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If the works of God seem foolish to you, who is the fool — God or you?
Sign: Unattended children will be given an espresso and a free kitten.
Ron.
Can a baptized Protestant go to Confessions in a Catholic church
In my theological opinion, and as I read Canon law, a Protestant could confess and be forgiven if he believed in the power of the Sacrament to forgive sins.
Which, admittedly, would be a strange belief for a Protestant to hold and remain a Protestant.
Hi Ron,
Is there any Church teaching on the Latin Mass? I find truth in much of the Von Hildebrand’s expression of moral ethics however am having a hard time understanding their view on the topic of the Mass. I cannot find any Vatican documents cited in either of their works, it seems more like their opinion. I want to understand more but do not know where to begin. I am getting the notion that they may disagree with the 2nd Vatican Council. I am looking more into this. Thanks for any words.
The form of the Mass is discipline, not doctrine. A faithful Catholic may choose the Latin Mass or the vernacular (Novus Ordo). I know some Catholics speak as if the Latin Mass were fundamental to the faith, but it is not. For the first few hundred years of the Church, the Mass was mostly in Aramaic or Greek. When it was in Latin, it was not the current form of the Latin Mass. The form of the Mass has changed many times in the history of the Church.
What would you say should be the (social and political) meaning of The Social Kingship of Christ? Should the state be confessional? In what sense (a mere material one; in a constitutional-formal one)?
Thank you.
Pedro
I’m not sure what you mean. I think it is acceptable to have a separation of Church and State, as long as the Church takes her proper role to teach and to correct, both individuals and nations/societies. The State need not adhere to the Christian faith, but the state must permit freedom of religion.
How to read then this part of the declaration DH: «[Religious freedom, in turn, which men demand as necessary to fulfill their duty to worship God, has to do with immunity from coercion in civil society. Therefore] it leaves untouched traditional Catholic doctrine on the moral duty of men and societies toward the true religion and toward the one Church of Christ».
Thank you again.
I don’t understand your question. People have a moral duty to seek truth on religion and adhere to it. Society should not compel them, but leave them free to seek God.
Just a brief final question: But society as a whole and its political authorities still have a duty to perform specific acts of public worship and a duty to accept the Church as interpreter of the natural law’s requirements? Thank you very much once again
Well, from our point of view, as Catholics, they have the duty to adhere to the moral law, and accept the Church’s judgment and teaching. But in a pluralistic society, we can’t expect non-Catholics to believe and act like Catholics. I don’t think the government should be in charge of religion, so I don’t think govt officials should be organizing and leading worship.
But they (as government officials) ought at times to participate in acts of religious worship (organized and led by the Church, at solemn dates for example)? Thanks!
Which one was the first Ecumenical Council or Church’s teaching declaring infallibly the Canon of 46 books of the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament ?
I read your good article regarding the inerrancy of Sacred Scripture and the teaching of Pope St. Clement I, but i wonder if at his time the canon was not officially closed yet.
The Council of Florence in the 1400’s and the Council of Trent in the 1500’s both listed the canon of the books of Scripture. The Canon was largely established well before the 1400’s, by the tradition and practice of the Church. But I don’t think the establishment of the canon needed to precede the teaching that Scripture is infallible.
There is an article titled “Priest: Laity must help put out fire of sexual abuse crisis that is destroying Church” published on LifeSiteNews.com that said that “It’s important to recognize that the laity also has the ability to rebuild, he [Fr. John Hollowell] said.” That same article also said that “Hollowell aptly described the sex abuse crisis in illustrative terms in his homily, calling upon the people in the pews and faithful priests to not abandon the Church, and rather to foster more vocations so that God can save His bride.”
I know that sexual abuse by Catholic priests is always unacceptable, always intrinsically evil, always gravely immoral, and always contrary to Catholic Church teaching.
Do you agree with Fr. Hollowell’s position regarding the sex abuse scandals that have taken place within the Catholic Church?
Priests come from the laity. There are priests who abuse because there are laypersons in the pews, laypersons who attend Mass and even receive Communion, who sexually abuse children, teens, and/or adults. And this occurs in the Church because so many Catholics clergy, religious, and laity, commit a wide range of sexual sins, often without repentance. And this is also why contraception and abortion have so much support among Catholics: grave sexual sins.
Are imagining sexual fantasies considered gravely immoral or venial sin?
Usually this would be venial, unless it includes the willingness to commit a sexual sin if opportunity presents itself.
{5:28} But I say to you, that anyone who will have looked at a woman, so as to lust after her, has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
His sin of lust is that he is actually willing to commit adultery (mortal), not that he appreciates her beauty (not sinful), nor that he has a fantasy about her (venial).
Thank you for your patience.
Through a form of Baptism, (formal or mystical), believers in Christ receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit remains with us as long as we retain Sanctifying Grace in our soul.
Re:The people in the Old Testament. Did the believers in God who received a mystical Baptism, receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in their souls, or were they just at certain moments filled with the Holy Spirit?
Yes, they received the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the three theological virtues: love faith hope, and habitual grace (as well as actual graces from time to time).
Recent messages from Blessed Virgin Mary to Pedro Regis:
July 18 Dear children, I am your Sorrowful Mother and I suffer for what comes to you. You walk into a future of great trials. The Church of My Jesus will be small and its faithful will be persecuted. The enemies will invade the Catholic Temples and expel the faithful. This will be a time of great pain for My poor children. I ask you to keep the flame of your faith burning. Do not retreat. Your reward will come from the Lord. In the midst of the great confusion, God will bring forth men and women of courage who will defend the truth and together with the Faithful Ministers will testify of the Church of My Jesus. Bend your knees in prayer. You are not alone. I love you and I am by your side. I ask you to be faithful to Jesus. Do not be deceived by false doctrines. My Son Jesus is the Absolute Truth of the Father and only n ‘ He can find Salvation. Courage. I will pray to My Jesus for you. Whatever happens, remain in the defense of truth. Forward without fear. This is the message I am sending you today in the name of the Most Holy Trinity. Thank You for allowing Me to meet you here one more time. I bless you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Be at peace.
July 16 Pray much before the cross for the Church of My Jesus. Calvary will be painful for those who are faithful. The day will come when the Tabernacles will be removed from the House of God and in many places the men will seek the precious food and will not find it…
These messages describe a time where Catholic Churches will be shut down by enemies and the faithful will have a hard time getting the Sacraments. Ron, do you think that this will be the case here in large cities in the USA?
It describes the tribulation, especially in Europe, when the extremist Muslims invade and conquer. There will also be persecution in other places, as there will be a great schism and then apostasy. Multiple severe controversies in the Church will tear apart diocese and parishes. The faithful will have difficulty finding a Mass with a valid Eucharist, as the liberal false Church will have many invalid priests.
Ron do you think Trumps recent threat to Iran carries any significance concerning the coming war with Iran
No, nothing major. The real turning point will be when Iran announces that they have nuclear weapons. That will cause extremists in the region to want to join with them. Unity among extremists would be very bad.