Ask a Franciscan

Was Jesus Born in December?

Pat McCloskey, OFM October 21, 2024

Do we celebrate Christmas in December because we know he was born in that month? If not, why is his birth celebrated then?

Imminent Catastrophes Prophesied

Pat McCloskey, OFM May 11, 2020

I recently came across a book warning world leaders about imminent catastrophic events, based on prophecies encoded in the Old Testament. A friend of mine says that looking into the future has existed in every civilization.

Confirmation and the State of Grace

Pat McCloskey, OFM May 11, 2020

I am concerned that a relative of mine may not have been in the state of grace when he recently received the Sacrament of Confirmation. If so, does he need to receive that sacrament again? Is that true of every ...

Do Declarations of Nullity Create Illegitimacy?

Pat McCloskey, OFM May 11, 2020

My son and my daughter-in-law are divorced and remarried. They are considering seeking declarations of nullity for their first marriages. A priest they consulted said that annulments do not make children from that marriage illegitimate. Is that what the Catholic ...

Why Was Pope John XXIII's Feast Moved

Pat McCloskey, OFM May 11, 2020

When Pope John XXIII was beatified in 2000, the date assigned for his feast was October 11, the day that Vatican II began in 1962. The feast has since been moved to June 3, the day he died in 1963. ...

How Could Jesus ‘Be Sin’?

Pat McCloskey, OFM May 11, 2020

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that God made “him [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (602). What does this mean? How can the Son of ...

What Do All Those Initials Mean?

Pat McCloskey, OFM May 11, 2020

Your November 2010 issue included the following abbreviations after the names of priests, brothers or sisters: O.F.M., F.S.P., T.O.R., O.S.B. and O.S.F. Where can I find out what these represent?

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