Q: Some Evangelical friends were recently quizzing me on the Catholic understanding of baptism. They were especially asking about Jesus’ baptism, and whether this indicates Jesus had some sin or sins of which he needed to repent. They had the same question regarding infant baptism, as infants would seem to neither be able to understand the rite,…
Q: What is the significance of a Jubilee Year? A: The short answer is, a Jubilee Year is a special year of grace and reconciliation. Today, the Catholic Church celebrates a Jubilee Year every 25 years, although the Pope can also declare an ‘extra’ extraordinary Jubilee year between the regularly scheduled jubilees (as Pope Francis…
Q: What is the significance of a Jubilee Year? A: The short answer is, a Jubilee Year is a special year of grace and reconciliation. Today, the Catholic Church celebrates a Jubilee Year every 25 years, although the Pope can also declare an ‘extra’ extraordinary Jubilee year between the regularly scheduled jubilees (as Pope Francis…
Q: Could Jesus sin? If not, was he truly human and free? A: This is a rather complex question that gets into some deep Trinitarian theology. But I think we can still break this down into some accessible takeaway points. For some background, we believe that Jesus is truly and fully God, the second Person…
Q: I’m a new mother in the middle of a divorce. I admit that I have never been a very good Catholic, but I still want my baby baptised in the hope that he will have a better relationship with God than I’ve had. My ex-husband and I share custody, and in many ways, he is…
Q: I have a question about the vocation of marriage. I’m very moved by the examples of widowed family and friends who continue to be very devoted to their deceased spouse, praying for them daily and visiting their graves. Often, they speak of looking forward to seeing their spouse again in Heaven. Does the Church…
Q: These days we hear so much about trans people. I really have never heard anything ‘official’ about the Church’s position. What does our Church say about it? Thank you. A: It is true that, with transgender issues being a relatively new phenomenon in modern society, the Church does not yet have an extensive teaching…
Q: What scriptural basis is there for praying for the dead, for their repose, or for praying to the dead, for their intercessions? And in a related way, what scriptural basis is there for the Catholic practice of ‘relics’, such as saving a person’s bone fragments? My Protestant friends say these practices are not in the Bible…
Q: Please explain what an indulgence is and how it can reduce or eliminate the time a soul must spend in purgatory. A: Indulgences are perhaps one of the more misunderstood parts of Catholic practice. But indulgences are deeply rooted in several key Catholic theological concepts, such as the nature of purgatory, the Church’s…
Q: I recently took a six-week theology class, and the priest teaching it was emphatic that most don’t make it to Heaven. First, we must be without mortal sin. So, all those who forsake Mass or the Holy Sabbath would not be eligible. I have also heard other well-known priests state the same thing. One…