Ask a Franciscan
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 to convey the unique divine self-revelation that we find in the Bible. We need to accept the Bible on its own terms. We may mistakenly think of it as entirely eyewitness accounts in which the biblical writers act like court reporters, giving us a verbatim account.
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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When Is It Too Late to Arrive for Mass?
At what point during Mass is it too late for someone to arrive and have it “count”? Some people come a few minutes late and others very late. I think this is wrong.
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Must I Take All Medications Prescribed?
My wife and I are in our early 70s and each of us has quite a few medical problems. If we stopped taking all our medications and stopped going to our many doctors, we would shorten our lives. Would the ...
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Origins of the Celibacy Rule
When did the Roman Catholic Church begin to require celibacy before a man could be ordained a priest? Why? Doesn’t this suggest that marriage is inferior to celibacy?
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Did Mary Have Real Freedom?
A friend of mine believes that Mary did not have free will as other humans have. Therefore, she had no choice but to say yes to the angel at the Annunciation.
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