Q. Can you explain the Church’s teachings about yoga and reiki? Recently a priest gave a presentation in which he said that, to avoid the devil, Catholics should also avoid things like palm readers and ouija boards. He also mentioned yoga and reiki. I’ve practiced yoga on and off for many years and have found…
Q: A divorced, annulled Catholic friend of mine recently got engaged to another divorced Catholic, who said her previous marriage was ruled “lacks proper form” by the Church. What does this mean? Are they able to marry in the Catholic Church? A: Even as a canon lawyer, it’s impossible to draw firm conclusions about another…
Q. After the last presidential election, while in confession, I asked the priest this question and his response astounded me. He said voting for a Democrat was a mortal sin, their political stance on abortion demands this, and he went on to list all the party’s dreadful practices he considered evil. I always vote for…
Q: I live in a diocese where the feast of the Ascension is celebrated on Thursday. This year, I was traveling for work on Ascension Thursday, and in the diocese where my conference was, Ascension was moved to Sunday (by which point I was already back home). I feel bad for missing the feast of…
Questions of Faith Q: I recently moved to a rural area, and my current parish is now nearly an hour drive away. There are no Catholic churches in my new area. There is, however, a Methodist church right across the street from my new home, in easy walking distance. They are open for services on…
Q: Can an artificial intelligence program licitly receive the Sacrament of Holy Orders? And regardless, what role do you think AI might be able to play in catechesis, if any? A: No, an artificial intelligence program cannot receive the sacrament of Holy Orders (or any other sacrament, for that matter). Sacraments can only be received…
Q: What’s going on with the Latin Mass, and why do some priests like to celebrate it while others don’t? A: It’s good to keep in mind that priests are human beings who, like the rest of us, form personal opinions about things that are important to them. So your question is a rather complex…
Q: I have a confession question. I have heard that past sins, either venial or mortal, even after confessing them stay with you somewhat and only ‘really’ get dismissed after your soul is scrubbed clean by time in purgatory. So would someone with a very bad past who does a turn-around, goes to Confession and…
Q: In my parish, we have an antique candle holder for the paschal candle. The design on the candle stand looks like it has some sort of insect, and so my 6-year-old asked me why there were ‘bugs on the Paschal candle’. Any thoughts? A: My guess is that the ‘bugs on the paschal candle’…
Q: I have a friend who observed that some crucifixes depict the Saviour with his eyes open and some depict him with his eyes closed. He wants to know which is correct – alive or dead? A: With respect to the second part of your question, I think it’s equally correct for a crucifix to…