Answer Priest

Questions from Chesterterrorists

1 November 2012

• Phil from Tonawanda: The League of Catholic Women and some dioceses actively supports Network, a national Catholic Social Justice Lobby, but Network completely ignores life issues. Network also supports politicians who promote the culture of death. How do these Catholic organizations justify supporting what is essentially an anti-Catholic group?

• Phil from Tonawanda: "Why don't priests give practical penances such as watching an hour of EWTN or listening to an hour of The Station of the Cross Catholic Radio for a week while driving to work?"

• Tony from Hamburg: "What is the Catholic definition of the common good? How does it apply to the current political debates in the United States?"

• Ron from Amherst: "Is the Old Testament required reading for Christians? It seems somewhat outdated compared to the New Testament."

• Delphine from Hamburg: "Is Liberation Theology a valid Catholic philosophy? When he was a cardinal, Pope Benedict spoke and wrote against it, but some cardinals seem to be in favor of it."

St. Aloysius Questions

2 November 2012

Scott from Cheektowaga, NY: When Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus in the Transfiguration, how did the apostles know it was Moses and Elijah?

Scott from Cheektowaga, NY: Who took care of Jesus at night when his parents left town without him?

23 October 2012

• Does the Pope have a plan to cope with the increasing shortage of priests?
• What is the difference between "extern nuns" and "cloistered nuns" who live together in the same monastery?
• Can cloistered nuns move from one monastery to another?

Brand new questions (October, 2012)

Catholic Biblical Study?

John Z. from Facebook: My wife, 2 teens, and my oldest daughter in her thirties are considering doing a Catholic bible study in our home. I was wondering if you could point me to some websites or materials we could all use that would follow the teaching of the Church.

Violent Muslims and Violent Christians

Sue from Facebook: In my view, terrorists are to Muslims as the Klux Klan is to Christians. Both are aberrations of religion.

Women in Catholicism

Lynn from Facebook: "I'm not Catholic, but what I appreciate most about the Catholic Church is the credit it gives to the women who loved Jesus so much that He revealed Himself to them first after the Resurrection, and the Church's love of Mary, his mother."

Limbo

What is the Church's current teaching about Limbo?

Various Scriptural Questions

• Ann, East Aurora: Why did Jesus stay in the Temple instead of going to look for His parents? (added 10/22/12)
• Fred, Rochester: What is Agape love? (added 10/22/12)
• Peter from Clifton Springs: There seem to be many sacred numbers in the Old and New Testament. Which numbers are sacred for Catholics? (10/30/12)
• Ed from Rochester: What does the Church teach about the Rapture? It says in Scripture that "One will be taken; the other will remain."
• Why does the Church keep the Old Testament in the Bible? The Old Testament is not the same as the New Testament. If the New Testament is right, doesn't that mean that the Old Testament is wrong?
• What is the "gift of tongues"? (12/06/12)
• What is the meaning of the book of Revelation?
• What is an "ecumenical Bible"? (11/20/12)
• What did Jesus mean when He said, "among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he" (Mt 11:11). Does this mean that John the Baptist is in Hell?
• How persuasive were the genealogies of Matthew and Luke to the Jews?
• Why in John 20 did Jesus tell Mary Magdalene not to hold on to Him after the resurrection? (Added 10/22/12)
• Amanuel from Rochester: Both the Old Testament and the New Testament accept slavery. Neither Testament condemns the practice nor encourages rebellion against it. Why did God allow the authors of the Bible to endorse an evil practice?

The papacy

• Ed, Rochester: Why don't popes regularly raise people from the dead? Wouldn't that be the best way to prove that the papacy is pleasing to God?
• What is a "motu proprio"? How does it differ from an encyclical or a "papal bull"? (11/20/12)
• Why does the Catholic Church have a pope? (11/02/12)

Sin

Personal sins

• Emmanuel (e-mail): Can you please give few examples of the "sin against the Holy Spirit"? (Added 10/30/12)
• What is the difference between mortal and venial sin? (12/06/12)
• How do we deal with drug dealing or other criminal activity that we see in our neighborhoods?
• Why can't Catholics use contraceptives? (added 10/22/12)
• Is it true that "Love of money is the root of all evils" (1 Tim 6:10)?
• Nancy from Buffalo: Is looking at pornography a sin?
• Where is the boundary line between being conscious of having a sexual appetite and committing the sin of lust?
• Are there different kinds of sin? Are all mortal sins equally evil?

Original Sin

• Why does God punish everybody for Adam and Eve's sin? That doesn't seem to be fair at all.
• John B. from Webster: Why do people die?
• Andrew from Facebook: I've been pondering what I want to call the origin of good and evil. I'm curious as to the Catholic Church's position on whether there is simply a universal existence of good and evil, or if good and evil are essentially sent to us by God? To me it seems that is simply an interesting question without any real effect on us, because if we believe in God, we accept that everything He does is for our best interests no matter the abstract question is answered.

War and Peace

• What is the "Just War Theory"? I don't see anything like that in the Scriptures. (12/04/12)
• Why aren't Catholics pacifists? The Quaker tradition seems closer to the ideal proposed by Jesus to "turn the other cheek." (12/06/12)

Pious Spiritual Practices

• What is the history of the use of scapulars? How many kinds of scapular are there?
• How did the devotion to the Infant of Prague develop?
• Why do people bury a statue of St. Joseph when they are trying to sell a house? (11/15/12)
• What are "icons"? How are they different from other kinds of art found in Catholic Churches?
• How can we explain Benediction to teenagers? (12/04/12)
• What is the best way to present the pro-life message to a parish? (12/13/12)
• The Old Testament and many Protestant churches require "tithing"--giving 10% of one's income to God. Are Catholics who give less than 10% of their income to the Church offending God?
• Must prayers be spoken out loud? Is it possible to pray silently or without any words? (Added 10/22/12)
• How can we tell what is from good spirits and what is from evil spirits? How can we tell what ideas, feelings, beliefs, inspirations come from God?
• What graces do you get from using holy water? (11/02/12)
• Jean from Rochester: How can we tell that a speaker is in good standing with the Church? (11/20/12)
• John from Niagara Falls: My faith has been weakening. How can I strengthen it?
• Diane from Rochester: When we pray, why don't we say please?
• Mary from Rochester: Why is it that sometimes God answers our prayers and other times He doesn't?

Addiction and Recovery

• Kathy from Rochester: What does the Church think of the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous?
• Nancy from Buffalo: what do recovering alcoholic priests do when they have to drink the wine/Precious Blood?

Impure Spiritual Practices

• Amy, Rochester: Can Catholics use a labyrinth as a legitimate form of meditation? It seems to be a pagan practice.
• What is the "creation spirituality" of Matthew Fox all about? Is this approved by the Church?
• Is the use of "affirmations" an Eastern spirituality and therefore an anti-Christian practice? (added 10/30/12)
• What is Catharism? What was St. Dominic's role in correcting this heresy?
• Can Catholics join Masonic lodges? (11/02/12)
• I've heard people use the word "gnosticism," but I don't understand why it is a problem. What does it mean? Why does the Church condemn gnosticism? (10/22/12)
• Are there ghosts?
• Can people talk with the dead? (11/29/12)
• Is the evil eye real?

Advice for Parents

• How should parents deal with horror movies, fascination with the occult, and the general acceptance of sin in today's entertainment media?
• Paul from Kenmore: I feel overwhelmed as a parent with risks the internet poses for kids. What can I do to keep them safe?

Liturgical Questions

• Rick's question: What is the difference between a solemnity, a feast, and a memorial? (added 10/22/12)
• Gabriel from E. Amherst: What is the origin of benediction of the Blessed Sacrament? (11/02/12)
• What kind of materials should the chalice and other sacred_vessels be made out of? What should I do if my priest uses vessels made from the wrong materials?
• Some parishes ring bells during Mass, some don't. Which is the right practice?
• Aren't the bells at Mass like the voices of the angels in Revelation?
• Bonnie: Is it OK to receive Communion twice at the same Mass? (added 10/30/12)
• Can a priest dictate that people only stand to receive Communion at his church? In other words, may he prevent people from kneeling to receive Communion?
• It seems that men, in general, hate going to Church, while most women seem to enjoy it. Why is that?
• Are priests who are recovering from alcoholism allowed to use grape juice at Mass? (11/15/12)
• What is the "Sunday obligation"? Who is obliged to go to Mass? What about the elderly, the sick, and travelers? When is it OK to skip Mass? (11/20/12)
• What if I only attend half of the Mass? Have I met my Sunday obligation? (12/06/12)
• Do we still have to fast 1 hour before receiving Communion? Does water or medicine break the fast? (11/15/12)
• Why do some non-Catholic Churches have a different calendar from ours? Which one of us has the real date for Christmas and Easter?
• Ty from Rochester: Why is there not a First Sunday in Ordinary time? (12/13/12)
• Chris from Texas: What are the special meanings of the priestly vestments? Amice, cincture, alb, stole, chasuble.
• Chris from Texas: Why do some parishes have a crucifix on the altar facing the priest when they celebrate Mass? Thanks!

Eucharist

• Diane from Rochester: I was given a strange-looking Host at Mass last week. Does the shape of the Host make any difference?
• Michael from facebook: Just as we need women to bring life into the world, we need our priest to bring us the Eucharist!
• Are lay ministers allowed to run Communion services when priests or deacons are not available?
• Acts 27:33-38 describes Paul as taking bread, giving thanks to God, breaking the bread, and eating it. This sounds like the Eucharist. But then it says that "they lightened the ship by throwing the wheat into the sea." Did Paul throw away consecrated bread?
• Tom from Williamsville: If, God forbid, a priest is in mortal sin and is celebrating Mass, does that in any way affect or negate the transubstantiation of the host into the Body and Blood of our Lord?
• Jim from Niagara Falls: What is the significance of the crosses made on the forehead, lips, and heart just before the reading of the gospel?
• Jenne from Facebook: Is it OK to have toys in church for small children?
• May a Roman Catholic attend Mass and receive the Eucharist in Orthodox territory?
• Jason from Orlando:

1.) How many times a day can you receive Communion?

2.) If you receive Communion during the Saturday Vigil Mass does that count for Sunday?

• Kevin: Following up on the question of how often we can receive Holy Communion... Can someone really trying to grow spiritually and/or overcome a sinful habit receive Holy Communion twice a day to receive extra spiritual benefit?

Confession

• How should we prepare ourselves make a good confession?
• Susan from Buffalo: How do you go to confession? What is the script to follow?
• Michael from Rochester: How should we deal with leftover feelings of guilt from sins that have been confessed already?
• Scott from Rochester: What is the sin of presumption? Doesn't the Catholic sacrament of Confession encourage presumption?

Marriage

• Should a divorced Methodist man get married to a Roman Catholic woman in the Methodist church because "they will accept anyone"? Would that marriage then be accepted by the Catholic Church?
• Nancy from Buffalo: What does the Church say about Catholics marrying non-Catholics? Can it be done? If so, under what conditions?
• When should Catholics refuse to attend a non-Catholic wedding ceremony?
• Why does the Catholic Church not permit divorce when almost all other Christian groups do?
• What is the difference between an annulment and a divorce? Is an "annulment" just a "divorce" under a different name?
• Can divorced Catholics receive Communion?

Baptism

• Allison from Texas: Who may baptize an infant in danger of dying? Do they have to be baptized later by a priest or a deacon?

Sacramental Theology

• Randolph from Hamilton, Ontario: The Catholic Church teaches that some other Churches not united to Rome (for example, the Eastern Orthodox) have a valid priesthood and therefore have the same seven sacraments as the Catholic Church. Does this apply to the Anglican (or Episcopalian) Church? (Added 10/22/12)
• What is the difference between a permanent deacon and a priest? (Added 10/30/12)
• Frank, Rochester: At the end of John chapter 6, Jesus says, "It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life." Doesn't that mean that the Eucharist is spiritual, not physical? (11/29/12)
• If "catholic" means "universal," why can't everybody take Communion with Catholics? (11/02/12)
• Why doesn't the Church ordain women as priests? Doesn't the New Testament talk about deaconesses? Doesn't the prohibition turn all women into second-class citizens in the Church? (11/29/12)
• Why does the Roman rite make celibacy mandatory for priests? (Added 10/30/12)
• Why doesn't the Catholic Church allow priests to get married? (11/02/12)
• Who is allowed to receive the Sacrament of the Sick? May one be anointed before knee surgery? (11/15/12)

Exclusion from the Sacraments

• Sean from Ontario couldn't be confirmed because his non-Catholic wife is uncertain about baptizing and raising the children as Catholics. Is that the right thing for Sean's priest to do?

Catholic Universities

• John from Webster: What is a "mandatum"? Is the mandatum a legal Church document, or Church contract an educator agrees to and signs when presented by the local bishop (diocese)? What effect has the mandatum had on keeping Catholic schools Catholic?

- Do Catholic Universities/ Colleges Boards of Directors or the Presidents of the schools cooperate, facilitate, or prevent this contract coming into existence?

- Have local bishops given up requiring this?

- Are teachers in Catholic elementary and high schools required to have a diocesan mandatum?

• Kevin from Buffalo: I attend a Catholic school. What should I do when the truth is not taught by my teachers? (11/29/12)
• Have we lost the purpose of Catholic education today? (11/02/12)

Mary

• John from Webster: What are the Seven Sorrows of Mary? (11/02/12)
• Why do Eastern Christians call Mary "Theotokos"? (added 10/22/12)
• Does the fact that the New Testament says Jesus had brothers mean that Mary did not remain a virgin after His birth? (11/29/12)
• Marsha from West Seneca would like help on how to explain Mary as the Mother of God to a non-Catholic. Is it in Scripture?
• Kathryn: How did Mary come to be referred to as the "Star of the Sea"? Etymology of "Mary."

Rosary

• Kathleen from Rochester: We should pray the rosary for success in battle against the radical Muslins, just as the Church did during the Battle of Lepanto.

Angels

• John from Williamsville: How do angels do battle against humans? They do not have bodies. How do they war against each other? (Added 10/22/12)
• Are parts of cities under the dominion of Satan? (11/02/12)
• Can people talk with their guardian angels? (Added 10/30/12)
• Joseph from Buffalo: Can Angels read minds? What are the consequences if the devil can also read minds?
• Betty: Does God need the angels? Wouldn't the existence and activity of angels take glory away from God?
• Andrew on Facebook: Could there be any connections between the "personal gods" that people and families invoke in ancient cultures? The book, God: A Biography, suggested this might be the case.
• Fr Mark Noonan from Tonwanda: How close are the angels to us?
• Are all angels masculine? Are there any female angels?

The Last Things

Second Coming of Jesus

• Andy from Buffalo: My eighth-graders and they have lots of questions about the end of the world and the book of Revelation. What should he tell them?

Heaven

• Susanne from Rochester: What will the New Jerusalem will be like?
• Ann from Orchard Park: How can I explain Heaven to my son if it is a state of being and not a place?

Purgatory

• Ben from Buffalo: When in purgatory do you know you will be saved?
• Jim from Buffalo: Is there any way to know if someone for whom I have been praying for a long time has been released from Purgatory?

Indulgences

Amy from Facebook: Must you receive communion on the same day you seek a plenary indulgence or can it be from communion you received days prior?

Hell

• Rick from Grand Island: In Crossing the Threshold of Hope, John Paul II wrote: "There is a destination to eternal damnation as well, which consists in the ultimate rejection of God, the ultimate break of the communion with the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit...Eternal damnation is certainly proclaimed in the Gospel. To what degree is it realized in life beyond the grave? This is, ultimately, a great mystery (pg. 72-73)." On Culture Talks: The Pope made a statement that there is a hell, but can't be sure there are people there.
• Sam from Buffalo: Why does the Apostle's Creed say, "He descended into hell"? We got into a discussion about Heaven and Hell being spiritual states, not physical locations.

Saints

• Christina: Are Catholics the only ones who have saints whose bodies are incorrupt? (10/22/12)
• Are we obliged to believe in all of the visions and all of the writings of the saints? They are perfect, aren't they? Doesn't that mean that there is no error in what they taught? (12/06/12)
• Barbara from Kenmore: At a Jesuit parish, the priests gave a blessing with the relics of a saint after Mass was over. Is it appropriate to do that? It seems as though doing so would detract from the greatest possible graces just give in Holy Communion.

Development of Doctrine

• What does the Catholic Church mean by the words "Holy Trinity." Is that phrase found in the Scriptures? (Added 10/22/12)
• Has Catholic doctrine changed over the centuries, or hasn't it? In particular, did Vatican II change the teaching of the Church? (11/29/12)
• Wasn't the Body of Christ really simple in the beginning, with no rules or rulers? Hasn't the Catholic Church betrayed Jesus by inventing all kinds of things not found in the Scriptures? (11/29/12)
• Dan from Akron: Why are the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed so different?
• Tom from Webster: Why do Christians today ignore the commandment in Acts chapter 15 which prohibits eating the blood of animals?
• Emile, a Muslim, from Buffalo: "How much power does the Church have to change Biblical law?"
• Why does the Church call those who disagree with her teaching "heretics"? Didn't Jesus say not to pass judgment on others?
• Gloria from Rochester: "What does the word 'dogmatic' mean?"

Trinity

• Gerald from Rochester: Are the persons of the Trinity "distinct ways of being"?
• Diane from Rochester: Do the persons of the blessed trinity worship each other?

Old Testament History

• David from Lackawana: Did the United Kingdom of Israel break up during King Solomon's reign?
• Brendan in Amherst: How was Jewish society run if there wasn't a King after the Babylonian Captivity in 586 BC? Did it become a theocracy?

Church history

• Dave: Was the Church born when Jesus died on the Cross (blood and water from His side) or on the day of Pentecost? (Added 10/26/12)
• Why did the Jews reject Jesus? Weren't they waiting for a Christ? (Added 10/22/12)
• Rick from Grand Island: Why do languages go dead? Why isn't Latin spoken today as it was in the patristic era?

Faith and Reason

• Should Christians try to prove the articles of faith by reason alone? If someone seeks scientific evidence for the resurrection, wouldn't that mean that the resurrection was not a miracle? If science could explain the resurrection, then it would seem that the resurrection is something natural rather than something supernatural. (11/29/12)
• Emmanuel from Rochester: Are faith and reason opposed to each other? Isn't someone who just believes what they are told a better person than someone who wants explanations and arguments in favor of the faith? (11/15/12)
• Daniel: Can you have wisdom without a lot of intelligence? (11/02/12)
• How does St. Thomas Aquinas understand the relationship between faith and reason? (Natural theology vs. revealed truths.) (Added 10/22/12)

Catholicism and Science

• Why did the Church condemn Galileo? Is the Church opposed to science?
• Will from North Carolina: What does the Church teach about aliens? If they exist, are they, too, saved by Jesus' death on the Cross?

Priests

• Anna from Rochester: When speaking to a priest, should people use the priest's first name or his last name? In other words, should people say "Father Marty" or "Father Moleski"?

Religious life

• Ed from Rochester: Why are there so many religious orders in the Catholic Church? Shouldn't all Catholics have the same way of life? (added 10/22/12)

Suffering

• Phil from Medina: Why do bad things happen to good people?
• Why did Jesus have to suffer?
• If Jesus' suffering is all-sufficient, why do we have to suffer?
• Christopher Janiak: Why do some animals experience pain if they aren't guilty of original sin?

Abortion

• Josh from South Buffalo: What can we say to someone who claims that the embryo is not a human until there's brain activity?

Miracles

• Kevin from Buffalo: It seems that very few Catholics today investigate and verify miracles (for acceptance or dismissal), leaving it almost entirely up to atheists. Outside of canonization procedures, of course, but those aren't really public."

Catholic Ethics

General principles

• Mary from Clarence: Why does the Church say that 'the end doesn't justify the means'?

Catholic Medical Ethics

• Mike from Webster: What does the Church teach about organ donation and transplants? Is it OK to sign the organ donor form on our driver's license? Is it OK to accept an organ transplant?

Suicide vs. Accepting Death

• Cathy from Buffalo: Her eleven-year-old grandson asks, 'What if you threw yourself in front of a bullet or a car to save someone, but you knew you'd die as a result. Is that alright?

Entertainment and Ethics

• John from Webster: Is it possible to watch a horror movie that portrays evil activities just for entertainment? Or does attendance at the movie mean that the viewer is supporting the work of evil spirits?

Prophecy

• John from Wilson: What is the difference between psychics and prophets?

Islam

• Why has there been so much war between Muslims and Christians? Why did Christians think that God would be pleased with the Crusades?
• What books would be helpful in learning more about the history of Catholicism and Islam?

Patriotism

• Kathrine from Byron: Is it ever taking the Lord's name in vain to say "God bless America"? Will God always hear our prayer for our country?

Protestants vs. Catholics

• Why can't Catholics take communion in Protestant services? Aren't we all supposed to love one another?
• Cecil from Buffalo: Why don't Protestants believe in Mary like we do?
• Why do Protestants and Catholics have a different list of the 10 commandments? For Protestants, the first commandment is "I am the Lord Your God." The second commandment is, "You shall make no graven images." For Catholics, the first commandment is, "I am the Lord your God; you shall have no other gods before me." The second Catholic commandment is, "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord your God in vain." At the end, Protestants have only one coveting commandment that deals with coveting both spouses and goods; Catholics have two separate commandments about not coveting.
• Bonnie from Lancaster: What are people talking about when they say "you must be born again"?

Forgiving our enemies

• How can we forgive people who have done real evil to us? Does Jesus require us to "forgive and forget"?

Precepts of the Church

• What are the precepts of the Church? What right does the Church have to boss people around?
• Are Catholics really required to attend Mass on Sunday?

Cooperation with Antagonists of the Church

• John in Tonawanda asked whether it would be improper for Catholics to attend a festival promoted by a Hellenic Orthodox Church.
• Leo from Rochester: should we boycott corporations who promote Planned Parenthood and/or same-sex marriage?