| Dear Father: Why does the Catholic Church refuse to allow women to be priests? I
quote, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is
neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus". Galatians3:28
Marisha
Dear Marisha:
In everything we do we must look for Jesus'
intention. Galatians is claiming that Jesus is Lord, correct? If one is using
the approach that you seem to be, Galatians is saying that Jesus did something outside of
the Father's will when He chose only men to be His apostles. Some go as far as to
say that Jesus was only practicing the cultural limitations of His time. If this
were true, He wouldn't have dispensed with things like washing hands before meals or
curing the sick and raising the dead on the Sabbath.
No, Jesus actually did things counter-culturally to
what was going on. But He still only chose men for certain particular ministries.
We may not understand why He did this but we do not merely go our own way and
change things that are so important. This isn't mere discipline, it was an
institutionalized action of Christ. We do not apply mortal
logic to what Jesus did. He is God!
The sad reality is that we as a people carried that
too far, completely neglecting the ministries that women have done in the scriptures.
For example, women "set the table" for the Eucharistic celebration.
They shared the ministry of the Diaconate, not by ordination, but by installation.
Their ministry was the Incarnational complement to the ordained ministry of the
Diaconate, which is very close to what some Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist do
today. They assisted in baptism for modesty's sake.
The Church of today is restoring many of these
ministries, which had been all but lost through the centuries. And, this is in the
power of the Church to do so. However, we cannot do anything which contradicts what
the one we call Lord instituted. He had an intention behind what He did.
Hope this helps. God Bless.
Fr Amaro
Father:
Is cosmetic surgery(liposuction) a sin? And
why? Thanks.
Johanne
Dear Johanne:
That's a good question, but it can be very
subjective. Is make-up a sin? Anything like liposuction can be cosmetic.
Is the person doing it for cosmetic reasons? Only the person knows if he or
she is doing this for reasons of vanity or health. The most important thing is that
a person is happy with who they are as God's creation in the first place. Sometimes
this surgery is done for health reasons. In that case, there is no problem.
Sometimes it's done because a person just doesn't like himself or herself and thinks that
it will change the "person". In that case, there could be a problem
because God is very happy with the person. Of course, this could also be a
psychological difficulty brought upon by outside influence too.
The bottom line is that only the person knows
through self if this would be done merely as cosmetic change or health, style or mere
vanity. And if a person has this much money to do such things, would there be better
places to use it for the expansion of the kingdom or feeding the poor and homeless?
This is where conscience and a relationship with God can be defined for the individual
through good examination of conscience.
God bless,
Father Amaro
Dear Father Amaro:
If a gay person lives with another without
abstaining from sex, and God condemns such action, then why did He make them that way?
This kind of lifestyle is not a choice, correct?
John
Dear John:
If a person really loves another person, that person
will, above all, look out for the best interests of the other. Love does no harm.
That's why loving another is never a sin.
The human body is designed for a specific purpose.
It has a dignity of its very own. We do not act contrary to its design
because dangerous things happen. If someone loves another, that person would never
do anything to endanger the other.
The second part of your question presumes something
erroneously. God doesn't make us to have fault. Jesus went to a lot of trouble
to show us how to perfect our fallen nature; nature that gets sick, a nature that can and
does die. God didn't make us to die. He made us to live. The fallen
nature falls not only into the physical, but also the emotional and spiritual. We
often use our rational gift to rationalize our fallen impulses. Then one looks to
God, looks to God's intention and the original design and redemption of the fallen state
of that design.
Our original nature was to physically procreate and
express love in that process. Again, love does no harm. It looks to the real
dignity and integrity of the other and how the other was created in the original intent of
the Creator, not the imagination of the person. The sexual union is only a mere
expression of real love. That is why when the sexual nature falters for those with a
real Sacrament of Matrimony, the marriage still succeeds. Unfortunately, many
heterosexual couples falter because they make their sexual union the very foundation of
their relationship. They make the expression more important. If the expression
of a same sex relationship contradicts the design of the human body, how can it be an
expression of love in the first place?
Hope this helps. God bless.
Father Amaro
Father,
My wife has had three C-section births. The
doctor says she cannot possibly carry another child to term. Can I remain in good
standing with the Church if I get a vasectomy?
Thank you, Father.
Brandt
Dear Brandt:
First of all, what is a vasectomy? It is a
mutilation of a normal and healthy part of the body. That tells us right away that
to do such a thing contradicts and destroys what God has created. Your wife's
condition sounds like a very serious one. But there are natural ways to deal with
it.
Many people ":think" that the Natural
Family Planning concept is the same as the old "rhythm method". Not at
all. (Actually, the old rhythm method seemed to help populate the Church) The
"Billings" and "Symto-Thermol" Methods combined make up the concept
called Natural Family Planning.
You'll also find that people who celebrate their
love using this method have better marriages because sexuality becomes a planned event of
using the human mind, and not merely impulse. It makes an intention of lovemaking
rather than a self-seeking instinct of the lower animals. It becomes an actual
celebration of love and humanity. Think about it. It really does make sense.
God bless,
Father Amaro
Dear Father:
I have been married for 31 years. My wife and
I were married in a Methodist ceremony.
What has bothered me is that I was baptized and
confirmed in the Catholic religion. All these years I wanted to have communion but I
have been advised against it because the Church does not recognize my marriage. I
have asked several priests in the area and they say that I have to get a blessing of the
marriage. Is this correct or has the doctrine been changed? I long for
communion and getting back to doing this. My wife is willing to attend church with
me and wants me to take communion but I feel that I would commit a great sin. She
says that I would not have to go through this if I went to the Methodist service.
Please respond at your earliest convenience.
Thank you,
John Mata
Dear John:
I'm so glad that you have this hunger for the
Eucharist. And if neither of you have been married before, there is no difficulty in
getting married according to your commitment to Christ in your baptism. In fact, it
could be a real celebration for both of you.
If there was a prior marriage for one or both of
you, it means that vows were made publicly with witnesses and those vows have to be
publicly pronounced null and void.
Either way, I'm sure that your local pastor should
be able to help you. Thirty-one years is a lot of investment. Your baptismal
call is also a large investment. To receive Holy Communion is a public witness that
your faith is more important than anything else. There may be some challenges along
the way but your perseverance and completion in the public proclamation of a Sacrament of
Matrimony will help you define the importance of that faith for you. Then, when you
receive the Body and Blood of Christ, you'll be most sincere in the act of proclaiming
your faith.
God bless,
Father
Father,
Why does our church have statues of Jesus and Mary?
Doesn't it say in the Bible not to have them? My Evangelistic Christian
friends keep asking me. My answer was the same answer one would say when keeping
pictures of all I love, like our children. I look at them and remember certain times
in life and feel the warmth of the moment. What do you think is the reason we have
statues in the Church? If we love Christ we really don't need statues to remember
Him.
Thank you.
Mary
Dear Mary:
Have you ever read the description of the
instructions that God gave for the design of the Ark of the Covenant? Those are in
effect statues too. No, God has no problem with statues. But, remember, the
pagans actually worshipped the statues that they made. That was sinful because they
were worshipping matter..inanimate matter. To us, statues are only three dimensional
"pictures" that tell a story about someone, much like you would have if you had
a bust of your grandparent. Statues are only for inspiration and education.
They portray a person and what that person accomplished in Christ for his or her faith.
God bless,
Fr Amaro
FATHER DAVID GRANADINO
SEPTEMBER 2001
Dear Father:
In the case of an ectopic pregnancy, where
the mother would die if her fallopian tube were to burst and the child could not develop
to term because it wasn't implanted in the uterus, would the mother and father be guilty
of a sin by undergoing an operation that would end the pregnancy?
Many thanks, Sonia
Sonia:
In this case, we must do what is best for both. The greater
good must be discerned in this case. The unborn child conceived in the fallopian
tubes has no hope of survival. The health of the mother and her welfare is very
important. In this case, we ask that the medical personnel do what is necessary to
keep the life of both safe. If in the process it is decided that the unborn child
cannot be saved, then the medical personnel must take the appropriate measures to ensure
the life and health of the mother.
God
bless,
Father
David
Dear Father:
I entered into a civil marriage
performed by a Justice of The Peace under false pretenses that was civily annulled(not a
divorce). I never lived with the woman and the marriage was never consumated. I now
want to become a Catholic and marry in the Church.
My question is that since my marriage was civily annulled and is not a valid civil
marriage, do I need to obtain a decree of nullity from the Church before becoming a
Catholic.
Thanks, Ray
Ray:
Since you are not Catholic, the Church
accepts your civil marriage as a valid marriage unless proven otherwise through the
process of church annulment. Yes, you would have to petition the Church for a formal
hearing of your case of nullity. It seems you may have an excellent case, but the
Church would require you to fill in a questionnaire that would explain your marriage in
detail so that the church can answer a very simple question: Did God join this
marriage?
Father
David
Father David:
Is it right during the Liturgy of the Mass for a person to
take our gifts from beneath the Altar before the Communion Prayer begins? I guess
they are in a hurry to count the collection.
Thanks, Martha
Dear Martha:
What can I say? Each parish has its own security arrangements for
the collection. In my parish, the collection is taken from the altar during Mass to
ensure that no one steals it. It has happened before that the collection was taken
from the altar area when everyone is busy at the end of Mass. This action is about
security. It is not about counting the collection early. Please understand
that some churches are concerned about the security of the collection. Liturgically,
the gifts should stay there at the altar until the end of Mass. Practically, some
measures must be taken as not to present temptations to those who are weak and dependent
on the Lord's mercy and forgiveness.
Father
David
Father:
Is it a sin to get a
tattoo?
Kathy
Dear Kathy:
No, with some conditions.
Body art has been practiced in every culture. In the Old Testament, such body
art was always associated with pagan cults. Therefore, the Hebrew people were
forbidden to have body art since it represented that they were worshiping false gods.
Today, most body art is not associated with cultic practices. The New
Testament says nothing in prohibition against body art. Remember, in Acts of th
Apostles, Chapter 15, the only thing we should stay from is meat and blood of animals that
have been sacrificed and illicit sexual practices usually associated with pagan rituals
and adultery. But, as a Catholic and follower of Jesus, I should not accept on my
body any body art/tattoo that is Satanic, Cultic, Gang Affiliation (because it symbolizes
violence) or offensive. Having your mother's name on your shoulder is one thing, and
there is no sin in that. Having Lucifer tattooed on your body is unacceptable and I
would dare say offensive to the Body of Christ therefore sinful.
Father David
Dear Father:
Thank you for being available for me to ask you this. I
have been Catholic all my life. I have been happy and unhappy in my faith over the years.
I pray to Jesus every night. My dilemma now is this:
In November of 1999 I got married. My husband is a Methodist who had been married before.
I went to my parish priest and asked him to marry us in the church. He told me that he
couldn't do it until my husband petitioned for his previous marriage to be annulled. And
if this didn't happen, then I couldn't take communion when I went to church on Sundays.
Needless to say, we were married by my town's Mayor. And according to my parish priest, I
am now 'living in sin'.
I am in a quandry over this. My husband isn't even my faith, why would I have been told I
was not going to be welcome at communion if I let this marriage take place outside the
church? I haven't been to church since this incident, because it seems like a man-made
rule that doesn't make any sense to me. I have a 15 year old daughter that won't go to
church because I am not 'welcome' there. I am 6 months pregnant with a baby that I would
have liked to have baptized into the Catholic religion.
I am writing to you because this is really starting to bother me now. Can you help me?
Thank you
Sara
Dear Sara:
I sympathize with you, but to be
a member of the Church, you must live as the Church has asked us to live. Following
Jesus Christ with ALL our heart, soul, mind, and strength demands so much from us.
All Catholics are required to marry in the church, why? Because according to
Ephesians 5:16, marriage represents the marriage of Christ and His Church. Also, see
Revelation 19 and 21 for further explanation on how the SACRAMENT OF MARRIAGE is the
living symbol of Christ's love for us. Also, in the gospel, Jesus is quite clear,
and WE CANNOT CHANGE HIS WORDS: Whoever marries a divorced person commits adultery
(Matthew 19). I cannot change the words of Jesus. The Church accepts your
husband's first marriage as VALID unless proven otherwise. The process of annulment
answers one question that is from the gospels: What God has joined, no one can
separate. Those are Jesus' words. The question is: did God join this
marriage? We know from our experience that some marriages are not joined by God but
simply by human desire. Mistakes are made. People made decisions against God's
Plan and Will because we are free human beings. And when we make decisions against
God's Will for us, we fail. The process of annulment of a sacramental marriage seeks
the inspiration of the Holy Spirit through a legal (canonical) process to see if the
marriage was of God's Will. There are some conditions that must be met for a
God-joined, sacramental marriage: (1) Both parties must be free to marry and
cannot be forced into a marital bond; (2) Both parties must enter the marriage
unconditionally (no ands, ifs, or buts, and NO PRE-MARITAL deals or contracts); (3) Both
parties must be mature adults understanding and accepting a life-long commitment and its
responsibilities, able to communicate openly and able to give and take in a loving way;
(4) Both parties must be able to communicate sexual love (most people can have sexual
relations, but do they have love and commitment?). Those are just SOME examples that
the Church is looking for in a valid, sacramental marriage. If your husband is
married, then we must say that he is still sacramentally married to his first wife and you
are "living in sin." That's why your parish priest asked you to consider
beginning an annulment process for your husband so that both of you can be free to marry
in the Church and be FULLY united with the Church. I know that my answer is complex,
but please understand, we cannot change the words of Jesus. He said that divorced
people cannot remarry ideally. But, the annulment process helps people find out if
their marriages are sacramental and according to God's WIll for them. My prayers are
with you, and I pray that you will have a long and happy life together. Please
accept your parish priest's invitation and begin the annulment process so that the Church
can recognize that your marriage is a living, breathing sign of Christ's love for His
Church!
God
bless
Father
David
Dear Father
Over the last year or so some
people in our parish stand after the consecration and remain standing until Communion.
The rest of the congregation stand for the Our Father then kneel before we say
"Lord I am not worthy to receive you". It makes us look like a church
divided. I have always been taught to kneel during that part of the Mass until we go
up for Communionm as a sign of humbling ourselves before Our Lord. Can you explain
what is going on? Is it only at our parish and is it something approved by the Holy
father?
Karen
Karen:
:Depending
on the local customs around the world, liturgical gestures such as standing, sitting,
kneeling are governed by the local conference of bishops, the local bishop of the diocese,
and the rubics of the Roman Missal (Sacramentary), and the decrees of the Congregation of
Worship at the Vatican. Since the Vatican has allowed each National Conference to
make its own regulations concerning liturgical gestures, our country (USA) officially
adheres to the present rubics (regulations) of the Roman Missal that says that we kneel
together from after the Holy Holy to the Great Amen, and then again from the Lamb of God
to the reception of Holy Communion. In my own diocese (Archdiocese of Los Angeles),
our Cardinal Archbishop has written a pastoral letter on the liturgy. In that
letter, he says that we should consider standing from the Our Father until EVERYONE has
received communion. There are other recommendations in the pastoral letter as well.
Standing as a liturgical gesture symbolizes the resurrection, our destiny as the
People of God. The procession to receive communion symbolizes our journey to heaven.
Standing symbolizes our future resurrection. This makes sense to me since the
Consecration at Mass symbolizes and makes real the death of the Lord (Body and Blood are
separated therefore we are present at Calvary), and in Holy Communion, Body and Blood of
Jesus is reunited in me and that symbolizes and make real the Resurrection of the Lord at
Easter. Standing symbolizes this reality of the resurrection. The
bishop/archbishop of your diocese is responsible for the care of the liturgy. Please
follow his lead since he is our shepherd. He alone makes the rubics (regulations) of
the liturgy according to our local needs and customs. And since liturgical prayers
and gestures also teach a message: the reality of the liturgy is that the life, death, and
resurrection of the Lord Jesus has saved us! And through the Mass, we participate in
the death and resurrection of the Lord until He comes in glory at the end of time.
Father
David
Dear Father:
Why are people
selfish and jealous? Why don't they admit it?
Thanks,
Sanjay
Sanjay:
This is very simple:
we are a sinful people in need of the Lord's forgiveness, mercy, and reconciliation.
Father
David
Father:
I believe in the
real presence of Christ in the Eucharist and I have a question about this: Are
Catholics eating Christ's transfigured Body or His Body that died on the cross?
Diane
Dear Diane:
We are eating (Banqueting, Communing) the
resurrected Body of Jesus the Lord. He is risen, alleluia!
Father
David
Father:
What is the Catholic
basis for saying human life begins at conception rather than some other point?
Norman
Dear Norman:
Read "Psalm
139, Verse 13: For thou didst from my inward parts, thou didst knit me together in
my mother's womb....my frame was not hidden from thee when I was being made in
secret". Human life logically begins at conception. The Church HAS
ALWAYS TAUGHT through the centuries that our being, soul, personality is present from the
moment of conception. The Scriptures are SO FULL of references that support this.
When Jesus was conceived in Mary's womb, He was totally present there in his
humanity and divinity. He didn't decide to come into the fetus/embryo at a later
time....no, He was present from the beginning. The human fetus/embryo is not
potential life, it IS life. The call of the prophet Jeremiah is so affirmative of
this truth. In Jeremiah, Chapter 1, Verse 4: Before I formed you in the womb,
I knew you, and before you were born, I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the
nations." WOW! DO you need any other proof that human life begins at
CONCEPTION????????
Father
David
AUGUST 2001
FATHER AMARO SAUMELL
Dear Father:
I have an elderly aunt who is dying of
cancer. She is not religious and I don't know if she believes in God. She is a
wonderful woman, cares and loves her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
She is a really nice loving person.
What will happen to her when she dies?
I woke up wondering and thinking about this, this morning. That got me thinking
about my parents and brother, what happened to them. None of them were Catholic or
churchgoers but I know they believed in God. My mom was a wonderful caring
woman. My dad and brother were both alcoholics but they were not bad men. I
just can't believe that they are not in Heaven because they were not Catholic. I
feel that God is a loving God and He knows that they were good people.
I really need to understand this. Can
someone help me to understand?
Cat
Dear Cat:
None of us can presume the
judgment of God because only God knows the human heart. Only God knows what a person
knows and how the person acted upon it. But we can know something about God from
what He has given us, can't we? We have compassion; that is a gift from God.
Remember the Samaritan and the beggar? What criteria did Jesus use in the judgment
of the Samaritan? The Samaritan acted on what he knew. Now, the Pharisees as
represented in the scriptures knew a lot. But did they act on it? Jesus told
them that those of Sodom and Gomorrah would enter the kingdom before them. He said
also that they would pay to the last penny.
My point is that you would
want to express the mercy of God on your family. They may have been exposed to the
faith. But they may never have known the faith as you do. Offer the good that
they have done to God in the Eucharist. Also, read my answer on Purgatory in
"Ask a Priest" (February 2001) in CatholicView concerning the wonder of
Purgatory. I think it will help you learn just how much God wants us to be
perfected. God's will is merciful and wonderful.
Hope this helps. God
bless.
Fr Amaro Saumell
Dear Father:
I know we don't pay a priest
for his services, but when is it appropriate to make a donation to the priest and what is
a proper amount? My mother said the priest used to get all of one of the
collections. Perhaps at Easter? Is this still true?
Denise
Dear Denise:
One of the promises we make
as priests is to follow the teaching of the Church. Even in Canon Law we're told
that a priest is never to use his office for personal gain. If a priest is
spiritually focused, he will be joyful in fulfilling his duties in the service of God and
His people, whether you give a gift or not.
Something that is dictated or
demanded is not a gift. If you give a gift to a priest it should be something that
you are expressing. It should never be something that you're compelled to do.
Yes, there might be places in
the world where priests get a portion of the collection directly. But as a priest
who lives in a lovely home, has plenty of food, has all utility bills paid for, don't you
think I get a share of the collection? Most of us live much better than our
parishioners. We are shown great love.
If you should give a gift, it
is good to know how it will be accepted too. A religious priest takes a vow of
poverty. The order will dictate how strict this would be adhered to. If you
give a gift, it might have to go to the order. On the other hand, the priest's
superior might find that the priest has a need and let him keep it. A diocesan
priest does not take a vow of poverty. However, he is responsible for his own
retirement and welfare. He even pays self-employment tax. As any human being,
priests enjoy gifts. If they expect gifts, you might want to think twice as to
whether they contribute to a good or not.
Hope this helps.
Fr Amaro Saumell
Dear Father:
Can non-Catholics be buried
in a Catholic cemetery?
Mary
Dear Mary,
Yes, a non-Catholic may be
buried in a Catholic cemetery. This may not have always been so everywhere.
But if a Catholic is married to a non-Catholic, it would be expected that they could be
buried together.
As a Church we have learned
and continue to learn about compassion. If a non-Catholic desires to be buried in a
Catholic cemetery, it may be a sign of a conversion. What would Jesus do?
Hope this helps.
God bless, Fr
Dear Father:
I am presently in the process
of attempting to have my former marriage annulled by the Church. Neither my
ex-husband or myself are Catholic. however he is engaged to someone who is Catholic.
Due to the circumstances of the relationship, I have spoken with a priest and his
belief was that we had a chance of it being annulled. However, the priest I was
talking with has moved to a new parish. I would like to go and talk with the Deacon
who has been advising my ex-husband. My concern with this is two fold: First,
is it wise to talk with someone who is already counseling my ex? Secondly, I know
that what I talk about with a priest is confidential, is that the same if I speak with a
deacon?
Thanks,
Laura
Dear Laura:
If you both know that there was
some reason for the invalidity of your marriage and you agree on those reasons, it may not
be harmful to see the same deacon. Yet it could still be a bit awkward for the
deacon. If you have different versions of why the marriage is invalid, it would be
disastrous.
Remember the priest or deacon is only the
"advocate" in the annulment process. He will help you decide on the
grounds on which an annulment should be investigated. It is best to look at oneself
when applying for an annulment. Even if you married the worst person in the world,
YOU made the decision to marry. It is best to examine how that took place. You
must ask yourself, "Where was my head"? "Was I really capable of
knowing this person?" "Was I really mature enough to know?" Yes, the
other may have had lots of problems. But you made the decision to go into the
marriage. Answering why from this viewpoint keeps the annulment process from
becoming another divorce. It brings one into a different view of the approach and
responsibility of the decision to marry. It will also guarantee that you choose
better next time.
Choose a priest or deacon that you can be
open with. They will be confidential. Even if they weren't (highly unlikely),
who will be upset with you for examining yourself?
Hope this helps.
God bless, Fr.
Dear Father:
I visit the Catholic Church
with my boyfriend. I do not want to be disrespectful to others in the church when I
visit. Should I do the crossings and kneel prior to sitting in the pew? I grew
up Baptist and now am a member of the Presbyterian denomination but this is a really gray
area for me.
Thanks, Father
Laura
Dear Laura:
These are the outward signs
of our faith. The sign of the Cross is a gesture to witness to our living under the
Cross of Christ. The use of Holy Water in doing this is a gesture that reminds us
that we cannot approach the altar of God and join in the Sacrifice of His Son without
being baptized into His Body. Genuflection means that you truly believe the words of
Jesus that say "This is my Body" and not "This is a representation of my
body..." We as Catholics genuflect to the Body of Christ in reservation in the
Tabernacle. There is an explanation of this that might help you to decide for
yourself in the article on my website called "Recovering Catholics". (Fr
Amaro’s Home Page) It might help you to decide what is appropriate to you.
Hope this helps.
God bless, Fr.
Dear Father:
Is self injury a sin?
Someone who, when faced with overwhelming emotional distress, cuts or bruises
themselves to make the emotional pain more tolerable.
Susan
Dear Susan:
Well, is having cancer
a sin? Is being mentally retarded a sin? All these things show our mortally
and imperfection. Self mutilation is an illness. Even if there is a degree of
sin in the act, it is not a complete act of the will and allows for no reflection.
This however, does not
leave the person completely blameless. Intellectually, the person often knows that
there is a dysfunction. The person has the duty to seek treatment to solve the
problem so that the self, which is a creation and gift from God, can be treated with the
dignity and respect intended by Him.
Hope this helps,
God bless, Fr.
July 2001
FR DAVID GRANADINO
Dear Father:
If a woman had an abortion when she
was young and stupid but now is very, very sorry and truly understands the harm she has
done will she go to hell or is there any way God would consider forgiving this horrendous
sin and letting her join her parents in Heaven?
Please give me your answer to this
question.
April
Dear April:
Of course you will go to heaven,
because God the Father, through His Son's sacrificial act of His death and resurrection,
by the power of the Holy Spirit, forgives all sin. You have confessed to the Lord
your sin, and hopefully you have gone to confession and explained what happened and
received absolution through the sacrament of penance(confession). Simple? Yes,
forgiveness is simple because the Lord's justice is about healing, reconciliation, and
peace. He wants you in heaven. By the way, God doesn't send us to hell.
People send themselves to hell by the decisions they make. Hell exists, not because
we have a mean and punishing God, but because He wants us to have a choice. There
can be no true love without a choice. God wants us to truly love Him with all our
heart, soul, and strength. So, there must be a choice, and hell exists for that
reason. Lucifer made a choice...he wanted to go to hell and be separated from His
Creator. So, please understand something. Abortion is murder, yes. But,
because you have asked for the Lord's forgiveness, you have eternal life because you made
the choice to reconcile with the God of life. I hope that you will use your
forgiveness to help others who find themselves in the same situation you found
yourself. I hope that you will help others to choose life instead of death.
We will see you in heaven, my friend.
Fr David Granadino
Dear Father:
Can a divorced man become a
Franciscan Monk? How about someone with a previous felon record?
Thank you for your answer.
Barbara
Dear Barbara:
A divorced man cannot be accepted
into a religious community unless that divorced man seeks a church annulment of his
marriage. After a church annulment is granted, it is possible to become part of the
Franciscans or any other religious community, or order. But there are many questions
to be asked, and an investigation is to be done by the pastor of his parish before he is
considered as a viable candidate for religious life. Concerning someone with a
felony, depends on the felony. Once again, we must look at the person's entire life.
Felonies such as murder, sexual/spousal abuse, make a person ineligible for
religious life of any sort. But, God is forgiving, and God calls the weak to
confound the strong. Even a person with a criminal record can apply if he/she is
willing to go through a rigorous entrance examination of life, spiritual maturity, and
willingness to live the vows of chastity(celibacy), obedience to the superior, and
poverty. This involves many interviews with the superiors of the religious
community, interviews with a psychologist, and recommendations from the person's pastor,
friends, and others.
It is certainly not easy, but it is
possible.
Fr David Granadino
Dear
Father:
I just
found your “Ask a Priest”category, and think it may turn out to be a blessing
for me because I have a question. I am wondering why Catholics may not be married in
a Protestant church with a Catholic priest CO-officiating. I realize that there must
be a "good reason" and "permission" must be granted from the Bishop
but can you tell me the "whys" and the reasoning of this? It seems that
some dioceses in the U.S. allow this and others have a policy not to allow it at all.
Is it a Universal Catholic law, or not? And what course of action should a
sincere practicing Catholic take if he or she is refused?
The non-Catholic party is put in a sad condition of misunderstanding.
We at least need to know how to explain it.
Thank you
for your answer.
Louise
Dear
Louise:
The
Church sees the sacrament of marriage as its own gift that must be protected from
abuse. Saint Paul writes in the first letter of Paul to the Corinthians, Chapter
7:12-16, that Christians should marry their own kind. So, the Church follows this
advice: marry your own kind. Catholics should marry Catholics so that there is
peace between husband and wife in the area of spirituality and religion. That is a
universal rule. But love sometimes knows no limits, and the Church, to provide peace
to the families, concedes that love can touch those who do not share a common faith.
Dispensations from our church law are given with the provision that the children are to be
brought up Catholic. In regards to a priest co-officiating in a Protestant Church,
when a dispensation from the church law that says a Catholic MUST marry in a Catholic
Church, the Church says that we accept the Protestant minister as our witness in the
sacrament of marriage. Most dioceses in the United States will not allow a priest to
co-officiate in a marriage between a Catholic and a non-Catholic Christian. Blame
Saint Paul for that. We are advised in 1Corinthians to marry our own kind in
regards to belief in Jesus Christ.
You may find it interesting that the Church VALUES marriage so
much that much of church law is written in regards to marriage. In Ephesians
5:21-33, marriage represents the love between Christ and His Church. The Church is
the bride of Christ (see Revelations 21:1-3 and Revelation 19:7-8)! That's why a
marriage of a Catholic HAS TO HAPPEN in a Catholic Church (as versus the beach, hotel,
park, garden, house) so that the full meaning of marriage can be proclaimed and celebrated
by the Church as a whole. The love between husband and wife is the reflection,
mirror, of Christ's love for me, for all of us. So, marriage is a public act to be
witnessed by all in the Church. That's why a Catholic has to be married in a
Catholic Church unless given permission otherwise for serious pastoral; reasons such as
family unity between different faiths.
Hope this answers your question, Louise.
Father David Granadino
JUNE 2001
FR AMARO SAUMELL
Dear Father:
Is pre-marital sex a mortal sin?
Michael
Dear Michael:
Well, let's start with what it
means to be mortal. To be mortal denotes the immutable fact that we are as one
philosopher puts it, "beings towards death." So a mortal sin causes death
in some respects. However when we act by the order that God has given to protect us
through Christ who conquered our mortality, we find ourselves in not only life, but
eternal life.
I've so often heard "We
were in love..." as if this justifies sexual activity. Love is not merely an
emotion or feeling. It is a conviction. Feelings are fickle. They come
and go. Love is a decision to move beyond the impulses and feelings into a decision
to guard and protect. Protection sustains life. It holds life in the
highest regard. It respects the art of living above all and seeks to make that
living as perfect as possible despite human feelings. This is not
to say that there is no romance. But romantic feelings do change according to
circumstance. But real love does not.
Why do people have pre-marital
sex? Is it a life giving experience? Does it reveal a unity among two people
who are looking out for the best interests of the other? And what are the
consequences or results of such an act? Because the sexual union is something
created by God and its function is twofold: The unity of the relationship, and
the openness to new life. Let's tackle the unity of the relationship first.
The sexual union is a sign of
intimate trust. It is meant to express love and commitment. And love means
that one looks out for the best interest of the other person. When the adolescent
experiences sexual fascination because of lack of maturity, it is all self-centered.
It is purely masturbatory. But when one is mature, one will be ultimately and
uniquely looking to express safety and commitment to another. It looks to protect
the vulnerability of the other. It is not impulsive. Rather, it is extremely
deliberate. It requires thought and action towards a good end. The two are not
only revealed physically, but are totally vulnerable to each other
emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually. The knowledge of commitment expresses
a safety to the other that there will be no pain born of the experience. In other
words, it is a life-giving experience of true freedom.
The second part of the
sexual union is that it is open to new human life. A child may be conceived in that
union. That child has the right to be born into a commitment of protection and
security. It has the right to be born into a relationship where love is so strong
during the learning years that the child will be filled with a good and nurturing
experience.
So, if you ask if pre-marital
sex is a "mortal sin"? I would ask in return, "Does it give
life? Does it remain open to new life? Is there a commitment to take on
responsibility of family unity? Will it provide the safe environment and commitment
to the two parties involved? Does it provide for the security of family life for
those who are born out of the union? Of course not. It only reveals error and
mortality because it is open to pain, using of another, and the sorrows of children who
will not know the love of a secure relationship of loving, committed parents. It's
death to all that is good in the relationship as well as to the confidence that should be
found in family life. It is the epitome of what is found instead in
mortality, error, and consequence. God ordained marriage as the ultimate communion
of the two people. One is ultimately saying to the other, "This is my body
given up for you".
This is why, when
couples come up to me as couples in the Communion line I say, "The Body of
Christ". They respond, "Amen". Then I say, "Thank
you for your Sacrament"! Sacraments are life giving. They spell out our
proliferation of love and safety for eternity. So you ask is pre-marital sex a
"mortal sin"? After considering the above, I think you know the answer.
Father Amaro
The above reply is
an excerpt from an article I wrote for my own website concerning this issue. If you
would like to read this article in its entirety, come and visit Fr Amaro’s Home Page. Hope to see you there.
Dear Father:
I would like to know what is
acceptable posture during Mass. Should I kneel? I have all my life and
continue now, while others say the Bishop gave them permission not to. What is
right?
Debra
Dear Debra:
There is much debate about
postures used at mass. The use of kneeling during the Eucharistic Prayer is the
common posture. However, the documents of the Church do allow for differences in
culture. That gives some degree of flexibility.
When examining such things we
have to take into account the most important thing such as "Does this issue have
anything to do with the salvation of my soul?" Unfortunately, there are some
that worship the way they worship rather than looking at worship as the way to communally
acknowledge and express our unity with God.
We look to the instruction
of the Church for many liturgical gestures and actions. They can vary from place to
place, as conferences of bishops in different parts of the world have the authority to
integrate what is meaningful to the culture. For example, in some parts of the
Orient, the gesture of genuflection would have absolutely no meaning. Bowing is the
preferred gesture.
Gestures and postures are merely
an expression of what is in the heart. I have people in my congregation who have
arthritis or other problems. They cannot kneel. Then there are some who insist
on genuflecting before the Blessed Sacrament before reception, completely ignoring the
fact that the person behind them isn't expecting it, therefore tripping them and causing
great injury. That type of behavior is an act against love of neighbor for the sake
of "making a point".
In answer to your
question, yes, the common practice for our culture is kneeling...at this time. But
that can change. However, it is best to use whatever posture is being adopted by the
worshipping community. Ask yourself, "Am I revealing a unity with these people
in the presence of God?"
The important thing isn't the
contortion of your physical body when worshipping the Lord. The important thing is
that you are expressing love for God and neighbor.
Hope this helps.
Father Amaro
MAY 2001
FATHER DAVID F. GRANADINO
Dear Father:
I was baptized and raised Roman
Catholic and continue to practice this religion today with my two children. When I
was married 15 years ago, I was married in the Greek Orthodox Church. I applied for a
dispensation from my local catholic church at that time. I also attended several
counseling sessions with my spouse and a priest(pre-cana). Recently an elderly aunt
of mine made a point that I would not be eligible for a Catholic burial because of my
non-Catholic marriage ceremony. (1) Is this true? (2) I have no record of my
dispensation. Should I? (3) Is it possible to have a marriage
blessed in the Catholic Church now after 15 years?
Thanks!! - Carolyn
Carolyn:
(1)
Your marriage was blessed in the Greek Orthodox Church, and we as a Catholic Church
recognize that marriage. We accept sacraments in the Greek Orthodox Church as valid,
even though it doesn't work the other way around. The dispensation from LACK
OF FORM (you mentioned this) was given, therefore your marriage is canonically and validly
recognized in the church. You have contracted the sacrament of marriage. So,
there is NO NEED for you to have your marriage blessed in the Church, because it is
already blessed in the church.
(2)
Any Catholic, no matter their relationship with the church, is entitled to a Catholic
burial unless the person is EXCOMMUNICATED publicly, and that excommunication was
scandalous to the Christian community. You are entitled to a Catholic burial because
you are in full communion with the Church. I hope you are receiving communion
regularly.(2) Any Catholic, no matter their relationship with the church, is
entitled to a Catholic burial unless the person is EXCOMMUNICATED publicly, and that
excommunication was scandalous to the Christian community. You are entitled to a
Catholic burial because you are in full communion with the Church. I hope you are
receiving communion regularly.
Your elderly aunt is misguided
in her opinion of your status in the Church.
Father Granadino
FATHER AMARO
SAUMELL
Dear
Father:
Father, I
am a convert from Presbyterianism. What does the Church teach about the
"anti-christ?
Patricia
Dear Patricia:
The scriptures were written
centuries ago. They were written for anyone who would read them and were applicable
to the believer. This is the first clue in looking at the anti-Christ. The
anti-christ was just as real and applicable during those generations. That tells us
that the anti-christ is not necessarily a person but rather a spirit and attitude.
There are many
different theologies on the anti-christ, but when one looks at the application for all
generations of the faithful, many theologies can be reduced to mere speculation. For
those in the time of St. John, the "antichrist" could have been the Roman
government. During the Second World War, it could be projected on the Nazi
regime. The "culture of death" mentality of our times can be seen as an
anti-christ. All of these things are contrary to the Gospel and intended to be
so. They are more than an isolated sin. They are actual movements of peoples against
the Gospel of Christ. Therefore, they are "anti-christ".
We are many and yet
we know ourselves as the Body of Christ. Knowing that, it is not so difficult to
understand the existence of another body that is completely opposite. We are now His
Presence in the world. The "others" who are particularly and decidedly
diametrically opposed to the Gospel may be seen as those against Jesus or
"anti-christ".
Those who live by their
baptism have no fear of the anti-christ because they know Jesus as the conqueror of all
evil. They know Him as the success story of the Father. They know Him because
they live in the Holy Spirit. They live that courage just as those who were
ravaged and martyred by wild animals in the early church for their faith. They lived
by the same courage, a gift of the Holy Spirit that compelled many to protect the Jews
from the Nazis. No anti-christ could have power over their souls. This is
something Jesus died for and gives abundantly to all who believe in Him.
When you read the
scriptures, picture yourself in any given generation. It can help you apply what you
read more effectively. Whatever you read should be applicable to all
times. The scriptures were not meant to be a tool of intimidation for any age.
It is called the "Good News" and not the "Jesus
Nightmare".
MARCH 2001
FR DAVID GRANADINO
Dear Father:
From a priest’s view what are the main differences
between a Catholic and a Protestant?
Mark Kime
Dear Mark:
There are four major areas of difference between
Catholics and "Protestants." These areas are: Theology and
Philosophy; History; Sacraments; Teaching and Doctrine Check and Balances System.
THEOLOGY AND PHILOSOPHY:
The Catholic Church teaches
that humankind is good by nature. The Protestants hold that humankind is evil and
sinful by nature. Since we are all created in the image and likeness of God, how can
we be bad? And even though the sin of Adam and Eve (original sin) ruined it all for
us, it doesn't change our basic nature which is created in God's image. In Genesis,
remember that God saw all His creation as good. The Protestants take Isaiah's words
out of context when the prophet writes that all our actions are like rags before the Lord.
Sure they are since I cannot make it to heaven without
Jesus Christ. But because I cannot merit salvation on my own doesn't make me bad.
On the contrary, the teachings of the Lord encourage us to live out our DIVINE and
INBORN dignity as God's GOOD creation. Because of this, there is a MAJOR difference
in teaching and moral life.
HISTORY
The Catholic Church was founded by Jesus Christ on the foundations of the
Apostles. Everybody else came forth because of human pride and greed. History
is on the side of the Catholic Church. Apostolic Succession IS SO IMPORTANT to our
church. This means that the leaders of our church (deacons, priests, bishops) have
an unbroken line of succession that can be traced all the way back to the apostles.
This is signified by the laying on of hands during the ordination ceremony.
For example, when I was ordained a deacon and later a priest, I was ordained by a
bishop who was ordained by another bishop, who was ordained by another bishop all the back
to the Apostles themselves. We maintain the records to ensure our direct connection
to the Apostles. We are the historical church of Jesus Christ.
SACRAMENTS
We have seven sacraments:
The Sacraments of Initiation into the Church
1) BAPTISM
2) CONFIRMATION
3) HOLY EUCHARIST
The Sacraments of Healing
4) PENANCE (Confession)
5) ANOINTING OF THE SICK
The Sacraments of Vocation
6) MARRIAGE
7) HOLY ORDERS (Deacon, Priest, Bishop)
Seven Sacraments in total that are explained so clearly in the Bible. They are very
clear signs of God's relationship with us!
TEACHING AND DOCTRINE CHECK AND BALANCES SYSTEM
We are one Church. We are not organized into many independent
churches. The New Testament says that there is one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, so
in the Catholic Church, there is only one church, with many "way stations"
called parishes. There is one pastor of our church: the Pope. He is the
bishop of Rome and at the same time the pastor of the universal Catholic Church. He
is the direct successor of SAINT PETER whom the Lord Jesus gave the keys of the Kingdom of
Heaven. Saint Peter was also given the job by the Lord to support his "fellow
brothers" in the ministry. To this day, the Pope does that. He
is also responsible to make sure that everyone teaches the SAME thing, and the SAME truth
in Jesus Christ. So right from the beginning, the Church was organized with a clear
Apostolic leadership: bishops, priests, deacons, and other ministers. Together, we
keep the faith given to us by Jesus Christ through the Apostles pure from all error.
For example, I cannot teach something that the Catholic Church has never taught.
The check and balance system of the church as manifested in the church leadership
would call me in and tell me I am wrong. All teaching HAS to be based on the Bible
and on the traditions handed down to us by the Apostles.
So, there you have it. That's why I am Catholic and not Protestant.
- Father David
FEBRUARY 2001
Fr Amaro
Saumell
Dear Father:
Can you explain
exactly what purgatory is? I am unclear on this issue.
Respectfully yours,
Lucille
"Here’s a little different
approach to the concept of Purgatory. You’ll often hear the argument that Purgatory
is not mentioned in the scriptures...but isn’t it? Take a look at the way Jesus
speaks to the Pharisees. In one place he tells that those of Sodom and Gomorrah will enter
the Kingdom before them. What are they doing
in the meantime? In another place, He tells them “You will pay to the last
penny.” The forgiven person might be forgiven for the crime, but restoration must
still be completed in Christ. There are many in the state of grace through forgiveness who
still have not attempted to restore the damage of their sins when possible. One can find
atonement through full immersion of voluntary restoration or with the resistance of
remnants of pride when restoration is impossible. So, Purgatory is the test to ourselves
of response.
Jesus is
speaking of the purification of the human person. I hope that the readers here will excuse
my very sexist example of an analogy. But I liken purgatory to the woman who will not
leave her house without her make-up on. That woman has spent her life time creating an
image that has become more than fashion. Now it is an obsession. She has lost sight of the
goodness that God had created in her. Her facade has become her reality. Her pride in her
creation becomes more important than what God created.
Many
of us have our “make-up” that we will only reveal in public. We also have our
“other side,” the side that we really know we are. We somehow convince ourselves
that our other side is bad, so we re-create ourselves to “fit in” the world. Yet
God knows what he created, “and it was good.”
There are
many things written about Purgatory. Much of the writing is done is a mystical language...
an analogy. We have pictures in our minds of fire and pain. But take a moment and think
about that. Fire itself is oxidation of matter. Pain is of the physical body. It requires
a chemical change to take place. Remember, the human soul is no longer in a physical
world. It is no longer part of time and space, minutes or geography. There is no physical
matter. We speak in “analogy” about Purgatory, which is a temporal state of
“being,” but not necessarily temporal as in the physical creation of matter,
time, and space.
Fire for the spiritual person is an analogy of the great power of
goodness. The Holy Spirit is represented by fire. Speech of the Gospel is represented by
fire. Even God’s appearance to Moses is represented by a fire in the burning bush...
which, by the way, remained unharmed.
The
“fire” of purgatory can be likened to the purity of God’s love, a love that
can only receive goodness. Here’s another analogy, although not a very good one.
Picture a fiery caldron of molten lava. If one puts a hand toward it slowly, it can be
very painful. That’s because one is resisting the heat because of terror. We often
become afraid of who we really are. But if that same person merely dove into the fiery
lava with trust, that person would not “feel” a thing.
We
might look at the fire of Purgatory as the presence of God’s purifying love. When we
resist, it becomes painful. It is our pride that prevents is from full emersion. It is the
fire of truth which sorts out all the unnecessary components of our lives which we
“hang on to” before God. However, if in this life we allow ourselves to be fully
immersed in God’s love, there is no pain. If we find ourselves actively restoring to
God’s order and goodness, we find ourselves sainted instead.
So pride is the “burning flesh” of purgatory, for it resists by
trying to cloak the reality of our lives. Sin may be forgiven, but we have not released it
ourselves by embracing the whole truth and restoring what we can through action or
repentance. We may not have attempted to restore the damage of our sins. Have you ever met
a person who has recovered from drugs or alcohol who for years after wore it as a badge.
And yet, if you told that person that you were not interested in the bad habits that the
person had, that person would be insulted. He’s wearing his sin as a badge rather
than moving on into the restored person that God has provided him to be. He is not
restored. His past becomes a false identity.
The
Pharisees of course knew of the sin of Adam and Eve. They saw themselves as already
restored because they “obeyed” the Law.. And, in that restoration, they saw
themselves as judges of others... that is, until The Judge arrived. Rather than
embracing the personified forgiveness of the Father through the Son, they resisted.
The
challenge of Purgatory is one that compels us to examine our own lives, to admit our sins,
to be bold enough to participate in the reparation of the damage cause by our sins. If we
dive into this marvelous forgiveness of God and participate with it, we find ourselves at
peace. If we resist it, we find ourselves in personal agony. That agony often becomes our
unnatural cosmetic. God did not create us to be “made up.” He loves us so much
that he provides a way of restoration.
We
are in Communion in the Lord. So the purgation of one’s soul can be aided by others.
Have you ever had a child who made a mistake like breaking a vase? Often, the parent will
convict the child. The child will express remorse. The parent will forgive. The siblings
might feel the pain of their brother or sister and pull out the glue and help the child
restore the vase. The parent would be so pleased that the fellowship of the children was
so complete and personified all he teachings hat had been
given of loving each other. So, we pray for the poor souls in Purgatory. Recently, Pope
John Paul II made apologies for the mistakes of the past. Did he make those mistakes? No!
But we are one Body, one Family. And, because of our truthful admission and ownership of
the faults of “our” church, we are made stronger not to commit them again.
Restoration and restitution can be made. Recognizing our faults and vocalizing them gives
strength to avoid the sin again.
Jesus often used the imagery of a child when it came to entering the
kingdom. If asked why, the average person would say that it’s because a child is
innocent. That’s true. But we must look deeper. A child is innocent because a child has
no past. When we have truly repented of our sins, restored their damage, and moved on,
we find ourselves truly and completely forgiven. We become those with “no past.”
We only have a future of promise, possibility, and growth. It is then that we’re
ready for the Kingdom. It is then that we’re completely purged of anything which
distracts from the goodness God made and intended for the human soul.
So, is
Purgatory a place of terror? That’s totally up to the individual."
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