Can politics be discussed in a homily?
Yes. Canon law instructs us that “among the forms of preaching,” the homily is “preeminent; in the homily the mysteries of faith and the norms of Christian life are to be explained from the sacred text during the course of the liturgical year” (Canon 767.1). Canon 768.2 instructs bishops, priests, and deacons “to impart to the faithful the doctrine which the magisterium of the church sets forth concerning the dignity and freedom of the human person, the unity and stability of the family and its duties, the obligations which people have from being joined together in society, and the ordering of temporal affairs according to the plan established by God.” All of us are called to live our faith in the public square. We have a place in our society and government and we must strive to bring about “the ordering of temporal affairs according to the plan established by God.” The homilist will inspire and instruct, on occasion, the faithful on ways to make a difference in the political arena. Th
