• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Effie Caldarola
          • John Garvey
          • Father Ed Dougherty, M.M.
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • CR Media platforms
        • Electronic Edition
  • Advertising
  • Shop
        • Purchase Photos
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
  • CR Radio
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe
Pope Francis greets the crowd as he leads the Angelus from the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter's Square at the Vatican Jan. 22, 2023. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

Long homilies are ‘a disaster,’ keep it under 10 minutes, pope says

January 23, 2023
By Justin McLellan
Catholic News Service
Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News, Worship & Sacraments

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Lengthy, abstract homilies are “a disaster,” so preaching should be limited to 10 minutes, Pope Francis said.

Speaking off the cuff to diocesan liturgical directors Jan. 20, the pope said homilies are not academic conferences. “I sometimes hear people say, ‘I went to this parish, and yes it was a good philosophy lesson, 40, 45 minutes,'” he said.

Pope Francis encouraged priests to keep their homilies to “no more than eight to 10 minutes” and always include in them “a thought, a feeling and an image,” so that “the people may bring something home with them.”

Homilies are “sacramentals” to be “prepared in prayer” and “with an apostolic spirit,” he said.

But, in the Catholic Church, he said, “in general, the homilies are a disaster.”

The liturgical directors were in Rome to participate in a formation course on liturgy, “Living Liturgical Action Fully,” at the Pontifical Institute of Liturgy.

Pope Francis also warned against the liturgical master of ceremonies assuming too central a role during Mass. “The more hidden a master of ceremonies is, the better,” he said. “It is Christ that makes the heart vibrate, it is the meeting with him that draws in the spirit.”

Beyond a “deep knowledge” of religious celebrations, the pope said that experts on liturgy must have a strong pastoral sense to improve a community’s liturgical life, and that religious celebrations must foster the “fruitful participation of the people of God” and not just of the clergy.

A pastoral approach to the liturgy allows religious celebrations to “lead the people to Christ, and Christ to the people,” which the pope said is the “principal objective” of liturgy and an essential principle of the Second Vatican Council.

“If we neglect this, we will have beautiful rituals, but without vigor, without flavor, without sense, because they do not touch the heart and the existence of the people of God,” said Pope Francis.

The pope encouraged them to spend time in parishes, observe liturgical celebrations and help pastors reflect on how they prepare liturgy with their communities.

If teachers of liturgy are “in the midst of the people, they will immediately understand and know how to accompany their brothers and sisters, how to suggest what is suitable and feasible to communities, and what the necessary steps are to rediscover the beauty of the liturgy and celebrating together,” he said.

The job of a diocesan liturgical director, said Pope Francis, is to offer parishes a liturgy “that is imitable, with adaptations that the community can take to grow in liturgical life.”

A liturgical director should not care about a parish’s liturgy only when the bishop comes to visit and then let the liturgy go back to how it was after he leaves, the pope said.

“To go to parishes and not say anything when faced with somewhat sloppy, neglected, poorly prepared liturgies means not helping the community, not accompanying them,” he added.

Read More Vatican News

Scholars, diplomats reflect on U.S. and church’s response to the Holocaust

Pope preaches peace, cooperation, resilience to a Congo ‘gasping for breath’

Pope arrives in Congo after praying on flight for migrants

U.S.-born priest to lead Vatican body overseeing selection of world’s bishops

Pope Francis condemns ‘spiral of death’ in the Holy Land

Pope clarifies remarks about homosexuality and sin

Copyright © 2023 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

Print Print

Primary Sidebar

Justin McLellan

Catholic News Service is a leading agency for religious news. Its mission is to report fully, fairly and freely on the involvement of the church in the world.

View all posts from this author

For the latest news delivered twice a week via email or text message, sign up to receive our free enewsletter.

| MOST POPULAR |

  • Gov. Moore’s budget cuts BOOST, proposes phase-out of scholarship program
  • Mercy delivers Magic show in ‘Classic’ victory over Maryvale
  • Catholic pro-life activist Mark Houck acquitted of federal charges
  • Catholic schoolteachers describe what they love about their jobs
  • Former priest Frank Pavone, head of Priests for Life, faces sexual misconduct allegations

| Latest Local News |

Archdiocese launches anti-racism program: ‘In God’s Image: A Racial Justice Journey for All’

Archbishop Lori tells conference to look at ‘root’ of violence, poverty

Mercy on the move with athletic advancements

| Latest World News |

Mosque suicide bombing targets police, dozens dead

Scholars, diplomats reflect on U.S. and church’s response to the Holocaust

Pope preaches peace, cooperation, resilience to a Congo ‘gasping for breath’

| Catholic Review Radio |

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

Footer

Our Vision

Real Life. Real Faith. 

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • Mosque suicide bombing targets police, dozens dead
  • Archdiocese launches anti-racism program: ‘In God’s Image: A Racial Justice Journey for All’
  • Scholars, diplomats reflect on U.S. and church’s response to the Holocaust
  • Pope preaches peace, cooperation, resilience to a Congo ‘gasping for breath’
  • Archbishop Lori tells conference to look at ‘root’ of violence, poverty
  • New translation tweaks to sacrament of penance take effect this Lent
  • Pope arrives in Congo after praying on flight for migrants
  • U.S.-born priest to lead Vatican body overseeing selection of world’s bishops
  • With national March for Life behind them, pro-life advocates plan for state marches, rallies

Search

Membership

Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2023 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED