Category Archives: Parish Life

Can a Lapsed Catholic Be a Godparent?

Q1: Is it written anywhere, or in any authoritative text from the Holy See (or Bishops Conference), that being in an irregular marriage bars one from being a godparent?  The canon seems vague.  One could argue that living in a … Continue reading

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(Repost) Confession and General Absolution

(The post below was written many years ago, but it addresses an issue which unfortunately is still with us, particularly before Christmas.  That’s why it seems feasible to post it again.  Have a happy and holy Christmas!) Q: Last year, … Continue reading

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Why Don’t We Marry Validly Before a Ukrainian Catholic Priest? (Eastern Churches, Part I)

Q: I was raised attending the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church’s Divine Liturgies because my parents preferred that Liturgy to the Novus Ordo Mass in the Roman Rite. Although my father is from the Roman Rite (and so I’ve been 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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Can the Pastor Buy and Sell Parish Property Without Our Consent?

Q:  At Sunday Mass, Father announced that the church pipe organ was going to be replaced by a digital organ, because the pipe organ was in very bad shape.  He said that he was given an anonymous gift of $100,000 … Continue reading

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