Should Catholic Masses be offered for those who oppose Church teachings?

By Wally Arida

In a recent article, we found the following question regarding the offering of Masses for non Catholics specifically those who are publicly opposed to the teachings on the Catholic Church. We publisht the question in its entirety. We also provide a link to the response that was published in response to this question.

Here's the question:

Q: I recently read in our parish bulletin that a Mass was being offered for the "Intentions of ---" (name omitted here, but published in the bulletin), a person who is still alive and who holds a high-profile public office. The individual is Christian but not Catholic and has signed laws or has taken positions which support abortion rights, embryonic stem-cell research and same-sex unions. May a Mass be offered by a priest, publicly, for the intentions of a living non-Catholic (or one whose "intentions" oppose our Church teaching?) If so, should it be? We certainly should be praying for this person's conversion -- of both their faith and their positions -- but I think offering a Mass for their intentions could lead the faithful to further confusion, and possibly may be scandalous. -- M.B., Brookfield, Connecticut

This topic really intrigues us and we would like to know what you think. So we thought we should have some fun and get your thoughts about it.

There are people who are not Catholics, not Christians, publicly pro-choice, anti-Life, anti-Pope, anti-Church activists, etc.

Should our priests offer our Catholic Masses to those who openly disagree with the teachings of the Catholic Church?

What do you think? Post your thoughts below. Let's see what you all have to say.

 CLICK HERE to view the full article and the theological response to the question above.

Sanctity of Life - "Protection of Life or Celebration of holy power of Life?"

By Paul Dion, STL

This Sunday, January 27, is National Sanctity of Life Day in the United States. This was a holiday instituted by President Reagan in 1984 to remember all the unborn children who have been innocently aborted as a result of the Roe. V. Wade decision by the U.S. Supreme Court. It is celebrated every year on the Sunday that is closest to the anniversary of Roe v. Wade. In many Catholic parishes everywhere, the Sanctity of Life will be celebrated to coincide with this national day of remembrance.

I have a question for all of you. Let me give you some background.

Genesis, chapter 1, verse 27: "God created man in the image of Himself, in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them."

Psalm 139, verses 13 & 14; 23 & 24: "It was you who created my inmost self, and put me together in my mother's womb; for all these mysteries I thank you; for the wonder of myself, for the wonder of your works. God, examine me and know my heart, probe me and know my thoughts; make sure that I do not follow pernicious ways, and guide me in the way that is everlasting."

Ecclesiastes, chapter 3, verse 1 & 2: "There is a season for everything, a time for every occupation under heaven: A time for giving birth, a time for dying: A time for planting and a time for harvesting what has been planted."
Wisdom, chapter 3, verses 5 through 7: "(The virtuous)...God has out them to the test and proved them to be worthy to be with Him; He has tested them like gold in A furnace, and accepted them as a holocaust. When the time comes for His visitation they will shine out; as sparks run through the stubble, so will they. "

Gospel according to Luke, chapter 2, verse 22: "And when the day came for them to be purified as laid down by the Law of Moses, they took Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord..."
I could go on and on.

We are created by God in His image and resemblence. We are therefore like unto Him. He is Divine. We are His procreative managers. That means that we are set aside from all other creatures in order to exercise the authority of God to make this a better world.

It is therefore my conclusion that this is not a day for the protection of life, but a day to celebrate the holy power of life.

Do you agree?

Share your ideas and thoughts with us. Post a comment today.

"Why are Catholic parents obliged to baptize their children as babies?"

By Paul Dion, STL


You have all heard the expression, "cradle Catholic." You have heard it from all levels of Catholics, from the daily Mass-goer to the Christmas and Easter Mass-goer. You have heard it on television and in the movies, "I was baptized Catholic a few days after I was born..."

You have also been in conversations where there was a lively give and take between those who were opposed to infant baptism and those who were all in favor of it. It was even possible that those involved in the discussion were all Catholic!

It could also be that you were surprised to see that your Lutheran friend was for infant baptism and your Catholic relative was against it. You listened and shook your head in disbelief at this turn of events.

It is true, there are Catholics who wait until there children are old enough to make up their own mind about whether or not to be baptized. There are plenty of non-Catholics who would be surprised at this opinion. Yes, there are Protestant communities who seriously believe in infant baptism. Martin Luther himself never abandoned the practice of infant baptism in his break from the Catholic Church.

ParishWorld.net is asking you where you stand in this matter, and why...

So here is the Burning Question of the week: "Why do you believe that it is an obligation of parents to present their new born children to the sacrament of baptism as soon as possible after birth?"

Give us your convictions and we will join the discussion and present a wrap-up.

Is it ever permitted to lie?

By Paul Dion, STL

Lying is something that so many of us do. We do it regarding serious things and we do it regarding inconsequential things. We do it mostly to protect ourselves from suffering the unpleasant consequences of communicating the truth. Lying is the purposeful communicating of non-facts instead of the facts that we know. Lying is not mis-speaking in error. Lying is a willful act, not matter how small or innocuous the lie may seem.

Lying is therefore an act that goes against the Will of God. It is a violation of the comfort of our brain, becaue we force the truth to the side while we make ourselves feel better because we got away with something. This kind of dishonesty can be rather insidious because it can make us feel, after a while, that everything we say is true, when in fact it is not.

So, the question is this: Is every single lie a sin? Is it a sin to praise your mother-in-law's over-salted stew? Is it a sin to deceive children into believing in Santa Claus? Is it a sin to tell a terminally ill person that everything is going to be all right? Is it a sin to tell your neighbor that your Prius gets 55 miles-per-gallon, when as a matter of fact, it only gets 42? What about the "white lies" told to children in order to quiet them down rather than to take the responsibility of disciplining them ourselves?

We do not have to continue the list. You get the point.

Is every lie a sin?

Click here to view the answer to this Burning Question.