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.

Why was Jesus born in a manger?

By Paul Dion, STL

What is the symbolism of Jesus being born in a manger?


This is the Christmas Season and of course we have a lot of questions floating around in our heads. I hope that none of you has to figure out how to balance your check book so early in the month.

But because this is a seriously spiritual season, let's consider the story of the Nativity and some of the symbolism that the Gospel Story of Luke holds. I suggest that you find a quiet corner, your favorite "dog-eared" Bible and read the first two chapters of Luke's gospel meditatively.

Luke calls the mother of Jesus, MARY. This name means "Excellence." Or, in the words of the angel Gabriel, "Full of Grace."

The carpenter who saves Mary's honor is called JOSEPH. This means "May Yahweh add."

The mother of John the Baptist is ELIZABETH. This name means "My God is fullness."

His father carries the name ZECHARIAH. This means "Yahweh has remembered."

Finally, the name JESUS means, "God saves." The same as Joshua, the successor of Moses who led the Chosen People of God into the Promised Land, thus saving them from Egyptian slavery for good. Jesus saves us from the slavery of sin.

Amidst all this symbolism we have the symbolism of the 100 mile trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem for the census, three Magi, the three gifts which they brought, the visiting shepherds, the singing angels and the swaddling clothes.

I could bring up a lot more, but that should be enough for now, except for the question:

"WHAT IS THE SYMBOLISM OF JESUS BEING BORN IN A MANGER?"

Do Catholics "worship" Mary as we do Jesus?

By Paul Dion, STL

Dear readers, it has happened to ParishWorld.net again. We have been asked for the "x"tieth time the question, "Why do Catholics worship the Virgin Mary as much as Jesus?"

This question used to really get to me. It doesn't send me up the wall so much any more.

I have just returned from the Holy Land and Italy and France. I have returned from the world of the churches that are built in the name of the Virgin Mary. I have come from a country in which I personally entered three churches named St. Mary Major. I entered and visited numerous Crusader churches that carry names like, Annunciation, Visitation, Immaculate Conception, Mary, Mother of God, Birth of Mary, Dormition of Mary and Assumption, just to name a few.

Those who ask the question about worship of Mary see the same churches and monuments that we do. They know about Lourdes, La Salette, the Miraculous Medal, Medjugorie and the rest. For the most part they have The Lord and their Bible.

This is a serious question. How do you answer the question, "Why do Catholics Worship Mary as much as Jesus?"

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

What is the Old Testament root of the sacrament of Baptism?

By Paul Dion, STL

This week we bring you the easiest question that you will ever encounter here. But because it is so easy, we are going to ask a related question that will help you to stretch your minds a little bit. This will also send you to the shelf or the table upon which your Bible rests.

As you all know, the teachings of Jesus and of the Apostles find their roots in the Old Testament. This does not mean that we follow the teachings of the Old Testament word for word. It means that God revealed His wishes to His human creatures many thousands of years ago. As time went on, through the Patriarchs, the Prophets, the Kings, Jesus and the Apostles, His wishes and His commandments became clearer and clearer to us.

Now that Jesus and the Apostles are no longer on earth, Jesus left us with the Church. It is through the Church that we continue our relationship with God the Father, The Son (Jesus) and the Holy Spirit. The Church provides us with ways to get in touch with God and to stay in touch with Him. The clearest way, and the easiest is through the sacraments. To go back to what I said before, what we believe in today had its roots in the Old Testament. We will therefore give you references to the Old Testament when it is proper to do so in this study of the sacraments.

Therefore, this week's BURNING QUESTION is: What is the Old Testament root of the sacrament of Baptism? To whom did God give it?

CLICK HERE to see the answer and a short lesson about Baptism.

Click the Comments link below to post a comment.

What is "Holiness?"

By Paul Dion, STL

This week's burning question is short and sweet. It's about a term we have often heard and used since we were small children.

But do we really know what it means?

Please reflect on the following the Burning Question:
As the people of God, we are all called to holiness. What is holiness? What does it mean to be holy?

Share your ideas and thoughts with us.

What is "The World?"

By Paul Dion, STL


I try to make the Burning Question one that has a doctrinal core to it. Something very Catholic. This week I stumbled across something that caught my fancy for two reasons:

1. It is a very traditional Catholic topic.
2. It is also a topic that has challenged the followers of Jesus for centuries.

Believe me, the positions that are taken about this fill the spectrum of spiritual human activity in the pursuit of perfection (sanctity) from left to right and back again. I am presenting this to you because I want you to get the idea of what I mean when I say that "THIS is not an intellectual exercise."

The Introduction:

"Religion that is pure and undefiled before God And the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their aflictions and to keep oneself unstained by the world." (Letter of James, Chapter 1, verse 27)

The Challenge:

Comment on the bold type phrase as you see it connected the meaning of religion and the requirement(s) that it presents to the practitioners of that religion, namely, in this case, Roman Catholicism.

Let us know what you think. This is not a sit-down Catechism class so we don't grade your answer. And you can always post anonymously if you want. We merely want you to dig into your hearts and explore your Catholic faith, as you truly know it.

(Click here to view the many wonderful articles that await you in http://www.parishworld.net/, America's Catholic Lifestyle Magazine. Be informed, be inspired, be blessed. )

"Is Religion for the weak of heart and mind?"

By Paul Dion, STL

This week, you get a chance to comment on the following quotes:

Karl Marx: "Religion is the opiate of the masses."
Jesse Ventura: "Organized religion is a sham and a crutch for weak-minded people who need strength in numbers..."

Surely you have heard similar statements in your daily routine. Therefore, what is your reaction to the question, "Is religion for the weak of heart and mind?"

We would love to hear your thoughts and comments. Post them below. Dig deep into your hearts and let us know what you really think. You can even post an anonymous comment if you're too shy to sign your name. It's your thoughts that count.

And as usual, we will give a recap of your answers and the actual Church teachings related to the burning question by Tuesday of next week.

(Click here to view the many wonderful articles that await you in www.ParishWorld.net, America's Catholic Lifestyle Magazine. Be informed, be inspired, be blessed. )

If no candidate is 100% by Catholic moral teaching, is it OK to just not vote?

By Paul Dion, STL

Faithful Catholic, Faithful Citizen.

The other day the Publisher and the Theology Editor of ParishWorld.net attended the joint vicariate meeting of the San Bernardino Diocese. It turns out that this is an annual event when at least one priest and the staff of every parish come together at the Diocesan Pastoral Center and have a day of conviviality, informational get together, constant light snack buffet and two
solid conferences/presentations as food for thought.

This year Bishop Gerald Barnes decided to make the fourth Episcopal Letter to voters the center piece of the event. To make the event all the more attractive, he invited Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, archbishop of Washington D.C. to discuss the election year document from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

ParishWorld.net has another section dedicated to the Cardinal's presentation of the contents of the document. But this is the Burning Question Section and we intend to challenge you with a tough one this time.

Voting is not easy. It is a difficult task because it calls our conscience out and demands that it make a correct decision. If there is an activity that requires Catholics to put their moral behavior thinking caps on, it is voting. There are just so many moral variables to consider.

We ask ourselves so many questions about the candidates. Is this person pro-abortion? Is this one pro-war? What's her position on taxes? What's his position on torture? Is this guy going to really provide good, affordable health-care to everyone? What's this we hear about her wanting to privatize Social Security?, etc., etc.

You know as well as I do that the questions go on and on. What do we do? Do we zero-in on abortion? Embryonic Stem-cell Research? War? Negotiating prescription drug prices? Medicinal marijuana?

The fact of the matter is that there is never a perfect Catholic candidate in the race. We have found in the past that making the candidate's stance on abortion the center-piece of our voting decision can have some disastrous results. So, the temptation is to wring our hands, make a short visit to the Blessed Sacrament at the church down the street, return home, sit back, have a beer and watch the results on TV, without stopping by the polling booth vote at all.

Is that the moral thing to do? So because there is no one who is pro-life in the running, do you stay home? Since no one is willing to stop the war, do you stay home?

ParishWorld.net asks, "Is it appropriate Catholic behavior to refrain from voting because no one
candidate conforms to the serious part or some serious parts of the moral code?"

This is not an easy question. Let's try to enlighten one another. There is an answer. Hints of it can be found in the other article about the formation of consciences for faithful citizenship.

We will provide quasi immdiate feedback to your contributions and a fuller answer to the question as we go forward.

Is Divorce a sin according to the Catholic Church?

By Paul Dion, STL


This is a question that I have to answer because a) one of you asked it, and b) there is so much misunderstanding about this question in the Catholic Community.

Therefore, don't dodge this question. Read it.

Ask your Catholic acquaintances what they think, ask yourself what opinion you want to throw out on the table and we'll all be enlightened by the results.

Is divorce a sin, according to the Catholic Church? What are the consequences of divorce for a Catholic?

Ready, get set, GO -----

Go ahead and post your comments below.

(Click here to view the many wonderful articles that await you in www.ParishWorld.net, America's Catholic Lifestyle Magazine. Be informed, be inspired, be blessed. )

"Does the Church allow abortion if the mother's life is at risk?"

By Paul Dion, STL

On the April 30, 2007 episode of the "The Sean Hannity Show" on the Fox News Channel, Republican presidential hopeful Sam Brownback cleared up his position on the abortion issue.

Normally this is not an issue which ParishWorld.net discusses very often, but given the circumstances and the belief that there is much for us Christians to learn from this interchange between Hannity and Brownback, ParishWorld.net is convinced that a thoughtful discussion about what Sam Brownback said in response to Hannity's question is in order.

Toward the end of the interview, Hannity asked Brownback if he believed there should be any legal exceptions for abortion such as rape, incest, or saving the life of the mother. Brownback clearly stated that there should be absolutely no legal exceptions for abortion. He admitted that such a situation would be tragic but also said that "it's not the baby's fault."

The burning question of the week is simply this: "Do you, dear reader, agree with Senator Sam Brownback that there should be absolutely no legal exceptions for abortion, including saving the mother's life?"

Please state the reasons for your position. ParishWorld.net will keep itself engaged in the discussion.

You can also check out this related article I wrote on the topic: Thalidomide, Rape, Abortion, God.

"What is Sacrifice?"

By Paul Dion, STL

We Catholics are big into sacrifices. We use the word a lot, and rightly so. Well, this is Thanksgiving, the opening of the Holiday Season. It is the Magnificent American Harvest Festival.

We at Parishworld.net have chosen this time to present the concept of sacrifice to you because it is fitting and challenging.

The question therefore is, "What is sacrifice? Why consider it now? What does this have to do with us Catholics?"

Go for it, brethren!

"What is the Worst Sin?"

By Paul Dion, STL, ParishWorld Theology Editor

Rarely do we at ParishWorld.net dedicate so much space to "sin". This time we do. Since we celebrate the mystery of the breadth and the depth of God's love and glory, we grow up with the deep faith that He has the power to create, to support and to save anyone. ParishWorld.net is a part of that faith and we are happy that you accompany us down the road of faith.

Interestingly there are other forces on the Internet that are not as positively dedicated as we are. Sometimes questions do arise about sin and its consequences. Lately there has been a discussion about the worst sin. It seems to be a strange question.

Every sin insults God, and what could be worse than that? In the same thought, every sin insults His creatures too, including the sinner himself. So often, when we consider the concept of sin, we don't include ourselves as being the object of our own insult. We insult our souls, our heart, our mind, our body, our family and the wider community of those with whom we keep company every day.

So, allow us to ask the question, "What is the Worst Sin?" Consider this question not only in the context of an insult to God, but in the context of the greatest possible damage that we could do both to God and to ourselves through sin.

What do you think it is? We'd love to hear your thoughts.

Share your comments with the rest of the world.

CLICK HERE to view the answers to this burning question.

Must we believe the Church 100% to be Catholic?

Must we believe the Church 100% to be Catholic?

By Paul Dion, STL

Living the Catholic life is a life of penance, prayer and missionary zeal. It is about giving-up some things and for giving some things too. As Catholics, we hear a lot of teachings about our religion and we pray for all souls including those people who are going to be baptized into the Catholic religion each Easter Vigil.

But recently, a Catholic friend told me how he's been facing his own Catholic friends and family who seem to disagree with certain specific tenets of our faith. So maybe now is a critical time to ask ourselves an important question about our religion and our faith. It is not a "stupid" question, nor is it an idle one. It is a question that I have been asked several times by Catechumens. I even hear it now and then from life-long Catholics who are attending Faith Growth Sessions for Adults.

We hope that all of you who read this would consider the depth and the value of the question. We want to hear your opinion about what the answer is. We are sure that you will have deep seated opinons about this one. Share them, please. We are sure that the sum of all of them will add up to the true answer.

"In order to be Catholic, do you have to believe 100% of what the Church teaches?"

Please pray over it and then chime in with your opinion. We will provide a comprehensive answer as part of the comments. In the meantime, we will join you in the running comment exercise.

Let us know what you think. Post your comment below.

Who can receive Communion?

By Paul Dion, STL

Who Can Receive Communion? These are the words of Jesus as presented to us by St. John the Evangelist.

"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food, and my blood is real drink. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me. This is the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever" (John 6:53–58).

Because of this teaching about the Eucharist, we know that receiving this Sacrament is very important to our lives as Catholics.

The burning questions is: What are the pre-requisites for receiving the eucharist for the first time? What are the requisites for receiving the eucharist every time after that?

Click here to view the answer to this Burning Question

"Half a Eucharist?"

By Paul Dion, STL

In this time when communion under both species is not reserved to the priest in our Western, Latin Catholic Church, it is possible that even some fairly mature participants at the Holy Mass could sometimes ask themselves a similar question.

For this reason, we reproduce the question of the neophyte in the hopes that you will share your answer to this person with the rest of us:

"I have a question. Last Sunday I attended the 7 AM Mass. When it came time for me to receive the Blood of Christ the cup was empty. This is the 3rd time I've been denied the full Eucharist. Is my Eucharist valid or am I in sin for taking half a Eucharist? The Catechism says that the "Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life." I really want to celebrate the whole Eucharist and look forward to Mass because of it. Why can't the Extraordinary Ministers prepare an extra cup or at the very least direct us to someone else?"

What do you say? What do you think it is? We'd love to hear your thoughts.

Post a comment below.

CLICK HERE to view the answers to this burning question.

Is the Mass a Eucharistic Banquet or a Holy Sacrifice

Is the Mass a Eucharistic Banquet or a Holy Sacrifice
By Paul Dion, STL


1. There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:
2. a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3. a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,
4. a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5. a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
6. a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7. a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8. a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace
(Ecclesiastes, Chapter 3)

There is also a time for naming things and a time for remembering what the name was before the name we now use. I am giving you the opportunity to participate in this exercise in the following manner.

What is the name that defines our central act of worship, the Mass? Is the Mass a Sacrifice or is it a Banquet?

Tell us what you think and please elaborate on your answer.

Eucharist? Communion? Which is it?

By Paul Dion, STL

We are continuing our investigation into the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. Your participation in the discussion of the "applause in church" was very enlightening. ParishWorld.net encourages you to click back on this related blog so that you will not miss any of the "action".

This week we will address ourselves to a topic that is a lot more directly focused on the Eucharist. The Church honors the Eucharist as one of her most exalted mysteries, since for sublimity and incomprehensibility it is right up there with the allied mysteries of the Trinity and Incarnation.

These three mysteries constitute a wonderful unity, which causes the essential characteristic of Christianity, as a religion of mysteries far transcending the capabilities of reason, to shine forth in all its brilliance and splendor. It elevates Catholicism, the most faithful guardian and keeper of our Christian heritage, far above all pagan and non-Christian religions.

Eucharist is the name given to the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar which is a coin with two sides, one is the Sacrament and Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and the same coin presents Jesus Christ in His divine presence under the form of bread and wine.

ParishWorld.net asks, "Why then do Catholics call this wonderful divine mystery, COMMUNION?"

CLICK HERE to take a peek at the answer to this Burning Question.