Ask A Priest Live

Father François Bandet, EP, was ordained a priest on July 22, 2009, for the Clerical Society "Virgo Flos Carmelii." He obtained a licentiate (2009) and a doctorate (2015) in Fundamental Theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome (Italy) and a licentiate (2021) in Philosophy at the Centro Universitário Ítalo Brasileiro in São Paulo (Brazil). He collaborates with the Thomist magazine "Lumen Veritatis" and is currently a missionary in Brazil.

In Today's Show:

EMAIL: Anonymous from Taipei, Taiwan

When is it required to ask for a dispensation when missing Sunday Mass? I remembered there was a traditional saying that if Sunday Mass is out of reach within more than 1 hour, you are automatically excused. Is this true?

Message from Caller: Lugboxer from Olean, NY - YouTube

In Acts 16, the guard asks Paul and Silas how he can be saved. They answer to believe in our Lord Jesus Christ. Why do we need anything more than that to be saved?

@LiteralyMi

​​If you are in your late 20s to early 30s Catholic and unmarried and feel like you are running out of time, what do you do practically to not feel this way?

EMAIL: Maya from Egypt (Convert / The Problem of Evil)

Hi Father and thank you for your time. I have recently started to believe in Jesus Christ, Son of God, and I have a question. I live in the Middle East, and maybe you heard about it, but life here involves a lot of suffering for women.

If God sees the evil done across the world, why doesn't He help the victims?  Why does God not help people stay safe when he sees everything?

EMAIL: Anonymous

Should prayer books, personal missals, or Bibles be blessed by a priest as a sacramental? I've heard that such books don't need to be blessed because they are the word of God. Is that correct?

EMAIL: John from Ohio

My atheist friend and his wife (both non-practicing Catholics) want to baptize their baby and have asked me to be the Godfather.

However, I asked them why they are doing this if they’re no longer practicing, and they had no answer.

Should I refuse the honor or do it anyway for my friend? I feel conflicted and want to do what is right.

@AmongTheWildflowers8 (Modesty)

​​What is the morality of temporary cosmetic procedures like Botox or lip fillers?

@daughterofGod1775

Is it acceptable to be a “Messianic Jew”? This is someone who “remains Jewish” but believes that the messiah has come and He is Jesus. ​​I light the candles and sing the Shabbat prayer on Fridays at sundown, but am Christian.

Visit the show page at thestationofthecross.com/askapriest to listen live, check out the weekly lineup, listen to podcasts of past episodes, watch live video, find show resources, sign up for our mailing list of upcoming shows, and submit your question for Father!

Fr. Elias Mary Mills, F.I., served as Rector of the Shrine Church at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Lacrosse, Wisconsin, from 2016 to 2021. He was ordained in May of 2000.

In Today's Show:

EMAIL: John from Ohio

Is choosing to have only one or two children considered fulfilling the obligation to be open to life?

EMAIL: Anonymous from Buffalo, NY

Is there an age limit for asking someone to be a godparent? For example, could a great-grandparent be asked?

EMAIL: Elizabeth from North Carolina

What is the Catholic church's view of both living and post-death organ donation?

@daughterofGod1775

Would it be OK to donate my body to science?

@catholic123

Are there any types of suffering that we shouldn't offer up?

@Thomas-p7x1w

​​Should Catholics be opposed to the death penalty? How to reconcile modern teachings of the catechism with older church teachings that explicitly allowed it for the sake of justice?

@ChristaDeMark

​​Father, if after doing a deep review of your life you find there are sins that you may not have expressly brought up/remembered in confession, should they still be confessed?

@CrisisisComing

​​Does Charlie Kirk's death count as Odium Fidei?

Message from Caller: Brother Knight Scott

He received an email from a couple who are both trans, and they plan to get married. They want him to be the best "person" at their wedding. He isn't planning to go, but how should he charitably tell them not to go through with it?

EMAIL: Jay

If we die and go to Heaven, can we meet our guardian angel? If not, what happens to them when we pass?

EMAIL: Anonymous from Texas

My fiancé and I are both Catholics and trying to come back to our faith. We have also been saving up for our first home. I want time to look, settle, do necessary renovations, and furnish before getting married. I understand that we cannot live together before we are married, but would owning a home together be an impediment to marriage?

EMAIL: Sandie

I’ve been bringing Sunday Holy Communion to 2 retired nurses for about a year now. Is this ok for me to do if only priests should distribute communion?

Visit the show page at thestationofthecross.com/askapriest to listen live, check out the weekly lineup, listen to podcasts of past episodes, watch live video, find show resources, sign up for our mailing list of upcoming shows, and submit your question for Father!

EMAIL: Anonymous (ICKSP)

Hello Father, I will soon be entering a pre-seminary formation house of the ICKSP. Despite having received a great deal of support from my family (although not all of them are practicing), I feel as though they struggle to ultimately 'let go’, particularly those who are not the most devout; for instance, they keep asking about being able to visit a lot or questioning the fact that we won’t have phones, demonstrating a degree of skepticism about the process. While I understand it is difficult for them, any advice on helping them to let go? Thank you.

EMAIL: Jeff

When you hear confessions, do you typically recognize the voice of the penitent if they attend your parish? If so, do you talk to them differently than you would someone you didn't know?

EMAIL: Anonymous

Hi Canon. I am a victim of domestic violence, and the pastor of the church that I am no longer a member of did not take my safety or situation seriously and I feel like I was dismissed. I am strongly considering finding another denomination because of it and feel like giving up on Catholicism. Do you have any advice?

EMAIL: Philip from Georgia

I make Christian crosses, and I had a client request an epoxy cross with the star of David in it. It turned out really nice, so I decided to offer it on Facebook Marketplace. I began to receive daily harassment messages about how blasphemous I am. My question to you: do you feel it is improper to create a cross with the Star of David in it?

EMAIL: Anonymous

I prayed to St Therese for a dire need a while ago and asked for a rose if God would answer my prayer. I received roses and was overjoyed but as almost 2 years have passed, I’ve lost faith in God and the little flower and am beginning to doubt my prayer will ever be answered. The situation I prayed for seems impossible to resolve. It is affecting my faith as holding onto hope that seems like it will never come is too heavy, but letting it go sends me into frustration with God and despair as it is a great need for me and my health. Any advice would be great.

@CigarMode-4good

​​If someone is Celiac, can they receive the wine at an ICKSP parish?

@sebo_memento

What's the difference between strict and broad mental reservation?

@RosarivmTeutonicvm

If Genesis is not an entirely historical account of events then what's the thing buried in the Durupinar Site (the site where Noah's Ark is believed to be)?

EMAIL: Jonah from Pennsylvania

Is the entirety of Genesis a myth?

EMAIL: Anonymous from Kentucky

What is the proper use for blessed salt and oil?

@beautyforashes3436

Why does touching a relic bring a personal blessing?

EMAIL: Stephen from Buffalo, NY

A lot of Protestants say that since Jesus said to "call no man your Father on Earth," it meant that priests shouldn't be called Father. Why is there this misconception?

EMAIL: Anonymous from Spain

I’m 27 years old and 5’2”. Since around the age of 21 or 22, I’ve struggled with intense feelings that I’m unattractive, particularly that there is something wrong with my face and height. A lot of my insecurity comes from comparing myself with people, and even my own family. I often feel like I’m the short, less attractive one in my family, and I find myself thinking about it far more than I want to. How should I understand this struggle from a Catholic perspective? Is there something I may be missing about how God sees me or how I should see myself? And how would you recommend that I pray or respond when these thoughts become overwhelming? I would also be open to seeking professional help, but I would really value guidance from a priest about how to approach this as a Christian.

EMAIL: Cameron from Orlando, Florida

Would going to haunted houses that use overtly gory or occult images and themes be considered sinful? I've been invited by a friend to go to Universal for Halloween Horror Nights, and some of the houses seem pretty intense.

EMAIL: Anonymous

My question is this: I was married for 10 years to a man who, during that last year, had a mistress who was also married. My husband and the woman conceived a child, which they passed off as belonging to her husband. I have been hearing about soul ties from exorcists and other priests. Since this was going on during our last year of marriage (later annulled), is it possible that I have a soul tie with my husband's mistress and through her, her husband, and the child?

@RosarivmTeutonicvm

​​My territorial parish recently began using a version of the Stations of the Cross in which the first station is Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, and the traditional stations depicting Jesus’ falls are omitted. Is this the Scriptural Way of the Cross introduced by Pope St. John Paul II in 1991, and is there a push to replace the traditional Stations?

EMAIL: Barbara from Washington, D.C.

With yesterday having been the Michaelmas, a question I have is why can Eastern Catholics venerate the other unnamed Archangels while Roman Catholics cannot?

EMAIL: Anonymous from New York

What is the difference between sacramental wine and the wine you can buy at a liquor store?

EMAIL: Olivia from Ontario, Canada

Last Sunday at Mass, I was sitting behind a disruptive boy in the pew in front of me. He wouldn't stop babbling and banging on the pew, and his mother just let him do it, even during the consecration. I get that we should have some patience when it comes to children in Mass, but it was to the point where I couldn't concentrate. What should we do in a situation like this?

@CrisisisComing

​​Serious question: What does the Church expect Catholics to do if a serious economic collapse appears likely? (Like the financiers pulling their money out of the country)

Thinking of the Spanish crown in the old days

@Felix

​​What would bring the Orthodox and Catholic Church back together?

@Francis_tamu

In terms of moral theology, why is alcohol permitted, but weed prohibited, when both cause intoxication? Many argue weed does not always remove the faculties of reason.

We were live during our Fall Appeal! To donate, call 1-877-711-8500 or visit TheStationoftheCross.com. You can also email us your questions at [email protected].

Visit the show page at thestationofthecross.com/askapriest to listen live, check out the weekly lineup, listen to podcasts of past episodes, watch live video, find show resources, sign up for our mailing list of upcoming shows, and submit your question for Father!

We were live during our Fall Appeal with Rudy Carlos and Joe McClane! To donate, call 1-877-711-8500 or visit TheStationoftheCross.com. You can also email us your questions at [email protected].

Visit the show page at thestationofthecross.com/askapriest to listen live, check out the weekly lineup, listen to podcasts of past episodes, watch live video, find show resources, sign up for our mailing list of upcoming shows, and submit your question for Father!"

Fr. Francisco Nahoe, OFM Conv., has served the Church and the Franciscan Order in Catholic education, campus ministry, parochial ministry, and catechesis. He is a chaplain at Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula, California, and focuses his scholarly efforts on Renaissance rhetoric and Polynesian ethnohistory.

In Today's Show:

Visit the show page at thestationofthecross.com/askapriest to listen live, check out the weekly lineup, listen to podcasts of past episodes, watch live video, find show resources, sign up for our mailing list of upcoming shows, and submit your question for Father!

Father Casey Jones is a priest of the Diocese of Venice, Florida. He currently serves as the pastor of St. Elizabeth Seton Parish and school in Naples, Florida.

In Today's Show:

Visit the show page at thestationofthecross.com/askapriest to listen live, check out the weekly lineup, listen to podcasts of past episodes, watch live video, find show resources, sign up for our mailing list of upcoming shows, and submit your question for Father!

Fr. John Brancich, FSSP, is the pastor of St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Nashua, New Hampshire. He was ordained into the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter in 2004.

In Today's Show:

Visit the show page at thestationofthecross.com/askapriest to listen live, check out the weekly lineup, listen to podcasts of past episodes, watch live video, find show resources, sign up for our mailing list of upcoming shows, and submit your question for Father!