Ask a Franciscan
Aren’t Martyrs Automatically Canonized?
Q: The feast of Saint Charles Lwanga and companion martyrs (June 3) recently raised a question for me. On July 17, 1794, 16 Carmelite nuns were guillotined in Compiègne, France, for their faith. As a secular Carmelite, I have always considered them a beacon of love and uncompromising faith. Doesn’t the fact that they were martyred for their faith automatically make them saints? Why would any miracles be needed?
Admitting Gross Historical Injustices
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?
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Still a Leper?
In Matthew 26:6-13 and Mark 14:3-9, we read that Jesus was eating at the home of “Simon the leper” when Jesus was anointed with costly perfumed oil. Did Jesus heal Simon of his leprosy?
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One of Life's Great Losses
How do I understand and find peace in the death of a parent? Please accept my condolences on the death of your father or mother. Allow yourself to grieve properly but without being absolutely consumed or paralyzed by this death. ...
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Who Informed the Biblical Writers?
How did the gentlemen who gathered together to write the Bible do so? Where did their information come from? The holy Bible is beautifully written. When was it written? How did they know all the details? Ultimately, God inspired them ...
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St. Francis and His Time with the Sultan
How did St. Francis of Assisi and Sultan Malik al-Kamil become friends?
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Forgive an Adulterous Husband?
Is it wrong to divorce a husband who commits adultery? My husband and I were married in the Catholic Church almost 30 years ago. Several years ago he committed adultery, and the pain still remains with me. I have tried ...
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