On Saturday afternoon, September 19, 1846, two children– Maximin Guiraud (age 11) and Melanie Calvat (age 14)– were tending sheep for their employers near La Salette in the French Alps. The effects of the French Revolution which had terrorized the … Continued
Our Blessed Mother’s title, “Our Lady of Hope,” arises from her appearance to several children in Pontmain, France on January 17, 1871. Please note that our Blessed Mother was referred to by this title prior to this time, and a … Continued
This question arises because the gospels refer to the “brothers” and “sisters” of our Lord. In the New American Bible’s English translation of the Gospel of St. Mark, we do indeed read about the crowd asking, “Isn’t this the carpenter, … Continued
On his first trip to Poland in 1979, Pope John Paul II visited the shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa. He said, “The call of a son of Poland to the Cathedral of St. Peter contains an evident and strong … Continued
As Catholics, we make a distinction between public and private revelation. Public revelation is defined as follows: God, in His infinite goodness and wisdom, chose to reveal Himself to mankind; in accord with God’s divine plan of salvation, Jesus Christ– … Continued
In September 1993, “Straight Answers” appeared for the first time as a regular weekly column in the Catholic Herald. At that time, I was president of the Notre Dame Institute for Catechetics (now the Notre Dame Graduate School of Christendom … Continued
During this time of unpleasantness when the average American must suffer through the biased political advertisements as well as discuss pertinent issues, faithful Catholics must examine everything through the lens of faith. Regarding the issues highlighted in this question, one … Continued
The present Code of Canon Law makes no regulation regarding burial except, “If a parish has its own cemetery, the faithful departed are to be interred in it unless another cemetery has been legitimately chosen either by the departed person … Continued
In a word, No. In 1997, the National Conference of Catholic Bishops with the approval of the Congregation for the Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments issued the following instruction, entitled “Reflections on the Body, Cremation and Catholic … Continued
Since the earliest times of the church, Christians traditionally have buried the bodies of the faithful departed, in contrast to pagans who normally cremated. As professed in the creed, we believe that at the end of time, Our Lord Jesus … Continued
Without question, St. Peter was the first pope of the Catholic Church. Since the church was under persecution by the Roman Empire until A.D. 313 and the official Roman historians were not concerned with the affairs of the church, we … Continued
Indeed, the Holy Father has approved a special plenary indulgence to mark the Year of Faith, which began Oct.11 — the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council and the 20th anniversary of the promulgation of the … Continued
Since the mid-1970s, the Episcopal Church in the United States has faced serious internal turmoil. In 1976, women were ordained as priests, and more recently women have been ordained as bishops. In 1979, the Episcopalian Church revised the Book of … Continued
Avoiding the commercialization of Christmas is a real challenge. For Catholics, the liturgical season of Advent helps us focus on the spiritual preparation for Christmas and on the coming of Our Lord. (Advent comes from the Latin adventus, meaning “coming.”) … Continued
In addressing these various issues, we must first deal with some terminology. The word “creed” (from the Latin credo, meaning “I believe”) denotes a basic, succinct statement of faith. “Symbol” arises from a use in ancient law whereby a ring, … Continued
The morality of abortion is not up for vote. Abortion is an intrinsically evil act. Moreover, the Roman Catholic Church consistently has condemned abortion — the direct and purposeful taking of the life of the innocent unborn child. In principle, … Continued
Since the decree “In Eminenti” of Pope Clement XII in 1738, Catholics have been forbidden to join the Masons, and until 1983, under pain of excommunication. (Please note that Freemasonry originated in England in 1717.) Scanning official documents, the Church … Continued
To answer these questions, a simple review of the church liturgical calendar is helpful. Even though the liturgical year follows the same course of seasons punctuated by various feast days, the faithful must not see this as repetitive but rather … Continued
In the history of the church, only a few popes have resigned for various reasons, and a few have been deposed for various reasons. St. Pontian was the first pope to resign from office. He had been elected as the … Continued
The word conclave derives from the Latin “with key.” The great historical example that inspired “the conclave” occurred in 1268. When Pope Clement IV died that year, the cardinals met at the papal palace at Viterbo, Italy. Due to political … Continued