Ask a Franciscan
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?
Mary, 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.
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Holy Communion without Confession
I am a 79-year-old Catholic who doesn’t believe in the Sacrament of Penance.
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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?
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The Our Father, Amen, and Holding Hands
Would you say if there is still an amen at the end of the Our Father? At Mass, I realize a prayer has been inserted between the main body of the prayer and when the priest says amen.
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Anointing the Sick and Baptism
The catechumens in my RCIA group asked me these questions: Can permanent deacons administer the Sacrament of the Sick? Can a non-baptized person receive the Sacrament of the Sick? Can a baptized person who is not a Catholic receive the Sacrament ...
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Can We Sing the Our Father?
Why can’t we sing the Our Father at Mass? When I asked our parish organist, the response was that our parish was told not to do this.
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