Where Did the Feast of the Seven Fishes Come From?
The custom of eating fish for Christmas is more a practice in certain ethnic communities rather than a mandate by the Catholic Church. The roots…
How do cultural innovations within the church start?
Question: Â I was in Africa and saw a bunch of priests and parishioners dancing and the offertory procession went on for a much longer time.…
Why do women no longer have to have their head covered while at mass?
Why do women no longer have to have their head covered while at mass? Â And why do some still do it? There has long been…
I teach religion in a secular college and have been asked to teach a course on Catholicism. What should I cover over the course of the semester?
I teach religion in a secular college and have been asked to teach a course on Catholicism. Â I’m obviously somewhat limited here so what should…
When did statues of saints start appearing in Catholic churches, and how is this not idol worship?
Christianity emerged from Judaism, which itself rejected figurative religious art as being too much like idol worship (see Ex 20:3). But once Christianity became the…
Do you have to be a certain race in order to convert to Catholicism?
Question: Â I am an African-American, and I was wondering whether it matters what race you are in order to be Catholic. Do you have to…
To help pay for college, I started a web cam site where I only touch myself. Is that wrong and if so, why? It’s my body, you know!
While your self-sufficiency and resourcefulness are admirable, starting your own porn site is problematic, even with limits. Before your body was yours, it was God’s…
What is Santeria?
Question: Can you tell me a bit about “Santa Ria”? Â What are its origins and does it have anything to do with the Catholic church?…
I’m a reporter and I’ve gotten a hold of pictures and a story of a famous person which will undoubtedly be a major piece of news but will also ruin the person’s career. I’m torn–how would the church help me decide whether or not to go with the story?
In the most idealistic sense, a reporter investigates and writes stories that are in the public interest. But what is that interest, really? Does it…
I send text messages constantly and expect a prompt response back from anyone I send a message to. When he or she doesn’t respond I just think it’s rude. What does God think about those people?
This is more of a question of etiquette and personal taste than of religion or ethics! Some people are more tethered to their techno-gadgets than…
