Vatican Denies German Bishops’ Request for Women Sermons at Mass
By Joshua McElwee
Vatican Reaffirms Sermon Rules Amid German Bishops’ Appeal
VATICAN CITY, June 23 (Reuters) - The Vatican on Tuesday reaffirmed a long-standing rule that only an ordained priest or deacon can give a sermon at a Catholic mass, rejecting a request from German bishops to broaden the practice and allow sermons by women or other laypeople.
The Vatican’s Official Statement
"The current discipline cannot be dispensed from," said a release from the Vatican's Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, which oversees worship by the world's 1.4 billion Catholics.
Background on Sermons in Catholic Mass
Many Catholic masses include a sermon, where a priest or a deacon offers a reflection on the day's Bible readings. The German bishops' conference had asked earlier this year for permission for laypeople to also offer sermons.
International Support for Lay Sermons
The German request echoed sentiments from many bishops in the U.S. and other European countries, who say many laypeople are as capable of preaching as priests. They often cite a desire to hear sermons from women, who cannot be ordained in the Catholic Church.
Vatican’s Response and Rationale
The Vatican did not provide its full response to the German bishops, only a press release summarizing its decision.
Theological Basis for Restricting Sermons
"The reservation of the homily to a priest or deacons is not a merely disciplinary norm but derives from the very nature of the liturgy," the release said.
Role of the Priest in the Liturgy
The Catholic Church teaches that during a mass, a priest acts "in persona Christi" (in the person of Christ), and it is God who acts through the priest during worship.
Exceptions and Other Practices
Laypeople are allowed to give sermons at prayer services outside of a mass.
(Reporting by Joshua McElwee, editing by Milla Nissi-Prussak)
