Spirituality
Can suicide be forgiven?
Moral judgment over suicide, writes Father Ken Doyle, is best left to God. The church's approach is pity, not condemnation, and the comfort offered by a parish priest to grieving parents had a sound basis.
Don’t forget an important birthday coming up
Father John Catoir reminds us to celebrate the birth of Mary, the Mother of God, on Sept. 8. To prepare, he counts all the ways he loves her.
Mary’s assumption shows life’s aim is to be with God, pope says
"The 'great things' the Almighty has done for her touch us deeply, speak of our journey through life and remind us of the destination that awaits us: the house of the Father," Pope Francis said Aug. 15, the feast of the Assumption.
Not everyone likes a two-state solution in the Middle East
A Catholic reader rejects the Vatican's support for a Palestinian homeland, and Father Ken Doyle says that is OK.
Getting hands dirty helps in bout with depression
Without warning, depression hit Father Eugene Hemrick. Then came the panic attacks and mental paralysis. He applied the monastic wisdom of manual labor, and found healing.
What’s the rule on meatless Fridays?
Father Ken Doyle answers a reader confused over whether to eat meat on Fridays outside of Lent. Even if you don't skip the hot dog this Friday, find a way to do penance anyway, he advises.
Don’t be afraid or ashamed to go to confession, pope says
People forget that they will not encounter a severe judge in confession, "but the immensely merciful Father," Pope Francis told thousands Sunday at the Vatican.
Net gains over papal trips’ cost may benefit the poor
Father Ken Doyle answers a question about costly papal trips by pointing out their upside in increased giving, in response to the pope's emphasis on the poor.
Packing for that trip? Don’t forget those aids to prayer
Michelle Francl-Donnay's prayer life gets upended with travel, but it reminds her that prayer is never entirely in her control. We are all pilgrims, waiting, walking and praying as best we can.
If done right, marriage to non-Catholic still a sacrament
Father Ken Doyle explains to a Catholic parent that a daughter's wedding to a Presbyterian man, officiated by a priest, can constitute the sacrament of marriage.