Category Archives: Canonical Issues Involving Non-Catholics

When Can a Non-Catholic Go to Confession?

Q: A close friend of mine was baptized in an evangelical church, but he plans to become a Catholic.  But he has not yet been officially received into the Catholic Church because his evangelical family disapproves.  He’s been through RCIA, … Continue reading

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Why is This Method of Baptizing Illicit?

Q: I have recently discovered that my Presbyterian baptism was invalid (improper matter—baptizing with no flowing water).  No investigation was done at the time of my conversion [to Catholicism], only a request for a baptismal certificate and so it was … Continue reading

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Adopting Children of Another Faith (Eastern Churches, Part II)

Q: Although my husband and I are Roman Catholics, we have attended a Byzantine parish for many years.  We adopted four children as infants from Eastern Europe.  The orphanage director gave us their baptismal certificates written in Russian, and told … Continue reading

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What is the “Old Catholic Church”?

Q1: Could you tell me more about other Catholic ecclesial communities that are not Roman Catholic, such as the American National Catholic Church, and how they fit into the big picture of Catholicism? –John Q2:  What is the “Old Catholic … Continue reading

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What Happens if Catholic Parents Have Their Child Baptized in a Non-Catholic Church?

Q:  My sister-in-law recently baptized her youngest daughter in a Presbyterian church.  She is Catholic, her husband is non-denominational, and he is uneasy with the Catholic Church although they were married in a Catholic ceremony. My father-in-law insists “a baptism … Continue reading

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