The Sacrament of Confession has been expressed in various ways over the centuries. When Catholics say that Confession was instituted by Christ—as all the sacraments were—they ultimately mean that the “ministry of reconciliation” has been entrusted to the Church such...
Apologetics
The word apologetics come from the Greek meaning “to explain and defend.” Catholic Apologetics is striving to understand, explain, and defend our Catholic faith.
Has The Heresy Of Gnosticism Led To Gender Dysphoria?
I am not a fan of scary movies. Watching people blow off zombie heads or hunt ghosts in abandoned mental hospitals gives some an adrenaline rush. I just get a sense of stress and anxiety. Please don’t play dramatic music leading up to a jump scare. No, thank...
Seven Things To Know About The Seven Themes Of Catholic Social Teaching
Catholic social teaching is rightly called “social” because it pertains to how we organize ourselves as a society. Rather, I should say as individual societies that are gathered up into one human family.
Do Smartphones Promote Dumb Disciples? Mark 4: 26-34
Groceries such as Whole Foods online are instantaneous. Gardens are not. Gardens are progressive. We scatter seeds and as we sleep they sprout and grow. Groceries market the obvious by deploying dye or colored lights to make produce more noticeable. Gardens do not....
St. Cyril And His Battle Against The Christological Controversies
The First Two Ecumenical Councils In this short article, we are going to look at a complicated and intricate controversy in the early Church pertaining to the nature of Christ Himself. First, we have to set the scene. In the year 381 AD, the Emperor Theodosius I...
Why We All Need St. Jude Right Now
Who Was St. Jude? Judas Thaddeus is often known in Greek as simply “Thaddeus” because this is the name used in the Gospels according to St. Matthew and St. Mark. When translators were putting the books of the Bible into English, they sought to distant this Apostle we...
The 5 Marks Of A Truly Catholic School
In more than 6,100 Catholic schools across the country the annual celebration of Catholic Schools Week is underway. While there is much to celebrate in our nation’s unique Catholic education system, there is also much anxiety over plummeting enrollment and shuttered...
Do Our Souls Go Straight To Heaven Or Hell When We Die?
St. Thomas Aquinas addresses this question in his Summa Theologica, and to reduce his nuanced arguments into one word – maybe. Thomas makes clear, in full accord with Scripture and Church teaching, that some souls do go straight to heaven or hell. Souls of those who...
Can’t Go To The March For Life? 6 Things You Can Do To Stand For Life From Home
This promotional film for the March for Life produced by Blackstone Films is sure to build your passion and enthusiasm for the annual event held in Washington, D.C. each year near the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade. This year, due to the pandemic, the March for Life...
Say This, Not That: Catholic Conversations With LGBTQ Persons
We live in charged times for dialogue, particularly around sexuality. It can feel like “truth” and “charity” are in a tug of war for our attention and application. We know LGBTQ concerns are more than just “issues” that show up in our news feeds. Many of us have...
Resurrected Bodies, Predestination, And The Maniturgium
In this week's video of Ask a Priest Anything, Fr. George Elliott tackles some big questions: Why will we be reunited with our bodies at the end of time, how can Catholics answer questions about predestination and do the mother's of priests go straight to heaven when...
The Virtue Of Getting Along
Niceness gets a bad rap these days. In politics, being too nice to one’s opponents is seen as a sign of unseriousness, even betrayal of one’s comrades and principles. In Church affairs, the “Church of Nice” gets dragged for being unwilling to stand up for truth and to...
Cardinals, Bishops, Pope’s Comments On Civil Unions | Civil Unions
Pope Francis recently named new cardinals, but not all of them are bishops...is that even allowed? Well actually, in the history of the Church, it's not that uncommon. Fr. George explains the history of cardinals and what their function is today. We also learn about...
Angels, Blessed Salt, And Fratelli Tutti
In this week's episode of Ask a Priest, Fr. Elliott tackles some common misconceptions and questions for Catholic world: Do we become angels when we die? This is a common theme you hear in movies, or maybe from family members. The often well-meaning, "We now have...
Women Doctors Of The Church: St. Hildegard Of Bingen
What is a Doctor of the Church? Before we dive into this series on four amazing female saints, it is worth examining the question: what is a Doctor of the Church? Doctor comes from the Latin word “docere” meaning “to teach." A Doctor of the Church is someone...
7 Latino Stereotypes In The Catholic Church
Did you know at least 63% of Catholics under 18 and more than half of those in their twenties in the US are Hispanic? Latinos are the reason that the Church is still roughly a quarter of American Catholics this year, the same as it was in the 1970s. The harsh...
5 Books About Angels Catholics Should Read
Do you believe in angels? The Catholic Church certainly does, but the teachings about these heavenly creatures are often misunderstood. Do yourself a favor and read about all the ways that angels can help you in your spiritual life! "Since God often sends us his...
What Does The Bible Have To Say About Angels?
The Bible has many references to angels. This will certainly not be an exhaustive treatment, but we will give some context to what angels are and then discuss the three archangels. What are Angels? The word “angel” comes from the Greek word “aggelos” meaning...
Is Chewing The Eucharist Ok?
If you missed Ask a Priest Live with Fr. George Elliott, you can watch the replay here. Each Sunday at 3:00 PM Central, I go live on the Catholic-Link Facebook page. I will start with the Divine Mercy Chaplet, then provide a quick reflection...
What Is The Principle of Double Effect?
Basis of Moral Theology – Object, Intention, and Circumstance Human acts are freely chosen because God has given us the gift of freedom. When we act deliberately, we are the author of our actions. If we act, then those actions can be morally evaluated as good or evil....
Should Catholics Join The Boy Scouts?
Boy Scouts of America – A Love Letter to a Organization of the Past I am an Eagle Scout and a former Scoutmaster. I loved Boy Scouts of America. As a young boy and then a teen, I went to Boy Scout summer camp almost every summer. I went to the National Scout Jamboree...
People Are People, Not Choices…Right?
Every action has consequences. It’s not always a matter of weighing the pros and cons because some choices we consider have a con that should alert us to not look further into the pros. Yet, we still do, trying to justify our actions, our choices. Here in this...
What’s The Deal With Catholics Praying In Front Of Statues And Icons?
In this two part series we will explore 1) Icons and Statues in the Catholic Worldview and 2) Images and Statues in Secular Culture Forbidden Images The First Commandment expressly forbids the worship of anyone and anything other than God. “I am the Lord your God, who...
Can Non-Catholics Be Saved?
Outside the Church There is No Salvation Can non-Catholics be saved? It is a big question, with a nuanced answer. Let us begin in 3rd Century Carthage. St. Cyprian coined the following perennial adage of the Church: “extra Ecclesiam nulla salus” which means “outside...
The Virtue Of Patriotism
The Virtue of Justice Before we can begin to understand patriotism as a virtue, we have to first look to the broader virtue of piety. And before we can begin to understand piety, we have to understand the broader cardinal virtue of justice. The word “cardinal” comes...