Ask a Priest

5,436 Responses

The Manang, on February 7, 2016 at 8:25 am said:

Hello, Father. I’m curious. How does a priest choose penance during Confession? Ever since, my penance would always be One Our Father and Three Hail Marys or Five Hail Marys. Now, it’s Pray the Rosary and One Day of Fasting. Does it mean that my sins are too grievous so my penance is also heavier? Is it just random? Thank you.

FATHER JOE: It varies by priest and his personal judgment.
Darlene, on February 7, 2016 at 12:07 am said:

Dear Father:

My question is whether I as a Catholic can keep part of my parents cremated remains to be buried with me at my death. They have plans for my brother to scatter them at a predetermined location, which they already know I won’t be party to.

Also, Father, please pray for my family and I that we may be counted among the faithful and seek him now. +++

Thank you and may God richly bless you in your ministry.

FATHER JOE: Scattering remains on the ground requires permission and is illegal in certain places. The practice of scattering cremated remains or keeping cremated remains in the home is NOT regarded as reverent disposition by the Church. You are both wrong. The ashes should be interred.
chinonye, on February 6, 2016 at 5:17 pm said:

Hello Fr.
Please what does signal graces mean? Thanks.

FATHER JOE: There is no official definition and they are difficult to verify as supernatural. It might be understood as a grace that signals an extraordinary message or a change noticed by the person and/or others. For instance, a conversion of a hardened sinner is so exceptional that it points to divine intervention. Critics might argue that such signs are accidental or coincidences. For instance, you might pray the rosary for a friend you have not seen in a long time. Soon thereafter, the friend calls and you touch base or there is a reconciliation.
Benedict, on February 6, 2016 at 7:08 am said:

Sir,

Thank you for your quick response.

Have you even see the Brother Dimonds’ website?

I do not know why you dismiss it as mere propaganda. Perhaps you have merely heard someone else speak badly about it but have never seen their website yourself?

Trust me, when I first saw their website I also thought they must be another group of weirdo protesting Catholics. But when I saw their videos and read their articles, I was highly impressed to say the least.

[video links deleted]

Please do not delete this comment. Why not respond to me? We can have a courteous, civil discussion. No need for either of us to go around yelling “Heretic! Apostate!” is there?

May the Grace of the Lord be with, that you may understand the Truth.

FATHER JOE:

I did not miss the disrespect in calling me SIR and not FATHER. I get the same lack of manners from anti-Catholic Protestants.

I have seen Dimond’s website and it shares much in common with certain fundamentalist Protestant and SDA hate sites. Indeed, before he took over the so-called Holy Family Monastery cult, I had a number of discussions with the late Joseph Natale who started it in Berlin, NJ. I have confidence in the Church and the Holy Father. This man Dimond has no standing in the Church or even with those breakaway groups in the traditionalist community. He stands alone and has made himself a church of one.

I am sorry that his dissent so easily amazes you. His arguments have never impressed me. Instead of intelligent analysis, he offers a superficial interpretation of Church issues that allows ready and repeated condemnation. What material that has some substance appears borrowed or recycled from older polemical sources.

I have edited out the links to his various posts you listed. Sorry, but as a rule of thumb, I do not give such websites links to my blog. As a Catholic priest, it would be wrong to publicize here those who attack the Holy Father and the Catholic Church.

You would malign Staples and Akin but they have done a great job as Catholic apologists, and all without skating into the camp of the late Fr. Leonard Feeney, or at least into the heresy of his less theologically attuned promoters.

It is clear that you are an avid supporter of Dimond. That is your business. It grieves me that you should have fallen for his deception. Frederick Dimond was 15 when he became a Catholic. Four years later he left the Church to join Natale. Natale died and this young boy took over the operation. As a priest I had asked about the so-called monastery and discovered that it never had any juridical standing. The internet gives it a virtual existence but is not real. How old are you? What is your background? If you are attracted to the old Latin Mass, there are some approved groups and locations. The Bishop in Lincoln Nebraska has a beautiful seminary for the Fraternity of St. Peter. They can be trusted. This same Bishop decreed excommunication to anyone affiliated with Dimond. It is quite a list… and includes Planned Parenthood and Call to Action. The only one here to use the words “Heretic” and “Apostate” is you. You evidently want a fight, but in all honesty, this is an organization not worth the time or energy. I will just again warn you that it is dangerous and mention you in my devotion to the Sacred Heart.

Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, respice in Cor dilectissimi Filii tui, et in laudes et satisfactiones, quas in nomine peccatorum tibi persolvit, isque misericordiam tuam petentibus tu veniam concede placatus, in nomine eiusdem Filii tui Iesu Christi: Qui tecum vivit et regnat in saecula saeculorum.

Peace!
Alyssa, on February 6, 2016 at 1:04 am said:

Dear Father,

I have a question involving Temporal Punishment for confessed forgiven mortal sins. Would God murder someone’s family as punishment? Or does he punish in a different way?

FATHER JOE: That is not how God works. We live in a broken world. God does not directly intend evil. We are mortal. We all die. All life belongs to God. We belong to God. We are coming into Lent. Fasting, abstinence and other penance is how you can appease temporal punishment in this world. Peace!
tony, on February 5, 2016 at 10:31 pm said:

Dear Father,

I come to you with a question that I have researched, and couldn’t find an answer. My closest result was PBXVI’s Light of the World: The Pope, the Church and the Signs of the Times, however it wasn’t quite clear… so…

I travel for work, and in the near future, to an area that has a warning for the Zika virus. There is a very small chance that I can potentially contract the virus. When I return from this trip, I will be home with my family. I can only transmit the virus to my wife (through sex). At this time, she is pregnant, and Zika has been linked to microcephaly and other birth defects. The baby could get Zika and potentially get microcephaly during intercourse with my wife.

My question is this: knowing that my wife is pregnant, and unable to conceive, would it be sinful for me to use a condom if we chose to have sex during her pregnancy? Part of me thinks there is no issue because there certainly is no contraceptive intent (she cannot conceive as she is pregnant), but then again, the very thought of using condoms is troubling.

Do you have thoughts on the matter?

FATHER JOE: This question came up a few years ago. The query was this: Could couples beyond child-bearing years use condoms since the intent was not contraception but to avoid the transmission of the AIDs virus? Under Pope Benedict XVI the answer came back quickly and definitively. There were churchmen with views on both sides. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith ruled that condomistic sexual or vaginal intercourse is always intrinsically immoral. There can never be permissible recourse to such measures. The marital act, even for infertile couples, must always be that TYPE OF ACT which is normally orientated toward the transmission of human life. Condomistic intercourse has no such openness and thus only feigns the marital act. There is no fecundity. If there is a fear of viral transmission, you would thus have to resort to abstinence. This Zika virus is a real danger but it is less and less strictly localized. We have even had a case here in Washington, DC. Who knows how many have gone undiagnosed. Be careful. If you decide to ignore the matter of Catholic morality, remember that even the better condoms have a 25% failure rate. Is this a matter upon which you want to gamble?
Alexis, on February 5, 2016 at 2:45 pm said:

Dear farther,
This was hard for me to talk about because I didn’t know how to start off. I’m having trouble sleeping, I wake up 2-3 times a night. This has been happening for 4 straight days now. But paired with my sleeping problem I’ve been having bad dreams. For example let me tell you one on the dreams: I was physically asleep but when I was dreaming I was in my bed and I woke up and saw that my closet door was opened a little bit , I felt like something was watching me so I closed it.( this was weird to me because I always close my closet before I go to sleep) so I went downstairs stairs to my mother and told her that my closet door was opened and she told me it was nothing. It’s confusing because in my dream I was sleeping and woke up to, please don’t get confused. I’ve told my family about what’s been happening and their not taking it seriously. And I’ve noticed something too. When I prayed before I went to sleep I didn’t have bad dreams and my waking up constantly wasn’t that bad, but when I didn’t pray I had bad dreams and when I woke up constantly I didn’t feel safe. I am very confused with this problem and I dont know who to turn to. Thank you.

FATHER JOE: Bad dreams can be caused by natural things. I would not jump to a supernatural explanation. Not privy to your faith and what might be troubling you (insecurities), there is not much more I can say. Sorry. Take care!
Benedict, on February 5, 2016 at 12:08 pm said:

Sir,

I am a sedevacantist. I would like to hear a non-sedevacantist perspective. Can you recommend any good books that claim to refute sedevacantism?

I consider the Most Holy Family Monastery to be mostly correct in their interpretation of Catholic dogma, and I sort of hold to the Siri thesis and the fake Sister Lucia thesis. So far, I have not found any good book that claims to refute these two thesises above. It would be interesting to see a mainstream counter to the imposter Sister Lucia thesis, though I doubt they will be able to say anything concrete. Could you recommend any?

May the Peace of Christ be with you, and may you find the True Faith.

FATHER JOE: I am unaware of anyone who has taken Mr. Michael Dimond serious enough to write a book in refutation. The so-called monastery has no priests and no authorized or canonical religious. If I recall correctly, the one resident started attending an Eastern rite liturgy nearby. The Eastern rites are in union with the Holy See. You can believe what you want, but this is not a movement. The website has been condemned by authorities as that of a hate-group. The late Sr. Lucia was faithful and honest. Those who would distort her message against the Church are doing her wrong. MHFM is simply a pseudo-Catholic “conspiracy” site that embraces traditionalism as the backdrop to its paranoia. You might differ with the Catholic Church on various points of belief; but I would urge you not to become a victim of this group’s delusions and propaganda. Peace!
kimbies, on February 5, 2016 at 6:33 am said:

Christina, I know exactly what you are going through. I too suffered from terrible OCD, and it got to the point where I could do nothing without the fear that consumed me daily. My obsessions were slightly different, I had somehow convinced myself that if I didn’t do certain things a certain number of times that I would die. I would find myself kissing a crucifix over and over again because if I didn’t get it exactly right, something bad would happen to me. I had a fear of certain numbers, and would even count the steps I took to make sure that I didn’t finish on any of the numbers that scared me. My problems were immense. If I was driving, thoughts would pop into my head like “If that traffic light changes to green before I get there, something bad is going to happen.” It is a very frightening frame of mind. I remember hitting rock bottom at the age of around 20. I remember kneeling in front of the crucifix, and begging God to cure me. I cried for hours. I knew very well that the thoughts and obsessive actions were irrational, but I could not stop. Eventually I decided to see a Catholic Psychologist. I only went to her twice, but she explained things in such a way that from that time, I have completely healed. (Apart from counting my steps which seems to have become second nature unfortunately).

She explained to me that if we have faith, we cannot have fear. The two are like oil and water. The fear you experience pushes your faith out, and vice versa. The thing that you fear is imagined. There is no danger. But the fear itself is very real. She also explained that in my case, I am a person who likes to be in control of my situation. Death and bad things happening to people are out of my control, and somehow my brain decided that it would give me a way to “control” this – “if I make sure I take x amount of steps, nothing bad will happen to me.” And it worked – for a while. It would calm me. But eventually, it consumed me. The first step in this situation is to admit that you are not in control. The second is to stop listening to yourself. I know it’s hard – really I do but you have to stop. The more you listen to what you are telling yourself, the stronger the urge to obey. Do the exact opposite of what you are telling yourself to do. If your mind is telling you that you will be punished for writing God with the vowel, write it with the vowel. I promise you that nothing will happen. And the more you prove to yourself that nothing bad will happen, the easier it becomes to get rid of these irrational fears.

I will pray for you. I hope I have helped in some way. God bless.
Patrici, on February 4, 2016 at 11:14 pm said:

Dear Father;
I’m having trouble with the call for Mercy, I’m not stubbornly not wanting to give mercy but don’t understand what is merciful in my situation. I am the youngest of 14 children born to wonderful parents. I am single and have lived most of my life with or around my parents; having them in my life daily. For many years I’ve looked after their summer home for them and in 2000 I winterized it and moved in – with their blessing. My eldest brother, who has some disabilities, has always lived with them. My parents had planned to have my eldest brother inherit their main home and me their summer home, all other children had their own homes and had separate lives. To make a long story short, as my parents got feebler a few of my sibling went to court to have my parents declared incompetent and get custody of them. They asked other sibling to join them to split the money they could get – some did, others refused – they won.
The day they won, they put my eldest brother and I out without even allowing us to get our personal effects. My eldest brother was 59 years old with mild autism. For years they made it extremely difficult for us to see our parents, often not allowing us to see them for 9 months at a time and always supervised and videoed. Our parents have died more than 3 years ago and no will has been seen. The land has been transferred to them. Now we most ardent wish is to be left alone. I’ve needed much help getting over this and am just starting to get back on my feet physiologically and financially.
I have a sister who feels she is a great Catholic and runs the local parish. She participated in this court action and actually lied greatly in an affidavit. She has greatly befitted from this but now wants to be friendly in public. I have changed parishes to avoid her but she is now coming to my parish and trying to publicly look friendly to us. My brother has been friendly even though it upsets him but I find it repugnant. I have mixed emotions and feel the most evil thing I could do is pretend what she did was OK. She has never asked for forgiveness because she feels she has never done anything wrong. Is it a lack of mercy to not want to have anything to do with her? I’ve felt like writing her to tell her to stay away from me but have never been able to yet. I want to be merciful because I know I need Mercy but I’m sure she would “do me in” again if it benefitted her. The other siblings do leave me alone. Can you give me some advice?

FATHER JOE: I have heard such stories many times. There are no easy answers. As a Christian, we must seek to forgive others, especially those who most hurt us. But, you are also in the right to spell out the situation and to explain to them that they violated both justice and charity. It may be that they do not deserve to be forgiven. It may be that their hypocrisy sickens you. But forgiveness is not merited; by definition it is a gift. They may not want any part of you, especially when you remind them that they need to make material reparation. You can spell this out both in speech and in writing. If there is going to be distance, let them run away from you. Do not run away from them. They might keep you running the rest of your life. Do not give them that power over you. Ultimately, you cannot control what they do. But you can be the master of your own life. If they are in denial about their sins against the family, then it may be hard for them to face you. My father on his deathbed reconciled with a family member who disinherited both him and my uncle. Their response to his words, “I forgive you,” was a flood of tears. I cannot promise you such a scene. Some people have thick skins and may be morally dead. But who knows? God bless!
Christina, on February 4, 2016 at 7:32 pm said:

Feel free to edit my question, if you want. Maybe the ad about the fetuses isn’t appropriate, or would encourage people to look for it. I don’t know.. by the way there is a guy making a kind of satanic gesture with his hands on your page? The rock and roll thing where you make a kind of fist with the index and pinky pointing forward.. at least I think the gesture might be satanic. Not sure 100%. Anyway, I’m not going to spam your blog. Have a nice day
Olivia M. Obringer, on February 4, 2016 at 7:11 am said:

My close friend is not Catholic, but non-denominational. I’m Catholic. She doesn’t believe in Purgatory. I told her that it’s like when we break someone’s window. God forgives us for breaking the window (dying on the cross) but we still have to pay for the broken window. She claims that when Jesus died on the cross, he PAID for that broken window. What can I say? I’m curious as well. (She also says Purgatory is not in the bible….but neither is the word Trinity).

Thanks

Olivia

FATHER JOE: I would change the analogy. Christ’s death on the Cross pays the price for our redemption. Satisfaction is made for sin. He pays a price we could not pay. In that sense, your friend is right, payment in full has been made for the window. The issue that remains is not the broken glass but the person who did the breaking. We are no longer blamed for breaking the glass. However, we are still hesitant to accept this forgiveness. Indeed, we may not be entirely sorry. We may even have liked breaking it. Purgatory deals with temporal punishment. It heals us of the inclination toward sin. We have to make our own the forgiveness that is showered upon us. Purgatory resets the compass of our lives. We are already God’s friends, but our disposition is not entirely as it should be. All the souls in Purgatory are on their journey to heaven. As we approach God the fire of divine love purifies us and makes us as we should be, morally perfect. At the consummation of all things, Purgatory will cease to exist. There will only be heaven and hell. (The old Lutheran view of juridical imputation would argue against this… that we can remain the sinners we were before but treated as holy because Christ is holy. Not all Lutherans today accept this interpretation. Ours is not a justification by disguise but by transformation.)
Christina, on February 4, 2016 at 6:16 am said:

I have ocd, and it’s causing my conscience to pick up on every little thing that’s wrong. At least, I think it’s my ocd. My instance, I’m afraid that using the internet is wrong (like now, Im violating my conscience and Im afraid Gd wont forgive me eventually.. if he will at this point.. Im afraid to even write ‘Gd’ with the vowel o in the middle, incase that’s not allowed), because companies might be tracking me and using my information for bad purposes. Or, by using the internet the morally wrong ads (such as one that was selling fetuses, or something like that. Yes, I actually saw that.) might benefit from my visiting the site they’re on and I have no idea of what a particular website creator supports and unknown things like that.. I hope that makes sense. Or I feel I really shouldn’t have junk food at all because it’s bad for my body. And like, any little moral thing that comes to mind.. the more I obey it the more stronger it becomes. Most people would ignore of justify these things to themselves but I find myself unable to and my mind gets more and more focused to the extent that it’s making me very anxious and desperate. I’m isolated, socially phobic and other than living with a family member and contact with two other family members and one friend I am socially isolated, which doesn’t help. There are other problems as well but I won’t get into it here. What can I do, though.. if anything. Just follow my conscience, no matter what? Or ignore it. I just don’t know. Please help.

FATHER JOE: Your problem is way beyond scrupulosity. I am a priest not a doctor. I can offer a prayer for healing but I would also urge further counseling and treatment from psychiatric and medical professionals. The average person just does not fret about such things. Sorry. But as I said, you have my prayers.
Awg, on February 4, 2016 at 2:45 am said:

Hello Father Joe,

I hope you are having a good day. Obviously, since you are a priest–and judging from your blog–you are very educated about matters of the Catholic religion and theological topics. I’m hoping you could recommend me some books that offer an in depth study on Catholic eschatology–something that a beginner on the subject could comprehend.

Thank you for your assistance and time, Father!

FATHER JOE: It is not a easily understood topic. My favorite book is Eschatology, Second Edition: Death and Eternal Life 2nd Edition by Joseph Ratzinger.
Devin, on February 3, 2016 at 4:56 pm said:

Why won’t the priest answer my question?

FATHER JOE: I thought I did answer it. Do you not understand? How can I make it clearer? The “matter” is the particular sin and its gravity. The “matter” must be serious for a sin to be mortal. If the “matter” is not serious or grievous then the sin is only venial. If the person does not understand the gravity or if he or she is forced somehow, then that subtracts from the subjective liability as well. Understand?
peeptuisku, on February 3, 2016 at 8:17 am said:

Hello, Father!
A question about this book: “The Good Soldier Švejk” by Jaroslav Hašek. It’s a humorous satire about military and war. Unfortunately there are few paragraphs in the book where author seems to ridicule catholic priesthood and religion in general – they depict priests who have extramarital affairs (it’s only hinted and not depicted) or/and are often drunk and one who admits that he doesn’t believe in God. I used to read the book back at the time when I wasn’t catholic and it seemed to be a great pastime in hospital and during army service
I talked to a bishop about this book and he just smiled and said that he had read the book and it’s quite interesting.
Is it forbidden for a catholic to read such literature? I mean depicting that there were some cases of corruption and immoral behaviour among unholy clergymen during the First World War is not bad itself, or is it? It is fiction, but I must admit, that it might not be a good idea to read such books if it offends God…. Does it?

FATHER JOE: I am not familiar with the book, sorry. But references to clergy who are less than what they should be would not necessarily invalidate a book as worthwhile literature. I cannot make a judgment on this title.
Bill Uttrich, on February 3, 2016 at 3:25 am said:

Father Joe,

I want to thank you for taking the time to help me with my questions on marriage last year. We were able to get through the issue and our marriage was convalidated by our priest 2 Sundays ago. I am now completing my RCIA journey and look forward to Easter Sunday and the beginning of my life in the catholic church. I have experienced many wonders and have felt truly at peace during this journey. I attended my first Adoration last week and believe it is something that I feel drawn to repeat on many occasions. I think I will try to help within the Parish by working in the RCIA program and assisting in education programs within our catholic school. I have visited your Blog on several occasions and I sit in amazement at your patience and wisdom in handling some of the questions and comments you receive. There are some people that would rather attempt to tear you and your beliefs apart than to examine their own conscience. You have my utmost respect and admiration for your work. I will continue to be a reader, and extend you an invitation anytime you may find yourself within my neck of the woods. Since this is supposed to be a question Blog, I’ll ask the following: Should I wait a specific amount of time after receiving the sacraments before I engage myself within the Parish education programs?

Respectfully,
Bill

FATHER JOE: My brother-in-law helped with catechesis in his parish soon after becoming a Catholic, himself. I think it is a wonderful thing to step forward and volunteer. Just remember, that while you may become a teacher, all of us (priests too) will also remain learners. We should grow in the knowledge and love of the Lord every day. Peace!
Devin, on February 2, 2016 at 8:56 pm said:

Father, in the wedding vows, we are asked if we are willing to welcome children into the family. If we say no, will you refuse to marry us? Also, what about a person who is barren or sterile? Are they not allowed to marry?

FATHER JOE:

A couple that is elderly and or infertile would not be expected to have children and would not be asked the question in the ceremonial. However, they should still be open to God’s providence and engage in the marital act which is that type of act that would be open to new human life. The Church does not demand fertility from them, but fidelity. The marital act consummates and renews their covenant with each other and the Lord.

If a couple is younger and fertile it is expected that they would do nothing against their fecundity (like contraception). Contraceptive intercourse is not the marital act and does not consummate the marriage. If a couple says no to children, which is usually determined during the investigative stage of planning— then they cannot be married in the Catholic Church. A desire for a family is an essential element in the definition of such marriages between young, healthy and fertile men and women. A rejection of such openness to human life is a repudiation of Christian marriage. The issue is not so much that the Church refuses to marry them but rather they do not want marriage as offered by the Church. They want something else, i.e. concubinage, lust, friendship with sexual side-benefits, etc., but not Christian marriage.
Talei, on February 2, 2016 at 10:18 am said:

Hope this post goes through …

Hi Father,

I’m a 31 year old woman and recently married (7 months ago). Wedding was done the Catholic way, even though my husband’s a non-Catholic. Everything is fine with us. Now I was chatting with a friend of mine at work, who is a non-Catholic and he starts asking questions about which church do I go to now, I told him, “I’m still a Catholic and I still attend Mass, and my husband goes to his church.” He found that weird but not to me. I come from a multi-religious family though majority of Catholics, but we learn to understand and live together. Anyway so he asks what of our children, who will they follow?. I replied saying that they will be Catholics and my husband has agreed that they all become Catholics. He replies: “Wow, you really are something else; but what happens if he changes his mind? What happens if he says that you and the children should all follow his faith? You know you’ll have to follow him, because it says so in the bible; that a wife must submit to her husband.? My response was as always, “no way, i was born and baptised a Catholic and I will die a Catholic and all my children will take after me.” …. My question Father is, what does the Church teach about Ephesians 5:22? Does submitting to my husband also requires me to leave my Catholic faith and join his?

FATHER JOE: Jews and Gentiles alike in the early Church are all Catholic. St. Paul understands the reference to a husband in Ephesians as referring to a Catholic spouse. Indeed, it becomes an analogy for Christ’s relationship as groom to his bride, the Church. Your husband is expected to abide by his promises to you and the Church, no matter whether he is Catholic or not. Nothing should be placed in the way of the Catholic upbringing of children. He has no authority to make you sin and to abandon your faith. The natural headship of the husband only binds when it is in conformity with the mind and will of Christ.
Mira L, on February 1, 2016 at 9:49 am said:

My daughter stopped going to Mass many years ago and everything I said fell on deaf ears. But then I showed her an article about a priest in India who died and saw hell, purgatory and heaven before coming back to earth. I think this gave her a fright and she said that she would go to Mass when she could. How can I convince her that it is important to go every week and also to go to Confession?

I would appreciate any advice you could give me.

FATHER JOE: Even the greatest evangelists do not have a guaranteed answer to this question. The Church is facing millions of defections from around the globe. There is a profound mystery in that family members from the same household, with the same background and formation, will include faithful churchgoers and those who are essentially atheists. God’s grace is present and he calls whom he wills; but there is also the matter of disposition or openness to God. You mention fear and I would not negate the importance of imperfect contrition. However, while some may come back to the faith due to fear of death and punishment; more often than not, such recoveries are short-lived. If there is to be a lasting answer, I suspect it will be found with an intimate and loving relationship with God. We should be sorry for how our sins have afflicted the sacred heart and fueled the passion of our Lord. We go to Mass so as to return again and again to the saving mystery of Christ who dies that we might live. We come to give worship as a community of faith established by Jesus. We are not saved by being good; we are saved by being faithful in love. Surround yourself and your family with sacramentals… rosaries, holy water, religious art, prayer, Scripture, pious books, moving religious films, etc. You should continue to witness to others by word and deed that Jesus is alive. God loves us and wants us to know and love him. This is where we find the challenge: how can we engage hearts and heads and hands?
Colette, on January 31, 2016 at 10:59 pm said:

Hello Father,

I am a 26-year-old Catholic woman, and I have a question.

I’m aware that downloading or sharing copyrighted works is essentially stealing, and so a sin. However, I’m confused as to whether watching a fan-illegally-recorded video of an artist’s performance, or watching other pirated videos, is a sin or not. So, my question is – is watching pirated content also a sin? Thank you.

FATHER JOE: Sometimes, but not always, it is hard to know. I usually rely upon the judgment of YOUTUBE. They pull what is evidently someone else’s property… even if not quickly. But I agree, there seems to be a lack of order. I guess the amount of material is overwhelming. Some musicians themselves place their work online. I have to admit, while I am minimally online, the technology and the issue of rights often eludes me. I do not go out of my way to watch or download pirated videos. That can indeed constitute stealing. Stealing is a sin.
Richard Powell, on January 31, 2016 at 10:14 pm said:

In the Bible it says do not lay down with the beast. Does this mean that not to lay down with anybody that is not your race?

FATHER JOE: It has nothing to do with ethnicity. Such an interpretation would be racism. It is what it says… a commandment against bestiality or unlawful sexual relations with animals.
Dennis, on January 30, 2016 at 4:19 am said:

If someone commits a sin knowing it is definitelt wrong but not mortal…is it still a mortal sin?

FATHER JOE: The conditions for mortal sin must be satisfied to be damning: (1) the MATTER itself most be GRIEVOUSLY WRONG; (2) you must KNOW that it is a mortal sin; (3) you must FREELY WILL or consent to do the wrong.
Ruth, on January 29, 2016 at 4:55 am said:

Dear Father,

I am a 27 year old girl. At my age, in my society, girls either have a steady job or a fruitful family life.

I am unmarried as I still haven’t found a suitable match. My education is incomplete as I am not able to clear the exams due to the difficulty in the subjects. I have lost jobs. I am jobless right now. My parents have given up on me. Sometimes they do not even speak to me. It makes me more depressed. To be honest, I have been a prayerful person. There were days where I have recited 3 rosaries in a day.

I don’t know why this is all happening. Suicide is a mortal sin, but sometimes I get such thoughts. I feel slight pain in the left side of my chest plus palpitations. I have guessed what the problem is but I don’t even want to visit a doctor, because I feel there is no point living such a life.

Please pray for me. I am truly helpless.

FATHER JOE: Jobs and relationships can be trying but difficulties in these areas do not mean that you are helpless or have cause for despair. Indeed, you are still young and need to be strong and forthright. God loves you and you should acknowledge this love and the gift of life that he gave you. No one has a perfect life in this world. People struggle with bad relationships, debt, sick children, physical pain, oppression, etc. Your parents should support you but know that you are a treasure in God’s eyes. The Lord may call you to marriage or to a religious vocation. I cannot say which. Even if you remain single, you are still called to make a difference for the good in the Church and the larger community. Continue to focus on education and reflect upon the work you would like to pursue. Be open to divine providence. STOP FEELING SORRY FOR YOURSELF. Peace!
hjrcastillo, on January 28, 2016 at 5:04 am said:

Are aliens demons?

FATHER JOE: What do you mean by aliens? If you mean creatures from outer space, do they even exist? If you mean non-human intelligent creatures, then angelic beings (graced and fallen) would fit the definition. But angels do not need space craft. The good angels love us. The fallen angels or demons are handicapped by their loss of grace.

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