Q: Can a priest keep on mentioning certain movie stars’ beauty and his admiration for those stars over and over again in various homilies? Is the priest showing respect at the altar of sacrifice during Mass in doing so? Thank you. – Regina

Answered by Fr. Edward McIlmail, LC

A: Since the exact context of all these references isn’t clear, Ask a Priest won’t venture any judgments about this homilist.

Nevertheless, it doesn’t seem appropriate for a homilist to bring up these kinds of references on an ongoing basis.

Mentioning various movie stars could distract people in the pews with worldly thoughts. The priest himself could be perceived as worldly.

Even worse, the references could trigger inconvenient memories if these stars acted in risqué movies — not an effective way to unpack the Mass readings and certainly not a good way to prepare the faithful for the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

So, it might be good to bring your concerns to the priest’s attention.

You might approach him at a discreet moment or send him an e-mail. It might help to preface your remarks with words of gratitude for his service to the Church.

And try to keep your comments about the homilies non-accusatory.

You might note, for instance, that the references to movie stars make if hard for you to focus on the spiritual message the priest is trying to convey.

If the style of the homilies doesn’t change, you might consider approaching another priest in the parish (if there is one) or the chancery (the vicar for clergy, for instance).

It would be good to take all this to prayer first and ask the Holy Spirit for guidance. And pray for that priest.