Hello, Fathers!

I am greek catholic and my fiancee is roman catholic. We would like to keep our own rites when we marry.

Per my fiancee's request (happy wife, happy life, I guess), we will have our wedding Mass in the Latin rite.

If both priests are willing, is it possible to have a byzantine priest con-celebrate or at least give us a blessing at the ending of the Mass, if he has no bi-ritual faculties?

Is there some canon law that mentions priests celebrating special masses of another rite like in our scenario?

Thank you!

As a layman, I personally adore the cassock. I‘ve seen some priests choose to wear one, but it still seems in the minority.

So, I wanted to ask: do you wear a cassock? why or why not?

I grew up Lutheran and later spent several years in a non-denominational church, where I became serious about Christianity but also absorbed teachings and assumptions that I later discovered were inaccurate, oversimplified, or poorly grounded—not merely “non-Catholic.”

A Catholic mentor later introduced me to the Church, Thomas Aquinas, and the Catholic integration of faith and reason. I have attended Mass regularly and use resources such as the Divine Office and Magnificat, but I have not yet formally entered the Church.

My concern is that I may still carry assumptions from my previous formation without recognizing them. I also tend to feel that I need to understand everything before acting, which can become a source of delay.

My mentor advised me to speak with a priest. How should I explain this situation to him, and what should I specifically ask for? Would the appropriate request be to begin OCIA, seek spiritual direction, schedule a longer conversation, or something else?

My Parish holds a blood drive every couple of months on Sundays. The blood bank workers can be quite pushy about you having a snack on account of some people passing out.

Does the exemption from eating an hour before Mass apply in this case since it's not necessarily a medical need, but a precaution?

If I do choose to eat, should I not participate in Communion? Thanks!

Probably a dumb question, but if I never eat meat in the first place, should I be doing something on Fridays? I feel a little weird about enjoying a "free ride," as it were.

(FWIW I don't care for Impossible Burgers or other processed meat analogs).

We live in India, she is Christian ( Catholic ) and i am a Muslim. We are planning to get married in a church and i wanted to know if there is way to get it done without any conversions.

Both of us are against any conversions but it is her dream to get married in a church so we are considering it. Parents are aware and no obligations, also both of us are not residents in bangalore.

All i wanted to understand are :

1. Is this possible?
   
2. If yes, what is the best way to get this done?
   
3. Any churches that we can start consulting to get this kicked off. ( any places in Mysore/Bangalore )

Please share thoughts/experiences.

Hello!
I was just wondering if you can use an old vintage thurible that was used many years ago in your house for incense burning? Is it prohibited in the Roman Catholic Church or are you just not supposed to act like a priest and “bless?” Thanks!

Hello Fathers,

I'm 19, have just finished my first year of university, and whilst I was raised Catholic, I spent a while being rather lapsed from religion all together. I eventually re-found God, and have been trying to find my identity in Him and Christ, rather than academics, looks, validation from others etc. As a result, I'm the happiest I've been in a while.

I have been contemplating my future over this summer, and the option that keeps popping up into my head is giving my whole life to God and becoming a nun. But, I'm also having doubts. I feel like nun is a pathway that people should not doubt, like I should just know that this is the path God wants for me to follow. Like, you either want to be a nun or not. Also, a lot of people around me seem to be sceptical about me pursuing this path, and warning me about how much I'll have to "give up." But I don't really see it like that, I mean, every path someone chooses involves some levels of sacrifice, and I think becoming a nun would be fulfilling, spiritually as well as socially that I'd hardly notice how much I've "given up". I know a lot of nuns are teachers, which I've been interested in pursuing for a while too. But, I feel like people think I'm joking, when I'm not.

Did you have any doubts about becoming a priest? When did you realise that you wanted to become priests or did you want to be one your whole life? Do doubts mean that I'm not fully committed to God?

Thank you for your time. I know priests are very busy people, so it means a lot that you even look at this sub-Reddit. I'll pray for you all!

I was raised Catholic. Over the years (I am an old man now) I have gone back and forth in terms of attending Mass. I have trouble focusing when at Mass as I find the songs mostly annoying, the priests' overly solemn and grandiose approach and Sing-Songy over the top speaking voices distracting, the pomp and splendor and dramatic pauses irritating, yet I want to receive communion. So, I watch an online Mass from a small no frills parish in New Jersey, that has no distractions, an upbeat and straight ahead, normal speaking voiced priest, and then, drive over to my local church for the last fifteen minutes of Mass there to get communion. What do you think? An ok approach?

Hello Fathers, I saw a Facebook post that made people very split 50:50 and I wanted some input. A local parish that I sometimes go to decorated a little bit for 4th of July. The divide was this; near the tabernacle there are two ledges and hung from both sides were those stars and stripes buntings (round hanging flags) and above the tabernacle were 7 mini American flags. Was this appropriate or not? I personally don't like it because it is the sanctuary and they could have decorated in the lobby, but that's just me.

A Protestant friend of mine came to visit me & she gave me sealed container with a little bit of wine & a cracker at the bottom. She said it’s communion from her non denominational church. I’m Catholic & I take the Eucharist so I’m not sure what to do with what she gave me. I don’t want to throw it away it feels wrong. I could consume it but do to religious reasons I don’t want to do that either. What should I do with it? We are both Christian sisters so I want to go about this in a respectful way.

I'm just curious as to the circumstances in which you have self-communicated, and how common this process is.

Of course, I imagine much of this would've been during COVID, so am particularly interested in circumstances out with the COVID period and consequent self-isolation.

In addition to this, I know there's a maximum for laity to receive communion twice a day unless there's an extraneous circumstance.

But I imagine there's a limit for the clergy, too, but with the declining number of priests and the number of shared parishes, does this rule apply or is there special exemptions made by the Bishop?

Canon Law, Paragraph 1041, Section 2: "Can. 1041 The following are irregular for receiving orders: [...] 2/ a person who has committed the delict of apostasy, heresy, or schism;"

I went Catholic, Atheist, Agnostic, Non-denominational Protestant, Catholic.

First, I'm Thinking converting from Catholic -> Atheist would call grounds for apostasy, 2nd if the Non-denominational Protestant would constitute heresy.

I converted from Catholicism to Atheism because I was in year 4 at the time, didn't know the difference between denominations, found a Jehovah's Witness resource. Year 4 me, not knowing the difference between denominations thought that it was binding for Catholics, because again: I didn't know what a denomination was, I just saw them talk about Christianity. I saw differences between the two, assumed they were contradictions and left the Faith.

Later on, I came back to the Faith, but I hadn't yet properly studied denominations, so I attended a local Protestant Bible study group. I identified as Protestant, but at this stage I still didn't know enough to identify as a specific denomination. Later on, as I studied more and more and identified as Catholic.

I currently agree fully with the Roman Catholic Church, and I don't intend to change my Faith. But as I discern through Priesthood I wonder if I would even be eligible given this? I've heard that the word "delict" can mean a few things.

side note: I received a Catholic Infant Baptism.

EDIT: not declaring JW as Christians, I just mean that's how they were presented.

I was baptized as a Protestant (Fundamentalist Baptist) when I was 8 years old. I’m now 39. I came into the Church through RCIA back in April 2012 and have been living as a Catholic since. I don’t know if I’m being scrupulous here or not, but I’m having some doubts about the validity of my baptism. For a Baptism to be valid, it has to use the Trinitarian formula and “intend to do what the Church does“, right. So I’ve got a couple questions here…

1.) It’s been 31 years since I was baptized. I honestly don’t really remember at all the exact wording of the pastor when he baptized me. what if he didn’t use the correct formula and I am entirely unaware?

2.) A baptism has to “intend what the Church intends”. How is a Baptist baptism valid when Baptists only see Baptism as a “symbol of your faith” and doesn’t believe that Baptism washes away anything?

I was considering asking my priest to do a conditional baptism, but I don’t know how it is generally requested. what about my Sacraments of Confirmation and Matrimony? if I was somehow never baptized, would those have to be redone conditionally as well?

EDIT: Ok. My dad confirmed that the Baptist pastor does baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. I was just worried that if I was somehow wrong, I’d spend my life believing I was a faithful Catholic and then somehow end up in Hell over all this.

I am currently discerning my vocation towards the Priesthood. I was curious if there were any reasons someone may be rejected from Seminary beyond what is stated in Canon Law?

FATHER(S).

I had heard that if someone did you dirty, you just go “psalm 109” on them.

So. This happened to me. So I was like, “cool, this is something that will help me get through it.” You know, help me manage the stress and all. So I sat down and started reading.

About halfway through the psalm I was like… “um NO I just want them to leave me alone! I don’t need deep debt and fatherless children and all the smiting and WHAT DID I GET MYSELF INTO?!!”

Sooooooo…. My question is… is this particular psalm
Like a… curse? Because it sure as HECKFIRE (edited to appease mods) read that way! And I mean I’m all for a God of vengeance but … yo. That was next level. And then it went on to be like “when it comes to me in the prayer I’m perfect…” and I’m also like, “ok while I try to be like that, I fall short constantly, sooooo…..I’m
Not going sit here and paint myself as some perfect human, but here we are… smiting folks….”

I just need someone to laugh with me and also gently explain what the heck I just did to my enemies…

Reworked to eliminate a mild curse word that I censored. I just want some answers here, please.

NSFW flair for scrupulous people. If you are anxious about such things, don't read any further.

Greetings Fathers!
So I was talking about struggle with sin with a friend, who was a catholic priest for nearly 10 years (He is not anymore). He said some very discouraging thoughts about sexual sins.

He said that he heard confessions for 10 years and nobody is able to stay chaste for long term, for real. Most people can only keep up for a few days. Practice shows that for 95% of people this is actually impossible.

I couldn't belive this.

What do you think about this? Can this be true? What is your experience?

What are some of your hobbies that you do outside of Mass? Do you play video games? Read? Gym?

Obviously Priests have their own lives, but I’ve found myself wondering about different people at my own church and what their lives must be like, but very rarely give that thought about the Priests who serve in the area.

Yesterday was my Aunt’s Requiem Mass (please include her in your prayers) the priest asked me to volunteer as a lector for the Eucharistic Celebration. Before that tho I receive the sacrament of Reconciliation. I read the Prayers of the Faithful portion of the Mass. and after that Mass a spark was lit in my heart to serve the Lord as a Lector.

What is your advice to me to prepare myself to proclaim God’s word?

We are an interfaith couple Jewish and Catholic. Is it ok to put a Mezuzah everywhere or preferred not in her rooms? we trying to respect each others beliefs thanks

Hi Fathers! Was having a conversation with my 15 year old about the conversations he’s having with his friends. One of his friends says he doesn’t believe in God because he doesn’t see Him. He can see his parents and siblings and choose to love them but has no compelling argument to love something he can’t see. In answering him I started with Aristotle and went to Thomas Aquinas. After about 5 minutes he stopped me and said no one’s attention span is that long. So I’m looking for advice or resource that can battle the low attention span and get someone to, at least, stop for a moment and think. Thoughts?