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As of April 21, 2025, the Apostolic See is vacant. By law, during the vacancy nothing is to be altered in the governance of the universal Church (c. 335).
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Tag Archives: canon law
Can a Lapsed Catholic Have a Catholic Funeral?
Q: My girlfriend’s grandfather stopped going to church after Vatican II, because he didn’t like all the changes in the Mass. Now he’s getting old and the family is thinking about the possibility of an upcoming funeral, since he hasn’t … Continue reading
Posted in Other Canonical Questions, Rights of the Faithful
Tagged canon law, Catholic, funeral, sacrament
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Who is Qualified to Become an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion?
Q: Can openly married homosexuals become extraordinary ministers of communion? This happened in our parish. I sent an email to the bishop regarding church policy on this and I was directed to meet with the priest who allowed this. I … Continue reading
Posted in Holy Mass, Parish Life, Sacraments, The Eucharist
Tagged canon law, Catholic, eucharist, extraordinary minister, holy communion, homosexual
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What Do You Do With the Deacon Who Refuses to be Ordained a Priest?
Q1: We have a seminarian in our diocese, who spent a summer in my parish. He was expecting to become a priest several years ago, but the bishop declined to ordain him. Nobody knows why. Today he’s just a deacon … Continue reading
Posted in Clergy Issues, Holy Orders, Sacraments
Tagged canon law, Catholic, deacon, diaconate, ordination
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Why Would an Illegitimate Man be Barred from the Priesthood?
Q: I heard about a boy who wept when he found out that he could not be admitted to our local seminary. The reason I heard was because he was an illegitimate child. I also read in the Catholic Encyclopedia … Continue reading
Posted in Clergy Issues, Holy Orders
Tagged bishop, canon law, Catholic, illegitimate, ordination, priesthood, seminarian
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Laypeople Can Always Baptize–But When Should They?
Q: My son was married to a non-Catholic girl for 7 years, and they have three boys. Just after she gave birth to the third, my daughter-in-law snapped and ran out on my son, taking the children with her and … Continue reading
Posted in Baptism, Parish Life, Sacraments
Tagged baptize, canon law, Catholic, Edgar Mortara, laypeople
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