Before a huge crowd attending the catechesis last Wednesday, Pope Francis said the sermon should last from just eight to ten minutes.

chruch 06152024

Sherrie Ann Torres

ABS-CBN News

<p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">MANILA — Pope Francis’ appeal to Catholic priests to shorten their homilies, or commentary on scripture, is a reminder to make each minute count, members of the clergy in the Philippines said.</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;min-height:15px"><br/></div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">Mass-goers meanwhile said that the homilies should be both interesting and instructive.</p><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"><br/>Before a huge crowd attending the catechesis last Wednesday, Pope Francis said the sermon should last from just eight to ten minutes.</p><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"><br/>“[The] homily for this must be short: an image, a thought, a feeling,” he said, adding longer sermons would lead to people getting distracted or falling asleep.</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;min-height:15px"><br/></div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">The Pope made a similar appeal in 2018.</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"><br/></div><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/world/2024/6/13/pope-tells-priests-to-keep-it-snappy-or-people-will-nod-off-1406">RELATED: Pope tells priests to keep it snappy or people will nod off</a></div><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;min-height:15px"><br/></div><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"><strong>&#x27;MORE A REMINDER THAN A RULE&#x27;</strong></div><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"><br/></div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David in a text statement told ABS-CBN News that the Pope’s message was more of a reminder than an order, since “we all normally take it for granted that homilies should last only between 8-10 minutes at most.” </p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;min-height:15px"><br/></div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">David, who is also president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, added: “He was merely reminding priests to prepare well if they are to fulfill their task of preaching meaningful homilies.”</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;min-height:15px"><br/></div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">He said in jest that it takes more preparation to give a shorter sermon than a long one, a point also raised by parish priest Fr. Robert Reyes, who said it takes an hour to prepare for each minute of a homily.</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;min-height:15px"><br/></div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">Fr. Aris Sison, parish priest of St. John Paul II Parish in Quezon City and a professor of Homiletics, said he has been teaching his students to shorten their homilies when it is their time to celebrate the Mass.</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;min-height:15px"><br/></div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">“Yes, this is yet another opportunity to remind my students and fellow priests to keep their homilies short,” Sison said.</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;min-height:15px"><br/></div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">He said the Pope’s appeal is not a law but “definitely has weight since it’s coming from the Pope himself.”</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"><br/></div><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/04/19/22/outspoken-priests-stand-their-ground-on-social-media">Beyond the altar: Outspoken priests stand their ground on social media</a></div><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"><br/></div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">Fr. Reyes, parish priest of the Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Quezon City, said that there is really no ideal length of a homily.</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;min-height:15px"><br/></div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">“Ang punto ay hindi yung length of time eh. Ang punto ay yung content… Tatlo ‘yan eh, pag naghanda ka: Number 1, Ano yung content; Number 2: Paano mo sasabihin; Number 3: ‘Yung haba,” Reyes said.</p><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"><br/>(The point is not really the length, but the content. There are three things to consider when you prepare a homily.  Number 1, what is the content? Number 2, how are you going to say it? Number 3, how long is it?)</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;min-height:15px"><br/></div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">He said learning to deliver the sermon in a friendly tone and making eye contact with parishioners while speaking will help keep them from getting distracted or falling asleep.<br/><br/>Reyes said that with many Catholics leaving the faith, there is a need to make Masses more personal so parishioners will be encouraged to read the Bible verses and learn the teachings during the homily.</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"><br/></div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"><strong>‘MESSAGE MUST BE CLEAR’<br/></strong><br/>Two Catholics told ABS-CBN News that they don’t mind listening to a long homily as long as the message is delivered clearly.  </p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;min-height:15px"><br/></div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">“May mga parish priest kasi na parang nagho-homily sila na parang kung ano yung written, they are not making it interesting para ma-catch yung attention ng mga tao,” 20-year-old Political Science student Ahlix Caubalejo said.</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"><br/></div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">(There are some parish priests who seem to just read what is written and they do not try to make it interesting, or to catch their parishioners’ attention.)</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;min-height:15px"><br/></div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">Mary Ann Cabarroso, also 20, said: “May konting inip lang po about sa kwento ng pari, ganyan. Pero kailangan din po natin na, important din yung sasabihin po nila... sana po yung about sa Bible, sana po pag binasa nila, ipaliwanag din nila sa mga tao po.”</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;min-height:15px"><br/></div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">(It can get a little boring when the priest keeps sharing stories… I wish they would talk about more about the Bible verse and that they explain it.)</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><ivs-player data-ivs-key="e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603" data-ivs-spid="3001339" data-ivs-vid="2999274"></ivs-player></div><script src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/js/loader.js"></script>

<p>Before a huge crowd attending the catechesis last Wednesday, Pope Francis said the sermon should last from just eight to ten minutes.</p>

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Pope’s push for short homilies a reminder to make each minute matter — priests

Pope’s push for short homilies a reminder to make each minute matter — priests

Sherrie Ann Torres,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jun 15, 2024 10:51 AM PHT

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Pope Francis

Catholic Church

Homilies

Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines

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