Q: Most of my family is Catholic, but my father is not. He is in declining health and has asked if it would be possible for his funeral to take place in a Catholic church. Is this permitted? A: The Church seeks to minister to families during times of illness …

Father Earl Fernandes has been named Pastor of St. Ignatius Loyola in Monfort Heights. He has been a member of the Staff of the Apostolic Nunciature in Washington, D.C. for the past three and a half years. Prior to that, from 2008-2016, he was the Dean of the Athenaeum of …

Question: I pray the Creed often to remind myself of our core beliefs. Why do not include a line such as “I believe in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist” or statements about other important beliefs? Is there a chance the Creed could change in the future? Answer: …

Q: Due to work or other commitments, many people find attending Mass on holy days difficult. Why does the Church ask its members to attend Mass on holy days of obligation? What makes those days different? A: Although all Sundays are the “Day of the Lord” and the faithful should …

Q: It is difficult to know when shopping for books in a store or online whether a book’s content is contrary to the faith. Does the Church still censor books? If so, what is the best place to check if a book or an author has been censored by the …

Answer: If God’s revelation to humanity ended with the death of St. John, the last apostle, how was other information (which is not necessarily in the Bible) revealed to Church fathers and teachers? Does this kind of revelation continue today? In God’s divine plan, he slowly revealed himself to humanity, …

In the age of the internet, it is possible to be “ordained” a minister in a matter of minutes. The virtual churches that offer online ordinations do not require any education or training. They style themselves as “multi-denominational” or “nondenominational,” and do not ask for assent to a specific Creed …

Q: In the case of a federal judicial appointee, adherence to Catholic dogma was criticized during the confirmation proceedings. What exactly is a dogma? Do other religions have them? A: A dogma is a belief handed down as true by an authority. We frequently think of dogmas in matters of …

Q: If priesthood was historically limited to men, what was the reason? Does this reason still prevent women from becoming priests? A: The reservation of the ordained priesthood to men has been the constant practice of the Catholic Church (and the Eastern Orthodox) but many, especially in the last 50 …

In the Gospels, the term “Son of Man” is used numerous times. What does “Son of Man” mean? When Jesus spoke of himself and His mission, He often referred to himself as “Son of Man.” In the Gospels, He uses the term more than 80 times, especially as recorded in …