Question corner Q: Please explain what an indulgence is and how it can reduce or eliminate the time a soul must spend in purgatory. A: Indulgences are perhaps one of the more misunderstood parts of Catholic practice. But indulgences are deeply rooted in several key Catholic theological concepts, such as the nature of purgatory, the […]
Jenna Marie Cooper: Purgatory readies us for heaven
Question corner Q: When I was evangelical, we said a “saved” person went immediately to heaven at death. In a recent homily our priest said most Christians, including himself, will likely go to purgatory at death. How can Jesus’ shed blood pay for a person’s sins, but the person doesn’t go to heaven at death? […]
Jenna Marie Cooper: Adding context to the ‘fall’ of Satan
Question corner Q: Why did God send Lucifer down to earth to live and rule among his beloved creations? (New Jersey) A: I don’t think we can say that God truly sent the devil — also known as Lucifer, or later as Satan — down to earth in quite the way your question envisions. While […]
Jenna Marie Cooper: It’s OK to enjoy fairies, leprechauns
Question corner Q: Listening to a Catholic radio station one day, they mentioned that leprechauns and fairies were demonic. This shocked me. St. Patrick’s Day celebrations always include leprechauns. Fairies are loved by little girls and big girls alike. I myself made a small fairy garden for me and my granddaughters. We also have many […]
Jenna Marie Cooper: Clarifying marriage nullity process
Question corner Q: I was married in a non-Catholic wedding ceremony, then divorced years later civilly. Once I became Catholic and wanted to marry again, I got an annulment of the first marriage. My non-Catholic friends and relatives said this was a Catholic cop-out to get around Jesus’ prohibition against divorce, by saying that the […]
Jenna Marie Cooper: General absolution: not for routine use
Question corner Q: My brother says that since there are fewer confession times these days, priests should give a general absolution following the “Confiteor” at Mass and encourage those in serious sin to follow up with a regular confession. His argument is that we are losing souls on a metaphorical battlefield, so we should take […]
Jenna Marie Cooper: Cremation is OK, but not preferred
Question corner Q: What is the position or rule of the church concerning cremation? (Indiana) A: There is a short answer to your question in Paragraph 2301 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which tells us that: “The church permits cremation, provided that it does not demonstrate a denial of faith in the resurrection […]
Jenna Marie Cooper: Godparents must be confirmed
Question corner Q: I wanted my aunt and uncle to be godparents for my new baby. Both my aunt and uncle went through 12 years of Catholic school. But the priest told us my uncle couldn’t be godfather to my baby because he never received confirmation. This doesn’t make sense to me because I’m sure […]
Jenna Marie Cooper: Confessionals are required to offer screens
Question corner Q: Is a parish required to provide a screen and kneeler in the confessional? Our pastor moved our confessional from a room with screen and kneeler to a family room that does not have a screen or kneeler. So, our parishioners no longer have the option to use a screen and kneeler. Our […]
Jenna Marie Cooper: Why the church rejects contraception
Question corner Q: A Catholic doctor who has to prescribe birth control pills as part of his job does not agree with the church’s teaching on contraception. He says the Bible does not talk about contraception. If contraception is stopped completely, abortions will go through the roof. Doesn’t it make sense for Third World countries […]
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