#11726 The Church in the News - Matthew E. Bunson

Questions Covered: 05:42 – How is it that we can’t keep cremated remains on the mantle but we can keep relics of saints? 13:10 – Do most Catholics believe that most people go to hell or most people go to purgatory? 19:00 – After purification in purgatory, do you think we’d even have the ability to think the same kind of thoughts we have here on Earth? 22:18 – In the story of the rich man and Lazarus, is the Rich man in purgatory or hell? 37:02 – Can the souls in purgatory pray for themselves? 41:54 – What do people do in Heaven? Also, what is this whole new heaven and new earth thing all about? 46:45 – Did Vatican II change the Catholic understanding of baptismal ecclesiology? My pre-conciliar catechism says we are born as soldiers of Christ, and priests are the officers. I like that. But now it feels like priests and laity are more like colleagues. …

Questions Covered: 12:46 – In Purgatory, are human memories saved in the soul or in the body?  19:16 – I’m Protestant and it seems to me that scripture indicates that upon death one immediately either goes to Heaven or Hell. Is that not the Catholic view?  30:32 – How did people come up with the idea of Universalism when it seems clear in scripture that people will be lost?  39:52 – I want to pray for people in purgatory, but there’s so many people I know who have died, some from long ago. How do I know who I should be praying for, or if that person is even still in purgatory?   43:53 – My Protestant friend thinks purgatory is very legalistic or transactional, in that mortal sins send you to hell but venial sins only to purgatory. How can I answer him?  …

Questions Covered: 00:45 – Is in Persona Christi limited to the priest celebrating the mass or does it extend to the magisterium? 10:04 – Is there a possible connection between “calling no man father” and people in the New Testament being baptized and assigning their spirituality on those who baptized them? 17:04 – At what point is a marriage considered sacramental outside the Catholic Church? 22:33 – Why should I become Catholic if my western rite Orthodoxy is so similar without the baggage? 46:12 – My father is not a Catholic and is battling cancer. I’ve been offering holy communion for him. Is that allowed? What does the Church say about cremation? 49:59 – Should we respond with ‘because God said so’ when approaching social issues in apologetic debates? …

Questions Covered: 05:41 – Is there any problem for a Catholic to believe in Mary as Co-Redemptrix? 21:50 – Why was Jesus baptized? 34:22 – My Baptist cousin is in seminary. What good resources could I use to challenge him without being confrontational? 42:22 – You’ve mentioned that you are a fan of the synodal process. Can you express why and what the process is? …

Questions Covered: 03:02 – How is God being good in the story of the tower of Babel? 08:02 – What is the logic behind Mary’s sinlessness allowing her to freely consent to the incarnation? 18:03 – Is it alright for churches to have concerts in the actual church building? 21:49 – How can perfect contrition be mastered so that it can be had at will? 29:22 – How does full consent of the will and being culturally acceptable of a sin work together when considering something to be a mortal sin? 35:01 – What is the Church’s position on separation of church and state? 40:43 – How do we know Christian view of creation is correct? 45:36 – What is the case for the early Church being the Catholic Church? 48:40 – God asks things of all of us, why aren’t we in the same situation as Mary was? 50:33 – I live around a lot of 7th Day Adventists, and they say that you can be SDA and not have anything to do with Ellen White. How should I respond to this? …

Questions Covered: 07:30 – Does non resistant, non belief have any bearing for protestant exploring Catholicism? 19:50 – If you’re praying the rosary while doing everyday things like mowing the lawn, do those things become good works? 31:02 – I’m converting to Catholicism. I’m convinced but what if God is a fundamentalist? 41:12 – Is Quo Primum by Pope Pius V ex cathedra? Can later popes get rid of the latin mass? 50:08 – If you’ve already been consecrated to Mary, can you be consecrated to other saints or Jesus? 52:00 – If angels are morally infallible, are they also inerrant? Can they make a mistake? …

Questions Covered: 01:00 – Catholics like to try and validate the serpents claim that when you die you don’t really die. That’s how they end up teaching Mary and all the saints are not dead but in heaven. 05:46 – How should I love God and have a firm resolve especially after confession? 12:28 – When was the last time the pope spoke ex cathedra? 17:07 – Do you think it’s ok to use philosophy and theology to evaluate human evolution? 27:53 – I’m a recent revert. Why does the bible seem to suggest that Jesus is subordinate to the father? 36:39 – How are we sure the saints are in heaven if there’s a chance they went to purgatory? 46:23 – Are priests also counselors? …

Questions Covered: 21:47 – How do you know when God answers your prayer vs when he doesn’t? 30:06 – Am I over-spiritualizing my situation? I’ve been diagnosed with a disease that’s completely changed my life. What should I do? 47:33 – Most of my life I’ve felt alone. I’m married and now have a tendency to want to be alone, lazy, and unhappy. What am I battling? …

Questions Covered: 02:00 – What is the necessity of purification after death but before heaven? 15:30 – What is the textual criticism of John 8 and the woman caught in adultery? 22:53 – Why is the pope pushing heresy by allowing people to receive communion after a divorce? 35:26 – How does one know if they believe in their heart? 41:20 – How does Jesus fulfill the prophecy of reuniting all the tribes of Israel? 46:18 – What are the requirements for being an apologist? 49:39 – My friend asked us to take their children if anything ever happened to them but told us to not baptize them. Would I have to honor that or are we morally obligated to baptize them? …

Questions Covered: 02:24 – Could life have come about naturalistically? 06:10 – My wife is agnostic. How do I reply to the questions, why should she care, and why should she believe that it’s the Christian God that exists? 16:39 – My convert friend is asking how do you know when something is dogma vs doctrine? 28:45 – Within the holy family, did Joseph have the spiritual authority of Mary and Jesus? 30:55 – What is the rule of the magisterium in regard to translation of the bible and why should we heed to those translations? 36:08 – How specific does my confession have to be for it to be valid? 41:55 – How do we know that St. Ignatius of Antioch’s letters are reliable? 45:05 – Can an unbaptized person receive the sacrament of confession? 47:35 – Has the use of extraordinary ministers of holy communion been abused? 52:20 – There are verses in the bible that say that miracles are signs, but it also says the devil will use them. How can the Church confidently say that the miracles it approved of are from God and not the devil? …