|
Q u i c k Q u e s t i o n s
|
This Rock
Volume 20, Number 3
 March 2009 
|
|
|
What Constitutes Martyrdom?
Q: St. Maximilian Kolbe (1894-1941) died in Auschwitz when he offered to take the place of another man being sent with a group of prisoners to die of starvation. Certainly this was a saintly act, but was it martyrdom? Aren’t martyrs those who die for the faith?
A: The question of St. Maximilian Kolbe’s martyrdom was vigorously debated at the time of his canonization precisely because there was no indication that he was put to death out of hatred for the faith (odium fidei), the criterion for martyrdom. At the time of his beatification, St. Maximilian was considered a confessor and not a martyr. However, when it came time to canonize him, Pope John Paul II personally authorized naming him a martyr. His reasoning was that systematic hatred for the human person—such as that displayed by the Nazi regime—constitutes an implicit hatred for the faith. For more information on the controversy surrounding St. Maximilian’s canonization as a martyr, read the discussion of it in George Weigel’s Witness to Hope, his biography of John Paul.
There are other indications that in recent decades the Church has been developing its understanding of martyrdom beyond the traditionally strict criterion of odium fidei.
On April 24, 2006, Pope Benedict XVI addressed a letter to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, in which he stated:
What has changed are the cultural contexts of martyrdom and the strategies ex parte persecutoris [on the part of the persecutors] that more and more seldom explicitly show their aversion to the Christian faith or to a form of conduct connected with the Christian virtues, but simulate different reasons, for example, of a political or social nature.
It is of course necessary to find irrefutable proof of readiness for martyrdom, such as the outpouring of blood and of its acceptance by the victim. It is likewise necessary, directly or indirectly but always in a morally certain way, to ascertain the odium fidei of the persecutor. If this element is lacking there would be no true martyrdom according to the perennial theological and juridical doctrine of the Church.
—Michelle Arnold
Q: A Baptist minister said, "Part of the reason Catholics are so opposed to abortion is because they believe the child is lost, and it breaks my heart because God isn’t a tyrant." Basically, he was teaching the congregation that Catholics believe that God condemns an aborted baby to hell. Is this true?
A:The Catholic Church entrusts all children (from the moment of conception) who die without baptism to God’s mercy in hope of their salvation. There is no distinction between children already born and those still in the womb. "Indeed, the great mercy of God who desires that all men should be saved, and Jesus’ tenderness toward children which caused him to say: ‘Let the children come to me, do not hinder them,’ allow us to hope that there is a way of salvation for children who have died without Baptism" (CCC 1261).
—Jim Blackburn
Q: I have always regarded faithfulness within marriage as a path to holiness equal in virtue to that of priests or sisters who remain celibate. However, with statements like "And to holy Mary, [the title] ‘Virgin’ is invariably added, for that holy woman remains undefiled" (Medicine Chest Against All Heresies 78:6 [A.D. 375]), the Church seems to teach that intercourse defiles the body .
How can I reconcile the fact that a marriage is not considered valid unless it is consummated with the teaching that Mary never had intercourse with Joseph?
A: The Church does not teach that intercourse within marriage defiles the body. In Christian marriage such physical union is a holy thing. That quote expressing Mary’s perpetual virginity used a poor choice of words.
Even though a marriage is consummated on the marriage bed, it is indeed valid the moment the vows have been spoken at the altar.
The vows of religious life comprise an act of worship that direct the person to God in a more immediate way than do the vows of marriage. The process is considered higher because of its greater proximity to God. But the goals of both religious life and marriage are the same: union with God for all eternity. I encourage you to get the book Good News About Sex and Marriage by Christopher West (available through shop.catholic.com).
—Fr. Vincent Serpa
Q: I am trying to find the passage in the Bible where it talks about marriage being for a man and a woman.
A: Marriage between a man and a woman was instituted by God with Adam and Eve. Genesis 2:24 states: "Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh."
In Matthew 19:4-5, Jesus reaffirms this: "He answered, ‘Have you not read that he who made them from the beginning made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one’?"
—Jim Blackburn
Q: Why isn’t Acts 8:37, "If thou believes with all thine heart, thou mayest," included in many Catholic Bible translations? My non-Catholic friend says the Church omitted this verse in an effort to cover up the truth that baptism is not necessary for salvation.
A: Acts 8:37 is not included in many Bible translations because it is not found in the oldest and best translations of Acts. There is no attempt to cover it up, as you can find it (with an explanation) in the footnotes of most Bibles. In fact, the Catholic Douay-Rheims New Testament includes Acts 8:37: "And Philip said: If thou believest with all thy heart, thou mayest. And he answering, said: I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."
The Haydock Bible Commentary explains the meaning of "If thou believes" in this way:
The Scripture many times mentions one disposition, when others no less necessary are supposed, as here a sorrow for sins, a firm hope, love of God . . . Faith is thus seen to be a necessary predisposition in the adult, for the reception of baptism. They must answer for themselves, but infants are baptized in the faith of the Church. Their sponsors, who receive them from the font, answer for them. And as the defilement was not personal, but that of others, so are they purified by the faith of others.
About Acts 8:37, The Navarre Bible Acts of the Apostles Texts and Commentaries says:
This verse, not to be found in some Greek codexes or in the better translations, was probably a gloss which later found its way into the text. In the Vulgate it is given in this way: " Dixit autem Philippus: ‘Si credis ex toto corde, licet.’ Et respondens ait: ‘Credo, Filium Dei esse Jesum Christum,’" which, translated, would be: "Philip said, ‘If you believe with all your heart, you may.’ And he replied, ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.’" This very ancient gloss, inspired by baptismal liturgy, helps to demonstrate that faith in Christ’s divine worship was the nucleus of the creed a person had to subscribe to in order to be baptized. On this occasion Philip, guided by the Holy Spirit, lays down no further condition and he immediately proceeds to baptize the Ethiopian. (105)
For more information, see "Misquoting Jesus vs. Misquoting Truth," at vivacatholic.wordpress.com.
—Peggy Frye
Q: I am a Buddhist wondering what role the Crucifixion played in the Church prior to the 10th century.
A: Please allow me to draw an analogy from Buddhism as an illustration: Your question would be similar to a Catholic asking what role Siddhartha Gautama’s (ca. 563 B.C.-483 B.C.) enlightenment under the bodhi tree had on Buddhism prior to the fifth century A.D., approximately 10 centuries later. Just as the Buddha’s enlightenment is foundational to understanding the history of Buddhism from its inception on, so too is the Crucifixion to Catholicism. In other words, around their foundational events both Buddhism and Christianity revolve throughout the whole of their history.
—Michelle Arnold
Q: Occasionally, when our priest says the Tridentine Mass, he will stop and give brief instruction on each step of the Mass. Is this OK?
A: Such explanations of the Mass are permitted, within reason, because the Church wants its liturgy to be understood. While it is not a good idea for a priest to do a step-by-step Mass every time he offers Mass, such supplemental explanations for children during children’s liturgies or for those who don’t ordinarily attend a particular liturgy (e.g. Eastern rite, Extraordinary Form of the Roman rite) are fine.
—Peggy Frye
Q: A few years ago, a "theme" for each Sunday Mass was announced just prior to the beginning of the liturgy. Is this something that is decided on a local level, or has the Church established any rules about "theme" Masses?
A: I’m aware of the practice. The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus as expressed in the liturgical seasons and various feasts and solemnities are the only themes the Church currently provides.
—Fr. Vincent Serpa
Q: Last Sunday at Mass, a gentleman in the Communion line held up one of those round tins used to carry the Blessed Sacrament. I placed a host inside and then gave him another host to consume. Was I wrong?
A: It sounds like the gentleman was presenting you with a pyx, a container for carrying the Blessed Sacrament to the homebound. Those who carry the Blessed Sacrament to the homebound should themselves be extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, so it is strange that you had no forewarning that an EMHC was to be given the Eucharist in a pyx.
I recommend talking to the coordinator of the EMHCs to find out who this gentleman was, so that you will know to expect him in the future. You might also recommend that the EMHCs to the homebound be introduced to the rest of the EMHCs so that you and your fellow extraordinary ministers will know who is authorized to receive the Blessed Sacrament. Otherwise anyone could present a pyx to be filled and take away the Eucharist for who-knows-what purpose.
—Michelle Arnold
Q: I am a Catholic who intends to marry a Protestant with the agreement that the children be raised as Catholics (which was non-negotiable for me). I realize I need a dispensation to marry a non-Catholic, but is there anything else required? And can I still be married by a priest?
A: Technically, you only need permission, not a dispensation, to marry a Protestant Christian. To obtain permission to marry a non-Catholic baptized Christian, the following conditions must be fulfilled: (1) You declare that you are prepared to remove dangers of defecting from the faith; (2) you make a sincere promise to do all in your power so that all offspring are baptized and brought up in the Catholic Church; (3) the other party is to be informed at an appropriate time about the promises which you are to make, in such a way that it is certain that he or she is truly aware of the promise and your obligation; and (4) both parties are to be instructed about the purposes and essential properties of marriage which neither of the contracting parties is to exclude.
As for being married by a priest, you will be required to be married in the presence of your bishop or pastor (or a priest or deacon delegated by either of them) unless you pursue a dispensation to permit you to have a non-Catholic ceremony. This is known as a "dispensation from form" since it allows you to marry without observing the Catholic form of the marriage ceremony.
—Jim Blackburn
Q: When I was in Rome, I noticed that blessed ashes were administered by sprinkling them on the crown of the head, rather than by marking the forehead with a cross, as is generally done in the U.S. Why?
A: Sprinkling ashes on the crown of the head recalls the biblical method of putting on sackcloth and ashes as a sign of penance: "Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the people of Israel were assembled with fasting and in sackcloth, and with earth upon their heads" (Neh 9:1). The American method of putting ashes on the forehead, usually in the sign of the cross, allows the ashes to be visible to others so that the communal, penitential nature of the day might be more readily visible.
—Michelle Arnold
Q: Is purgatory a punishment? Is it a hell-like existence?
A: Purgatory is a final purification to achieve the holiness necessary to enter heaven—this is entirely different from the punishment of hell. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains:
To understand this doctrine and practice of the Church, it is necessary to understand that sin has a double consequence. Grave sin deprives us of communion with God and therefore makes us incapable of eternal life, the privation of which is called the "eternal punishment" of sin. On the other hand every sin, even venial, entails an unhealthy attachment to creatures, which must be purified either here on earth, or after death in the state called Purgatory. This purification frees one from what is called the "temporal punishment" of sin. These two punishments must not be conceived of as a kind of vengeance inflicted by God from without, but as following from the very nature of sin. A conversion which proceeds from a fervent charity can attain the complete purification of the sinner in such a way that no punishment would remain. (CCC 1472)
Unlike the damned, those in the state of purgatory have the joy of knowing that, upon purification, they will enter eternal life in heaven.
—Jim Blackburn
Q: Why is the Mass called the "unbloody" sacrifice of our Lord on his cross?
A: It’s quite simple, really. The Mass is called an unbloody sacrifice to clarify the fact that we do not behold the Lord’s bloody body as it was seen on Calvary. Instead his body and blood are under the appearances of bread and wine. But it is the same sacrifice. This distinction became necessary as the result of the denial of the Mass being a sacrifice by various Protestant groups.
—Fr. Vincent Serpa
Q: I’ll be in Beijing this year. Since attending an underground Catholic Church in China is not an option, can I lawfully attend a patriotic Mass to fulfill my Sunday obligation, or has the Vatican declared it off-limits?
A: Because it is illegal (and dangerous for the underground Church) to attend the Roman Catholic Underground Church in China, you are not obligated to attend Mass on Sundays or other holy days of obligation. However, if you choose to go to Mass, you can attend the government-established Chinese Catholic Patriotic church, or a state-approved Eastern Orthodox church.
The Code of Canon Law states:
Whenever necessity requires it or true spiritual advantage suggests it, and provided that danger of error or of indifferentism is avoided, the [Catholic] Christian faithful for whom it is physically or morally impossible to approach a Catholic minister are permitted to receive the sacraments of penance, Eucharist, and anointing of the sick from non-Catholic ministers in whose Churches these sacraments are valid. (CIC 844 §2)
In his Letter to the Church in China (May 27, 2007), Pope Benedict XVI writes:
Concerning bishops whose consecrations took place without the pontifical mandate yet respecting the Catholic rite of episcopal ordination, the resulting problems must always be resolved in the light of the principles of Catholic doctrine. Their ordination as I have already said (cf. section 8 above, paragraph 12) is illegitimate but valid, just as priestly ordinations conferred by them are valid, and sacraments administered by such bishops and priests are likewise valid. Therefore the faithful, taking this into account, where the eucharistic celebration and the other sacraments are concerned, must, within the limits of the possible, seek bishops and priests who are in communion with the pope: Nevertheless, where this cannot be achieved without grave inconvenience, they may, for the sake of their spiritual good, turn also to those who are not in communion with the pope.
—Peggy Frye
|
Catholic Answers
