Ask a Franciscan

One of my close friends believes in reincarnation. My Catholic education and faith leave me with no reason to believe in multiple lives. Among other things, my friend claims that all mention of reincarnation was removed from the Bible in ...

Is the Catholic Church against in vitro fertilization? If so, why? Isn’t this a compassionate response for couples who want to have children, but either or both spouses have medical conditions that make this unlikely?

Why do you think God inflicts such natural disasters on many innocent, God-loving people?

May a Catholic give or invite a non-Catholic to receive holy Communion? Wouldn’t that promote our efforts toward ecumenism?

After John described Jesus as the “Lamb of God” (Jn 1:36), Andrew and another disciple left John to follow Jesus. Was John the Baptist having doubts about who Jesus was?

I need some practical advice for how to live and grow in Franciscan spirituality as a layperson. Because I am not close to a Secular Franciscan group, I need to do this on my own.