Q. What is the Catholic Church's position on Medjugorje? (There is a parishioner who says that the Blessed Mother has a daily message for us.) (Coshocton, Ohio) A. As of this date, there has been no official determination by the church as to the authenticity of the Marian apparitions to which you r...
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Q. In a few weeks I will turn 65 years old. I have arthritis in most of my joints; in the early spring, when it's rainy and damp, the arthritic pain can be unbearable. Is it a sin to miss Sunday Mass, given the extreme pain? When is it acceptable to stop going to church and watch Mass on television...
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PARIS (CNS) – An April 15 fire engulfed the iconic Notre Dame Cathedral, sending pillars of flame and billowing smoke over the center of the French capital.             As the sun set over Paris, the fire consumed the upper portion of the...
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Q. I love children, and I know that babies will cry at inopportune times. That said, I am puzzled at the young parents in our parish who allow their children to cry loudly in church for extended periods of time. I tend to believe that it might be part of our American culture of "freedom." But freed...
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MANOPPELLO, Italy (CNS) – At the Shrine of the Holy Face in Manoppello, visitors see a transparent cloth encased between two glass panes within an ornate silver frame above the sanctuary's altar.             Once a light is shined on the...
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Q. Recently I heard read at Mass these words from St. Mark's Gospel: "Amen, I say to you, all sins and all blasphemies that people utter will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an everlasting sin." This puzzled me. How does...
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Q. I was in a liturgy committee meeting at my parish, and I suggested that we have the altar server ring the bell at the consecration during the Mass on Easter Sunday. (We don't normally use altar bells at our parish.) One of the committee members said that the use of altar bells has been banned by...
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Q. I was married by a minister/attorney 40 years ago. My husband was Jewish, and the marriage ended in a divorce after nine months. I now want to marry a man who is a widower. We are both active Catholics, and we want to be married in the church. Will I need to apply for an annulment? If so, how lo...
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Q. My mother was very religious and she always told us that during Lent, whatever you gave up -- ice cream, candy, etc. -- you could have on Sundays. Is that true? Do Sundays count as part of Lent? (Green Bay, Wisconsin) A. I'll answer your second question first, because that's the easier one: "Do...
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VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Signing his document dedicated to young people, faith and discernment, Pope Francis said Mary, the mother of God, is a source of inspiration and strength for everyone who seeks to understand their vocation and remain faithful to it.       
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