Ask a Franciscan
‘I Am Consumed with Guilt and Sorrow’
Q. I am feeling very guilty. I was driving my car and accidentally hit a man with my side mirror. I never saw him, and I don’t know if he stepped in front of me or not. The only reason I know he was hit was my side mirror flipped in, and I heard the snap. I immediately pulled over and asked the man if he was OK.
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?
Read More →
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 ...
Read More →
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?
Read More →
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. ...
Read More →
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?
Read More →
What Is the Kingdom of God?
Please explain in simple language the concept of the kingdom of God. What Jesus means by the expression the kingdom of God is accepting God’s values as trustworthy and enough, not needing any “improvements,” as we often describe them.
Read More →