Category Archives: Sacraments

What Can (and Can’t) a Deacon Do?

Q:  We have a permanent deacon at our parish.  Some of us are wondering if the pastor sometimes allows him to do things that he’s not supposed to do… for example, occasionally the deacon preaches a homily at Sunday Mass … Continue reading

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Are SSPX Sacraments Valid? Part II

(Part I of this article on the SSPX was posted on August 1, 2013, and can be read here.) We’ve been looking at the sacraments administered by priests of the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX), an institute which, despite … Continue reading

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Are SSPX Sacraments Valid? Part I

Q: What’s the canonical status of priests ordained by SSPX bishops, and what’s the canonical status of the sacraments they administer? –John A: It would have been marvelous to be able to respond to John that the priests of the … Continue reading

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Why is the Marriage Tribunal Insisting I First Need a Divorce?

Q: My sister wants an annulment so she can remarry in the Church.  But when she began asking questions about how to go about it, she was immediately told that she can’t get an annulment unless she is divorced first.  … Continue reading

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Will Australian Priests Be Forced to Violate the Seal of Confession?

Q:  I know that priests aren’t allowed to reveal what people tell them in confession.  But what happens in places where reporting sexual abuse of children is mandated by law?  They’re talking about making it a legal requirement now in … Continue reading

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