Having concluded the discussion of the sacraments in Lesson Twenty-Sixth, the Baltimore Catechism No. 2 now takes up the discussion of sacramentals in Lesson Twenty-Seventh.

The word sacramentals is not much used today, but those things which it signifies still are. Sacramentals are religious objects that the Church gives us to increase our devotion. Unlike the sacraments, sacramentals do not provide grace in themselves, but through our use of them to draw our minds and hearts toward God. Read more...

There have been a number of interesting discussions in the Catholicism Forum this week. Two that I've found quite fruitful were both started by new forum member "jayd808." "The Entwined Love of God and Neighbor" examines the way in which the love of our fellow man is a reflection of our love of Christ. And in "The Best Argument Against Atheism," "jayd808" and our moderator, Steven Hepburn, discuss ways to appeal to those who do not believe in God.

But the forum thread I most want to draw your attention to this week was started by another new forum member, "bunnydrop," a recent Catholic convert who asks, "Is Smoking a Sin?" Steven answers her well, but I think there are still elements of this question to explore. What is the relationship between caring for our health and sin? Does a puritanical avoidance of things we see as unhealthy have its own problems? Join the conversation, and let us know what you think!

Last week's reader question was perhaps the most frequently asked question regarding the fulfilling of our Sunday Duty. But our question this week is a close second:

I understand that the intent of Sunday Mass is to worship in a community. When one cannot attend Sunday Mass due to work, transportation, illness, etc., does going to Mass and actively participating via the TV or radio count? The theory being something is better than nothing . . . If not, then why have them?

When I was young, the Mass broadcast every Sunday was referred to by our diocese as "the Mass for shut-ins." That description is a good place to start in answering the reader's question. Read more...

On July 8, 2009, Pope Benedict XVI released a motu proprio entitled Ecclesiae unitatem. The short document concerns the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, which was established on July 2, 1988, to help bring about the full reunion of the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) with the Catholic Church. The four bishops of the SSPX had incurred automatic excommunication when Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, the founder of SSPX, ordained them without the necessary approval from Pope John Paul II.

Those excommunications were lifted on January 21, 2009, and the Congregation for Bishops announced at the time that "It is hoped that this step be followed by the prompt accomplishment of full communion with the Church of the entire Fraternity of Saint Pius X, thus testifying true fidelity and true recognition of the Magisterium and of the authority of the Pope with the proof of visible unity."

Unfortunately, the road toward full communion had some rather nasty bumps. Read more...