Originally published at National Catholic Register
Cardinal Arinze noted the alarming trend of young people drifting from the Catholic faith, turning instead to African traditional religions and other superstitions.
Vatican-based Nigerian Church leader Cardinal Francis Arinze has urged priests to avoid lengthy homilies, saying a homily should not be an exhibition of “theological acrobatics” but rather a reflection of the priest’s prayer life and a clear, concise proclamation of the Gospel.
In his keynote address during the 12-day centenary celebrations of Nigeria’s Bigard Memorial Major Seminary, Cardinal Arinze emphasized the importance of priests delivering homilies that are deeply rooted in Scripture, liturgical texts, and sound theology.
“A homily well prepared should last around 10 minutes. A university lecture of 45 minutes is for a different setting. A homily is not a display of theological acrobatics nor a harangue about money,” the cardinal said during a Nov. 13 event.
A homily, Cardinal Arinze added, “is not an exposition of the local political climate nor a social disquisition on the economic hardships of the people. It should be the sharing of the prayer life of the priest for the past week in the presence of the Lord Jesus in the holy Eucharist.”
He explained that the major
