Ask a Franciscan

Admitting Gross Historical Injustices

Pat McCloskey, OFM February 23, 2024

Call it tribalism, but I’ve always cast a skeptical eye on the Dominicans ever since I learned about their role in the Inquisition. Do you have any advice for thinking about historical misdeeds?

Is Egg Donation Morally Acceptable?

Pat McCloskey, OFM January 25, 2024

A family member is giving her frozen eggs to women who can’t conceive. If we are to preserve human life in all its forms, shouldn’t these eggs be given a chance to live?

Bishops pray at the start of a session of the Synod of Bishops on Young People, Faith and Vocational Discernment at the Vatican Oct. 9, 2018. (OSV News file photo/Paul Haring, CNS)

What Follows the October 2023 Synod?

Pat McCloskey, OFM September 25, 2023

What happens after this four-week meeting during which many diverse viewpoints have been expressed? How will the process work? Will the results wind up in a binder gathering dust?

IVs in a hospital | Photo by insung yoon on Unsplash

What If a Pope Becomes Comatose?

Pat McCloskey, OFM August 24, 2023

When I heard that Pope Francis was undergoing surgery requiring general anesthesia, I wondered who would be in charge of the Church while he was incapacitated.