Doctrine from the pulpit, please

[MattB]

This has been really gnawing at me, and I’d like to hear other people’s thoughts. Last Saturday I happened upon a TV show about some “street evangelist” who is approaching people and asking them about their sins and where they will spend eternity, etc. This particular episode was an outreach to the homosexual community, and was actually pretty interesting. Then… They interviewed one professed homosexual and started asking him about sin, etc. He said something to the effect of, “Well, I was raised Catholic, but I don’t go to services anymore, and well, I don’t really know what I believe.” This troubled me for many reasons, not the least of which was that he wasn’t educated enough in the faith to understand it, not to mention espouse it. And then… When I went to Mass the next day, the sermon was, once again, a couple of jokes followed by a cute story or two that kinda (maybe) related to the Gospel. Lots of happy smiles and laughter, but no doctrine. This is not isolated, as I’m sure many of you know. But, in light of what I saw with this young confused “homosexual” man, and what I see almost daily in terms of lost souls and people who don’t understand Christ’s Church, it has become frustrating in the extreme. God’s children, people who want to follow Christ, are begging for solid moral leadership and teaching from the Church, and most are going to get it, if at all, from the pulpit. This is a serious matter, involving people’s souls and eternal life. Homilies are not chances to joke around and tell cute stories.

Sorry for the rant – I feel a little better now. I look forward to hearing other people’s views on this.

 

[Deacon_Ed]

Matt,

You are not alone! In my diocese the bishop asked for feedback from the laity, and the number one request was more catechesis in the homilies. Consequently, he has directed the priests and deacons to do just that.

Deacon Ed

 

[MattB]

Very interesting, Deacon Ed, and I’m glad to hear it. I truly believe that most people are starving for the Truth and for moral leadership. Incidentally, I know your diocese well – I grew up in it!

 

[Elzee]

Deacon Ed - how did your Bishop go about doing this? I would love to recommend it to my Bishop. Was it a questionnaire, survey? Was it administered by each parish for the diocese, or did it come directly from the Bishop’s office?

 

[JimG]

I second the motion for more doctrinal homilies.

It is sorely needed.

We underwent a transition where the homilies were supposed to be reflections on the readings of the day. The end result was lots of scriptural reflection, little or no doctrine, and just at a time when catechesis in the schools was at its lowest point in generations.

 

[stbruno]

By definition, the homiletic method is to be conversation, not just strictly catechesis, but with the current trend of poor catechesis, the homilist really needs to do some traditional teaching because it sadly has been lacking for so many in the pews.

Our deacon has a regular bulletin article and always promotes it there and even suggests websites where you can learn more about the topic since time and space limits his catechesis.
Whether people go further for personal study…only they know.

 

[Deacon_Ed]

Elzee:

Deacon Ed - how did your Bishop go about doing this? I would love to recommend it to my Bishop. Was it a questionnaire, survey? Was it administered by each parish for the diocese, or did it come directly from the Bishop’s office?

It was a diocesan-wide survey with the results handed in to each parish which, in turn, sent them on to the diocese. If one were doing this as a commercial venture the results weren’t spectacular – only about 3% of the people responded (at least, the last I heard). But, the trend was pretty convincing.

Deacon Ed

 

[MattB]

What is the best way for us, mere worshipers in the pews, to “suggest” the need for more substantive homilies? I have attended many other denomination’s services, and one thing that impresses me is the clear delivery of doctrine. I would like a way to “arm” Catholics with the truth about our religion, so we can defend our faith from ever-increading and multiple attacks.

 

[Contarini]

JimG:

I second the motion for more doctrinal homilies.

It is sorely needed.

We underwent a transition where the homilies were supposed to be reflections on the readings of the day. The end result was lots of scriptural reflection, little or no doctrine, and just at a time when catechesis in the schools was at its lowest point in generations.

Jim,

I’ve heard quite a lot of Catholic sermons in my day (I’m an RCIA dropout, and the preaching had something to do with the dropping out . . . .), and I wouldn’t characterize most of them as “scriptural reflection.” They use the text as a jumping-off point, but usually spend most of their time making some kind of trite moral observation.

What post-Vatican-II preaching is supposed to do (and what good Episcopalian preachers manage to do–and the two or three good Catholic preachers I’ve heard also do this) is relate the readings to the central mysteries of the Faith. Scriptural reflection isn’t supposed to exclude doctrinal instruction–it’s supposed to be the starting point for it. All Christian doctrine, after all, is rooted in Scripture. The problem isn’t that priests are told to comment on the readings. The problem is that they aren’t taught an understanding of the Faith that relates all of Catholic theology to Scripture. The real culprit, I think, is an over-reliance on historical-critical exegesis. My guess is that priests are taught in seminary that the main way to interpret Scripture is historical criticism, which leaves them with few resources for linking exegesis with theology or even with practical Christian living. So they wind up making banal comments about how this teaches us to be nice people, and sitting down.

One thing I’m certain of–they must be taught to preach that badly. No one could be as bad as some of the priests I’ve heard without intensive training.

On the positive side, things seem to be getting better. I’ve heard two good Catholic sermons this year–which if we don’t count the Eastern Churches comes to about half the good Catholic sermons I’ve heard in my whole life (and the others were in Bavaria).

Edwin