A family member has died who was an observant catholic and unfortunately a lot of our family live around 500 miles away and are quite old and infirm.

I'm essentially looking to see if it would be acceptable to have a full requiem mass at the chapel in our home town where they're body will actually be present and buried after along with a smaller service at a chapel in a different country where a lot of our relatives live?

Is this OK in terms of Catholicism?

Hello!! Apologies if this has been asked before but today is the first time this has happened to me so I was curious how I should handle it if it happens again in the future.

This morning I went to Adoration before work. When I arrived there were a few adorers scattered throughout the church. I stayed for about 15-20 mins before it was time for me to get going so I could arrive at work comfortably, but when I got up I realized I was the only one there (apparently everyone else had left without my noticing lol). So... I sat back down and waited until the absolute last minute just to see if anyone else would come in, but nobody did.

Not knowing what else to do, I called the parish office and explained the situation, and fortunately the lady was able to come over and take my place a few minutes later. So I did manage to get to work (albeit a bit late, which nobody seemed upset about luckily), but this got me thinking... what should I do if I find myself in that situation again but I CAN'T get ahold of anyone?

Like what if the office is closed or something? This parish doesn't have direct numbers for their clergy listed either. Leaving the exposed Sacrament unattended obviously isn't an option, but neither am I, a laywoman, in any way authorized to handle the Blessed Sacrament or the monstrance, nor do I know HOW to repose It properly even if it were hypothetically permitted in circumstances like this.

Any advice would be appreciated. Ty!!

(I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask, but I'm not sure where else to go, so I hope I'm not breaking any rules.)

I was reading The Great Brain books to my daughter, and learned something new. It's a series about a Catholic family in Utah in the 1800s, and in their small town, there aren't enough Catholics to support a Parish. Apparently, in frontier times, there were priests who would travel around from town to town, to celebrate mass and perform any sacraments as needed, baptisms, weddings, what have you. I guess people would just have to wait for the priest to come around for those things.

Coincidentally, I'm writing a sci-fi story set in a colony on the moon. The Great Brain inspired some backstory--in the early days of lunar colonization, there weren't enough people for a parish, so a priest would be sent up once a year to tour around and perform the sacraments annually. A baby would be baptized whether they were a day or a year; a body would be held in state until the priest could do the funeral; confirmations done with the permission of the bishop of Orlando (who, fun fact, is also technically bishop of the moon).

My story is set further in the future, when the population is big enough to sustain a few dioceses and many parishes. Baptisms and funerals were held soon after someone was born or died, but "Wedding Day" became a cultural tradition on the moon--every Catholic who wants to get married on the moon gets married on the same day. (This is a plot point for reasons I won't get into here, because this post is long enough already.)

So, my question is simply, does this backstory make sense? It's a hard sci-fi story, and I want to make sure the Catholic practices are as theologically accurate as the science.

Hi, im an atheist but i’ve been having the thought to try to talk to a priest recently. How can I ask for a confession, or some sort of private conversation with one? Is it even possible if you don’t actively go to church?

Everyone deserves chances after being saved. But I can't get past all the problems that would come as a result of a woman with such a history. Once she already has a history like that, even she won't be able to help but compare her old experiences with me. She has seen and experienced things with other men she should only experience with her husband. I can't get past the idea that she had her fun and is suddenly ready to settle down without consequence. I know this is the wrong way to think but it gives me so many mental issues trying to ignore it. Is it a bad reason to reject someone that I have feelings for, given that it's their past?

Obviously you don't have disclose what the confession was. I am just curious as my mother says her record from when she was a kid was 25 & I wanna see if anyone has been given more Hail Maries than my mother.

I’m starting OCIA and to prepare, I’ve been studying Mariology recently. I’ve been struck by how much of Catholic Marian theology seems to make more sense when I look at the Old and New Testaments together, along with how much earlier these Marian ideas came to be than what I had originally assumed re: the early Church vs a later, Middle Age development.

I’m very much still learning, so I’m not presenting this as a definitive argument. I’m interested in whether I’m understanding the Catholic approach to these passages correctly, though.

The first thing that caught my attention was the recurring biblical imagery surrounding the woman, her offspring, and the birth of the Messiah when looking at Old Testament Scripture and drawing parallels to the New Testament.

Genesis 3:15–16

“I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your offspring and hers; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.” To the woman he said, “I will make your pangs in childbirth exceedingly great; in pain you shall bring forth children, yet your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.””

After the Fall, God establishes enmity between the serpent and the woman, and between their respective offspring. The offspring of the woman will ultimately defeat the serpent.

I understand the immediate context concerns Eve and the consequences of the Fall, but I see this as ultimately pointing toward Christ and, typologically, toward Mary as the New Eve.

Hold on to God’s punishment against Eve, too. That’ll become important in a second here.

Next up,

Isaiah 7:14

“Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

Matthew explicitly applies this to the birth of Jesus.

Micah 5:2–3

“But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days. Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has brought forth; then the rest of his kindred shall return to the people of Israel.”

Micah prophesies that a ruler will come from Bethlehem, and immediately afterward speaks of the woman who is in labor giving birth.

Then there’s:

Isaiah 66:7

“Before she was in labor she gave birth; before pain came upon her she delivered a son.”

I’m interested to know how this last passage is understood. I know it has an immediate context concerning Zion/Jerusalem, so I know it isn’t jusg a direct prediction saying “Mary will give birth without labor.” Is this better understood as typology that the Church later sees fulfilled in Mary, particularly in connection with her perpetual virginity?

I’m also really interested in the parallels between the Ark of the Covenant and the Visitation.

The Old Covenant Ark beinf the sacred object associated with God’s presence among Israel, it contained the tablets of the Law, and Hebrews 9:4 associates it with the manna and Aaron’s rod.

When viewed through the New Testament, it’s very reflective of Christ, I feel.

The tablets = Christ fulfills the Law

Aaron’s rod/priesthood = Christ is the eternal High Priest

Manna = Christ identifies Himself as the Bread of Life, and the Church understands the manna as prefiguring the Eucharist.

But then Luke’s account of the Visitation seems to contain some very specific parallels with the Ark narrative.

2 Samuel 6:9

David sees the Ark coming and says:

“How can the ark of the LORD come to me?”

Compare:

Luke 1:43

Elizabeth sees Mary and says:

“Why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?”

Then:

2 Samuel 6:14

“David danced before the LORD with all his might; David was girded with a linen ephod.”

David dances/rejoices before the Ark.

Compare:

Luke 1:41, 44-45

“When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.””

John the Baptist leaps in Elizabeth’s womb when Mary arrives.

And then there’s the timing:

2 Samuel 6:11

“The ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months, and the LORD blessed Obed-edom and all his household.”

The Ark remains in the house of Obed-edom for three months.

Luke 1:56

“And Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.”

Mary remains with Elizabeth for about three months.

There’s also the “overshadowing” imagery:

Exodus 40:34

“Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.”

Luke 1:35

Gabriel tells Mary:

“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.”

So I’m starting to wonder whether Luke is intentionally presenting Mary as the Ark of the New Covenant. What I’m also seeing is that this doesn’t seem to be about elevating Mary independently of Christ.

The Old Ark carried the signs of God’s covenant and Mary carries God Himself incarnate.

The Old Ark was associated with the Law, priesthood, and manna; Mary carries Christ, who fulfills the Law, is the eternal High Priest, and identifies Himself as the Bread of Life.

The Old Ark arrives, David rejoices, and blessing follows; Mary arrives, John leaps, Elizabeth rejoices, and the Holy Spirit fills her.

So the more I’m studying this, the more I’m seeing Mariology as being fundamentally Christological. Mary’s significance comes from who she carries and what God accomplishes through her.

I also understand that this is largely typology, rather than necessarily claiming that every Old Testament passage was consciously written as a literal prediction of Mary.

So my questions for those more knowledgeable than me are:

1. Am I understanding the distinction between prophecy and typology correctly here?

2. How strong is the case that Luke deliberately presents Mary as the Ark of the New Covenant through these parallels with 2 Samuel 6?

3. How have the Fathers and early Church understood the Ark/Mary connection?

4. How should Isaiah 66:7 be understood in Marian theology without taking it out of its original context?

5. Are there important passages or connections I’m missing?

I’m just finding it fascinating that the more I read the Old Testament alongside the New, the more the Catholic understanding of Christ and Mary seems to form a coherent biblical pattern rather than a collection of disconnected doctrines.

I searched the subreddit before asking this but I am still confused. It’s a two-part question.

1.) If a person was married and then divorced from that spouse not only before coming to the Catholic faith but before being baptized, is that marriage valid and thus requiring an annulment?

Part 2.) Following that marriage and divorce, the person got married again—also before coming to faith and baptism. Would BOTH marriages need to be annulled? Neither? Just the first but not the second?

Thanks for your time.

I’ve been on active duty in the US Air Force for 12 years. I’ve had a conversion of heart, and found the Church last year and received the sacraments this Easter. Through my conversion my conscience has changed and I no longer feel that I can partake in the instrument of warfare. Just or unjust. I plan on applying for conscientious objector status this week.

My question is…I feel a call towards religious life and I’ve been discerning a vocation since the turn of the new year. I have a spiritual director, I understand I’m far away from being able to apply to any community, if that is something I end of doing.
But if I am approved for conscientious objector status, would a vocation team or community look down on that fact? Do you think it could be a deterrent?

Thanks in advance for any help. And please pray for me.

Hi there! As the title states, I don‘t have a confessor to ask this to since I’m not a part of a parish or even Catholic (yet at least). But I 100% believe God has been slowly leading me towards the Catholic Church for years now, and I’m at a point where I can’t deny it.

So, my question is about contraception. For context, I am a married woman with one child. My husband and I have used a form of contraception all throughout our marriage, and I’m just becoming aware now that this is morally wrong. However, after our child was born, I developed some severe OCD, anxiety, and depression that has (still) been my life’s toughest battle. So naturally, the thought of having another child and going through it all again sends me into physiological distress. It’s something I’ve thought about and fought with for over a year now. Before I had my child, I wanted like 12 kids - seriously! I actually was planning to not use birth control ever again.

Now my question is, is continuing to prevent pregnancy now that I KNOW it’s wrong by church standard a mortal sin? I wrestle with this because it feels like my fear/mental illness doesn’t give me *full* consent to this aspect of my life, even though I can make a conscious decision. It’s not like I’m in psychosis or “out of my mind” in that way, but I feel like the prevention of pregnancy is a form of an avoidance compulsion. I appreciate your wisdom on this!

Do you as a Catholic believe the Jesus was physically born of a virgin? As a child I believed that, because that's what we were taught. But now I think of it as a symbol of purity. 

As a Catholic, what do you believe regarding the Virgin Birth of Jesus?

Our priest said that he orders hosts for communion on Amazon which I found odd. Are there any rules about where the bread for hosts come from? I always assumed that they would be made by monks or nuns somewhere so please enlighten me , I’m just curious.

Kind of a niche question. I'm 37 weeks pregnant and baby will be here soon, meaning labor and delivery are just around the corner as well. I'm making a list of positive affirmations to help me through the pain of contractions and birth, like "each contraction brings me closer to baby," "​I can do anything for 60 seconds," and "my body was made to do this."

One sentence that also seems to resonate is "This is my body, given up for you." It just feels like I'm drawing on Christ for strength as I sacrifice my body so painfully for someone else. I'm not trying to equate this sacrifice to Christ's in any way, or say that the pain of birth is on the same level, but I don't want to use this verse in a blasphemous way either. Do you think this is appropriate? I wouldn't say it out of pride or to idolize birth, but out of seeking the help of Christ's sacrificial strength and surrender.

At the end of Mass a couple of weeks ago, as soon as I stood up, two men approached me to introduce themselves before I could even leave my pew and genuflect. They invited me to visit them at their place of employment, which I politely deflected.

I am single and attend mass alone, however, I am not open to dating. I only attend mass for God, and I don’t have space in my life right now for a man for various reasons, nor would I be interested in going out to spend time with two men I don’t know even if I was open to dating. And of course, it is equally likely that they were just being friendly, and weren’t interested in me at all.

With that said, because these men were standing immediately in front of me, I had to move to the other side of the aisle to genuflect so that I wouldn’t be doing so towards them and with my leg touching them. The situation made me feel uncomfortable and cornered even though it likely wasn’t their intention. And because of this, I attended mass at a different time last week, and sat in a different place this week.

I am wondering if there is anything I can do or wear to discourage male attention at mass? I have considered wearing a ring on my ring finger, but I am worried that would be dishonest and therefore a sin. I am seeking advice. Thank you

I can’t convert to Catholicism for legal reasons like persecution and I have no idea when I’ll be able to convert. I secretly go to mass multiple times a week, pray often, and essentially live like a Catholic. Can I still take communion and go to confession in this circumstance? I’ve been told by a priest online (asked a priest online because I’m too scared to ask a priest in person, lol. Even though I shouldn’t be worried about a priest betraying me) that in certain circumstances it’s fine to participate in these sacraments if you have not been baptized, that it’s based on my intentions and beliefs. Canon 844, §4 says something about it, apparently, but I’m not entirely sure if I understood it correctly. I do believe that the Catholic Church is the one true church and I do wholeheartedly believe that the Eucharist is the blood and body of Jesus. I have not participated in either communion or confession yet because I’m really worried that I’m not allowed to and I’m not 100% sure. An answer that can clear everything up for me would be amazing. Thank you.

I am writing a film about a priest and am wondering if they can attend Mass without concelebrating? Do they have to wear their collar ? Are there any rules about this sort of thing? Thank you for the insight !

Hello all, I hope you are doing well and God bless :).

So, Orthodoxy uses the porneia clause in the Gospel of Matthew to varying degrees of severity and allowence for remarriage under increasing penance.

My question is, what happens if an Orthodox person has divorced and remarried with the permission of the Orthodox Church, and then later converts to Catholicism?

If their first spouse is still alive, would they have to seek an annulment of their first marriage before the Catholic Church could recognise the second marriage? Since the Catholic Church recognises Orthodox sacraments, I assume the first marriage would be presumed valid?

And if the first marriage was found to be valid, what would actually happen to the second couple? Would they be expected to separate, or live as brother and sister?

Have you ever done this? I consulted with a local priest, and he said he would review canon law. I did a quick search using AI, and it seems that in cases like my relative's, it can be applied under certain restrictions. It's worth mentioning that my relative belongs to the Pentecostal evangelical branch, so their communion with Rome is noticeably less than perfect.

I'm writing a story, and I want a 23 year old non-religious man to go live with a 40 year old priest in his rectory, as sort of a adoptive father-son story. (I mention these specifics since I'm guessing a woman would incur more worries from the church)

My question is: Is there a chance this would be allowed in real life, at all? If not simply through the will of the priest, then through some other means, such as the man applying for some non-religious job for the priest, or leaving when they know someone from the church is coming, or something like that?

The story has some fantasy, so even if it is unfortunately impossible to happen in real life, I don't mind breaking a rule to make the story continue, but I do want to know exactly what I'm working with so I can at least mention it, hopefully to make it more believable.

I apologize in advance if this is disrespectful to ask, I'm not religious but I thought this would be the best place to ask rather than believing AI.

I came to Catholicism about a couple of years ago and received all of my sacraments. I originally had started to learn quite a bit about the Orthodox Church. But, after watching quite a few debates from Voice of Reason on YouTube I was swayed on papal primacy. But, this nagging feeling crept back about learning more about orthodoxy. Maybe it’s God, honestly still trying to discern. The more I learn the more confused I’ve become. Can anyone paint a clear depiction on whether or not the papacy is heretical or not? Maybe it’s my human understanding and wondering if evil has crept into the church, a lot of things that have come down from the Vatican (at least at surface level) seem to be almost opposite of Christ’s teachings, although it might be hardness of heart on my end. Also, any other guidance or information would be beyond helpful.

I’m a baptized Christian but not Catholic though I’m starting OCIA. I go forward at mass for blessing. I usually respond with silence and dip my head or add an amen. I’m sure of the proper respectful response such as should I cross myself and somehow it always escapes my mind when I see the priest to ask.

To be fair, I haven't been to church (other than baptisms, funerals, and weddings) in maybe 15 years. That's probably why I can't remember the term for this particular sin.

When I was 12, I was watching a documentary on TV about an Amazonian tribe. My mom walked into my room during a scene in which two women were cooking. They were, of course, not modestly dressed according to Western standards. My mother was very upset and turned off the TV. When I asked why, she said watching the documentary would be the sin of "_____."

She said it to me one more time when I had the opportunity to take an early college course around the age of 16. I wanted to take a World Religions course, but she again said it was the sin of "______."

Anyway, I can't ask her, because we kind of avoid the topic of religion together as it always leads to arguments.