Tag: #askfrleo

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Ask Fr. Leo – What does is mean to say the Jesus “rose again.” / What if a pope becomes incapacitated?

Dear Fr. Leo:
In the Apostle’s Creed there is a phrase “rose again from the dead” and I was wondering about the word “again” in the phrase. Could you shed some light on that for me? – K

Dear K,

This is a puzzling question. As you know, in the Roman Rite, the official text is in Latin and what we are saying in English is a translation. The official translation of the Apostles Creed that you cite which reads, “rose again from the dead” is a traditional one that has been around for quite some time. It’s also the official one used in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, (Paragraph 638.) and in the Roman Missal. The same is true for the official translation of the Nicene Creed.


The puzzling thing is that when we go to the Latin, we see that it simply says: tertia die resurrexit a mortuis, “on the third day he rose from the dead.” The word for “again” (iterum) is simply not there.

What about looking at the Apostles Creed in Greek? Does that shed any light on the matter? Unfortunately, no. When we look at it: τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ ἀναστάντα ἀπὸ τῶν νεκρῶν, we see that the verb ἀναστάντα is the present participle. Thus, the phrase translates, “the third day rising from the dead.” No help there.

So, we are left with a conundrum. Neither the Latin, nor the Greek texts have the word, “again” in them and yet, there it is in the official translation. How did it end up in official the English translation? Quite frankly, I haven’t a clue.

Translation is as much an art as a science. Every language is different and often what is readily apparent with a single word in one language will take several words in another to get the richness of the original meaning across. For example, Greek has different words for different kinds of love. Each one of those takes two or three words in English to get the meaning across. Philadelphos is translated “brotherly love.” Eros, can be translated as “erotic love” or “romantic love.” The context in which a particular word is used is also critical to accurate translation.

My best guess is that when our present translation was rendered, those who did so were attempting to convey the fullest meaning of the words in the Latin (and Greek) original. It makes sense in a way. The presence of “again” raises a subtle nuance. It brings to mind that Christ has passed from death to life. He was dead but has come to life again. He is “the Lamb once slain who lives forever.” (Preface III for Easter)

Dear Fr. Leo:
The pope is getting old. How long can he serve as pope? What happens if he is no longer able to perform his duties? On a side note, is there a mandatory retirement age for bishops? – H

Dear H,
To be precise, Pope Francis is 87 years old, and still going strong. We are truly blessed in this regard.

Canonically, the pope holds supreme executive, legislative and judicial authority in the Church. He can serve as long as he wants.

The venerable tradition has been for a pontiff to serve until death. In recent times we saw a beautiful example of this in Pope St. John Paul II who showed us the great dignity of one who serves even in the midst of great infirmity. However, a pope can also resign if he wants. Pope Benedict XVI gave us a great example of humility when, realizing that the Church would be better served by another in that office, graciously resigned in 2013. Although a pope can resign, it is quite rare. The last pope before Benedict to resign was Gregory XII, who stepped down in 1415.

But what if a pope becomes incapacitated? While there are canons that speak to succession of a bishop who has become incapacitated because of illness, captivity or exile, it is unclear if or how these can be applied to the Supreme Pontiff. Perhaps the best answer is to remember that the Holy Father is surrounded by the College of Cardinals and the Roman Curia who assist him in his ministry. This assistance takes on different forms at different times throughout his pontificate. As we saw with John Paul II, when his own physical faculties were diminishing the College of Cardinals and the Curia stepped up their game so that his ministry could continue to be grace-filled and fruitful right up to the moment of his death.

As for your final question, according to Canon 401. §1 A diocesan Bishop who has completed his seventy-fifth year of age is requested to offer his resignation from office to the Supreme Pontiff, who, taking all the circumstances into account, will make provision accordingly. In short, while a bishop is asked to offer his resignation at age 75, that resignation must still be accepted by the Roman Pontiff. More often that not these days, a bishop will serve well beyond his 75th birthday. At present in the United States, there are 22 bishops, including 9 archbishops, who are serving over the age of 75.

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Ask Fr. Leo – Who Gets a Catholic Funeral?

Dear Fr. Leo

My brother’s wife recently died. She was not Catholic, but she sent the kids to Catholic schools and made sure they had all their sacraments. She would even accompany the family to Mass every Sunday.  I’m not sure why, but she never joined the Church. In many ways, she was more Catholic than a lot of Catholics I know. Will she be able to have a funeral Mass in a Catholic church?  – G

Dear G,

I am so very sorry for your loss.  The question does come up from time to time.  Namely, can someone who is not Catholic have a funeral liturgy in a Catholic church? A lot depends on the situation, but it the answer is usually yes. 

There are many ways of being Catholic. Those in the OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, formerly the RCIA) are usually given a funeral Mass, even though they had not yet been baptized or made an act of full communion.  They are very much a part of the Church, even though they have not yet received full initiation. 

Similar to that, there are those I like to call, “Catholics by association.” Although not formally Catholic, they are very much a part of the life of the parish. By your description, it sounds like your sister-in-law was an active part of the parish community, coming to Mass, instructing the children, coming to parish events.  In such circumstances, it can be possible for her to have a Catholic funeral and be buried in a Catholic cemetery in the family plot. 

If it does not seem prudent or practical to have a full funeral Mass, the Funeral Liturgy Without a Mass is a very good option. I did one of these once for a parishioner of mine who had joined the Church, but whose family were all very devout Lutherans. They were not comfortable with a funeral Mass for a variety of good reasons.  So, the Funeral Liturgy Without a Mass made sense in that situation. These usually happen at the parish church but can also take place at a funeral home.

Sometimes, it does not make sense to have a funeral in the Church. For example, there was a parishioner whose family of origin was Muslim. Not only did they not like the fact he had become a Catholic, but they were very uncomfortable coming into the church building itself.  In that case, simple graveside service made sense.  Later, we had a memorial Mass for him with just his widow, their children, and a few close friends and parishioners.

In sum, there are times when a funeral Mass is allowed for someone who is not Catholic.  There also some circumstances where that does not make sense. In those cases, there are many pastorally sensitive options to bring comfort the grieving family, and to commend our departed brothers or sisters into the arms of their Lord.

Dear Fr. Leo:

What is this “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit” that Jesus talks about in Matthew 12:31? – J

Dear J,

Good question. It seems simple enough, but it takes a little bit of thought to get to the heart of the matter. First, we must acknowledge the reality of sin. Next, we must contemplate the even more powerful reality of God’s love. When we understand that the Holy Spirit is this very love of God working powerfully in the world, then we can understand what Jesus means when he says that the only sin that cannot be forgiven is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

Sin is an unfortunate, tragic, and a potentially deadly reality of the human condition. Even though the stain of original sin and all particular sins are washed away in baptism, we humans are still have a tendency to sin. We try our best, but sometimes we get selfish and fall into sin. The alternative is moral relativism which is simply hiding one’s head in the sand by denying the reality of the human condition.

The joy of the gospel lies in knowing that “nothing can separate us from the love of God.” (Rm 8:38).  The Catechism of the Catholic Church confirms this when it says: “There are no limits to the mercy of God…” (CCC, 1864.) The good news is that although none of us is without sin, neither are any of us beyond the love of God.

The Church understands that the Holy Spirit is the love shared between the Father and the Son. It is the power of this love that created the world and then redeemed it. There is no sin that is more powerful than this love. 

Nevertheless, we humans have a little thing called free will. If we have even the smallest iota of faith that God can forgive our sins, that can be enough. However, as the Catechism goes on to say, “but anyone who deliberately refuses to accept his mercy by repenting, rejects the forgiveness of his sins and the salvation offered by the Holy Spirit. Such hardness of heart can lead to final impenitence and eternal loss.” (CCC, 1864). 

Such a deliberate refusal to believe in the power of God’s love to forgive one’s sins constitutes a blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. God condemns no one to hell. The sad reality is that everyone in hell has freely chosen to be there.

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Ask Fr. Leo – Catholic and Divorced, When Does One become Catholic

Dear Fr. Leo;

      I’m divorced.  Can I still go to communion?  Do I need to get an annulment?  – E. 

Dear E:

      I’m so very sorry for the breakup of your marriage.  Thank you for your very important questions. 

      Regarding the first one, I’ve written on this before. The question keeps coming up and there is a lot of unfortunate confusion about this.

      I’m not sure where the confusion came from, but simply being divorced does not exclude one from communion.  Often, through no fault his or her own, a person will find themselves experiencing the pain of the divorce.  I have found that there are sometimes necessary civil divorces, but there are no good ones.  When a person is experiencing this pain there are a whole range of emotions including trauma, pain, anger, betrayal, sadness, guilt, and yes, even relief.  The life they knew before, whether for good or bad, has been turned on its head.  It is very disorienting.  You do not invest yourself so in a married relationship, good or bad, and simply walk away from it unaffected.  If you don’t need your Church during that time, I don’t know when you do.  Sadly, in their confusion many people feel that because their marriage failed, they have somehow failed their Church or that they are somehow excommunicated because of the divorce. Simply being divorced does not change one’s status in the Church.  You are not excommunicated. In fact, you are embraced. 

      One of the ways that happens in through the DivorceCare ministry.  At present this group meets at St. Patrick’s Parish on Tuesday evenings. In this ministry, those who have experienced the pain of divorce are loved, prayerfully supported, and receive the practical resources to pick up the pieces and begin life anew. Check out the St. Pat’s website for details:  https://www.st.patsak.org.

      Petitioning the Marriage Tribunal for a declaration of nullity (commonly called an “annulment”) is not necessary at that time. However, once things have stabilized, some people find it helpful and cathartic to go through the process as a means of obtaining closure.  A declaration of nullity only becomes necessary if one is looking to get married again.  At that time it will be necessary to do so that the preparing minister can be certain that you are free to marry. Some cases are quite simple and can be completed in a matter of weeks. Others are more complicated and can take a year or so. The Tribunal staff is a wonderful group of people who understand the delicacy of your situation and are there to help.  Please see the Tribunal web page: https://www.aoaj.org/office-of-the-tribunal for details. 

Dear Fr. Leo,

     We had a great Easter Vigil at my parish with lots of people being baptized and confirmed. It has been a joy to share the journey of these newly baptized from being inquirers to catechumens to elect and then to full members of the Church.  But I got to thinking, they have already been a part of our parish community for months, sometimes years, before their “initiation.” When does one actually become “Catholic” – at inquiry, at catechumenate, at purification and enlightenment, at baptism?   – T

Dear T:

Great question. I’ve written before about those who are “Catholic by association,” i.e., the very active non-Catholic spouse of a parishioner, etc.  Those in the RCIA who have entered the catechumenate are already considered to be part of the Church in a very special way. This is spelled out in Canon 206 of the Code of Canon Law.  Paragraph one states: Catechumens, that is, those who ask by explicit choice under the influence of the Holy Spirit to be incorporated into the Church, are joined to it in a special way. By this same desire, just as by the life of faith, hope, and charity which they lead, they are united with the Church which already cherishes them as its own.

      As such, they have certain rights and privileges, even though they are not yet fully initiated.  Paragraph 2 goes on to say: The Church has a special care for catechumens; while it invites them to lead a life of the gospel and introduces them to the celebration of sacred rites, it already grants them various prerogatives which are proper to Christians.

      For example, if a catechumen died before their baptism, they would receive a Mass of Christian Burial and could be buried in a Catholic Cemetery.  There are certain instances throughout history where catechumens have been martyred and thus are listed in the Canon of Saints.  No doubt about it. Once a person enters the catechumenate, the Church considered them to be “Catholic.” 

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Dying to Self, Living in Christ

     One of my favorite actors is Anthony Hopkins. The man can take on any role most convincingly. It is he who quipped, “I make my living by pretending to be other people.” Believe it or not, my favorite role of his is not Hannibal Lecter, but as St. Paul in the 1981 miniseries, Peter and Paul. 

       St. Paul is a very intense, and very intriguing character. Unlikely as it was at the time, it is no surprise that Christ chose him to be the apostle to the Gentiles. This is a guy who could think and pray outside and inside the box and then act decisively on the fruits of his deliberations. He fully embraced what Christ meant in today’s gospel when he completely reordered his life after meeting the Risen Christ on the road to Damascus. In short, he received Christ totally and completely. He “lost” his previous life and found new life in Christ.  Pretty cool.

       In his letter to the Romans that we read today, he helps us understand this teaching of Jesus. For Paul, baptism is the portal through which the Christian dies to his former life and begins to live anew in Christ. “Are you not aware,” he says, “that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?”

Whether we do this at our baptism as adults or embrace it later if we were baptized as infants, for each Christian there is that moment when we must each decide in our heart of hearts whether our life will be in Christ or in the world. This “fundamental option” as it is sometimes called, will make all the difference. 

       How, because Paul does not stop there. It is not enough to leave the old life behind. There is so much more. Dying with Christ in baptism leads one the Resurrection in Christ.

       Now, there is a temptation to think of the Resurrection as some distant, far off, eschatological reality. That’s only partially true. St. Paul had a very good sense that to be a Christian was to be a person of the resurrection from the moment of your baptism. “Consequently, you too must think of yourselves as dead to sin, and living for God in Christ Jesus.” For St. Paul and for all of us, heaven begins now.

Pedro Arrupe, the late Master General of the Jesuits said it well.  He said,

“Nothing is more practical than finding God,

That is, than falling in love in a quite absolute, final way.

What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination will affect everything.

It will decide what will get you out of bed in the mornings,

What you will do with your evenings,

How you spend your weekends,

What you read,

Who you know,

What breaks your heart,

And what amazes you with joy and gratitude.

Fall in love, stay in love, and it will decide everything.”

              ― Pedro Arrupe

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“Be Not Afraid!”

When Pope St. John Paul II stood on the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica after being elected the first non-Italian pope in six centuries, his first words to the Church and to the world were, “Be not afraid.”

     These were no small words from a man whose entire ministry had been carried out under the oppression of a communist regime. We all know how that story played out. The Church in Poland is still there, and the communist regime is not.

In truth, as the largest organization in the world, the Catholic Church has often lived in tension with civil authorities who see it, erroneously, as a threat to their base of power. In the present age, like any corporate citizen, the Church reserves the right to speak in the public forum regarding matters that affect the dignity of person and the common good.  Nevertheless, since the pontificate of John Paul I, the Church has made it clear that it does not desire, nor does it see as constructive, to assume the trappings of civil governance. Nevertheless, where the Church is seen as a threat, it is often persecuted, sometime with deadly force. The sad and volatile situation in Nicaragua and China bears witness to this fact. Even in our own American society, where the Church advocates for the dignity of the human person and the protection of human life from conception to natural death, we see a deliberate attempt to marginalize religion in general, and the Catholic Church in particular, in order to remove our voice from the public square. Looking at current trends, the late Cardinal George, Archbishop of Chicago quipped, “I expect to die in my bed. I expect my successor to die in prison. I expect his successor to die a martyr in the public square.”

Are such trends cause for concern? On one level, yes. As a Church, as an Archdiocese, as a parish and as individual Catholics we can do much to mitigate this trend by proactively and constructively engaging the society in which we live. The Church has a face. As individual Catholics, we should actively engaged in our neighborhoods. We need to know our neighbors and they need to know us. As a parish, we need to proactively and constructively engage the community around us. For example, there are two community councils within our parish boundaries. We need to have a regular and effective voice at both of them.  Similarly, we need to engage the neighborhoods around us so that they see us as a vital part of life on this side of town.  In short, as a parish, we need to become so much a part of the local community that they cannot imagine life without us. 

Still, if things get out of hand, as they have from time to time throughout history, there is no cause for fear. Our Lord said that the gates of hell would not prevail against the Church.  He did not say that they wouldn’t try really hard!

There is nothing in the present age that we have not seen several times throughout the centuries. They are all gone.  The Church remains. If we are true to Christ and to His Church, there is nothing we cannot overcome. There is no one we need fear to fear, because there is no limit to God’s love for us.

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Ask Fr. Leo – Do all Dogs Go to Heaven?

Some of the simplest questions can lead to the most profound theological investigations.  Below are a few of them that I have received over the last few months.

Dear Fr. Leo, 

Will I see my dog in heaven? – M

Dear M.,

          Roy Rogers once famously quipped, “If dogs don’t go to heaven, when I die, I want to go where they went!” Not a bad thought, but to help answer this question, I like to invoke the theological principle: “Lex orandi, lex credendi.”  Literally, “the law of praying is the law of believing,” or more colloquially, “As the Church prays, so she believes.”  To this end, I would direct your attention to the Eucharistic Prayer IV. It’s one of my favorites, but it doesn’t get a lot of use, unfortunately. The beauty of the fourth Eucharistic Prayer is its sweeping catechesis of salvation history, from the first moments of creation, through the people of Israel, to the coming of the Christ, to His passion, death and resurrection, to the foundation of the Church at Pentecost, all the way up to the final judgment at the end of the age when as we read in the Book of Revelation, there will be “a new heaven and a new earth.” (Rev. 21:1) In Latin, the Eucharistic Prayer IV refers to our entry into the Kingdom of Heaven with Mary and all the saints, “There, with the whole of creation, (ubi cum univérsa creatúra) freed from the corruption of sin and death, may we glorify you…”  I’m not sure about you, but for me, the whole of creation includes all of creation, not just some of it. This would necessarily include dogs and all other creatures. 

          There is also an argument to made from the famous maxim of St. Thomas Aquinas: “That which is received, is received according to the mode of the one who receives it. (Quidquid recipitur ad modum recipientis recipitur.) Thomas presupposes a hierarchy of being with the Holy Trinity at the top, then created beings such as the Blessed Mother, the angelic beings, human beings, animals, plants, rocks, and so forth.  Since the Kingdom of Heaven is primarily about relationships, namely communion, then any given creature’s participation in that Kingdom could be contingent on its ability to relate to other beings. The Trinity, of course, is relationship itself. Then follows the rest of us according to our nature in the order I just described. We human beings relate to God and to one another according to our nature. Likewise, anyone who has spent any time with dogs knows that they are too are social beings, albeit they relate to others according to their canine nature.  So, you could make a case for dogs in heaven based on their ability to enter into relationship according to their nature. The presence of cats in heaven, based on this same criteria, is still a matter of theological speculation.

Dear Fr. Leo,

          How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?  – L

Dear L:

          That depends. Do you mean with the four-piece jazz ensemble or with the full Big Band orchestra? 

          This was actually a question asked by the Scholastics in the Middle Ages, primarily as a rhetorical exercise, but it does lead to some fun things. The question as stated is a bit cumbersome because it fails to consider the nature of angelic beings. Unlike human beings, who have a physical body and a spiritual soul, angels are purely spiritual beings. They don’t have a physical body. As such, they don’t take up any physical space.  So, the answer to the question could just as easily be “All of them.” or “None of them.” 

          But let’s take things one step further. If angels don’t have a physical body, but humans do, what are the implications for us in God’s plan of salvation? There is an attractive myth out there in popular literature that when we humans die, if we have lived a good life, we become angels. That’s a nice thought, but that’s not how it works.

          As human beings, we have a body and a soul. In God’s plan of salvation, we don’t metamorphose into something that we are not. Rather, we become fully what God has created us to be, body and soul.  We become perfectly human.

          What’s the process by which this takes place?  The resurrection of body at the end of the age. We know this because of the resurrection of Christ. Remember, Christ was fully human as well as fully divine. He didn’t simply shed his human nature and its physical body when his mission of salvation on earth was done.  Rather, God raised up his mortal body.  The Risen Christ is humanity perfected. That is what awaits us if we remain in communion with him. As St. Augustine said, “The joy of God, is the human person fully alive.”  For us humans, that means “the resurrection of the body and the life of the world to come.”