VATICAN (OSV News): The Vatican’s Dicastery for Divine Worship announced on June 23 that it denied a request by the German Bishops’ Conference to allow commissioned lay faithful to deliver homilies under exceptional circumstances citing a severe priest shortage as a pressing pastoral need.
Arthur Cardinal Roche, prefect of the dicastery, informed the bishops’ conference of the decision in a June 17 letter.
“While expressing appreciation for the pastoral concerns that inspired the request, the Dicastery reaffirms that the current discipline cannot be dispensed from by means of an indult, since the reservation of the homily to a priest or deacon is not a merely disciplinary norm but derives from the very nature of the liturgy,” the dicastery said.
He said that situation like that cited by the German bishops were temporary and did not constitute “such an emergency or a genuine pastoral necessity that would justify a departure from a norm so closely linked to the nature of the liturgical act.”
Despite the ruling, Irme Stetter-Karp, head of the Central Committee of German Catholics, said lay associations expect Germany’s bishops to strengthen their arguments to Rome.
The Catholic Women’s Association of Germany also criticised the decision, arguing it excludes women from key ministries. The dispute stems from Germany’s controversial Synodal Way reform process.
