1. Reader Question: Abrogated Holy Days and Servile Work
Our first Reader Question for November 2010 initially left me stumped: "When the obligation to attend Mass on holy days is abrogated . . . are we still obliged to refrain from unnecessary servile work/buying and selling?" It turns out that it was a trick question.
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2. Join the About.com Catholicism Purgatorial Society
Longtime readers of the About.com Catholicism GuideSite know that I have always strongly encouraged devotion to, and prayers for, the Holy Souls in Purgatory, especially in the month of November. This year, I took my advocacy for the Holy Souls a step further, by announcing the About.com Catholicism Purgatorial Society.
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3. Reader Question: Why Do Catholics Believe in Purgatory?
The most common reaction I get whenever I write about Purgatory is, "I'm a Catholic, and I don't believe in Purgatory." And every time I want to reply, "It doesn't matter what you believe; either Purgatory exists or it doesn't."
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- Join the About.com Catholicism Purgatorial Society
- Reader Question: What Happened to Purgatory?
- Reader Question: Does the Church Still Believe in Purgatory?
- Reader Question: Is There a Scriptural Basis for Purgatory?
- Reader Question: Was Christ's Death Enough?
- An Act of Faith
- The Sacrament of Baptism
4. Pope Benedict and Condoms: What He Did and Did Not Say
In mid-November, L'Osservatore Romano, the newspaper of Vatican City (not, as some like to say, "the Pope's own newspaper"), broke the embargo on publishing excerpts from Light of the World (compare prices ), a book-length interview of Pope Benedict XVI conducted by his longtime interlocutor, German journalist Peter Seewald. In so doing, L'Osservatore Romano set off a firestorm that will almost certainly guarantee that the book will become a best-seller.
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5. Light of the World: Pope Benedict's New Book Available Today
While Pope Benedict's remarks on condoms captured the most attention, Light of the World is about much more. From dialogue with Islam to clerical sexual abuse, from Pope Benedict's personal preferences in films to questions touching at the heart of the papal office (such as papal infallibility), Light of the World presents a wide-ranging view into the mind of the current pontiff.
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6. The Future of Advent
Does Advent have a future? At first glance, that may seem like a strange question. Advent, the period of preparation for the coming of Christ at Christmas, has been celebrated in one form or another for at least 1,500 years, and while the Catholic Church no longer prescribes fasting during this penitential season, She also clearly has no intention of giving the season up. For the foreseeable future, Advent will continue to be celebrated by Catholics and other liturgically minded Christians. What I had in mind in asking whether Advent has a future, however, is something a bit different.
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