Ask a Franciscan

I am the youngest in a large family. Many of my siblings suffered physical or verbal abuse from our father when we were growing up. Although he has abused our mother verbally and continues to do so, she has stayed ...

My middle-aged daughter recently told me that there is no purgatory, that the Catholic Church made that up.

If St. James is Jesus’ brother, would James not also be God’s son? Were Mary and Joseph the parents of James?

Why does the Catholic Church emphasize Christ crucified instead of Christ risen?

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.

I don’t understand why someone who has celiac disease and is, therefore, allergic to gluten needs a low-gluten host. The bread at Mass changes substantially into the Body of Christ.