Author Archives: canonlawmadeeasy

Can Non-Catholics Serve as Baptismal Sponsors?

Q1: A friend of mine is Presbyterian.  He recently mentioned to me that he is the godfather to the child of Catholic parents.  But how could a Presbyterian be allowed to become the godparent of a Catholic baby?  I thought … Continue reading

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Confession and General Absolution

Q: Last year, I visited my relatives at Christmas time, and we all went to their parish to a communal penance service before Christmas. There were probably almost a hundred people there, and only one priest. He didn’t hear each … Continue reading

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Can Women be Ordained Priests?

Q: I thought the Pope said that only men can become priests. But I’ve seen a couple of different articles in the paper, about women being ordained as Catholic priests in private ceremonies. The articles say very clearly that Ms. … Continue reading

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Can a Public Sinner Have a Catholic Funeral?

Q: When opera star Luciano Pavarotti died in Italy in 2007, he had a big funeral in a Catholic church. Lots of famous people attended, and the bishop was there. Even the Pope issued a statement saying positive things about … Continue reading

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Are they Really Catholic? Part II

Q: Not far from my home is a church with a sign in front identifying it as a “Roman Catholic Church” with “traditional Roman rites.”  But the bulletin from our Catholic parish never refers to any activities going on at … Continue reading

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