Dear Father: I’m a “southerner” as far as the Archdiocese of Cincinnati is concerned and at a recent visit to a northern area parish I observed an unfamiliar custom. The faithful receiving communion often knelt before the priest and received on the tongue. What does the church say about this …

Dear Father: How is a priest to handle a request for a Mass to be said for an intention from a lay person? I understand a donation is not necessary but usually accepted. Is it covered in the Catechism? Dear Reader: The Code of Canon Law answers your question, especially …

Dear Father: I have been staring at a poster of the Last Judgment from the Sistine Chapel. I began to think about the judgment on my soul, but then I got a little confused. Will I be judged immediately when I die or only at the end of time?

Dear Father: Am I crazy? I mean, my friends think I’m crazy because I won’t let my kids have a phone or an iPad. I want them to run around and play and not look at a screen all the time. People look at me as if I’m crazy. What …

Dear Father: I keep hearing that Pope Francis changed Church teaching on homosexuality with his question, “Who am I to judge?” Is that true? Dear Reader: Pope Francis did not change church teaching [cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church (2357-2359].

Dear Father: Recently, I have observed a parishioner receiving the Eucharist by dipping the Sacred Host into the Precious Blood and then consuming it. I have always been under the impression that this is not permissible. Can someone receive Communion this way? Dear Reader:  Thank you for your question. You …

Dear Father: In the past my husband and I have donated to various organizations, only to learn that they use donations for embryonic stem cell research. While they do much good, they still support this practice. We have stopped giving, but I also know a lot of Catholics who donate …

Question: Why do Catholics care about the difference between a natural and a Sacramental Marriage? Answer: With all the confusion these days about what constitutes a marriage, it’s no wonder that there is further puzzlement when we speak of marriages as sacramental.

Dear Father: I was wondering about your June answer in the Telegraph concerning the church’s position on capital punishment. Primarily my question is on the Baltimore Catechism, which I studied under the good sisters, and the quotations you spelled out in your article, among other things. Are these the same? …

Dear Father: My faith is challenged. I have heard Church teaching on the death penalty but struggle to believe that some don’t deserve it. Shouldn’t someone like Dr. Kermit Gosnell receive the death penalty? Dear Reader: Our faith is sometimes challenged in the face of unspeakable crimes against humanity like …