I am over 60 years of age and had a very short marriage
right after high school. Then I fell away from the Catholic Church, but now
I would like to return. Where do I start?
The best place to start is to go to a priest at the parish nearest you. If you would find this difficult or embarrassing, go to any priest and he will help you to get underway toward your full membership again in the Church. Be sure to pray regularly and to start going to Mass every Sunday and Holy Day, but do not receive Holy Communion until your situation in the Church is made regular again.
Reprinted from December 3, 1999
Crucifixion
in Roman times was used as a form of execution for men, but was it also used
for women?
The pagan Romans took over the barbaric practice of crucifixion from some
of their neighbors and conquered enemies. There is little evidence that this
was practiced extensively on women as well as men, but it certainly was used
occasionally on women. Some of the protomartyrs of Rome, killed in the persecution
of the Emperor Nero, were women and were crucified, while some were tied to
stakes and covered with pitch, tar and straw arid burned to death. In their
heathen religion, the pagan Romans would bury alive any of their Vestal Virgins
who engaged in sexual acts during the time they were supposed to keep the
vestal fire burning in the Forum. This shows they were not adverse to killing
women. Indeed, husbands in ancient, pagan Rome had the right to kill, when
they wished, their wives, their children and their slaves. Christianity did
the most in world history to free women from such horrors.
Reprinted June 18, 1999
To religious Hebrews and Christians it means something destined by God for total destruction. It has come to mean the object of a solemn curse and, sometimes, the curse itself. It is a Greek term and in official Catholic Church documents it is used to describe any proposition which is heretical, scandalous, perilous to the faith, evil, etc. Sometimes, by extension, it is applied to the person who holds or teaches such a proposition. The word is found in the Bible (1 Corinthians 16:22; Galatians 1:8).
Reprinted June 18, 1999
Is there any useful book about modem atheism which I could obtain?
Probably one of the better efforts in this area is "The Gods of Atheism" by Vincent Miceli. It is published by "Roman Catholic Books." Perhaps your parish priest could also supply you with a reading list or yours Catholic bookseller could give you some suggestions.
Reprinted November 12, 1999
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Would it be all right for my children to read "Quo Vaids"?
If you mean the novel by Henryk Sienkiewicz, I would certainly agree they would profit from reading it. How ever, I do not think it would be useful for younger children to read it. I suggest that it be read by no one younger than a high school sophomore. Maybe as a parent you should read it first, if you have not yet done so, and then you can judge best at what age your children could read it.
Reprinted November 19, 1999
Is it a sin to read "Playboy" Magazine?
Looking at or reading pornography is almost always a serious sin. Even if this did not erotically arouse a person, it would most likely be an occasion of serious sin, which, unless absolutely necessary, must be avoided. Also, by buying smut, a person contributes to the decadence of human society and brings sinful possibilities to others, a clear violation of the Christian obligation to love one's neighbor.
Reprinted from October 15, 1999
Are there any Hussites left in the world?
The direct disciples of the teachings of Jan Hus, a Bohemian heretic of the fifteenth century, have more or less all died out, but some remnants of his religious views might still be found in some sects which descended from the Moravian or Bohemian Brethren. However, most of these groups have German rather than Czech origins. In the last century, however, a revival of interest in Hus was brought about in connection with anti- German sentiment and rising Czech nationalism. This revival hardly involved Hus's theological opinions but was generally used by Free Ma sons and other anti-Catholics as well as Czech nationalists to bash the Church. Tomas Masaryk, a Free Mason and Czech nationalist, was especially prominent in trying to re-write Czech history with a heavy anti-Catholic tone.
Reprinted from October 15, 1999