Can Women be Ordained Priests?

Posted on December 1, 2007 by canonlawmadeeasy

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. So-and-so is now a Catholic priest.  How can these women be Catholic priests?  –Elinore Continue reading →

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Can a Public Sinner Have a Catholic Funeral?

Posted on November 17, 2007 by canonlawmadeeasy

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 him. But nobody seems to be paying much attention to the fact that some years ago, Pavarotti left his wife and ran off with a woman half her age, whom I assume he married outside the Church. Why did church leaders ignore his scandalous life, and allow him to have a Catholic funeral, after he openly flaunted the Church’s teachings on marriage? –Betsy Continue reading →

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Are they Really Catholic? Part II

Posted on October 18, 2007 by canonlawmadeeasy

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 this church, although it usually lists events at other parishes. Also, I just found out recently that this church is not even listed in the diocesan handbook as one of the parishes of our diocese. What’s going on?  Is it possible to have a Roman Catholic parish church in our diocese, but that’s not part of our diocese?  Is it okay for us to attend this church on Sundays?  –Michael Continue reading →

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Do Lapsed Catholics Marry Validly Outside the Church?

Posted on October 5, 2007 by canonlawmadeeasy

Q: I was raised Catholic, but in my 20’s I fell in love with a Baptist woman and started attending her church with her on Sundays. Eventually we got married in the Baptist church. Later our marriage fell apart and we divorced, and I returned to the Catholic Church.

Now I’m dating a great Catholic woman and we want to get married. Her mother is opposed, because she says there’s no way we can marry in the Catholic Church. Since the Church doesn’t recognize divorce, she insists that I’m still married to my first wife. But I say that we can, because I wasn’t a practicing Catholic at the time of my first marriage, so I was never married in the eyes of the Church anyway. Who’s right? What can I do?  –Ray Continue reading →

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Are They Really Catholic? Part I

Posted on September 20, 2007 by canonlawmadeeasy

Q1: Every day I drive past a church that’s called a “Greek Melkite Catholic Church.”  What does this mean? Are these people really Catholics? Why aren’t they Roman Catholics?  –Carol Continue reading →

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