Q. Why doesn't the church pay taxes and owns so much land?

The payment or nonpayment of taxes by the Church (and all other nonprofit charitable organizations) is a matter which is decided by each individual nation. In the case of the United States, the Congress decided that all religious institutions (Protestant, Catholic, Mormon, Jewish, Hindu, etc.) would be exempt from the payment of taxes on those of their holdings which were used for religious purposes. Activities and holdings not of a strictly religious nature (such as owning and/or operating a winery or book publishing enterprise for instance) are taxed.

Q. What does spirituality mean to you?
Q. How has spirituality influenced the actions that you participate in?

Spirituality is not something which is different from "real life." Rather, it is purposefully becoming aware that God is all around us. It is easy to be aware of God's presence when we are comfortable with our situation; when things are going well. It is sometimes very difficult to be aware of God's presence when we are experiencing difficulties, especially of the gut-wrenching variety.

Awareness of God's nearness is not something which most of us are born with. Instead, it is something which we have to work on and develop. God is always there but our being able to discern His presence is something which takes practice. Like sports, the more you do it the better you get at it. But even some of our most well-known Saints experienced periods of spiritual dryness; times when prayer and contemplation were difficult. It was during these times that they worked the hardest on their relationship with God. When we experience such a period of spiritual dryness it is time for us, like the Saints, to return to the basics, to concentrate on placing the Eucharist near to the center of our life. Frequent communion and prayer before the Blessed Sacrament will provide the focus necessary to discern God's presence, first in the Eucharist, and then in our lives. Once that awareness is enkindled, we can connect our inner life to our outer one and become whole; one body and spirit striving to do God's will in our everyday lives.

Q. What are some things that we have in common with other religions?

This is such a broad question it is quite difficult to answer. If you are asking about religions such an Buddhism, Muslim, Shintoism, Christianity and Judaism, the commonality doesn't extend much beyond the belief in the existence of a Supreme Being. If you are asking about different Christian faiths such as Lutheranism, Methodism, Baptist, Catholicism and Presbyterianism there are many more common beliefs such as the Blessed Trinity, the necessity of baptism, and the efficacy of Jesus' sacrifice.

Recommended reading:
Catoir, John T., World Religions; Beliefs Behind Today's Headlines, The Christophers, New York, NY 10017, 1992
Mead, Frank S., Handbook Of Denominations In The United States, Abingdon Press, Nashville, TN, 1983
Whalen, William J., Separated Brethren, Our Sunday Visitor, Huntington, IN 46750, 1979

Q. Were some of the truths revealed by the 2nd Vatican Council misrepresented by liberal priests in America?

It seems as though there is misrepresentation by someone after almost every ecumenical council. In the case of Vatican II, because of the ready access to the media and the willingness of the media to engage in activities which cause discord (and therefore headlines), this misrepresentation has become much more visible. Vatican II in fact did not change any of the dogmas of the Catholic Church. Dogmas, by their very nature, are unchangeable. What was changed were some of the practices and like a pendulum the change went too far in one direction but is now returning to a more neutral position.

Recommended reading:
Flannery, Austin, Vatican Council II, The Conciliar and Post Conciliar Documents, Costello Publishing Co., Northport, NY 11768, 1992
Flannery, Austin, Vatican Council II, More Post Conciliar Documents, Costello Publishing Co., Northport, NY 11768, 1982

Q. Why does the Church allow priests to disagree with the Pope on national TV?

The Church does not screen the remarks of their clergy before they are allowed to appear in public. It is up to the bishop to ensure that all official teaching of the Church within his diocese conforms to the teaching of the magisterium. If the teaching does not conform, it is the responsibility of the bishop to correct it. In the case of some news accounts in recent years, the individual priest may in fact have been relieved of his clerical faculties by his bishop even though he is still a priest (because he was ordained "a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek"). Such a person cannot function as a priest (say Mass, hear confessions, anoint the sick, etc.). That person is speaking as an individual and not as a representative of the clergy.

Q. Aren't Catholics who disagree with Church teachings really Protestants?

There are different degrees of disagreement. One can question whether or not a priest should be allowed to marry, whether or not communion should be taken in the hand, whether or not girls should be altar servers. These are all Church rules which are subject to change. When the questioning becomes a point of division within the Church community, it is no longer questioning but rebellion. Points of dogma may be questioned in order to gain a better understanding but never to effect change. The teachings of the Catholic Church are not like a menu where you can take some of this, some of that, a double helping of dessert, but no chastity or penance. Once a doctrine is knowingly rejected, the person is no longer a Catholic as they have excommunicated themselves.

Q. If a person is ignorant about Catholic doctrine is he really a Catholic?

If they have been baptized in the Catholic Church, they are Catholic even though they may not know or understand the doctrines of the Church. It is the duty of every Catholic to learn the truths of their faith. This can be done by attending Catholic Bible studies, seminars and retreats, and also by sitting in on R.C.I.A. classes.

Q. What must a person do (and believe) to be considered a Catholic by the Church?

First, they must be baptized. Second, they must accept the 10 Commandments as the model for their life. Third, they must subscribe to the beliefs expressed in the Apostles' Creed (or Nicene Creed). Finally, they must accept the dogmatic statements issued by the ecumenical councils and the popes as true and binding upon their faith. Obviously, all this doesn't happen all at once when an infant is baptized, but this is what is expected of an adult believer, whether they are a convert or a cradle Catholic.

Q. What to tell someone that says that they do not go to church because of the changing rules and also because of what the priest said?

This is the same Church which Jesus Himself founded upon Peter, the rock. The people have never made the rules. The changing rules which people complain about are superficial in nature: How long to fast before receiving Holy Communion, whether to receive Holy Communion in the hand or on the tongue, whether the priest should face the people or not, whether girls should serve at the altar, etc. Those who complain about changes in the rules are most likely not really complaining about them but instead choosing to use them as an excuse for not participating in Mass. The problem is much deeper than rules. It instead revolves around whether the person is willing to do God's bidding rather than their own. The Catholic Church is not a democracy where we vote on what we want to do. It is a theocracy; run by God and those chosen by Him to do His will.

As to what a priest has said there are three choices: the priest was in error, the listener misunderstood what the priest said, or the listener did not hear what they wanted to hear but instead heard what God wanted them to hear. In any case, the first response should be to make an appointment with the priest for a private discussion to ensure that what was heard was correctly understood. This done and satisfaction not having been attained, a discussion with the Vicar General for the diocese is in order, then if necessary a discussion with the bishop. Finally, an appeal can be made to the Papal Nuncio in Washington, D.C. The person making these appeals however must always be aware that they are not the final judge of what is right and what is wrong and if they refuse to listen even to the Church, they should be treated as a pagan or a tax collector (Matthew 18:17).

Q. Why are Holy Days observed here and not up North?

The National Council of Catholic Bishops for the United States has determined which days are holy days of obligation for the United States. Some of these days are different from those chosen by the Council of Catholic Bishops for Canada, or Mexico, or Ireland for example. Latin-rite Catholics in the United States observe more holy days than do Catholics in many other countries. The problem is determining which holy days are bound by which rules. Simply put, there are six holy days of obligation for most of the dioceses of the United States: Christmas (December 25), Mary Mother of God (January 1), Ascension (the sixth Thursday after Easter; but in some dioceses Ascension is moved to the 7th Sunday of Easter), Assumption (August 15), All Saints (November 1), and Immaculate Conception (December 8). But there exceptions to the rules. When August 15, November 1 or January 1 fall on a Saturday or a Monday, the obligation to attend Mass is no longer in force. In nine western states, the feast of the Ascension has been transferred to the following Sunday. Catholics in Hawaii, following the practice of the neighbors in the South Pacific, observe all Sundays and two additional feasts, Christmas and the Immaculate Conception, as holy days of obligation.

Q. Why did the Church mishandle pedophile priests so badly?

The Catholic Church as a whole did not mismanage the investigation and prosecution of pedophile priests, but some individuals and dioceses did. No matter what the intention of the persons involved in not pursuing the issue more vigorously and openly, failure to do so was wrong. Reasons given vary from not wanting to subject the Church to public scandal to not wanting to embarrass the priest involved and everything in between. As a result, the Church has been publicly ridiculed and the priesthood as a whole was embarrassed. As we have all learned, it is never allowable in God's eyes to commit a sin (or fail to admit that one has been committed) even if the attempted result is believed to be for the common good.

Q. I would like to have a clearer understanding of what the Church teaches as it pertains to capital punishment, especially execution.
Q. Can Catholics support the death penalty for murderers, rapists, and pedophiles?

If someone is causing harm to society, it is society's responsibility to render that individual incapable of inflicting further harm. The traditional teaching of the Church down through the ages has acknowledged the right and duty of legitimate public authority to punish malefactors by means commensurate with the gravity of the crime, not excluding, in cases of extreme gravity, the death penalty. However, we must also recognize that if incarceration is sufficient to defend the public against the individual malefactor, the public authority should limit itself to such means and ensure that the individual will not have their sentence reduced or otherwise be released to again become a threat to society. The ultimate judge is God and He will give each individual their just reward. When we attempt to avenge the crime, we become no better than the original perpetrator.

Recommended reading:
Catechism of the Catholic Church, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1994, paragraphs 2266-2267, 2306

Q. We need to ask everyone to sing during Mass. We are praising God. God does not hear our singing if we don't sing.

How correct you are! The psalmist tells us:

"Sing aloud unto God our strength; make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob" (Psalm 81:1, KJV).

Here at St. Charles Borromeo there are several reasons, the primary one being lack of space. All of our classrooms are being used between Masses for the instruction of our children. There are however, Bible studies and prayer and formation groups of various types who meet during the week and new participants are always welcome. Perhaps after our new parish hall and new church building are completed, we will be able to offer adult instruction as well; provided there is enough interest among the parishioners.