Ask a Franciscan

Q. In Amos 7:14, at the king’s sanctuary in Bethel, the prophet verbally defends himself against the priest Amaziah by denying that he ever said he belonged to a company of prophets. Amos adds, “I am a herdsman and a ...

I know that words often have a root meaning. For example, our word sacrament comes from the Latin word sacramentum, which I know St. Augustine described as “an outward sign instituted by Christ to give grace.” In preparing for a ...

According to a news article, Pope Francis recently acknowledged the Big Bang theory and evolution. I was quite startled by comments I’ve heard about this story. I hope you can enlighten me on this matter.

I am a 79-year-old Catholic who doesn’t believe in the Sacrament of Penance.

I have been perplexed by the rift between Jews and Samaritans and their hatred mentioned in the New Testament.

Is it a sin to place a bet on a horse race? What about lotteries or betting on sports contests? What does the Catholic Church think about playing slot machines? At times it seems that the Church opposes gambling, but ...