The experience of the sacrament of penance in the Roman rite will be slightly different this Lent, thanks to approved changes in the English translation set to take effect in a few weeks.
Starting Ash Wednesday -- which takes place this year on
A reader asks: “What purpose do vigil candles serve? In my youth, I was told that the smoke from the candle carries our prayers to heaven, and as long as the candle stays lit, our prayers and intentions will be repeated. Is
A reader asks:: “I’m curious about the jump in the Apostles Creed from ‘born of the Virgin Mary’ to ‘suffered under Pontius Pilate.’ That jump excludes Jesus’s three-year ministry, which I believe was exceedingly important. There are different ways in which his
Every year, for more than three decades, the Vatican tribunal dealing with matters of conscience has offered a course to help priests in their "ministry of mercy" as confessors.
The huge number of participants, from 500 to 800 ordained and soon-to-be ordained men,
In his usual tongue-in-cheek style, Bill Dodds explores our tendency to not fully take full responsibility for our sins. From Adam and Eve to … whomever … there is always someone else to blame. But Dodds gives readers three suggestions on how
A reader asks: “Are there ‘statutes of limitations’ regarding confession? For instance, if I stole a candy bar as a child, never confessed it but still remember it as an adult, should I confess it?” Monsignor Charles Pope answers that when one
The Sacrament of Reconciliation "is not so much about our sins" as it is about God's forgiveness, Pope Francis said. "Think about it: If our sins were at the heart of the sacrament, almost everything would depend on us, on our repentance,
OSV publisher Scott Richert shares in his latest column how gazing at a crucifix while praying the Our Father gave him a new perspective on the Lord’s Prayer: “By following the will of the Father, (Jesus) ended up on the cross. The
In this week’s Pastoral Answers column, a reader asks, “Our priest has taught us that at our particular judgment, our life — good and bad, sin and sorrow and joy — will be reviewed. If that is so, it would seem confession
Be ready for Mass on the Eighth Sunday of Ordinary Time! Father Joshua Whitfield examines the Gospel reading, in which Jesus reminds us that we first must take the plank from our own eye before we can remove the plank from the