By Father Joseph L. Parisi
From Review archives
I enjoy reading the horoscope that appears in my daily newspaper. I was
told by a fellow Catholic that this is a sin and that I need to go to
Confession before attempting to receive Holy Communion. Is reading the
horoscope a mortal sin?
It is remarkable how often I have been asked...
I've heard that it's not appropriate that the parishioners hold hands during the saying of the "Our Father." If this is the case, then how does one present this to the pastor of the church where it's taking place?
As a priest, I often see a loving couple holding hands at Mass, not only during the Lord's Prayer, but pretty much through the whole thing. There's certainly nothing objec...
From Review archives
I have some friends who have been watching R-rated movies. I had always understood that we would only view movies with ratings of G, PG, or PG-13. What is permitted for Catholic viewing?
Back in the 1930s the Catholic Church saw a need to promote morally high standards in the movie industry, so the U.S. Catholic bishops established the Legion of D...
My parents are not Catholic. My husband, children and I are, but my parents are not supportive. They have said and done some hurtful things. So how can I follow the Fourt Commandment, "Honor thy father and mother"?
The Fourth Commandment seems simple enough. Children are taught early on that God expects them to honor, respect and obey their parents. Today, however, we unfortunately read and hear about abu...
Why does the Church require that wine be used for the Precious Blood of Christ?
According to the Code of Canon Law, Canon 924 states that the wine used for Holy Mass should be natural and made from grapes that are not corrupted. Grape juice is not valid matter; the juice must be raw or from fresh grapes, which are susceptible to fermentation.
...
Why can't a grain other than wheat be used for Communion host?
The Eucharist is intended to be a wondrous gift of Christ to the members of His Body. At the same time, this awesome gift can cause in some persons health issues. It would seem that Christ would instruct the Church to do whatever she could to allow as many persons as possible to receive this gift, even by changing the form under which He comes to...
By Msgr. Matthew Mitas
From St. Louis Review archives
I notice that both St. Matthew and St. Luke give a version of the
Lord’s Prayer in their respective Gospels, but the two versions differ. I
have always preferred Luke’s shorter and more direct version. Why does
the Church insist on using Matthew’s?
From St. Louis Review Archives
I am confused about the Church's teaching about excommunication. What exactly is an excommunication and how is this punishment imposed upon a person?
The penal laws of the Church are defined in Book VI of the Code of Canon Law, which prescribes not only what particular offenses are punishable by certain penalties but also the rightful and lawful manner by...
Q. I was taught that during the consecration, the bread and wine were wholly transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ. How then can an intolerance to wheat have any effect on someone who receives Holy Communion?
While listening to Jesus teach in Capernaum, "The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, 'How can this man give us his flesh to eat?'" (John 6:52)
This question the Jews had the day Christ gave the Bread of Life discourse is the...
From St. Louis Review archives
My son is left-handed. He wants to make the sign of the cross with his left hand. Does it matter which hand he uses?
Unfortunately, our culture has been pretty tough on lefties, often treating them as if they had some kind of disease.
The Bible, too, seems to denigrate the portsiders. Scripture often speaks majestically of the "right hand of G...
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