The other dioceses in the state of New Mexico, Gallup or Las Cruces, have not issued limits on the length of homilies since resuming the public celebration of Mass.
The General Instruction for the Roman Missal does not prescribe a particular length of time for the homily. It does note that the homily "is necessary for the nurturing of the Christian life. It should be an exposition of some aspect of the readings from Sacred Scripture or of another text from the Ordinary or from the Proper of the Mass of the day and should take into account both the mystery being celebrated and the particular needs of the listeners."
"There is to be a homily on Sundays and holy days of obligation at all Masses that are celebrated with the participation of a congregation; it may not be omitted without a serious reason. It is recommended on other days, especially on the weekdays of Advent, Lent, and the Easter Season, as well as on other festive days and occasions when the people come to church in greater numbers," the instruction explains.
In a 2018 audience, Pope Francis exhorted priests to ensure their homilies are well-prepared and considerate of the congregation, mentioning off-the-cuff that homilies should often be no more than 10 minutes. At Sunday celebrations of the Mass, however, the pope has preached longer than the recommended amount, and he has made no formal norms regarding the length of time for homilies.
In his 2013 apostolic exhortation Evangelii gaudium, Pope Francis emphasized the importance of homilies.
"The homily has special importance due to its eucharistic context: it surpasses all forms of catechesis as the supreme moment in the dialogue between God and his people which lead up to sacramental communion. The homily takes up once more the dialogue which the Lord has already established with his people."
The pope emphasized that a priest must discern in prayer, and from his knowledge of his people, how best to preach to them. "The preacher must know the heart of his community, in order to realize where its desire for God is alive and ardent, as well as where that dialogue, once loving, has been thwarted and is now barren."
Ed Condon is a canon lawyer and worked as Catholic News Agency's Washington DC editor until December 2020.