The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
By NESTOR CUARTERO
How would you like your homilies rendered and heard?
A common complaint among Catholic mass goers is the often longish, over-extended homilies by officiating priests.
Comes now Pope Francis who, for the second time, reminded priests to keep their homilies short (and sweet), 8 minutes the longest. “Or ‘people will fall asleep,” he warned.
A report by the Catholic News Agency on June 13, 2024 quoted Pope Francis making an appeal to Catholic priests.
We quote: Speaking in St. Peter’s Square for his Wednesday catechesis on June 12, the pope explained that the goal of a homily is to “help move the Word of God from the book to life.”
“But the homily for this must be short: an image, a thought, a feeling. The homily should not go beyond eight minutes because after that time you lose attention and people fall asleep,” he said.
Pope Francis first stressed the importance of short homilies in 2018 when he urged priests to “be brief” and ensure that their homilies are “no more than 10 minutes.”
We sought the opinion of mass goers and church workers on the subject.
Fr. Omer Prieto, parish priest of St. Paul The Apostle in Laging Handa, Quezon City, considers the Pope’s admonition great advice.
Edel Nantes, lector and commentator, said 10 minutes is about the longest attention span among listeners. “Yet, if the homily is good, you won’t notice time fleeting.”
Coy Layaoen, also a lector, says it’s okay as long as the priest can convey a direct and understandable homily in line with the gospel that can impact on the congregation.
Ruben Dimaculangan of Lipa, Batangas, said a priest at the local Carmel parish averages 45 minutes per homily.
Felipe Salvosa posted that their parish priest even runs a powerpoint during the homily.
Julie Odra of Antipolo said homilies rendered at Washington Basilica Shrine are short and succinct. “Their masses run for 30 minutes only. Claro ang message ng gospel.”
Fr. Tito Caluag delivers quite short yet on-point homilies. His former noontime masses at ABS-CBN ran under 30 minutes in order to allow office workers time to freshen up back to work.
What do you think?