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Category Archives: Rights of the Faithful
Bishops Interfering in Parish Ministry, Part II
Q: The bishop of [a diocese in the US] is giving an annual retreat which nearly every priest in the diocese must attend, leaving parishes without priests, daily Mass, and access to the sacraments for four days. He stated that … Continue reading
Posted in Clergy Issues, Holy Mass, Parish Life, Rights of the Faithful, Sacraments
Tagged bishop, canon law, Catholic, clergy, diocese, retreat
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Refusing a Funeral Mass to a Non-Parishioner
Q: At our parish the priest is very strict. If you aren’t registered as a parishioner, he won’t say a funeral Mass for you. However, he will let you have a funeral service with the deacon if you pay hundreds … Continue reading
Posted in Parish Life, Rights of the Faithful
Tagged canon law, Catholic, funeral, funeral Mass, parish, parishioner, registered
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Eastern Catholic Children Receiving Latin Catholic Sacraments
Q: The Syro-Malabar Eastern Catholic Church confers all sacraments of initiation [Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist] to infants. But many Syro-Malabar couples in the United States have their children baptized at their local Latin parishes—which would just be limited to baptism … Continue reading
Posted in Baptism, Confirmation, Parish Life, Rights of the Faithful, Sacraments, The Eucharist
Tagged baptism, canon law, Catholic, Church sui iuris, eastern Catholic, First Communion, Latin Catholic
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Confession, and General Absolution (Repost)
This piece has been reposted repeatedly over the years during the Christmas season–because incredibly, the illegal abuse of General Absolution by some parish clergy is still happening! Thus it makes sense to repost it yet again. A very happy and … Continue reading
Posted in Confession, Rights of the Faithful, Sacraments
Tagged absolution, canon law, Catholic, confession, general absolution, validity
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Can Laypeople Hold Top Vatican Positions?
Q: My husband and I are hoping that you can clear up our confusion about the significance of this article … about Pope Francis reorganizing the different offices in the Vatican. It sounds to us like the Pope says that … Continue reading
Posted in Clergy Issues, Other Canonical Questions, Rights of the Faithful, The Pope
Tagged canon law, Catholic, clergy, laypeople, Lumen Gentium, power of governance, Praedicate Evangelium
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