We are publishing our translation of a statement in English released today, Tuesday 23 June, by the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.
By letter dated 17 June and addressed to the president of the German Bishops’ Conference, Monsignor Heiner Wilmer SCJ, the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments communicated that it is not possible to grant the requested indult on 30 May 2026, to allow, in exceptional circumstances, a duly designated lay member of the faithful to preach in place of the homily during the celebration of the Eucharist.
While expressing appreciation for the pastoral concerns that inspired the request, the Dicastery reiterates that it is not possible to dispense from the current discipline by means of an indult, since the fact that the homily is reserved for a priest or a deacon is not merely a disciplinary norm, but derives from the very nature of the liturgy.
The homily is an integral part of the Liturgy of the Word, it is intrinsically linked to the proclamation of the Gospel and constitutes an exercise of munus docendi entrusted to ministers ordained through the Sacrament of Holy Orders.
The proclamation of the Word in the context of the liturgical celebration is inseparable from the mission received sacramentally and from the unity that binds the Word and the Sacrament in the Eucharistic celebration.
The letter also highlights the importance of promoting the ongoing formation of ordained ministers so that the homily can fully express its pastoral and spiritual effectiveness.
Finally, the Dicastery recalls that the current discipline of the Church already provides for numerous forms of proclamation of the Word and preaching that can be entrusted to lay members of the faithful outside of the homily and outside of the celebration of the Eucharist, in accordance with Canon Law and the specific nature of these different forms of proclamation of the Gospel.
