Pope Francis seems to have discovered the steady decline in the public’s cultural IQ and literacy that has frustrated educators for decades.
Just as teachers have realized that students will only read short books—if any at all–and the media that their readers will skip long and complex reports, Pope Francis on Saturday told priests to keep their homilies down to 8 minutes to as to more effectively communicate with their flocks.
In a closed-door session with Roman priests, he reportedly told the priests that their sermons “must go straight to the heart, cover issues in daily lives and steer clear of over sophisticated subjects,” according to one of those present.
Francis’s papacy has been marked by an emphasis on approachability and simplicity in order to reach as many of the faithful as possible and to stem the tide of spreading secularism. He has promoted a dialogue and openness with other religions, cultures, and perspectives. He has visited many countries and met with many leaders of different faiths, such as Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, and Orthodox Christians. He has also encouraged the Catholic Church to listen to the voices of the young, the women, and the laity.
The Pope has said that this approach to theology is necessary for the Church’s evangelizing mission. He has also shown a more positive attitude towards people’s “common sense” as a theological source that reveals their images of God and reached them virtually more than any other previous Pope.
As part of the popularization of dogma that he has pursued, he implicitly acknowledges that sermons, one of the most immediate and impactful modes of communication with congregants, must be modified to be consistent with the current style of communication. And that means short, simple and to the point, a style that has proliferated thanks to social media and current trends in education.
