Dear Father

Q: Why does the Church oppose in-vitro fertilization (IVF)? What alternatives does the Church offer to couples experiencing infertility? 

This question is one near and dear to my heart, for my own family has had struggles in having children. I empathize greatly with couples who feel the burning desire to be parents and share the gift of life. The Church is not opposed to this desire; rather the Church opposes some methods to attain this good.

Q: I was recently approached by a Jehovah’s Witness, who gave me a pamphlet with information on her community. As a Catholic, how can I respond in love but with the truth of our Catholic Church?

I first want to applaud you for your zeal for sharing the faith with others. Sadly in recent times, Catholics have generally been somewhat tepid in their desire to share the faith with others. Your desire, along with so many others to spread our faith, is truly what the New Evangelization is all about.

There are varying views on this question. Some argue that priests should be exempt from jury duty, because priests are supposed to not be involved in the government, and jury duty is a type of governmental work. Famously, Cardinal John O'Connor, Archbishop of New York, prohibited his priests from serving on juries, even going as far as to write personal letters to the court to ensure that they would not serve on a jury.

There are two ways of answering your question; pastorally and academically. Pastorally, I would address the personal and very painful issues associated with your rejection by a seemingly uncaring husband, but I do not consider this to be the proper forum for that. I recommend you contact your pastor or one of the counselors at Catholic Family Services for help.

God called Abraham to form a people uniquely for His own (Genesis 12). Their purpose was to prepare the world for the coming of the Messiah. If God was to come dwell in the world, He would come to a specific place, with a culture and a people who were part of it. God chose to do this in and through the Jewish nation as told in the Old Testament.

The basic difference between a cross and a crucifix is that the crucifix has a corpus (an artistic rendering of Christ crucified) attached to it, while a cross does not have this symbol.

It is possible that the cross first began appearing in Christian homes shortly after the apostles began to preach the faith as an article to express their faith and deepen their devotion. Such belief is supported by the writings of the Church Fathers, who call the early Christian community "devotees of the Cross," while the surrounding pagan community calling the Christians "cross-worshipers."