|
ASK A PRIEST CatholicView receives many letters about marriage to non-believers in Jesus Christ. They want to know what the bible and the Church has to say regarding such unions. Our Priest Staff addresses this subject for all whowrote in to us with their concerns. The answer below was in response to someone of the Islamic faith considering marriage to a Catholic but it applies to anyone considering inter-religious commitment. It is re-printed here. It is said that love conquers all, but that thought is not in the bible anywhere. But in I Corinthians, Chapter 13, Verse 13, Saint Paul does write this: So, faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love. Love then is the energy of the universe, the essence of God. Human love can be the reflection of this creative energy of God, the very essence of God Himself. But human love is also flawed, and weakened by human sin. With that in mind, the only love I truly trust without limit is God's eternal and truly unconditional love. So, in regards to inter-religious marriages (marriages between a man and woman with different religious beliefs, such as Christian and Muslim, for example), the Catholic Church, and most Christians for that matter, discourage inter-religious marriages. It is the experience of the Church that inter-religious marriages have inherent obstacles that destroy marriages, such as what religious community to go to worship, what religion should the children be brought up in, and the conflict of different family traditions that are based on religious observances. Those are just some of the obstacles and conflicts that can destroy a marital union. I am going to say something that many don't want to hear: human love cannot overcome everything. The dictum, love conquers all, is not true because human love is flawed. Only God's love conquers all, not human love which at times can be blinded by a person's self-centered desires interpreted as love. That's why true love can only thrive when both man and woman share a common religious belief. Christians thrive with Christians, and other religious faith people thrive with their own faith traditions. You asked about biblical verses AGAINST inter-religious marriages. There is a danger of "proof-texting" (taking the bible out of context) to prove one's opinions even if those opinions are wrong. Even the devil himself used scripture against Jesus in the desert during Jesus' temptations (see Matthew, Chapter 4). But in answer to your question, here are the verses you seek to bolster our concerns about the danger of entering into inter-religious marriages. So, get your bible out, and because of the lack of space, I am only going to give you the verses and a little commentary about it so that you see what I am thinking about when I read that particular verse: In the Old Testament (the Hebrew Scriptures), the prohibition against inter-religious marriages is strong because the Hebrew people of that time (and some even now) see that inter-religious marriages endangers the Jewish faith of the one who is in such a relationship: EXODUS 34:16: God forbids inter-religious marriages because He didn't want their sons and daughters to be tempted to follow another religion that worships false gods. God knew that sometimes, the believing party in the marriage would be tempted to go to the false religion to maintain marital unity, thereby forsaking God Himself. DEUTERONOMY 7:1-4: God is concerned about bringing other false religions into Israel in this prohibition against inter-religious marriages. EZRA 10:2-3: All inter-religious marriages were dissolved in this interesting but strange situation. For the nation of Israel, religious unity was more important to Israel. NEHEMIAH 13:25-27: The prophet Nehemiah talks about the destruction that inter-religious marriages had done to Israel and the faith in one true God. MALACHI 2:11: The prophet Malachi uses the image of inter-religious marriages to describe the faithlessness of the people of Israel. In the New Testament (the Christian Scriptures), Saint Paul writes clearly about his dislike of inter-religious marriages in regards to belief in Jesus as Lord and Savior. I CORINTHIANS 7:39: If a man or woman loses a spouse in death, they can marry again but only in the Lord. 2
CORINTHIANS 6:14-15:
Saint Paul advising his congregants to marry only fellow Christians. But even though Saint
Paul strongly advises against inter-religious marriages, at the same time, in I
CORINTHIANS 7:12-14, he does not condone divorce of inter-religious marriages because as
Saint Paul says it, For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through
his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband.
Otherwise, your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.
Father Kevin: ________________________________________________ Hi Valerie: The only sins that we are required to confess are serious or “mortal” sins. Every Blessing, - Father Kevin
Father Kevin: If there's a God, then why are there ugly, disfigured, and mentally challenged people born? Evolution and biology explain it simply, but why not religion? - Carlos ____________________________________________ Dear Carlos: Thanks for your question. One of the Psalms poses the rhetorical question: “Who has known the mind of God?” Our faith teaches us that everyone is loved by God without exception. We are all given crosses to bear. This certainly applies for people who are born disfigured or disabled and for their families. These crosses can be the source of great and heroic love. Many people who are disabled or disfigured have made and still make remarkable contributions to our society. They also remind us that each of us is made in God’s image and therefore each of us has ultimate value. In a world we people measure their value by their productivity, wealth, beauty, people with disabilities pull us up short and remind us that there is more to life than these passing things. We are
all wounded in some fashion. Jean Vanier who founded the l'Arche communities around the
world once said “Some of us are disabled and the rest of us have heart trouble!”
Father Kevin: _____________________________________________ Hi J: Professional wrestling is an entertainment and I see no moral issue with someone enjoying it. Wrestling itself is an ancient sport dating back at least to the early Greeks, though I doubt Jesus ever got to see a match, so we don’t have any indication of what He thought of it. The performers are certainly very athletic, and also quite manic as they provide a high energy spectacle. There is a note of violent intent in just about everything they say and do which makes one wonder what good it does to those watching and how they might carry these sentiments home to their wives, husbands and children. A good symphony might
provide a more peaceful and healing entertainment in an otherwise violent world!
Every blessing, - Father Kevin
Father Bill: Dear Sean: Let me begin by noting that you are correct: God is everywhere (omnipresent). However, we have to be careful as to how we understand that. We Christians are not pantheists. In saying that God is everywhere, we do not mean that everything is God. What we mean is that God is not located in some specific place; we mean that God has no limits. Since we Christians believe in one God who is a Trinity of persons—Father, Son and Holy Spirit, it follows that the omnipresence of this Triune God obviously includes the Holy Spirit. Now here's something
to consider: I'm quite sure that God's omnipresence has nothing to do with what you and
your Christian friend have been talking about. Your discussion is more about God's
creation and redemption of human beings. Simply put, God created all that is, and he loves
all that he has created. We see it in one of the creation stories in the Book of Genesis:
“God saw that it was good.” God loves every human he has created, and he wills
all people to be saved. God did not create anyone to go to hell. That decision is not
God's; it is ours. I hope that this helps to clarify the discussion between you and your friend, although I suspect that your friend and I may have different understandings of the role of the Holy Spirit. Thank you for your question, Sean, and may God bless you. - Father Bill
Father Bill: _____________________________________________ This is a great question! I'm glad you asked it. I just finished reading a book titled “The Pope's Jews” by Gordon Thomas. It is about the plight of the Jews who lived in Rome during World War II and how Pope Pius XII and those around him worked to hide Jews during the Nazi occupation of Rome. Putting it simply: many lies were told, many deceptions were employed for the sake of saving innocent lives. The answer to your question, then, is “Yes”. There are indeed times when it is appropriate to lie. However, I'm not sure that the standard you suggest—if it is the lesser of two evils—is really the best by which to determine when it is appropriate to lie. I think that standard is too easily misunderstood and too easily abused. For example, let's say that a group of teenagers gets rowdy and eggs someone's house. A couple of them get caught, but the rest get away. One of the parents suspects that his son was one of them, so he asks the lad if he was. The boy knows that the consequences will be severe if he admits it. He perceives that lying about it is the lesser of two evils, so he denies that he was with those guys who did the egging. Now, you and I may realize right away that, in this case, telling the truth is really the lesser of two evils; but that is not how it appears to the boy. I think we need a better standard. You already suggest one standard that usually passes the test: saving innocent lives. What mother would not lie to save her children? Still … think about that for a moment. What if the question is, “Are you a Christian?” She is told that, if she is, she and her children will be killed. Does she stand up for her faith in Jesus Christ and accept death for herself and her children? Or does she lie? Many martyrs have died for the truth. Could you? Could I? Is it required? What about the so-called “white lie”? I use these a lot; you probably do too. A friend of yours gets a new hairdo. You think it looks awful on her. She says, “How do you like my new hairdo?” Personally, I think that last thing you do is tell someone that they look terrible! Perhaps, when it comes to white lies, the Golden Rule applies: treat others the way you would like to be treated yourself. Would you agree that the answer to your question is perhaps more complicated than it may first appear? I really cannot think of a clear, simple, all-inclusive standard by which to decide when it is permissible to lie and when it is not. Perhaps the answer may lie in the word “integrity”. For Pius XII and others who helped save so many of the Jews of Rome, their lies and deceptions highlighted their integrity. The teen who lies to avoid consequences of a bad decision violates his integrity. The mother who holds true to her faith even in the face of death maintains her integrity. So does the person who tells a white lie in order to be kind rather than hurtful. Yes, there are times when it is permissible to lie. It's just that it is not always so simple to know when it is and when it is not. God bless you, Ben, and thanks for your question. - Father Bill
Father Bill: ______________________________________________ Dear Samantha, Thank you for writing. I can't tell you how much I admire you for taking an active role in your daughter's faith life. You are truly a fine Christian mother. My suggestion would be that you should encourage your daughter to start Confirmation preparation classes next year. If she has questions and doubts about her faith, these may well be resolved during the preparation period. If this is what she wants to do, there is certainly nothing hypocritical about taking the classes. If she has serious doubts about the Catholic Church when it comes time for Confirmation, then a decision could be made at that time as to whether she should receive the sacrament. But take the classes first. I also think it's best for Catholics—and non-Catholics, for that matter—to not get lost in some of the theological-philosophical-churchy words that are sometimes used to explain certain teachings. “Transubstantiation” is a word that is best left for theologians and philosophers. I would simply ask your daughter whether she believes that Jesus Christ is truly, really present in the consecrated bread and wine of the Eucharist. This is what Catholic believe: that Jesus, the Word made flesh, gives himself completely to us in the sacrament of the Eucharist, where he is truly present—body, blood, soul and divinity—under the appearances of bread and wine. If she believes that, then she believes what the Church teaches. May God bless you and your family. - Father Bill
Dear Fathers: _________________________________________________ Debra: We are sorry to hear that you are seriously ill. Please know that our prayers go out to you. The answer to your question is simple: yes, you can be baptized right now. Call the priest in the parish church that is near you. Explain your medical situation and that you want to be baptized. He will baptize, confirm, and give your Holy Communion as soon as it is possible. I don't know why you say that you can't receive an annulment, and you don't say what your marital status is. The priest may ask you about that, but your medical condition "trumps" all questions. Yes, you will be baptized either by the priest or deacon of your parish church. Do not be afraid to call. Or, you may ask one of your Catholic friends to help you get in touch with a priest or deacon. You will be baptized just by the asking because of your medical condition. May the Lord bless you and, if it is His will, to lay a healing hand on you and give you the peace you desire in Jesus Christ. Welcome to the Catholic faith community - The CatholicView Priest Staff
CatholicView Priest Staff: __________________________________________________
John:
The love of Christ is
procreative as well as unitive. The Father in heaven is constantly bringing life through
Jesus His Son by the power of the Holy Spirit. Yet, there are sacramental marriages that
cannot fulfill the procreative end because of physical, medical, physiological reasons. In
this case in which a married couple cannot "procreate," other options to bring
the creative love of God into reality are considered. Such couples adopt children, others
bring the love of Christ into the world through their actions and activities for others.
From your question, your decision not to have children seems at the surface selfish,
considering that your careers in education was more important than expressing your
creative love into having your own children.
Dear Father:
I am a divorced Catholic and in great turmoil. I
married at 20, I knew my grandmother wanted me out off the _____________________________________________
You certainly have had a difficult and
challenging life, but you made it through and you overcame great problems because of your
faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior.
Priest Staff: ____________________________________________
Dear Kathleen:
I know that such decisions such as tubal ligation are made because of various personal reasons that were overwhelming at the time the decision was made. But that was an act in the past, a one time act that could be considered sinful. But this one act is past now. The person who had this procedure has to move on. Yes, a sacramental marriage can be contracted in the Church even though the procreative end of marriage cannot be fulfilled. There are many sacramental marriages that cannot fulfill the procreative end of marriage because of many reasons, such as medical, physical, or varied other causes. Yet, their marriages are truly sacramental in that their marriage truly represents the love of Christ for His Church. A tubal ligation is one act, not a constant mortal sin act. It happened in the past. Once confessed in the sacrament of penance, it is forgiven. Questions abound, though. Could this person reverse this tubal ligation? If the person could, would she? The Church would probably ask that person to look into that. Otherwise, such a person can contract a sacramental marriage in the Church. God bless. - CatholicView Priest Staff
__________________________________________
Brittany: "Can Omniscient
God, who knows the future, find
Father:: ____________________________________________
Nikki:
Dear Father:
I am happy to share with you what I use to prepare for my Masses in my parish. I use the Paulist books on the Liturgy to help me plan and preach the Word of God with some competence. The title is: THE PAULIST LITURGICAL PLANNING GUIDES. There are three separate volumes coinciding with the liturgical year cycles, A, B, and C. Here is the link (and look at the bottom of the page for the series of books on liturgical planning, cycles A, B, and C): http://www.paulistpress.com/Products/CategoryCenter/LIPL/liturgical-planning.aspx . I know you will be pleased with his wonderful concise resource. By the way, all of the Paulist publications are truly treasures of faith! - CatholicView Priest Staff
CATHOLICVIEW STAFF
CatholicView Staff
I have a Catholic faith but haven't been confirmed, absolved or given the Eucharist because my parents aren't Catholic. How do I go about joining? - Yohance
___________________________________________ Yohance:
First, you must make an appointment with your local parish church to speak to a priest. If you have been baptized bring your baptismal certificate with you. After reading the certificate he will then arrange for you to attend RCIA classes (Rite Of Christian Initiation of Adults). It is a process through which interested adults and older children are gradually introduced to the Roman Catholic Faith and way of life. Children who were not baptized as infants are also initiated through an adapted process of this rite.
After completion of the classes, a date will be set for your confirmation if you have already been baptized. If you have not been baptized, this will be arranged also. We welcome you to our church and our church family. May the Lord strengthen and bless you. - CatholicView Staff
CatholicView Staff:
I recently became engaged and my fiancé is not Catholic and
neither of us wants to have a Catholic wedding. I was raised in the church but
I no longer practice. My father said because the wedding is not going to be in Catholic
Church he cannot attend, is there anyway for him to be able to come to my wedding? - Kasey
Ask your father to speak to his parish priest
about this matter. Perhaps another point of view coming from his priest may make a
difference.
CatholicView Staff:
CatholicView Staff:
_______________________________________________
Jennifer:
CatholicView Staff:
A church I was attending confused me on how to pray to God and Jesus. They said pray to God and say through Jesus they pray to God then prayed to Jesus stop and prayed to God again this has confused me. My question is how do I pray and talk to God and Jesus again? Thank you. - Wayne
____________________________________________ Dear Wayne:
The Bible teaches that it is God the Father whom we direct our prayers to, but Jesus Christ is our intercessor Who gives us direct access to the Father by using His Name when we pray. And because Jesus is our Savior, we pray also to Him. Because Jesus paid the price for our sins this gives us the right to come before God using His Son's name.
Jesus tells us in
John 14:13-14 "And
I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
You may ask me for anything in My name, and I will do
it." Jesus is our advocate, the precious link to our Heavenly Father.
And so, when we pray to God, we end the prayer by saying, "We ask this through the
name of Jesus Christ, Your Son"
CatholicView:
My brother suffers from paranoia, but he is also doing a wonderful job as the full time caregiver for my dad who is completely incapacitated. He is not able to be at mass at this time due to the obligations that come with being a caregiver of this magnitude. He lives with my parents, my mom being unable to help him in most any way as she suffers from depression and anxiety. He is not very happy with God at this time because of all the suffering he witnesses and deals with daily. I am thinking that the best prayer for him is to ask God to sustain him during this time in ways that only God knows are best. Is this correct, or should I be praying that he goes to confession, the mass and receives the Eucharist? I believe God knows his heart and also his inability to see things as they truly are, do to his affliction. Thank you so much for your answer. - Katherine
___________________________________________
Katherine:
What a beautiful, thoughtful, and giving family you both are. I know the Lord is most pleased with you. I am so sorry that your brother is suffering paranoia, which is a tendency on the part of an individual to have an irrational suspiciousness and distrustfulness of others. And so, it is doubly wonderful that your brother is a kind and helpful way to his father. God is well pleased that he cares for his parents. Yes, please pray for your brother. Ask God to open your brother's heart and bring forth his faith once more. Ask God to give him strength and courage to find peace and comfort as he cares for your father and your mother's suffering. God already knows what you want to say but waits to hear from you.
Here is a prayer that may be helpful or say whatever is in your heart:
Dear God, I come before you asking Your Divine Mercy on my brother who is suffering from paranoia. He has been so good to give of his time helping our father who is incapacitated. Although his faith has faltered, please let him know how much You love him. Let him know, through the Holy Spirit, that he is doing the right things for his family. Touch his heart, dear Father. Take away his doubts and fears and lead him back to You. Fill him with Your grace and strengthen him, give him courage as he cares for his family. I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, Your Son and my Lord. - AMEN!
Go forth, Katherine, the Lord is on your side. He will always be there to help you. Just keep believing through faith that He is willing and able to help your brother. - CatholicView Staff
CatholicView Staff:
I am a 63 man raised a Catholic. It has been 50 yrs since I went to mass or confession. What do I need to do to return and do confession? - Robert
________________________________________________
Dear Robert:
Yes, it is true that the Lord has carried you a long way. You have been very blessed. Come home, Robert. We want to welcome you back to the folds of our Church family.
Please call the Parish Office closest to you and make an appointment to see the priest there. He will talk to you about returning to the Church and will make arrangements for you to attend RCIA classes, which is Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults to bring you up to date on Catholic protocol.
I am very pleased to know that you will renew your faith. May the Lord bless and strengthen you as you make your way to your Church home. Welcome back! - CatholicView Staff
CatholicView Staff:
Can I baptize my son more than once with different godparents? - Jose
There is only one baptism necessary for the forgiveness of sins. Secondly, you cannot have a second set of godparents. The first godparents are documented as godparents by the Church and this can never be changed.
You can have two Godparents from that first baptism; one of each sex. This is canon law, and is not negotiable. The selection of the sponsor should be solely focused on the soul and faith life of the child to be sponsored.
Here are the relevant canons:
Can. 873 There is to be only one male sponsor or one female sponsor or one of each.
§2. A baptized person who belongs to a non-Catholic ecclesial community is not to participate except together with a Catholic sponsor and then only as a witness of the baptism.
One can, at the baptism, have witnesses. These are people who can "substitute" should the godparents be unable to help the godchild in the faith. - http://forums.catholic.com/showthread.php?t=372413
Keep in mind, however, that you can only have one baptism for your child, so choose the godparents carefully. God bless you. - CatholicView Staff
____________________________________________
Anne:
Read about Leah Darrow who offers her own story of sin and redemption as a case study in how damaging the current culture can be to women in her DVD "From Top Model to Role Model": http://shop.catholic.com/from-top-model-to-role-model.html
Here are some excerpts: "Launching her career as a cast member of the TV reality show America’s Next Top Model, Leah plunged headfirst into the modeling business. She can give you a behind the scenes look at the high-pressure world of high fashion in a way only someone who has “been there” can.
Today, recovering from that ordeal and having returned to the Catholic Church of her childhood, Leah speaks to young people, in particular young women, about the importance of maintaining their dignity and their relationship with God.
Using humor and heartfelt stories from her own life, Leah shares with young people the facts about: the false promises of Hollywood, high fashion, and celebrity culture, how modesty, purity, and true love are connected, why it’s important to define your worth not by the world’s standards, but by God’s, the role that parents play as (sometimes) secret allies, how a person’s outward image reflects the interior state, and how prayer affects both, why offering virginity outside of marriage as a sign of “true” love is a mistake, why celebrating womanhood through fashion makes no sense, and why immodesty cheapens womanhood. From America’s Next Top Model to Catholic speaker, Leah Darrow’s journey in faith has been a battle at times. Even in the years prior to her reality-TV fame, her Catholic faith took a backseat role. That all changed during one special photo shoot in which God allowed her to see her soul in its current state. This extraordinary and supernatural grace gave her the courage to change every aspect of her life: her friends, her beliefs, her clothes, and her opinion of the world and herself.
If you move forward in the fashion field, the most important thing to remember is that you are a child of God. We wish you the best. May the Lord bless you always. - CatholicView Staff
CatholicView Staff: My aunt was a Catholic but was living with a Non-Catholic at the time of her recent death (March 2013). How does God view that and is there any hope for her? - Val
Dear Val:
There is always hope because we do not know what her last moments were with the Lord. As human beings we are flawed and imperfect. But God can see beyond this. We must hope that she asked the Lord to forgive her for her transgressions in those final moments. Let's trust in this. Go in peace knowing that God reads the heart of us all and can see beyond what we can see. - CatholicView Staff
CatholicView Staff:
My colleague, a practicing Catholic, has told me that the Church does not baptize children of unwed mothers. I told her I didn't believe that to be true. Can you please tell me the Church's position on this? Thank you. - Daniel
________________________________________________
Daniel:
The Church believes that a baby is innocent and has the right to be baptized. This should not be denied. However, in baptizing the baby, the mother must take the responsibility of rearing the child in the Catholic faith.
Pope Francis just this past week gave an
answer on this subject. At his private Mass in the chapel at his residence Saturday,
Pope Francis commented on the Gospel of Mark where Christ rebukes the disciples for
preventing the little children from coming to Him. (Mark 10: 13-16)
Daniel, there you have it! Our Pope has spoken! Peace! - CatholicView Staff
TO
READ PAST ISSUES OF QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
:
|
