Ask a Franciscan
Understanding Sins of Omission
I realize that I can sin by some action (for example, murder or theft), but I have never understood how someone can sin by inaction, by not doing something. How is that possible?
Yes, sins of commission (such as the examples you cited) are pretty easy to recognize. A sin of omission can easily slip under a person’s radar because “That’s just the way life is” or “Nobody else took action in that situation.”
Missing Mass on Sunday
As an 80-year-old Catholic, I was taught that missing Mass through your own fault is a mortal sin that, if unconfessed and unabsolved, could send you to hell forever. I know friends and other Catholics who are good people but ...
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Is Suicide a Sin?
I once read in a Catholic newspaper that suicide may not be a sin if a person is depressed or mentally ill or does not appreciate that what he or she is doing is wrong. What does the Catholic Church ...
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Finding a Saint's Feast Day
Last February, I realized that our parish did not celebrate the feast of St. Valentine. Does this mean that he may have been a true saint but, due to poor record-keeping, has been forgotten? Was he ever officially recognized as ...
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Anger at the Church
Father Pat McCloskey, OFM, answers questions in his Ask a Franciscan column!
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What about Limbo?
Question about limbo: Are souls in a state of eternal happiness outside heaven or do they go to hell forever? I pray for my granddaughter’s soul.
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Did Jesus Condemn Slavery?
I cannot find any passage in the Gospels where Jesus condemns slavery. Have I missed something?
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