Plagiarized preaching?

There's an interesting - and very sad - story in Poland that apparently has parallels in the U.S., though I've not heard it yet.

Apparently some priests and Protestant ministers are being accused of plagiarism in the pulpit by "lifting" homilies and sermons that others have first preached.

The problem seems severe enough (?) that the Polish Bishops published a book, To Plagiarize or Not to Plagiarize, that seeks to show priests how to draw inspiration from other sermons without copying them word for word.

This entire "situation" is sheer nonsense!

Why did Saint Augustine of Hippo first record his sermons and disseminate them to his priests? Precisely so they would have something worthwhile to say while they preached!

Why did Saint Anthony of Padua write his sermons down? So they could be shared with other priests and used as a preaching tool (you could never simply preach his sermons as he really only gives strong outlines, and prayers).

Let's be honest. We know that the meaning of any one text of the Sacred Scriptures can never be exhausted, but because of that very same fact no one preacher can ever see the Scriptures from every angle. We need the help of others to help us see things more fully, more clearly, more profoundly. And sometimes it just so happens that another person can say something far better than I and so I use their words.

Now, in the text of my homilies, you'll notice that when I can I always give the appropriate references in a footnote (sometimes a quote comes to mind but I can't quite remember from whence it came), more for my future benefit than for any other reason (you never know when I might want that quote again).

When I preach the homilies I almost never make reference to the fact that what I am about to say is not my own. Why? Because the eyes of half of my congregation glaze over at the words, "So-and-so said..." (in whatever form I say them).

I'm not sure why, but when I start to quote from someone - anyone - a great number of people stop listening. When I, on the other hand, hear a preacher quote from another person I listen all the more intently, especially if the quoted person is a Saint or a Pope, because then it is clear that the priest has prepared his words and that his thoughts are not simply his own.

We have been given a Sacred Tradition and it is always comforting to me to fall back upon the faith of those who have gone before us, to learn from them and to hear their wisdom.

Let's be honest on another level: some priests and deacons simply are bad homilists. Why should they not use the words of another to rouse the people to faith? Simply because the words are not his own in no way implies that he does not believe them, that they do not convey the conviction of his heart. It would seem to show rather the opposite, that he cares so deeply that he wants to deliver a word to fan the flame of faith.

N.B.: If any priest or deacon wishes to use my homilies in full or in part, you have my permission to do so. They certainly aren't to the quality of St. Augustine or St. Anthony, but they may be helpful. That is why I post them.

If others who post their homilies or sermons on-line don't want others to use them, perhaps they shouldn't post them in the first place.