Were
there deaconesses in the early Church?
Yes, there were. In the New Testament the term is used only once about Phoebe (Romans 16:1). The term is widely found in various patristic writings. However, it is not believed that women who were called deaconesses actually received Holy Orders. Many experts say the term was used, in some instances, for the wives of deacons. In other cases, these women seemed to have performed some special functions in church ceremonies regarding the baptism of adult women. They would anoint them and clothe them when they emerged disrobed from the baptismal font. It was considered more decorous for women to do this than for men. There is some evidence of blessing rites for deaconesses, but there is no indication of any "ordination" for them in church history.
Reprinted from May 15, 1998
It is called the "gift of tongues." Originally, it meant the miracle (Acts of the Apostles 2:5-12) of speaking in one language, yet being understood in other languages. Later, in the New Testament, it seems to have meant speaking in unintelligible sounds. Saint Paul viewed this with suspicion, especially when those who claimed this charisma could not explain what they were saying (1 Corinthians 14:1-40)
Reprinted from May 22, 1998
Why do priests
not wear birettas anymore?
The biretta is a square stiff hat with three or four ridges. It has a common ancestors with the "mortarboard" hat worn by academics and graduating students. It used to be "soft" and the ridges were the place where it was grasped when doffed. Fro many centuries it was prescribed that clerics would wear the biretta when entering or leaving the sanctuary for the liturgy and also it would be worn when the rubrics prescribed that the clerics be seated. The color of the biretta or its "pompom" (deriving from the academic tassel) denotes the rank of the cleric. Since 1964 its use in the Latin Rite became optional for all except cardinals and, in certain, instances, bishops. Priests still amy use the biretta if they so desire, but most no longer do so.
Reprinted from May 22, 1998
How did Judas Iscariot die? Are there not two contradictory
accounts of this in the Bible?
There are two accounts in the Bible, to be sure. However, they are not contradictory. Saint Matthew related that "he hanged himself with a halter" (Matthew 27:5), while Saint Peter (Acts of the Apostles 1:18) said, "being hanged, he burst asunder in his middle and all his bowels gushed out." The Greek for "being hanged" possibly could mean "having swollen up." It is possible that his body fell to the ground when the branch or halter he used to commit suicide broke, or else the decomposition of his dead body might be what Saint Peter was referring to.
Reprinted from May 29, 1998
Is
it okay for a Catholic child to attend Bible-school programs in another church
in the summer? There is no Catholic Bible-study for my children in our own
parish and my sister-in-law invited my daughter to attend the one at her non-Catholic
Church.
It is possible that the non-Catholic school program might be harmless, but it is also possible that it could contain false religious teaching and harm the faith of your daughter. Unless you know for certain that her faith will not be harmed, I would recommend very strongly that she refuse the invitation from your sister-in-law. Why don't you talk to your pastor and perhaps start and run a Catholic Bible-school program in your parish? Also, obtain a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and go over it carefully, line by line, article by article, with your daughter during the summer. There is an abundance of Bible-related material in the Catechism and this will do much more good for your daughter than having her attend a non-Catholic program. It might also help you to know your Catholic Faith better than you do now.
Reprinted from June 19, 1998
Does the final say about "altar girls" come form
the pope or from a bishop?
The pope has given each diocesan bishop the discretion to keep the ancient discipline of altar boys or to alter it. Therefore, the bishop of each diocese is allowed to make the decision about these matters.
Reprinted from July 31, 1998