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Although I was raised Catholic and attend Sunday Mass regularly, in recent years I am finding the Church’s position, or perhaps its silence, on many political issues disturbing. I understand pro-life concerns, but I don’t understand why the only pro-life issue the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) really seems to care about is abortion.
As Catholics, we believe that faith and works are needed to get to heaven. If Jesus died for our sins, why is purgatory needed? Didn’t he already repair what was needed?
Catholics don’t regard faith and works as though they were steps one and two to get into heaven. Genuine faith must always overflow into works of mercy and compassion.
Pope Francis is the best thing that has happened to the Catholic Church since St. John XXIII. I know there are lots of dedicated priests, religious, and laypeople working on the front lines with refugees, the poor, the elderly, single mothers, and other at-risk groups of people. But where among today’s leaders are the Oscar Romeros, the Daniel Berrigans, and the Dorothy Days? I don’t think I’m having a crisis of faith; it feels more like a crisis of religion because of tepid leadership.
I understand that if I pray for someone, that action affects me and how I deal with that person and perhaps others. All our lives, Catholics are geared to praying for others, but what we do after that praying is also crucial. Pope Francis usually ends a homily or talk with a request that his listeners pray for him. What good does that do?
I believe and hope to be with my loved ones someday in heaven. Will my husband, who died almost two years ago, know me and still love me? How will he look? If I have hurt anyone in my lifetime, will he or she have forgiven me by then? My husband was a good Catholic. I hope he is in heaven, but where is it? This is all on faith. What if it isn’t the way we thought it would be?
The appeal of St. Francis remains undimmed almost eight centuries after his death. In looking at him, people have always been helped to see Christ.
I’ve heard different explanations about how the books in the Bible got there. Who chose them and why?
The list of biblical books is called the canon (a Greek word from the Semitic term for a measuring rod). In this context, it’s a measurement of whether the writings called canonical belong to the inspired word of God.
All mainline Christians have agreed since the fourth century about which 27 books belong in the New Testament. Thus, the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are there, but the Gospels of Thomas, Peter, Mary, and many others are not.
