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…
A: For a few reasons, it’s hard to determine in the abstract whether or not ‘dating’ a divorced person who has yet to receive a declaration of nullity is strictly speaking a sin per se. However, I would say that in general it is a bad idea. For some background, we as Catholics believe that…
Q: I have a question about appeals to Rome of the declaration of nullity process. The metropolitan tribunal of my local archdiocese has completed their review of the case and stated that it has been proved that there is sufficient ground to find the marriage invalid (“decision in the affirmative”). However, my former spouse has…
Q: Recently I went to confession on Saturday afternoon before my parish’s vigil Mass. The priest told me to say a rosary for my penance. But since I was the last one in line, Mass was starting right away and I didn’t have time to say my penance. Then I’m embarrassed to admit I wound…
Q: Is it ever acceptable to say something other than “amen” when receiving Communion? Would “thank you,” “he’s alive” or even “hallelujah!” ever work? A: The short answer is no, the one and only appropriate response when receiving holy Communion is to say “amen” after the priest or Eucharistic minister says “the body of Christ.”…
Q: One thing about which I’ve always been curious, especially this time of the year, is why in the various Gospel accounts of Jesus before Pilate, Jesus never directly answered, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Instead of simply saying “Yes,” full stop, Jesus gave what many consider to be sidestep answers like “If…
Q: In the Apostles Creed, we say that Jesus “descended into hell” after he died on the cross. But why would Jesus go to hell if he was sinless? A: The short answer is that Jesus was not sent to hell as a consequence for his own sinfulness, but in order to free us…
Q: I heard a priest on the radio talking about holy water fonts in church, and he said that as a sacramental, the holy water “absolves us from venial sin.” He actually used the word “absolves.” That doesn’t sound right to me. What does the Church teach about this? A: I can see where…
Q: Is it acceptable in the eyes of God to have an alcoholic drink at a bar that was once an altar? My diocese has deconsecrated said altar. A: I of course can’t speak directly for God, but I know I personally would not feel comfortable consuming any kind of ordinary food and drink served…