Why Do Catholics Bless Themselves With Holy Water?
When you walk into the church, you dip your fingers into the holy water font and then make the sign of the cross. But why do you do that? Why do Catholics use holy water
Dulia and Hyperdulia: Do Catholics Really Worship Mary?
Repeat after me: Catholics do not worship Mary. Catholics do not worship Mary. Catholics do not worship Mary. I mention this because that scurrilous claim has turned up several times recently in my comment boxes.
The Holy Right: Explaining the Mystery of Relics
August 16 is the memorial of St. Stephen, patron of Hungary. Stephen was anointed king in the year 1000 A.D. by Pope Sylvester II, who presented him with a cross and a crown. Stephen was a
GOD’S FRIENDS, MY FRIENDS: The Precedent for Intercessory Prayer
In a series of talks in 2011, Pope Benedict XVI spoke about the efficacy of intercessory prayer. He used the biblical patriarch Abraham as an example—reminding us of how Abraham prayed to God for the
Stand, Sit, Kneel, Repeat… Why Catholics Do the Things They Do
If you're a non-Catholic attending the Catholic Mass for the first time, chances are you notice this: On cue, people stand up; they sit back down; they kneel; then they stand.... The curious onlooker
Why Won’t the Catholic Church “Get With the Times” and Ordain Women Priests?
In Des Moines, Iowa, the Catholic Worker House is no longer permitted to hold liturgies on the premises, after conducting a service in which a woman who claims to be an ordained priest celebrated a
Why Attend Church? Five Pretty Good Reasons, But There’s Another One…
"5 reasons to attend church." The headline in The Examiner caught my eye: After all, the recent PEW study demonstrated that Catholics and Christians are dropping out of the church-attending group, as society grows increasingly secular.
Confess My Sins to a Priest? Why Can’t I Just Talk to God?
If you're Catholic, you've heard this before, right? Your Protestant friend says, "Why should I confess my sins to a priest?" Chances are he's going to offer one of two arguments: I have a personal
Why Do Catholics Bless Themselves With Holy Water?
When you walk into the church, you dip your fingers into the holy water font and then make the sign of the cross. But why do you do that? Why do Catholics use holy water
Why Catholics (And Everyone Else) Should Stay Away From Horoscopes
“I would like to ask you," said Pope Francis in his Sunday Angelus address, "...but don’t answer out loud; each one answer to himself: How many are there among us who read the horoscope every