From a reader…
QUAERITUR:
Last night the priest saying Mass, said that a nun who was the head of a Theology department at a university could dictate who had faculties to say a homily at the university church. So the such a nun could give the homily. Is this correct? I did a little search of the interweb and it seems, as I thought, only ordained men may give a homily.
The Church has been clear on this topic. Despite the efforts of numerous liturgists and religious women and lay parish administrators, the homily – pay attention! – is reserved to those in Holy Orders.
Can. 767 states – clearly – that the homily is reserved to priests (sacerdos includes priests and bishops) and deacons. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal makes a preference for the priest who is offering the Holy Mass to be the homilist, but allows for another priest or, in certain circumstances, a deacon to preach.
There is no wiggle room.
There are no ifs, howevers, or buts.
Those who are not bishops, priests, or deacons who continue to preach homilies at Mass are simply being disobedient and commit scandal, publicly, and on a large scale.
