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monstrance on ASK FATHER: The priest only said, “I absolve you from your sins”. Is that sufficient for a valid absolution?: “My experience with these problems often is attributed to the priest not being comfortable with the reality of “in persona…”
on Traditionis custodes and “reception theory” – or – When a law is no law at all.: “Yes, Gratian said it 800 years ago: a law must first be promulgated, but then it has to be accepted…”
on “Why, then, would Francis punish those who worship according to the Latin rite?”: “The Federalist article: “Catholics who attend Latin Mass are by all accounts the least likely to encourage disagreements, widen gaps,…”
on ASK FATHER: The priest only said, “I absolve you from your sins”. Is that sufficient for a valid absolution?: “The pastor of our mostly-NO parish often hears Confessions before & throughout Latin Mass. He usually has scores of penitents…”
on Traditionis custodes and “reception theory” – or – When a law is no law at all.: “I just noticed Summorum Pontificum, in speaking of the Novus Ordo, states, “…these were willingly received by the bishops as…”
on UPDATED – 14 August Pontifical Mass at the National Shrine: FORBIDDEN: “TonyO, I wouldn’t be surprised if “don’t establish new groups” is the rationale. When I originally read that part I…”
on ASK FATHER: The priest only said, “I absolve you from your sins”. Is that sufficient for a valid absolution?: “I go to confession sometimes on Saturday afternoon in my neighborhood parish where the pastor has about 90 minutes for…”
on ASK FATHER: The priest only said, “I absolve you from your sins”. Is that sufficient for a valid absolution?: “I used to go to a priest that used the NO formula, but added the words in italics and it…”
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Tag Archives: validity
ASK FATHER: Absolution at jail through glass, phone in visitor’s room
From a priest… QUAERITUR: I’m a priest who occasionally gets asked to hear confessions in a jail where the only way to speak to a person is through glass and a telephone headset. Without using the phone, one can barely hear the other … Read More
ASK FATHER: Are “butt baptisms” valid?
From a priest… QUAERTUR: Are partial immersion baptisms valid? Where the baby is dipped up to the waist 3x, with valid words of baptism spoken. Here’s the deal. The “proximate matter” of baptism is ablution. This means physical contact of the … Read More
Congregation for Divine Worship’s new document on valid bread and wine for the Eucharist
The sacraments have both matter (the physical stuff) and form (the words pronounced). In the case of the Eucharist the matter is twofold: bread and wine. The bread must be from wheat and, in the Latin Church, unleavened. The wine … Read More
Fr. Murray on Card. Coccopalermio’s odd utterings about validity of sacraments
Today at TCT my friend Fr. Murray drills into the implications of Card. Coccopalmerio’s stunning statements which undermine our understanding of sacraments. Coccopalmerio characterized the Church’s teaching on the question of Anglican orders as follows: “We have had, and we … Read More
Ed Peters on Card. Coccopalmerio’s alarming assertion
Ed Peters – HERE – has some observations about recent comments made by Card. Coccopalmerio – who, frankly, is becoming a bit a of a concern. The Bitter Pill (aka The Tablet, the UK’s … not best Catholic weekly) has Coccopalmerio … Read More
Is there a “schism”?
I pay scant attention to Patheos, but for a couple contributors. This caught my eye after a frequent commentator here alerted me. Fr. Dwight Longenecker wrote, with my legendary emphases and comments: Headlines last week were proclaiming that a group of cardinals believe … Read More
20 Comments
Wherein Fr. Z reviews and rants on important points about VALID baptism
Because Easter is a special time for baptizing, I hereunder assemble some observations from past ASK FATHER Question Box responses about baptism and validity. INITIAL RANT: Bishops would do well to quiz priests, and seminarians before ordination as deacons, about how to … Read More
22 Comments
ASK FATHER: If 50% of marriages are invalid, how do I know if my marriage is valid?
From a reader… QUAERITUR: If approximately 50% of current “Catholic” marriages are actually invalid, how do I know if my marriage is valid? I was a cafeteria Catholic at the time of the wedding, husband was unbaptized. We got a … Read More
ASK FATHER: Can I attend an invalid SSPX wedding?
From a reader… ok — so I get that according to cannon law, since sspx marriages are not “canonically approved’, they are not valid. My God- daughter, and my CLOSEST friend’s daughter is getting married in the fall by an sspx priest. She … Read More
ASK FATHER: Valid marriage in hospital room?
From a reader… QUAERITUR: My wife and I were married in my father-in-law’s hospital room. He was dying of stomach cancer and we wanted him to witness our marriage. We had planned on holding the ceremony in the chapel of … Read More
ASK FATHER: Confession and absolution via text message? Phone? VOIP?
A question pops up once in a while and I have dealt with it before. Can you be absolved over the phone or by internet? NO. That would be INVALID. I was alerted to this post at the site of … Read More
A piece of good news
A very smart priest friend sent me a note this morning with two pieces of good news regarding Pope Francis. I’ll simply share what he sent…. no, wait… I’ll share the first piece of good news. I may post the second … Read More
ASK FATHER: Received into Church after strange Presbyterian baptism
From a reader… QUAERITUR: I was Baptized in the Presbyterian Church and converted to the Catholic faith 9 years ago at the age of 9. Becoming very interested in my own baptism I watched a video of a Presbyterian ministerconferring baptism. He … Read More
ASK FATHER: Mistake about minister of Sacrament of Matrimony and validity
From a reader… QUAERITUR: When making vows at a Catholic Wedding in a Catholic Church if a Groom genuinly beleives that the officiating priest at a wedding is the minister of the Sacrement of Matromony, and not the bride and … Read More
“Annulments” and a distinction: juridical and/or sacramental
Ed Peters, distinguished canonist, has come out of hibernation to post this helpful distinction. See his outstanding blog In The Light Of The Law, where there is no open combox. Check with him often. My emphases. Confusing validity and sacramentality … Read More
ALERT! A “wine” that perhaps isn’t really wine!
As you know, for the consecration of the Eucharist to be VALID, we must use wine from grapes. It can be fortified wine, but it must be wine (HERE). Today I received a link from a reader which I am … Read More
3 Comments
QUAERITUR: Confession at regular parish but Sunday Mass at SSPX?
From a reader: Howdy Fr. Z [Fine, thanks!] I had a question about fulfilling my Sunday Obligation at an SSPX chapel. First let me say, I am 100% with the bishops and the pope. I prefer the Latin Mass. I am about … Read More
QUAERITUR: Of the color of wine, the amount, and the addition of water
From a reader: First off is the wine to be consecrated have to be red and how much wine poured into the chalice is enough to make it a valid mass? One of my priests told us if they don’t … Read More
QUAERITUR: Confession to an SSPX priest a sin?
From a reader: While doing research I came across something that said that one of the faithful who knowingly receives a Sacrament from a priest without faculties commits a sin. I have always attended SSPX chapels and gone to confession … Read More
18 Comments
QUAERITUR: Priests, valid absolution of sins, and the faculty to receive sacrament confessions
From a reader about something I raised HERE. In a recent post you wrote, “bishops and priests have Christ’s own power to forgive sins and they do so validly with the Church’s permission, indicated by a ‘faculty.’” Does this mean … Read More
