Catholic Answers Live

Questions Covered: 

06:20 – Is there ever a possibility for a Catholic to practice the faith at home due to a personal situation?  

16:00 – What is the role of Purgatory at the end of the world?  

19:55 – Are there prophets in today’s age?  

31:15 – I don’t feel like getting baptized as a baby makes much sense because you didn’t choose to accept Jesus yet. 

33:13 – What is the symbolic comparison between the Christian and Islamic versions of Abraham’s sacrifice? 

40:56 – How do I appropriately celebrate feast days within fasting periods?   

48:43 – If the Pope is chosen by the Holy Spirit, why do we end with corrupt Popes or one who can retire? 

51:20 – Am I under obligation to say something about unbaptized grandchildren?  

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Joe Heschmeyer, author of The Eucharist is Really Jesus, explores the misunderstood topic of indulgences. He explains the historical context and biblical perspectives on indulgences, addressing misconceptions and highlighting the fine line between legitimate spiritual generosity and the improper commodification of spiritual goods that tarnished the reputation of indulgences in the past.

 

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Questions Covered:

04:34 – I read an article saying that elements of the liturgy can harm someone (and actually make grace less efficacious) because of his past traumas. Is that true?

17:00 – My daughter has requested that I only make one reference to my faith when we talk. Is it sinful for me to consent to that request?

20:32 – Fr. Elias Mary claimed that the Pope is going to be the antichrist. Is that possible?

30:09 – What does the Apostles’ Creed mean when it says Jesus “descended into hell?”

35:48 – What happens between the particular and general judgments? How are they different?

42:16 – Can I receive sacraments from SSPX priests?

44:36 – Where does the origin of Christmas as Jesus’ birthday come from? Is it in the Bible?

50:33 – I heard someone say “it is no longer I who lives but Mary who lives in me” is this a theologically correct statement?

53:05 – Can you explain Acts 5? How do you relate to Acts 5 now versus in the 1st century?

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Questions Covered:

05:23 – Does the Church having canonized saints diminish the value of non-canonized saints?

12:23 – Were the three wise men practicing astrology when they looked at a star to find Jesus?

19:45 – I know that the answer to the problem of suffering is that God allows suffering for a greater good. But where does that idea come from? The Bible?

30:42 – When Gabriel says “Hail” to Mary, is that a greeting or is it something more?

37:30 – My best friend’s sister died recently, and my friend is wondering if she’s in hell. I didn’t know what to say to her.

46:18 – Do the cases of Pope Honorius and Pope Vigilius disprove papal infallibility?

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Questions Covered:

08:37 – My child was exposed to pornography in 3rd grade at school without the school’s knowledge. He is now in high school. How can I support him to break this addiction?

36:06 – What do you attribute the huge increase in sexual issues especially in the trans issue?

47:41 – What is the response to the claim that regret is rare in the transgender movement?

51:59 – How do I get over an overwhelming sense of lust?

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Questions Covered:

12:05 – Is it okay for a Catholic to go to a Byzantine church? Did the office of St. Andrew survive like St. Peter’s line?

18:46 – Would you communion at a Roman Catholic rite? If the Orthodox acknowledge the papacy why are they under another authority?

23:44 – I became Orthodox. What went wrong for the division to happen?

35:03 – How does confession differ in the Catholic Church vs the Eastern Orthodox?

42:50 – Churching of women after birth is a tradition in the Orthodoxy that fell off in Catholicism. Are there other traditions like this that also fell off?

45:32 – How do we keep the conversation positive when conversing with Orthodox friends?

52:13 – Is the Eucharist in the east actually the body and blood of Jesus?

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Questions Covered:

01:09 – What are your thoughts on the UFO/ET sightings being demons?

17:01 – In The Shining Dick Halloran the chef tells young Danny Torrance that the Shining gives people the ability to see the things from long ago and things that have not yet happened. With that being said is the ability to Shine in the movie & book the same thing as prophecy, extrasensory perception, intuition, empathy, precognition, and retrocognition?

12:10 – What are the historical ramifications if Abraham had never left Ur?

13:43 – Is it true that the Vatican has one of the best science labs in the world, and if so why and what is it used for? Thank you.

16:41 – Suppose an couple is engaged and is approaching the Church to be married. However, they are an unfortunate genetic match and have certainty that 100% of their children will perish in the womb. Would it be immoral for them to live as husband and wife? And does the Church have any legislation that would prevent them being married in the Church?

18:46 – Can a priest celebrate Mass if he has no arms?

22:42 – On May 31, 1985 I was baptized by the fire of the Holy Spirit from the crown of my head, through every cell in my body. See Luke 3:16 Do you think the fire of Purgatory is the same purifying fire I experienced? Meaning, do you think it’s the Holy Spirit that does the purging?

29:00 – How many times in one’s life can one vow “till death do us part?”

34:00 – If throughout the Bible angels (who are spiritual, non-corporeal beings) appear with enfleshed bodies as apparitions, could that be true for the Holy Spirit as well? Is it possible that those puzzling times in Scripture when people didn’t recognize Jesus it was because the Third Person of the Trinity was making an appearance? When Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene in the tomb (John 20:14-18), and to the two followers on the way to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35) and to the seven disciples fishing (John 21:1-14), is it possible that they didn’t recognize Him because they were not seeing God the Son at first, but God the Holy Spirit for a brief time? The One who they didn’t recognize consoled, comforted them, revealed truth to them, testified to them, convicted them, taught them, walked along side of them (parakletos), witnessed to them, brought things to their remembrance, and revealed and glorified the Lord to them…all the things Jesus promised the Advocate would do when He came (John 14:15-31, John 15:26-27 and John 16:5-16).

40:05 – If angel are non-corporeal beings, why do we gender them?

46:42 – How does one mistake a reconnaissance balloon as an alien space craft?

48:30 – Where was Jesus between the ages of 12 and 30?

50:54 – Let’s say that macro-PK is real. Where does the energy to move the objects come from? If there is a violation of the laws of thermodynamics, could the heat death of the universe be defeated by a sufficiently large, trained force of PKers?

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Questions Covered:

02:05 – Suppose a modern lay Catholic (baptized, confirmed, etc.) were transported through time and space to the year 5 BC, Jerusalem. Assuming he/she retains his/her knowledge and beliefs from the 21st century AD and is aware that he/she has arrived in a time before the Incarnation has taken place, in what way would this Catholic be obligated to worship God? Would he/she need to live as a Jew under the Mosaic law, given that the New Covenant has not yet been established in their “present” timeline, or would he/she be required to live according to Catholic practices to the best of their ability? Would he/she be morally obligated to be a sort of prophet, proclaiming the coming Lord; or perhaps be obligated not to, lest they affect salvation history? 

06:11 – I’m curious whether Satan can “bless” people and/or things? By “bless” I mean supernaturally enhance in the manner requested by those seeking the “blessing”. 

12:05 – If someone is trapped in a time loop like in Groundhog Day or Edge of tomorrow, is it still a sin to commit suicide in order to reset the time loop? If you already have been trapped for several weeks then it would probably feel annoying to wait out the entire loop if you mess something up. 

14:53 – I write Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fanfiction, mostly action/adventure stories. I am currently outlining a story where the TMNT meet a Catholic Apologist. I have modeled her after Mr. Akin in both personality and intellect. In my story, the apologist is explaining the Catholic idea of the soul to the TMNT. One of the things that has hung me up a little is that I believe all sensitive and rational souls are created immediately upon conception. The TMNT started out as ordinary turtles, so they were given sensitive souls the moment they were created, before they were even born. However, now that they have mutated, they have rational souls. One of the characters questions whether the turtles’ sensitive, animal souls died and a new, rational soul was installed in them when they mutated, or if their souls were changed when they mutated? Initially I had the idea that God “upgraded” their sensitive souls to rational souls upon their mutation, but a friend of mine suggested that maybe they were conceived with rational souls, but as it took 15 years for them to develop from babies to teenagers, they simply didn’t express their rational souls until they were old enough/mutated enough to talk. I’m curious as to what Mr. Akin would say and would be grateful for his perspective. 

21:45 – I have a few questions for you: 1. If angels are spiritual, eternal beings existing outside of time, how can they be created in time if eternity is outside of it? 2.  When we die, our souls survive our mortal bodies. If our souls are eternal, how can we be created in time if eternity is outside of it? 3. How did God create something out of nothing if it is against the nature of nothing to be something? 

31:50 – What is “Burning Man” really about?  It seems to get a lot of media attention each year.  My stepdaughter and her husband have both apostatized from the church, and went a few years back.  They have regional “burns” as well that they attend.  The stories they seem happy to tell people seem very disturbing.  Almost satanic.  Certainly evil.  Nothing at all like what I get from Mr. Google or the media.  Who is “The Burning Man? Do you have any insights on any of this? 

34:02 – I have a weird question (I think). I know in the early 20th century or late 19th century catholic theologians mentioned the desirability to baptize not-yet-born babies in the womb as long as it was safe and possible. My question is, why isn’t this done right now even without medical intervention? It seems to me that the form (I now baptize…) the matter (water, after all the baby is…

Questions Covered: 

04:02 – What evidence is there for Hell?

11:02 – Is it immoral to play audio or watch a video of someone saying the Lord’s name in vain?

14:23 – Do you think there are more than two James? Is James the less different than Jame the brother?

21:34 – Question about predestination. Did God know who I was going to date before I dated them?

28:42 – Why does the Catholic Church have a pope? Is the Pope biblical?

35:27 – Is receiving the Eucharist in the hand wrong?

41:58 – Is consuming artificial sweeteners immoral? Because artificial sweeteners are intentionally not nutritional.

50:41 – Can the multiverse be real?

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Questions Covered:

02:30 – Would there be a licit way to do something like the Bachelor to find a spouse?

06:03 – How do Catholics avoid picking between the beliefs of the Church Fathers?

16:58 – What causes someone to lose their salvation?

18:10 – Is there a relationship between modern Israel and 1st century Israel?

21:47 – I’ve heard Skinwalker ranch is based on a curse in folklore. Could this be a case of diabolic infestation?

28:30 – Why does the Catholic church claim to have changed the sabbath day because it had the ecclesiastical power to do so?

31:20 – Can you clarify any of the lies related to the Jewish Talmud?

37:01 – Did the early Church Fathers believe in the doctrine of atonement?

46:38 – Why isn’t the Ascension mentioned much in the Bible?

52:18 – Is there a good book to give to someone who is interested in faith but has no religious background.

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