Ask a Priest

5,442 Responses

Ronzie, on June 5, 2014 at 1:59 pm said:

Sorry for throwing so many questions at you father, but is it ok to marry a man who is YOUNGER to me, but who is of a marriageable age? Also what qualities should I see in a man I want to get married to?? Thanks a lot in advance!! Im greatly confused and anxious n this is giving me health problems lately 😦

FATHER JOE:

How old are you and how old is he? Age differences can be overcome but they do create problems.

A husband’s main preoccupation should be the happiness of his wife. If a man is too selfish to do this, then there may be problems. A man should be faithful, honest and stable. He should be able to offer a measurable degree of security to you and to a prospective family. Romantic love is sweet, but despite the romanticists, it is not enough. Many people have paid a terrible price for marrying rogues because they were love-blind to faults in character.
marie, on June 3, 2014 at 6:21 pm said:

Please pass on my email address to mike it is jesuswantstosaveusall3@gmail.com
I think it is important he speaks to a fellow Christian who can maybe help him with his issues. I believe he is being heroically oppressed maybe worse and I am writing book on this at the moment.i also have the time to talk him through every issue he has and guide him biblically.please dont see this as an insult sir just a way to help a fellow man by.guiding him to someone who has the time and inclination to help.I have posted before so please reply I feel every soul is so important to God and having seen demonic activity up close I feel this child of God needs help.
elise, on June 3, 2014 at 4:51 pm said:

First of all, I love your website and blog, Father, and I read it everyday. Thank you for this great online ministry.

My question or rather dilemma is: My parents are in the process of divorcing for a number of reasons. My mother and myself are Catholic (she converted to the Catholic Church from the Baptist church after her marriage). My father was not a member of any church and was not baptized at the time of their marriage (although he was baptized into the Baptist church several years later). Does this mean that their marriage was not recognized by the Church?

FATHER JOE: Let me make sure I have the basic facts correct: You and your mother are converts. But she was married to an unbaptized man before her reception into the Catholic Church. Her husband was subsequently baptized in the Baptist Church. Answering your question, the Catholic Church regarded the bond as a natural one; however, after he was married it became a sacrament. They are thus considered married in the Catholic Church and there can be no remarriage without a formal annulment.

Secondly, my mother is a very devout Catholic. However, my father seems to have fallen away from any faith whatsoever. I have encouraged him to go to Mass with me, and tried to “evangelize” him, I guess you would say. I worry about the state of his soul. He was unfaithful to my mother throughout their marriage. He continues to do so now very openly because my parents are separated. My mother does not date as she rightly considers marriage a sacrament and says that she is bound by the vows she made to God. Though, as I previously stated, I wonder about the validity of their marriage in the eyes of the Church since he was not baptized and they were not Catholic then. Anyway, I worry that my father will go to hell for his lies and adultery and as much as I try to encourage him to turn to God, he seems more determined to turn away. He says I meddle – though I never mention any divorce issues between my parents to him as it is not my business. I pray for his soul every day and I am getting very discouraged. Though I know intellectually that it is not the case, I sometimes feel that my prayers are not being heard. I’m not praying for my parents’ reconciliation, but rather for my father’s soul. And thus, sometimes, I become angry at God for this entire situation – though I *know* that this situation was none of His making. It is irrational. The easiest way that I can explain it is that I am angry that God allowed this situation to happen in the first place. Is it a sin to be angry with God for my family falling apart? Is it a mortal sin to be angry?

I am 16 years old and terrified of my family falling apart.

FATHER JOE: There is such a thing as sinful anger, but I suspect that this is not the case here. Even our Lord showed righteous indignation toward the money changers, the lawyers, the scribes and the Pharisees. You are upset about a situation which you feel powerless to change. Continue to pray for your father. He cannot be forced to accept the Lord. Peace!
Tony, on June 2, 2014 at 2:33 pm said:

Dear Father, I believe a lot in saints. It is amazing when you hear that they healed someone, or they did a miracle somewhere. My question is why a saint answer the request of someone and does not for someone else. Does it have to do anything with the faith of the person and how much he is pure?

FATHER JOE: Prayers of supplication are not like making wishes upon a lamp. The saints are intercessors but they have no power of their own. If a prayer is answered or miraculous healing occurs, then it is the intervention of God. All prayer is answered but sometimes the answer is not now and sometimes it is no. Holiness places the person in a more intimate standing with God. We put on the mind of Christ. We begin to love as God loves. This means the holy person of faith better knows as to what he or she should pray. The response reflects the sovereignty of God and his providence or will. The creature does not stand over God and we cannot force his hand. God’s ways are often mysterious because we can only see a small portion of the overall picture. Our posture is to humbly submit to his will for us. Suffering and death come to all. But we know that there is a treasure beyond what this world offers. Our Lord tells us not to be afraid. Whatever comes, we need to face it with faith and courage. God will not abandon us.
raven jones, on May 30, 2014 at 5:05 pm said:

Is there a way i could show you the image? it’s very clear. I even compared it to a virgin Mary photo and it’s the exact image in my picture.

FATHER JOE: Send it as an attachment to frjoe2000@yahoo.com.
Tadiwa, on May 30, 2014 at 3:39 pm said:

thank you
Tadiwa, on May 30, 2014 at 5:19 am said:

Father, I am not catholic and am wondering, is attending the premarital classes compulsory if getting married to a Catholic? I looked up what goes on in the classes and the things that are discussed there are things we have already made decisions about like raising the children, finances, contraception, etc. Thank you in advance.

FATHER JOE: Yes, the classes are mandatory. Particularly if you are not Catholic, and many Catholics themselves are ill-informed, the instructions are vital to help insure that couples know what they are doing and that they respect the SACRAMENT. Remember, a marriage with a Catholic must be in the Church or it will not be recognized. Further, the Catholic must get a dispensation from the (arch)diocese to marry a non-Catholic. You will have to fill out the prenuptial investigation forms. You will have to apply for a dispensation and the Catholic must promise to do all he can to have the children baptized and raised as Catholics. The non-Catholic must understand this promise with the intention of not interfering. Otherwise, getting married will be difficult or impossible. Baptismal certificates will have to be collected, too. Instructions discuss what marriage means as a sacrament of the Catholic Church. If you are not baptized, then the discussion will focus on marriage as a natural bond. It will be explained that marriage can only be consummated by an act of non-contraceptive vaginal intercourse. It will be explained that the couple marry each other through their vows. The instructions will allow you to select the readings for the marriage ceremony. Instructions also often cover topics like natural family planning. The six-month waiting period for instructions is generally required throughout the U.S. It can vary in other countries, even extending to a year.
raven jones, on May 29, 2014 at 6:19 pm said:

Hello, my question is what does it mean when an angel, or virgin Mary appears in a picture. I recently took one and I’ve been having anxiety and a bit nervous because I’m not sure what it means. If its a good or bad thing. But when I look at the picture I tend to get bad anxiety and my heart races. It was a causual selfie and in the background on my shoudler appares to be the Virgin Mary. Please help.

FATHER JOE: I must be honest and admit that I put little stock in such things. I know people get all excited about seeing Mary and Jesus in rust stains, burnt toast, odd glare on photographs, smoke, etc. Often I fail to see it. Part of the problem is the way the brain works. It hates chaos and tries to impose order. That is why if you look at clouds you will eventually see figures or when staring at leaves, view faces. If you focus on a painting of a ship at sea long enough, it will appear to be moving and the waves going up and down. As a boy I would stare at the life-like statues in church. Do so long enough and you could swear that mouths move and eyes blink. All this is to say you should not worry about what you see. I would counsel ignoring what you see as an oddity of the picture and no more.
Father Joe, on May 29, 2014 at 4:02 pm said:

To Christian…

Remember again the conditions for mortal sin. Beyond grievous matter, the person must know that it is wrong and freely intend to commit it. The freedom of the intention can be compromised by all sorts of factors: fear, abandonment, poverty, anger, coercion, addiction, etc. I should qualify that many marriages in the United States are compromised, not just by men but also by women. Spouses walk away from their commitments or commit adultery. Courts are also usually pretty good about enforcing child support, at least in my part of the country. However, I do know of one man who traveled across the country to a state which refuses to extradite dead-beat fathers. If he shows his face here, he will be arrested. When it comes to single mothers, their problems are of their own making, but they did not make them alone. We are wrong as a society to condone fornication and cohabitation. We are wrong to treat sexual congress as chiefly a means of recreation. People damage themselves from the very beginning, even before a child is conceived. The baby becomes one more victim.

How much does ignorance and desperation change the gravity to such situations and the sin of abortion? Only God can say. In any case, the killing of human beings is always an egregious wrong and “the matter” of mortal sin. They may think they have no choice, but that is part of the deception. The right choice is always to safeguard human life. What we have to get over is this ridiculous modern aversion to adoption. There are many couples waiting and praying for a child to raise as their own.

The Obama administration makes its economic point very clear in its HHS Mandate for insurance, asserting that it is cheaper to contracept and terminate than to promote healthy childbirth. Efforts to educate are often thwarted by the so-called pro-choice forces. They circulate the lie that all foster homes and adopted parents are monsters. The Church offers supports for pregnant women, to either keep or to adopt out their children. Pro-Life pregnancy clinics will also lend assistance. There are options and people need to know this. The real choice comes before getting sexually active. In other words, abortion represents one layer of sin built upon another. The Church would seek to form minds and hearts in the truth. The Church would emphasize that the child has meaning beyond dollars and cents. Once we reduce people to commodities, they become wrongly disposable.

There have been churchmen who have discussed such matters. But remember that most of our shepherds, while trained in the faith, are pragmatists and immediate problem-solvers trained in chanceries. They are like car mechanics, not the sages who would ponder the long-term significance of the automobile in our society. RERUM NOVARUM by Pope Leo XIII in 1891 still remains one of our chief teachings on economy and the rights of workers. Saint John Paul II celebrated its one hundredth anniversary, writing CENTESIMUS ANNUS. The latter stated: “Acting either as individuals or joined together in various groups, associations and organizations, these people represent a great movement for the defence of the human person and the safeguarding of human dignity. Amid changing historical circumstances, this movement has contributed to the building up of a more just society or at least to the curbing of injustice.” No doubt reflecting his Solidarity influence, he saw a way around the extremes of capitalism and communism through the affiliations of workers demanding their rights.

Here at home in the U.S., my thoughts go back to the late Msgr. George Higgins. I used to meet up with him for our annual drive to a Labor Day picnic for priests. He wrote: “Economic citizenship requires a voice in the decisions that shape your life and your livelihood— a voice in your job, your community and your country. Economic citizenship requires a sense of recognition and respect for the work you do, the contributions you make and your inherent dignity as a child of God.” Saint John Paul II also gave us LABOREM EXERCENS on the dignity of the worker. It is also an important contribution. I suppose I make these citations to show that the Church is not entirely silent. There is recognition of how economic issues, policies and philosophy can translate into hardship for people, even if not evenly so between men and women or people of certain ethnicities.

Yes, I must admit that I am also trouble with a fascination, especially among certain conservatives and Republicans, with Ayn Rand. While we might admire something of the mythos created of radical independence and self-assurance, the general philosophy of selfishness is incompatible with the Gospel. Rand, herself, admitted as much and repudiated the view of charity espoused by the faith. The other side of the aisle “seems” enamored by socialism and promoting an economic dependence that might entrap an electorate. But I am not sure I hear much screaming from the bishops. The fight for religious liberty is possibly an exception, and long overdue. We had witnessed more silence from the Church than what makes me comfortable. The Church earnestly struggles to brush off partisanship. Speaking for myself, I am not inclined to hold hands with one devil to fight off another. But that is me.
Josh, on May 29, 2014 at 4:04 am said:

I love everyone, but I must say I love my family the most, would this be favouritism and therefore wrong? I am wondering thanks.

FATHER JOE: Love is defined in different ways. When it comes to the ties of family and close friends, even Jesus showed preferences with his apostles, like Peter and John. Love as an emotion is one thing; love as an act of the will is another.
Dave, on May 28, 2014 at 3:28 pm said:

Fr. Joe, how do I put this? when it is said “pratice your faith” what exacly does that mean? define it please in a structured manner. what is the basic elements of Faith in Jesus as God the one we worship as Catholics so that we as Catholic may pratice “the Faith” for to me that pharse is used genericly as in “keep the faith”, promises to God to raise the child in the Faith, “get some faith” for I am sure if I was to ask 100 Catholics I’d get more then one different answer, so what is this thing called “faith”? please define it to a tee. thank you

FATHER JOE: In Catholic parlance it is quite simple, keep or practice the faith means be faithful to the Church and all that she teaches. A Catholic keeps the faith by observing the precepts of the Church. The Knights of Columbus refer to this as being a “practical Catholic.”
Christian Schmemann, on May 27, 2014 at 1:10 pm said:

In regards to Tony’s question about abortion and hell, I understand and have no problem with the fact that mortal sin occurs when a person who fully understands that a particular action is grave matter carries out said action with deliberate intent. I have no qualms about a person who dies unrepentant of said mortal sin is most likely going to suffer eternal damnation, and that abortion is grave matter.

But there is one matter about abortion specific to America that I need to ask about. In a society where women are lucky to make three quarters of the income that men do, where it is all too common for a man to summarily terminate a marriage, and at the same time the Courts refuse to force men to pay child support, leaving the divorced wife and er children in abject poverty and frequently food insecure and homeless, can it be said that a majority of abortions are sought with deliberate intent? Also, there are many single mothers, who for whatever reason, have intimacy issues It seems to me that many American women who get abortions see that they have no choice

Let’s be honest about it, while Pope Francis has called capitalism the modern day Baal, it would have been far more accurate for him to have described capitalism (American capitalism specifically) as a secularized Cult of Moloch. Just as the Cult of Moloch demanded unspeakable methods of child sacrifice, so also modern day capitalism demands abortions. I can’t remember which year it was, but a Guttmacher Institute report from the recent past indicated that 80% of abortions in America are sought for reasons of extreme economic duress. Given what happens all too often to divorced single mothers, I suppose that the economic and legal situation would generate demand for abortions, as I am not sure that it can be said that women honestly think that they have a choice in the matter.

To me it is perfectly clear that the abortion crisis in America by and large is caused by America’s neoliberal capitalism. Why is it that the American Catholic hierarchy tolerates the America’s neoliberal capitalism? Why is it that the American hierarchy screams so loud about Obama’s flawed Contraception Mandate, but does not scream at all about neoliberal capitalism and the living hell that divorced mothers are forced to live through? The Popes do not support American-styled capitalism, and this has been abundantly clear at least since Leo XIII, and it has been every Pope, especially Saint John Paul Magnus, Benedict XVI and now Francis I. Also, why is it that the American hierarchy tolerates the right-wing Ayn Rand cultist politicians Paul Ryan and Speaker John Boehner and their abuses of the Church when at the same time they scream about Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Joe Biden? There is a complete hypocrisy here, and it seems to me that much of the American hierarchy is infected with a Calvinist heresy!
Janet, on May 26, 2014 at 3:38 pm said:

Do I need purgation for eating meat on Friday? The guy next to me is a Protestant, and he eats meat. Is it only a sin because we believe it a sin?

…and what about divorce? Everyone seems preoccupied about homosexuality, but there is more in the Bible about divorce, yet it is acceptable and nobody talks about it as a sin.

FATHER JOE:

What country do you live in? It is my understanding that the bishops in the UK have restored the Friday discipline. This has not yet happened in the U.S. We are only asked to abstain on Ash Wednesday and the Fridays of Lent. Under the precepts of the Church, the Church can impose disciplines and penances. Since we are part of this saving community, yes it is a sin to deliberately ignore such rules. The gravity is not the rule as such (different from Islamic and Jewish legalism) but rather the expression of humility and the openness to spiritual perfection. The Church is a faith community that seeks to guide and form her people. Such rules can be imposed and lifted by lawful authority. There is no absolute divine mandate. Rather, they are an expression of the keys given by Christ to Peter and the Church.

As for divorce, it is a sin for the person or persons who needlessly destroy and walk away from a commitment. No Fault divorce is inherently immoral. What makes it a difficult topic is that it takes one, not two, to destroy the relationship. There may be an innocent party. But which one is it? If truly married, divorced people can neither date nor get married again. Such would constitute adultery.

These matters are quite different. The eating of meat on Friday against the Lenten discipline is the violation of a man-made law in the Church. But Jesus has given something of his authority to men and so the bishops are within their rights to impose censure and punishment (sin). Divorce is a trespass of another whole order because it violates a divine positive law and natural law. Men have no charge over this. Even annulments must prove there was no true marriage. If the bond is judged as genuine, then there can be no annulment. Divorce often leads to romantic entanglements with others, either for oneself or for the spouse. Jesus condemns divorce as a violation of God’s law in creation. That condemnation is still in effect. We cannot change it, even if passive shepherds ignore talking about it.
Tony, on May 26, 2014 at 12:08 pm said:

Dear Father,
Hell is a place of eternal punishment for those who committed mortal sins. Sometimes it is very hard for me to imagine that some people are going to hell. let’s take for example a woman who committed abortion. Of course it is a mortal sin. But as I know this woman, she’s a kind and nice person but she’s convinced that what she did is ok. Does it mean she is going to hell ? Does she deserve that eternal punishment ? It is hard for me to imagine that this woman will have the same destiny of a person who lived his life full with sins, crimes and hate for others. I once read that the lowest level of purgatory is very close to hell, and it is made for people who deserve hell, but because our god found something good in them, he sent them to this place instead of hell.Thank you

FATHER JOE: As Catholics we believe in purgatory or purgation for those who are still afflicted by the fault of venial sins, vices or bad habits and the temporal punishment due to sin. Souls in purgatory are on their way to heaven. If a person dies with a mortal sin on his soul, then he has breached himself from the Lord and hell is his lot. I suspect that there are a lot of “nice” people in hell. Being nice will not save you. We are saved by the grace that comes with a real and sustained relationship with Jesus and his Church. We neither presume our salvation nor damn others. But we do live with a “sure and certain” hope. Remember the conditions of mortal sin: the matter must be grievous, we must know that it is wrong and we must freely will or intend it. Abortion is certainly grievous matter because it is reckoned as the killing of a human being. Even if such were in doubt, the evidence on the side of life is so heavy that one would have to give the benefit of a doubt to the side of life and personhood. Anything less would constitute a callous and selfish attitude toward the unborn. One of the hardest realities with which we must deal is the fact that people we know and love may go to hell. But evil is real, even when it puts on manners or is disguised. If it makes you feel any better, I suspect that God gives us precisely what we want. It may be at death that our self-understanding is realized. The denizens of hell want to be there. One cannot hate God and tolerate living with him in heaven. Just as there are saints of different caliber, so too are their ranks of sinners. Something of this is imaged in Dante’s Divine Comedy. However, I should add that we should not confuse speculation and fantasy with truth or revelation. There is very little that we know about the makeup of the afterlife or the dimensions of heaven, hell and purgatory. It is sufficient that we should love the Lord and want to obey him. We should also trust his providence. Those meant to be saved, will be saved.
Christopher, on May 25, 2014 at 4:35 am said:

Father Joe,

According to The Bible, did the Ice Age occur?

Thanks!!

FATHER JOE: The Bible is not a science book. If we study the natural sciences, it becomes apparent that the earth has known both warming and cooling periods (ice ages).
marie, on May 23, 2014 at 1:59 pm said:

Hey I follow these threads and am confused as to what point you are making Mike could you please clarify wha t it is that you are in disagreement with here? I’m rarely confused by anything but have to admit I have no idea what you are trying to say.maybe I have missed some of the thread but could you bullet point your main argument and maybe father can then respond so its clear to others?
Tony, on May 23, 2014 at 9:29 am said:

Dear Father,
I have a problem of lack of concentration while praying. I get distracted easily. I say many prayers per day : The rosary, prayers for the purgatory souls, the seven secrets of jesus christ, prayer to archangel Michael,prayer for the holy spirit. Do I get any benifit from these prayers if I got distracted several times. Is it too much prayers per day ?Maybe it is better to pray less with more concentration ? I surely felt a big difference in my life since I started praying but I am still making many small sins like getting angry easily, or bad thoughts. Please advice.
Many thanks

FATHER JOE: What I am about to say might surprise you. It is possible that we say too many prayers. What do I mean? While prayer should be a regimen, we should focus more upon the quality of our prayer than their quantity. It may be that if you focused more on certain prayers, there might be less distraction. It may also be that certain prayers replicate the purposes of others. As a priest I first have an obligation to the Breviary and the Mass. However, we should always remember that prayer is essentially dialogue with God. Some treat their orations as if they be magic. I urge that we note the various types of prayer in our daily approach to God: Praise or Adoration, Thanksgiving, Contrition and Supplication. Reflect upon God in your life and meditate upon his mysteries.
Peter Dalbrun, on May 23, 2014 at 3:18 am said:

Why do Priest’s read from John 17:24-26 at a funeral?

FATHER JOE: There are many readings that a family and/or priest may select for funerals. The passage you cite has Jesus addressing the Father, saying that he would have his friends, those who believe in him, with him. Our Lord prepares a place for us in his house with many rooms. He also speaks to the divine unity and how he would have us joined to him in the divine love.
Piers, on May 21, 2014 at 8:51 pm said:

Father, thank you for your reply. (May 21st 2014) Would it not be better for me to continue to abstain from sexual relations so that my wife is not tempted. (If ever she does get pregnant) to have an abortion? And to avoid a possible (though unlikely, given our age) future abortion? Thanks as always for your answer.

FATHER JOE: Conjugal relations is a duty and right of married couples. I cannot answer your question as it is asked. All I can say is that the sin would belong to your wife. You cannot be faulted for claiming that which belongs to you. However, only the two of you can judge your relationship. I would suspect that a pro-life Christian man would have a hard time relating to a woman who was threatened by the conjugal act and pro-abortion in her mentality. But love is a funny thing.
Mike, on May 21, 2014 at 7:30 pm said:

Contraception is not a SIN that is a fallible teaching, a lie to say it is a sin of any kind.

FATHER JOE:

No, the sinfulness of contraception is certain. The problem is that certain churches and individuals have removed themselves from the long line of Christian tradition. CASTI CANNUBI was universally received when promulgated by Pope Pius XI in 1930. It was a response to the first official dissent from a Christian body, the Anglicans at the Lambeth Conference of 1930. All Christian churches (catholic and Protestant) condemned contraception until then.

Catholicism has retained immutable doctrine against the selfish fads and fashions of our times.

“Our mouth proclaims anew: any use whatsoever of matrimony exercised in such a way that the act is deliberately frustrated in its natural power to generate life is an offense against the law of God and of nature, and those who indulge in such are branded with the guilt of a grave sin” (CASTI CANNUBI 57).

The early Church fathers unanimously condemned contraception. Clement of Alexandria stated in 191 AD: “Because of its divine institution for the propagation of man, the seed is not to be vainly ejaculated, nor is it to be damaged, nor is it to be wasted (The Instructor of Children 2:10:91:2). To have coitus other than to procreate children is to do injury to nature (Ibid. 2:10:95:3).

See http://www.staycatholic.com/

“The Church, nevertheless, in urging men to the observance of the precepts of the natural law, which it interprets by its constant doctrine, teaches that each and every marital act must of necessity retain its intrinsic relationship to the procreation of human life” (HUMANAE VITAE 11).
Piers, on May 21, 2014 at 8:26 am said:

Father, my wife and I are in our very early 50s. I have not wanted to have sexual relations for about a year now as my wife insisted on using an IUD, as she feared getting pregnant. She has now removed it. Is it permissable for me to have sexual relations with her now, even though she has previously said that if ever she got pregnant, because of her age and because she has high blood pressure, she might have to have an abortion? Should I ask her to promise not to do so, or should I cope with that problem, in the unlikely event that it should occur, if and when it does ie: if ever she did get pregnant? Thanks for your advice.

FATHER JOE:

IUDs are abortifacient by their very construction. Their use is sinful.

Your wife is still approaching sexual congress with a contraceptive mentality. The marital act by definition is a mutual self-donation and reception, a pouring of oneself into the other (meaning that all that you are is given to this other person, the beloved). Threatening to have an abortion if pregnancy results is a closure of the act to the fundamental openness to human life that should be there. The marital act is always that type of act by which new human beings are generated. This is so, even in the case of elderly and infertile couples.

It is not a sin to have sexual relations with your wife. However, if she gets pregnant and destroys her baby, she will be guilty of mortal sin. If she is a Catholic, she will also be automatically excommunicated. Restoration would require genuine sorrow for sin, absolution and the removal of the censure by a priest in good standing.
tony, on May 21, 2014 at 3:26 am said:

Can a divorced man take communion?

FATHER JOE: If he has gone to confession, and lives a celibate life, then yes (generally speaking) he can take the sacrament. However, he is not free to date until or if an annulment is procured.
Roger, on May 20, 2014 at 3:25 pm said:

Dear Father, as we know, there is hell, heaven and purgatory. Is it true than in order to go to heaven directly, we have to be free of all kind of sins, almost like a saint? Regards!

FATHER JOE: Not almost, to avoid purgation we have to be a true saint… no habitual sin, no venial sin, and no temporal punishment due because of sin.
Piers, on May 20, 2014 at 8:39 am said:

Father, you published, on this blog, my e-mail address on my previous question. Could you please remove it? Thank you!

FATHER JOE: Sorry, it is never my intent to publish emails. I will have to keep and eye on that. It is not supposed to happen. Peace!
Anthony Davi, on May 20, 2014 at 3:41 am said:

Dear Father Joseph, Thank you for all you do. Have the Church fathers or the Mystics ever mentioned/written anything about our Guardian Angels entering Purgatory to either let our loved ones know how we are doing or to perhaps bring a message from Purgatory to us from them, if the Lord allows, giving us a sense if our loved ones are ok or are interceding for us or are grateful for our prayers and suffrages & Masses on their behalf? Are our Guardian Angels involved at all in that way to your knowledge? Thank you. Anthony Davi-San Diego

FATHER JOE: I really don’t think the afterlife works that way. It should be sufficient that we trust the providential love of God. We pray for the dead but we are generally forbidden to seek two way communication with them. Any messages are for us as sinners to make reparation and to invite Christ’s saving grace into our lives. When we address the saints, it is always a recourse to intercessory prayer.