ASK A PRIEST
GENERAL QUESTIONS
“Ask a Priest: Is it a sin if I miss Sunday Mass while on a cruise?”
Q: I have been invited to go on a cruise with my family. If there is not a priest on board, I will miss Sunday Mass. I attend Mass daily. May I do this without committing sin? I am 80 years old, and will be with my daughter, her husband ...
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“Ask a Priest: I am considering liposuction… Will I go to hell for this?”
Q: I got two tattoos many years ago, which I thought were spiritual and pretty. I also had some permanent makeup, and as a result of a scar on my scalp, I had that scar tattooed the color of my hair to make the scar less noticeable. Also, I have ...
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“Ask a Priest: If God loves us so much, why does hell exist?”
Q: How can a loving God send anyone to hell? I was always told that God loves us unconditionally, but if that’s true, then why does hell exist? Doesn’t that prove that God’s love is conditional? Couldn’t God, who created the magnificent universe, come up with a better alternative than ...
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“Ask a Priest: Why do we pray to the saints?”
Q: I have been trying to explain why we pray to saints to one of my sisters and I’m a little lost. Is there some book I could read that would give me as simple an explanation as possible to relate to her? -M.O. Answered by Fr. Edward McIlmail, LC ...
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“Ask a Priest: Is it OK to recognize the beliefs of other religious traditions?”
Q: I always felt that it was very interesting that the First Commandment has to even mention “other gods.” Is it fair to assume that there are lesser gods than the Lord? It seems like odd phrasing, when God / Moses (as a vessel) could use a more total choice ...
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“Ask a Priest: A prayer of mine has been answered… How can I give back to God?”
Q: I’m 19 years old. I was raised non-religiously since my mom is a fallen Catholic and my dad is Jewish. Recently I met a girl who made me happier than I was ever before in my life. I just enjoyed being around her. I usually find true love to ...
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“Ask a Priest: Can you explain excommunication?”
Q: I’m having a slight problem understanding why the Church can excommunicate sinners when the sin is grave enough, yet the Church does not condemn Judas who betrayed Jesus. I understand that no one can know the heart of another, except God. I truly believe the same way, and I’m ...
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“Ask a Priest: Can Non-Catholic Christians Be Saved?”
Q: Okay, so I’m a Catholic but my parents are devout Baptists, and I recently discovered the “extra ecclesiam nulla salus” doctrine. Does this say that they will not be saved since they aren’t Catholics? I’m really worried about them. -B.M. Answered by Fr. Edward McIlmail, LC A: Thanks for ...
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