The Catholic Faith is full of beauty, subtlety, and nuance. Sometimes, that can lead to confusion, however. Two thousand years of history and tradition is bound to result in many questions over both Catholic practice and belief.
The questions below are drawn from my Friday "Reader Question" series. They are presented in reverse chronological order, so that the most recent is always at the top.
If you have a question that you would like featured in this series, send me an e-mail. Please put "QUESTION" in the subject line and note whether you'd like me to address it privately or on the Catholicism blog.
Why Can't a Woman Be a Priest? (May 30, 2008)
The Reader's Question:Pope John Paul has talked about the dignity of women, but what could be more disrespectful of women than total exclusion from jobs they could do very well—i.e., priesthood and participation in meetings where the problems of the human race are discussed? The only reason twelve women were able to attend a later conference at Vatican II is because one of the cardinals said, “Where is the other half of humanity?” Total exclusion from jobs women could do very well is discriminatory, and makes a negative statement about women--either that they are incapable or unworthy of the job. This is very hard to understand!The Question Restated: Why can't women be priests?
Travel and Our Sunday Obligation (May 23, 2008)
The Reader's Question:Do I really have to go to Mass if I'm out of town? What if I don't know where a Catholic church is where I'm on vacation?The Question Restated: Are there limits to our Sunday obligation?
How Often Should We Go to Confession? (May 16, 2008)
The Reader's Question:We've entered the season of First Communion, and it got me thinking. Every child who makes his or her First Communion will first go to Confession. In many cases, though, the parents of those children have not been to Confession in years--some, undoubtedly, not since their own First Communion. What does the Catholic Church say about how often one should go to Confession?The Question Restated: How often should we go to Confession?
What Makes a Baptism Valid (May 9, 2008)
The Reader's Question:Does the Catholic Church recognize other chuches' baptisms as valid and saving ordinances? What about method of baptism--i.e., sprinkling, immersion?The Question Restated: What conditions must be met in order for a Christian baptism to be considered valid?
I know that they don't accept LDS [Mormon] baptism but I am interested to know about other churches that have "valid" baptism in the eyes of the Catholic Church.
