Q: I am planning to be married in the near future. Does the best man and maid of honor have to be practicing Catholics?
A: The best man or maid of honor does not have to be a practicing Catholic, or even a Catholic, for that matter. The Church’s official witness at a marriage is the priest, whose responsibility is to ask for and receive the consent of both parties. The function of the other two witnesses — usually […]
Q: Are parents bound to give a Christian name to their child at baptism?
A: The 1917 Code (761) made it clear that if parents refused to provide a Christian name, the pastor was bound to add a saint’s name to the name proposed by the parents, and to record both names in the baptismal register. The current 1983 Code of Canon Law (855) states, “Parents, sponsors, and the […]
Q: Is it sufficient to baptize in the name of Jesus Christ, as we read in the Scriptures?
A: No, the form of baptism was laid down by Christ Himself: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Mt 28:19). Baptism “in the name of Christ” means Christian baptism contrasted with the baptism of John the […]
Q: When was the Bible first translated into English?
A: During the earlier part of the so-called “Dark Ages,” the Bible was in the Latin language, because Latin was the universal language among those who could read. It was the scholastic language of Europe. Those who could not read Latin could not read at all. And when this condition changed, translations of the Bible […]
Q: Is a priest always bound to keep secret the sins revealed to him in Confessions?
A: Yes, a priest is bound by the natural law, the divine law and the law of the Church to keep absolutely secret whatever he hears in Confession. Canon 983 §states, “The sacramental seal in inviolable; therefore, it is a crime for a confessor in any way to betray a penitent by word or in […]
Q: Is it permitted to take your prayer book into the confessional with you, if it helps you to make an entire confession?
A: Yes, of course. It is always permitted. It might even be advisable in the case of a long and difficult confession, being then most helpful. For a similar reason it is allowed to write down your sins on a piece of paper and read them off in the confessional. But always be sure to […]
Q: When going to confession I am sometimes worried about my contrition, whether I am sorry enough for every single sin. Can you give me some advice?
A: As you know, our contrition must be universal, that is, we must be sorry for all our mortal sins without exception. This, of course, does not mean that we must make a special act of contrition for every single sin that we have committed. We should recall our sins as best we can and […]
Q: Does a person who receives the Sacrament of Confirmation with mortal sin on his soul commit a sacrilege?
A: He does; for Confirmation is a Sacrament of the living and can only be worthily received by those who are in a state of grace. The Sacraments of the living, remember, increase sanctifying grace in the soul that is already in union with God. Sacraments of the dead, as they are called, namely, Baptism […]
Q: What is the story behind the image of Our Lady of Perpetual Help?
A: The icon (about 54 x 41.5 centimeters) depicts our Blessed Mother Mary under the title Mother of God, holding the Child Jesus. The Archangels Michael and Gabriel, hovering in the upper corners, hold the instruments of the Passion: St. Michael (in the left corner) holds the spear, the wine-soaked sponge and the crown of […]
Q: Was Jesus the first martyr of the Church?
A: Jesus is Himself by an eminent title the martyr of God, and consequently the prototype of martyrs. In His willingly accepted sacrifice, He gives in fact the supreme witness of His fidelity to the mission entrusted to Him by the Father. According to St. John, Jesus not only knew His death in advance, but […]