Catholic Answers Live

Questions Covered: 05:49 – I’ve heard there’s 7 Sacraments. Two are mutually exclusive (Matrimony & Holy Orders). If a Catholic Man is unmarried/not ordained religious and receives the other 5 Sacraments, is he missing something/less than others who are married/ordained? 15:21 – When talking to Tom earlier, you left on a cliffhanger. Where in the Bible does it say you should be Catholic? 37:41 – As a non-Catholic, can I go to Confession? 44:02 – Is there a connection between Classical Liberalism / democracy (differing ideas in society) and Protestantism (having differences in faith in the “Church”)? 50:37 – Could you give me a Biblical/Traditional defense on Marian Doctrine in general? …

Questions Covered: 01:59 – My sister and I grew up Catholic. She married a protestant and started going to Protestant services. Today she invited us to her baptism, even though she has already been baptized. Should I attend? 06:08 – What is the Church teaching on reporting illegal activity of someone who is in a vulnerable position? For example, reporting a poor person for stealing food. 17:05 – What is the Catholic view of the Elect and predestination? 22:56 – My Pentecostal friend is asking why we don’t say “In the name of the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.” He’s wondering why we don’t use his name instead of his title “The Son.” How would you answer? 29:00 – How can we get stronger in spiritual warfare? 33:02 – What is the Catholic response to someone saying we are cannibalistic because we eat the Eucharist? …

Questions Covered: 07:00 – What is the Catholic perspective on cynicism and anger? 15:38 – Why do y’all have so many titles for Mary? 21:45 – In Leviticus 10 two dudes are killed for doing something liturgically wrong, but later two other dudes did something liturgically wrong but were not killed. What’s the deal with that? 31:58 – How do I deal with spiritual attack without being superstitious? 41:37 – I want to go to a Protestant Bible study to promote the Catholic faith? Is it a problem for me to pray with them? I heard something like if I pray with them I might be excommunicated. 47:10 – Do I need to go to confession for rooting for Ohio State over Notre Dame? 50:12 – We have a Christian understanding of baptism, but what was the understanding of baptism by the Jews at the time of Jesus’ baptism? …

Questions Covered: 02:00 – I’m in a Monday night Ignatius Bible study. We’re talking about the giving of the keys to the kingdom. I’ve looked at Scripture and the Catechism; what is the limit of the pope’s authority? 10:28 – I’m Catholic and have numerous hidden tattoos that are religious in nature. What is the Church’s opinion/teaching on this? 13:07 – There seem to be some conflicting verses; death of Judas in Matt vs. in Acts. Joseph’s father being Jacob vs. Hele. Are these misprints or contradictions, or is there an explanation for this? 23:56 – In terms of purgatory, there’s a lot of differing opinions. Popular position / Cardinal Ratzinger said that they’re so engulfed in love with Christ and encountering Him that they’re burning and being purified. Since they’re encountering Christ, our prayers don’t do anything? 38:01 – Are canonizations of the Saints considered infallible? 44:14 – Can we only assign moral values to actions? What can we call bad? 50:29 – Some people use MT 10:28 to teach the idea of annihilation. How do I counter this? Would Rev 14 be a good rebuttal? …

Questions Covered: 05:53 – What advice would you give to help me from falling into the sin of envy? 13:39 – Angels have free will; since Satan is an angel and he rejected God, can he return to God and be redeemed? 18:19 – I have a Catholic friend and we go to daily mass together. My friend is taking classes at protestant global outreach on prayer for healing; what is your opinion about this? Is this okay? 23:21 – How do I handle with leaving the church I’m from and joining the Catholic Church? 29:02 – I have a sister going through an estrangement with daughter, doing everything, asking me for advice. I don’t know how to counsel her. I’m Catholic, what advice do you give to her? 37:34 – One of my daughter’s friends (a fallen away Catholic) has bad self-esteem, wants a nose job; her dad thinks she’ll go to hell. How can my daughter help her friend navigate this? Will she go to hell? Also, what does the phrase “minister to God” mean? 46:36 – I have a Pentecostal friend and he got excited when I told him Catholics pray in tongues; he prayed over me, I responded with the Lord’s prayer in Hebrew. Did I mislead him, and is it bad that I took Communion after this event? …

Questions Covered: 01:20 – How does the issue of free will square with papal infallibility? 06:13 – I like how some protestants treat Jesus’ words of righting wrongs before approaching the altar. Has the Catholic Church fallen off following this? 14:33 – One thing I frequently hear is Acts 10:41 as evidence for rejecting regenerative baptism. How do I respond? 21:46 – I’m orthodox. What’s the premise of the papacy? 29:00 – Do the letters to the Corinthians give leeway to divorce and remarriage? 32:14 – How do I present to my non-denominational friend that the Catholic Church is non-denominational and pre denominational? 36:50 – Is holding hands during the Our Father permitted? …

Questions Covered: 06:46 – What is the purpose of holy water? 14:46 – Why would John’s account of what Jesus do after his baptism differ from the other gospel accounts? 20:03 – My question would be about Jesus’ sisters regarding the immaculate conception. The claim I’ve seen is that sister doesn’t have the same range of meaning as brother. This means they must be Jesus’ biological sisters. 22:46 – I’m Lutheran. I believe the saints pray for us, but I don’t see where it says that we are supposed to ask them to pray for us. Can you clarify? 37:05 – Can someone tell me what verses say about saints in heaven interceding for us? 46:28 – I’m Catholic and absolutely hate it. What should I do? …

Questions Covered: 00:59 – Did Mary and Mary Magdalene also receive the gift to forgive sins since they were present when Jesus breathed on his disciples and commissioned them? 05:22 – If I’ve fallen away from the Church what do I need to do to return? 07:22 – Did Catholics chain up the bible and limit access to it? Is this true? 12:07 – How does one fully trust God for everything? 18:28 – What are your thoughts on the fracturing and divisions in the Catholic Church? 23:11 – Can one fulfill their Sunday obligation at an SSPX church? Are they in schism? 36:36 – I’m dating a girl who is staunchly protestant, and her mother is anti-Catholic. What’s the best way to share my faith with her? 45:40 – What happened in Europe that made it very atheistic but the faith was fairly preserved in the US? 49:34 – Is it ok to read books about the Nazi’s and the history of their rise without it leading me to sin? 52:24 – What is the Catholic interpretation of Jesus healing the paralytic in Mt 9:5-6 and forgiving his sins? …

Questions Covered: 04:09 – In the scenario that a person is changed into an object or an animal since the rational soul is the form of the body and the body changes, does that mean the person dies? 11:10 – 2 Tim 1:12-14 Does the Greek version indicate that the deposit will be preserved? 17:55 – I was baptized in the Mormon church. How do I go about being a part of the Catholic Church? 20:58 – How is prayer efficacious? I know God’s not a genie in a bottle. 29:48 – Didn’t the church prosecute Galileo for contradicting the churches flat-earth biblical models? 32:30 – How does the Catholic Church understand 2.Thess 2:15 specifically the oral tradition part? Is this the tradition of the Church? 37:19 – How do you reconcile middle knowledge and prophecy? 43:50 – What is your opinion on Louisa Piccerta and the Divine Will movement? 48:51 – Can someone know whether they have perfect or imperfect contrition? …

Questions Covered: 06:01 – Jerome made a comment on Titus 1:7 that the presbyters were basically the same as bishops, then there was a development that made the distinction between them, and also the papacy. How would you respond to that? 16:40 – Why do we have to learn God’s love language but he doesn’t have to learn ours? It seems like it’s a one-way relationship. 29:42 – I’ve been inquiring about Catholicism for a long time, and I agree with a lot of Catholic points. But I worry about a lot of liturgical abuse happening in the Church and that the Vatican doesn’t do anything about it. Any thoughts? 48:28 – If you are in friendship with God, but then commit a mortal sin and get hit by a train on the way to confession, do you go to Hell because you didn’t confess? Also, I have been told that Catholics are not required to confess to a priest, they can confess directly to God. How do you respond to that? …

Questions Covered: 01:30 – Cy and Tim discuss the Jubilee year. 29:00 – I have a Calvinist background, and realized I don’t believe in once saved always saved. Can you explain to me the Catholic view of losing salvation? …

Questions Covered: 01:21 – What are your thoughts on infallibility and keeping the tradition preserved from corruption? Do 1 Tim 1:12-14, 2 Jn 1:1-3 and 1 Pt 1:25 support the teaching of infallibility? 11:39 – Is Pope Gregory I the reason why we say, ‘God bless you’? 14:50 – Is Mary the mediatrix of all grace? Is she the shortest road to Christ? Is she even necessary? 23:04 – Is God’s love conditional? Does He love us more when we are in the state of grace? 29:09 – What dogmas have been declared on Adam and Eve? 39:45 – What does the Church think about non-sexual physical abuse by the parents? 47:02 – I was raised Muslim and am now in RCIA. Can you help clarify purgatory? It’s such a foreign concept to me. …

Questions Covered: 04:36 – Why isn’t there an infallible translation of the bible? 13:00 – How does consecration to saint’s work? 19:32 – Gen 35:16 says Benjamin was born in Canaan, but Gen 35:26 says he was born in Paddan-aram. Is this contradictory? 24:45 – What occurred during the Great Schism? 39:11 – You do know this celebration of the dead [veneration of the saints] has pagan Roman origins like all the other pagan infiltrations camouflaged as church traditions? 46:43 – I’m talking to an evolutionist bible scholar. How do I convince him of monotheism? …

Questions Covered: 00:45 – How can Catholics ask Protestants to be in communion with the Pope, when there have been so many schisms? 06:15 – I don’t understand the teaching of no salvation outside the Catholic Church? 15:00 – How do I explain Papal Authority? When should we listen to the Pope? 23:20 – What do Catholics believe are necessary beliefs to be Christian? 29:56 – I struggle with the teaching of Mary’s Virginity based on Matthew 1:24-25? 37:26 – Is Catholic doctrine found in the Bible? 45:33 – I’m confused by the belief in Sacrament of the anointing of the sick? I’ve heard different perspectives on going to Heaven with last rites? …

Questions Covered: 05:23 – Why do Catholics put so much emphasis on Mary? 12:36 – I struggle with the doctrine of The Real Presence. 20:06 – I don’t understand Mary’s perpetual Virginity after giving birth? Why is this important? 28:45 – Why doesn’t God just annihilate evil? 42:38 – How can the Creed change in the Western church from the original Eastern Church? 45:28 – Can you explain apostolic infallibility? 52:28 – Is there a doctrine on the Afterlife? …

Questions Covered: 01:52 – Question: What exactly is Paul referring to in Galatians 3:1 when he says Christ was “publicly exhibited/portrayed as crucified”? Is it possible Paul knew of the Shroud of Turin? Or maybe he’s referring to very early iconography of the Crucifixion? 05:30 – In the story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5, could it be logically deduced that Peter was exercising the ability to retain sins? 10:28 – If Jesus was born in 3 or 4 BC, and lived to be 33, would it be more accurate to say the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension took place in AD 29 or 30, as opposed to the commonly cited AD 33? 16:25 – Since Mary was preserved from original sin, did she experience sickness? 19:59 – If St. Joseph had children other than Jesus (as some traditions hold) why wouldn’t they be the legal heirs to David’s throne? 23:36 – What is your take on Revelation 6:10? 33:16 – How authoritative are the Pontifical Biblical Commission’s early decrees on traditional authorship (for example in 1914 the PBC declared Paul wrote Hebrews)? Now the PBC is not part of the magisterium, but at the time of these declarations it was. It seems like almost no Catholic scholar nowadays thinks Paul wrote Hebrews, but I don’t understand why the PBC’s earlier declarations are no longer authoritative. (Including supporting Mosaic authorship of the Pentateuch, supporting Matthean priority, etc) 37:31 – I was talking to a fallen away Catholic. How do you respond when they say Adam had a first wife named Lilith and Eve was his second wife? 40:20 – I understand if a couple divorces legally they’re still married in the eyes of the church. If one wanted to get remarried, they would have to get an annulment from the church, but suppose that marriage produced children. What does the annulment mean for the children of that marriage as far as the church is concerned?? Or another way of putting it: if my parents got annulment from the church, does the church still recognize me as a baptized Catholic? or do I suddenly become a bastard child (for lack of a better term)?? 45:08 – How should we understand Jesus “fulfilling the law”, specifically considering the abandonment of many of the laws of the old covenant? 49:16 – Prior to the fall — Did “Adam and Eve” have Preternatural Gifts if they existed under the Federal Headship Model or the Polygenism Model? If they did what would have been the morality of Human Beings, with Preternatural Gifts, mating with human like beings without preternatural gifts. …

Questions Covered: 02:01 – At what point do you think pursuing the rights in the second amendment becomes sinful? 08:10 – Are there dinosaurs in the Bible? 12:41 – How does the incarnation not defy divine simplicity? 16:09 – If faith is a grace from God, why does not everyone be given all the grace they need? In the parable of the sower, why isn’t everyone made into good soil, is it simply due to free will that even given all the grace in the world some people for whatever reason would still say no? Thank you for your time, Mr. Akin. 20:05 – With what level of certainty can we say where someone is in the afterlife apart from extraordinary means like canonization. Secondly what are good ways to communicate this appropriate level of certainty to those grieving the loss of someone they love. 29:05 – I travel quite a bit. Missing mass and days of obligation happen unfortunately. Should I seek a dispensation from my pastor? What should my approach be? 34:17 – I understand that the “Law of the Conservation of Mass,” applies to chemical reactions. However, when considering the bodily assumption of our Blessed Mother, and the ascension of Jesus into heaven, how is the Law of the Conservation of Mass applied? I understand that heaven isn’t “somewhere else,” but “somehow else.” Then how is Mass conserved between our physical realm to the spiritual realm where our Lord and Lady exist? 40:25 – How does one justify or condemn the use of nuclear weapons? More specifically how do you weigh the deaths of Japanese children against the potential deaths of American soldiers? (From a Catholic perspective) 48:30 – Would Jesus’ family be considered poor compared to the average family in Nazareth? If so, would that have something to do with not being able to find room at the inn in Bethlehem? 53:03 – I don’t know if this counts as normal or weird, but I’ve started to get into linguistics and I was wondering how we should think of the Tower of Babel story? Thanks! …

Questions Covered: 02:15 – How can I respond to my Orthodox friends who struggle with depicting God the Father in Catholic artwork? 12:00 – How can I respond to questions that Mary Magdalene was an apostle and even wrote a book of the Bible? 19:50 – How does your Catholic faith help during holidays or moments of loneliness during the year? 28:45 – Can you explain why Jesus in the New Testament said things directly when teaching to fulfill the scripture of the Old Testament? 43:06 – I live with a brother who claims to be Pro-life, but doesn’t fully agree with teachings on contraceptives. How can I best explain this to him? 48:51 – Is it okay for a non-Catholic to use Holy Water or have a bottle at home? 50:04 – Is it true that the Pope is infallible when canonizing Saints? …

Questions Covered: 06:31 – How should Daniel’s final vision be interpreted in the book of Daniel? 13:24 – Is it okay to wait for someone to ask for forgiveness before giving it? 18:06 – What is grace? 28:53 – I read from St. Bernard that Christ has three natures instead of two. Does this align with Catholic teaching? 33:37 – Can horror books and movies be considered demonic? 51:30 – How can I respond to my Orthodox friends who struggle with depicting God the Father in Catholic artwork? …

Questions Covered: 03:30 – How do I respond to the claim that 1 John 2:18-21 proves that if the faithful leave Christianity, they were never a part of the faith in the first place? 17:10 – Why is there not a list of dogmas? 29:23 – I’ve committed the same mortal sin so much that my confessor questioned my sincerity. Now I just received a blessing. What should I do? 42:40 – Tertullian mentions the word ‘symbol’ when discussing the Eucharist. What would be the Catholic response to this? 51:25 – Regarding your Mary book. Mary and Joseph couldn’t have been religiously married because it would have had to be consummate. What are your thoughts on this? …