Question: My understanding is that the Church did not formerly grant burial in consecrated ground to someone who committed suicide. When did this change and why? —Amy Smith, Arlington, Va. Answer: Yes, there were restrictions many decades ago. This has changed to
A Catholic chaplain, a priest, was carrying Communion to patients who were bedridden in a hospital. The priest had a list of Catholic patients who had requested communion. In one of the rooms, as he blessed a patient and began to leave,
Parents often feel self-conscious taking their small children to church. We worry that our little ones will disturb others or prevent us from “getting anything out of Mass.” While we do need to be sensitive to people around us and it can
According to a new report, scientific evidence fails to support the “born that way” theory of sexual orientation. In addition, there is “no evidence” that “all children who express gender-atypical thoughts or behavior should be encouraged to become transgender,” the findings state.
Sally Leroy cries whenever she hears her favorite song at Mass. The Arizona native also cries most mornings as she sits quietly in her prayer corner pondering heartaches and family issues or in gratitude for blessings received. Yet, Leroy wouldn’t have it
In Christian history, no ruling body, king or patriarch is reviled more than the Jerusalem Sanhedrin. This Jewish high court, identified in all four Gospels, plotted to have Jesus arrested, subjected him to an illegal trial and intimidated the Romans into murdering
Do you take your faith to work? Or does the mere thought evoke a nervous flutter in your stomach? Be not afraid. As Catholics, there are countless ways to live out our faith in the workplace in ways that aren’t offensive to
When the world looked at the face of Blessed Teresa of Kolkata, it saw pure, simple joy. Then, in 2007, 10 years after Blessed Teresa’s death, a collection of her private letters was published. Suddenly, the joy that the tiny sister from
A recent comment by Pope Francis in his weekly audience at St. Peter’s Square set the secular media abuzz. He was reported to have said that animals have immortal souls and will go to heaven — contrary to common, long-established theological opinion.
Sherry Weddell’s book “Forming Intentional Disciples” (OSV, $16.95) is, I think, one of the most important Catholic books of this decade. In it, she addresses the core issue facing the Church in our time: How to foster a culture in which all