The Faith
In an old catechism I saw that there are some sins crying to heaven for vengeance.
What are they?
Certain mortal sins are especially heinous and these are listed as "crying to heaven for vengeance." They are: willful murder of the innocent, sodomy, oppressing widows, orphans, or the poor, and cheating workers and laborers of their just wages. Any sin will be forgiven by God if there is humble confession, genuine contrition and resolve not to sin again, and a determination to make restitution as soon as possible, followed by appropriate penance. Such penance, of course, must go far beyond the merely symbolic or salutary penance imposed in the sacrament of reconciliation by the priest-confessor
Reprinted from January 31, 1997
What is meant by saying that Jesus "descended into hell"?
The Catechism of the Catholic
Church answers your questions extensively (numbers 631-637), and I suggest
you study the matter there. "Hell" here does not mean the abode
of the damned (the inferno or gehenna) but rather the abode of the dead of
the Old Testament, who died in the state of grace, and therefore, who were
saved by their belief in the future Messiah, and who were awaiting Christ's
ascension when the gates of heaven would be again opened for human beings
and they would accompany Him into paradise. Christ, whose soul was temporarily
with them, while His body lay in the sepulcher, preached to them (1 Peter
4:6 and John 5:25).
Resurrection
Reprinted from April 4, 1997
Would the existence of life on planets other than earth contradict the Catholic
Faith?
There is no contradiction of the Catholic Faith involved in this matter. As a matter of fact, many orthodox theologians and even some saints speculated on the possibility of life on other planets. If such life were discovered some day, it would have to be ascertained whether any of such life were rational. If it were, then the next step would be to determine if it has any connection with our primordial ancestors (Adam and Eve). If not, it would then have to be determined what status such rational life would have. Would it have a purely natural destiny, or like us, have a supernatural destiny? Would it be like us, that is, destined for union with God, but then fallen and now redeemed, or would it never have fallen? If fallen, would it be destined to be or have been redeemed and how? Most of all, it would have to be determined if the incarnation and redemption effected by our Creator through Jesus Christ, His divine Son, was the means of redemption for such beings? It is amusing to speculate about such things in the light of what God has revealed to us. Perhaps we shall only know the definitive answers about such things when we will be joined to God in eternity.
Reprinted from August 15, 1997
A candidate in an RCIA program in another diocese was told by a priest that
he could dissent from Church teaching about contraception if he could not
accept it in conscience. Is this correct?
This is not correct. Conscience, in order to be followed without sin, must be correctly formed and must conform to objective norms of morality, among which are divine laws. Artificial birth prevention is forbidden by God. A conscience that is not in agreement with God on this issue is erroneous and cannot be followed licitly. Sometimes priests are misquoted or misunderstood and perhaps that is the case here.
Reprinted from February 14, 1997
Are Catholics free not to believe in the immaculate conception of Mary or
her bodily assumption into heaven?
If a Catholic were to doubt or deny either of these two dogmas of the Catholic faith, he or she would thereby defect from the faith and commit the mortal sin of heresy.
Reprinted from January 10, 1997
What are the spiritual works of mercy?
There are seven spiritual works of mercy which all Catholics are to practice. They are: to admonish the sinner, to instruct the ignorant, to counsel the doubtful, to comfort the sorrowful, to bear wrongs patiently, to forgive all injuries, and to pray for the living and the dead.
Reprinted from January 24, 1997
Why are there different dioceses and different Bishops in the Catholic Church,
with dioceses having laws that sometimes vary from one place to another?
The unity or oneness of the Catholic Church is not the same as uniformity. While Catholics must be one in faith, in worship, and in governance, diversity is also part of the "catholic" or "universal" mark of our Church. The "college" or "group" of the Apostles, whom Jesus placed over the Church which He founded, have legitimate successors in the college or group of the Bishops of the Catholic Church. Pastoral situations as well as cultural pluralism sometimes make diversity of Church laws and customs useful and even necessary. These variances from one place to another do not involve substantial matters, but are concerned with accidental issues of secondary nature. Of course, some diversity is not the legitimate or even valid. The Bishop of Rome and the local Bishop are the best and authentic judges of when diversity crosses the line and involves fundamental church unity.
Reprinted from December 6, 1996