Catholicism

The short answer is no, Catholics do not worship Mary in the same way they worship God. However, Catholics do highly venerate and…

The short answer is yes, absolutely. As a pastor, I can definitively say that Catholics have always believed that Jesus Christ is the…

As a pastor caring for those nearing the end of earthly life, I am often asked about prayers and rituals in the Catholic…

The Nicene Creed holds a central place in Catholic theology and liturgy. As Catholics, reciting this profession of faith connects us to the…

The short answer is that it depends. There are specific liturgical rules around abstinence from meat on Fridays for observant Catholics. However, the…

As a pastor, I’m often asked about the differences between the Anglican and Catholic churches. With similarities in liturgy, sacraments, and church structure,…

The Catholic Mass is the central liturgical ritual in the Catholic Church, where bread and wine become the body and blood of Jesus…

As a pastor, one of the most common questions I receive this time of year is “What is Lent?” In the following comprehensive…

What are the gifts of the Holy Spirit that we receive at baptism and confirmation? How do they impact our lives and build…

People often ask me, as a priest, what the differences are between the Episcopal and Catholic churches. Since they share some history and…

As a pastor, I’m often asked about the differences between Christianity and Roman Catholicism. Both share core beliefs as followers of Jesus Christ,…

The news recently broke that Father Hilarion Heagy, a prominent Eastern Christian priest based in California, has converted to Islam after renouncing Christianity….

As a pastor, I strive to provide thoughtful spiritual guidance to my congregation, which sometimes involves grappling with complex moral issues. The case…

Offering a prayer before meals is a longstanding Catholic tradition that goes back centuries. At its heart, this simple act allows us to…

The short answer is yes; Catholics can choose to be cremated. The Catholic Church has allowed cremation as an option since 1963, though…

The short answer is no. Priests in the Latin Catholic Church take a vow of celibacy, meaning they cannot marry or engage in…

A troubling situation has recently come to light involving Alex Crow, a former Catholic priest. As your pastor, I want to address this…

Confirmation is one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. It is the sacrament through which Catholics receive the fullness of the…

What is Catholic social thought? In essence, it refers to the Church’s substantial body of teaching that deals with how we should organize…

The heated football rivalry between the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the University of Miami Hurricanes has led to one of…

As a pastor, engaged couples frequently ask me to explain the significance of the traditional Catholic wedding vows. After all, the words spoken…

Parishioners frequently ask me, as a pastor, about particular prayers and rituals to spiritually support loved ones who are battling illness or recovering…

Laying a loved one to rest is one of the most difficult experiences we face in life. In times of grief, we often…

What is the purpose of a Catholic examination of conscience, and why is it an important spiritual practice? In essence, it is a…

Catholic parishes across the United States have seen a concerning trend of church closures over the past couple of decades. As a pastor…

As a pastor, I’m often asked about the differences between Baptist and Catholic beliefs and practices. There are quite a few areas where…

The Apostles’ Creed is one of the oldest and most influential statements of Christian belief. Recited at Mass and during other prayers, this…

As a pastor, both Catholics and non-Catholics frequently ask me why we pray to Mary. Some see asking the Mother of Jesus to…

As Catholics, we look to the saints as examples of holy living and faithful devotion to God. Their lives inspire us to grow…

As a pastor, I’m often asked to explain the key differences between the Lutheran and Catholic churches. With our shared roots in Western…

The term “catholic” broadly means “universal.”. In a religious context, it refers to the universal Christian church that follows the teachings and traditions…

The Catholic Bible contains 73 books, consisting of 46 books in the Old Testament and 27 books in the New Testament. This is…

The last rites, also known as the sacrament of the sick or extreme unction, are rituals performed by a Catholic priest for someone…

As Catholics, the Sunday Scripture readings that we hear at Mass are so familiar, yet do we truly understand their significance in our…

The Hail Mary is one of the most beloved and recited prayers in the Catholic faith. As a pastor, I am often asked…

Our Father Prayer, also known as the Lord’s Prayer, is undoubtedly the most well-known and beloved of all Catholic prayers. As Catholics, we…

As Catholics, starting our day with morning prayer helps center us in Christ and offers spiritual strength for the hours ahead. In this…

Evening prayer is a cherished tradition in the Catholic faith. As night falls at the end of each day, we have the opportunity…

As Catholics, prayer is absolutely essential to our faith. Through prayer, we communicate intimately with God, strengthening our relationship with Him and inviting…

Losing a loved one is incredibly difficult. In times of grief, words often fail us. As Christians, prayer is a source of comfort…

Physical or emotional suffering can shake even the strongest faith. Yet in times of affliction, our Catholic tradition offers beautiful prayers to cry…

The God that Roman Catholics worship is the one supreme being who created all things visible and invisible. He is eternal, all-powerful, all-knowing,…

The Catholic Church recognizes the authority of the Bible as the revealed word of God. Catholics predominantly use the Catholic editions of the…

As Catholics, the seven sacraments stand at the very heart of our faith and relationship with God. Through these visible signs, Christ provides…

The division between Orthodox Christianity and Catholic Christianity is one of the oldest and most contentious in the history of the church. As…

As a pastor, I often encourage my congregation to set aside time for evening devotion and prayer. In the quiet moments before sleep,…

The number of Catholics in the world has grown steadily over the past century. Today, nearly 1.4 billion people identify as Catholic, making…

As a pastor, I’m often asked, “What exactly do Catholics believe?” It’s a fair question, as Catholic beliefs can seem mysterious or confusing…

The Act of Contrition is a Catholic prayer that we say during the Sacrament of Confession to express our sorrow for our sins…

Who founded the Catholic Church? This is a question that has been debated for centuries, but one that is important for Catholics to…

As Catholics, the 10 Commandments given to Moses on Mount Sinai serve as the foundation for how we are called to live moral…

As a pastor, I frequently receive requests from both my congregation and the surrounding community to outline the main theological and historical differences…

The short answer is yes, Catholics are Christian. Catholicism is one of the three major branches of Christianity, along with Orthodoxy and Protestantism….

The scapular is a popular Catholic devotional that typically consists of two small pieces of cloth connected by cords and worn over the…

God’s chosen rulers or oppressive autocrats? For centuries, European monarchs claimed a sacred right to absolute power. The Catholic Church was instrumental in…

The Catholic Church absolutely still believes in the existence of purgatory. Purgatory remains an essential part of Catholic dogma and doctrine to this…

The Catholic Church has a multi-faceted mission to spread the gospel message of Jesus Christ and build God’s kingdom on earth. This is…

Ordinary Time is a season in the Catholic Church’s liturgical calendar that makes up a large portion of the year. Spanning nearly six…

A cantor is a trained singer and leader of liturgical music in the Catholic Church. The cantor helps facilitate and enhance the congregation’s…

The Catholic Church asserts that it is the original and first Christian church that Jesus Christ himself founded. However, determining which church was…

In the Catholic Church, Holy Days of Obligation are days on which Catholics are required to attend Mass and refrain from unnecessary work….

The Catholic Church does not believe in the “rapture” as it is understood by some fundamentalist and evangelical Protestants. The Catholic view of…

Yes, Catholics can attend Christian church services. While there are some differences between Catholicism and Protestant Christianity, they share core beliefs and values…

A brother in the Catholic Church is a member of a religious institute or congregation who commits to living the evangelical counsels of…

The surrender novena, also known as the novena of surrender to Jesus, is a popular Catholic devotion that involves saying a specific prayer…

The Catholic Church, one of the oldest religious institutions in the world, has been facing declines in membership and attendance in recent decades,…

The Renaissance, spanning roughly the 14th to 17th centuries, was a time of immense cultural, intellectual, and artistic development across Europe. During this…

The Catholic Church, like any large and powerful institution, has had its share of corruption scandals throughout history. However, it’s an oversimplification to…

The Catholic Church does not grant annulments on the grounds of adultery alone. However, in some cases, adultery may be considered in determining…

The question of whether the Catholic Church put the Bible together is a complex one with a long history behind it. In examining…

The name “Catholic Church” refers to the Christian church, which is characterized by being universal in scope and placing authority in the bishops…

The Catechism of the Catholic Church is an important text that summarizes Catholic beliefs and teachings. When writing a paper or article that…

The Catholic Church refers to the sacrament of reconciliation as the Sacrament of Penance or Confession. It is considered a sacred ritual in…

The Catholic Church introduced tropes, a type of liturgical chant, in medieval times as a way to embellish and expand upon the traditional…

The Catholic Church is one of the largest religious institutions in the world, with over 1.3 billion members. However, it has faced accusations…

The Catholic Church did not always make the Bible widely available to ordinary people. For much of its history, the Church actively discouraged…