PETER TOROT RADIO

In a clear response to recent requests, the Vatican’s Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments has firmly stated that the homily during Mass remains reserved exclusively to priests and deacons.

The clarification comes after German bishops sought an indult (special permission) to allow laypeople to preach the homily. In a letter dated June 17, the Dicastery rejected the proposal, emphasizing that the homily is an integral part of the Liturgy of the Word and, by its nature, is tied to the Sacrament of Holy Orders.

According to longstanding Church teaching (Canon 767 §1 and the General Instruction of the Roman Missal #66), the homily “should ordinarily be given by the priest celebrant himself… but never to a layperson.”

This decision underscores the Church’s commitment to preserving the distinct roles of the ordained ministry in the sacred liturgy, even amid pastoral challenges and calls for greater lay involvement in some regions.

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