Three North Dakota state legislators introduced a bill this week that would oblige Catholic priests to violate the seal of confession in cases of confirmed or suspected child abuse, on penalty of imprisonment or heavy fines. The bill was introduced Jan. 12 by state senators
Mary Farrow Every time Christians recite the Apostles’ Creed, they affirm their belief in what will happen to them after death: “’I believe in the resurrection of the body and life everlasting.” The belief in the resurrection of one’s physical body at the end of
Jimmy Akin 1. Why does the Church teach that Mary was immaculately conceived? Her conception is never even mentioned in Scripture. Before presenting the scriptural foundations for the Church’s belief in Mary’s Immaculate Conception, know that the person who is posing this question to you is
One of the biggest differences between Catholics and most Protestants lies in our divergent understandings of the Eucharist. For the majority of our separated brethren, the Eucharist is just a memorial service, but we Catholics believe that it is a real participation in Jesus’ sacrifice
The Vatican’s Secretary of State has asked papal representatives to share with bishops some clarifications regarding comments on civil unions made by Pope Francis in a recently released documentary, according to the apostolic nuncio to Mexico. The clarifications explain that the pope’s comments do not
“Francesco,” a newly released documentary on the life and ministry of Pope Francis, has made global headlines, because the film contains a scene in which Pope Francis calls for the passage of civil union laws for same-sex couples. Some activists and media reports have suggested
In the second known instance in the United States, a man who believed himself to be a validly baptized Catholic and ordained priest had to “re-receive” all of his sacraments, including ordination, after discovering that his baptism was invalid. Fr. Zachary Boazman, a priest of
When a priest is ordained, his hands are anointed with oil. They are then wiped clean with a white linen cloth — it’s called a maniturgium. There is a custom, hundreds of years old, in which each new priest presents that cloth to his mother. She’s
Last week, the news broke that Father Matthew Hood of the Archdiocese of Detroit had this summer learned that he was not validly baptized— despite believing that he had been ordained a priest in 2017. Hood thought he had been baptized as a baby. But,
The first emotion was shock. Then came sadness. And the third — two weeks later — was déjà vu. The past two weeks have been a roller coaster for Fr. Matthew Hood, who was ordained to the priesthood — some might say for the second
