Catholic Answers Focus

Question Covered:

02:35 – Do we have an idea of how old Mary was when she was assumed?

14:17 – I was watching the conversion story of the late Alex Jones, how can I apply his story to my own conversion?

19:50 – What does Pope Francis mean by rigidity and why is it so important for us to avoid it?

35:41 – Since our Lord says no one is greater than John the Baptist, how can we say that Mary is without sin and greater than John the Baptist?

40:38 – What’s the difference between the Catholic and Orthodox lent period?

43:17 – My dad is judgmental about Catholics “parading around” with ashes. What’s a good way to respond to this?

51:14 – CORRECTION: Byzantine Rite starts Lent the Monday before Ash Wednesday not the 7th of March.

51:54 – How do you go about telling family and friends that you are becoming Catholic?

Resources Mentioned:

https://timstaples.com/2019/are-the-ashes-of-ash-wednesday-contrary-to-scripture/

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Questions Covered: 

11:50 – Is it moral for a married couple to use IVF if that is the only option to conceive naturally? 

19:05 – Does a woman have to go through the same process for surrogacy as she would with IVF 

30:09 – How do I talk to a family member who has gone through IVF and is continuing to go through it? 

37:07 – God is present when a child is conceived either in a tube or the body. You are implying that God’s hand is not involved. I want to challenge you on that claim. 

48:06 – It seems like you’re splitting hairs between fertility clinics and IVF procedures. If God has determined that people can’t get pregnant, how is it different? 

51:03 – What are the Repercussions if someone decides to do an embryo adoption? Does it pose a moral problem? 

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Questions Covered:

05:56 – How would Trent demonstrate that a fetus has the right to live in the mother’s womb?

15:15 – It seems that there is no legal responsibility for the man. It is his fault for not having safe sex and kicking off the natural course of the events. Why is he not held accountable?

22:02 – Jer. 1:5 “I had a plan for you, called you by name” If there’s a child that was made with a plan, but there’s no soulmates, how can you have both? If there’s a plan, then how can you explain rape and incest?

35:58 – More attention needs to be given to men who lost children through abortion. https://www.usccb.org/committees/pro-life-activities/hollow-men-male-grief-trauma-following-abortion

42:49 – I’m an ER physician and have read that its permissible for women who have been raped to take the morning after pill within 48 hours. Has the teaching changed? https://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/health-care/upload/Ethical-Religious-Directives-Catholic-Health-Care-Services-fifth-edition-2009.pdf

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Catholic Game Show

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Questions Covered:

15:50 – Is the Leviticus prohibition on drinking blood a form of preparation for the Eucharist?  Specifically, the punishment. 

20:05 – Why are you not allowed to receive the Eucharist when you’re divorced? 

30:19 – I work with some Lutherans, they think that we have the same communion, how do I explain that we don’t? 

34:21 –  How long does the presence of the Eucharist last after you consume it?    

40:55 –  I started taking medication and it started making me scrupulous and questioning my beliefs. Is it still ok to receive the Eucharist? 

44:42 – I talked to a Protestant about the mass and he said the verse says “do this in remembrance,” so that means it’s just a symbol. How can I respond? 

49:15 – I’m Lutheran, You said we believe in consubstantiation. That term is offensive. Why do you keep using it? 

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Questions Covered: 

02:36 – Is there different terminology for a priest, bishop or pope acting in persona Christi? 

04:30 – I come from a Pentecostal background and am converting. My family is fully preparing for the second coming. The event with Russia reinforced their belief. How could I respond to my family, and how should we Catholics respond to the end time? 

12:00 – I’m on the verge of converting to Catholicism from Protestantism, why do we pray to the saints? 

14:13 – A 7th Day Adventist left a tract on cars after Mass. Is there a resource to answer those questions? 

18:16 – Are you familiar with the company Senomyx. I heard they were using aborted fetal tissue in flavoring. 

20:44 – Follow Up to the annulment questions, how does your earlier comment reconcile with the pro-forma annulment? 

22:59 – There were readings in Mass on Ep.4-5, but they skipped a portion about speaking foul language. Why would this section be left out? 

28:37 – I don’t go to church because of guilt. I don’t go to confession because of mortal sin. How do I handle this?

34:42 – Is it ok for a practicing Catholic to attend an atheist wedding? 

39:07 – My husband and I were raised Catholic. My husband is active-duty military and we decided to get married outside of the church due to him being deployed. Will the Church honor it at a later point in time?   

44:03 – I’m a recent convert, how do I become better at evangelizing? 

46:41 – Are you familiar with the idea of Mother God, I couldn’t find anything on the CA website? 

49:23 – At the end of this world, will writers be able to write about problems? 

52:30 – Why aren’t there any miracles regarding amputations? 

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Questions Covered: 

03:49 – Can a person be held responsible for a sin he intended to commit but due to circumstances he was unable to commit?

05:13 – Who were the correct teachers of the law before Jesus?

12:32 – CA Live App… Do we have an idea of whose wedding Jesus and Mary went to in Cana?

14:32 – Will our knowledge keep growing infinitely after our resurrection?

17:19 – Rev. 17. – 7 heads and 10 horns, what is the Catholic perspective of what this means?

29:06 – What would happen to someone who is in mortal sin and has an appointment to go to confession, but then he dies?

33:09 – Is it inconsistent to ask for God to change someone’s mind while still acknowledging free will?

35:28 – When the second coming happens, will we still have free will?

41:29 – James 2:24, Eph. 2:8-11, Romans 3:22,27 – Regarding Faith and works, what is the work that Paul is referring to?

47:19 – My son is in RCIA and has been married a couple of times. Why does he have to have an annulment?

52:06 – Did the apostles teach the Marian dogmas?

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Questions Covered: 

18:40 – Since Papal infallibility wasn’t defined till Vatican 1, how was a Catholic supposed to know when he was speaking infallibly? 

21:36 – How can we explain the infallibility of the pope in a context that avoids seeing the limits as an excuse to ignore that which is not infallible? 

32:25 – My cousin and her husband have started attending an independent Catholic Church (Society of Christ the King). Can I attend church with them even though they don’t accept papal infallibility? 

36:58 – What declarations can a pope overrule from a previous pope? 

46:00 – Why not just believe everything the pope says if it’s not really going to affect my life? 

50:20 – I know the teachings on contraception were clarified by Pope John Paul II, I was told that Pope Francis overturned that teaching. Can he do that and is that true? 

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Questions Covered:

13:52 – With everything going on with Russia, I worry a lot about my soul and my children. How can I compartmentalize and prioritize? How can I not bring those worries into my home?

18:41 – Does worrying negate your trust in God? Can you have peace and still have some worry?

22:58 – Worrying as a parent, how do I let go of always being in defense mode over my kids?

29:17 – I grew up as a protestant and always heard of Catholic guilt. Where did we get the idea that if you’re Catholic you are full of guilt? Do we need to feel guilt?

33:01 – What advice would you give to parents whose children struggle with anxiety?

40:43 – I worry over my health issues, I was just diagnosed with cancer. How do I cope with this daily?

45:38 – If I don’t worry about things I don’t get things done. How do I deal with that?

48:53 – Where’s the line between being too laid back and worrying?

51:23 – Sacred Heart Radio…How can we alleviate the stress of anxiety? How can we not be so angry when we worry? I shut down and fall into a toxic cycle.

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Apologist Joe Heschmeyer joins us to review Catholic Just War teaching, and spend some time discussing how that teaching applies to modern American wars.

Cy Kellett:

Is it still possible to have a just war in the modern world? Joe Heschmeyer is next. Hello, and welcome to Focus, the Catholic Answers podcast for living, understanding and defending your Catholic faith. I’m Cy Kellett, your host. War become more common in recent years than it was in the past. We thought maybe in the modern world, with the rise of the modern world, warfare would go out of vogue, but it cer...