The Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments has reaffirmed that only ordained ministers are permitted to deliver homilies during the celebration of the Eucharist, rejecting a request from the German Bishops’ Conference to allow lay faithful to preach in exceptional circumstances.
In a letter dated June 17, 2026, addressed to the President of the German Bishops’ Conference, Bishop Heiner Wilmer, the Vatican Dicastery stated that it could not grant the indult requested on March 30, 2026. The request sought permission for a duly commissioned lay member of the faithful to preach in place of the homily during Mass under exceptional circumstances.
While acknowledging the pastoral concerns that motivated the request, the Dicastery emphasized that the reservation of the homily to a priest or deacon is not merely a disciplinary regulation that can be waived through an indult. Rather, it stems from the very nature of the Church’s liturgy.
The Vatican explained that the homily forms an integral part of the Liturgy of the Word and is intrinsically connected to the proclamation of the Gospel. As such, it constitutes an exercise of the munus docendi (teaching office) entrusted to ordained ministers through the Sacrament of Holy Orders.
According to the letter, the proclamation of the Word within the liturgical celebration is inseparable from the sacramental mission received through ordination and from the unity between the Word and the Sacrament in the Eucharistic celebration.
The Dicastery also highlighted the need for the continued formation of priests and deacons to ensure that homilies effectively fulfill their pastoral and spiritual purpose.
At the same time, it noted that the Church’s current discipline already provides numerous opportunities for lay faithful to proclaim the Word of God and engage in preaching outside the homily and outside the celebration of the Eucharist, in accordance with canon law and the distinct nature of those ministries.
The clarification serves as a reaffirmation of existing Church teaching and practice regarding the role of ordained ministers in the liturgy.
