

874
Glossary
above all the Eucharist, in the
distribution of Holy Communion,
in assisting at and blessing
marriages, in the proclamation
of the Gospel and preaching,
in presiding over funerals, and
in dedicating themselves to the
various ministries of charity.
While the Churches of the East
have always had a functioning
order of deacons, in the West
the permanent diaconate was
reestablished by the Second
Vatican Council (1569, 1571).
DECALOGUE:
The Ten
Commandments (literally,
“ten words”) given by God
to Moses on Sinai. In order to
be faithful to the teaching of
Jesus, the Decalogue must be
interpreted in the light of the great
commandment of love of God
and neighbor (2055, 2056).
See
Commandment.
DEFINITION, DOGMATIC:
A solemn declaration by an
ecumenical council or by the Pope
that a doctrine is revealed by
God and must be believed by the
universal Church; such definitions
are called infallible, and must be
adhered to with the obedience of
faith (891).
DEMON:
See
Devil/Demon.
DEPOSIT OF FAITH:
The
heritage of faith contained in
Sacred Scripture and Tradition,
handed on in the Church from
the time of the Apostles, from
which the Magisterium draws all
that it proposes for belief as being
divinely revealed (84; cf. 1202).
DESCENT INTO HELL:
An
article in the Apostles’ Creed
referring to the victory over death
and sin which Christ won by
being “raised from the dead.”
Jesus, like all people, experienced
death and in his soul joined the
others in the realm of the dead,
where he descended as Savior,
proclaiming the Gospel to the
spirits imprisoned there in order
to free the just ones who had gone
before him (632).
DESPAIR:
The abandonment
of hope in salvation and the
forgiveness of sins (2091).
DETRACTION:
Disclosure of
another’s faults and sins, without
an objectively valid reason, to
persons who did not know about
them, thus causing unjust injury
to that person’s reputation (2477).
DEVELOPMENT, DOCTRINAL:
Growth in the understanding of
God’s revelation, which continues
through the contemplation and
study of believers, theological
research, and the preaching of the
Magisterium (94).
DEVIL/DEMON:
A fallen angel,
who sinned against God by
refusing to accept his reign. Satan
or the devil, the Evil One, and the
other demons were at first good
angels, created naturally good,
who became evil by their own
doing (391, 1707; cf. 2851).
DIACONATE:
See
Deacon,
Diaconate.
DIOCESE:
A “particular
church,” a community of the
faithful in communion of faith
and sacraments whose bishop
has been ordained in apostolic
succession. A diocese is usually
a determined geographic area;
sometimes it may be constituted
as a group of people of the same
rite or language. In Eastern
churches, an eparchy (833).