| Subject | Date Asked |
|
| Weddings on Sunday | 10/21/2009 |
Q: My fiancee and I are recently engaged and are in the process of planning our wedding. We were ...
A: Phil, I've seen people married during Sunday mass at parishes . . . . so the answer is yes, the ...
|
| RCIA | 10/17/2009 |
Q: ok, i dont really know how to explain this but i will do the best i can. I never really grew up ...
A: Your sponsor is absolutely wrong and grossly misinformed. There are many gay people in the church. ...
|
| Novus Ordo presbyter | 10/3/2009 |
Q: What is a Norvus Ordo presbyter priest?
A: Gene, A Novus Ordo presbyter is a priest who celebrates mass and the sacraments according to the ...
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| Inter-religioius marriage | 9/7/2009 |
Q: I am Arun from India. I have married a Hindu girl at a registrar office. The "Thali" (equal to ...
A: Arun, No. I'm sorry there is no way that this can be done in the Church. Why? Because the sacrament ...
|
| Jesus' family | 7/26/2009 |
Q: I attended parochial school, and grew up with catholicism before Vatican II..having a parochial ...
A: Indeed, there probably are some Catholic priests who subscribe to some other belief about Mary other ...
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| Jesus' family | 7/26/2009 |
Q: I attended parochial school, and grew up with catholicism before Vatican II..having a parochial ...
A: No, there has not been a change in the official doctrine of the church, i.e., that Jesus was born of ...
|
| Conerting | 6/14/2009 |
Q: .I am very interested in converting to Catholicism.However,I am divorced,and have heard that a ...
A: Derek, This is most certainly NOT true. The Church will want to know about your previous ...
|
| Reverting to Catholocism | 5/31/2009 |
Q: I was/am a cradle catholic but "left" the catholic church. That is to say that I stopped practicing ...
A: Robert, It's not difficult. Practice may vary from parish to parish. In my parish, you would be ...
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| Remarriage and Annulment | 5/28/2009 |
Q: I am a divorced Catholic. I remarried a divorced Lutheran. I have been experiencing much conflict ...
A: Alice, I'm sorry if I have misled you. Indeed, mine may be a minority opinion, but I am not about ...
|
| Can He Marry in the Church? | 5/26/2009 |
Q: My Catholic daughter is serious about marrying a Christian man, who has been married previously in a ...
A: Marcia, Sorry for the delay in getting back to you, but I had to consult my experts on this one. I ...
|
| Accepted methods of receiving communion | 5/24/2009 |
Q: In an attempt to broaden and deepen my understanding of Catholicism, I've recently been attending ...
A: Angela, It is "acceptable" to dip the bread in the cup--no one will stop you--and it is perhaps ...
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| Remarriage and Annulment | 5/22/2009 |
Q: I am a divorced Catholic. I remarried a divorced Lutheran. I have been experiencing much conflict ...
A: Alice, The Catholic Church does not consider you living in a "constant state of adultery." Not at ...
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| remarriage | 5/22/2009 |
Q: I am a divorced Catholic. I remarried a divorced Lutheran. I have been experiencing much conflict ...
A: Alice, I don't know what you may be reading, but it sounds as if you might be operating under a ...
|
| Use of churches | 5/19/2009 |
Q: A local Catholic church owns a small "mission chapel" a few miles away from the main church and ...
A: Terry, Sorry for the confusion. The answer is the same. I know of no provision in canon law to ...
|
| Use of churches | 5/18/2009 |
Q: A local Catholic church owns a small "mission chapel" a few miles away from the main church and ...
A: Terry, Orthodox, Easter Rite Catholic Churches, are not schismatic. They are fully Catholic ...
|
| Patron Saints: Walkers & Epilepsy | 5/2/2009 |
Q: I would like a prayer to the patron saint of walkers. I am going to walk in the Susan G. Komen ...
A: Shirley, There is no specific patron for walkers, but there are several for pilgrims, who always ...
|
| Can I still be a sister? | 3/24/2009 |
Q: I am a Catholic since birth, though my family is not that devoted to church matters. My mother and I ...
A: Magdalene, Do you think you're the first person who has committed sin and then decided to serve ...
|
| Marriage Vow Renewal / Blessing | 3/8/2009 |
Q: I was married in a Catholic church in 1964 to a non-Catholic Christian, and divorced 11 years ...
A: Geri, You can most certainly have your marriage blessed. You will have to have you pastor submit a ...
|
| Status of Children during Annulment | 3/6/2009 |
Q: Two years ago i found out that my husband was cheating on me and therefore we divorced. I am ...
A: Meike, Please put your mind to rest. The annulment process has nothing whatever to do with the ...
|
| Annulment of Previous Marriage | 2/28/2009 |
Q: I am a divorced Catholic, remarried to a Catholic. I feel somewhat unwelcome by the Church, ...
A: Walter, I understand how you feel, and I apologize. You don't have to go to such extremes. I ...
|
| Clarification on Common Law Marriage | 1/26/2009 |
Q: I am a non Christian in love with a Roman Catholic girl. We have been together for 7 years. In the ...
A: Makky, First off, I am not a priest. I'm a permanent deacon. I am married and have three children ...
|
| Marital question | 1/20/2009 |
Q: I understand sex within a marriage is welcomed and honoured in the catholic faith. I am also under ...
A: Emmanuel, Sex in the context of the Catholic marriage has a dual, not single, function. It is for ...
|
| RCIA Classes | 1/5/2009 |
Q: I am a former "fallen away" Catholic who has recently found her way back to the church. I would ...
A: Lisa, You have no reason for concern. People with exactly the same background and situation as you ...
|
| christenings | 1/4/2009 |
Q: My husband and i are seperated and he was awarded temporary custody of our eight week old son when i ...
A: Nicole, The Church under these circumstances would probably allow the baptism to take place; it ...
|
| Marian Dogma | 1/2/2009 |
Q: My understanding is that dogmas are considered true and grounded on authority of the Catholic ...
A: Don, The discussion in Richard McBrien's =Catholicism= is instructive about this. A few points we ...
|
| Marian Dogma | 12/26/2008 |
Q: My understanding is that dogmas are considered true and grounded on authority of the Catholic ...
A: Don, Dogma, according to the Catechism, are truths defined by the Church that require "irrovocable ...
|
| Am I Under a Spell? | 12/3/2008 |
Q: I will try to make this as simple as possible. I am a woman in her 50's, a lapsed Roman Catholic, ...
A: Susan, My heart goes out to you in your suffering and in the suffering and tragedy you have had to ...
|
| The Rosary In Full | 11/25/2008 |
Q: I like praying the Rosary every day. In the past I have been praying the Joyful, Luminous, ...
A: Gloria, I know of no way other than praying 20 decades of the rosary, unless you want to divide up ...
|
| Role of a Deacon | 11/10/2008 |
Q: hey mate i was just reading your little blurb about urself and how ur married! and iv allways thourt ...
A: There are two kinds of deacons: transitional--these are guys on their way to being priests; they ...
|
| God and Children | 11/6/2008 |
Q: please why is it that God been all knowing, allow women who he knows are not ready to have kids get ...
A: M, Of course children are gifts from God. But God works within the confines of both human biology ...
|
| Abstinance from Meat | 9/25/2008 |
Q: Why is it okay to eat fish on Fridays during Lent but not meat?
A: Tnank you very much for making yourself clear and for your patience with my misunderstanding, and, ...
|
| Must Husband Return Home? | 9/23/2008 |
Q: My husband and I are Catholic but have been estranged for a long time. We have 3 children, boys 12 ...
A: Marlene, It is a positive point that you are being honest with yourself. The short answer to this ...
|
| 7 Sections of the Catholic Bible | 9/4/2008 |
Q: My son is working on a project in religion. He needs to know what are the 7 sectons in the catholic ...
A: Although they are rarely called "sections," I think you mean: The Pentateuch, Histories, Wisdom ...
|
| Civil Marriage | 9/3/2008 |
Q: My Fiance and I are both Catholic, born and raised in the Faith. We have both attended Catholic ...
A: Peter, You should put your mind at ease. What you describe here has nothing to do with doctrine, ...
|
| Marriage Question | 8/31/2008 |
Q: Good day to you! I have a question and I hope that I make it as clear as possible. : ) I am a ...
A: Jade, The short answer is yes, you can still be married in the church. But your fiancee will have ...
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| Annulment Question Can't Find An Answer | 8/14/2008 |
Q: I am a lifelong Catholic and divorced. I am currently going through the annulment process. I am ...
A: Michelle, Whether the marriage was annulled does not determine whether it was valid or not. That is ...
|
| Vow Renewal in a Church for 1 Catholic | 8/12/2008 |
Q: To sum it up for you.. My husband and I were married 3+ years ago by a justice of peace in a park. ...
A: Dee, You will have to have your first marriage "regularized." It's a very simple procedure. Talk to ...
|
| What is the church's teaching on masturbation with a spouse ? | 7/7/2008 |
Q: What is the church's teaching on masturbation with a spouse when intercourse is not possible? My ...
A: Adam, I would not trouble myself about this. If intercourse is not possible, then neither is ...
|
| How do Catholics explain the paranormal? | 6/27/2008 |
Q: I was born and raised in a normal average every day Catholic family with an extremely Catholic ...
A: Ashley, The Catholic Church does not say that the phenomena you describe are "miracles." It does ...
|
| Pure Love | 6/19/2008 |
Q: I have a question and I NEED some advice. I want to start a "Pure Love Club" at school. The ...
A: Stephanie, I applaud you for what you're doing. Chastity and modesty in today's world are indeed a ...
|
| Catholic Sexual Ethics | 5/7/2008 |
Q: Forgive me if this is too blunt: I understand that oral sex is permissible at least as an act of ...
A: Justin, You're not too blunt. I won't be either. I find it difficult to believe that God intended ...
|
| Suicide | 4/29/2008 |
Q: My converted cousin tells me that I am 'caricaturing' Catholicism because I believed that Catholics ...
A: Lynne, No. Catholics are required to believe in the existence of hell, eternal punishment. But ...
|
| Personal Prayer | 4/22/2008 |
Q: I am a practicing catholic who has a few questions about prayer, in particular, a prayer I’ve been ...
A: Nicole, I don't think it's possible to offend God with prayer, any kind of prayer. The fact that ...
|
| the pope | 4/16/2008 |
Q: I always admire people who do God's work and I know the pope does. My question is Why do the ...
A: As a general rule, Catholics do not read the Bible as literally as some other Christians do. This ...
|
| Mary Magdalene | 3/15/2008 |
Q: Mr. Schott(I apologize if I'm not addressing you correctly), Was St. Mary Magdalene a prostitute or ...
A: I'm afraid the answer is not definitive. It's a disputed question, and there's no official Church ...
|
| Marriage and children | 3/12/2008 |
Q: first of all let me say that I am not a Catholic, I am protestant, but I am married to a Catholic. ...
A: Lisa, In answer to your question, what you are doing is positively not wrong. What sort of God ...
|
| Dating before annulment | 2/29/2008 |
Q: I am wondering whether I should date while I am still going through the annulment process. I am ...
A: Marie, I see nothing wrong with what you are proposing. Although technically, you are still ...
|
| Heaven | 2/5/2008 |
Q: My husband was killed in an accident this past summer...We are a practicing Catholic family...I know ...
A: Carla, I am just so sorry for your huge and irreplaceable loss. May the Lord of all consolation ...
|
| Psychic powers | 12/27/2007 |
Q: what is the church stand on Psychic power/readings. does the church acknowledge such powers or is it ...
A: Tina, The Church considers such things as dangerous to faith and possible offenses against the ...
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| Controversial Topics in the Church | 12/22/2007 |
Q: I am a Catholic, who attends a Baptist church for youth. I live in the South where the Catholic ...
A: Catholic teachings seem so closed minded sometimes, and it's nice to know I'm not the only one who ...
|
| Marriage Question | 12/17/2007 |
Q: I hope that you can provide me with some guidance. My fiance and I are getting married this coming ...
A: There is no reason to be nervous about talking to him. How far out is your Catholic wedding? Can it ...
|
| Vow Renewal | 11/6/2007 |
Q: My husband and I have been married for four years and decided to renew our vows for our five year. ...
A: Diana, In the eyes of the Church, you are not =sacramentally= married. You are, of course, ...
|
| About the Catholic Faith | 11/5/2007 |
Q: Ive been been raised as a Catholic and going to church had always been habitual. I never truly ...
A: Susie, You have to go to the church where you are being fed and to the well where there is water. ...
|
| Gifts of the spirit | 11/2/2007 |
Q: I have been slowly contemplating the Catholic faith as my husband is Catholic; I am currently ...
A: Just as in other faiths, there's a wide range of expression in Catholicism. The more "charismatic" ...
|
| Vow Renewal | 10/27/2007 |
Q: My husband and I have been married for four years and decided to renew our vows for our five year. ...
A: Diana, Under the circumstances you described, you could not renew your vows until your original ...
|
| Unconsummated marriage | 10/25/2007 |
Q: A couple weeks ago I had the shock of my life to discover on my wedding night that the woman I ...
A: Stuart, This marriage would be annulled easily. But there would be no objection to your ...
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| Iraq War | 10/13/2007 |
Q: Can you please explain the relationship of the Catholic Church to the Eastern Orthodox Church? It ...
A: The bishops of the US have condemned the war in Iraq; so has the Vatican. I have opposed the war ...
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| Eastern Orthodox | 10/6/2007 |
Q: Can you please explain the relationship of the Catholic Church to the Eastern Orthodox Church? It ...
A: The validity of the Eucharist in the Eastern Orthodox church has nothing to do with whether that ...
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| Marriage | 9/17/2007 |
Q: I am looking for some advice from someone who is a good Catholic and follows all the Church ...
A: If you're seriously dating--exclusively to each other and frequently--you are correct, there is no ...
|
| Shama | 9/16/2007 |
Q: Tom Schott - It is good to see how another deacon is ministering. We're also a deacon couple, ...
A: A shama is a wise person, usually attributed with special spiritual insight. I don't think the term ...
|
| remarriage to my ex | 9/11/2007 |
Q: I am Catholic, my is ex is not. We were married for about 3 years when he sought a divorce from me ...
A: Theresa, In the eyes of the Church, unless your marriage has been annulled, you are still ...
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| Can Catholics be Godparents to Methodists? | 9/5/2007 |
Q: My husband and I are Methodist, I'm fully practicing; he attends occasionally. We're choosing the ...
A: Shama, You and your husband sound like wonderful people. It's inspiring to me that you take your ...
|
| evangelical catholics | 8/27/2007 |
Q: I am Catholic. I believe I was "born again" when I was baptized as an infant because the priest ...
A: Luz, I totally agree with you. By our baptisms, we were all anointed priests, prophets, and ...
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| Tongues | 7/24/2007 |
Q: Yesterday, I went to a youth oriented church service. It was a service for college aged people and ...
A: I'll be brief, but I hope I can help. Tongues are regarded as a gift of the Spirit, which is ...
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| Divorced Catholic | 7/23/2007 |
Q: I was married, have a 4 year old daughter. My marriage was annulled. Recently I have noticed a man ...
A: Alexandra, You're obviously a considerate and caring person to be so respectful of a guy you ...
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| Catholic Marriage Ceremonies | 7/3/2007 |
Q: I am 22 and soon to be engaged. I was baptized Catholic but never attended church because my mom ...
A: Sarah, Hi. I will answer your questions briefly. You could have details filled in for you at your ...
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| Sex: how far? | 6/19/2007 |
Q: I'm catholic. I go to a catholic high school and i go to church every weekend and i respect ...
A: Elizabeth, I was profoundly hurt by the ratings you chose to give me for my response. And I do wish ...
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| Armageddon & the Day of Reckoning | 6/17/2007 |
Q: What is armageddon and the day of reckoning? Are they mentioned anywhere in the bible besides ...
A: Patrick, Let me quote to you from what the Oxford Companion to the Bible says: "A place name found ...
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| Interfaith-relationship issues | 6/14/2007 |
Q: Schott, I am a Christian girl, raised Methodist, but had found something lacking in that doctrine ...
A: Rebecca, I have no idea who these "confidants" are of your boyfriend's, but they don't know what ...
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| Marriage Problems | 6/12/2007 |
Q: I am unsure what to do about marriage troubles. To provide a background, I am Catholic, my husband ...
A: Marie, This is the kind of question that really should be handled face-to-face, but we do what we ...
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| Mixed Marriage | 5/20/2007 |
Q: My boyfriend and I have just got engaged and hope to have a church wedding next year. He is Roman ...
A: Jenny, You will most definitely not have to convert to Roman Catholicism. You will certainly be ...
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| Blasphemy/Witchery | 4/25/2007 |
Q: We recently celebrated my parents 50th wedding anniversary this past weekend. My parents are good, ...
A: Denise, I agree with you completely. We believe in one God, the God of all, the God to whom every ...
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| not able to receive communion | 3/25/2007 |
Q: I am a catholic who has been divorced since 1999 my husband left me and my children then,for ...
A: Regine, Let's assume that you were divorced not living with someone. In that case, not only would ...
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| I dont know what to do anymore! | 3/23/2007 |
Q: I dont know what to do with my life. I want to have fun in my life. But I told my mom that I am ...
A: From what you say, you're probably in your teen years. I am so sorry to hear that you have had a ...
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| Annulment Question | 3/22/2007 |
Q: I am of the Methodist faith and have been divorced once. My current (2nd) husband and I were married ...
A: Michelle, Yes. This is feasible. From the information you provide, an annulment of your first ...
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| Taking Toddlers to Mass | 3/18/2007 |
Q: my husband and I are both catholic and used to attend mass regularly. After we had our children we ...
A: I assume your parish does not have babysitting, no? When I read things like this, it makes me mad. ...
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| Should I date/marry just a Catholic guy? | 2/22/2007 |
Q: I have a question out of all the days God spoke to me he came in a white light. An he said My ...
A: Jacqueline, When you marry, you need to marry a man who is going to be compatible with you and your ...
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| Marriage | 2/21/2007 |
Q: Good evening, I'm looking for some advice, I'm getting married within a 1-1/2 (June or July 2008). ...
A: Confirmation is not required for marriage in the Church. Inquire about the process in your parish or ...
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| Baptism in Another Christian Church? | 2/7/2007 |
Q: I am Catholic and was baptized in the Catholic Church around 42 years ago shortly after birth and ...
A: Patrick, Baptism is not just a ceremony, but rather a lifelong initiation into the followers of ...
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| I want to become a priest | 2/3/2007 |
Q: I have always wanted to serve God,and I still want to serve him. My question is that how do I ...
A: Of course there are spiritual things you can do: continue to pray about it; read deeply in the ...
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| Communion under Both Species & Eastern Orthodox baptism | 1/27/2007 |
Q: I hope that I am not bothering, but I would have two questions to ask regarding Catholic faith and ...
A: Alexander, I will answer you briefly, although both these questions could be answered at much ...
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| Islam roots in Catholicism... | 1/14/2007 |
Q: There is substantial reason to believe that the Catholic church inadvertently instigated the genesis ...
A: Lloyd, The Christian church--there was no "Catholic" church until the Reformation--has its roots ...
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| Confusion about Loving God, Neighbor, and Self | 12/12/2006 |
Q: I've been asking about love. I'm confused. Christ said to love God, your enemies and yourself; how ...
A: Marc, The first epistle of John says "No one has ever seen God." And we can certainly agree with ...
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| Pastoral communication | 11/21/2006 |
Q: Good morning: I am a Roman cathoic from the archidiocese of Bombay,India. I am a word Minister. What ...
A: I'm not sure if this is what you're looking for, but I would understand a pastoral communication to ...
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| Mark 13: End Times | 11/19/2006 |
Q: Today's gospel. Mark13. Jesus tells his disciples that the end of time will come to pass within ...
A: Russell, There are no inconsistencies. Catholics do not read the Scripture literally: "this ...
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| Guidance on a series of dreams | 11/8/2006 |
Q: I have had a series of dreams that I think may be God trying to tell me something, but I don't know ...
A: Richard, I'm certainly no psychiatrist or analyst, and I don't think you're a kook, but I would ...
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| Funeral Masses | 11/2/2006 |
Q: I am a funeral director / embalmer and also a Catholic. In reading the obituaries in my Diocesan ...
A: Mass of Christian Burial and Funeral Mass are the same thing; the former description is preferred. ...
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| Your profile? | 10/23/2006 |
Q: I was looking through profiles of different experts here and found something on yours that seemed ...
A: Sir, I see nothing in my remarks about conscience that could be construed as saying conscience ...
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| Satan | 10/2/2006 |
Q: A Sunday school teacher I know recently told me about an interesting question she was asked by one ...
A: Andrew, It's a good answer to a good question that we don't really know the answer to. We humans ...
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| Refusal of marriage annulment | 9/20/2006 |
Q: When is an annulment NOT granted?
A: CR, I know this is going to sound terribly general but the right answer is when the diocesan ...
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| Church Position on Divorce | 9/15/2006 |
Q: What is the Church's position on divorce/annulment? I guess I'm really wondering about so-called ...
A: Johann, "Divorce," per se, is not allowed in the Catholic Church. That is, the Church does not ...
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| DaVinci Code | 8/29/2006 |
Q: The first day The movie the DaVinci Code came out I went to see it. I thought it was a wonderful ...
A: Melanie, I quite agree with you. I cannot imagine a priest saying such a thing to a church full ...
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| 1 Samuel 25:22 -- "Pisseth against the wall" | 7/27/2006 |
Q: As I was reading from; 1 Samual25:22 I came across a verse in 25: 22 " . . . pisseth against the ...
A: Ray, The KJV is the only one of my many bibles that renders the translation this way. And, I ...
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| Worried and Confused about the End of the World | 7/26/2006 |
Q: Deacon, Sir my name is Robert i am currently in the military and i am also a catholic.I believe ...
A: Robert, Normally I don't even respond to questions about whether someone's reading of the Scripture ...
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| Catholic Understanding of Born Again | 6/29/2006 |
Q: How would you answer a fundamentalist type who asks if you've been "born-again" or "being saved" or ...
A: Jeff, We are "saved" by the blood of Christ shed for all of us for all time. That happened 2,000 ...
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| Questions about prayer | 6/26/2006 |
Q: What is the official Catholic view of prayer? I mean, I know that we are encouraged to pray that God ...
A: Andrew, The Church believes that God answers prayer, as you say, that prayer is necessary and ...
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| Annulment Question | 6/8/2006 |
Q: Greetings, Evelyn Waugh married in the Anglican church, then divorced; he later became a Catholic ...
A: Simon, In answer to your first question, no. The Church recognizes the baptisms of all Christian ...
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| Miscarriage | 6/6/2006 |
Q: I had a miscarriage on my 5th week of pregnancy. I was able to save the tissue that contains the ...
A: Hazell, I'm so sorry to learn of your loss. Please know that I will pray for you. It is certainly ...
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| Grounds for annulment | 6/6/2006 |
Q: I would like to know if these are grounds for annulment: 1. If the petitioner has specifically told ...
A: Grace, I am going to forward this to my pastor, who is a canon lawyer and expert in these ...
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| Relationships between Baptists and Catholics | 6/5/2006 |
Q: I am very in love with a boy. We have been in love for nearly two years now. We are not ...
A: Anna, I'm sorry, Anna, but it appears it doesn't matter what you think about this situation. You ...
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| How to reply | 6/3/2006 |
Q: I read this on-line and I wondered how to reply. It was a Non-Catholic saying that prayer to saints ...
A: Mike, I thought I had answered this question before. Maybe for some reason, the answer did not ...
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| Bad thoughts and fears | 5/30/2006 |
Q: .. I have been diagnostic with general ansiety and i had some months of delusions which i thought by ...
A: Patricia, The one truth about God that you can always count on is that He knows exactly who we ...
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| Mass intention | 4/26/2006 |
Q: Will you please tell me what a Mass intention is?
A: Sure, Mike: masses can be offered for specific purposes--for example, a good harvest or protection ...
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| Belief | 3/31/2006 |
Q: At church this past Wednesday a lady made the statement that there was now no difference between the ...
A: Don, There are no bigger experts on the Catholic Church than a casual Catholic, which is what ...
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| Easter Celebration | 3/31/2006 |
Q: I am a protestant, researching Easter for a research paper assignment in college. I Celebrate Easter ...
A: Sam, I will be brief. (I normally don't assist people doing school assignments.) I don't have any ...
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| Confession | 3/24/2006 |
Q: I am sending this to both of you to get two perspectives. Since returning to the Roman Catholic ...
A: Peter, The answer is simple for me. For something to be seriously sinful, requiring the ...
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| Wisdom | 2/27/2006 |
Q: I have two questions, you pick which one you can answer best. I am in the deaconate program and I ...
A: Rich, It is a personal question. That's the way I'd answer it. And I'm going to be brief. Either ...
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| gay priests | 2/21/2006 |
Q: Schott, I am not that familiar with the Catholic church but I was just wondering how it is that you ...
A: Victoria, Thanks for writing. The Catholic Church does not forbid a gay person from being ...
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| Hell | 2/2/2006 |
Q: According to the Roman Catholic Church would a person........who was raised catholic, but now goes ...
A: Missy, The Roman Catholic Church believes that hell exists; it does not make judgments about who is ...
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| reform in the roman catholic church | 1/6/2006 |
Q: Do you think the Roman Catholic Church will follow the example of Anglican Churches and ordain women ...
A: Sophie, Yes, I think the Church will eventually reverse its current position on women priests, ...
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| RCIA and Communion | 12/19/2005 |
Q: I was baptized and had 1st communion as a Luthern, but was married to my wife in the Catholic Church ...
A: Ralph, The person who handles the RCIA program at your parish could address most of these ...
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| Angry with my mother | 12/17/2005 |
Q: I've had a problem with my mother for the last 3 years or so and it is getting worse. My mother is ...
A: Hanna, I'm so sorry you find yourself in this situation because anger at a parent can be very ...
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| prayer | 11/14/2005 |
Q: I am male, age 39, and have been married for almost 13 years now. We have a 5 year old son. We are ...
A: Andrew, My heart breaks when I get notes like this from people with such crushing human problems. ...
|
| Hello
I'd like to ask you... | 11/5/2005 |
Q: I'd like to ask you a question about eating animal flesh. I'm not going to ask you whether we have ...
A: Well, Luke, there's some thought involved here. I'm not going to argue Scripture with you. I don't ...
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| Works of Mercy | 11/4/2005 |
Q: Tom; I was "expounding" on the church teaching us to be merciful through the corporal and ...
A: Al,we're just about the same age. I've checked several sources as to the origins of the works of ...
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| DISPOSING OF RELIGIOUS ARTICLES | 10/25/2005 |
Q: I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW TO DISPOSE OF RELIGIOUS ARTICLES PROPERLY.I HAVE PALM FROM SEVERAL YEARS. I ...
A: Pat, There is no special training required to be an exorcist. All of the items you mention can ...
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| my boyfriend | 10/3/2005 |
Q: my boyfriend is a catholic, but he sins and awful lot, well i get annopyed when he says his religion ...
A: Tee, Of course you're correct. God does not play favorites. He doesn't love the pope any more ...
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| blessings | 9/29/2005 |
Q: My question had to do with giving and receiving blessings. My friend's grandmother is sick. She ...
A: Chris, My goodness, no! I have never heard of such a thing. You don't have to be Catholic to ...
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| Marriage | 9/27/2005 |
Q: If someone's husband disappears or runs away, will the Church annul the marriage, or must she remain ...
A: Marc, In the case of disappearance, the Church would probably require a wait of the legal ...
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| preacher | 9/23/2005 |
Q: That's a passage from the Bible: "Unless a grain of wheat falls to the earth and dies, it remains ...
A: Luke, I pretty much understand it as most people do: Jesus is talking about dying to self here. ...
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| Catholic interpretation of scripture | 9/2/2005 |
Q: My longtime friend(part Catholic/part fundamentalist), yeah, I know, it's a little wierd; his ...
A: Arthur, Sorry, you are not going to be able to convince him of the "truth." You are assuming that ...
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| Salvation | 8/15/2005 |
Q: Will all non-Catholics/non-Christians be lost/go to Hell after death?
A: Jenny, The God I believe in, a God who calls all of us into being out of love, would never in a ...
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| Ministry | 8/9/2005 |
Q: Tom, what is ministry? I'm struggling with knowing the difference between a volunteer ministry and ...
A: Hey Sheila, How are you doing? I haven't seen you since that day you drove up behind me on your ...
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| Baptism | 7/30/2005 |
Q: Deacon Schott, I have a question of a technical nature. You may or may not want to answer it. ...
A: Well, Tracy, I don't mind answering this at all. Why would I? In a word, no, your baptism cannot be ...
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| catholic beleifs | 7/27/2005 |
Q: maetriya...ect. I got this information from Nasrinsafai.com. Can you please give me an opinion? Also ...
A: Al, In a word, no, Catholics do not believe in such things. We do not believe in any kind of ...
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| COPMFIRMATION UNDER 16 | 7/1/2005 |
Q: I was told kids entering Cathooicism 7 or older would be comfirmed as well by someone from another ...
A: Mark, There is no problem confirming a 10-year-old or younger person. Despite what church ...
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| questiom | 6/27/2005 |
Q: What do we believe about the second coming. Do we believe in a doomsday when eueryone is suposed to ...
A: The Church believes that the Lord will indeed return, but it does not know when or how. It reads the ...
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| family planning | 6/24/2005 |
Q: I have some challenging questions regarding the Church's teaching on family planning and pray that ...
A: Beth, What a pleasure to receive a thoughtful question from an obviously thoughtful person. I have ...
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| catholic | 6/22/2005 |
Q: Such findings are not surprising in an age of revolutionary advances in technology, researchers say. ...
A: Good question. The short answer is: no, that is not correct. As a general rule, you can discount ...
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| reve;lation | 6/22/2005 |
Q: Do we take revelation literallY?
A: No, we don't. We do not read the Scriptures literally. The Church's position is that scholars must ...
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| catholic | 6/15/2005 |
Q: do we catholics believe that revelation holds our future?
A: The Vatican Council declared that in Scripture God revealed only those truths "that are necessary ...
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| question on how to pray | 6/6/2005 |
Q: I have a question regarding how to pray. I was always told that in praying for help from God, that ...
A: Emily, It's clear to me that you should just stop praying about this if it causes you pain. God ...
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| advice | 6/4/2005 |
Q: Helo my name is ryan and i am 15 i am realy woried i maybe a bisexual or homosexual . I want 2 have ...
A: It is quite possible that you are undergoing a sexual identity struggle that characterizes this ...
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| WHAT IS? | 5/25/2005 |
Q: what is evangelical prophecy, do we belive it it? are there catholics that try to interpret ...
A: Evangelical prophecy is an interpretive reading of the Book of Revelation purporting to explain what ...
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| bible | 4/22/2005 |
Q: In Ephesians 4:11 and I Cor 12:28, why does Paul talk about the importance of apostles and prophets ...
A: Lisa, Of course not. The terms "apostle" and "prophet" are not titles, per se, but rather ...
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| Baptism | 4/19/2005 |
Q: I am a non practicing Catholic and my Husband is Lutheran. We are expecting twins and will be ...
A: Kelly, I don't know what the practices are in the Lutheran Church, but my guess is they would not ...
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| is this true what this person told me? | 4/14/2005 |
Q: In the self judgment are you actually judged by god, what happens, after are you still alive? is ...
A: Alex, No one knows what will happen at the Last Judgment. No one knows what it will be like. All ...
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| do catholics belive that we... | 3/24/2005 |
Q: do catholics belive that we are living the end times? do we catholics not know how the end timies ...
A: Jocelyn, Some individual Catholics do, some don't. The Church has taken no official position on ...
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| should i beleive this? | 3/18/2005 |
Q: should we believ in this, it as already says it had predicted the 911, world war 2,tsunami in asia ...
A: Jason, I would not believe any of it. The whole thing rests on two dubious propositions: first, ...
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| religion | 3/14/2005 |
Q: Is life in celibacy worth more than married life? I think according to the New Testament it is. I'm ...
A: Luke, Well, let's see. What do we mean by "worth more"? To whom? To God? I don't think so. He ...
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| catholic questions | 2/14/2005 |
Q: i had a few more questions i hope you can answer these, these are things i worry about everyday and ...
A: Ryan, To have a tendency and not act on it is not a sin. To have natural human desires, such as ...
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| Hello. I had a question dealing... | 2/8/2005 |
Q: I had a question dealing about the Rapture and Tribulation. Can you tell me about it and what the ...
A: Chris, The Church does not read the Scripture literally. So all of the current rage to beleive ...
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| marriage | 2/8/2005 |
Q: Why does Paul say several times in Corinthians that it is not always good to look for a wife and get ...
A: You are right. Marriage is a very important sacrament. Sometimes, the truth be told, we just have to ...
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| RCIA | 1/27/2005 |
Q: I have been attending RCIA classes for the last month (I have never been baptized). I was just told ...
A: Emily, Hmmm. This sounds peculiar to me. What you describe as "pre-cermony" sound like baptism ...
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| Babies' souls | 1/21/2005 |
Q: What happens to the souls of babies who are miscarried, stillborn, aborted or who die without being ...
A: Jo, Catholic theology has long held that in such instances such souls are with God. They were ...
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| rcia-and the sacraments | 1/9/2005 |
Q: i have been on the rcia team for 5 yrs. this is the first time this has come up.i hope it's not to ...
A: There's no "Church law" to govern this situation. But I would think the problem could be easily ...
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| Question about Mary Magdalene | 12/15/2004 |
Q: I was wondering...in my admittedly limited experience with the Bible, I've found no evidence that ...
A: Amber, The answer is simple: just as there is no Scriptural evidence for Mary Magdalene being a ...
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| aliens | 10/25/2004 |
Q: How do Catholics and the Catholic Church view aliens/extraterrestrials? The possibility of life ...
A: Fawn, The Church has no official position on this matter, but it is certainly within the realm of ...
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| Marriage ceremony | 10/22/2004 |
Q: I know a couple who are both confirmed Catholics.They were married in a civil marriage; as he was ...
A: Mary Cat, Only threee things are required for a valid Catholic marriage: It must be performed in ...
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| Birth control | 10/11/2004 |
Q: What is the position of the Church on artificial birth control, such as birth control pills. is ...
A: The Church opposes the pill and opposes any means of artifical birth control as a violation of ...
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| Old Testament Issues | 10/2/2004 |
Q: Are the stories of Adam and Eve and Noah's Ark etc literally true? I remeber being told by a Priest ...
A: Paul, Your priest advised you correctly. The stories told in the Scriptures are to be understood ...
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| heaven | 9/16/2004 |
Q: Two questions: What, in your opinion, do you think our purpose will be in heaven? I started ...
A: Lisa, I'm not being flippant when I say, who knows? Any thoughts about these matters would be ...
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| prayer | 9/12/2004 |
Q: Can you please give me the words to the prayer you are supposed to say when you go to confession? I ...
A: Lisa, this one is "right," but the words don't matter at all. What's in the heart is what matters: ...
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| Catholic beliefs | 8/25/2004 |
Q: I was wondering if you could tell me, as i am having an argument with a friend, if the following ...
A: 1. False. Easter Sunday is when we celebrate the resurrection. It's a traditional time, not an ...
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| Pardon terminology | 8/13/2004 |
Q: reciently, I purchased a Pardon Crucifix and read the instructions concerning these invocations. ...
A: Sue, There is a ton of information on these subjects on line. Please consult the following web ...
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| Annulement | 8/9/2004 |
Q: My annunlment petition is at the tribunal right now. They are waiting for the 4th witness. They ...
A: Liz, Without all the facts of the case at hand, I'm not the one to be making any decisions. That ...
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| remarriage | 8/6/2004 |
Q: I have told people that there isn't a chance for me to go to heaven because i was married in the ...
A: Liz, I don't pretend to speak for God as to whether you are going to heaven or not. The Church ...
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| Annulement | 8/6/2004 |
Q: What are the chances of receiving an annulment if the person I was married to wasn't baptised before ...
A: Liz, The chances are excellent. Almost certain. In fact, if the person you were married to before ...
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| R C I A | 8/6/2004 |
Q: My husband went to RCIA classes but was told he couldn't convert because I had been married before ...
A: Liz, This doesn't make sense to me. If your husband has never been baptised, he can certainly ...
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| Deacons | 7/28/2004 |
Q: You are just the person i have been looking for! How does the Catholic church select deacons? What ...
A: Jo, It varies from diocese to diocese, but in most cases a guy has to be nominated by his ...
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| Catholic belief | 7/22/2004 |
Q: I was wondering why the Catholic church says that masturbation is a sin. Thank you for your time.
A: Mark, The Church's rationale is based in natural law. Roughly it goes like this: the primary ...
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| apostolic succession & holy orders | 6/19/2004 |
Q: Like the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox and Anglican Churches also claim apostolic ...
A: Chris, Yes, the apostolic succession in the Eastern Orthodox and Anglican communions are valid. ...
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| interpretation | 6/16/2004 |
Q: i know that the catholic church is the interpreter of the holy bible. does that mean that there is ...
A: Jerry, No, it does not mean that. There is nothing more tangled and controversial than ...
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| catholic view of afterlife | 6/13/2004 |
Q: what happens to a Christian after death? does s/he goes to heaven and be with God immediately? or in ...
A: Jasmine, No one knows exactly--no one has ever come back and told us! There are people who ...
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| holy saturday | 6/8/2004 |
Q: What happened to Jesus and where was his soul/spirit between his cruxifixion and his resurrection? ...
A: Danny, Wish I knew the answer to the question. I can say with some assurance that Jesus did not ...
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| homosexuality | 5/28/2004 |
Q: i understand that the traditional church teachings on the subject of homosexuality has been negative ...
A: Mary, Can a practicing homosexual be a Christian? Certainly. We have always been taught by the ...
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| prayers thru saints | 5/23/2004 |
Q: I have been thinking about this question for a long time but didn't ask those around me 'cos I'm ...
A: Steve, Sorry I thought I had already answered this question. What I said was that we can assume ...
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| communion | 5/20/2004 |
Q: I'm a non-Catholic Christian and heard that Catholics do not receive the wine in Communion. Do ...
A: Danny, Catholic practice varies from parish to parish, diocese to diocese, to some extent. ...
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| Marian apparitions | 5/19/2004 |
Q: You mentioned Marian apparitions. There are many pilgrimage sites which were built upon Marian ...
A: If you mean by that that the Church declares definitively that the Virgin has appeared at this ...
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| response to the question on the Eucharist | 5/1/2004 |
Q: http://experts.about.com/q/955/3311192.htm Hi, Deacon Tom, I have a response to this response of ...
A: I don't remember what answer of mine this is in response to, but you're correct. If you still want ...
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| eucharistic words | 4/27/2004 |
Q: I'm having trouble locating the script for the Eucharist online. My mom works for the diocese in ...
A: Catherine, I can understand why you are having trouble: I'm finding it difficult to locate an ...
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| Hello,
How are you today.... | 4/27/2004 |
Q: How are you today. I was wonderering since the Sabbath is on Saturday and God said that the Sabbath ...
A: The Jewish sabbath is on Saturday; the Christian "sabbath" is on Sunday. Jesus was a Jew, and he ...
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| Deacons | 4/16/2004 |
Q: Sorry, I hope you won't mind a quick follow-up. You said deacons aren't paid -- how do they live ...
A: Lindsay-- The vast, vast majority of us have regular jobs; that is correct. We give the Church ...
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| Deacons | 4/16/2004 |
Q: I thought you'd be the best person to ask for obvious reasons. What all can a permanent deacon do? ...
A: Lindsay, Good for you and your parish. I hope you will come to love your deacon. Please do not ...
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| Romans | 4/14/2004 |
Q: Is this a correct interpretation of Romans 7:2? Is it really trying to prove a point about marriage ...
A: Nicole, I normally don't get involved in Scripture interpretation, because there is often a great ...
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| The Passion of the Christ | 4/13/2004 |
Q: I have a quick followup. My wife was raised in a jewish family (father is jewish, mother is Italian ...
A: Dan, I am hardly in a position to answer the question you pose. I know neither you nor your wife, ...
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| The Passion of the Christ | 4/13/2004 |
Q: I've seen the controversial movie twice and would like the opinion of other Christians. I was raised ...
A: Dan, My children are all grown and 2 of 3 saw it and were moved by it. It is a powerful movie, ...
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| Wicca | 4/10/2004 |
Q: Tom, A brief background me. I am currently still deployed to the Middle East. I am Catholic and ...
A: Jason, You are catching me at a bad time, but I would very much like to respond to you. I am ...
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| Q. about passion narrative (urgent) | 4/8/2004 |
Q: I know this is an 11th hour kind of question but I'm really needing a really quick answer here. I'm ...
A: Lindsey, I would read it as three people because all of them are named . . . it would have been ...
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| people | 4/3/2004 |
Q: Why doesn't the church have a missionary program like those of the mormons and jehovahs witnesses? ...
A: Nicole, Outreach to such people as you describe is an important ministry of the Church. The pope ...
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| Is Jesus Satan? | 3/31/2004 |
Q: I have a question almost too stupid (in my view) to ask you. Here goes: How do we know that Jesus ...
A: Matt, Couldn't you ask this question about just anybody? How do you know President Bush isn't ...
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| Divorce and remarriage | 3/13/2004 |
Q: If your wife divorces you ("just" because she doesn't love you anymore), you should not remarry ...
A: Kieron, If you assume no annulment, then no marriage after that would be recognized as ...
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| Would the gentleman I wish... | 3/4/2004 |
Q: Would the gentleman I wish to remarry have to get an annulment as well if he has already been ...
A: It does not sound like to me you have any intention of making your current marriage work. You want ...
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| But if he does not want to... | 3/4/2004 |
Q: But if he does not want to do an annulment - where does that leave me?I am currently going through ...
A: Pat, An annulment is only a consideration after a civil divorce has been granted. So your ...
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| I am currently going through... | 3/2/2004 |
Q: I am currently going through counseling with my husband and trying my best. However, if this ...
A: Pat, You will have to fill out some paperwork and others, including your husband will be asked ...
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| why gospel spread word of mouth? | 2/18/2004 |
Q: it seems inconsistent that god's perfect love, as revealed in the bible, is spread by word of mouth. ...
A: Troy, The gospel has always been spread by word of mouth. What other way is there to do it, ...
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| Salvation | 2/17/2004 |
Q: Tom, I am 25 years old and have been a Catholic my entire life. My sister and I were recently ...
A: Michelle, Of course you are correct. Not only did the Second Vatican Council proclaim that ...
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| Hello. I had a question about... | 2/10/2004 |
Q: I had a question about indulgences. I read some info. on how they were used/abused in the past. I ...
A: Chris, The following websit will tell you all (perhaps more than you want to know) about the ...
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| baptized | 12/24/2003 |
Q: my husband passed away 3 months ago. i am catholic and he was not.he had leukemia and had a short ...
A: Angie, Yes, you certainly did baptize your late husband, and I am sure that he is with the Lord ...
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| The Eucharist? | 12/17/2003 |
Q: I'm doing a paper for an MA, on the links between vampires in literature, and religion. Since I'm ...
A: Cheryl, Several Christian demoninations have a "Last Supper" or "Communion" memorial where bread ...
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