady".[3]

John also covers prebaptismal exorcisms; the anointing of the ears, nostrils, and breast of the candidate; the use of milk and honey for first communion; ritual nudity and immersion; special white clothing for the newly baptized; and the need for even infants to undergo the process, saying that "Their salvation should come through other people's profession, since their damnation came by another's fault."

References

  1. ↑ Pignot, Matthieu. The Catechumenate in Late Antique Africa, Brill, 2020, p. 318 ISBN 9789004431904
  2. ↑ William Harmless, 1995 Augustine and the Catechumenate ISBN 0-8146-6132-7 page 80
  3. ↑ Aidan Kavanagh, 1991 The Shape of Baptism: The Rite of Christian Initiation p. 59

Sources

  • Maxwell E. Johnson, The Rites of Christian Initiation: Their Evolution and Interpretation. Liturgical Press, 2nd ed. 2007, pp. 164–168.
  • For an English translation of a portion of John's letter, see Maxwell E. Johnson, The Rites of Christian Initiation pp. 165ff., limited preview online.


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