Question: Please distinguish between baptism by water, desire, and blood. Answer: Since the Second Vatican Council, there has been a lot of misunderstanding about the necessity of baptism for salvation. Prior to the Council, theologians … [Read more...]
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Question: I am a secular Carmelite preparing to make my vows. Can you explain the difference between religious profession and seculars regarding the virtue of religion? How would the vows of religion differ from my promises for life? Don’t w … [Read more...]
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Question: Can a person who has been involved in past homosexual acts become a priest if he has overcome this tendency? Answer: This question is urgent in the culture because homosexuality is almost celebrated today. This fact has led the … [Read more...]
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Question: I am very confused about the removal of temporal punishment due to sin in the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick. Some say no, but the Pocket Catholic Catechism by John Hardon, S.J., 1989, states: “Also the guilt and temporal p … [Read more...]
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Question: At the Easter vigil, we read from Genesis that God, on the fourth day, created and separated light from darkness: on the fourth day, he created the sources of light. So, from whence comes the light of the first day? Answer: No … [Read more...]
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Question: Can you define the sensus fidelium, and explain why it can’t be used to dissent from Catholic teaching? Answer: The term sensus fidelium (understanding of the faithful) has led to a great many difficulties in the Catholic C … [Read more...]
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Question: I see and read all the “opinions” on whether the SSPX Mass and administering of the sacraments is legal and licit. Good people are at variance with each other on this issue. Please, could you straighten this out from your sta … [Read more...]
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Question: Could Jesus perform miracles of his own accord? Did he not empty himself and rely on the Father as we do by faith? We are to have faith to move mountains. What better way to make the point than Jesus praying in thanksgiving before … [Read more...]
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Question: A local priest has, on more than one occasion, preached that Jesus “became a human being.” Is that the same thing as he “became man?” Are the two terms interchangeable? Answer: This question takes up the famous issue of what the … [Read more...]
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Question: At the Easter Vigil, it is sometimes the practice that protestants are received into full ecclesiastical communion, and then receive Communion. Now, neophytes are baptized at the Vigil, with all their sins forgiven, but converts … [Read more...]
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Interpreting the Book of Job; Spiritual Communion: what it is, and what are its benefits.
Question: One of the more problematic books in Scripture is the Book of Job. Many Scripture scholars find it impossible to interpret. Is there some interpretation which might see a unifying theme? Answer: The Book of Job occupies a … [Read more...]
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Pope Francis seems to be placing a renewed emphasis on the teachings of the Church regarding the ethical pursuit of wealth and business. Are there practical norms for the correct use of economic power in a firm? Lumen Gentium was very … [Read more...]
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