The Vatican’s liturgy office, the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, on Tuesday, rejected a request by German Catholic bishops to allow laypeople to preach sermons during Mass.
Bishop Heiner Wilmer, president of the German Bishops’ Conference, was notified of the decision in a Vatican letter dated June 17, 2026.
The letter denied a request for special permission originally submitted by the German bishops on March 30.
According to an official press release from the Dicastery, the reservation of the homily to a priest or deacon is not a mere disciplinary norm but derives from the very nature of the liturgy.
The Vatican clarified that the homily forms an integral part of the Liturgy of the Word and is intrinsically linked to the proclamation of the Gospel.
It constitutes an exercise of the munus docendi (teaching office) which is sacramentally entrusted exclusively to ordained ministers through the Sacrament of Holy Orders.
The document further emphasized that the proclamation of the Word within a liturgical celebration is inseparable from the sacramental mission and unity that binds the Word and the Sacrament together during Mass.
Rather than altering this practice, the Dicastery stressed the importance of promoting the ongoing formation of ordained ministers to ensure homilies remain spiritually and pastorally effective.
While the request for lay homilies during Mass was denied, the Vatican recalled that the Church’s current discipline already provides numerous approved avenues for lay faithful to proclaim the Word and preach.
However, the press release noted that such lay preaching must remain strictly outside the homily and outside the main celebration of the Eucharist, in full accordance with existing canon law.
