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Q u i c k Q u e s t i o n s
Fatima: Public or Private Revelation?
Q: Is Fatima considered "private revelation"? I have been told that the miracle of the sun is heaven’s confirmation of Fatima and thus makes it public revelation.
A: Jesus Christ "completed and perfected revelation and confirmed it with divine guarantees" (Dei Verbum 4). The Catholic Encyclopedia notes: Public revelation was complete in the time of the apostles. They alone had the mission to give to the teaching of Christ the development that was to be opportunely suggested to them by the Paraclete. Private revelation, on the other hand, is in a different category. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains:Throughout the ages, there have been so-called "private" revelations, some of which have been recognized by the authority of the Church. They do not belong, however, to the deposit of faith. It is not their role to improve or complete Christ’s definitive revelation but to help live more fully by it in a certain period of history (CCC 67). The miracles associated with private revelations are meant to verify the authenticity of the revelation, not to turn it into a public revelation.
The miracles of Fatima, Guadalupe, Lourdes, and other apparitions remain private revelation because the Church teaches that there is to be no new public revelation: "No new public revelation is to be expected before the glorious manifestation of our Lord, Jesus Christ" (DV 4). New public revelation would mean that Christ did not give to his apostles the fullness of the faith and that he waited some two thousand years to "fill in the blanks." That proposition is similar to the claim of Mormons and other sects that claim that Christ gave new public revelation to their particular prophets—a proposition incompatible with Christian orthodoxy.
Q: Do we have to accept what the magisterium says if it is teaching error?
A: No one is obliged to believe error, but one must not be quick to assume that the magisterium has erred, for it is guided by the Holy Spirit.
A Catholic is free to disagree with the Church on matters not relating to faith or morals. But on religious subjects, there is a spectrum of authority that ranges from mere theological opinion to de fide dogma. The more authoritatively the Church teaches on a particular issue, the graver the obligation of the Catholic to accept it. The Holy Spirit protects the Church from defining as dogma an error in matters of faith or morals.
A Catholic should not assume that the Church is teaching error, even when it is not speaking infallibly. He should instead presume that he himself is in error and seek to understand why the Church teaches what it does. The strength of that presumption corresponds to how forceful the magisterium has been in teaching a particular matter.
Q: How can Catholics defend Mary’s queenship of heaven and earth to Protestants?
A: The mother of a monarch is herself a monarch, although often derivatively from the husband and child. For example, the mother of England’s Queen Elizabeth II was herself a queen because she was the wife of King George VI. When her daughter succeeded to the throne, Elizabeth’s mother was crowned alongside her husband as queen consort and retained all of the marks of honor due a queen—including the courtesy address "Your Majesty."
In ancient Israel, the mother of the king held a unique position in the royal court, where she held the title gebirah. This term is the female equivalent of adonai ("Lord") and referred to her royal status. Since the king’s wives were known as "queens," the gebirah is sometimes referred to as the "great lady" or the "queen mother."
Unlike contemporary queen mothers, the gebirah had more authority than the king’s wives. She could assume political power if her son died, as Athaliah did after the death of her son King Ahaziah.
As the Son of David, Jesus’ kingship is informed by the Davidic monarchy, and his Mother Mary has a corresponding status. As Jesus is king, Mary is his gebirah. Jesus’ kingship extends over heaven and earth, and that is the kingdom in which Mary functions as gebirah.
This term is not familiar to modern ears, though, so she is more commonly styled "Queen."
Q: Can self-mortification be overdone? I fully understand skipping dessert or humbly keeping quiet when you would rather vent. But I don’t understand why some saints deliberately mutilated their bodies. Isn’t self-mutilation wrong?
A: Self-mutilation and self-mortification are entirely different things. Self-mutilation is the deliberate damage done to one’s body because of a disordered desire to injure oneself. It can be symptomatic of mental illness, and those who have impulses toward it should seek medical help.
Self-mortification is a rightly ordered action of the will to master the demands of the body through physical disciplines. Those who are starting out with self-mortification or acting on their own can engage in small self-denials such as those you mentioned. Only those who feel called to more severe disciplines and are working with a good spiritual director should attempt self-mortification on the scale of the saints.
Just as an athlete does not run a marathon without training for several years, so a spiritual athlete requires training and coaching to undertake extreme self-mortification. And just as not everyone is called to be a marathon runner, so extreme self-mortification is not something to which every Christian is called. For those who do feel called, following the guidance of a sound spiritual director is essential to ensure that the disciplines are healthy and are not becoming self-mutilation.
Q: Can a pope retire? After all, cardinals, bishops, and priests are permitted or even obliged to retire.
A: A pope may retire if he chooses to do so, something provided for in canon law (Code of Canon Law 332). But unlike cardinals, bishops, and priests, a pope is never required to retire. This is because he "has supreme, full, immediate and universal ordinary power in the Church, and he can always freely exercise this power" (CIC 331). Because of such power, the pope does not answer to another ecclesial authority that can require his retirement.
Q: What are the age qualifications to be an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion? Is there a minimum age requirement?
A: The Code of Canon Law does not specify a minimum age, but it does say this: When the need of the Church warrants it and ministers are lacking, lay persons, even if they are not lectors or acolytes, can also supply certain of their duties, namely, to exercise the ministry of the word, to preside over liturgical prayers, to confer baptism, and to distribute holy Communion, according to the prescripts of the law (CIC 230 §3). . . .
The extraordinary minister of Holy Communion is an acolyte or another member of the Christian faithful designated according to the norm of canon 230 §3 (CIC 910 §2). A bishop, though, can establish age requirements within his own diocese.
Q: What is the correct terminology when you have an infant baptized into the Catholic Church? Is it baptism or christening?
A: Church documents always speak in terms of baptism, though christening is an informal word that some English-speaking Catholics use to refer to the sacrament.
The word baptism, which comes from the Greek and means "to immerse," emphasizes the external action of ritual cleansing. The word christening, often used colloquially for the baptism of infants, refers to the spiritual effects of the sacrament, in which the grace imparted gives Christ to the newly baptized individual: "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ" (Gal. 3:27).
Q: Can you explain the custom of covering the crosses and images in the Church during Lent? Is this allowed?
A: This custom is one that, except for the Triduum, the Church leaves for local bishops’ conferences to decide. Paschales Solemnitatis provides that on the Saturday before the fifth Sunday of Lent: The practice of covering the crosses and images in the church may be observed if the episcopal conference should so decide. The crosses are to be covered until the end of the celebration of the Lord’s Passion on Good Friday. Images are to remain covered until the beginning of the Easter Vigil (PS 29). In his book Ceremonies of the Liturgical Year, Msgr. Peter J. Elliott explains that this custom "helps us to concentrate on the great essentials of Christ’s work of redemption."
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has decided not to observe this custom; therefore, it is not permitted in the United States:The National Conference of Catholic Bishops has never voted to continue the practice of covering crosses and images and so the practice, in accord with the rubric of the sacramentary, has not been permissible for the past twenty-five years. Individual parishes are not free to reinstate the practice on their own (Committee on Liturgy Newsletter, April 1995, 31:14). On Holy Thursday, though, crosses are to be covered after Mass. This is something that the Vatican has not left to the discretion of national bishops’ conferences:It is fitting that any crosses in the church be covered with a red or purple veil, unless they have already been veiled on the Saturday before the fifth Sunday of Lent (PS 57).
Q: Why is Paul referred to as an apostle when he clearly was not one of the Twelve?
A: The Catholic Encyclopedia defines apostle as: One who is sent forth, dispatched—in other words, who is entrusted with a mission, rather, a foreign mission. It has, however, a stronger sense than the word messenger, and means as much as a delegate. Paul clearly was sent forth by Jesus and entrusted with a mission. In our Lord’s own words, Paul became "a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel" (Acts 9:15). Paul refers to himself as an apostle many times in the New Testament and defends his apostleship in his first letter to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 9:1–2).
This points to a difference between being an apostle and being a member of the Twelve. It appears that the Twelve was a select group of individuals who had witnessed the earthly ministry of Jesus (cf. Acts 1:15–26). One could be an apostle, though, without being one of the Twelve. This was the case with Paul and Barnabas (Acts 14:14) and perhaps others.
Q: If there is a language barrier between a priest and a penitent, can another layperson translate the penitent’s confession for the priest?
A: Yes, a layperson can translate for a priest and penitent, assuming that the penitent wants a translator present. The interpreter, though, must know that he is as bound by the sacramental seal of confession as the priest is and may not reveal the contents of the confession under any circumstances whatsoever (cf. CIC 983). The penalty for violating the seal of confession is automatic excommunication, and it applies to translators as well.
Q: Does the Church frown on interracial marriages?
A: Marriage is allowed between any eligible man and any eligible woman. That a couple does not share the same race is not considered by the Church to be an impediment to marriage, as all races are equal in the eyes of God. The Catechism states: Created in the image of the one God and equally endowed with rational souls, all men have the same nature and the same origin. Redeemed by the sacrifice of Christ, all are called to participate in the same divine beatitude: All therefore enjoy an equal dignity (CCC 1935).
Q: What does the Catholic Church say about killing animals, specifically ones that are attacking you?
A: Animals are part of the natural creation and are given by God to mankind for stewardship. They may be raised and used for food and other purposes (cf. CCC 2417). Because it would be contrary to human dignity to treat an animal cruelly, the Church states that animals should be treated with kindness (CCC 2416). But if an animal is threatening a person’s safety, killing it would be a legitimate act of self-defense (cf. CCC 2264–5).
Q: Can someone other than a priest distribute blessed ashes on Ash Wednesday?
A: Yes. A priest or deacon can celebrate this rite, and he may be assisted in the distribution of the blessed ashes by lay ministers. But the blessing of the ashes is reserved to a priest or deacon (cf. Book of Blessings 1659).
Q: Does leaving the Catholic faith for a non-denominational Christian faith put one at risk of damnation?
A: For someone to choose to leave the Catholic Church even though he knows that Christ founded it does indeed put that person’s salvation at risk. Leaving the Church constitutes grave matter. As with any gravely sinful act, it constitutes mortal sin if committed with adequate knowledge and deliberate consent. If a person does not repent of a mortal sin before death, he goes to hell.
Some Catholics who leave for another denomination may be following what they honestly believe to be God’s will. From an objective viewpoint, such people are incorrect because God does not lead anyone out of his Church, but their desire to follow his will could mitigate their personal culpability.
Q: Why must we at times abstain from meat but not from fish?
A: Pope Paul VI’s apostolic constitution Paenitemini says: The law of abstinence forbids the use of meat, but not of eggs, the products of milk, or condiments made of animal fat (III:1). The Latin word used for meat is carnis. In modern English, the word meat can refer to any animal flesh. But in Latin carnis refers to mammals and birds only, so fish, seafood, amphibians, and insects are permitted, but mammals and fowls are not.
Q: Matthew 1:1–17 shows how St. Joseph is a descendent of King David. But since Joseph wasn’t Jesus’ biological father, how did Jesus fulfill the prophecy that Jesus would be a descendent of David?
A: Joseph’s genealogy is listed because, by Joseph’s marriage to Mary and his acceptance of Jesus as his own child (Matt. 1:18–25), Joseph became Jesus’ legal father, making Joseph’s ancestors Jesus’ ancestors. There is an Old Testament precedent for this in the story of Jacob’s adoption of Joseph’s sons Manasseh and Ephraim (Gen. 48:3–6). Jacob claims these sons of Joseph as his own and states that they are sons equal in standing to Reuben and Simeon, his first- and second-born sons.
Christian scholars have long speculated that because the prophesied relationship between David and Jesus appeared to be much closer than a legal relationship (cf. Rom. 1:3, which says Jesus "was descended from David according to the flesh"), the Virgin Mary might also have been of the house of David. If Mary was a descendant of King David, Jesus would have been the Son of David both by his legal relationship to Joseph and by the Davidic blood relationship he received through his Mother. By the laws of the time, though, the legal relationship would have sufficed to count Jesus as the Son of David.
Q: Why do some churches drain the holy water from the fonts at the beginning of Lent?
A: Presumably because the pastor or liturgy committee thinks that dry fonts will foster the "desert experience" and the penitential nature of Lent. Regardless of motive, the holy water fonts should not be emptied until after the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday. On March 14, 2000, the Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments released a statement in response to a question about the practice, saying: The encouragement of the Church that the faithful avail themselves frequently . . . of her sacraments and sacramentals is to be understood to apply also to the season of Lent. The "fast" and "abstinence" that the faithful embrace in this season does not extend to abstaining from the sacraments or sacramentals of the Church. The practice of the Church has been to empty the holy water fonts on the days of the Sacred Triduum in preparation of the blessing of the water at the Easter Vigil, and it corresponds to those days on which the Eucharist is not celebrated (i.e., Good Friday and Holy Saturday).
Q: I was asked why bishops wear a "beanie." I thought it had something to do with humility or obedience. Am I on the right track?
A: The proper names for the episcopal headwear in question are zucchetto or pileolus, and it is worn as an outward sign of the office held by the man wearing it. Papal zucchettos are white, cardinals’ zucchettos are red, and bishops’ zucchettos are violet. It was common in past centuries for clothing to denote rank, and even today the military and some civil service positions (e.g., civilian police, firefighters) retain military traditions. So, for example, just as military officers may wear gold braid on their shoulders or other insignia to denote their rank, so certain churchmen wear a zucchetto to denote their rank.
Q: I am a theology student and have learned that many theologians consider Moses to be merely an archetype of various leaders of the children of Israel and that he did not really exist. Could this be true?
A: Ask those who claim that Moses did not exist who appeared with Jesus and Elijah at the Transfiguration. Of course, you may then be told that the Transfiguration never happened either, but those who claim that must also prove it.
Moses was an archetypical figure in the Old Testament; indeed, he and Elijah at the Transfiguration have often been considered by Christians to symbolize the law (Moses) and the prophets (Elijah), the two major parts of the Old Testament. The difference between such an assertion and your teachers’ claims is that orthodox Christians also insist that Moses and Elijah existed and their lives pointed beyond themselves to the Christ who was to come.
Q: The Catholic Church has a history of wars and abuse of power by its leaders, and it even had three popes at one time. Given that, how can we believe that Christ founded the Catholic Church?
A: Let’s re-phrase the question using a modern analogy: The United States of America has a history of wars and abuse of power by its leaders, and it even had three presidents at one time. Given that, how can we believe that the founding fathers created the United States?
Just as the United States did not ever have three presidents at one time (though it has had times when more than one person claimed a right to the office, as in the 2000 election), so the Catholic Church never had three popes at one time. Instead, it had a period in its history when there was question over who was the rightful pope. In the same way that the checkered history of the United States does not invalidate the historical reality of its creation by its founding fathers, so the dark periods of Catholic history do not nullify the historical reality that the Church was founded by Jesus Christ, who himself expected that humans would at times fail miserably (Matt. 13:24–30) but promised to protect the Church and preserve it to the end of time (Matt. 28:19–20).
Q: A nun told my friend that the Church teaches that there were two Immaculate Conceptions: Jesus and Mary. Was Jesus immaculately conceived?
A: The Church does not refer to Jesus’ conception as an immaculate conception; his conception is the Incarnation, and the miraculous circumstances that surrounded his birth are called the Virgin Birth.
It helps to understand what exactly the Immaculate Conception of Mary was: Physically, she was conceived in the normal way through the marital relations of her parents. Spiritually, God preserved her from original sin at the moment of her conception in anticipation of the grace Jesus would win on the cross.
Christ’s conception was entirely different: By the power of the Holy Spirit, God the Son assumed a human nature and became man within the womb of a virgin without the intervention of a human father. Christ has two natures—divine and human—but he is only one Person, God. Because he is God, he was not subject to sin, although he assumed the consequences of sin in order to redeem mankind.
Technically, Jesus’ conception was free of all stain of original sin and thus immaculate (stainless). But because of the differences in the two, and the fact that many people say "Immaculate Conception" when they mean "Virgin Birth" or "Incarnation," it is preferable not to refer to Christ’s conception as an "Immaculate Conception." This would create confusion.
Q: Can someone actually sell his soul to the devil for earthly goods such as fame and fortune?
A: A person could attempt to sell his soul to the devil, thus opening himself to demonic activity, but such a transaction does not actually take place because the human soul is inalienable. The freely chosen and deliberate attempt to sell one’s soul to the devil would be a mortal sin and, like all mortal sins, can be forgiven through repentance and sacramental confession.
Q: Why are there so many references to Joseph as the "foster father" of Jesus? Shouldn’t he be called the father of Jesus?
A: Joseph is often called the "foster father" of Jesus in order to emphasize that he is not Jesus’ biological father (cf. Matt. 1:18–25). As Jesus was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary, Joseph cannot be considered Jesus’ birth father. So long as Jesus’ parentage is rightly understood, though, it is not incorrect to refer to Joseph as Jesus’ father. Joseph acted as Jesus’ father in this world, was considered by Jesus’ contemporaries to be Jesus’ father (Matt. 13:55), and was honored to be called Jesus’ father by the Virgin Mary herself (Luke 2:48).
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Catholic Answers
