Most Christian denominations do not believe in purgatory. This is specifically a Roman Catholic belief. And in the popular Catholic mind, purgatory is too often mistakenly conceived of as a place distinct from heaven, a place where you are purified and made ready for heaven. But purgatory is not a place distinct from heaven and…
Q: What is the current situation with marriages and the SSPX? I have heard different things about whether or not weddings at SSPX chapels are valid. A: From the time of Pope Francis’ pontificate, there was a fairly limited pathway for a valid Catholic wedding ceremony in chapels of the Society of St Pius X,…
Q: I try to have a Mass said for my deceased grandparents every year around the anniversary of their deaths. But this year, my parish said their Mass intention calendar is very full, and people are requesting dates as far as six months out! Then I went to Mass last Sunday, and the priest offered…
Q: I recently attended an ordination, and that got me wondering: Hypothetically, what would happen if the bishop accidentally left out the part of the ordination Mass where the future priest promises celibacy? That wouldn’t mean that the new priest was actually free to marry, would it? A: The short answer is no, if for…
Q: Why is it that when the SSPX says Mass, it’s only illicit, but now going to confession with them would be not only illicit but also invalid? A: The short answer is because the sacrament of penance has a much stronger juridical or ‘legal’ dimension than most of the other sacraments. For reference, keep…
Q: I’m a Catholic who loves the traditional Latin Mass. I’m completely against the recent episcopal consecrations that happened against the pope’s warnings, but I used to be supportive of the SSPX and have regularly attended Mass at their chapels at different points in my life. How do I know if I’m excommunicated now? A:…
Q: I’m divorced and remarried, and have recently felt called to return to the Catholic faith. I just submitted my annulment paperwork to the tribunal, but they said the whole process can take at least a year. My parish priest said I could do something called the “brother-sister process” in the meantime to start receiving Communion again right…
Q: I have a question about the last judgement. When Jesus comes again to judge us all, how public will this be? As in, will everyone know each other’s sins when this happens? A: There is a lot that we simply don’t – and indeed, can’t – know about what our first-hand experience of…
Q: This past week a member of our parish was confirmed at Sunday Mass, but it was just our parish priest who did the confirmation. I always thought confirmation had to be done by a bishop? Is it allowed for a priest to confirm, or was the recent confirmation at my parish an invalid sacrament?…
Q: Is six months of donations to a parish a normal requirement for baptising a baby in the parish? A: You are correct that the Church teaches that newborn infants should be baptised as soon as reasonably possible. While the Church doesn’t give us a strict time limit, Canon 867 of the Code of Canon…
Fr Ronald Rolheiser