Why Are We Guilty of Adam and Eve’s Sin?
It is impossible in law to find someone guilty of a crime committed by another. I know the problem of original sin is part of...
Author: Michael Shackleton
Is Hellfire Truly Eternal?
Question: Our Lord spoke of hell where the wicked are punished in “a fire that shall never be quenched” (Mk 9:43). This appears to me...
When is Our Conscience Clear?
Please help me understand how we can be guided by our conscience. The Catechism is too wordy for me. How can I be sure I...
Must the Afflicted Fast in Lent?
What about invalids and the physically challenged who live with pain and hardship? Are they bound to observe the Lenten strictures of fasting and abstinence?...
Why Do Some Reject Papal Primacy?
Browsing through the Internet, I am surprised at the number of Christian websites that contradict the Catholic Church’s understanding of the intent of Matthew 16:18,...
What Cloth Must Go On The Altar?
A sacristan recently told me about a priest who refuses to cover the altar with a full-sized cloth because he doesn’t like “fancy decorations”. I...
Is Calling Priests ‘Father’ Out Now?
A priest I know encourages his parishioners not to call him “Father” but to address him by his first name instead. I find this awkward...
Sin, Confession and Penance
As a sinner, I find myself confessing the same sins repeatedly. I have discovered that the priest gives a variety of penances for the same...
We Are Saints
Guest Editorial by Michael Shackleton Celebrating the memory of the great saints of the Church is an annual time to be happy, as it is...
Enthusiasm and Enthusiasts
Guest Editorial by Michael Shackleton Saint Ambrose, the fourth-century bishop of Milan, coined the phrase “Ubi Petrus ibi Ecclesia” (Where Peter is, the Church...
Understanding the First Chapters of Genesis
Genesis 4:17 says that Cain, the son of Adam and Eve, had a wife. Where did she spring from, considering that up to that point...
Do We Sin When We Don’t fast?
The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells me that the Precepts of the Church have an obligatory character (2041). I can understand that I am...
