Ask a Franciscan
The Sorrowful Mother
I recently came across the title “Our Lady of Sorrows” for Mary. I’ve never heard of this before and wonder about its origin and meaning.
Origins of the Celibacy Rule
When did the Roman Catholic Church begin to require celibacy before a man could be ordained a priest? Why? Doesn’t this suggest that marriage is inferior to celibacy?
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How Are Bishops Selected?
How are bishops appointed in the United States? Does this vary from other parts of the world? Are Roman Catholic bishops appointed the same way as Eastern Catholic bishops?
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What Is Required of Godparents?
What are the requirements for being a godparent? Do both godparents have to be Catholic? Must there be a man and a woman? Can godparents be changed later if the first ones turn out not to be very good role ...
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How to Count Tithing
A Protestant relative says that we must always give 10 percent even if that means not paying certain bills. I do not agree.
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Must I Take All Medications Prescribed?
My wife and I are in our early 70s and each of us has quite a few medical problems. If we stopped taking all our medications and stopped going to our many doctors, we would shorten our lives. Would the ...
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Give Up Something Else for Lent?
The Church decided that Catholics could eat meat on Fridays outside Lent. As I remember, there was a slight catch: We were to give up something else.
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