Except for a period of time at the beginning of the church,
and a few exceptions in the course of two
thousand years, preaching has been consistently off-limits to the
non-ordained. However, this consistent exclusion has never been quietly
accepted or even readily observed.
So it is understandable, in these days of so much change in
the Church, that the question of authorization for lay preaching is still being
discussed. In this article, “preaching” means speaking on religious themes
publicly in churches or oratories, at
liturgical or nonliturgical events. We are not concerned with street
preaching or other forms of evangelization that might be carried out by
individuals in the public forum.
The format will be to review, in broad
strokes, practices surrounding preaching through the history of the Church, but
to focus more closely on legislation and other documents issued since Vatican
II that refer to lay preaching specifically. Finally, we will draw some conclusions
about the current state of authorization for lay preaching, both liturgical and
nonliturgical, based on the history presented.
The early church
In the early centuries of the church, the community was
unified and charismatic. Preachers preached because they received a gift from
the Spirit, which was then recognized by the community, accepted, and exercised
for the benefit of all. The authorization to preach came from the Spirit of God
and from the community. As we know, charismatic preaching disappeared as the
church became more complex, widespread, doctrinal, and sharply divided into
clergy and laity.
Authorization from charism and the community was too
unpredictable to fit into the developing system. This lack of acceptance of the charismatic reached its zenith in 1215, when
the Fourth Lateran Council condemned as heretics any and all who dared preach
without proper authorization. In other words, the very act of unauthorized
preaching itself was declared heretical. From that point on, until the twentieth
century, preaching in all its forms was the domain of bishops, priests, and
some others in minor or major orders.
Motivation for this
severe limitation was two-fold. First, the hierarchy was concerned that correct
doctrine be preached to the people. Second, preaching was too powerful a tool,
especially for adult catechesis, to be haphazardly regulated.
