Category Archives: Parish Life

Besides the Priest, Who Else is Bound by the Seal of Confession?

Q: There’s a priest from [a third-world country] in residence in my parish…. In the confessional he didn’t want to give me absolution. He said he didn’t know if I had sinned, since maybe I had done these things by … Continue reading

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Why Doesn’t the Church Publish Marriage Banns Any More?

Q: Why don’t parishes publish marriage banns like they used to? I remember our priest reading them from the pulpit every Sunday before the homily, years ago. Assuming that there was a good reason for publishing banns in the first … Continue reading

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When Can Episcopalians Receive the Eucharist at a Catholic Mass?

Q: A friend of mine told me that his pastor routinely admits Episcopalians to Holy Communion.  He explained that the local Episcopal church closes for several months, since it’s located in a resort town.  The Catholic pastor has an “arrangement” … Continue reading

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Can Catholics Marry in Any Parish Church They Want?

Q: My fiancé and I just decided to get married.  The city where we both live is very far from both of our home-towns and our relatives, but we’ll be having the wedding here in our parish, which is also … Continue reading

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Canon Law and Marriage Records

Q: My wife and I have been married for eight years.  We were married in her parish church at that time, but we now live in the same parish where my family lived when I was born, and where I … Continue reading

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