Question from Claire on 4/23/2008:
I am in a class full of Evangelical Protestants and right after Pope Benedict left America they started asking all sorts of questions, but they asked me why the Pope has a ring. I wanted to give them the right information so I told them I would get back with them. Why is it that the Pope wears a ring?
Answer by Catholic Answers on 4/23/2008:
Claire--
From ancient times, kings and other leaders wore rings that they pressed in wax to seal documents. That seal showed that the document had their personal authority behind it. Although the Pope no longer seals documents with his ring, the tradition of his wearing a ring dates back to that ancient custom and remains a symbol of his authority as pope.
Michelle Arnold
Catholic Answers
Eucharistic fast
Question from Catherine on 4/24/2008:
I am one of those scrupulous people who ruminates about things over and over. This morning I felt like I was getting a cold, so I took Airborne, which is an effervescent tablet that dissolves in water. I drank it, got ready to go to Mass and work, and drove over to the early Mass. I spent practically the entire time during Mass trying to figure out if I was compliant with the eucharistic fast. The priest was pretty speedy this morning and I did go to Communion, but I am in a quandary about whether I should have received Communion. Hope you can help me out.
Answer by Catholic Answers on 4/24/2008:
Catherine--
Water and medicines do not break the eucharistic fast.
Michelle Arnold
Catholic Answers
I am one of those scrupulous people who ruminates about things over and over. This morning I felt like I was getting a cold, so I took Airborne, which is an effervescent tablet that dissolves in water. I drank it, got ready to go to Mass and work, and drove over to the early Mass. I spent practically the entire time during Mass trying to figure out if I was compliant with the eucharistic fast. The priest was pretty speedy this morning and I did go to Communion, but I am in a quandary about whether I should have received Communion. Hope you can help me out.
Answer by Catholic Answers on 4/24/2008:
Catherine--
Water and medicines do not break the eucharistic fast.
Michelle Arnold
Catholic Answers
Perfect Contrition
Question from Don on 4/27/2008:
Father Levis. In the back cover of our missalettes at Mass, there is the statement that one should make a perfect act of contrition. I have not understood HOW to 'make a perfect act of contrition'. I've come across this topic in a 126 page manual entitled: Triple Novena Manual of Jesus, Mary and Joseph by Father Stedman. From the Manual: ----------------------------------------------- Act of Perfect Contrition: O my God, I am heartily sorry and beg pardon for all my sins NOT SO MUCH because these sins bring suffering and Hell to me but because they have crucified my living Savior Jesus Christ and offended Thy Infinite Goodness. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance and to amend my life. Amen
Or as ejaculation say frequently "O MY GOD, I am sorry for having offended Thee, because I love Thee." Perfect Contrition becomes easy by meditating on a Crucifix: “Who” is suffering? “What” is He suffering? “Why?” To be sorry in one’s feelings is not necessary; it is sufficient if the will turns from sin to the love of God.
Perfect Contrition immediately washes away even mortal sin, but in such a case it is necessary to go to Confession before Holy Communion. Hence, there is no reason for ever remaining in sin, a condition which leads to habits of sinning.
Teach the Act of Perfect Contrition to non-Catholics especially to one in danger of death. Form the habit of making it yourself. If can save your soul at death if no priest is near for the last Sacraments. ---------------------------------------------------- Father Levis. This is the most that I've ever found regarding perfect contrition, and I thought that it would be helpful here. Thank you. Don
Answer by Fr. Robert J. Levis on 4/28/2008:
Don, What you discovered is perfect. Fr. Bob Levis
Father Levis. In the back cover of our missalettes at Mass, there is the statement that one should make a perfect act of contrition. I have not understood HOW to 'make a perfect act of contrition'. I've come across this topic in a 126 page manual entitled: Triple Novena Manual of Jesus, Mary and Joseph by Father Stedman. From the Manual: ----------------------------------------------- Act of Perfect Contrition: O my God, I am heartily sorry and beg pardon for all my sins NOT SO MUCH because these sins bring suffering and Hell to me but because they have crucified my living Savior Jesus Christ and offended Thy Infinite Goodness. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance and to amend my life. Amen
Or as ejaculation say frequently "O MY GOD, I am sorry for having offended Thee, because I love Thee." Perfect Contrition becomes easy by meditating on a Crucifix: “Who” is suffering? “What” is He suffering? “Why?” To be sorry in one’s feelings is not necessary; it is sufficient if the will turns from sin to the love of God.
Perfect Contrition immediately washes away even mortal sin, but in such a case it is necessary to go to Confession before Holy Communion. Hence, there is no reason for ever remaining in sin, a condition which leads to habits of sinning.
Teach the Act of Perfect Contrition to non-Catholics especially to one in danger of death. Form the habit of making it yourself. If can save your soul at death if no priest is near for the last Sacraments. ---------------------------------------------------- Father Levis. This is the most that I've ever found regarding perfect contrition, and I thought that it would be helpful here. Thank you. Don
Answer by Fr. Robert J. Levis on 4/28/2008:
Don, What you discovered is perfect. Fr. Bob Levis
Devotees flock by the thousands to view Padre Pio's body
ROME, Apr 26, 2008 / 03:01 pm (CNA).- Thousands of devotees of the Italian mystic St. Padre Pio gathered at his shrine to see his exhumed body, which is on display for the first time since his death nearly 40 years ago.
More than one million people are expected to view his corpse, which is displayed in a transparent casket, between now and September 2009, according to Agence France Presse.
On Thursday more than 15,000 people viewed the saint’s body and also attended a Mass celebrated by Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins, head of the Vatican’s Congregation for Saints.
Cardinal Martins said in his homily, “What we see is a dead body, no longer animated by the breath of God. But Padre Pio is not simply a corpse: he lives on in communion with Jesus resurrected.” The cardinal also called Padre Pio a “saint of the people.”
The Italian state broadcaster RAI broadcast the events live across the country. According to AFP, Consilia De Martino, who was cured from a ruptured lymph duct through the Padre Pio’s intercession, was present. Her recovery was considered one of the miracles necessary for the saint’s canonization.
Padre Pio, a Capuchin friar, was credited by his fellow friars with more than 1,000 miraculous cures and interventions. Church authorities were skeptical of the reputed miracle worker until his death in 1968. He was canonized by Pope John Paul II.
In 1910 St. Pio began to bear the stigmata, the wounds that Jesus received from his crucifixion.
Investigators examining his cause for sainthood considered and dismissed allegations that Padre Pio acquired carbolic acid from a pharmacist that could have been used to simulate the stigmata. A book published last year repeated the allegations.
The saint’s body was exhumed in March and was reportedly in “surprisingly good condition.” His beard, nails, knees, and hands were clearly visible.
Biochemists and forensic scientists have worked to make the body fit for display. His displayed body wore a lifelike silicon mask of his face and was mainly hidden under his monk’s habit. The forensic scientists, addressing a press conference, denied that the face was badly decomposed. They said the mask was used to protect the sensibilities of visitors.
Local Bishop Umberto Domenico D’Ambrosio told the press conference that when the tomb was opened there was no unpleasant smell. “When I asked the doctors for an explanation they told me it was up to me to provide an answer, not them," he said.
In 2009 the body will be returned to the crypt of Santa Maria delle Grazie church in San Giovanni Rotondo, next to the friary where Padre Pio lived for most of his life.
More than one million people are expected to view his corpse, which is displayed in a transparent casket, between now and September 2009, according to Agence France Presse.
On Thursday more than 15,000 people viewed the saint’s body and also attended a Mass celebrated by Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins, head of the Vatican’s Congregation for Saints.
Cardinal Martins said in his homily, “What we see is a dead body, no longer animated by the breath of God. But Padre Pio is not simply a corpse: he lives on in communion with Jesus resurrected.” The cardinal also called Padre Pio a “saint of the people.”
The Italian state broadcaster RAI broadcast the events live across the country. According to AFP, Consilia De Martino, who was cured from a ruptured lymph duct through the Padre Pio’s intercession, was present. Her recovery was considered one of the miracles necessary for the saint’s canonization.
Padre Pio, a Capuchin friar, was credited by his fellow friars with more than 1,000 miraculous cures and interventions. Church authorities were skeptical of the reputed miracle worker until his death in 1968. He was canonized by Pope John Paul II.
In 1910 St. Pio began to bear the stigmata, the wounds that Jesus received from his crucifixion.
Investigators examining his cause for sainthood considered and dismissed allegations that Padre Pio acquired carbolic acid from a pharmacist that could have been used to simulate the stigmata. A book published last year repeated the allegations.
The saint’s body was exhumed in March and was reportedly in “surprisingly good condition.” His beard, nails, knees, and hands were clearly visible.
Biochemists and forensic scientists have worked to make the body fit for display. His displayed body wore a lifelike silicon mask of his face and was mainly hidden under his monk’s habit. The forensic scientists, addressing a press conference, denied that the face was badly decomposed. They said the mask was used to protect the sensibilities of visitors.
Local Bishop Umberto Domenico D’Ambrosio told the press conference that when the tomb was opened there was no unpleasant smell. “When I asked the doctors for an explanation they told me it was up to me to provide an answer, not them," he said.
In 2009 the body will be returned to the crypt of Santa Maria delle Grazie church in San Giovanni Rotondo, next to the friary where Padre Pio lived for most of his life.
The Consecration Of the Holy Eucharist
Question from Bud McLaughlin on 4/22/2008:
Who can consecrate the host so that it becomes the Body & Blood of Jesus?
Answer by Fr. Robert J. Levis on 4/23/2008:
Bud, Only the bishop and priest can consecrate and transform bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ. Fr.Bob Levis
Who can consecrate the host so that it becomes the Body & Blood of Jesus?
Answer by Fr. Robert J. Levis on 4/23/2008:
Bud, Only the bishop and priest can consecrate and transform bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ. Fr.Bob Levis
ATTENDING NON-CATHOLIC SERVICES
Question from Anonymous on 4/21/2008:
Is it wrong to attend a non-CAtholic Christian service on a regular basis, while also attending Mass weekly, so long as we do not receive communion? And if they do not claim transubstantiation, is it wrong to receive communion as strictly a symbolic/memorial gesture and if no, why?
Answer by Fr. Robert J. Levis on 4/23/2008:
Anon,If there is no Faith in such religion, why attend to it regularly? This is illogical. Further, scandal may well be taken if a Catholic is seen by others thinking the Catholic has ceased believing in Catholicism.God bless. Fr Bob Levis
Is it wrong to attend a non-CAtholic Christian service on a regular basis, while also attending Mass weekly, so long as we do not receive communion? And if they do not claim transubstantiation, is it wrong to receive communion as strictly a symbolic/memorial gesture and if no, why?
Answer by Fr. Robert J. Levis on 4/23/2008:
Anon,If there is no Faith in such religion, why attend to it regularly? This is illogical. Further, scandal may well be taken if a Catholic is seen by others thinking the Catholic has ceased believing in Catholicism.God bless. Fr Bob Levis
The Consecration Of the Holy Eucharist
Question from Bud McLaughlin on 4/22/2008:
Who can consecrate the host so that it becomes the Body & Blood of Jesus?
Answer by Fr. Robert J. Levis on 4/23/2008:
Bud, Only the bishop and priest can consecrate and transform bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ. Fr.Bob Levis
Who can consecrate the host so that it becomes the Body & Blood of Jesus?
Answer by Fr. Robert J. Levis on 4/23/2008:
Bud, Only the bishop and priest can consecrate and transform bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ. Fr.Bob Levis
Holy Spirit
Question from EQ on 4/22/2008:
Is there a varying degree to which the power of the Holy Spirit is present in some people, specifically priests? In other words, can the Holy Spirit flow through some priests more freely than others, resulting in special gifts given to them or to the person they are blessing or are in contact with? It has been said that there is a priest in our parish who has the power to read one's soul and that he can sense when someone is not revealing all the sins in their soul during confession. Another of our priests has the ability to calm any baby he comes in contact with. I have seen this happen and several times with my own child. Is this what is called a charism? This same priest confirmed me and soon after he annointed my forehead I felt a very warm sensation running through my entire body. Does he have a special gift of the Holy Spirit or is this a common occurence?
Answer by Fr. Robert J. Levis on 4/24/2008:
Dear EQ, Yes by all means, the Holy Spirit is much more active in some souls than in others, in some priests, and in some bishops. I would venture to say that as a soul is gifted with divine help, the Spirit effects this. No one grows except in and with the Holy Spirit. The charisms come thru him. Fr. Bob Levis
Is there a varying degree to which the power of the Holy Spirit is present in some people, specifically priests? In other words, can the Holy Spirit flow through some priests more freely than others, resulting in special gifts given to them or to the person they are blessing or are in contact with? It has been said that there is a priest in our parish who has the power to read one's soul and that he can sense when someone is not revealing all the sins in their soul during confession. Another of our priests has the ability to calm any baby he comes in contact with. I have seen this happen and several times with my own child. Is this what is called a charism? This same priest confirmed me and soon after he annointed my forehead I felt a very warm sensation running through my entire body. Does he have a special gift of the Holy Spirit or is this a common occurence?
Answer by Fr. Robert J. Levis on 4/24/2008:
Dear EQ, Yes by all means, the Holy Spirit is much more active in some souls than in others, in some priests, and in some bishops. I would venture to say that as a soul is gifted with divine help, the Spirit effects this. No one grows except in and with the Holy Spirit. The charisms come thru him. Fr. Bob Levis
Orthodox universities
Question from Clare on 4/24/2008:
Back in 2005, this forum ppublished a listing of Orthodix universities. Has that list been updated? My daughter is looking for a good school. Peace, Clare
Answer by Fr. Robert J. Levis on 4/26/2008:
Clare. 22 colleges and universities are honored by the Society of John Newman as truly Catholic. These colleges are listed by them and are available. God bless you. Fr. Bob Levis
Back in 2005, this forum ppublished a listing of Orthodix universities. Has that list been updated? My daughter is looking for a good school. Peace, Clare
Answer by Fr. Robert J. Levis on 4/26/2008:
Clare. 22 colleges and universities are honored by the Society of John Newman as truly Catholic. These colleges are listed by them and are available. God bless you. Fr. Bob Levis
Devotion to Virgin Mary
Question from Joan S. on 4/24/2008:
I was recently told by a Catholic that devotion to the Virgin Mary is necessary for salvation. I couldn't find any reference to it being necessary. Is it necessary? I don't think so. Thank you for your time.
Answer by Fr. Robert J. Levis on 4/26/2008:
Joan, Surely devotion to Mary is not necessary for salvation as is devotion to Jesus, her Divine Son. I know of no Church teaching demanding such devotio as necessary; however love and appreciation of Mary is highly to be recommended by all Christians. Fr. Bob Levis
I was recently told by a Catholic that devotion to the Virgin Mary is necessary for salvation. I couldn't find any reference to it being necessary. Is it necessary? I don't think so. Thank you for your time.
Answer by Fr. Robert J. Levis on 4/26/2008:
Joan, Surely devotion to Mary is not necessary for salvation as is devotion to Jesus, her Divine Son. I know of no Church teaching demanding such devotio as necessary; however love and appreciation of Mary is highly to be recommended by all Christians. Fr. Bob Levis
Human pain and suffering.
Question from Lynn on 4/7/2008:
I am a CCD teacher for 7th grade and two of my male students cannot understand if God loves us and wants what is best for us why God does not stop all human suffering. They want to know why God allows babies to die and people to murder other people. They want to know why life is so full of pain and sorrow when God can make it go away.
Answer by Matthew Bunson on 4/22/2008:
What you ask goes to one of the greatest and most debated question in human existence, what is called in philosophical circles theodicy. I would encourage you to read and then present to your class Pope John Paul II’s magnificent work on human suffering, Salvifici Doloris. It is available here: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_letters/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_11021984_salvifici-doloris_en.html
You might also consider reading: John Paul II and the Meaning of Suffering: Lessons from a Spiritual Master by Robert G. Schroeder and Suffering: The Catholic Answer by Hubert Van Zeller and Dom Hubert Van Zeller.
I am a CCD teacher for 7th grade and two of my male students cannot understand if God loves us and wants what is best for us why God does not stop all human suffering. They want to know why God allows babies to die and people to murder other people. They want to know why life is so full of pain and sorrow when God can make it go away.
Answer by Matthew Bunson on 4/22/2008:
What you ask goes to one of the greatest and most debated question in human existence, what is called in philosophical circles theodicy. I would encourage you to read and then present to your class Pope John Paul II’s magnificent work on human suffering, Salvifici Doloris. It is available here: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_letters/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_11021984_salvifici-doloris_en.html
You might also consider reading: John Paul II and the Meaning of Suffering: Lessons from a Spiritual Master by Robert G. Schroeder and Suffering: The Catholic Answer by Hubert Van Zeller and Dom Hubert Van Zeller.
Anglican Church Founded By St. Paul?
Question from Anon on 4/9/2008:
Mr. Bunson. I have recently read a short history that claims that the Church of England was founded by St. Paul in his travels, and that it was reformed by St. Augustine of Canterbury in the sixth century under Pope Gregory the Great. To support this belief, the history relates that, 1) Clement wrote in 87 AD that St. Paul had travelled to the west (and it’s assumed to be that St. Paul or a follower founded the Church of England), and 2) that when St. Augustine arrived in 597, that there were already Christian churches there. This history therefore claims Apostolic Succession through St. Paul. Could you discuss this, which is news to me? Thank you. Anon
Answer by Matthew Bunson on 4/26/2008:
I am unaware of a journey by Paul to England (or Britannia as it was called under Roman occupation). The last years of Paul are obscure, but the chronology reconstructed from tradition and his later letters suggest that he probably visited Spain and then perhaps revisited Syria, Palestine, Asia Minor, Greece, and Crete. Arrested again, he was taken back to Rome, kept in close confinement, and apparently knew his death was imminent, as is clear from his second letter to Timothy (in particular 4:6-8). He was martyred around 67 by Emperor Nero, most likely beheaded as reported by Tertullian. According to the apocryphal Acts of St. Paul, his place of martyrdom was on the left bank of the Tiber; he was said to have been buried in a cemetery on the Via Ostia owned by a Christian named Lucina, the site where the Basilica of S. Paolo Fuori le Mure (St. Paul-Outside-the-Walls) was built.
It is clear in Romans 15:22-27 that Paul was eager to journey to Spain. He likely went there via southern Gaul. A trip to Britannia was unlikely given the unsettled conditions in islands there in the middle of the 1st century A.D. (it had been conquered only in 43 A.D.). The Christian presence developed there slowly over the next few centuries. There are, of course legends that Mary Magdalene and Joseph of Arimathea went to Britain.
Clement (along with I believe various Church Fathers) refers to Paul going West, but the reference is always taken to mean Hispania, in keeping with Paul’s own expressed wishes.
Mr. Bunson. I have recently read a short history that claims that the Church of England was founded by St. Paul in his travels, and that it was reformed by St. Augustine of Canterbury in the sixth century under Pope Gregory the Great. To support this belief, the history relates that, 1) Clement wrote in 87 AD that St. Paul had travelled to the west (and it’s assumed to be that St. Paul or a follower founded the Church of England), and 2) that when St. Augustine arrived in 597, that there were already Christian churches there. This history therefore claims Apostolic Succession through St. Paul. Could you discuss this, which is news to me? Thank you. Anon
Answer by Matthew Bunson on 4/26/2008:
I am unaware of a journey by Paul to England (or Britannia as it was called under Roman occupation). The last years of Paul are obscure, but the chronology reconstructed from tradition and his later letters suggest that he probably visited Spain and then perhaps revisited Syria, Palestine, Asia Minor, Greece, and Crete. Arrested again, he was taken back to Rome, kept in close confinement, and apparently knew his death was imminent, as is clear from his second letter to Timothy (in particular 4:6-8). He was martyred around 67 by Emperor Nero, most likely beheaded as reported by Tertullian. According to the apocryphal Acts of St. Paul, his place of martyrdom was on the left bank of the Tiber; he was said to have been buried in a cemetery on the Via Ostia owned by a Christian named Lucina, the site where the Basilica of S. Paolo Fuori le Mure (St. Paul-Outside-the-Walls) was built.
It is clear in Romans 15:22-27 that Paul was eager to journey to Spain. He likely went there via southern Gaul. A trip to Britannia was unlikely given the unsettled conditions in islands there in the middle of the 1st century A.D. (it had been conquered only in 43 A.D.). The Christian presence developed there slowly over the next few centuries. There are, of course legends that Mary Magdalene and Joseph of Arimathea went to Britain.
Clement (along with I believe various Church Fathers) refers to Paul going West, but the reference is always taken to mean Hispania, in keeping with Paul’s own expressed wishes.
The building structure of the church
Question from Sarah Kidwell on 4/22/2008:
what is the main body of the church? what are flying buttreses? what are the main differences between romanesque and gothic cathedrals?
Answer by Matthew Bunson on 4/26/2008:
The traditional main part of a cathedral is called a nave. Flying buttresses are the external supporting structures that were used to help carry the load or weight bearing walls of a Gothic cathedral. They were intended to provide the architects with the means of reducing the mass of the load bearing walls by carrying the pressure and weight. This relief of stress then permitted the walls to have windows and other architectural additions for light and airiness within the wider structure itself.
Cathedral building became one of the great achievements in the whole history of the Middle Ages, epitomizing the pervasive influence of the Church in the lives of the people, the degree, financial, political, and social authority it wielded, and the depth of the belief of the people who were willing to sacrifice perhaps as much as a century's labor to complete an edifice of stone and glass. The cathedrals give profound testimony to the name bestowed upon the Middle Ages – the Age of Faith. At the same time, however, cathedrals also represented an economic stake on the part of civil and even royal government for those churches that might be crowned the greatest of the time or house important relics that could attract pilgrims from all over Christendom as well as merchants and tradesman. Cathedral towns thus served as vital commercial centers, sources of power for the entire community, only enhancing the position of the local bishop and clergy, who also profited from the attention.
The first notable period for cathedral building was part of the wider Romanesque, which lasted roughly until 1200 and took as its main inspiration the long-faded art of classical Rome. Among the best known examples of this art form are Pisa in Italy, Tournai and Angloulême in France, Worms and Aachen in Germany, and Durham in England. The golden age of cathedrals was the next major art period, the Gothic, whose ascendancy is said by scholars to have begun with the restoration of the Church of St. Denis (c. 1140) by the famed abbot Suger and to have been furthered by St. Bernard of Clairvaux. Gothic cathedrals were characterized by open skeletons of stone to support vaulting while diagonal ribs gave added strength to the groined vaults. These made possible the attaining of enormous height in the characteristic pointed arches. Flying buttresses (arches of masonry on the outside of the walls) dispersed the weight of the vaults and added stability. Gothic is divided into three main eras – Early, High, and Late, with fascinating variations being developed throughout Europe. A partial list of the magnificent cathedrals of the period included Notre Dame de Paris, Laon, Chartres, Bourges, Amiens, Beauvais (which was never completed because of the collapse of its vaults), and Ste.-Chapelle in Paris (built by King St. Louis IX, r. 1226-1270), which was considered a masterpiece of the Rayonnant (or radiant) style. Also notable were the English cathedrals of Canterbury, Lincoln, Wells, and York, and, of course Westminster Abbey (c. 1500-1512), begun under King Henry VII; elsewhere could be found sumptuous cathedrals in Vienna, Milan, Cologne, Venice, and Assisi.
For detailed information on the different types of cathedrals and the history of their development, I would suggest the following sites:
what is the main body of the church? what are flying buttreses? what are the main differences between romanesque and gothic cathedrals?
Answer by Matthew Bunson on 4/26/2008:
The traditional main part of a cathedral is called a nave. Flying buttresses are the external supporting structures that were used to help carry the load or weight bearing walls of a Gothic cathedral. They were intended to provide the architects with the means of reducing the mass of the load bearing walls by carrying the pressure and weight. This relief of stress then permitted the walls to have windows and other architectural additions for light and airiness within the wider structure itself.
Cathedral building became one of the great achievements in the whole history of the Middle Ages, epitomizing the pervasive influence of the Church in the lives of the people, the degree, financial, political, and social authority it wielded, and the depth of the belief of the people who were willing to sacrifice perhaps as much as a century's labor to complete an edifice of stone and glass. The cathedrals give profound testimony to the name bestowed upon the Middle Ages – the Age of Faith. At the same time, however, cathedrals also represented an economic stake on the part of civil and even royal government for those churches that might be crowned the greatest of the time or house important relics that could attract pilgrims from all over Christendom as well as merchants and tradesman. Cathedral towns thus served as vital commercial centers, sources of power for the entire community, only enhancing the position of the local bishop and clergy, who also profited from the attention.
The first notable period for cathedral building was part of the wider Romanesque, which lasted roughly until 1200 and took as its main inspiration the long-faded art of classical Rome. Among the best known examples of this art form are Pisa in Italy, Tournai and Angloulême in France, Worms and Aachen in Germany, and Durham in England. The golden age of cathedrals was the next major art period, the Gothic, whose ascendancy is said by scholars to have begun with the restoration of the Church of St. Denis (c. 1140) by the famed abbot Suger and to have been furthered by St. Bernard of Clairvaux. Gothic cathedrals were characterized by open skeletons of stone to support vaulting while diagonal ribs gave added strength to the groined vaults. These made possible the attaining of enormous height in the characteristic pointed arches. Flying buttresses (arches of masonry on the outside of the walls) dispersed the weight of the vaults and added stability. Gothic is divided into three main eras – Early, High, and Late, with fascinating variations being developed throughout Europe. A partial list of the magnificent cathedrals of the period included Notre Dame de Paris, Laon, Chartres, Bourges, Amiens, Beauvais (which was never completed because of the collapse of its vaults), and Ste.-Chapelle in Paris (built by King St. Louis IX, r. 1226-1270), which was considered a masterpiece of the Rayonnant (or radiant) style. Also notable were the English cathedrals of Canterbury, Lincoln, Wells, and York, and, of course Westminster Abbey (c. 1500-1512), begun under King Henry VII; elsewhere could be found sumptuous cathedrals in Vienna, Milan, Cologne, Venice, and Assisi.
For detailed information on the different types of cathedrals and the history of their development, I would suggest the following sites:
Three Popes
Question from Michael Greve on 4/22/2008:
Dear Matthew, I was recently speaking with a friend of mine who informed me of of time when there were three popes at one time. I brought up the anti-popes and his retort basically was that they were all legit popes because they were all elected by cardinals. He claimed that the first pope was not Italian so a huge riot broke out and the pope had to flea, then the cardinals voted on a new one who WAS Italian, and finally the old pope came back and the cardinals voted a third pope was elected to be a middle ground between the two of them. If this has any historical value, then whats the real story, who were the popes (or anti-popes) and what does the church say about it? If the cardinals did vote for the second and third pope, are they both popes?
God Bless, Michael
Answer by Matthew Bunson on 4/26/2008:
You are referring to the Great Western Schism, a division that plagued the Western Church from 1378 to 1417. The schism began owing to the disputed election of Pope Urban VI in 1378. There were many reasons for the schism to erupt, but the chief one is usually ascribed to the effort of the French cardinals to retain the strong French influence over the papacy that had characterized parts of the 14th century. French cardinals rejected the election of the Italian Bartolomeo Prignano and instead chose Robert of Geneva who took the name of Clement VII and is counted among the antipopes.
There followed various efforts to heal the schism, but these failed and, ultimately, there were three claimants to the papacy: the legitimate pope, Gregory XII and two antipopes, Benedict XIII and Alexander V. Alexander was succeeded as antipope by John XXIII (not, in any way to be confused with the legitimate pope and blessed of the 20th century). To find some resolution to the crisis, Emperor Sigismund and many Church leaders proposed a general council. The result was the Council of Constance, 1414-1417. After long deliberations, the antipopes John and Benedict were deposed and Pope Gregory, for the good of the Church, voluntarily resigned. Oddone Colonna was then elected and took the name Pope Martin V, at last ending the schism and uniting the Church.
Dear Matthew, I was recently speaking with a friend of mine who informed me of of time when there were three popes at one time. I brought up the anti-popes and his retort basically was that they were all legit popes because they were all elected by cardinals. He claimed that the first pope was not Italian so a huge riot broke out and the pope had to flea, then the cardinals voted on a new one who WAS Italian, and finally the old pope came back and the cardinals voted a third pope was elected to be a middle ground between the two of them. If this has any historical value, then whats the real story, who were the popes (or anti-popes) and what does the church say about it? If the cardinals did vote for the second and third pope, are they both popes?
God Bless, Michael
Answer by Matthew Bunson on 4/26/2008:
You are referring to the Great Western Schism, a division that plagued the Western Church from 1378 to 1417. The schism began owing to the disputed election of Pope Urban VI in 1378. There were many reasons for the schism to erupt, but the chief one is usually ascribed to the effort of the French cardinals to retain the strong French influence over the papacy that had characterized parts of the 14th century. French cardinals rejected the election of the Italian Bartolomeo Prignano and instead chose Robert of Geneva who took the name of Clement VII and is counted among the antipopes.
There followed various efforts to heal the schism, but these failed and, ultimately, there were three claimants to the papacy: the legitimate pope, Gregory XII and two antipopes, Benedict XIII and Alexander V. Alexander was succeeded as antipope by John XXIII (not, in any way to be confused with the legitimate pope and blessed of the 20th century). To find some resolution to the crisis, Emperor Sigismund and many Church leaders proposed a general council. The result was the Council of Constance, 1414-1417. After long deliberations, the antipopes John and Benedict were deposed and Pope Gregory, for the good of the Church, voluntarily resigned. Oddone Colonna was then elected and took the name Pope Martin V, at last ending the schism and uniting the Church.
Divine Mercy: 'All of Us Need It'
The following is the homily delivered by Theodore Cardinal McCarrick, Archbishop Emeritus of Washington, D.C., on Divine Mercy Sunday at the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Mass.:
Your Excellency Bishop McDonnell, my dear brother priests, my dear sisters and brothers in consecrated life, my sisters and brothers all in Jesus Christ our Lord, I would like to start with a story.
About 20 years ago, I was in Poland in the city of Katowice, and I was walking one evening after supper with the auxiliary bishop of that town ... who was a very holy man, known for his holiness, known for his love of the poor. For a long time he had served the Conference of Bishops in Poland in the work of taking care of the poor, and the hungry, and the dispossessed.
He said to me as we were walking along chatting, he said, "Do you know anything about the devotion to The Divine Mercy?" And I said, "No, I've never heard of it." And he began to explain to me what it was all about. He told me the story of Sr. Faustina, told me how she had received these wonderful messages from the Lord. Told me how the Lord had even given her the description of a painting that was to be venerated throughout the world. Told me that her writings and her teaching about The Divine Mercy had been shared with many people, and was really accepted in a wonderful enthusiastic way by the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II.
I became very interested in it, and he began to teach me more and more about it. When I got home, and began to read more, I was convinced of the great message that God had given us in this time, through this nun. Through Poland, through Lithuania, through Eastern Europe, and to all the world, and I was so happy that our Holy Father Pope John Paul II, having heard and known of this message, was proclaiming it in a very special way.
As we know now, when the year 2000 came and the new millennium was born, the Holy Father made today the Feast of The Divine Mercy and said when he canonized now St. Faustina, "I give you a saint for a new millennium. A saint who proclaims the trust and hope in the Risen Lord because trust and confidence will be the virtue that the world needs most as it enters the Third Millennium.
Trust and confidence. That has been the mark of The Divine Mercy. That has been the mark of what all of us who gather here today have listened to and have learned and loved.
I want to ask you a few questions. You don't have to respond verbally, but answer to yourselves. Even as I have told you, when I first heard about The Divine Mercy, when did you first hear about The Divine Mercy? When did you first learn about it?
I hope you've answered that. Now, let me ask you another question: When did you first realize how much you needed in your life The Divine Mercy? Now that's a question we can all answer the same way, I guess. Because as soon as we know the Mercy of God then look at ourselves, we realize immediately how much we need His mercy, how much we need to have confidence in His love. Confidence in His forgiveness. Confidence in His understanding of our weaknesses, of our difficulties, of our trials, of our sins, confidence in His willingness to give us what we need to start over again. To begin a new life, to begin a new chapter, to turn the page on the past and to make a difference in the future.
That's what The Divine Mercy is for us. And all of us need it. And not only do we need it, but on a special day like this, we feel the Presence of The Divine Mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, of the Father, and of the Holy Spirit. The Divine Mercy, which brings us even today, here in this place, in a very special, wonderful, grace-filled way, today, you and I, all of us, and those watching on television, will be conscious of The Divine Mercy in a way that we have never been before.
We know that because Jesus said this will happen. So be prepared.
Be prepared to be filled with the grace that comes from God's love. Be prepared to be taken up into His love in a special way today. Be prepared to note how we must be sorry for our sins and want to start over again. Be prepared to know that this day, the Lord speaks to every single one of us; promises us that in His mercy He will answer our prayers. He promises that if we strive ourselves to be what He wants us to be, He will help us. He will make us different. He will make us holy. He will give us the grace to do all the things that we know we must do to find happiness in His love. He will do this for us because He loves us.
Today, let us be filled with prayer. And today, let us be filled with that grace.
The gospel today is filled with The Divine Mercy. If you read it carefully again, you'll see it constantly on every sentence. The way the Lord treats Thomas. He comes to Thomas — Thomas had not been there the last time He was present. Maybe because he was doing something, maybe he had a job to do, maybe because he was busy, or maybe because he was afraid to face Jesus. He had walked away like the rest of them. And he had been close to the Lord. Thomas was the one who often had questions of the Lord. Who often has concerns, wants to understand what Jesus is saying. Thomas probably understood very much who Jesus was, and still he walked away. Still he didn't have the courage to stand by the cross as John did.
Thomas is really afraid to face the Lord again. But now, Jesus comes a second time and Thomas sees Him, and Thomas doesn't know what he's going to do, doesn't know if the Lord is going to be angry with him because he has said, "I'm not going to believe unless I put my finger into His hands and my hand into His side." That is enough to get Thomas even more worried. But the Lord says, "Come, Thomas. Come. Put your finder into My hand and your hand into My side. Come Thomas I need you to be a believer."
There's mercy in that, isn't there? There's love in that, isn't there? There's forgiveness, isn't there?
That's how Jesus deals with all of us. That's what His love is for every one of us.
And then secondly, of course, The Divine Mercy is present as He gives the apostles and to the whole Church the ability to, in His name, pardon sins — to forgive in His name. He gives us the Sacrament of Penance at that very moment. He gives us the opportunity, which we've had now for 2,000 years, to come again and start anew, just by confessing our sins and promising, with His help and His grace, to live a good and holy life. There's The Divine Mercy, too, in a very special way.
And how often does He say at this time, and so often in His life, "Do not be afraid!" Do not be afraid. That's the call of The Divine Mercy. Do not be afraid because you have a Lord who loves you. Do not be afraid because you have a Lord who forgives. Do not be afraid because you have a Lord who wants to forget your sins and live with you in joyful, grace-filled happiness. Do not be afraid because He has gone to the cross for you. Do not be afraid because His love for you is the greatest love in the world, and because He invites you to love Him, too.
The gospels are filled with The Divine Mercy because in a real perfect sense, The Divine Mercy is at the heart of all that we believe. We believe in a God who loves us. We believe in a God who is Father. We believe in a God who cares. We believe in a God who forgives. We believe in a God who gives us always a second chance. We believe in a God who, by His grace, calls us into holiness, calls us into love, calls us into forgiveness, calls us into grace.
Our Holy Father Pope Benedict [XVI] in that wonderful encyclical that we have just received, Spe Salvi, that we are saved by hope, talks about these great virtues that are all part of The Divine Mercy.
We begin with faith. Unless we believe that God is merciful, unless we believe that there is a God who is Father who loves, us, then our faith is worthless.
And so, this is the basis of our faith. And faith springs into hope, doesn't it? If you know and believe with all your heart as we will say in our Creed, that God is present and that ... He does save us — then, you have to have confidence in His love. "Jesu, ufam tobie," the Lord said to Faustina. Pray this prayer, "Jesus, I trust in You." I put my trust in You. I have confidence in You. You are my friend. You are my beloved. And You love me. And You will forgive me, and you will bless me, and You will strengthen me, and You will give me the grace that I need.
That is the confidence which is the basis of all our faith and the product of all our believing and love. Because it is all about love. As Benedict XVI, our Holy Father, said in his first encyclical, quoting the great epistle of John, "God is love." There's no better way to describe Him; God is love. And because God is love, when we believe in that love, when we have the gift of faith that makes that love alive in us, then there springs in all our hearts that confidence, that trust, that hope. How blessed we are.
And what does it do for us? It allows us really to pray with all our hearts. That's why we come here today. On a cold day in March. We come and ask the Lord to help us pray together.
I have another story that I want to tell you. It's apropos only in a little sense. It's a story about Pope John Paul II.
He came to Newark, N.J., when I was Archbishop. It was 1995, the Feast of St. Francis, Oct. 4. And he came, and he already had some health problems, and he had been ill. And he came, and the schedule that he had was terrible. He arrived, he made a speech, listened to President Clinton talk, met the hundreds of people who were waiting at the airport, got into a limousine, came to the Cathedral, met for an hour with the President, met many people, some secret service and others who had gathered because they wanted so much to kiss his hand and to greet him. He then went into the church, presided over vespers. He must have been exhausted at the end of it all. And I was walking with him as he was going out, and the people were all standing there and clapping. And I had put the Blessed Sacrament in a side chapel because I knew he always would love to visit the Blessed Sacrament in any church he went to. So as he passed it on his way into the sacristy, he looked, and I said to him, "Yes, Holy Father, the Blessed Sacrament is there." And he grunted. He was a great grunter. He went over, and there I had placed a prie dieu before the tabernacle, and he knelt there. And it was my thought that I would maybe kneel a yard or so behind him and pray with him. And I couldn't. There was a sacred space around that person that I couldn't violate. There was such a sense of prayerfulness that all the people around there suddenly became absolutely silent. I moved a few yards away and stood by one of the pillars of the cathedral and watched. And immediately the Pope was in conversation with the Lord. There was obviously a conversation going. He was obviously not with us anymore; he was with the Lord.
And everybody could feel that. It went on for 5 or 10 minutes maybe. Then, Monsignor Dziwisz, now the Cardinal in Cracow, who was his secretary came in and gently put his hand under the Holy Father's elbow, and the Holy Father came back to us, and stood up, and turned to the people, and smiled and waved.
And they didn't know what to do. They were so affected by the depth of the prayer of this holy man. You know where that comes from? It comes from a confidence in God's mercy. It comes from the sense of God's presence in our lives.
That's the gift we celebrate today, dear friends. That's the blessing that God has given us in The Divine Mercy. It is the gift that should change our lives. "Jesu Ufam Tobie" — Jesus, I trust in You! You are my friend, You are my brother, You are my Lord and My God — as Thomas tells us today. You are the one in whom I put my trust. In whom I put my life. You are the one in whom I place everything that I have, everything I will be, everything that is part of me.
This is the kind of prayer we make today, dear friends. We are in God's presence so much today. We ask Him to be with us. To be with us in the wonder of His love. To be with us in His caring.
And as each of us brings today our own petitions, our own needs, our own fears, our own concerns, to this Mass let us be sure that He hears us. Let us be sure that He knows intimately and deeply everything that we need. And let us never lack the confidence that allows us to say, "Jesus I love you. Jesus I believe in You. Jesus I trust in You."
And with that prayer we move deeply into the very Heart of Christ. Amen.
Your Excellency Bishop McDonnell, my dear brother priests, my dear sisters and brothers in consecrated life, my sisters and brothers all in Jesus Christ our Lord, I would like to start with a story.
About 20 years ago, I was in Poland in the city of Katowice, and I was walking one evening after supper with the auxiliary bishop of that town ... who was a very holy man, known for his holiness, known for his love of the poor. For a long time he had served the Conference of Bishops in Poland in the work of taking care of the poor, and the hungry, and the dispossessed.
He said to me as we were walking along chatting, he said, "Do you know anything about the devotion to The Divine Mercy?" And I said, "No, I've never heard of it." And he began to explain to me what it was all about. He told me the story of Sr. Faustina, told me how she had received these wonderful messages from the Lord. Told me how the Lord had even given her the description of a painting that was to be venerated throughout the world. Told me that her writings and her teaching about The Divine Mercy had been shared with many people, and was really accepted in a wonderful enthusiastic way by the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II.
I became very interested in it, and he began to teach me more and more about it. When I got home, and began to read more, I was convinced of the great message that God had given us in this time, through this nun. Through Poland, through Lithuania, through Eastern Europe, and to all the world, and I was so happy that our Holy Father Pope John Paul II, having heard and known of this message, was proclaiming it in a very special way.
As we know now, when the year 2000 came and the new millennium was born, the Holy Father made today the Feast of The Divine Mercy and said when he canonized now St. Faustina, "I give you a saint for a new millennium. A saint who proclaims the trust and hope in the Risen Lord because trust and confidence will be the virtue that the world needs most as it enters the Third Millennium.
Trust and confidence. That has been the mark of The Divine Mercy. That has been the mark of what all of us who gather here today have listened to and have learned and loved.
I want to ask you a few questions. You don't have to respond verbally, but answer to yourselves. Even as I have told you, when I first heard about The Divine Mercy, when did you first hear about The Divine Mercy? When did you first learn about it?
I hope you've answered that. Now, let me ask you another question: When did you first realize how much you needed in your life The Divine Mercy? Now that's a question we can all answer the same way, I guess. Because as soon as we know the Mercy of God then look at ourselves, we realize immediately how much we need His mercy, how much we need to have confidence in His love. Confidence in His forgiveness. Confidence in His understanding of our weaknesses, of our difficulties, of our trials, of our sins, confidence in His willingness to give us what we need to start over again. To begin a new life, to begin a new chapter, to turn the page on the past and to make a difference in the future.
That's what The Divine Mercy is for us. And all of us need it. And not only do we need it, but on a special day like this, we feel the Presence of The Divine Mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, of the Father, and of the Holy Spirit. The Divine Mercy, which brings us even today, here in this place, in a very special, wonderful, grace-filled way, today, you and I, all of us, and those watching on television, will be conscious of The Divine Mercy in a way that we have never been before.
We know that because Jesus said this will happen. So be prepared.
Be prepared to be filled with the grace that comes from God's love. Be prepared to be taken up into His love in a special way today. Be prepared to note how we must be sorry for our sins and want to start over again. Be prepared to know that this day, the Lord speaks to every single one of us; promises us that in His mercy He will answer our prayers. He promises that if we strive ourselves to be what He wants us to be, He will help us. He will make us different. He will make us holy. He will give us the grace to do all the things that we know we must do to find happiness in His love. He will do this for us because He loves us.
Today, let us be filled with prayer. And today, let us be filled with that grace.
The gospel today is filled with The Divine Mercy. If you read it carefully again, you'll see it constantly on every sentence. The way the Lord treats Thomas. He comes to Thomas — Thomas had not been there the last time He was present. Maybe because he was doing something, maybe he had a job to do, maybe because he was busy, or maybe because he was afraid to face Jesus. He had walked away like the rest of them. And he had been close to the Lord. Thomas was the one who often had questions of the Lord. Who often has concerns, wants to understand what Jesus is saying. Thomas probably understood very much who Jesus was, and still he walked away. Still he didn't have the courage to stand by the cross as John did.
Thomas is really afraid to face the Lord again. But now, Jesus comes a second time and Thomas sees Him, and Thomas doesn't know what he's going to do, doesn't know if the Lord is going to be angry with him because he has said, "I'm not going to believe unless I put my finger into His hands and my hand into His side." That is enough to get Thomas even more worried. But the Lord says, "Come, Thomas. Come. Put your finder into My hand and your hand into My side. Come Thomas I need you to be a believer."
There's mercy in that, isn't there? There's love in that, isn't there? There's forgiveness, isn't there?
That's how Jesus deals with all of us. That's what His love is for every one of us.
And then secondly, of course, The Divine Mercy is present as He gives the apostles and to the whole Church the ability to, in His name, pardon sins — to forgive in His name. He gives us the Sacrament of Penance at that very moment. He gives us the opportunity, which we've had now for 2,000 years, to come again and start anew, just by confessing our sins and promising, with His help and His grace, to live a good and holy life. There's The Divine Mercy, too, in a very special way.
And how often does He say at this time, and so often in His life, "Do not be afraid!" Do not be afraid. That's the call of The Divine Mercy. Do not be afraid because you have a Lord who loves you. Do not be afraid because you have a Lord who forgives. Do not be afraid because you have a Lord who wants to forget your sins and live with you in joyful, grace-filled happiness. Do not be afraid because He has gone to the cross for you. Do not be afraid because His love for you is the greatest love in the world, and because He invites you to love Him, too.
The gospels are filled with The Divine Mercy because in a real perfect sense, The Divine Mercy is at the heart of all that we believe. We believe in a God who loves us. We believe in a God who is Father. We believe in a God who cares. We believe in a God who forgives. We believe in a God who gives us always a second chance. We believe in a God who, by His grace, calls us into holiness, calls us into love, calls us into forgiveness, calls us into grace.
Our Holy Father Pope Benedict [XVI] in that wonderful encyclical that we have just received, Spe Salvi, that we are saved by hope, talks about these great virtues that are all part of The Divine Mercy.
We begin with faith. Unless we believe that God is merciful, unless we believe that there is a God who is Father who loves, us, then our faith is worthless.
And so, this is the basis of our faith. And faith springs into hope, doesn't it? If you know and believe with all your heart as we will say in our Creed, that God is present and that ... He does save us — then, you have to have confidence in His love. "Jesu, ufam tobie," the Lord said to Faustina. Pray this prayer, "Jesus, I trust in You." I put my trust in You. I have confidence in You. You are my friend. You are my beloved. And You love me. And You will forgive me, and you will bless me, and You will strengthen me, and You will give me the grace that I need.
That is the confidence which is the basis of all our faith and the product of all our believing and love. Because it is all about love. As Benedict XVI, our Holy Father, said in his first encyclical, quoting the great epistle of John, "God is love." There's no better way to describe Him; God is love. And because God is love, when we believe in that love, when we have the gift of faith that makes that love alive in us, then there springs in all our hearts that confidence, that trust, that hope. How blessed we are.
And what does it do for us? It allows us really to pray with all our hearts. That's why we come here today. On a cold day in March. We come and ask the Lord to help us pray together.
I have another story that I want to tell you. It's apropos only in a little sense. It's a story about Pope John Paul II.
He came to Newark, N.J., when I was Archbishop. It was 1995, the Feast of St. Francis, Oct. 4. And he came, and he already had some health problems, and he had been ill. And he came, and the schedule that he had was terrible. He arrived, he made a speech, listened to President Clinton talk, met the hundreds of people who were waiting at the airport, got into a limousine, came to the Cathedral, met for an hour with the President, met many people, some secret service and others who had gathered because they wanted so much to kiss his hand and to greet him. He then went into the church, presided over vespers. He must have been exhausted at the end of it all. And I was walking with him as he was going out, and the people were all standing there and clapping. And I had put the Blessed Sacrament in a side chapel because I knew he always would love to visit the Blessed Sacrament in any church he went to. So as he passed it on his way into the sacristy, he looked, and I said to him, "Yes, Holy Father, the Blessed Sacrament is there." And he grunted. He was a great grunter. He went over, and there I had placed a prie dieu before the tabernacle, and he knelt there. And it was my thought that I would maybe kneel a yard or so behind him and pray with him. And I couldn't. There was a sacred space around that person that I couldn't violate. There was such a sense of prayerfulness that all the people around there suddenly became absolutely silent. I moved a few yards away and stood by one of the pillars of the cathedral and watched. And immediately the Pope was in conversation with the Lord. There was obviously a conversation going. He was obviously not with us anymore; he was with the Lord.
And everybody could feel that. It went on for 5 or 10 minutes maybe. Then, Monsignor Dziwisz, now the Cardinal in Cracow, who was his secretary came in and gently put his hand under the Holy Father's elbow, and the Holy Father came back to us, and stood up, and turned to the people, and smiled and waved.
And they didn't know what to do. They were so affected by the depth of the prayer of this holy man. You know where that comes from? It comes from a confidence in God's mercy. It comes from the sense of God's presence in our lives.
That's the gift we celebrate today, dear friends. That's the blessing that God has given us in The Divine Mercy. It is the gift that should change our lives. "Jesu Ufam Tobie" — Jesus, I trust in You! You are my friend, You are my brother, You are my Lord and My God — as Thomas tells us today. You are the one in whom I put my trust. In whom I put my life. You are the one in whom I place everything that I have, everything I will be, everything that is part of me.
This is the kind of prayer we make today, dear friends. We are in God's presence so much today. We ask Him to be with us. To be with us in the wonder of His love. To be with us in His caring.
And as each of us brings today our own petitions, our own needs, our own fears, our own concerns, to this Mass let us be sure that He hears us. Let us be sure that He knows intimately and deeply everything that we need. And let us never lack the confidence that allows us to say, "Jesus I love you. Jesus I believe in You. Jesus I trust in You."
And with that prayer we move deeply into the very Heart of Christ. Amen.
Confirmed: Vatican sees miracle in Newman's cause
Birmingham, Apr. 25, 2008 (CWNews.com) - An official spokesman for the cause of beatification of Cardinal John Henry Newman has confirmed that the Vatican has given preliminary approval to the authenticity of a miracle attributed to Cardinal Newman’s intercession.
Final approval of the miracle would clear the way for the beatification of the Cardinal Newman, a towering figure in English Catholicism in the 19th century.
Peter Jennings, press secretary to the Fathers of the Birmingham Oratory for the cause of Cardinal Newman, announced on April 24 that the postulator for the cause, Dr. Andrea Ambrosi, had authorized him to reveal that medical consultants in Rome had certified that the cure of Jack Sullivan, a Catholic deacon from Massachusetts, could not be attributed to natural causes.
The apparently miraculous healing of Sullivan from a debilitating spinal ailment--which took place on the feast of the Assumption, August 15, 2001-- will now be studied by theologians for the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. If the theologians give their approval, the case will go to the full Congregation for approval.
Final approval of the miracle would clear the way for the beatification of the Cardinal Newman, a towering figure in English Catholicism in the 19th century.
Peter Jennings, press secretary to the Fathers of the Birmingham Oratory for the cause of Cardinal Newman, announced on April 24 that the postulator for the cause, Dr. Andrea Ambrosi, had authorized him to reveal that medical consultants in Rome had certified that the cure of Jack Sullivan, a Catholic deacon from Massachusetts, could not be attributed to natural causes.
The apparently miraculous healing of Sullivan from a debilitating spinal ailment--which took place on the feast of the Assumption, August 15, 2001-- will now be studied by theologians for the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. If the theologians give their approval, the case will go to the full Congregation for approval.
Receiving holy Communion
Question from CGA on 4/24/2008:
I have friends who refused to receive holy Communion from eucharistic ministers and will switch to a priest. I mentioned that they should follow the Vatican and not what they have read but they've said that they're following their conscience.
Answer by Catholic Answers on 4/24/2008:
CGA--
If it does not cause a disturbance to the Communion lines, there is nothing wrong with positioning oneself to receive Communion from a priest. In my church, for example, I know exactly in what section to sit to receive the host from the priest and find a seat there so I can do so. I do however often receive the cup from an extraordinary minister.
But if seeking to receive Communion from a priest holds up or otherwise disturbs distribution of Communion, then it is better to receive Communion from the ordinary or extraordinary minister most readily available. Of course, if someone prefers not to receive at all rather than receive from an EMHC, he is free to do so, presuming he meets the obligation to receive Communion at least once per year during the Easter season. Catholics are not required to receive Communion at every Mass they attend.
Michelle Arnold
Catholic Answers
I have friends who refused to receive holy Communion from eucharistic ministers and will switch to a priest. I mentioned that they should follow the Vatican and not what they have read but they've said that they're following their conscience.
Answer by Catholic Answers on 4/24/2008:
CGA--
If it does not cause a disturbance to the Communion lines, there is nothing wrong with positioning oneself to receive Communion from a priest. In my church, for example, I know exactly in what section to sit to receive the host from the priest and find a seat there so I can do so. I do however often receive the cup from an extraordinary minister.
But if seeking to receive Communion from a priest holds up or otherwise disturbs distribution of Communion, then it is better to receive Communion from the ordinary or extraordinary minister most readily available. Of course, if someone prefers not to receive at all rather than receive from an EMHC, he is free to do so, presuming he meets the obligation to receive Communion at least once per year during the Easter season. Catholics are not required to receive Communion at every Mass they attend.
Michelle Arnold
Catholic Answers
Thousands flock to venerate Padre Pio
San Giovanni Rotondo, Apr. 24, 2008 (CWNews.com) - An estimated 15,000 people attended Mass in San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy, as the remains of St. Pio of Pietrelcina were exposed for public veneration.
Cardinal José Saraiva Martins, the prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, presided at the Mass in the church that Padre Pio made famous. The body of the Capuchin friar, who died in 1968, was then placed on display in a glass coffin.
Padre Pio gained worldwide fame during his lifetime as a confessor and a stigmatist. Thousands of pilgrims flocked to San Giovanni Rotondo to meet him and ask favors, recognizing his reputation as a miracle worker. He remains one of the most popular saints of the 20th century; about 300,000 people attended his canonization in June 2002.
His body was exhumed on March 3, and discovered to be in excellent condition. Embalmers have since prepared the remains for public viewing. Already 750,000 people have made reservations to venerate St. Pio's remains through the remainder of this year.
Cardinal José Saraiva Martins, the prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, presided at the Mass in the church that Padre Pio made famous. The body of the Capuchin friar, who died in 1968, was then placed on display in a glass coffin.
Padre Pio gained worldwide fame during his lifetime as a confessor and a stigmatist. Thousands of pilgrims flocked to San Giovanni Rotondo to meet him and ask favors, recognizing his reputation as a miracle worker. He remains one of the most popular saints of the 20th century; about 300,000 people attended his canonization in June 2002.
His body was exhumed on March 3, and discovered to be in excellent condition. Embalmers have since prepared the remains for public viewing. Already 750,000 people have made reservations to venerate St. Pio's remains through the remainder of this year.
Music Called to Give Hope, Says Benedict XVI
Concert Marks 3rd Anniversary of Pontificate
VATICAN CITY, APRIL 24, 2008 (Zenit.org).- There is a kinship between music and hope, between song and eternal life, said Benedict XVI at the end of a concert offered in his honor today.
The concert was a gift from the president of Italy, Giorgio Napolitano, to mark the third anniversary of Benedict XVI's pontificate. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was elected April 19, 2005, and began his petrine ministry April 24.
The Holy Father attended the concert, held in Paul VI Hall, accompanied by the president. The Pope's older brother, Monsignor Georg Ratzinger, was also there.
Milan's Giuseppe Verdi orchestra and symphonic choir, directed by Oleg Caetani and Erina Gambarini, respectively, interpreted musical compositions from Luciano Berio, Luigi Boccherini, Brahms and Beethoven.
In an address after the concert, the Pope referred to the "spiritual value of musical art, called in a particular way to instill hope in the human spirit wounded by the earthly experience."
According to the Pontiff, there is "a kinship between music and hope, between song and eternal life," and for this reason, "the Christian tradition represents the souls of the blessed in a choir."
Benedict XVI said he thinks that new generations can find new inspiration by approaching the "universal value of the artistic patrimony," thus making it easier to build a society "open to the values of the spirit."
Before the concert, the Pope and the president had a meeting in the study of Paul VI Hall.
VATICAN CITY, APRIL 24, 2008 (Zenit.org).- There is a kinship between music and hope, between song and eternal life, said Benedict XVI at the end of a concert offered in his honor today.
The concert was a gift from the president of Italy, Giorgio Napolitano, to mark the third anniversary of Benedict XVI's pontificate. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was elected April 19, 2005, and began his petrine ministry April 24.
The Holy Father attended the concert, held in Paul VI Hall, accompanied by the president. The Pope's older brother, Monsignor Georg Ratzinger, was also there.
Milan's Giuseppe Verdi orchestra and symphonic choir, directed by Oleg Caetani and Erina Gambarini, respectively, interpreted musical compositions from Luciano Berio, Luigi Boccherini, Brahms and Beethoven.
In an address after the concert, the Pope referred to the "spiritual value of musical art, called in a particular way to instill hope in the human spirit wounded by the earthly experience."
According to the Pontiff, there is "a kinship between music and hope, between song and eternal life," and for this reason, "the Christian tradition represents the souls of the blessed in a choir."
Benedict XVI said he thinks that new generations can find new inspiration by approaching the "universal value of the artistic patrimony," thus making it easier to build a society "open to the values of the spirit."
Before the concert, the Pope and the president had a meeting in the study of Paul VI Hall.
head covering on women
Question from Mary on 4/17/2008:
It is my understanding that it is disrespectful for women to wear a hat or covering on their heads to church. Is it appropriate to wear a hat or covering on ones head to church?
Answer by Fr. Jay Toborowsky on 4/25/2008:
I've never heard that it was "dis" respectful for women to wear a head covering in Church. Up until the 1970s, it was the norm for a woman to wear a head covering in church. We have lost all aspects of etiquette in our society, and I think people assume that, because we tell our men and boys to remove their hats when they are indoors, that women should do the same. Not so.
It is my understanding that it is disrespectful for women to wear a hat or covering on their heads to church. Is it appropriate to wear a hat or covering on ones head to church?
Answer by Fr. Jay Toborowsky on 4/25/2008:
I've never heard that it was "dis" respectful for women to wear a head covering in Church. Up until the 1970s, it was the norm for a woman to wear a head covering in church. We have lost all aspects of etiquette in our society, and I think people assume that, because we tell our men and boys to remove their hats when they are indoors, that women should do the same. Not so.
Patron Saints
Question from Erich Feldhaus on 2/29/2008:
What is the proper way to ask a Saint for prayers to God, and what Saint should be ask for the health of my children? Thank you . Big fan of EWTN.
Answer by David Gregson on 4/24/2008:
You can just call on the Saint by name, and add, "pray for me," or in this case, "pray for the health of my children." One popular patron of children is St. Nicholas. It's always good to be specific in prayer, as to what exactly you're asking for, whether to God or to one of His Saints.
What is the proper way to ask a Saint for prayers to God, and what Saint should be ask for the health of my children? Thank you . Big fan of EWTN.
Answer by David Gregson on 4/24/2008:
You can just call on the Saint by name, and add, "pray for me," or in this case, "pray for the health of my children." One popular patron of children is St. Nicholas. It's always good to be specific in prayer, as to what exactly you're asking for, whether to God or to one of His Saints.
Catholic Teaching on Dreams
Question from BM on 2/29/2008:
Hello,
I did a search in the EWTN and Catholic Answers forums but cannot find an answer. Are you able to expand on Church Teaching about dreams, specifically, prophetic (or precognitive or clairvoyant, whichever term you like) ones?
I am reading a book about someone, an average person and it is not an Occult book, who had the same dream each night about something, a car crash, that hadn't happened yet. A few weeks later, they were in the car crash exactly as they had dreamed. A voice in the dream told them to wake up and drive, and they did, and their life was spared.
Could this simply be God or an angel giving them advanced warning?
Thanks for your time!
Answer by David Gregson on 4/23/2008:
In the case you describe, it is possible an Angel spoke to them. As we know from Scripture, God has spoken to people in dreams. However, Scripture doesn't tell us how many people thought their dreams were from God, and were wrong. Since dreams usually have a purely natural origin, it's best not to rely on them. If a dream seems particularly vivid and contains a warning, it would do no harm to be on the alert, but I wouldn't expect to see the dream fulfilled. Better to be skeptical and careful at the same time.
Hello,
I did a search in the EWTN and Catholic Answers forums but cannot find an answer. Are you able to expand on Church Teaching about dreams, specifically, prophetic (or precognitive or clairvoyant, whichever term you like) ones?
I am reading a book about someone, an average person and it is not an Occult book, who had the same dream each night about something, a car crash, that hadn't happened yet. A few weeks later, they were in the car crash exactly as they had dreamed. A voice in the dream told them to wake up and drive, and they did, and their life was spared.
Could this simply be God or an angel giving them advanced warning?
Thanks for your time!
Answer by David Gregson on 4/23/2008:
In the case you describe, it is possible an Angel spoke to them. As we know from Scripture, God has spoken to people in dreams. However, Scripture doesn't tell us how many people thought their dreams were from God, and were wrong. Since dreams usually have a purely natural origin, it's best not to rely on them. If a dream seems particularly vivid and contains a warning, it would do no harm to be on the alert, but I wouldn't expect to see the dream fulfilled. Better to be skeptical and careful at the same time.
Theophostic Prayer
Question from Carlos Loyola on 2/28/2008:
My Bride has been suffering with depression for some time and recently her siritual director has suggested that she try theophostic prayer ministry.as the man God made to love her I must decern if this is good for her. what is the church's position if any on this ministry,does it follow our faith and in accord with the teaching of the Magisterium.
Answer by David Gregson on 4/23/2008:
I would steer clear of theophostic prayer. Although it has a Christian veneer, it seems to be a mixture of Christian doctrine and New Age psychology. Even apart from a New Age influence, the claim to replace "lies" with "truth," leaves open the question of how to recognize "truth" as true. What a TPM facilitator regards as truth will be shaped by his own theology, which is evidently Protestant at best. Wouldn't your wife do better to find a Catholic psychologist? Perhaps a call to your diocese would help her locate one.
My Bride has been suffering with depression for some time and recently her siritual director has suggested that she try theophostic prayer ministry.as the man God made to love her I must decern if this is good for her. what is the church's position if any on this ministry,does it follow our faith and in accord with the teaching of the Magisterium.
Answer by David Gregson on 4/23/2008:
I would steer clear of theophostic prayer. Although it has a Christian veneer, it seems to be a mixture of Christian doctrine and New Age psychology. Even apart from a New Age influence, the claim to replace "lies" with "truth," leaves open the question of how to recognize "truth" as true. What a TPM facilitator regards as truth will be shaped by his own theology, which is evidently Protestant at best. Wouldn't your wife do better to find a Catholic psychologist? Perhaps a call to your diocese would help her locate one.
Catholic vs Alliance Church beliefs (differences)?
Question from Christine R on 2/27/2008:
What is the difference between the 'Alliance church' and the Catholic church?
Answer by David Gregson on 4/11/2008:
The Christian and Missionary Alliance is an Evangelical Protestant denomination. It differs from the Catholic Church in the ways that all Protestant groups differ from her, no Mass, no Confession, no devotion to the Saints, no belief in Purgatory, no indulgences, salvation by faith alone, reliance on the Bible alone with no authoritative interpreter, and so on. It would take a book to list all the differences, and a library to explain them.
If you have a friend that belongs to the Alliance Church, I suggest you get a copy of the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (available from our Religious Catalogue section, or an
What is the difference between the 'Alliance church' and the Catholic church?
Answer by David Gregson on 4/11/2008:
The Christian and Missionary Alliance is an Evangelical Protestant denomination. It differs from the Catholic Church in the ways that all Protestant groups differ from her, no Mass, no Confession, no devotion to the Saints, no belief in Purgatory, no indulgences, salvation by faith alone, reliance on the Bible alone with no authoritative interpreter, and so on. It would take a book to list all the differences, and a library to explain them.
If you have a friend that belongs to the Alliance Church, I suggest you get a copy of the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (available from our Religious Catalogue section, or an
Thousands flock to venerate Padre Pio
San Giovanni Rotondo, Apr. 24, 2008 (CWNews.com) - An estimated 15,000 people attended Mass in San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy, as the remains of St. Pio of Pietrelcina were exposed for public veneration.
Cardinal José Saraiva Martins, the prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, presided at the Mass in the church that Padre Pio made famous. The body of the Capuchin friar, who died in 1968, was then placed on display in a glass coffin.
Padre Pio gained worldwide fame during his lifetime as a confessor and a stigmatist. Thousands of pilgrims flocked to San Giovanni Rotondo to meet him and ask favors, recognizing his reputation as a miracle worker. He remains one of the most popular saints of the 20th century; about 300,000 people attended his canonization in June 2002.
His body was exhumed on March 3, and discovered to be in excellent condition. Embalmers have since prepared the remains for public viewing. Already 750,000 people have made reservations to venerate St. Pio's remains through the remainder of this year.
Cardinal José Saraiva Martins, the prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, presided at the Mass in the church that Padre Pio made famous. The body of the Capuchin friar, who died in 1968, was then placed on display in a glass coffin.
Padre Pio gained worldwide fame during his lifetime as a confessor and a stigmatist. Thousands of pilgrims flocked to San Giovanni Rotondo to meet him and ask favors, recognizing his reputation as a miracle worker. He remains one of the most popular saints of the 20th century; about 300,000 people attended his canonization in June 2002.
His body was exhumed on March 3, and discovered to be in excellent condition. Embalmers have since prepared the remains for public viewing. Already 750,000 people have made reservations to venerate St. Pio's remains through the remainder of this year.
The Consecration Of the Holy Eucharist
Question from Bud McLaughlin on 4/22/2008:
Who can consecrate the host so that it becomes the Body & Blood of Jesus?
Answer by Fr. Robert J. Levis on 4/23/2008:
Bud, Only the bishop and priest can consecrate and transform bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ. Fr.Bob Levis
Who can consecrate the host so that it becomes the Body & Blood of Jesus?
Answer by Fr. Robert J. Levis on 4/23/2008:
Bud, Only the bishop and priest can consecrate and transform bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ. Fr.Bob Levis
The Pope's ring
Question from Claire on 4/23/2008:
I am in a class full of Evangelical Protestants and right after Pope Benedict left America they started asking all sorts of questions, but they asked me why the Pope has a ring. I wanted to give them the right information so I told them I would get back with them. Why is it that the Pope wears a ring?
Answer by Catholic Answers on 4/23/2008:
Claire--
From ancient times, kings and other leaders wore rings that they pressed in wax to seal documents. That seal showed that the document had their personal authority behind it. Although the Pope no longer seals documents with his ring, the tradition of his wearing a ring dates back to that ancient custom and remains a symbol of his authority as pope.
Michelle Arnold
Catholic Answers
I am in a class full of Evangelical Protestants and right after Pope Benedict left America they started asking all sorts of questions, but they asked me why the Pope has a ring. I wanted to give them the right information so I told them I would get back with them. Why is it that the Pope wears a ring?
Answer by Catholic Answers on 4/23/2008:
Claire--
From ancient times, kings and other leaders wore rings that they pressed in wax to seal documents. That seal showed that the document had their personal authority behind it. Although the Pope no longer seals documents with his ring, the tradition of his wearing a ring dates back to that ancient custom and remains a symbol of his authority as pope.
Michelle Arnold
Catholic Answers
Seder meal
Question from E. C. on 4/23/2008:
This past Lent our parish hosted a Seder meal in the church hall (I believe it's the third or fourth year they've done so). I ran across a commentary where the author stated it is "disrespectful for Catholics to have a Seder meal." Is is wrong for our parish to re-enact this event?
Answer by Catholic Answers on 4/23/2008:
E. C.--
The author you quote apparently did not distinguish between private devotions held by private groups of Catholics (e.g., families) on private property (e.g., homes, rented halls) and unapproved private devotions held on Church property (e.g., parish or diocesan buildings).
The Seder is not an approved private devotion for public Church use and it can be imprudent to host such an event on parish or diocesan property because it gives the appearance of Church approval where such approval does not exist. Given that some Jews quite understandably resent Christian use of their sacred liturgy, hosting such events on Church property can needlessly strain relations between the Church and the Jewish people.
As for individual Catholics hosting Seders as a private devotion on private property, there is debate over whether a Christian Seder should be a Christian devotion, but the USCCB has said that such an event "can have educational and spiritual value" (source). If it is to be done though, I can only recommend that it be done with respect for the facts that the Seder primarily belongs to the Jewish people, that it should be treated with dignity, and that it should not be used to proselytize inappropriately.
Recommended reading:
What's the difference between proselytism and evangelism?
Michelle Arnold
Catholic Answers
This past Lent our parish hosted a Seder meal in the church hall (I believe it's the third or fourth year they've done so). I ran across a commentary where the author stated it is "disrespectful for Catholics to have a Seder meal." Is is wrong for our parish to re-enact this event?
Answer by Catholic Answers on 4/23/2008:
E. C.--
The author you quote apparently did not distinguish between private devotions held by private groups of Catholics (e.g., families) on private property (e.g., homes, rented halls) and unapproved private devotions held on Church property (e.g., parish or diocesan buildings).
The Seder is not an approved private devotion for public Church use and it can be imprudent to host such an event on parish or diocesan property because it gives the appearance of Church approval where such approval does not exist. Given that some Jews quite understandably resent Christian use of their sacred liturgy, hosting such events on Church property can needlessly strain relations between the Church and the Jewish people.
As for individual Catholics hosting Seders as a private devotion on private property, there is debate over whether a Christian Seder should be a Christian devotion, but the USCCB has said that such an event "can have educational and spiritual value" (source). If it is to be done though, I can only recommend that it be done with respect for the facts that the Seder primarily belongs to the Jewish people, that it should be treated with dignity, and that it should not be used to proselytize inappropriately.
Recommended reading:
What's the difference between proselytism and evangelism?
Michelle Arnold
Catholic Answers
Cannon Law
Question from anonymous on 4/20/2008:
Why does the Cathikuc Church not express its position against Abortionl Same Sex Marriage, Homo Sexuals. and many other subjects that Jesus tells many visionaries that are his mandates. I can't understand how nearly 50% of the Catholics are for abortion instead of pro life, when Jesus is sodead against it, as he has explained to many visionaries including those in Medjugorje. The pope is not going to change the churchs position. Thanks
Answer by Judie Brown on 4/22/2008:
Dear Anonymous
The most concise response to your question is that there is a crisis of faith in America. Too many Catholics are not in agreement with Church teaching and see nothing wrong with disagreement. I have written a book about this which might be of interest to you. It is called: Saving Those Damned Catholics.
The book is a defense of Catholic teaching.
Judie Brown
Why does the Cathikuc Church not express its position against Abortionl Same Sex Marriage, Homo Sexuals. and many other subjects that Jesus tells many visionaries that are his mandates. I can't understand how nearly 50% of the Catholics are for abortion instead of pro life, when Jesus is sodead against it, as he has explained to many visionaries including those in Medjugorje. The pope is not going to change the churchs position. Thanks
Answer by Judie Brown on 4/22/2008:
Dear Anonymous
The most concise response to your question is that there is a crisis of faith in America. Too many Catholics are not in agreement with Church teaching and see nothing wrong with disagreement. I have written a book about this which might be of interest to you. It is called: Saving Those Damned Catholics.
The book is a defense of Catholic teaching.
Judie Brown
Kennedy,Pelosi and other's Recieving Communion !!
Question from Larry on 4/18/2008:
Judy when i read about the Pro Abortion politicians recieving communion i find it totally disgusting due to the fact that i blame the Priest and Bishops for allowing such sacriledge.Most politicians are no longer people with integrity but people who only care about the next election result's and i honestly believe most would sell our Country and their soul's for Votes.Believe me Judy as one who was raised Protestant i can guarantee you most non Catholic's will see the fact that Pro Abortion people like Kennedy and others that were allowed to recieve Communion as Proof of Catholic Church being Hypocritical just like they did when they saw the Church giving Speacial services to mobsters.And then to read that Kennedy was treated speacial is almost enough for me to say enough is enough and time to leave a Church who's leader's have become so unChrist like.It is so Spirit breaking and i'm beginning to understand why so many are leaving the Church and almost every one of them that i've talked too left because of the hypocrisy they felt they saw.And now were suppose to go and convince them to return.GOD save us as it appears were incapable of doing so........
Answer by Judie Brown on 4/22/2008:
Dear Larry
I have chosen to take action about this because I too believe it is a source of grave scandal and could have been avoided if Archbishop Wuerl (at the D.C. Papal Mass) and Cardinal Egan (at the New York City Papal Mass) had simply made a public announcement prior to the Mass beginning that no public figure who supports the act of abortion should present himself or herself for Holy Communion.
That was not done and I have written to both prelates and send copies of my letters to the proper officials in the Vatican including the Holy Father's secretary.
Judie Brown
Judy when i read about the Pro Abortion politicians recieving communion i find it totally disgusting due to the fact that i blame the Priest and Bishops for allowing such sacriledge.Most politicians are no longer people with integrity but people who only care about the next election result's and i honestly believe most would sell our Country and their soul's for Votes.Believe me Judy as one who was raised Protestant i can guarantee you most non Catholic's will see the fact that Pro Abortion people like Kennedy and others that were allowed to recieve Communion as Proof of Catholic Church being Hypocritical just like they did when they saw the Church giving Speacial services to mobsters.And then to read that Kennedy was treated speacial is almost enough for me to say enough is enough and time to leave a Church who's leader's have become so unChrist like.It is so Spirit breaking and i'm beginning to understand why so many are leaving the Church and almost every one of them that i've talked too left because of the hypocrisy they felt they saw.And now were suppose to go and convince them to return.GOD save us as it appears were incapable of doing so........
Answer by Judie Brown on 4/22/2008:
Dear Larry
I have chosen to take action about this because I too believe it is a source of grave scandal and could have been avoided if Archbishop Wuerl (at the D.C. Papal Mass) and Cardinal Egan (at the New York City Papal Mass) had simply made a public announcement prior to the Mass beginning that no public figure who supports the act of abortion should present himself or herself for Holy Communion.
That was not done and I have written to both prelates and send copies of my letters to the proper officials in the Vatican including the Holy Father's secretary.
Judie Brown
fatima and medjugorie
Question from anon on 4/7/2008:
hi matthew i know the church has approved fatima but im just wondering on the other alleged apperitions like medjugorie and garabandal could these be true even though the church has not approvefd them yet. is there any ongoing investigation on medjugorie to prove whether or not its true thanks
Answer by Matthew Bunson on 4/22/2008:
The alleged apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary to six young people of Medjugorje, Bosnia-Herzogovina, have been the source of interest and controversy since they were first reported in June 1981, initially in the neighboring hillside field, subsequently in the village church of St. James and even in places far removed from Medjugorje. Reports say the alleged visionaries have seen, heard, and even touched Mary during visions, and that they have variously received several or all of 10 secret messages related to coming world events and urging a quest for peace through penance and personal conversion. An investigative commission appointed by former local Bishop Pavao Zanic of Mostar-Duvno reported in Mar. 1984 that the authenticity of the apparitions had not been verified. He called the apparitions a case of “collective hallucination” exploited by local Franciscan priests at odds with him over control of a parish.
Former Archbishop Frane Franic of Split-Makarska, on the other hand, said in Dec. 1985: “Speaking as a believer and not as a bishop, my personal conviction is that the events at Medjugorje are of supernatural inspiration.” He based his conviction on the observations of spiritual benefits related to the reported events, such as the spiritual development of the six young people, the increases in Mass attendance and sacramental practice at the scene of the apparitions, and the incidence of reconciliation among people. On Jan. 29, 1987, the bishops of Yugoslavia declared: “On the basis of research conducted so far, one cannot affirm that supernatural apparitions are involved” at Medjugorje. Last I heard, the events at Medjugorje are under on-going investigation by the Holy See to determine their authenticity. Nevertheless, the site of Medjugorje remains a popular destination for Catholic pilgrims from Europe and the United States.
You might also read the following: http://www.ewtn.com/expert/answers/medjugorje.htm
hi matthew i know the church has approved fatima but im just wondering on the other alleged apperitions like medjugorie and garabandal could these be true even though the church has not approvefd them yet. is there any ongoing investigation on medjugorie to prove whether or not its true thanks
Answer by Matthew Bunson on 4/22/2008:
The alleged apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary to six young people of Medjugorje, Bosnia-Herzogovina, have been the source of interest and controversy since they were first reported in June 1981, initially in the neighboring hillside field, subsequently in the village church of St. James and even in places far removed from Medjugorje. Reports say the alleged visionaries have seen, heard, and even touched Mary during visions, and that they have variously received several or all of 10 secret messages related to coming world events and urging a quest for peace through penance and personal conversion. An investigative commission appointed by former local Bishop Pavao Zanic of Mostar-Duvno reported in Mar. 1984 that the authenticity of the apparitions had not been verified. He called the apparitions a case of “collective hallucination” exploited by local Franciscan priests at odds with him over control of a parish.
Former Archbishop Frane Franic of Split-Makarska, on the other hand, said in Dec. 1985: “Speaking as a believer and not as a bishop, my personal conviction is that the events at Medjugorje are of supernatural inspiration.” He based his conviction on the observations of spiritual benefits related to the reported events, such as the spiritual development of the six young people, the increases in Mass attendance and sacramental practice at the scene of the apparitions, and the incidence of reconciliation among people. On Jan. 29, 1987, the bishops of Yugoslavia declared: “On the basis of research conducted so far, one cannot affirm that supernatural apparitions are involved” at Medjugorje. Last I heard, the events at Medjugorje are under on-going investigation by the Holy See to determine their authenticity. Nevertheless, the site of Medjugorje remains a popular destination for Catholic pilgrims from Europe and the United States.
You might also read the following: http://www.ewtn.com/expert/answers/medjugorje.htm
Human pain and suffering
.
Question from Lynn on 4/7/2008:
I am a CCD teacher for 7th grade and two of my male students cannot understand if God loves us and wants what is best for us why God does not stop all human suffering. They want to know why God allows babies to die and people to murder other people. They want to know why life is so full of pain and sorrow when God can make it go away.
Answer by Matthew Bunson on 4/22/2008:
What you ask goes to one of the greatest and most debated question in human existence, what is called in philosophical circles theodicy. I would encourage you to read and then present to your class Pope John Paul II’s magnificent work on human suffering, Salvifici Doloris. It is available here: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_letters/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_11021984_salvifici-doloris_en.html
You might also consider reading: John Paul II and the Meaning of Suffering: Lessons from a Spiritual Master by Robert G. Schroeder and Suffering: The Catholic Answer by Hubert Van Zeller and Dom Hubert Van Zeller.
Question from Lynn on 4/7/2008:
I am a CCD teacher for 7th grade and two of my male students cannot understand if God loves us and wants what is best for us why God does not stop all human suffering. They want to know why God allows babies to die and people to murder other people. They want to know why life is so full of pain and sorrow when God can make it go away.
Answer by Matthew Bunson on 4/22/2008:
What you ask goes to one of the greatest and most debated question in human existence, what is called in philosophical circles theodicy. I would encourage you to read and then present to your class Pope John Paul II’s magnificent work on human suffering, Salvifici Doloris. It is available here: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_letters/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_11021984_salvifici-doloris_en.html
You might also consider reading: John Paul II and the Meaning of Suffering: Lessons from a Spiritual Master by Robert G. Schroeder and Suffering: The Catholic Answer by Hubert Van Zeller and Dom Hubert Van Zeller.
Carpenters in Jesus' day
Question from Rachael on 4/4/2008:
Hello Mr. Bunson,
Can you tell me, in today's terms, what socio-economical position carpenters held in Jesus' day? For example, a carpenter today is consider blue collar/middle class. Is this the equivalent in Jesus' time? Would Jesus (or better yet) carpenters in his time have been consider "sophisticated".
I know my question may seem superficial as Christ doesn't care about such things but rather the condition the heart. Your answer will be very helpful.
Thank you, Rachael
Answer by Matthew Bunson on 4/22/2008:
Carpenters in 1st century Palestine, much as they were elsewhere and much as it was for all recognized artisans, were not high on the social ladder in Hellenistic society, but they played a key part in local and city life as they provided needed furniture and other services. Carpenters were part of the wider shared economy of the era, meaning that artisans and workers labored together to make town and city life work. Thus, carpenters worked with artisans and masons in building homes, and carpenters supplied tables and other aspects of houses.
The Gospels use the word tekton to describe Joseph (Matthew 13:55; cf., Mark 6:3). More than a carpenter, a tekton was understood to be a craftsman, akin to a master builder or a general contractor. The word itself, however, has many different nuances in translation, especially from the Aramaic, and possible other meanings include poet, author, or scholar.
Hello Mr. Bunson,
Can you tell me, in today's terms, what socio-economical position carpenters held in Jesus' day? For example, a carpenter today is consider blue collar/middle class. Is this the equivalent in Jesus' time? Would Jesus (or better yet) carpenters in his time have been consider "sophisticated".
I know my question may seem superficial as Christ doesn't care about such things but rather the condition the heart. Your answer will be very helpful.
Thank you, Rachael
Answer by Matthew Bunson on 4/22/2008:
Carpenters in 1st century Palestine, much as they were elsewhere and much as it was for all recognized artisans, were not high on the social ladder in Hellenistic society, but they played a key part in local and city life as they provided needed furniture and other services. Carpenters were part of the wider shared economy of the era, meaning that artisans and workers labored together to make town and city life work. Thus, carpenters worked with artisans and masons in building homes, and carpenters supplied tables and other aspects of houses.
The Gospels use the word tekton to describe Joseph (Matthew 13:55; cf., Mark 6:3). More than a carpenter, a tekton was understood to be a craftsman, akin to a master builder or a general contractor. The word itself, however, has many different nuances in translation, especially from the Aramaic, and possible other meanings include poet, author, or scholar.
Guardian Angels
Question from Nancy on 4/7/2008:
How do we choose our Guardian Angel ??? Is our angel someone deceased; a saint; an un-named person or spirit ??? How do we know who our Guardian Angel is ?? Can we name our angel after a deceased person or one who is living???
Thank you and God bless you,
Nancy Connecticut
Answer by Matthew Bunson on 4/7/2008:
Traditionally, the Guardian Angel is considered a companion to every soul, watching over it and striving to serve as a guide against the intrusion of evil and temptation. While the Church has never defined that every individual soul has a guardian angel, it is attested in constant tradition, is based on Scripture (e.g., Matthew 18:10; Hebrews 1:14) and is found in the teaching of the Fathers of the Church and elsewhere. St. Thomas Aquinas in the Summa Theologiae (I:113:4) taught that only the lowest orders of angels are given the responsibility of serving as guardians (against this were the writings of less famous theologians who argued that any angel could be a guardian).
In general terms, it is not possible to state categorically that every day has its own guardian angel, just as one cannot state with absoluter certainty that it is not possible for angels to serve as guardians over groups or regions. There is a custom of angels of the weeks, but there are various lists and the names change from list to list. Common names on the list, however, are the archangels Gabriel, Michael, and Raphael. Angel lore is replete with legends and traditions relating to different angels and their functions according to the different choirs (or groupings) of angels.
The Church honors the Guardian Angels on their feast day, October 2.
I hope this helps!
How do we choose our Guardian Angel ??? Is our angel someone deceased; a saint; an un-named person or spirit ??? How do we know who our Guardian Angel is ?? Can we name our angel after a deceased person or one who is living???
Thank you and God bless you,
Nancy Connecticut
Answer by Matthew Bunson on 4/7/2008:
Traditionally, the Guardian Angel is considered a companion to every soul, watching over it and striving to serve as a guide against the intrusion of evil and temptation. While the Church has never defined that every individual soul has a guardian angel, it is attested in constant tradition, is based on Scripture (e.g., Matthew 18:10; Hebrews 1:14) and is found in the teaching of the Fathers of the Church and elsewhere. St. Thomas Aquinas in the Summa Theologiae (I:113:4) taught that only the lowest orders of angels are given the responsibility of serving as guardians (against this were the writings of less famous theologians who argued that any angel could be a guardian).
In general terms, it is not possible to state categorically that every day has its own guardian angel, just as one cannot state with absoluter certainty that it is not possible for angels to serve as guardians over groups or regions. There is a custom of angels of the weeks, but there are various lists and the names change from list to list. Common names on the list, however, are the archangels Gabriel, Michael, and Raphael. Angel lore is replete with legends and traditions relating to different angels and their functions according to the different choirs (or groupings) of angels.
The Church honors the Guardian Angels on their feast day, October 2.
I hope this helps!
Guardian Angels
Question from Nancy on 4/7/2008:
How do we choose our Guardian Angel ??? Is our angel someone deceased; a saint; an un-named person or spirit ??? How do we know who our Guardian Angel is ?? Can we name our angel after a deceased person or one who is living???
Thank you and God bless you,
Nancy Connecticut
Answer by Matthew Bunson on 4/7/2008:
Traditionally, the Guardian Angel is considered a companion to every soul, watching over it and striving to serve as a guide against the intrusion of evil and temptation. While the Church has never defined that every individual soul has a guardian angel, it is attested in constant tradition, is based on Scripture (e.g., Matthew 18:10; Hebrews 1:14) and is found in the teaching of the Fathers of the Church and elsewhere. St. Thomas Aquinas in the Summa Theologiae (I:113:4) taught that only the lowest orders of angels are given the responsibility of serving as guardians (against this were the writings of less famous theologians who argued that any angel could be a guardian).
In general terms, it is not possible to state categorically that every day has its own guardian angel, just as one cannot state with absoluter certainty that it is not possible for angels to serve as guardians over groups or regions. There is a custom of angels of the weeks, but there are various lists and the names change from list to list. Common names on the list, however, are the archangels Gabriel, Michael, and Raphael. Angel lore is replete with legends and traditions relating to different angels and their functions according to the different choirs (or groupings) of angels.
The Church honors the Guardian Angels on their feast day, October 2.
I hope this helps!
How do we choose our Guardian Angel ??? Is our angel someone deceased; a saint; an un-named person or spirit ??? How do we know who our Guardian Angel is ?? Can we name our angel after a deceased person or one who is living???
Thank you and God bless you,
Nancy Connecticut
Answer by Matthew Bunson on 4/7/2008:
Traditionally, the Guardian Angel is considered a companion to every soul, watching over it and striving to serve as a guide against the intrusion of evil and temptation. While the Church has never defined that every individual soul has a guardian angel, it is attested in constant tradition, is based on Scripture (e.g., Matthew 18:10; Hebrews 1:14) and is found in the teaching of the Fathers of the Church and elsewhere. St. Thomas Aquinas in the Summa Theologiae (I:113:4) taught that only the lowest orders of angels are given the responsibility of serving as guardians (against this were the writings of less famous theologians who argued that any angel could be a guardian).
In general terms, it is not possible to state categorically that every day has its own guardian angel, just as one cannot state with absoluter certainty that it is not possible for angels to serve as guardians over groups or regions. There is a custom of angels of the weeks, but there are various lists and the names change from list to list. Common names on the list, however, are the archangels Gabriel, Michael, and Raphael. Angel lore is replete with legends and traditions relating to different angels and their functions according to the different choirs (or groupings) of angels.
The Church honors the Guardian Angels on their feast day, October 2.
I hope this helps!
Russian Orthodox
Question from Louise on 4/4/2008:
A friend who is a member of the Russian Orthodox church told me last week that she was observing Lent and is looking forward to Easter. I realize they are on a different calendar than other Christians but don't understand why and when this happened.
Answer by Matthew Bunson on 4/7/2008:
The differences in celebration stem from the fact that the Catholic Church and Orthodox use different calendars for the calculation of Easter and the rest of the liturgical year.
The Church uses the Gregorian Calendar that was first introduced in 1582 under Pope Gregory XIII in order to fix the massive problems that had accumulated over the centuries in the Julian Calendar (the ancient calendar first devised by Julius Caesar to fix the problems of time in his own era).
As the Julian Calendar was far from perfect, errors did indeed begin to creep into the keeping of time. Owing to the inherent imprecision of the calendar the calculated year was too long by 11 minutes 14 seconds. The problem only grew worse with each passing year as the equinox slipped backwards one full day on the calendar every 130 years. For example, at the time of its introduction, the Julian Calendar placed the equinox March 25th and by the time of the Council of Nicea in 325, the equinox had fallen back to March 21st. By 1500, the equinox had shifted by ten days. Needless to say, this had great consequences on calculating the date for Easter.
Having decreed months before that a reform of the calendar was essential for the good of Western civilization, Pope Gregory XIII (pope from 1572 to 1585) made the implementation of a new calendar effective on the night of October 4. The next day, part of the massive fix of the Julian Calendar, was not counted as October 5 but October 15, 1582. Of course, in a post-Reformation Europe, the new computations were greeted with suspicion in the lands that were no longer Catholic. Protestant Germany adopted the calendar slowly: Prussia accepted it in 1610, while the rest of the Protestant states decreed it only in 1700.
Russia and the Eastern Orthodox Churches rejected the new calendar and continued to use the Julian Calendar in their calculations for Easter. The Gregorian Calendar was accepted as the civic calendar in Russia only after the Russian Revolution in 1917. The Eastern Orthodox continue to use a revised Julian Calendar, with the exception, I believe, of the Finnish Orthodox Church, which adopted the Gregorian Calendar.
A friend who is a member of the Russian Orthodox church told me last week that she was observing Lent and is looking forward to Easter. I realize they are on a different calendar than other Christians but don't understand why and when this happened.
Answer by Matthew Bunson on 4/7/2008:
The differences in celebration stem from the fact that the Catholic Church and Orthodox use different calendars for the calculation of Easter and the rest of the liturgical year.
The Church uses the Gregorian Calendar that was first introduced in 1582 under Pope Gregory XIII in order to fix the massive problems that had accumulated over the centuries in the Julian Calendar (the ancient calendar first devised by Julius Caesar to fix the problems of time in his own era).
As the Julian Calendar was far from perfect, errors did indeed begin to creep into the keeping of time. Owing to the inherent imprecision of the calendar the calculated year was too long by 11 minutes 14 seconds. The problem only grew worse with each passing year as the equinox slipped backwards one full day on the calendar every 130 years. For example, at the time of its introduction, the Julian Calendar placed the equinox March 25th and by the time of the Council of Nicea in 325, the equinox had fallen back to March 21st. By 1500, the equinox had shifted by ten days. Needless to say, this had great consequences on calculating the date for Easter.
Having decreed months before that a reform of the calendar was essential for the good of Western civilization, Pope Gregory XIII (pope from 1572 to 1585) made the implementation of a new calendar effective on the night of October 4. The next day, part of the massive fix of the Julian Calendar, was not counted as October 5 but October 15, 1582. Of course, in a post-Reformation Europe, the new computations were greeted with suspicion in the lands that were no longer Catholic. Protestant Germany adopted the calendar slowly: Prussia accepted it in 1610, while the rest of the Protestant states decreed it only in 1700.
Russia and the Eastern Orthodox Churches rejected the new calendar and continued to use the Julian Calendar in their calculations for Easter. The Gregorian Calendar was accepted as the civic calendar in Russia only after the Russian Revolution in 1917. The Eastern Orthodox continue to use a revised Julian Calendar, with the exception, I believe, of the Finnish Orthodox Church, which adopted the Gregorian Calendar.
virgin mary
Question from anonymous on 3/24/2008:
hii was just wondering what ever happened to Virgin Mary after Jesus died and what did she and Joseph die from??
Answer by Matthew Bunson on 4/7/2008:
This question has been asked before, so my apologies for repeating the answer previously given.
Mary was present at the Crucifixion in Jerusalem (Jn. 19:25-27), and there she was given into John’s care. She was also with the disciples in the days before the Pentecost (Acts 1:14), and it is believed that she was present at the resurrection and Ascension. No scriptural reference concerns Mary’s last years on earth. According to tradition, she went to Ephesus, where she experienced her “dormition.” Another tradition states that she remained in Jerusalem.
The dogma of the Assumption – that Mary was taken up body and soul into heaven, after the completion of her earthly life (termed her dormition – or falling asleep in the Lord) – was proclaimed on November 1, 1950 by Pope Pius XII in Munificentessimus Deus; There was extensive acceptance and support for the doctrines among theologians and saints for centuries prior to their formal proclamation by a pope. The doctrines were subject to intense study over a period of centuries, requiring a long process before formal acceptance was granted.
We known very little about the exact date of the dormition and Assumption. It is possible, based on various writings, that the dormition occurred not too many years after Jesus’ death and Resurrection and took place either in Jerusalem or Ephesus. The earliest surviving reliable references to the Assumption are the sermons of St. Andrew of Crete, St. John Damascene, St. Modestus of Jerusalem and others. In the West, meanwhile, St. Gregory of Tours is generally credited with mentioning it first. St. John Damascene added that St. Juvenal, Bishop of Jerusalem, at the Council of Chalcedon (451), informed Emperor Marcian and Empress Pulcheria (who wished to possess the mortal remains of the Mother of God) that Mary died in the presence of all the Apostles, but that her tomb, when opened was found empty; the Apostles thus concluded that the body was taken up to heaven.
As for Joseph, the Gospels make reference to Jesus as the son of Joseph and the carpenter, humble origins that caused great consternation among Jesus’ critics. There is considered a likelihood that Joseph was older than Mary at the time of their marriage and died at some point after Jesus’ 12th year (Lk. 2:41–50) and at a time before the commencement of his public ministry. Mark would seem to support such a hypothesis in that he made no mention of Joseph, as he dedicated none of his narrative to Jesus’ life prior to his baptism. The use of the term for Jesus, “Son of Mary” would also tend to support the hypothesis that she was a widow. Joseph figured prominently in apocryphal literature, such as the Story of Joseph the Carpenter, that claimed Joseph lived to 111. This is unlikely, and the ages asserted by such later writers as Epiphanius are probably not reliable. He was probably buried at Nazareth. A host of other traditions pertaining to Joseph were preserved in the apocryphal NT writings. These include: the so-called Gospel of James, the Pseudo-Matthew, the Gospel of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, and the Life of the Virgin and Death of Joseph.
Joseph stands in the NT as a man of virtue and obedience to the will of God. He was concerned not to bring scandal or harm to Mary when learning of her pregnancy (see also Adultery) and accepted the commissioning of God to care for Mary and Jesus. (CCC 437.) In this sense, Joseph received his own annunciation and “did as the angel of the Lord commanded him” (Mt. 1:24). This obedience has been termed, “the beginning of ‘Joseph's way.’” (Pope John Paul II, Redemptoris Custos, 17.)
hii was just wondering what ever happened to Virgin Mary after Jesus died and what did she and Joseph die from??
Answer by Matthew Bunson on 4/7/2008:
This question has been asked before, so my apologies for repeating the answer previously given.
Mary was present at the Crucifixion in Jerusalem (Jn. 19:25-27), and there she was given into John’s care. She was also with the disciples in the days before the Pentecost (Acts 1:14), and it is believed that she was present at the resurrection and Ascension. No scriptural reference concerns Mary’s last years on earth. According to tradition, she went to Ephesus, where she experienced her “dormition.” Another tradition states that she remained in Jerusalem.
The dogma of the Assumption – that Mary was taken up body and soul into heaven, after the completion of her earthly life (termed her dormition – or falling asleep in the Lord) – was proclaimed on November 1, 1950 by Pope Pius XII in Munificentessimus Deus; There was extensive acceptance and support for the doctrines among theologians and saints for centuries prior to their formal proclamation by a pope. The doctrines were subject to intense study over a period of centuries, requiring a long process before formal acceptance was granted.
We known very little about the exact date of the dormition and Assumption. It is possible, based on various writings, that the dormition occurred not too many years after Jesus’ death and Resurrection and took place either in Jerusalem or Ephesus. The earliest surviving reliable references to the Assumption are the sermons of St. Andrew of Crete, St. John Damascene, St. Modestus of Jerusalem and others. In the West, meanwhile, St. Gregory of Tours is generally credited with mentioning it first. St. John Damascene added that St. Juvenal, Bishop of Jerusalem, at the Council of Chalcedon (451), informed Emperor Marcian and Empress Pulcheria (who wished to possess the mortal remains of the Mother of God) that Mary died in the presence of all the Apostles, but that her tomb, when opened was found empty; the Apostles thus concluded that the body was taken up to heaven.
As for Joseph, the Gospels make reference to Jesus as the son of Joseph and the carpenter, humble origins that caused great consternation among Jesus’ critics. There is considered a likelihood that Joseph was older than Mary at the time of their marriage and died at some point after Jesus’ 12th year (Lk. 2:41–50) and at a time before the commencement of his public ministry. Mark would seem to support such a hypothesis in that he made no mention of Joseph, as he dedicated none of his narrative to Jesus’ life prior to his baptism. The use of the term for Jesus, “Son of Mary” would also tend to support the hypothesis that she was a widow. Joseph figured prominently in apocryphal literature, such as the Story of Joseph the Carpenter, that claimed Joseph lived to 111. This is unlikely, and the ages asserted by such later writers as Epiphanius are probably not reliable. He was probably buried at Nazareth. A host of other traditions pertaining to Joseph were preserved in the apocryphal NT writings. These include: the so-called Gospel of James, the Pseudo-Matthew, the Gospel of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, and the Life of the Virgin and Death of Joseph.
Joseph stands in the NT as a man of virtue and obedience to the will of God. He was concerned not to bring scandal or harm to Mary when learning of her pregnancy (see also Adultery) and accepted the commissioning of God to care for Mary and Jesus. (CCC 437.) In this sense, Joseph received his own annunciation and “did as the angel of the Lord commanded him” (Mt. 1:24). This obedience has been termed, “the beginning of ‘Joseph's way.’” (Pope John Paul II, Redemptoris Custos, 17.)
Receiving Communion on the road
Question from Leonard on 4/21/2008:
Fr. Levis,
I am an over the road truck driver which makes it impossible to receive the Eucharist on the road. I was wondering if it is possible to purchase a Pyx to carry the Eucharist in so that I can take it through the week while I’m working? I just miss being able to attend Mass and being able to receive our Lord every week. Thank you for your time.
Answer by Fr. Robert J. Levis on 4/22/2008:
Leonard, Such a plan is forbidden. Only the minister of the Eucharist may carry it e.g. to the sick. Leonard, my old Dad got off work on Sunday only every 6 or 7 weeks. On those days he steadfastly received Communion, as on Wednesday or Friday, rarely on Sunday because he was working. YOu are making great sacrifice in trying to feed your family, which is the basic work of every Dad. God bless you. Fr. Bob Levis
Fr. Levis,
I am an over the road truck driver which makes it impossible to receive the Eucharist on the road. I was wondering if it is possible to purchase a Pyx to carry the Eucharist in so that I can take it through the week while I’m working? I just miss being able to attend Mass and being able to receive our Lord every week. Thank you for your time.
Answer by Fr. Robert J. Levis on 4/22/2008:
Leonard, Such a plan is forbidden. Only the minister of the Eucharist may carry it e.g. to the sick. Leonard, my old Dad got off work on Sunday only every 6 or 7 weeks. On those days he steadfastly received Communion, as on Wednesday or Friday, rarely on Sunday because he was working. YOu are making great sacrifice in trying to feed your family, which is the basic work of every Dad. God bless you. Fr. Bob Levis
salvation of the catholic faith
Question from Patrick Lorenzo on 4/21/2008:
Is there a possibility that a person can attain salvation even if he/she is not baptized as a Christian or Catholic?!
Answer by Fr. Robert J. Levis on 4/21/2008:
{Patrick, Yes, it is possible, provided God himself moves in and preserves him from the innnumeral evils threatening . Fr. Bob Levis
Is there a possibility that a person can attain salvation even if he/she is not baptized as a Christian or Catholic?!
Answer by Fr. Robert J. Levis on 4/21/2008:
{Patrick, Yes, it is possible, provided God himself moves in and preserves him from the innnumeral evils threatening . Fr. Bob Levis
Valid Catholic newspapers
Question from Bernadette on 4/18/2008:
Could you direct me to a site listing Catholic newspapers that are loyal to the Church and those we should stay away from?
Answer by Catholic Answers on 4/18/2008:
Bernadette--
I do not know of such a site. With the possible exception of the Vatican's own newspaper (L'Osservatore Romano), the Church does not take responsibility for the orthodoxy or heterodoxy of any publication, whether or not it claims to be Catholic. All that can be done is to read sample copies of the periodicals that interest you and assess the publication's editorial slant.
Recommended reading:
How do I learn to read with discernment?
Michelle Arnold
Catholic Answers
Could you direct me to a site listing Catholic newspapers that are loyal to the Church and those we should stay away from?
Answer by Catholic Answers on 4/18/2008:
Bernadette--
I do not know of such a site. With the possible exception of the Vatican's own newspaper (L'Osservatore Romano), the Church does not take responsibility for the orthodoxy or heterodoxy of any publication, whether or not it claims to be Catholic. All that can be done is to read sample copies of the periodicals that interest you and assess the publication's editorial slant.
Recommended reading:
How do I learn to read with discernment?
Michelle Arnold
Catholic Answers
Our Lady of Hope
Question from J. B. on 4/18/2008:
I'm wondering if anyone is familiar with Our Lady of Hope. I have a statue of a pregnant shepherdess and it appears to be our Lady. The bottom of the statue says Our Lady of Hope, but I cannot find this statue anywhere. This is a beautiful and unique statue of what appears to be Our Lady pregnant with Jesus. Can anyone help?
Answer by Catholic Answers on 4/18/2008:
J. B.--
You can find out more about devotion to Our Lady of Hope by clicking here. The Our Lady of Hope apparition is also known as Our Lady of Pontmain because of her appearance at Pontmain, France, in 1871. More information can be found by clicking here.
Michelle Arnold
Catholic Answers
I'm wondering if anyone is familiar with Our Lady of Hope. I have a statue of a pregnant shepherdess and it appears to be our Lady. The bottom of the statue says Our Lady of Hope, but I cannot find this statue anywhere. This is a beautiful and unique statue of what appears to be Our Lady pregnant with Jesus. Can anyone help?
Answer by Catholic Answers on 4/18/2008:
J. B.--
You can find out more about devotion to Our Lady of Hope by clicking here. The Our Lady of Hope apparition is also known as Our Lady of Pontmain because of her appearance at Pontmain, France, in 1871. More information can be found by clicking here.
Michelle Arnold
Catholic Answers
Beatification soon for Cardinal Newman?
Birmingham, Apr. 23, 2008 (CWNews.com) - The Vatican is set to approve a miracle attributed to the intercession of Cardinal John Henry Newman, clearing the way for his beatification, according to a story in the Birmingham Mail.
The Congregation for the Causes of Saints has not yet made an announcement in the case, but the Birmingham Mail reports that the Vatican is satisfied of the authenticity of a miracle in which a Catholic deacon from Massachusetts was cured of a disabling spinal disorder.
Cardinal Newman, a key figure in the Oxford Movement in 19th-century Anglicanism, stunned the British intellectual world when he became a Catholic in 1845. His description of his long journey to the Catholic faith, in his book Apologia Pro Vita Sua, retains an enormous influence, as do his theological works such as Grammar of Assent.
Raised to the College of Cardinals by Pope Leo XIII in 1879, Cardinal Newman died in 1890. Reports that the beatification of Cardinal Newman could be "imminent" circulated earlier this year. The approval of a miracle would fulfill the last requirement for beatification.
The Congregation for the Causes of Saints has not yet made an announcement in the case, but the Birmingham Mail reports that the Vatican is satisfied of the authenticity of a miracle in which a Catholic deacon from Massachusetts was cured of a disabling spinal disorder.
Cardinal Newman, a key figure in the Oxford Movement in 19th-century Anglicanism, stunned the British intellectual world when he became a Catholic in 1845. His description of his long journey to the Catholic faith, in his book Apologia Pro Vita Sua, retains an enormous influence, as do his theological works such as Grammar of Assent.
Raised to the College of Cardinals by Pope Leo XIII in 1879, Cardinal Newman died in 1890. Reports that the beatification of Cardinal Newman could be "imminent" circulated earlier this year. The approval of a miracle would fulfill the last requirement for beatification.
The Search for St. Peter's Bones
Fr. Roger J. Landry
The Anchor
Putting Into the Deep
April 18, 2008
In the last two columns, we focused on Peter’s death — crucified upside down in the Circus of Caligula and Nero— and on his burial a short distance from the Circus on the steeply sloping Vatican hill. We looked at the archaeological discoveries during the Pontificate of Pope Pius XII that unearthed not only the necropolis on top of which St. Peter’s Basilica was built but also the second-century victory monument over St. Peter’s pauper’s grave, directly underneath and within the main altar of the basilica. That victory monument or tropaion was clearly described in a late-second century letter by a Roman priest named Gaius. When it was discovered under the altar in September of 1941, the excavators’ excitement knew no bounds.
Its presence, just as it had been described, put to rest some modern Protestant claims that St. Peter was never in Rome. After the Reformation, some Protestant polemicists, in trying to argue against papal primacy, began to make the case that, even if Catholics were right that Jesus made Peter the Rock on whom he built his Church and gave him the keys of the kingdom of heaven (Mt 16:18-19), and even if Catholics were right that Peter passed those keys down to his successors, the bishop of Rome couldn’t be his successor. The reason, they argued, was that Peter had never set foot in Rome — since Sacred Scripture was silent his coming to Rome and is our only authority in matters of faith —and therefore could never have been bishop of Rome. Therefore, the primacy of the papacy of the bishop of Rome had no foundation.
Catholic scholars always responded, persuasively and correctly, that these Protestant claims were wrong about there being no proof in the Bible about St. Peter’s time in Rome. He writes his first letter from “Babylon” (1 Pet 5:13), which was a first-century universally-known Jewish code word for Rome. All scholars, from the early Church to the present, recognized that Peter was not writing from the real Babylon, which is about 55 miles south of Baghdad in modern day Iraq.
But the question of whether St. Peter was in Rome is not one of faith, but of history, just as I do not believe that I was in Rome three weeks ago, but know it, and have airline and hotel receipts to prove it. The Church, therefore, was able to use the “scientific method” of history — written sources and the “laboratory” of archaeology — to demonstrate Peter’s presence in Rome. The combination of Fr. Gaius’ letter from 199 pointing to the presence of Peter’s victory monument in the Vatican and the 1941 discovery of that victory monument packed within Constantine’s marble and porphyry box underneath the altar was, for archaeologists clear proof that Peter was buried in Rome, and indirect confirmation that he lived and died there — since translation of corpses was forbidden in the ancient world.
But the discover of the victory monument also made a previous discovery take on larger significance. As I mentioned at the end of last week’s column, a short time before finding the monument, the excavators, digging up from below in the area directly underneath, had discovered a pile of bones. They knew by measurements that this area was underneath the altar and excitedly wondered whether these bones might eventually prove to be St. Peter’s. Now that the victory monument was found, everybody was waiting for their analysis.
To do the work, the Vatican brought in a world-famous anatomist from Sicily, Professor Venerando Correnti, so that the findings, whatever they might be, would be above reproach in the scientific community. After three years of commuting to the Vatican to do his analysis, he published his results: the bones found in the Vatican hill underneath the victory monument were of a woman, some small animals and two men, both of whose femeral striatrions showed they died before the age of 50 — which would have made them much too young to be Peter, unless Peter were less than 14 when Jesus called him from his fishing business and presumably his wife around 28 AD.
So in the midst of great joy that they had incontestably found St. Peter’s tomb, there was also a huge disappointment that they had not found his bones, and huge confusion over to whom the bones found in his tomb belong.
The story does not end there, however. When the excavators approached the victory monument from the north, they were expecting to find the other of the tropaion’s two typical columns. Instead, they found a buttressing wall, which I mentioned last week, built about the year 250. That was odd, they thought, because when Constantine enclosed the tropaion in his marble and porphyry box in the 320s, he could have easily eliminated the buttressing wall, since it no longer had a functional purpose. More than that, the buttressing wall was covered with plaster and the plaster covered with Christian graffiti, including inscriptions about Peter, Christ, Mary, and the victory of eternal life. Finally, hidden within the wall, there was a marble-lined repository, about the size of a safety-deposit box. When this repository was discovered in November, 1941, the workmen thought it might contain the bones of a pope — they hadn’t yet analyzed the bones underneath the tropaion, which they were betting and hoping would turn out to be Peter’s — and so they removed the contents, placed them in a marked box and stored them for later analysis.
Eventually, an epigraphist, Dr. Margherita Guarducci, was brought in to analyze the graffiti on the buttressing wall. She saw the empty repository and thought that knowing what its original contents were might help her in deciphering the graffiti. So she and a Vatican staffer went to the vault where the various boxes with contents awaiting analysis were, found the box containing the debris from the graffiti wall depository contents, and opened it.
Inside the box, there was a large piece of red plaster, confirming it came from the repository which buttressed the red wall behind the tropaion. On the red wall fragment, there was an roughly hewn fourth-century inscription. Petr(os) eni. When Guarducci, the famous Greek and Latin epigraphist saw it, she needed to take a breath. Those words in Greek meant “Peter is here.”
She begged to have the bones that were found in the repository analyzed. Dr. Correnti returned from Sicily. It took him eight years to do the analysis.
We’ll present his findings next week.
The Anchor
Putting Into the Deep
April 18, 2008
In the last two columns, we focused on Peter’s death — crucified upside down in the Circus of Caligula and Nero— and on his burial a short distance from the Circus on the steeply sloping Vatican hill. We looked at the archaeological discoveries during the Pontificate of Pope Pius XII that unearthed not only the necropolis on top of which St. Peter’s Basilica was built but also the second-century victory monument over St. Peter’s pauper’s grave, directly underneath and within the main altar of the basilica. That victory monument or tropaion was clearly described in a late-second century letter by a Roman priest named Gaius. When it was discovered under the altar in September of 1941, the excavators’ excitement knew no bounds.
Its presence, just as it had been described, put to rest some modern Protestant claims that St. Peter was never in Rome. After the Reformation, some Protestant polemicists, in trying to argue against papal primacy, began to make the case that, even if Catholics were right that Jesus made Peter the Rock on whom he built his Church and gave him the keys of the kingdom of heaven (Mt 16:18-19), and even if Catholics were right that Peter passed those keys down to his successors, the bishop of Rome couldn’t be his successor. The reason, they argued, was that Peter had never set foot in Rome — since Sacred Scripture was silent his coming to Rome and is our only authority in matters of faith —and therefore could never have been bishop of Rome. Therefore, the primacy of the papacy of the bishop of Rome had no foundation.
Catholic scholars always responded, persuasively and correctly, that these Protestant claims were wrong about there being no proof in the Bible about St. Peter’s time in Rome. He writes his first letter from “Babylon” (1 Pet 5:13), which was a first-century universally-known Jewish code word for Rome. All scholars, from the early Church to the present, recognized that Peter was not writing from the real Babylon, which is about 55 miles south of Baghdad in modern day Iraq.
But the question of whether St. Peter was in Rome is not one of faith, but of history, just as I do not believe that I was in Rome three weeks ago, but know it, and have airline and hotel receipts to prove it. The Church, therefore, was able to use the “scientific method” of history — written sources and the “laboratory” of archaeology — to demonstrate Peter’s presence in Rome. The combination of Fr. Gaius’ letter from 199 pointing to the presence of Peter’s victory monument in the Vatican and the 1941 discovery of that victory monument packed within Constantine’s marble and porphyry box underneath the altar was, for archaeologists clear proof that Peter was buried in Rome, and indirect confirmation that he lived and died there — since translation of corpses was forbidden in the ancient world.
But the discover of the victory monument also made a previous discovery take on larger significance. As I mentioned at the end of last week’s column, a short time before finding the monument, the excavators, digging up from below in the area directly underneath, had discovered a pile of bones. They knew by measurements that this area was underneath the altar and excitedly wondered whether these bones might eventually prove to be St. Peter’s. Now that the victory monument was found, everybody was waiting for their analysis.
To do the work, the Vatican brought in a world-famous anatomist from Sicily, Professor Venerando Correnti, so that the findings, whatever they might be, would be above reproach in the scientific community. After three years of commuting to the Vatican to do his analysis, he published his results: the bones found in the Vatican hill underneath the victory monument were of a woman, some small animals and two men, both of whose femeral striatrions showed they died before the age of 50 — which would have made them much too young to be Peter, unless Peter were less than 14 when Jesus called him from his fishing business and presumably his wife around 28 AD.
So in the midst of great joy that they had incontestably found St. Peter’s tomb, there was also a huge disappointment that they had not found his bones, and huge confusion over to whom the bones found in his tomb belong.
The story does not end there, however. When the excavators approached the victory monument from the north, they were expecting to find the other of the tropaion’s two typical columns. Instead, they found a buttressing wall, which I mentioned last week, built about the year 250. That was odd, they thought, because when Constantine enclosed the tropaion in his marble and porphyry box in the 320s, he could have easily eliminated the buttressing wall, since it no longer had a functional purpose. More than that, the buttressing wall was covered with plaster and the plaster covered with Christian graffiti, including inscriptions about Peter, Christ, Mary, and the victory of eternal life. Finally, hidden within the wall, there was a marble-lined repository, about the size of a safety-deposit box. When this repository was discovered in November, 1941, the workmen thought it might contain the bones of a pope — they hadn’t yet analyzed the bones underneath the tropaion, which they were betting and hoping would turn out to be Peter’s — and so they removed the contents, placed them in a marked box and stored them for later analysis.
Eventually, an epigraphist, Dr. Margherita Guarducci, was brought in to analyze the graffiti on the buttressing wall. She saw the empty repository and thought that knowing what its original contents were might help her in deciphering the graffiti. So she and a Vatican staffer went to the vault where the various boxes with contents awaiting analysis were, found the box containing the debris from the graffiti wall depository contents, and opened it.
Inside the box, there was a large piece of red plaster, confirming it came from the repository which buttressed the red wall behind the tropaion. On the red wall fragment, there was an roughly hewn fourth-century inscription. Petr(os) eni. When Guarducci, the famous Greek and Latin epigraphist saw it, she needed to take a breath. Those words in Greek meant “Peter is here.”
She begged to have the bones that were found in the repository analyzed. Dr. Correnti returned from Sicily. It took him eight years to do the analysis.
We’ll present his findings next week.
Pope to ordain 29 deacons for Rome
Vatican City, Apr 22, 2008 / 12:28 pm (CNA).- The Vatican’s Press Office announced today that Pope Benedict XVI will preside at the ordination of 29 deacons for the Diocese of Rome on April 27 at 9:30 a.m. in St. Peter’s Basilica.
Concelebrating with the Holy Father will be the Cardinal Vicar of the Diocese of Rome, the auxiliary bishops of Rome, the seminarians' rectors and parishioners from the seminarians’ home parishes.
Concelebrating with the Holy Father will be the Cardinal Vicar of the Diocese of Rome, the auxiliary bishops of Rome, the seminarians' rectors and parishioners from the seminarians’ home parishes.
Lost American child discovered after solo tour of Rome
Rome, Apr. 22, 2008 (CWNews.com) - Italy's AGI news service reports that a 10-year-old American child who became separated from her parents in the Vatican Museums was found by police in central Rome, on the Via Veneto.
Police report that the child-- whose identity was not disclosed-- evidently became bored as her parents toured the Vatican Museums, and decided to travel downtown alone. She was discovered near the US embassy, about 2 miles from where she separated from her parents.
Police report that the child-- whose identity was not disclosed-- evidently became bored as her parents toured the Vatican Museums, and decided to travel downtown alone. She was discovered near the US embassy, about 2 miles from where she separated from her parents.
host on floor
Question from laura on 4/20/2008:
Hi, Father Levis-I was wondering-I went to mass with my kids today at the base chapel (Sunday morning) and found a host on the floor broken up. At the end of mass, I picked it up and wrapped it in paper and took it up to the church coordinator. She said that the right thing was to consume it. I couldn't-for some unknown reason, I just am unable to do it so she took it. I think that it might have been there from yesterday's mass. I was thinking that with it being on the floor, perhaps it can be taken to the (not sure what it's called) where the chalice is washed out at in reference to any droplets of the blood. Is it called the sacristy? Did I do anything wrong? The priest is filling in for the next two weeks for the Nigerian priest who is on vacation-should I have mentioned this to him anyways? Thanks, Father-I just hope that I wasn't disrespectful in any way to our Lord. Laura
Answer by Fr. Robert J. Levis on 4/21/2008:
Laura, You did the best you knew how to act. The important thing was to see that the Eucharist was not sacrilegiously treated. Consuming the Eucharist is best, but also it could be dissolved in fresh water and broken up by dissolution in the sacrarium, a small sink designed for problems like this. The drain is directly into the earth. Many thanks, Laura. Fr. Bob Levis
Hi, Father Levis-I was wondering-I went to mass with my kids today at the base chapel (Sunday morning) and found a host on the floor broken up. At the end of mass, I picked it up and wrapped it in paper and took it up to the church coordinator. She said that the right thing was to consume it. I couldn't-for some unknown reason, I just am unable to do it so she took it. I think that it might have been there from yesterday's mass. I was thinking that with it being on the floor, perhaps it can be taken to the (not sure what it's called) where the chalice is washed out at in reference to any droplets of the blood. Is it called the sacristy? Did I do anything wrong? The priest is filling in for the next two weeks for the Nigerian priest who is on vacation-should I have mentioned this to him anyways? Thanks, Father-I just hope that I wasn't disrespectful in any way to our Lord. Laura
Answer by Fr. Robert J. Levis on 4/21/2008:
Laura, You did the best you knew how to act. The important thing was to see that the Eucharist was not sacrilegiously treated. Consuming the Eucharist is best, but also it could be dissolved in fresh water and broken up by dissolution in the sacrarium, a small sink designed for problems like this. The drain is directly into the earth. Many thanks, Laura. Fr. Bob Levis
Repentant thief on the cross
Question from Dave on 4/20/2008:
The thief on the cross next to Jesus lived a very sinful life at least for the most part of his life. Here, a Catholic would say he would be a candidate for purgatory because of his questionable life and then repentance right before he died. But, Christ told him, "TODAY you will be with me in PARADISE." Note he said Paradise, which is Heaven. So how would the teaching of purgatory square with this situation? Christ did not say that the thief would be with him today in purgatory.
Answer by Fr. Robert J. Levis on 4/21/2008:
Dave, This sinner was on a direct road to Hell (not Purgatory). So the omnipotent, merciful, all-loving, all-knowing Savior cancelled it all out and took him to Heaven immediately. The power of God! Fr. Bob Levis
The thief on the cross next to Jesus lived a very sinful life at least for the most part of his life. Here, a Catholic would say he would be a candidate for purgatory because of his questionable life and then repentance right before he died. But, Christ told him, "TODAY you will be with me in PARADISE." Note he said Paradise, which is Heaven. So how would the teaching of purgatory square with this situation? Christ did not say that the thief would be with him today in purgatory.
Answer by Fr. Robert J. Levis on 4/21/2008:
Dave, This sinner was on a direct road to Hell (not Purgatory). So the omnipotent, merciful, all-loving, all-knowing Savior cancelled it all out and took him to Heaven immediately. The power of God! Fr. Bob Levis
words used while distributing holy communion
Question from Marie on 4/11/2008:
At a neighboring parish, the priest and extraordinary ministers say "Life of Christ" before placing the host into the recitpient's hand. Is this allowed?
Answer by Rev. Mark J. Gantley, JCL on 4/12/2008:
This is illicit. The proper words are, "The Body of Christ."
At a neighboring parish, the priest and extraordinary ministers say "Life of Christ" before placing the host into the recitpient's hand. Is this allowed?
Answer by Rev. Mark J. Gantley, JCL on 4/12/2008:
This is illicit. The proper words are, "The Body of Christ."
Chilean bishops deplore attack against Our Lady of Carmel at Cathedral of Santiago
Santiago, Apr 21, 2008 / 12:10 pm (CNA).- The president of the Bishops’ Conference of Chile, Bishop Alejandro Goic, deplored the recent vandalizing of a statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel at the Cathedral of Santiago.
“It is a deplorable and profoundly lamentable act that wounds the faith, love and devotion that the Chilean people have traditionally had for the Mother of God in a historic statue venerated by the entire Chilean nation,” the bishop said.
Bishop Goic said, “We don’t know who did it, the police need to investigate.” He explained that the entire body of Chilean bishops will go to Santiago for the closing of their meeting “to make amends for an offense committed against the faith.”
Witnesses said they saw a man in his mid-30s dressed in black carry out the vandalism. Police have identified four men as possible suspects in the act.
The statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel was dressed in vestments made in 1833 that were burned completely during the attack. Workers in the Cathedral were able to put out the flames before the statue was completely destroyed.
Speaking to Radio Cooperativa, Father Francisco Javier Manterola, pastor of the church, said, “The structure is still there, but all of the mantles, the clothing, the adornments and the insignias given to her by the Armed Forces and even by the president, were burned.”
“It is a deplorable and profoundly lamentable act that wounds the faith, love and devotion that the Chilean people have traditionally had for the Mother of God in a historic statue venerated by the entire Chilean nation,” the bishop said.
Bishop Goic said, “We don’t know who did it, the police need to investigate.” He explained that the entire body of Chilean bishops will go to Santiago for the closing of their meeting “to make amends for an offense committed against the faith.”
Witnesses said they saw a man in his mid-30s dressed in black carry out the vandalism. Police have identified four men as possible suspects in the act.
The statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel was dressed in vestments made in 1833 that were burned completely during the attack. Workers in the Cathedral were able to put out the flames before the statue was completely destroyed.
Speaking to Radio Cooperativa, Father Francisco Javier Manterola, pastor of the church, said, “The structure is still there, but all of the mantles, the clothing, the adornments and the insignias given to her by the Armed Forces and even by the president, were burned.”
Our Father at Mass
Question from Shari VanBlokland on 2/11/2008:
During Mass, when we pray the Our Father, the priest says, "deliver us, Lord, from every evil and protect us..." etc. I was wondering if this portion of the prayer has a specific background or has just been passed along and is of unknown origin. Thank You.
Answer by Colin B. Donovan, STL on 4/20/2008:
This embolism, or interpolation, between the Lord's Prayer and the doxology (For the Kingdom the Power etc.) is very ancient, as Fr. Joseph Jungmann, SJ, the historian of the liturgy notes. He also states that all liturgies, except that of Byzantium, has a similar embolism.
The Roman embolism expands upon the last petition of the Our Father (some other liturgies, the last two), adding the Church's own prayer to that of Christ to deliver us from evil. Following the embolism, the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite has added a doxology (formula of praise), similar to that of most Eastern liturgies, which have this pattern of Our Father - Embolism - Doxology.
During Mass, when we pray the Our Father, the priest says, "deliver us, Lord, from every evil and protect us..." etc. I was wondering if this portion of the prayer has a specific background or has just been passed along and is of unknown origin. Thank You.
Answer by Colin B. Donovan, STL on 4/20/2008:
This embolism, or interpolation, between the Lord's Prayer and the doxology (For the Kingdom the Power etc.) is very ancient, as Fr. Joseph Jungmann, SJ, the historian of the liturgy notes. He also states that all liturgies, except that of Byzantium, has a similar embolism.
The Roman embolism expands upon the last petition of the Our Father (some other liturgies, the last two), adding the Church's own prayer to that of Christ to deliver us from evil. Following the embolism, the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite has added a doxology (formula of praise), similar to that of most Eastern liturgies, which have this pattern of Our Father - Embolism - Doxology.
false miracles vs actual
Question from Debra on 4/19/2008:
Father, I was reading recently about pseudocyesis, which is a falst pregnancy, a woman can have all the symptoms of pregnancy, including a larger abdomen. If someone thinks about something all the time, is totally absorbed in it, they can hallucinate or have physical signs. How does the church figure out what might be caused by psychological things or something real when a, for example, cloistered nun or priest say they have talked to Jesus or Mary or similar things? They are so involved in that aspect of prayer and total commitment....I just wondered how do they judge it?
Answer by Fr. Robert J. Levis on 4/20/2008:
Debra, There is a large commission in the Vatican that investigates nothing but the reputed miracles and sanctity of reparted saints-to-be..It takes them years for most cases. Fr. Bob Levis
Father, I was reading recently about pseudocyesis, which is a falst pregnancy, a woman can have all the symptoms of pregnancy, including a larger abdomen. If someone thinks about something all the time, is totally absorbed in it, they can hallucinate or have physical signs. How does the church figure out what might be caused by psychological things or something real when a, for example, cloistered nun or priest say they have talked to Jesus or Mary or similar things? They are so involved in that aspect of prayer and total commitment....I just wondered how do they judge it?
Answer by Fr. Robert J. Levis on 4/20/2008:
Debra, There is a large commission in the Vatican that investigates nothing but the reputed miracles and sanctity of reparted saints-to-be..It takes them years for most cases. Fr. Bob Levis
Reception of the Holy Eucharist
Question from Bernice Lenahan on 4/19/2008:
I just saw ex-Mayor Rudy Giuliani receive communion at the mass at St. Patrick's during the Papal Mass. Since he is divorced and is pro-choice, how can he receive the Holy Eucharist? Is this not slander at least?
Answer by Fr. Robert J. Levis on 4/19/2008:
Bernice, I expect the former mayor was lost in the congregation and the priest or deacon did not recognize him (perhaps). Some priests would communicate him, others (like myself) would not. Fr.Bob Levis
I just saw ex-Mayor Rudy Giuliani receive communion at the mass at St. Patrick's during the Papal Mass. Since he is divorced and is pro-choice, how can he receive the Holy Eucharist? Is this not slander at least?
Answer by Fr. Robert J. Levis on 4/19/2008:
Bernice, I expect the former mayor was lost in the congregation and the priest or deacon did not recognize him (perhaps). Some priests would communicate him, others (like myself) would not. Fr.Bob Levis
children around the altar
Question from Ben on 4/13/2008:
Whenever the bishop visits our parish he always invites the all the children around the altar during the entire Mass. Is this permitted? Thank you.
Answer by Fr. Robert J. Levis on 4/14/2008:
Ben, Actually no, but the bishop is the chief liturgist in his diocese. He does what he wants. Only the priest, deacon, bishop, director of chant, the cantors, (in short, all you perform the liturgy should be in the sanctuary) are in the sanctuary. Fr.Bob Levis
Whenever the bishop visits our parish he always invites the all the children around the altar during the entire Mass. Is this permitted? Thank you.
Answer by Fr. Robert J. Levis on 4/14/2008:
Ben, Actually no, but the bishop is the chief liturgist in his diocese. He does what he wants. Only the priest, deacon, bishop, director of chant, the cantors, (in short, all you perform the liturgy should be in the sanctuary) are in the sanctuary. Fr.Bob Levis
Church teaching on locutions
Question from butterflygirl on 4/16/2008:
Dear Fr Robert,
There is a girl in my parish (a friend of mine) who says that she is getting inner locutions from Jesus. She is humble, devoted to Our Lady, and down to earth. For a while, I believed that her locutions were real, but now I have reason to doubt... for several reasons: 1) She got a locution (supposedly) telling me not to marry someone. I asked around and several people (including Alice von Hildebrand!) told me that I am under no obligation to obey what she said. 2) She goes to a prayer group in my area (Rochester, NY) that is kind of sketchy, and is associated with John Leary, who supposedly gets messages from God about the end times.
So, I'm 99% certain that this locution business is a psychological thing - she certainly has good and sincere intentions, but I believe she is mislead and I'm fairly certain she has not submitted herself to the judgment of a good confessor.
My question for you is twofold: 1) Where would you suggest I read up on the Church's teachings on these matters? I'd like to get a better understanding of this topic from the doctrinal and historical perspectives. I feel very unfamiliar with it. 2) How would you suggest I help her? She is a friend of mine (a new one, admittedly) and I would like to help her... but I would like to do so in the most delicate, respectful way possible.
Any suggestions would be most appreciated!
Trish
Answer by Fr. Robert J. Levis on 4/18/2008:
Butterflygirl, The best treatiment of locutions is done by St. John of the Cross and can be found in his "Ascent to Mt. Carmel" Bk. 2;chp. 19 and following. Even if from God Himself, his advice = don't follow or believe them. Fr. Bob Levis
Dear Fr Robert,
There is a girl in my parish (a friend of mine) who says that she is getting inner locutions from Jesus. She is humble, devoted to Our Lady, and down to earth. For a while, I believed that her locutions were real, but now I have reason to doubt... for several reasons: 1) She got a locution (supposedly) telling me not to marry someone. I asked around and several people (including Alice von Hildebrand!) told me that I am under no obligation to obey what she said. 2) She goes to a prayer group in my area (Rochester, NY) that is kind of sketchy, and is associated with John Leary, who supposedly gets messages from God about the end times.
So, I'm 99% certain that this locution business is a psychological thing - she certainly has good and sincere intentions, but I believe she is mislead and I'm fairly certain she has not submitted herself to the judgment of a good confessor.
My question for you is twofold: 1) Where would you suggest I read up on the Church's teachings on these matters? I'd like to get a better understanding of this topic from the doctrinal and historical perspectives. I feel very unfamiliar with it. 2) How would you suggest I help her? She is a friend of mine (a new one, admittedly) and I would like to help her... but I would like to do so in the most delicate, respectful way possible.
Any suggestions would be most appreciated!
Trish
Answer by Fr. Robert J. Levis on 4/18/2008:
Butterflygirl, The best treatiment of locutions is done by St. John of the Cross and can be found in his "Ascent to Mt. Carmel" Bk. 2;chp. 19 and following. Even if from God Himself, his advice = don't follow or believe them. Fr. Bob Levis
Church teaching on locutions
Question from butterflygirl on 4/16/2008:
Dear Fr Robert,
There is a girl in my parish (a friend of mine) who says that she is getting inner locutions from Jesus. She is humble, devoted to Our Lady, and down to earth. For a while, I believed that her locutions were real, but now I have reason to doubt... for several reasons: 1) She got a locution (supposedly) telling me not to marry someone. I asked around and several people (including Alice von Hildebrand!) told me that I am under no obligation to obey what she said. 2) She goes to a prayer group in my area (Rochester, NY) that is kind of sketchy, and is associated with John Leary, who supposedly gets messages from God about the end times.
So, I'm 99% certain that this locution business is a psychological thing - she certainly has good and sincere intentions, but I believe she is mislead and I'm fairly certain she has not submitted herself to the judgment of a good confessor.
My question for you is twofold: 1) Where would you suggest I read up on the Church's teachings on these matters? I'd like to get a better understanding of this topic from the doctrinal and historical perspectives. I feel very unfamiliar with it. 2) How would you suggest I help her? She is a friend of mine (a new one, admittedly) and I would like to help her... but I would like to do so in the most delicate, respectful way possible.
Any suggestions would be most appreciated!
Trish
Answer by Fr. Robert J. Levis on 4/18/2008:
Butterflygirl, The best treatiment of locutions is done by St. John of the Cross and can be found in his "Ascent to Mt. Carmel" Bk. 2;chp. 19 and following. Even if from God Himself, his advice = don't follow or believe them. Fr. Bob Levis
Dear Fr Robert,
There is a girl in my parish (a friend of mine) who says that she is getting inner locutions from Jesus. She is humble, devoted to Our Lady, and down to earth. For a while, I believed that her locutions were real, but now I have reason to doubt... for several reasons: 1) She got a locution (supposedly) telling me not to marry someone. I asked around and several people (including Alice von Hildebrand!) told me that I am under no obligation to obey what she said. 2) She goes to a prayer group in my area (Rochester, NY) that is kind of sketchy, and is associated with John Leary, who supposedly gets messages from God about the end times.
So, I'm 99% certain that this locution business is a psychological thing - she certainly has good and sincere intentions, but I believe she is mislead and I'm fairly certain she has not submitted herself to the judgment of a good confessor.
My question for you is twofold: 1) Where would you suggest I read up on the Church's teachings on these matters? I'd like to get a better understanding of this topic from the doctrinal and historical perspectives. I feel very unfamiliar with it. 2) How would you suggest I help her? She is a friend of mine (a new one, admittedly) and I would like to help her... but I would like to do so in the most delicate, respectful way possible.
Any suggestions would be most appreciated!
Trish
Answer by Fr. Robert J. Levis on 4/18/2008:
Butterflygirl, The best treatiment of locutions is done by St. John of the Cross and can be found in his "Ascent to Mt. Carmel" Bk. 2;chp. 19 and following. Even if from God Himself, his advice = don't follow or believe them. Fr. Bob Levis
rosary and chaplet
Question from anon on 4/16/2008:
hi father do you think that one could recieve many graces by reciting both the divine mercy chaplet and the rosary once a day. also do you think our lady would mind if one found it easier to pray the divine mercy chaplet and was devoted to that instead. god bless
Answer by Fr. Robert J. Levis on 4/18/2008:
Anon, The rosary plus chaplet should carry more grace than just the chaplet. Fr. Bob Levis
hi father do you think that one could recieve many graces by reciting both the divine mercy chaplet and the rosary once a day. also do you think our lady would mind if one found it easier to pray the divine mercy chaplet and was devoted to that instead. god bless
Answer by Fr. Robert J. Levis on 4/18/2008:
Anon, The rosary plus chaplet should carry more grace than just the chaplet. Fr. Bob Levis
game website
Question from jb on 4/16/2008:
There is this game website i regularly visit that provides some of the best coverage in the video game industry. However, I ran into a video they shot where it appeared(only appeared it did not actually take place) that two video game characters were engaging in oral sex.I should clarify one thing, this wasnt a video THEY shot but was footage pulled from a game where this action took place.There was no nudity in the footage itself, again it only appeared as if the two characters where engaging in oral sex.One can say, why dont you just find a new gaming website, but this website really offers the best content.MY question is,does this make viewing other unrelated content on this site sinful?
Answer by Fr. Robert J. Levis on 4/18/2008:
JB, Make a clean break with this outlet. If they showed this immorality once, they will do it as often as they think people watch it. Ignore the outlet completely, if possible. Fr. Bob Levis
There is this game website i regularly visit that provides some of the best coverage in the video game industry. However, I ran into a video they shot where it appeared(only appeared it did not actually take place) that two video game characters were engaging in oral sex.I should clarify one thing, this wasnt a video THEY shot but was footage pulled from a game where this action took place.There was no nudity in the footage itself, again it only appeared as if the two characters where engaging in oral sex.One can say, why dont you just find a new gaming website, but this website really offers the best content.MY question is,does this make viewing other unrelated content on this site sinful?
Answer by Fr. Robert J. Levis on 4/18/2008:
JB, Make a clean break with this outlet. If they showed this immorality once, they will do it as often as they think people watch it. Ignore the outlet completely, if possible. Fr. Bob Levis
Doubts arise concerning art student’s self-induced abortion exhibit
New Haven, Apr 18, 2008 / 08:29 pm (CNA).- The truth of a Yale art student’s claim that she artificially inseminated herself, induced miscarriages, and filmed the process for exhibition has been called into doubt. A spokesperson for the university characterized story as “performance art,” insisting there had been no self-impregnations and self-induced abortions.
The art student denied the university’s claim the story was an artistic hoax, saying the university was distancing itself from her project because of a “media frenzy.” However, the student admitted she was not sure whether she was ever pregnant when she supposedly attempted to induce the miscarriages.
Thursday news reports about art student Aliza Shvarts caused a storm of news coverage and commentary. Shvarts claimed the exhibit would "spark conversation and debate on the relationship between art and the human body," telling the Yale Daily News that she was not ashamed of the exhibition and had become “increasingly comfortable” discussing her induced miscarriages in everyday conversation.
Helaine Klasky, a Yale University spokesperson, said in a Thursday statement that Shvarts is “engaged in performance art.”
“Her art project includes visual representations, a press release and other narrative materials. She stated to three senior Yale University officials today, including two deans, that she did not impregnate herself and that she did not induce any miscarriages.”
“The entire project is an art piece, a creative fiction designed to draw attention to the ambiguity surrounding form and function of a woman's body. She is an artist and has the right to express herself through performance art.”
“Had these acts been real, they would have violated basic ethical standards and raised serious mental and physical health concerns."
Kristan Hawkins, director of Students for Life America, responded to Klasky’s statement:
“I am appalled that Yale University would allow a student to use the tragedy of miscarriage and abortion as a practical joke and then call it 'art.' If a male art student would have released that he planned to exhibit condoms he used to rape multiple women in an effort to produce shock, the American people and pro-choice feminist groups across the country would have demanded that the student apologize for his grotesque behavior and be severely reprimanded or expelled from school.”
Hawkins continued, saying, “Falsely announcing that one has taken several lives is unethical, and this girl has inflicted serious harm to the women of this country who have experienced the pain of miscarriage.”
According to the Yale Daily News, in a late Thursday interview Shvarts insisted her exhibit was not a hoax. She shared with reporters video she claimed depicted her self-induced attempts at miscarriage.
“No one can say with 100-percent certainty that anything in the piece did or did not happen.” Shvarts said. She added that she does not know whether she was ever pregnant. “The nature of the piece is that it did not consist of certainties,” she said.
In a statement issued just before midnight on Thursday, Yale spokeswoman Klasky said that Shvarts had promised that if the university revealed her alleged admission that her exhibit was merely a performance, she would deny the claim.
“Her denial is part of her performance,” Klasky wrote in an e-mail. “We are disappointed that she would deliberately lie to the press in the name of art.”
On Friday morning, Shvarts insisted the exhibit was not a hoax and claimed she had proceeded with the backing of university faculty. Shvarts said faculty supportive of her work included the dean of her residential college and at least two faculty members in the School of Art.
“I’m not going to absolve them by saying it was some sort of hoax when it wasn’t,” she said. “I started out with the University on board with what I was doing, and because of the media frenzy they’ve been trying to dissociate with me. Ultimately I want to get back to a point where they renew their support because ultimately this was something they supported.”
According to Shvarts, she planned in her exhibit to suspend from the gallery’s ceiling a large cube wrapped with hundreds of feet with plastic sheeting. The plastic sheeting, she claimed, would be lined with the blood from her self-induced miscarriages.
Shvarts claimed she planned to project on four sides of the cube the recorded video of herself during the miscarriages. She showed to Yale Daily News reporters elements she said were part of her planned exhibit, including footage of the alleged miscarriage attempts.
The art student denied the university’s claim the story was an artistic hoax, saying the university was distancing itself from her project because of a “media frenzy.” However, the student admitted she was not sure whether she was ever pregnant when she supposedly attempted to induce the miscarriages.
Thursday news reports about art student Aliza Shvarts caused a storm of news coverage and commentary. Shvarts claimed the exhibit would "spark conversation and debate on the relationship between art and the human body," telling the Yale Daily News that she was not ashamed of the exhibition and had become “increasingly comfortable” discussing her induced miscarriages in everyday conversation.
Helaine Klasky, a Yale University spokesperson, said in a Thursday statement that Shvarts is “engaged in performance art.”
“Her art project includes visual representations, a press release and other narrative materials. She stated to three senior Yale University officials today, including two deans, that she did not impregnate herself and that she did not induce any miscarriages.”
“The entire project is an art piece, a creative fiction designed to draw attention to the ambiguity surrounding form and function of a woman's body. She is an artist and has the right to express herself through performance art.”
“Had these acts been real, they would have violated basic ethical standards and raised serious mental and physical health concerns."
Kristan Hawkins, director of Students for Life America, responded to Klasky’s statement:
“I am appalled that Yale University would allow a student to use the tragedy of miscarriage and abortion as a practical joke and then call it 'art.' If a male art student would have released that he planned to exhibit condoms he used to rape multiple women in an effort to produce shock, the American people and pro-choice feminist groups across the country would have demanded that the student apologize for his grotesque behavior and be severely reprimanded or expelled from school.”
Hawkins continued, saying, “Falsely announcing that one has taken several lives is unethical, and this girl has inflicted serious harm to the women of this country who have experienced the pain of miscarriage.”
According to the Yale Daily News, in a late Thursday interview Shvarts insisted her exhibit was not a hoax. She shared with reporters video she claimed depicted her self-induced attempts at miscarriage.
“No one can say with 100-percent certainty that anything in the piece did or did not happen.” Shvarts said. She added that she does not know whether she was ever pregnant. “The nature of the piece is that it did not consist of certainties,” she said.
In a statement issued just before midnight on Thursday, Yale spokeswoman Klasky said that Shvarts had promised that if the university revealed her alleged admission that her exhibit was merely a performance, she would deny the claim.
“Her denial is part of her performance,” Klasky wrote in an e-mail. “We are disappointed that she would deliberately lie to the press in the name of art.”
On Friday morning, Shvarts insisted the exhibit was not a hoax and claimed she had proceeded with the backing of university faculty. Shvarts said faculty supportive of her work included the dean of her residential college and at least two faculty members in the School of Art.
“I’m not going to absolve them by saying it was some sort of hoax when it wasn’t,” she said. “I started out with the University on board with what I was doing, and because of the media frenzy they’ve been trying to dissociate with me. Ultimately I want to get back to a point where they renew their support because ultimately this was something they supported.”
According to Shvarts, she planned in her exhibit to suspend from the gallery’s ceiling a large cube wrapped with hundreds of feet with plastic sheeting. The plastic sheeting, she claimed, would be lined with the blood from her self-induced miscarriages.
Shvarts claimed she planned to project on four sides of the cube the recorded video of herself during the miscarriages. She showed to Yale Daily News reporters elements she said were part of her planned exhibit, including footage of the alleged miscarriage attempts.
spiritual adoption
Question from wondering on 4/17/2008:
At mass each sunday we pray this prayer: Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I love you very much. I beg you to spare the life of the pre-born child I have spiritually adopted who is in danger of abortion.
Is this a general prayer that each of us can say once a week at Sunday mass or is there some way we should be spiritually adopting a pre-born child? If so, how does one do that?
Answer by Judie Brown on 4/18/2008:
Dear Wondering
The spiritual adoption prayer was originally written by Archbishop Fulton Sheen and saying it once a day for nine months is what he recommended.
Judie Brown
At mass each sunday we pray this prayer: Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I love you very much. I beg you to spare the life of the pre-born child I have spiritually adopted who is in danger of abortion.
Is this a general prayer that each of us can say once a week at Sunday mass or is there some way we should be spiritually adopting a pre-born child? If so, how does one do that?
Answer by Judie Brown on 4/18/2008:
Dear Wondering
The spiritual adoption prayer was originally written by Archbishop Fulton Sheen and saying it once a day for nine months is what he recommended.
Judie Brown
Blessed Mother's pregnancy
Question from Lupe Rivera on 4/14/2008:
Why do some priest continue to say that our at mass?
I think that this gives young girls a reason to go out and have sexual relations before getting married.
She was betrothed to St. Joseph that in Jewish Tradition she was already married as I understand.
Is this right or wrong?
Thank you amd God Bless.
Lupe
Answer by Fr. Jay Toborowsky on 4/17/2008:
Though it's not clear, I think you're saying that some priests talk about Mary being an "unwed mother". Yes, you're correct. In Jewish law, engagement to be married was much more than just a ring on a finger. Sadly, in this world today, many believe that a couple engaged can have the same sex life of a couple married (especially when there are so many living together).
Why do some priest continue to say that our at mass?
I think that this gives young girls a reason to go out and have sexual relations before getting married.
She was betrothed to St. Joseph that in Jewish Tradition she was already married as I understand.
Is this right or wrong?
Thank you amd God Bless.
Lupe
Answer by Fr. Jay Toborowsky on 4/17/2008:
Though it's not clear, I think you're saying that some priests talk about Mary being an "unwed mother". Yes, you're correct. In Jewish law, engagement to be married was much more than just a ring on a finger. Sadly, in this world today, many believe that a couple engaged can have the same sex life of a couple married (especially when there are so many living together).
Harry Potter Books and dvd's used in Catholic school
Question from Ingrid Botha on 4/16/2008:
Dear Father
We are the parents of three young children, whom we have placed in a Catholic school. As Catholic parents their spiritual welfare is of utmost importance, and we are trying really hard at home to raise them as good, devout Catholics. We thought that placing them in a Catholic school would also help towards developing them as these devout Catholic souls, and we at least thought that they would be protected against bad or evil publications.
It is plainly obvious that the Harry Potter books are against the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and it doesn't take much common sense to figure out that the books' are truly evil. We have been given the gift of these three beautiful children to protect and cherish against all odds, and ultimately to lead them to God. We have also told them never to read the Harry Potter books as it is all against God and what He teaches.
Now it has come to our attention that the Harry Potter books and dvd's are being used in their school. We have approached the school's head master and the priest regarding this, and both are of the opinion that there is nothing wrong with the books and therefore the books and dvd's will remain in the school. We have even gently given the school a box full of EWTN's children's dvd's which we ordered from your catalogue in hope that they would discard of the Harry Potter publications, and use the dvd's as some form of replacement. It did not work, and to date the dvd's have not been used in the school. It seems so strange that there is such an obsession with keeping the books in the school regardless of better Catholic educational material presented to it. It makes a person so despondent to know that regardless of how much you try to protect your children from bad publications, they could be exposed to it at a very young age in school, not to mention all the other school children who are being exposed to it. It is heart breaking to think that a Catholic school would feed such publications to their children, and young children at that.
Unfortunately too many people are of the opinion that the Harry Potter books are harmless, just like too many people are of the opinion that other sins like abortion and fornication are are fine. The majority opinion is not always the correct opinion, and we really wish that somebody great in the church would now reveal the truth about the terrible evil of these books, and the harm that is being afflicted on the souls of our children. For years now there has been too much debate on whether or not the Harry Potter books are evil or not. When is somebody going to turn to the very simple answers given in the Catechism of the Catholic Church on magic and the occult. We need the protection of our priests and bishops in this regard.
Can you please help us and our children.
Yours faithfully Ingrid and Willem Botha
Answer by Fr. Jay Toborowsky on 4/18/2008:
If you feel strongly about this (which you obviously do), and you're not getting an adequate response from the school's headmaster and chaplain, your next step would be to to contact your diocese's education office. That would be the next step up on the way to the bishop, who has ultimate jurisdiction here.
Dear Father
We are the parents of three young children, whom we have placed in a Catholic school. As Catholic parents their spiritual welfare is of utmost importance, and we are trying really hard at home to raise them as good, devout Catholics. We thought that placing them in a Catholic school would also help towards developing them as these devout Catholic souls, and we at least thought that they would be protected against bad or evil publications.
It is plainly obvious that the Harry Potter books are against the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and it doesn't take much common sense to figure out that the books' are truly evil. We have been given the gift of these three beautiful children to protect and cherish against all odds, and ultimately to lead them to God. We have also told them never to read the Harry Potter books as it is all against God and what He teaches.
Now it has come to our attention that the Harry Potter books and dvd's are being used in their school. We have approached the school's head master and the priest regarding this, and both are of the opinion that there is nothing wrong with the books and therefore the books and dvd's will remain in the school. We have even gently given the school a box full of EWTN's children's dvd's which we ordered from your catalogue in hope that they would discard of the Harry Potter publications, and use the dvd's as some form of replacement. It did not work, and to date the dvd's have not been used in the school. It seems so strange that there is such an obsession with keeping the books in the school regardless of better Catholic educational material presented to it. It makes a person so despondent to know that regardless of how much you try to protect your children from bad publications, they could be exposed to it at a very young age in school, not to mention all the other school children who are being exposed to it. It is heart breaking to think that a Catholic school would feed such publications to their children, and young children at that.
Unfortunately too many people are of the opinion that the Harry Potter books are harmless, just like too many people are of the opinion that other sins like abortion and fornication are are fine. The majority opinion is not always the correct opinion, and we really wish that somebody great in the church would now reveal the truth about the terrible evil of these books, and the harm that is being afflicted on the souls of our children. For years now there has been too much debate on whether or not the Harry Potter books are evil or not. When is somebody going to turn to the very simple answers given in the Catechism of the Catholic Church on magic and the occult. We need the protection of our priests and bishops in this regard.
Can you please help us and our children.
Yours faithfully Ingrid and Willem Botha
Answer by Fr. Jay Toborowsky on 4/18/2008:
If you feel strongly about this (which you obviously do), and you're not getting an adequate response from the school's headmaster and chaplain, your next step would be to to contact your diocese's education office. That would be the next step up on the way to the bishop, who has ultimate jurisdiction here.
Pro-abortion rights politicians receive Holy Communion at papal Mass
Washington DC, Apr 18, 2008 / 10:49 pm (CNA).- At Thursday’s papal Mass at Nationals Park in Washington, some United States senators supportive of permissive abortion laws declined to present themselves to receive Holy Communion, while other pro-abortion senators went up to receive, LifeSiteNews reports.
According to photos taken by Tom McFadden, Director of Admissions at Christendom College, Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy remained seated as his row left to receive the Sacrament. However, the photos also show pro-abortion Senators John Kerry and Chris Dodd receiving Holy Communion.
Catholic pro-abortion politicians have been frequently advised and warned not to receive Holy Communion. A 2004 letter from the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, sent by then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, said such politicians “must” be refused communion. Cardinal Francis Arinze last November recently reiterated the prohibition, citing the same letter.
Pope Benedict himself addressed the topic in his March 2007 apostolic exhortation “Sacramentum Caritatis,” warning Catholics in general and Catholic politicians in particular not to receive Holy Communion unworthily. In the letter, he wrote that politicians must adhere to “non-negotiable” values, such as “respect for human life” and “its defense from conception to natural death.” Such politicians “must feel particularly bound” to “introduce and support laws inspired by values grounded in human nature.”
The Pope referenced 1 Corinthians 11:27-29, which discusses worthy reception of Holy Communion.
The American Life League had taken out full-page advertisements warning American politicians not to receive the Holy Eucharist “sacrilegiously.”
According to photos taken by Tom McFadden, Director of Admissions at Christendom College, Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy remained seated as his row left to receive the Sacrament. However, the photos also show pro-abortion Senators John Kerry and Chris Dodd receiving Holy Communion.
Catholic pro-abortion politicians have been frequently advised and warned not to receive Holy Communion. A 2004 letter from the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, sent by then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, said such politicians “must” be refused communion. Cardinal Francis Arinze last November recently reiterated the prohibition, citing the same letter.
Pope Benedict himself addressed the topic in his March 2007 apostolic exhortation “Sacramentum Caritatis,” warning Catholics in general and Catholic politicians in particular not to receive Holy Communion unworthily. In the letter, he wrote that politicians must adhere to “non-negotiable” values, such as “respect for human life” and “its defense from conception to natural death.” Such politicians “must feel particularly bound” to “introduce and support laws inspired by values grounded in human nature.”
The Pope referenced 1 Corinthians 11:27-29, which discusses worthy reception of Holy Communion.
The American Life League had taken out full-page advertisements warning American politicians not to receive the Holy Eucharist “sacrilegiously.”
Our Lady of Hope
Question from J. B. on 4/18/2008:
I'm wondering if anyone is familiar with Our Lady of Hope. I have a statue of a pregnant shepherdess and it appears to be our Lady. The bottom of the statue says Our Lady of Hope, but I cannot find this statue anywhere. This is a beautiful and unique statue of what appears to be Our Lady pregnant with Jesus. Can anyone help?
Answer by Catholic Answers on 4/18/2008:
J. B.--
You can find out more about devotion to Our Lady of Hope by clicking here. The Our Lady of Hope apparition is also known as Our Lady of Pontmain because of her appearance at Pontmain, France, in 1871. More information can be found by clicking here.
Michelle Arnold
Catholic Answers
I'm wondering if anyone is familiar with Our Lady of Hope. I have a statue of a pregnant shepherdess and it appears to be our Lady. The bottom of the statue says Our Lady of Hope, but I cannot find this statue anywhere. This is a beautiful and unique statue of what appears to be Our Lady pregnant with Jesus. Can anyone help?
Answer by Catholic Answers on 4/18/2008:
J. B.--
You can find out more about devotion to Our Lady of Hope by clicking here. The Our Lady of Hope apparition is also known as Our Lady of Pontmain because of her appearance at Pontmain, France, in 1871. More information can be found by clicking here.
Michelle Arnold
Catholic Answers
Marrying an Orthodox Christian
Question from John R. on 4/11/2008:
While marrying an Orthodox Christian no longer poses a canonical impediment for the Catholic Church, it still does for the Orthodox partner. Orthodox canon law forbids an Orthodox Christian from marrying outside of the Orthodox Church.
The marriage would be regarded as valid by the Catholic Church; however, it would be considered invalid by the Orthodox. Unlike in Latin Catholic belief, the Orthodox believe the priest confers the sacrament on the couple, and some, although not all, Orthodox jurisdictions reject the validity of Catholic sacraments including baptism.
Just as in the Catholic Church, the Orthodox require affirmation that children coming from a mixed marriage will be raised Orthodox. A compromise could be getting married in a Byzantine-rite Catholic parish if the Orthodox is willing to convert.
Answer by Robert J. Flummerfelt, J.C.L. on 4/18/2008:
Hi John R.,
I appreciate what you have written. I like the fact that you note that indeed not all Orthodox consider marriages to Catholics as invalid. It is not a black and white thing - it depends on which Orthodox Church.
Just a simple point of reference, please note that for Eastern Catholics, the theology and law supports the contention that it is a combination of the consent of the parties AND the priestly [sacerdotal] blessing which CONFECTS the sacrament on the parties. The Latin Church teaches it is the consent of the parties, but the Eastern Catholic Churches teach a little more - stating that consent PLUS the priestly blessing is necessary for validity.
Just a point of clarification.
Thanks for listening.
Peace and blessings, Bob
While marrying an Orthodox Christian no longer poses a canonical impediment for the Catholic Church, it still does for the Orthodox partner. Orthodox canon law forbids an Orthodox Christian from marrying outside of the Orthodox Church.
The marriage would be regarded as valid by the Catholic Church; however, it would be considered invalid by the Orthodox. Unlike in Latin Catholic belief, the Orthodox believe the priest confers the sacrament on the couple, and some, although not all, Orthodox jurisdictions reject the validity of Catholic sacraments including baptism.
Just as in the Catholic Church, the Orthodox require affirmation that children coming from a mixed marriage will be raised Orthodox. A compromise could be getting married in a Byzantine-rite Catholic parish if the Orthodox is willing to convert.
Answer by Robert J. Flummerfelt, J.C.L. on 4/18/2008:
Hi John R.,
I appreciate what you have written. I like the fact that you note that indeed not all Orthodox consider marriages to Catholics as invalid. It is not a black and white thing - it depends on which Orthodox Church.
Just a simple point of reference, please note that for Eastern Catholics, the theology and law supports the contention that it is a combination of the consent of the parties AND the priestly [sacerdotal] blessing which CONFECTS the sacrament on the parties. The Latin Church teaches it is the consent of the parties, but the Eastern Catholic Churches teach a little more - stating that consent PLUS the priestly blessing is necessary for validity.
Just a point of clarification.
Thanks for listening.
Peace and blessings, Bob
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