Ask a Franciscan

St. Peter's and the Vatican | Photo by Simone Savoldi on Unsplash

Why Is the Pope Called the ‘Supreme Pontiff’?

According to Webster’s New World College Dictionary, the definition for the pope is “supreme pontiff.” Why is that?

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photo-by-RobertCheaib

Sharing Communion Is Rarely Permitted

May a Catholic give or invite a non-Catholic to receive holy Communion? Wouldn’t that promote our efforts toward ecumenism?
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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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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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Painting of Bartolomé de las Casas

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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Is Social Justice Marxism?

Q: I am a big supporter of Glenn Beck and all the work he is doing to save the country. On one of his programs, he was discussing social justice, which is Marxism, and how the government is trying to absorb the ...
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When Did Jesus become a Catholic?

Q: A few years ago, I overheard a Catholic woman ask her friend, "When did Jesus become a Catholic?" A few of us laughed but did try to explain that Jesus was the Christ. He was born Jewish and died Jewish. ...
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