Cremation is now permitted for Catholics, so long as it is not chosen in denial of the Christian teaching on resurrection and the sacredness of the human body.
Question Corner
Duty of fraternal correction/ Why did Jesus say ‘tell no one’?
Is it not our duty to point out when a friend is committing a sin? Otherwise, if we don’t try to save the soul of a sinner, then we too can be found guilty.
Does Jesus free us from sin and death?/ Donating gambling winnings
We do sin, and we do die; but Jesus, by his own suffering and death, offers us the path to ultimate happiness.
Are silent prayers heard by God?/ Shouldn’t we ‘fast before a feast’?
Q. I am an 88-year-old Korean War veteran with a question that is not earth-shattering but one that bothers me almost every day. I talk and pray to God, to Jesus and to the Blessed Virgin Mary out loud — every morning and at night before I go to bed. But there are also times when I pray silently — just in my head — especially if I wake up during the night. So what I need to know is whether those prayers — the silent ones — are heard.
Hosting unmarried couple/ Call no man ‘father’
When grandchildren who have been living together for years without being married come to visit, do I put them in separate bedrooms? People laugh at me for this, but I have a real problem: Is living together no longer a sin? (Sorry — I can’t move on from my upbringing.) (City and state withheld)
The Sabbath: Saturday or Sunday?/ Catholic view of ‘the rapture’
Why do some religions say that the Sabbath day is Saturday while others — including Catholics — say it’s on Sunday?
Marriage of Mary and Joseph/Is it okay to attend a same-sex wedding?
Father Doyle fields a question about the marriage of Mary and Joseph. He also discusses attending same-sex weddings.
Dementia and the Eucharist/What is the nativity fast?
Father Doyle fields questions about dementia and the Eucharist, and the Nativity fast.
COVID-19 vaccine and parents’ role/Marriage and celibacy
Father Doyle fields questions on the COVID-19 vaccine and celibacy and marriage.
Disruptions in church/Disposition of altar relics
Father Doyle clarifies his answer to a question of disruptions at Mass and also fields a questions on altar relics.
Prayer to St. Michael/Age of confirmation
Father Doyle fields questions on the use of the Prayer of St. Michael and the age for confirmation.
Renewal of vows for non-Catholics/ Rationale re: women priests
Can a Catholic priest officiate at the renewal of vows for a non-Catholic couple?