 FATHER ARTHUR CARRILLO, C.P. FATHER WILLIAM G. MENZEL CATHOLICVIEW STAFF ------------------------------------------------------------------ FATHER ARTHUR CARRILLO, C.P. ”What happens to the person who ruins someone’s life?” - Carmine Father Arthur:
Dear Carmine, The first biblical text that came to my mind when I
read your question was the statement of Jesus with regard to the innocence of children. "Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me. Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea." (Mt 18:4-6) Jesus certainly considered leading an innocent someone into sin as a grievous offense, to be punished by a most severe penalty. Traditional Roman Catholic moral theology has spoken of the destruction of
a person's reputation as serious matter, the basis for a mortal sin. This was because a person's good name makes
possible the trust of an employer, and the friendship of his acquaintances. To lack a good name is to be ostracized from the
community of descent citizens. There are other ways, of course, to ruin another
person's life—homicide certainly destroys a person's life. But today we see many lives ruined by drugs,
alcohol, and sexual excess. In as much as
persons might be victimized by others in order to introduce them to these excesses
(prostitution, sexual abuse) those who orchestrate these betrayals are certainly guilty of
ruining someone's life. We also know that one can destroy his/her own
lives. A person who engages in reckless
behavior for “kicks”, or who flees from his or her struggles into the excess of
alcohol or drug use, is probably going to ruin his own or her own life. Any of these behaviors, when undertaken in order to
destroy another's or one's own life are likely mortal sins, and subject to the gravest
moral penalties. I
don't want to lead you down through a chain of biblical passages about sin and punishment,
I would rather make clear that the New Testament clearly joins the sin to the punishment. That is, it is in the nature of evil deeds that
they bring their punishment with them. In St. Peter's second letter we read: "They
will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to
carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while
they feast with you." (2Peter 2:13). God
does not arbitrarily assign punishments for sins. It
is precisely because sin is an offense against the proper order of God's creation that the
punishment for sin comes with the commission of the offense. In that light, those who destroy another's life
have put their own lives at risk. When Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus, and did not
seek reconciliation with Jesus, he was left with few options, and ultimately chose to take
his own life. When St Peter betrayed Jesus,
he responded to Jesus' offer of forgiveness, and saved his life for a lengthy service to
the Church, and the eventual crown of martyrdom. The lesson we can learn is that no matter how serious the offense we have committed seems, Jesus always extends His offer of forgiveness and reconciliation; if we accept Jesus' pardon, we can continue to serve the Church and grow in holiness. Hope this helps. - Fr. Arthur Greetings, Father Arthur: I am a catechist at a Catholic parish and am trying
to find out if there is any policy impeding a 15 yr. old pregnant teen from receiving the
Sacrament of Confirmation. This girl has been in the preparation program for two
years, but recently told us (myself, DRE, and pastor) that she is pregnant, and she is
beginning to show. She lives with her mother and is planning to have the baby. After
speaking with the girl, she states that she knows what she did was wrong, is sorry, and
wants to be confirmed. She is still in a dating relationship with the father. Is there any
diocesan policy regarding an issue like this? The DRE is leaning toward having her finish
the classes and wait until next year to be confirmed. I am basically just looking for some
information. I am sorry for troubling you, but I was unsure where else to get this
information. Please forward it on to the appropriate person if need be. Thank you so much
for your time. Peace. - Scott _______________________________________ Dear Scott, Thank you for your letter, but more, thank you for your ministry in your parish. Our Catholic families need the help that dedicated DRE's can give through the parish. Actually, I was once a DRE early in my priesthood, and found it a stimulating and challenging ministry to teens. Your question reminds me of King Solomon's Dilemma, as related in 1Kings 3:16-28. As you recall, there was a baby at the focal point of that dilemma (no reference intended to the contesting mothers). The solution that King Solomon applied to the competing claims for the child was based on the innate love of a mother for her child, which would never accept that any harm should be done to the child. So, even though the question is about the mother's receiving the sacrament of Confirmation, we should not loose sight of the child who brings this question into relevance. Whatever answer is decided on, the present and future well being of the baby should be one of the bases of the mother's and her family's choice. This means that the relationship that brought the baby to life should be examined. How old is the father of the baby? What kind of support will they have from their respective families? Is keeping the child a good choice in the light of the age of the mother or the support of their families? Is the good of the baby clearly in consideration? Secondly, a hierarchy of authority establishes policies for the reception of the sacraments. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops may set norms for the nation. Any bishop is free to set alternate policies in his diocese. Many times the pastor is the one who makes the "here and now" decision with regard to the application of diocesan policies, although there is usually room for appeal. You can be sure that if the decision made at the parish level does not please one of the interested parties, there is likely to be a "letter to the bishop". Let me tell you what I see to be the factors that would lead to a decision in this matter: One: the effect of Confirmation is to endow the recipient with the divine grace needed to be an "adult witness" to the faith. In the words of Canon 879 (Code of Canon Law), "strengthens the baptized and obliges them more firmly to be witnesses of Christ by word and deed." Does the way that the young mother is handling her situation a witness of Christ by word and deed? Is her continuing her relationship with the baby's father a form of Christian witness? If she is not able to care properly for the child, is her keeping her child (as opposed to adoption) likely to promote the appropriate development of the child? Two: The Code of Canon Law (Canon 889, paragraph 2) describes the suitable confirmation candidate, “a person...suitably instructed, properly disposed and able to renew the baptismal promises.” This is a condition that can be fairly applied to any Confirmation candidate. Is the young girl in this question ready to renew her baptismal promises? Your question is essentially whether there is a diocesan policy that would shed light on your question, and you’re offered alternative—that she be confirmed next year. I don't know whether you have such a policy. Your pastor should have the answer to that question; or you could call the Diocesan Director of Religious Education. As a practical expedient, why don't you have the young girl and her mother both write a formal request to their pastor asking for the young girl to be confirmed, and their reasons why they believe she is “suitably instructed, properly disposed and able to renew her baptismal promises”? Hope this helps you. - Fr. Arthur
Father Arthur: _____________________________ Dear Janet, It's Lent, and the pastoral services (Penance Services, Days of Recollection, Retreats) have kept me away from the desk. I really wanted to get to your question because it is one of the "hot topics" in the news now that President Obama is expected to ok stem cell research from destroyed fetuses. I also wanted to do some more research on the background to your question because of its importance. Perhaps I should come back to this question after I have been at home for a few days. Right now I'm preaching Lenten Missions in various parishes. There are a few clarifications that I would like to offer, especially in the light of your very important work as a research scientist. First of all, the "seven deadly sins" of Christian tradition are not necessarily mortal sins; and they were originally called the "capital sins" by the Church Fathers because they were the "head" or "source" of other sins (Latin "caput" = "head"). They were not necessarily "mortal sins" because we know that for one to be culpable of a mortal sin, one must intend the serious offense against God's law, and act on that intention after sufficient reflection. These conditions are not always met, and therefore, the acts are not attributable to a person as moral sins. Secondly, I have read some of the latest pastoral statements from the Vatican (but not always from the Holy Father) regarding genetic manipulation, and I see that the fundamental concern seems to be the avoidance of attempts at human cloning. The kinds of questions that would arise would tax many of our moral foundations. E.g., would a cloned replica of a human person be anything other than an extension of that person’s somatotype. Would the cloned tissue have a soul? Would the cloned tissue have the same rights as the person from which it was derived? What would be the relationship of cloned tissue to any other neoplasm? Would we be asking these questions if it were not for the scientific research being done today on cells at all levels of living organisms? If I may back up a bit..one of the reasons that cellular-level research is of concern to the Catholic Church (and others) is because of the means of procurement of the human cells to be submitted to study. Because the stem-cell research particularly depends on the existence of human embryos, there is an incentive to over-produce the number of embryos which will be used for implantation in fertility clinics. Discarded embryos are the source of much of the research material. Clearly, the Catholic Church is opposed to the production of human embryos so that they may be destroyed for some of their cellular matter. More specifically, your work does not seem to involve the production of human embryos for research and destruction; your work may lead to the alleviation or cure of brain cancer. I think there are some substantial goods that your work is reaching for. I would liken your research to the search for vaccines, acknowledging that it must have seemed immoral to infect a person with a disease material and hoping that the result would be a greater good. While I acknowledge that your work will, by its very nature, be subject to the scrutiny of those who want the Church to speak loudly against the degrading of human life, it does not appear to me that your limited scope of research lessens regard for human life, nor does it move in the direction of human cloning or the stocking of body parts against the day they may be available for transplant. I encourage you to bring a moral sensitivity into your laboratory, and to continue to work for the better treatments against cancer. - Father Arthur
Father Arthur: _________________________________
Dear Tony, I am afraid that your question has been awaiting an answer for too long. Please accept my apology. Your question is the kind of dilemma that
often arises in the workplace. Modern technology has gotten ahead of our moral
"playbook". I face your question rather regularly in the copying of VHS
tapes to DVD. Since VHS tapes are reaching the end of their lifespan in the
marketplace, and are also by their very nature, deteriorating even while on the shelf, is
it moral to make a copy to DVD so that one may continue to enjoy one's property over a
longer period of time? Many VHS tapes explicitly prohibit their being copied In your case, the incentive to violate
copyright comes from the teacher to whom you are accountable for copying services.
It could be said that the teacher is t he one who is morally responsible for the
illegal copying of copyrighted material. Unfortunately, that would mean that you
were "only following orders", which is a detestable defense, as our military
history has shown us. I think that your responsibility, when you perceive that the
copying of copyrighted material is more than incidental, but essentially the "modus
operandi" of a school, is to raise the question to the policy-making authority of the
school. You have every right to ask that a policy be clearly enunciated by which
copyrighted material will be subject to copy. If that policy does not satisfy your
conscience then you should leave the school's employ. If the policy does satisfy
your conscience, then you will have a clear guideline by which to refuse to copy material
that comes under the policy.
Father Bill: My son is engaged to a woman of the Jewish faith. Supposedly a Rabbi and a Catholic priest will be in the ceremony. Is this possible? Can this be a marriage in the eyes of God? (I would think so, since the Jews are God's chosen people, and the Christian is of the New Covenant under Christ (God).)? Could we, as Catholics, attend such a wedding? - Michael _______________________________________ Dear Michael: How wonderful that your son has found a good woman with whom to share his life! I pray that God will bless their marriage and that your life, too, will be enriched as your son brings his wife into your family circle. As far as your questions are concerned, let me first say that the Church’s rules about marriage begin with a simple principle: a Catholic who is free to marry may validly marry any person of the opposite sex (I guess we have to say that these days!) who also is free to marry. “Free to marry” means that one has not been married before or that any previous marriages have been declared null by the Church. Still, for a Catholic to contract a valid marriage in the eyes of the Church, it is necessary that some other Church procedures be followed. For example, when a Catholic marries someone of another faith, the Catholic party must promise to remain a faithful Catholic and to do what is reasonably possible to see that any children born of the marriage are baptized and raised as Catholics. Likewise, if the Catholic is marrying someone who is not Catholic but is validly baptized, then it is required that the bishop’s permission be granted for the wedding. This is routinely granted, and is taken care of by the person who is helping the couple, usually a priest or deacon. Frankly, I doubt that most couples are even aware that this is happening. If the Catholic is marrying someone who is not baptized (for example, a Jew, a Moslem or a
Hindu) or not considered validly baptized (like a Mormon), then a dispensation must be
granted by the bishop. This usually is a dispensation from disparity of cult. This, too, is routinely granted.
Because he is marrying a Jewish woman, your son will have received this dispensation, but
he probably won’t even realize it. So, yes, assuming that all the above has been handled correctly, your Catholic son may marry a Jewish woman, the marriage will be recognized by the Church, and both a priest and rabbi could participate in the ceremony. And, yes, you as Catholics may certainly attend such a wedding. Since the bride is not baptized, a Nuptial Mass is not permitted, but the service without Mass is still graced with God’s presence through the word of Scripture. There is one last point to make here. A valid Catholic marriage is not always a sacramental marriage. Again assuming that all the correct procedures have been followed, a Catholic entering marriage with someone who is not baptized would enter a valid marriage, but it would not be a sacramental marriage. Another way of saying this is that for the marriage to be a sacrament, both parties must be validly baptized. They don’t have to both be Catholic, but they must both be validly baptized. Simply put, then, since your son and his
fiancé have followed the Church’s procedures as they prepared for their wedding,
theirs will be a valid marriage, but it will not be a sacramental marriage. Is that bad?
No, because God’s grace works in many ways. When people love each other, God’s
grace abounds and transcends the barriers, limits and boundaries that are imposed by
differences of race, culture, ethnicity, nationality or religion. – Father Bill Father Bill: My wife walked out on my sons and I to be with an old flame. I pray everyday for her return. We do love her very much. I have been told that if it is God’s will it will be done. I can understand this. What I do not understand is that God does the best for each of us, so does that mean that God is saying that her walking out and being with another is better than being with her family? I am confused about this. Is God giving her a better life and saying its ok and she deserves a better life with him? - Rich _______________________________ Dear Rich: Your questions and concerns are heartfelt, but I feel that I have to be careful in trying to give some answers. My caution is based on the fact that I’m only hearing “your side of the story”—and not very much of that, either. I’m sorry for what you and your sons are going through, but I really have no idea what your wife has been going through. I’ve been a priest for almost 42 years, and during that time I have had occasion to deal with situations very similar to yours on almost a yearly basis. I find that I can break those situations down into two broad scenarios. The first scenario is where a spouse, with little or no warning, walks out of a marriage, usually after having entered a secret, adulterous relationship that may have been going on for some time. In this scenario, the adulterous spouse, when questioned, usually answers something like, “I just have no feeling for you any more, and I have no interest in trying to make this marriage work.” The second scenario is when a spouse walks out of a marriage after having given many signs that something was seriously wrong. These signs were missed or ignored by the other spouse, or, if marriage counseling was done, neither spouse made any real effort to change. After drifting apart emotionally, often for years, one of them just gives up and walks—sometimes into the arms of an old flame. As I noted, these are broad scenarios, and individual circumstances may vary significantly from them. The reason I describe these scenarios, though, is that in answering your questions I kind of have to guess which one of them is closest to what you’ve been going through. I’m going to guess that it is the first, and I will base my answer on that assumption—that your wife walked out indicating that she has no feeling for you any more and no interest in trying to make the marriage work. The fact that you are praying for your wife and that you still love her very much says a lot about you—that you are a man of faith and that you can love even in the face of betrayal. You also are hurting deep inside, and who could blame you? It appears that at this point there is not a lot you can do except to wait things out and see if your wife changes her mind. The prophet Hosea had an unfaithful wife. He did a lot of waiting, too. You could read his story, if you’re so inclined; it’s right there in the Old Testament. What is God’s role and God’s will in all of this? Well, Rich, I’ll be blunt. I’m not one who believes that God micromanages the universe, and I certainly don’t believe that God messes with human free will. If that were God’s modus operandi, then he sure hasn’t done a very good job of it! To say, as you do, that “God does the best for each of us” is opening the door to a lot of misunderstanding. I am far more comfortable saying, “God has done much for each of us”. He has given us life and faith and the ability to love. Having been given those gifts, the rest is pretty much up to us. God does not interfere. So, in my opinion, God is not saying that your wife’s walking out on you and your sons and being with another man is better than being with her family. Your wife is the one saying that, at least by her actions, but God certainly is not saying that. In fact, it is far more likely that God is weeping with you. He loves you. He loves your sons. He loves your wife. He does not rejoice in the tragedy of your broken marriage. So keep on praying, Rich. Pray for yourself. Pray for your sons. And, yes, pray for your wife. God may not interfere with human free will, so your prayers may not be answered exactly as you want them. But they will be heard, and they will be answered. – Father Bill
CatholicView Staff: __________________________________________ Sharon: Good question. Anyone can receive ashes whether they are Catholic or not. Ashes are a sacramental, not a sacrament, and so non-Catholics can use them as an aid in devotion to God and as a reminder of our brief lives here on earth. Non-Catholics are welcomed at this time to attend mass and to learn more about God and our Savior. Please remember in
the future, all invalid e-mail addresses will void the request for answers. May the Lord bless you. – CatholicView Staff
CatholicView Staff: ___________________________ Thank
you for your question. If it were a heroic
act of saving a life, without trying to purposely commit suicide, I am sure God would see
this as extreme human kindness and sacrifice.
As the gospel says and as Jesus did on the cross for us, “There
is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” But if
you would be using such an act as a means to suicide for yourself, then this becomes a
serious matter, something only God could make a judgment upon. Suicide is the ultimate sin, the ultimate
break with God's life and love. One's life is the property of God and to destroy
that life is to wrongly assert dominion over what belongs to God and God alone. Sadly, people who commit suicide are usually
under tremendous mental stress and are not in a normal state of being. In this case, God, Who knows the heart of each of
us, is the final judge in this matter. – CatholicView Staff
CatholicView Staff: _________________________________ Margaret: Interesting question. There are actually several types of Penance
Services the Catholic Church approve, four in fact, and all specify individual confession
except in an emergency situation. Obviously
the commonly used one is individual confession where the penitent either enters the
confessional booth or has a face-to-face confession.
I believe you may be referring to the second type of penance service called
general absolution. However, the bishop
has to authorize its use. This type of communal confession is rarely used and it is called
upon only in extraordinary circumstances. It
is a general absolution given only when the number of penitents is large in numbers and
the danger of death is great, or a large number of penitents cannot wait for private
individual confession because of unusual circumstances such as natural disasters, wartime
conditions, and other calamities. This
general absolution is given during a crisis, and the penitents are given absolution as a
group without confessing their individual sins to a priest, with the understanding that
they will go to individual confession at the earliest opportunity. The priest always says the words of absolution
individually to the penitent. A person who participates in only the communal parts of the
service has not been to confession except as stated above.
Please use this link to see other types of Penance services: http://www.stjohnsphilly.com/faq/faq9.html. Hope this helps you. – CatholicView Staff
CatholicView Staff: _______________________
Dear
Don: I am so
sorry for all the sad things that have happened to you in this imperfect world. I am also concerned
that you say that there is no God.
Please remember that the God created the saints and angels that you
believe in. In order to become a saint, one
has to believe in God, and God created the angels for His glory. Heaven exists because God created it, and someday
I want to share in that glory. Don’t
you? This is not a perfect world. It is filled with evil and hurtful things because of Satan and people who misuse the Free Will God gives to us all. Some people use it to do evil and malicious deeds that are destructive to others.. Our only defense is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Who promises to walk with us through it all. You are loved by God. It is up to you to pray and feel His Almighty Presence in your life. I invite you to read “The Meaning of Suffering”, an article in CatholicView written by Father Jess Testa. Here is the link for this: http://catholicvu.com/FrJess.htm I think it may shed some light on what you are going through. Do not feel singled out for all the bad things for it is part of living in a world that is filled with many bad and unknown things. We have to change what we can change and the things we cannot change we hand them to Jesus Christ, for God says to us, “I will make all things right someday.” Remember, whatever you do, you are loved by God and His Son Who died for your salvation and mine. - CatholicView Staff
CatholicView Staff: ____________________________________ AM: Your mother is right. All of us are God’s children and because we are, we must love each other just as Christ does. The Catholic Church accepts everyone with love as God intends. It is only when a gay person acts out their preferences that it becomes a sin. – CatholicView Staff
CatholicView Staff: _________________________________ Sharon: I am so
sorry to hear that your mother does not respect and accept your choice of being a
Christian. And I want to applaud your
loving manner on religion tolerance. In the
case of your mother being a non- believer, it is difficult to change that person except
through prayer and showing without words what being a Christian is all about. The only thing you can do is to keep your Christian attitude in place and let her see God’s goodness and love in you. If she continues to goad, I think you should tell your mother that the subject of religion is closed. Continue to show her the respect that you have shown in the past and smile through her tirades. You are a grown woman and it is time for her to realize that you have found something wonderful by your acceptance of Jesus Christ in your life. Let her see the peace and confidence you have found through salvation. Keep on praying for your mom, asking God to open her heart to His truth. God bless you for loving and honoring your mother, even though you do not follow her beliefs. Continue to grow in the strength of Jesus Christ. – CatholicView Staff
CatholicView Staff: _______________________________________ Dear
Susan: Thank you for your question. Of course you can become a member of the Catholic
Church. As Christ welcomed all of us through
His Crucifixion, the Church welcomes you too. See
a priest and give him the particulars of your marriage such as where you were married,
etc. This will determine whether you will
need an annulment or not. Once these details
are worked out, you will then attend RCIA (The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults). These are classes for those who would like
to know more about the Roman Catholic faith and prepare you for the Sacrament of Baptism.
It is also for those who desire to be received in full communion to the Catholic Church. Welcome to our Church. We are pleased to have you become one with us. As for your marriage question, Saint Paul in I
Corinthians 7:12-16 outlines what we call the “Pauline Privilege” in which a
non-Christian who becomes a Christian (Catholic) can marry a believer if that person has
divorced the unbelieving spouse. Your
previous marriage should not be an obstacle to you in becoming a full member of the
Catholic Church. – CatholicView
Staff
CatholicView
Staff: __________________________________ Dear Ashley: Thank you for writing to CatholicView. I am pleased to know you are rooted in the
Catholic Faith. Do you attend mass on Sundays
at the Catholic Church or do you only attend the Family Harvest Church? You do not make clear whether your friend was
Catholic and is now Protestant. As a
Catholic you are required to attend your own church for service. When you attend another church service, it puts
you in danger of leaving your faith behind, and there is a risk of becoming comfortable in
the beliefs of that church. Visiting with
your friend in her place of worship once in a while is acceptable but should not become a
weekly practice. The Catholic Church does not condone this. Be an example to your friend by showing your consistency in your Catholic Faith. By frequent attendance in another denomination you are giving the impression that you are not strong within your own Church and shows a lack of respect for it. If you want to remain Catholic, you must attend mass each Sunday and give up your regular visits to your friend’s church. I would suggest you discuss this with your parish
priest. – CatholicView Staff CatholicView
Staff: _____________________________________ Karen: I am so
sorry that your previous Catholic priest treated you so badly. But all is not lost. It is possible for you and your husband to become
re-instated with the Church. Your husband can
apply for an annulment after explaining the details of his first marriage to the parish
priest. The Church recognizes the baptism of
your two children within the Episcopal Church as valid.
The priest will work out all details for you.
Congratulations and welcome back to the Church. - CatholicView Staff. CatholicView
Staff: ______________________________ Dear
Dallas: Your
Jewish friend is wrong and so is his interpretation of the passage in Isaiah 53. I have received many letters questioning the
authenticity of Jesus Christ as the true Messiah and the passage in Isaiah 53 is only one
of many passages that point to the coming of Jesus as the long awaited Messiah. Here are
some proofs: “Jesus said to them, ‘This is
what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written
about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.’” Luke 24:44 Messianic Prophecy - The Challenge Be at
peace and pray about your doubts. Keep searching and praying and you will know without a
doubt that Jesus is our Messiah as He is for everyone on this earth who accepts Him. – CatholicView Staff CatholicView Staff: What does the Catholic Church and more
importantly how does God feel about someone who reads or follows the tarot card and
horoscope craze? I say craze because I think its crazy myself! I know what God says in scripture; at least I have
researched several different translations of the Bible. Have included two of the passages
I wanted to confront my wife with but I need some advice from an outside source that
would, due to longer study then I, know more. Yes, Father I said my wife. I am concerned she is getting into something that
though to her is innocent she may damage her relationship with the Lord because of it. ________________________________ Dear Steve: Many people, especially in situations that
are uncomfortable or painful would like to know what lies ahead for them. What they fail to see is that the use of tarot
cards, fortune tellers, witchcraft, Ouija boards, palm
readers, etc. are tools of evil. As Catholic
Christians, we consider it sinful to try to foresee the future or to try to control our
future by using sorcery, witchcraft, black magic because it violates the first commandment
“"I am the Lord thy God. Thou shalt not have any gods before me". Any such activities practiced are wrong and God
forbids it. The bible tells us in Leviticus20:27 "A
man or a woman who acts as a medium or fortune-teller shall be put to death by stoning:
they have no one but themselves to blame for their death". Read Deuteronomy
18:47: “The nations you are about to displace consult sorcerers and fortune-tellers,
but the Lord your God forbids you to do such things.”
Then again, in Jeremiah 27:9,“Do not listen to your false prophets,
fortune-tellers, interpreters of dreams, mediums, and sorcerers…” In Acts 13: 8; Paul rebukes Simon Magus, a
magician, who wanted to buy the powers of the Holy Spirit to make himself more powerful. Your wife must avoid
the things that are forbidden to her as a Christian.
Please tell her that the Lord will take care of her future. She must depend
on Him to supply her needs. To use Tarot Cards or any other means or sources such as
fortune telling is wrong. To
indulge in such practices would be to associate herself with witchcraft and the occult,
and this is an abomination to God. I would advise your wife to keep away from such
evil practices. I am including a link
to a page written by Father William Saunders. “The History of Tarot Cards”. I encourage your wife to read this very informative page. http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/apologetics/ap0109.html
. God bless you and help you in your search for truth.
– CatholicView Staff CatholicView Staff: ________________________ G: I am sorry that you are facing this dilemma. I would suggest that you try to speak privately,
if possible, with your husband’s ex-wife when you meet at family gatherings. Let her know that you can never replace her but
that you love her grandchildren too and feel privileged to share in loving them. Perhaps this will help to make things better
between you. Remember, it is very difficult for ex-wife to
sometimes be kind to their replacement, especially when there are children involved, even
though there is no longer love between the ex-wife and your present husband. Remember to pray that this situation will change. God bless you in your quest for family peace. – CatholicView Staff CatholicView Staff: ______________________________ Hello
Chris: Thank
you for your question. Yes, you are right
that the Catholic Church and the Greek Orthodox Church would agree that your sexual
relationship before marriage is to be considered sinful.
During those nine years you lived together without the sacrament of
marriage, you were living in the sin of fornication and therefore you and your wife must
ask God for forgiveness. Although your
future intentions were honorable, you must make reparation for your past. I am
pleased to know that you are enjoying a good marriage.
Start fresh again with a clean heart and soul by confessing this sin
according to the rites for the Greek Orthodox Church. – CatholicView Staff.
CatholicView Staff: ___________________________ Dear Joe: I am so sorry about
the loss of your precious wife. Sadly, we do
not know when God will decide to take us home. We
instinctively want to ask “Why?” when things like this happen in our lives. Unfortunately God doesn't always provide us with
explanations this side of eternity. We have
to trust in His wisdom and His judgment. I want to suggest
that you read an article written by Father Jess Testa in a past issue of CatholicView, "THE MEANING OF SUFFERING"
http://catholicvu.com/FrJess.htm This
may be of some benefit to you in your sorrow. I will be praying
that you find peace knowing that you WILL see your wife again. Believe it and stay on God’s journey.
Keep pushing forward. Even now, the
angels in heaven are comforting your precious wife.
She is at peace with the Lord. No more
sorrow and no more pain. Someday, if you keep
your faith, your wife will stand waiting for you with a smile on her face. May you find the peace only the Lord can
give. - CatholicView Staff CatholicView Staff: _________________________________ Robert: I am sorry that you are no longer a member
of the Catholic Church. As to your question concerning sacramental records, such as
Baptism and First Communion, those sacramental records are considered LEGAL DOCUMENTS and
cannot be deleted. The Church is required by canon law as well as civil laws
(depending on the country) to safeguard these records always. Your name is recorded
in the baptismal record. But your letter was saved in a file in your parish church
that states that you are no longer a member or participant in the Church. I pray
that one day you will be reconciled to the Church. Nonetheless, I hope your faith in
God is never diminished. – CatholicView
Staff CatholicView
Staff: __________________________ Dear
Kevin: You are correct in saying “God forgives
our sins only when we are actually sorry and ask Him for forgiveness.” However, you cannot make a judgment on
whether someone is truly sorry or not when he or she asks our forgiveness for something
that happened between us. And because you are
not God, you cannot know when they apologized to you whether it was truly meant or that
they later asked God, Who is the ultimate judge, to forgive them. I would suggest that you take an apology as
honest and perhaps even costly to that person if it is offered and move on, accepting it
as true, but always being on the watch in the future.
God calls for us to forgive one another as He forgives us. But remember, forgiveness of others is more a gift
to us than to them. When we forgive, we make
the conscious decision to leave behind the past and live in the future. By forgiving your friend (no matter their own
motivation, or lack of remorse), you are able to live for today and look forward to a
bright future in God’s serene love. –
CatholicView Staff CatholicView
Staff: ______________________________ Steven: Thank you for writing to us. God is three distinct Persons and is sometimes
referred to as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The reason we refer to Jesus as the
Son is because God came down as the Son, a distinct Person.
You will notice that Jesus, as the Son of God, makes reference to this when
He calls on God as His Father, as He prays, and also when He calls out to His Father from
the cross. Each Person is separate from the
other and the Trinity is the term used to signify the central doctrine of the Christian
religion. So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the
Holy Spirit is God. But there is only one God
and one Lord. The Son of the Father was
not made or created, but begotten of the Father. The Holy Spirit is neither made or
created but proceeds from the Father. All
three distinct Persons are equal, with none greater or less than the Other. They are co-equal.
Therefore they are called the Trinity.
Hope this helps. God bless. – CatholicView Staff CatholicView Staff: Quick hello and thank for the interesting
& informative site - thank you. I actually am attending a Church of Christ at
the moment but have considered converting to Catholicism in the past. What stopped
me? My wife is a divorcee from a very bad marriage and received a tubal ligation.
That, it was made clear to me, prevented membership. And as I understand it,
if you're not a member of the Church, you're not saved. It's sad to find yourself
condemned. I realize the bible makes no provision for not knowing the specifics of
the Law but it's very frustrating and sad that I am condemned when I was never taught the
truth. How are we supposed to learn if we've never been taught? Needless to
say I am not from a Catholic family. ______________________________ Dear Stephen: Thank you for your letter. I am concerned that you believe you are condemned
because of something your wife did. You do
not state if she is Catholic and if she is, does she want to return to the Church? If she is willing, there is something she can do
about the situation of her bad marriage. As to the tubal litigation, was she having a
health problem and this was her only recourse? She needs to find a priest who will listen
and advise her on getting an annulment from her bad marriage. Then she must go to the Sacrament of
Reconciliation and confess her action in order to re-unite herself with the Church family. By repentance of her sin, she will be forgiven and
able to be reinstated once again. In the
meantime, you must speak to a priest to find out whether you will be able to take RCIA
classes in order to become a Catholic. Jesus knows your heart. He died for people just like you and just like your
wife. If we were perfect, we would not need
Christ’s salvation. Read your gospels
and learn how Christ forgave all who asked for salvation from sin. You are not thrown away, not condemned or doomed
to hell and you are not barred from being a Catholic.
You are loved and because you want to seek truth, you will find it.
CatholicView Staff:
___________________________ Dear
Gloria: I do not
know where your friend received her information. This
information is wrong. Baptism is always first as it is the basic Sacrament of
Christian initiation. Without it, one cannot
receive communion. There
are seven sacraments in the Catholic Church and I have listed them below for you. They are as follows: 1. Baptism, which the Roman Catholic Church
teaches removes original sin while infusing it with sanctifying grace. May the Lord bless you for helping your friend
gain the knowledge she needs for her son. – CatholicView Staff
CatholicView
Staff: ____________________________________ Steve: First, congratulations to you and your wife
for making the decision to have your child baptized in the Catholic Church! In the past, one of the reasons that the Church
strongly discouraged mixed marriages was precisely because the non-Catholic spouse might
reject baptism for their children. This is
not the case with you. And I am so happy that
your views are aligned with the Catholic Church’s belief in God’s word and the
recognition of Jesus Christ as our Savior. You do not specify whether you were married
in the Church. If so, the Catholic spouse
usually makes a formal promise to raise any children in the Catholic faith. This is a promise made by the Catholic spouse
only. The priest then signs a statement that
the non-Catholic person is aware of and understands the promise of the Catholic spouse and
the obligations of that promise. While
the Church is more lenient on this question today, the Catholic spouse, in this case your
wife, will want to raise the children Catholic as she promised. If you have strong feelings against this, and if
you were married in the Church, then you need to sort this matter out with her. I encourage you to go and speak to your
local Catholic priest with your wife and get his views on this subject. He will be able to advise. Many blessings to you and your upcoming baby. – CatholicView Staff
CatholicView Staff: I am divorced and going through the annulment process, as is my fiancée'. I am a cradle Catholic, and she is a recent convert. Due to recent developments regarding my 3-year-old grandson, we need to push our wedding plans forward significantly. We had planned to wait until after the annulments are completed, but I have been advised legally that I would have a much better chance of getting custody of my grandson if I were legally married. My grandson's mother, my daughter, has all kinds of problems including drug abuse, and the child would be much better off with me. Although I know it goes against church doctrine, we have decided to get married soon by a justice of the peace, and hopefully can later have our marriage blessed in the church, once annulments go through, which they should. Before I make an appointment with our parish priest and take up his time about this, I want to know if a priest can perform a marriage ceremony outside of the church. Thank you very much. - Anthony _______________________________ Dear Anthony: Thank you for writing to us. Congratulations on your upcoming marriage and on your fiancé becoming a member of the Catholic Church. As you already know, in order for a marriage to be valid in the Church, you would need to be married by a priest in the Church itself. Realizing your extenuating circumstances, I can understand that time is vitally important. I cannot advise you on marrying outside the Church, as this marriage would not be in accordance with Church teaching. If you do decide to go ahead and be married by a justice of the peace, you would civilly and legally be married but not recognized within the Church as you already know. You would also break the connection with the Church, and until you get your marriage blessed, you will not be able to receive the sacraments. I would also advise you to arrange for your parish priest to bless your marriage as soon as possible so you may receive the Sacrament of the Eucharist, and all the other sacraments that will be denied to you through your civil union. Please go and speak to your parish priest who
is very knowledgeable about such matters. Always
remember that God sees the big picture. He understands the whole and He knows your heart. He also knows that your grandson needs the love
that you want to give. May God go with you as
you make this decision. – CatholicView
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