Homily written by lay person but delivered by a priest

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@TomH1 is right - the homily must only be delivered by a priest or deacon (there are a few exceptions to this but we’ll leave those aside). What Blessed Miriam Teresa Demjanovich wrote were conferences (like spiritual talks) not homilies at mass. At the same time though, in preparing their homilies, priests will often draw on a wide variety of source material and of course there’s no footnoting required!

Some priests have been known to use complete homilies taken of of the internet or from books (first person stories which clearly couldn’t have happened to them are a dead giveaway) simply because it’s easier than coming up with something to say each week (never mind each day). Of course I’m not saying that this is a good thing, I’m just saying it happens and it’s really not all that different to what the OP’s talking about. So what the OP’s priest is doing isn’t strictly against the rules (you could argue that if he didn’t agree with what was written he wouldn’t read it) but at the same time is a long way off of what would be expected of him.
 
But still a lay person. Every sister I have ever known has said the same.
And not all sisters are nuns. Most people don’t “know” nuns from the community, they know “sisters”.
Nun refers to a religious sister who lives in a cloister, away from the world.
Sister we know from work in our schools, hospitals, and other ministries in the community are not Nuns.

All nuns are sisters, but not all sisters are nuns, and all of them are lay, because they are not clerics.
 
Is it possible your issue with this has nothing to do so with the arrangement per se but potentially a latent or unresolved issue with your mother-in-law that is manifesting through thus arrangement?

For example would you be okay with any other lay person doing this provided the homilies were good?

Does your inlaw take issues with you outside of the homily and to quote, take you out behind the woodshed?
 
But they are not clerics.
Are you saying the the 2 sisters, both presidents of their respective congregations and one Mother Superior of a cloistered convent all lied to me?
 
If it is doctrinally sound and true to the text, I don’t see an issue. The priest I assume is ensuring that it is both of the above before delivering it in the homily. I also assume that the writer has no objection.
 
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The Catechism would seem to concur with (name removed by moderator).

“[897] The term ‘laity’ is here understood to mean all the faithful except those in Holy Orders and those who belong to a religious state approved by the Church.”

Also, Canon Law:

“Can. 588 §[1]. By its very nature, the state of consecrated life is neither clerical nor lay.”

Additionally, see Lumen Gentium, Ch.6, “Religious”.
 
Not all religious are consecrated, thwre are also societies of apostolic life.

From the USCCB-

Societies of Apostolic Life​

  1. Alongside the different forms of consecrated life are “societies of apostolic life whose members without religious vows pursue the particular apostolic purpose of their society, and lead a life as brothers or sisters in common according to a particular manner of life, strive for the perfection of charity through the observance of the constitutions. Among these there are societies in which the members embrace the evangelical counsels” according to their constitutions.
And with that I am done with this.
It ia not relevant to the OP.

To which the answer is, if that is what the priest wants to do, there is no rule that says he can’t.
 
ChemicalBean said:
Also, Canon Law:

“Can. 588 §[1]. By its very nature, the state of consecrated life is neither clerical nor lay.”
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Prooftext much? 😉

Look at the next two sections in c.588. They clarify that there are clerics who are consecrated religious, and there are laity who are consecrated religious. Therefore, we can’t claim that, by definition, all consecrated religious are not clerics. (However, we can be pretty sure that all nuns and sisters are not clerics. 😉 )

So, section 3 clearly demonstrates that an institute (such as an order of nuns) who does not have clerics, is a lay institute. QED.
 
Gorgias said:
Actually, nuns and monks are lay persons. Consecrated religious , but lay.
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I think we’re being precise to the detriment of accuracy. It’s kind of like the term “secular” priest - it sounds like an oxymoron because the word secular is used differently in common practice.
 
If the homily is theologically sound, I don’t see a massive problem with it. I’d consider it helping to lighten the priest’s load.

On the other hand, I don’t think it should be made a habit. Delivering homilies is a pretty big part of a priest (or deacon’s) ministry, and I think that they should come from the minister’s “heart”, not someone else’s.
 
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TheLittleLady said:
Some priests subscribe to “homily services”. There is no rule that priests have to compose their own homilies. If someone recognizes they do not have a gift for writing homilies, seeking out someone to assist is a wise thing!
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I agree! My priest, who is an excellent homilist, often paraphrases or outright quotes the homilies of the Church Fathers. He openly talks about his weekly email that “tells him what to say”. One time, I complimented him on a homily and he told me "Thank my wife. I was stuck, so she wrote it for me. "

I agree that it is a little strange that a priest would have someone else regularly write his homilies, but I don’t see anything wrong with it. It is no different from a canned homily from a service. The homily must be delivered by a priest or deacon; there is no rule that it must be written by one.
 
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Can’t go too far astray, using the Church Fathers. I wish more priests would.
 
From the Catholic Encyclopedia:

Laity means the body of the faithful, outside of the ranks of the clergy. This article treats the subject under three heads: (1) General Idea; (2) Duties and Rights of the Laity; (3) Privileges and Restrictions of the Laity.
 
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ChemicalBean said:
The Catechism would seem to concur with (name removed by moderator).

“[897] The term ‘laity’ is here understood to mean all the faithful except those in Holy Orders and those who belong to a religious state approved by the Church.”

Also, Canon Law:

“Can. 588 §[1]. By its very nature, the state of consecrated life is neither clerical nor lay.”

Additionally, see Lumen Gentium, Ch.6, “Religious”
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And there you have it. The Catechism and Canon Law are authoritative.
 
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One of the major criticisms from the laity is mind boring homilies. Perhaps he recognises a weakness in this area and is trying to improve things for his parishioners
 
The writing of the homilies doesn’t seem so bad to me, if it’s on topic with the readings and of useful guidance to the congregation.
LighthouseRon said:
Many Sundays my wife and I feel like we’re being admonished for not being good enough. I understand that none of us are good enough for God but my opinion, and I understand it’s just my opinion, we as parishioners might be better served by meeting us where we’re at and give some encouragement and less admonishment. Two put it more simply, it’s getting difficult to be taken out behind the woodshed so often.
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This is the only part that isn’t sitting well with me. If there’s any scope for it being targeted criticism towards you and your wife by your MIL… I could be way off base with that idea, but if it were the case that would be very wrong. Also, the fact that if it’s constant admonishment and not much about God’s mercy and love, that strikes me as inadequate preaching, as God’s love and mercy must be taught and understood first and foremost. IMO anyway.
 
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