Ask a Franciscan
The Holy Family’s Arrival in Nazareth
According to Luke, the Holy Family went to Nazareth a little more than 40 days after Jesus was born. Matthew’s Gospel suggests it may have been several years later. Which was it?
‘Is Every Encyclical Infallible?’
I know that the pope’s infallibility is not a personal trait but is part of his office as the successor of St. Peter. Even so, is every encyclical infallible?
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Widowed Deacons
A Catholic neighbor recently told me her parish priest said that if a deacon’s wife dies, the Church forbids him from marrying again. What is the reasoning behind this Church ruling?
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Mary as ‘Mirror of Justice’
I pray the rosary and the Litany of Loreto daily for world peace and the end of abortion. What does the litany’s invocation ‘mirror of justice’ mean?
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Are the Knights of Columbus Anti-gay?
Q. I recently heard that the Knights of Columbus spent over $500,000 on anti-gay literature. Where is this hatred of gays coming from? Also, can my local pastor refuse me Communion at Mass if I tell him that I am ...
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‘Consubstantial’ Explained
What exactly does consubstantial mean, and by what authority was it inserted into the Nicene Creed?
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Was Mary a Virgin During Childbirth?
From time to time, I have heard the expression that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a virgin in partu. What does this term mean?
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