A new first for me

[celticcrusader]

I experenced another first this past Sat. eve. at mass, after Father proclaimed the word of the gospel to us , Father sat down and let a laywomen preach the homily to us I was speechless to say yhe least.I almost walked out of church. after mass I put a call into Father after looking up the homily section about rules in the GIRM & code of cannon law , allI got was the answering machine at the rectory so I left a message about my concerns and backed it up with the GIRM, is this happining in other parishs???

 

[japhy]

I experenced another first this past Sat. eve. at mass, after Father proclaimed the word of the gospel to us , Father sat down and let a laywomen preach the homily to us.

Sigh.

Not in my New Jersey! And you’re in the Paterson Diocese, faithfully served by His Excellence Bishop Arthur Serratelli, chairman of the USSCB Committee on Divine Worship. If you hear nothing back from your pastor, inform your bishop! He will act accordingly.

 

[rosarygirl7]

Crazy! That is definitely not right. We have only had our deacon read the Gospel and preach the homily besides our priest, never anyone else! Wonder whose idea that was?!

 

[celticcrusader]

yes I am . also I am hoping I do not have to contact the Bishop.The really sad thing is no one else seemed bothered by it except for maybe 1or2 others? unless everyone else will be calling Father also

 

[benedictgal]

Here is the citation from Redemptionis Sacramentum;

[64.] The homily, which is given in the course of the celebration of Holy Mass and is a part of the Liturgy itself,142 “should ordinarily be given by the Priest celebrant himself. He may entrust it to a concelebrating Priest or occasionally, according to circumstances, to a Deacon, but never to a layperson.143 In particular cases and for a just cause, the homily may even be given by a Bishop or a Priest who is present at the celebration but cannot concelebrate”.144

Furthermore, in 1997, the Congregation for Clergy released a document concerning the collaboration of the faithful in the sacred ministry of the priest. The document says, in part:

The homily, therefore, during the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, must be reserved to the sacred minister, Priest or Deacon(69) to the exclusion of the non-ordained faithful, even if these should have responsibilities as “pastoral assistants” or catechists in whatever type of community or group. This exclusion is not based on the preaching ability of sacred ministers nor their theological preparation, but on that function which is reserved to them in virtue of having received the Sacrament of Holy Orders. For the same reason the diocesan Bishop cannot validly dispense from the canonical norm(70) since this is not merely a disciplinary law but one which touches upon the closely connected functions of teaching and sanctifying.

For the same reason, the practice, on some occasions, of entrusting the preaching of the homily to seminarians or theology students who are not clerics(71) is not permitted. Indeed, the homily should not be regarded as a training for some future ministry.

All previous norms which may have admitted the non-ordained faithful to preaching the homily during the Holy Eucharist are to be considered abrogated by canon 767, § 1.(72)

I hope that this helps.

 

[benedictgal]

Here is the citation from Redemptionis Sacramentum;

[64.] The homily, which is given in the course of the celebration of Holy Mass and is a part of the Liturgy itself,142 “should ordinarily be given by the Priest celebrant himself. He may entrust it to a concelebrating Priest or occasionally, according to circumstances, to a Deacon, but never to a layperson.143 In particular cases and for a just cause, the homily may even be given by a Bishop or a Priest who is present at the celebration but cannot concelebrate”.144

Furthermore, in 1997, the Congregation for Clergy released a document concerning the collaboration of the faithful in the sacred ministry of the priest. The document says, in part:

The homily, therefore, during the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, must be reserved to the sacred minister, Priest or Deacon(69) to the exclusion of the non-ordained faithful, even if these should have responsibilities as “pastoral assistants” or catechists in whatever type of community or group. This exclusion is not based on the preaching ability of sacred ministers nor their theological preparation, but on that function which is reserved to them in virtue of having received the Sacrament of Holy Orders. For the same reason the diocesan Bishop cannot validly dispense from the canonical norm(70) since this is not merely a disciplinary law but one which touches upon the closely connected functions of teaching and sanctifying.

For the same reason, the practice, on some occasions, of entrusting the preaching of the homily to seminarians or theology students who are not clerics(71) is not permitted. Indeed, the homily should not be regarded as a training for some future ministry.

All previous norms which may have admitted the non-ordained faithful to preaching the homily during the Holy Eucharist are to be considered abrogated by canon 767, § 1.(72)

I hope that this helps.