Question Corner: Baptismal records, earthly sufferings and Purgatory November 29, 2023By Jenna Marie Cooper OSV News Filed Under: Commentary, Question Corner The diocesan chancery office would have access to maps of parish territorial boundaries, and would also be familiar with any “quirks” of local sacramental record-keeping.
Question Corner: What are the rules for Catholics and Christmas trees? November 21, 2023By Jenna Marie Cooper OSV News Filed Under: Advent, Christmas, Commentary, Question Corner There are no strict right or wrong answers as to when a Catholic should put up or take down a Christmas tree.
Question Corner: Why can’t the church use disposable plastic cups at Mass? November 15, 2023By Jenna Marie Cooper OSV News Filed Under: Commentary, Question Corner Because we believe that Jesus is physically, bodily present in the “sacred species” (our term for the bread and wine which have been turned into the body and blood of Christ), we have several laws and customs pertaining to the Eucharist that ensure a sufficient degree of protection and reverence for Jesus’ presence in the Blessed Sacrament.
Question Corner: Are demonic possessions just mental illness? October 31, 2023By Jenna Marie Cooper OSV News Filed Under: Commentary, Question Corner most dioceses in United States have protocols which require an individual to have medical and psychiatric evaluations, to rule out potential natural causes, before they can receive a major exorcism.
Why more letters from Paul than Peter, and how do the saints keep track of things? October 25, 2023By Jenna Marie Cooper OSV News Filed Under: Commentary, Question Corner Even though St. Peter was the first pope, his status as the “first among equals” among the apostles doesn’t automatically mean that writing was his personal strong suit.
Question Corner: What justifies prayers for the dead? Why isn’t the pope called Francis I? October 19, 2023By Jenna Marie Cooper OSV News Filed Under: Commentary, Question Corner We find a clear scriptural reference on the praiseworthyness of praying for the dead in the Old Testament’s second book of Maccabees.
Question Corner: Can mistakes be made when it comes to private revelation? October 10, 2023By Jenna Marie Cooper OSV News Filed Under: Commentary, Question Corner St. Ignatius acknowledges the possibility that God might, in rare situations, make his will known in extraordinary ways, such as through locutions and visions.
Question Corner: Can a Catholic date a person whose marriage has not been annulled? October 5, 2023By Jenna Marie Cooper OSV News Filed Under: Commentary, Question Corner It is true that the Catholic Church presumes that marriages are valid until proven otherwise, and it’s only logical that faithful Catholics should discern their life choices in light of this general principle.
Question Corner: Does insufficient faith keep us from being healed? September 25, 2023By Jenna Marie Cooper OSV News Filed Under: Commentary, Question Corner Catholics don’t believe that a lack of physical healing is due to some fault in the faith of the one suffering, nor can it be attributed to a lack of faith on the part of that person’s loved ones.
Question Corner: Are ‘little white lies’ Ok to tell? September 20, 2023By Jenna Marie Cooper OSV News Filed Under: Commentary, Question Corner A quick fib about eating the last piece of cake is obviously not on the same level as a lie in a business transaction that causes a family to lose their entire savings.
Question Corner: Do some divorce situations require no annulment? September 12, 2023By Jenna Marie Cooper OSV News Filed Under: Commentary, Question Corner There are some situations where the usual in-depth formal process for marriage nullity is not required.
Question Corner: How much should an annulment cost? September 5, 2023By Jenna Marie Cooper OSV News Filed Under: Commentary, Question Corner Nobody should be deterred from approaching their diocesan marriage tribunal due solely to a lack of funds.
