A basilica is simply an important church building designated by the pope because they carry special spiritual, historical, and/or architectural significance. Once named a basilica the church can't lose its status as a basilica. A ...

Where can I see the Pietà? And do they make small reproductions of it that I can buy for my nightstand? The term “Pietà” refers to any image of Mary holding Christ’s dead body. ...

Why doesn't the Catholic Church recognize the King James version of the Bible? I heard that one was the most accurate. Today, a visit to the Bible section of any major bookstore can result in ...

Resurrection accounts in the four canonical gospels vary widely. According to Matthew and Mark, Jesus appears first to Mary Magdalene and the other women who went to the tomb to anoint his body; according ...

Yes. At their wedding, the Catholic couple promises to “accept children lovingly from God and raise them according to the laws of Christ and his Church.” This includes adopted children. That ...

It's less complicated than one might think, actually. The Papal Nuncio (the Pope's representative in a country) solicits names that members of the Bishop's conference in the area put forward and then selects three ...

Our Lady of Mount Carmel is the title for Mary as the patroness of the Carmelite order. Mount Carmel is located about twenty miles from Nazareth. For many years, the mountain attracted religious ...

Although John is a very common name, there’s nothing “common” about the John we encounter in the Book of Revelation and elsewhere in the New Testament. If, in fact, the Gospel of John, the 3 ...

Our word “mission” comes from the Latin word “missio,” which means “sending.” After the resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples and sent them out to the world to proclaim the good news. As ...

While marrying outside the Church precludes one from receiving the sacraments, it is helpful for parents to keep the following in mind. 1. ...

That priests are somehow “different.” I’ve often been told, “I can’t believe you’re a priest.” I don’t know if that says something about me, or the priests they have met. One of ...

I’m a catechist and volunteer at my parish, and I was asked to participate in something called a “mystagogy session.”  What is mystagogy? The fourth stage of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is called ...

First, let me make an important clarification: Catholics are not required to involve Mary in their prayer lives. Doing so is totally voluntary. Many people pray to her and ask for her intercession; ...

Some parts of the Bible are easier to read than others. Likewise, some parts are more inviting to read than others. Many people find books such as Leviticus and Numbers to be rather daunting and ...

Mortal sin is deadly sin, those freely chosen acts and dispositions that make the reality of God’s grace (i.e., his love and power) dry up in us. God can no longer relate to us ...

Today, we have Democrats, Republicans, Tea Baggers, Libertarians, Evangelicals, and any number of other political, religious, or special interest groups that account for the diverse and often volatile discourse we regularly encounter. In Jesus’ time, ...

The word God speaks to us is our life. Sit quietly and ask yourself the following question: What really fills me with joy and passion? God is speaking there. We can think about this ...

The infancy narratives (the first two chapters of Matthew and Luke) definitely comprise the bulk of Scriptural references to Mary. She is, of course, also present on Calvary when Christ died (John ...

Remember learning about different kinds of literary devices in English class? Well, one of these devices is known as personification, which is when an abstract concept is represented as a person or given human qualities. ...

The quick answer is that bread and wine during the Eucharist are not transformed into the flesh and blood of Jesus of Nazareth, but the glorified reality of the risen Christ. The sacramental signs ...