anglefire Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 I was at church a couple of weeks ago and a lay person delivered the homily. At first I thought I was wrong maybe I wasn't paying attention but no I was paying attention. Now she gave a good one but I was and am still disturbed by the whole situation. I have never encountered this before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nihil Obstat Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 Redemptionis Sacramentum says the following: [64.] The homily, which is given in the course of the celebration of Holy Mass and is a part of the Liturgy itself,[142] “should ordinarily be given by the Priest celebrant himself. He may entrust it to a concelebrating Priest or occasionally, according to circumstances, to a Deacon, but never to a layperson.[143] In particular cases and for a just cause, the homily may even be given by a Bishop or a Priest who is present at the celebration but cannot concelebrateâ€.[144] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blazeingstar Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 Are you sure it was a lay person and not a Religious Sister? I know that sometimes religious mission sisters give homilies where I'm from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anglefire Posted July 10, 2014 Author Share Posted July 10, 2014 No she wasn't a religious sister she is a Eucharist minister Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nihil Obstat Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 Are you sure it was a lay person and not a Religious Sister? I know that sometimes religious mission sisters give homilies where I'm from. A religious sister is not permitted to give a homily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nihil Obstat Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 Essentially, only those people in major orders, i.e. at least deacons (and then only rarely), and preferably priests. R.S. also appears to exclude minor orders, not that it often a real concern. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blazeingstar Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 Well, being an EM does not preclude professed vows. Religious Sisters can come in all flavors. That said, go to the bishop if this is the case. Really, if you know 100% for sure she doesn't have a binding covenantal relationship to the church, (namely the vow of obedience to the bishop or a superior) then there is no excuse that this was allowed. A few more questions for you to answer: Was it the "whole" homily, or did the priest give a brief homily before hand and then allow this woman to speak during Mass (not really allowed, but not expressly forbidden) Was she reading material written by a priest/deacon? I know a decon's wife once delivered a homily he'd written because the priest was elderly and ill, and the deacon had laryngitis. The bishop was o.k. with this as deaconate is a family endeavor. However, it was an extreme circumstance. No matter what it can't hurt to have a chat with the bishop. If he is aware, and he allowed a layperson to speak on their own accord, it is very scary, and maybe even Vaticaican material. If he was aware, but there was some sort of allowable circumstance (like above) he will be able to inform you. If he was not aware, yet does nothing to correct the problem....again Vatican. If he was not aware, he can get the right questions asked. Bishops are not almighty. They have no idea what's going on at each Mass and at each parish. It's up to parishioners to stand up and defend them when the time is right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nihil Obstat Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 Well, being an EM does not preclude professed vows. Religious Sisters can come in all flavors. That said, go to the bishop if this is the case. Really, if you know 100% for sure she doesn't have a binding covenantal relationship to the church, (namely the vow of obedience to the bishop or a superior) then there is no excuse that this was allowed. Does not matter if she was a sister. Only priests or deacons (in other words only clerics in major orders) can give homilies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anglefire Posted July 10, 2014 Author Share Posted July 10, 2014 Father never said a word before or after her. She is a member of our church. Another thing she talked about her ministry and the homily was very different from fr.. Also one more question has anyone heard from a priest that god is both male and female? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Credo in Deum Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 Father never said a word before or after her. She is a member of our church. Another thing she talked about her ministry and the homily was very different from fr.. Also one more question has anyone heard from a priest that god is both male and female? No, since this would not be correct. God is neither male or female. Maybe the priest was talking about this?: 239 By calling God "Father", the language of faith indicates two main things: that God is the first origin of everything and transcendent authority; and that he is at the same time goodness and loving care for all his children. God's parental tenderness can also be expressed by the image of motherhood,62 which emphasizes God's immanence, the intimacy between Creator and creature. The language of faith thus draws on the human experience of parents, who are in a way the first representatives of God for man. But this experience also tells us that human parents are fallible and can disfigure the face of fatherhood and motherhood. We ought therefore to recall that God transcends the human distinction between the sexes. He is neither man nor woman: he is God. He also transcends human fatherhood and motherhood, although he is their origin and standard:63 no one is father as God is Father. 370 In no way is God in man's image. He is neither man nor woman. God is pure spirit in which there is no place for the difference between the sexes. But the respective "perfections" of man and woman reflect something of the infinite perfection of God: those of a mother and those of a father and husband.241 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anglefire Posted July 10, 2014 Author Share Posted July 10, 2014 The priest said God the father and God the mother therefore he is both male and female. God had 2 sides. Maybe I am dense and didn't get it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Credo in Deum Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 Well if it is possible, maybe you could ask him to clarify what he said? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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