Would you interrupt an offensive homily?

[Nick]

My wife always seems hear the bad homilies…

I know I’ve told this first story once before:

Before we were married, my wife went to mass at her normal parish. Rather than have a normal homily, the monseigneur had certain members of the parish perform a skit. He had a role in it, but he was not the person who was explaining the scriptures in the process. So, for all practical purposes, the lay people gave the homily. At the end of the homily, an old man in a wheelchair wheeled his way up to the altar, told the priest he was committing a mortal sin by having lay people give the homily, then went back to his previous location. (That was in Texas, btw).

A few weeks ago, she was working at a summer camp here in MA, and she went to Mass at a local parish. This happened to be the Sunday after the state legislature refused to allow the issue of gay marriage to be on the 2008 ballot. In the homily, the priest said that “The Catholic Church teaches us to hate gay people” and that “He is more open if anyone needs to speak with him on these matters.”

So, in either of these situations, would you have acted like the old man and challenged the priest in the middle of the homily, would you have talked to him after mass, or would you have done nothing? Honestly, I think I would have done nothing. I’m still planning on drafting a letter to the local bishop about the latter scenario.

It is not right to assume to know whether or not someone else’s sin is mortal.

Interrupting the Mass to correct the priest might be grave matter. Someone should “Ask an Apologist” to be sure however.

Fraternal Correction from newadvent.com

 

[Father_of_8]

The important distinction is whether or not a person interrupts the homily. Quietly leaving the church during a scandalous homily should not constitute an interruption since it could happen at any time for various reasons. Other people will not know the reason why someone leaves. Saying or doing something that draws attention would be an interruption. If a priest has caused a scandal by saying or doing something blatently wrong, such as denying some doctrine of the Church or publicly attacking the Pope, then it is our duty to obey the higher authority and remove ourselves from an occasion of sin. As someone else pointed out, Jesus did not silently watch as the temple was being desecrated by the greedy and corrupt temple priests. We should not sit and watch silently while a greedy priest feeds his ego by putting himself above the Church. We are called to be obedient, but when a priest abuses his authority, we must be obedient to a higher authority, Christ and His Church.

 

[Malcolm_McLean]

As someone else pointed out, Jesus did not silently watch as the temple was being desecrated by the greedy and corrupt temple priests. We should not sit and watch silently while a greedy priest feeds his ego by putting himself above the Church. We are called to be obedient, but when a priest abuses his authority, we must be obedient to a higher authority, Christ and His Church.

That’s fine, as long as you are prepared to accept the consequences of declaring yourself a greater authority than the parish priest.

 

[Father_of_8]

It wouldn’t be about me declaring myself to be a greater authority than a parish priest or anything. It would be about being obedient to the truth as the Church teaches it, not as some priest with an agenda teaches it.

 

[bankerdavid]

Our priest is very liberal and we’re fairly conservative, but I’ve yet to interrupt the homily. I would speak to him later (we see him at social events away from Mass frequently, and have him over for dinner on occasion). Not in a homily, but in a Bible study class, he condemned the Crusades-not the atrocities that happened during the Crusades, the entire Crusades. I didn’t say anything during the class, but chatted with him afterward. We’ve had to tell him to tone down his political rhetoric, at least stop personal attacks on politicians.

We all have to remember that these men are MEN. They need corrective action the same way we do-many times worse. We need to know that the Devil goes after priests even more than he does us.

So it is proper to discuss disagreements and improper teaching, but not during Mass. I am not a fan of Cardinal Mahoney of LA, but if I went to Mass at his cathedral, I would not interrupt him, and would have a hard time with anyone who did. Remember, with all the babies crying, bad singing, bad liturgists, etc. the Mass is still where we experience heaven on earth, and it should be treated as such.

 

[Father_of_8]

Again, I would never interrupt a homily by saying or doing anything to draw attention. But I would quietly leave if something truly offensive took place. I would take the matter up with the priest at a later time in private out of respect for him. For those who might think that even leaving quietly is wrong to do, what would you do if a priest made an outrageous statement like one of the following? “Most victims of child abuse are liars and got what they deserved!” Or, “Sometimes it’s necessary to choose an abortion.” Or, “All non-Christians will not be saved.” I could not stay after hearing something like that or else I would feel like I’m condoning or agreeing with his statements. I would go to another Mass that day and pray for that priest and the congregation.

 

[Teeliumtrozzle]

I wouldn’t have dared.But sometimes I hear bad or pointless homilies.A few weeks ago we had a silly story that didnt make sense and had nothing to do with the Gospel.When stuff like that happens, I just ignore it and say some prayers instead.

 

[bpbasilphx]

<<As someone else pointed out, Jesus did not silently watch as the temple was being desecrated by the greedy and corrupt temple priests. We should not sit and watch silently while a greedy priest feeds his ego by putting himself above the Church. We are called to be obedient, but when a priest abuses his authority, we must be obedient to a higher authority, Christ and His Church.
—End Quote—
That’s fine, as long as you are prepared to accept the consequences of declaring yourself a greater authority than the parish priest. >>

Or if you are on the spiritual level of Jesus Christ Himself.

 

[rpp]

I sat outside the church until the homily was over then returned to the Mass though. That remains valid no matter who the priest.

Sitting tall in your pew with your fingers planted squarely in your ears may have been another option.

 

[Moneo]

I’ve had more than my fair share of irritating, childish, stupid and/or materially-if-not-formally-heretical homilies in the course of my 27 years as a Catholic. An alarming and inordinate number of them occurred while pursuing a Religious Studies degree at two different universities, often in the context of masses offered by the Campus Sinister … ehrm, I meant Minister …

Now, I do *not *think it would be appropriate to interrupt a homily, no matter how bad or wrong it was, although I admit that it’s been terribly difficult to restrain myself on several occasions.

I’ve two stories to share to illustrate: a friend and I did once walk out of a Mass where the Campus Ministry team (with the willing collaboration of the priest) decided to have a skit in the place of the Gospel reading. The Gospel was the Parable of the Prodigal Son, which got changed to the Prodigal Daughter on this particular Sunday evening, complete with clowns, clunky acoustic guitars, shrill singing voices and hammy acting. About thrity seconds into it, my friend and I (who were close to the front of the chapel, near the sanctuary) looked at one another, glared in unison at the priest and his cohorts, stood up and walked out in the middle of the Gospel “performance”. It was a relatively small chapel and there was no way to be discreet about our exit. Which was the point in any case, although we didn’t go out of our way to draw attention to ourselves and we left as quietly as possible. We subsequently went to Mass in a nearby parish half an hour later. I believe that was the last time we ever bothered with Campus Ministry masses.

The second took place in the context of a vocations retreat back when I was considering the possibility of a vocation to religious life. At the Mass in the motherhouse on the final Sunday of the retreat, the entire sequence of the Liturgy of the Word was altered with readings occurring before the Kyrie and biblical readings that were once again altered to reflect a feminist perspective. The story of Abraham’s call from the OT got rewritten to be told from the point of view of Sarah (!!), for example, and a sister (who was one of the spiritual directors on this men’s vocation retreat … go figure …) got up to read the Gospel. Then (brace yourselves, people …) the Mass was halted and we broke for breakfast between the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist!! :bigyikes:

Yes, I ate breakfast. At this point I had no intention of receiving Communion as I was convinced that it would not even be a valid consecration by the time we got around to it anyway. But while a group of we candidates were sitting there, some bewildered and others furious, Sister came over and sat down at the table with us. Among other things, she asked us what we thought about the Mass. Most of the other guys at the table were in their early 20s and were clearly uncomfortable but were too polite or unsure of themselves to express an opinion. I, on the other hand, was by34 and by this time had had more than my fill of this kind of nonsense over the years, so I looked Sister squarely in the eye and said “Would you mind telling me why the hell we’re eating breakfast in the middle of the Mass?”

“It’s to make an important point.”

“And what would that be then, Sister?”

“That the Eucharist can’t be separated from the rest of our everyday activities. All of life is Eucharist.” :doh2:

“Indeed? I see. Now, Sister, surely you don’t mean to suggest that Our Lord is present Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the bacon and eggs, do you?”

She just stared at me. Then she got up from the table and walked away. The others at the table were flabbergasted, but most of them were laughing. My Spider-senses told me that Sister had struck my name off the candidates’ list before she’d even got to her feet. Not that it mattered; I’d struck that particular community off the list about 36 hours ealier (yes, folks, this Mass was only the icing on the cake of a very lo-o-ong retreat weekend).

So the point is, I’ve been there for some really awful ones, but I would never disrupt the Mass itself. Walk out, yes. Confront or challenge outside the Mass, yes. But not shout out or correct the priest during a homily.

God bless.