Q: The Catechism defines hell as “eternal separation from God” (1035). However, it says that at the last judgment “before [Jesus] will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another. . .  And [some] will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” …

Q: Why did Christ wait until approximately 2,017 years ago to appear on Earth when man (Homo sapiens) is about 200,000 years old? A: Theologians call this theological issue the “scandal of the particular.” Which is to say, Why did God reveal Himself in Jesus in a particular time and …

Q: I recently became aware that not all parishes or even dioceses have women serving as ministers within the liturgy. What is the church’s teaching on women lectors, acolytes (servers), and extraordinary ministers of holy Communion? A: Those who assist at the liturgy, whether as lectors, servers, or ministers of …

Q: I am making my final arrangements and have been trying you decide between traditional burial and cremation. I have some concerns about cremation from a religious point of view, although it is the best financial option. Does the Church have a preference between burial and cremation? A: The Church …

Q: I have been told that heaven will be a place of complete joy with no pain, anxiety or sense of loss. Knowing that all of my family and friends might not attain heaven, how will I (presuming I am in heaven) not feel a sense of loss knowing that …

By Father David Endres Q: I received the Eucharist under both forms – the host and from the chalice – for the first time recently and I felt Christ in my heart as never before. I thought it was because I was receiving the Precious Blood and not just the …

Q: One of the most difficult things to explain to my non-Catholic friends is why we decorate our churches with statues. They say they are graven image, and some even reject statue art in museums and engravings on coins. They are especially critical of the crucifix. How can I respond? …

By Father David Endres Q: In Genesis 3, it is recorded that Adam and Eve ate from the tree of which God forbid them to eat from, but Eve ate first, inviting Adam to do the same. What if Eve was the only one to eat the fruit – the …

My son has two children, ages two and four. He does not seem interested in having them baptized. Can I baptize them myself? As the number of Americans who no longer identify with any religion increases, frequently the children of baptized Catholics go without the sacrament of baptism. Many dioceses …

Q: I have heard that the number of seminarians is increasing locally and more of them are recent college graduates. Why do you think there are fewer second-career vocations and more young men applying to seminary? A: Yes, there has been an increase in seminary enrollments locally and nationally and …