Ask-A-Priest

Got a question for Father Bill? Email your questions to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it in any of the following categories:

• Current Issues
  
• A Day in the Life
  
• Sin & Stuff
  
• Where in the Bible
  
• Prayer
  
• General

Is it a sin to get a tattoo? Frankly, I don’t know! Years ago, if you asked any priest, the policy was “It is a sin to get a tattoo” I recently asked some of my fellow priests, and they hadn’t heard this. The general principle is that we must not deface or degrade our human bodies. Our bodies are sacred. To get large tattoos plastered all over our bodies would certainly seem to be wrong because of defacement and degradation. To get a very small tattoo in a fairly insignificant place might not be defacement. The same principles would apply for getting pierced. Surely it is wrong to have tongue, lip, nose, and belly-button rings. Probably not at all wrong to get an ear piercing. Notice “an” — this does not mean three or four in the same ear lobe.

What determines sin? Why do different priests give different definitions of what is and isn’t a sin? I often hear this said — different priests giving different answers. But I haven’t really encountered it, at least not in important matters. It’s true, some priests might be stricter than others, but I think most of us agree on important things. Our moral code is based on the natural law and on God’s positive revelation. The interpretation of God’s law is made by the authority of the Church, i.e. the pope and the bishops. The principles are pretty clear; its the practice that may find different answers. For example, we have a serious obligation to participate in Sunday Mass. Mortal sin if we deliberately neglect to go without any excusing reason. Excusing reasons obviously are illness. But what about a man who works almost every day, never getting a day off, and having an opportunity to go to Canada’s north country on a Sunday? I think that a reasonable priest would say that he has an excusing reason and there is no sin. But I must confess that there are probably some priests who would be stricter. The principles by which we form our consciences are clear; sometimes it’s the application that it tough.

CATEGORY: Current Issues

What issues are the most dangerous and prevalent in the Church today? One in every ten Americans is an ex-Catholic. Why? Among a great many, it is divorce and remarriage outside the Church. So one of the biggest problems is preparation for marriage and maturity to make a life-long commitment. (By “preparations” I would include the virtue of purity and chastity, I wouldn’t give a plugged nickel for the success of a marriage with a history of regular pre-marital sex.) Another reason for leaving the Church is sin. Let’s face it: The Catholic Church demands a lot. No pre-marital or extra-mental sex; no abortion; no euthanasia; no birth control; and those are just the “negatives.” Positively, we have an obligation to lead a fervent Christian life which embraces every human being as our neighbor. One of the big reasons for leaving the Catholic Church is just plain indifference. Sad to say, priests encounter far-too-many kids of all age in the Confessional who say, “1 missed Mass most of the time.” When asked, they let it be known that their parents don’t go to Mass. If parents don’t practice the faith, you can pretty well bet that the kids will lose the faith. Another thing priests frequently encounter in the Confessional is pornography. Mostly it’s on the “net.” How do you get males to stop this? Finally, I think we might lump a lot of things together under “personal faith.” Too often, we pour a lot of knowledge and practices into kids, but don’t emphasize that they must make a personal commitment to Christ. It must become their personal faith by a decisive moment of faith. If not, I’m afraid that somewhere along the line, they’ll lose it.
As a Catholic, how can we best choose a political candidate? That’s a tough one! We should make a list of our priorities as a person of faith and as a citizen. The biggest priority is life. Does a candidate respect all life, from the moment of conception till the moment of natural death? And does the candidate show this by the way he votes and acts? Is the candidate a person of integrity and virtue on all levels? Is the candidate truly concerned about the common good of all citizens? Is the candidate a person who subscribes to absolute moral principles? Consider all aspects. Even then it is tough to decide.

Why does the Church forbid us to ask questions about women becoming priests? I’m not sure the Church forbids the “asking of questions.” But whatever questions are asked must take into consideration that the issue is closed. Pope John Paul II in a lengthy treatise came as close as one could come to an infallible decree by stating that the issue was closed: No woman can ever be a priest. To ask why and to try to find out more is okay. If the questioning is equivalent to a denial, then it is not okay.

CATEGORY: A Day in the Life

How often do you have free time and what do you choose to do with your free time? I think “free time’ varies with the priest and his assignment. Retired priests think they have a lot of free time, but frequently they substituted for others (those who are ill, those who must be out of town, etc.) Some retired priests say “I am busier now than when I worked for a living!” In the “good old days” associate priests used to think that their pastors had a lot of free time — because the associates did most of the work. Priests in small parishes may have more free time than those in large parishes with schools. Theoretically, every priest is supposed to get a day off each week. But I encounter some zealous younger priests who don’t get this, and who work from morning till night. Again, different priests do different things with their free time. Some play a lot of golf or other sports. Some read a lot. Some go to a movie or a concert. Some priests just can’t get free time unless they leave town, since people will always call them on their “day off.”

How long does it take you to create a homily? This, too, varies with the priest. Some years ago, I was at the funeral of a Sister; the celebrant (now deceased) gave a beautiful homily. After Mass I complimented him and asked him how much time he must have spent on the homily. He told me that he hadn’t spent any time at all! Some may be gifted that way; I am not. It takes me a lot of time. I begin preparation at least a week ahead of time. I read and reflect on the Scripture readings. I try to find if there is any connecting link between the readings, and how they may give a message for a particular religious season or feast. After reflecting, I write an outline. Then I let it set for a while. Then I look at the outline and revise it. Finally, I put it on the computer. take the outline with me to the pulpit, but I look it over several times and often revise it, adding and subtracting. In my opinion, the toughest thing about a homily is getting it short enough while still giving a message. Other priests may not need as much time as I, but I have to “dig it out.” If I don’t, I feel I have done a disservice to the people of God.

CATEGORY: Where in the Bible?

Where in the Bible does it say “sola scriptura?” It doesn’t. In fact, the Bible seems to imply that we must have a living voice to teach us what the Scriptures mean and imply. Jesus did many other things which are not recorded in Scripture. (John 21:25). In II Thessalonians 2:15, St. Paul tells his readers to hold fast to what they have learned either by letter or by word of his. He urges them not only to have faith in Scriptures but in the living word handed down to them.

Where can I find “purgatory” in the bible? You can’t. It isn’t there. But we know that prayer for the dead was a practice among the Jews at the time of Jesus. II Maccabees 12:45 shows this. (Protestants do not consider Maccabees to be part of the bible; but at least it shows the practice of Jews at the time of Jesus.) Inscriptions on Catacombs (burial places) throughout the Roman empire show that prayer for the dead was part of Christian belief from earliest times. Why would one pray for the dead? If a person is in heaven he doesn’t need prayers. If he is in hell, no prayer can help him.
What is the difference between a monk and a priest and a brother? Or between a sister and a nun? “Monk” comes from the Latin “monachus,” which literally means “one who lives in solitude (alone). The word has come to mean a man who has vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, and who is in a community or in solitude. The term is now pretty broad. Benedictines, Dominicans, Trappists, and Carmelites are monks. But Jesuits, Redemptorists Vincentians are not. Some Franciscans call themselves monks, while others do not. A “brother” is a man who has vows and who will never become a priest. Sometimes brothers are monks; sometimes not. A “priest” is a man who has been ordained by a bishop to assist the bishop in celebrating Mass, and in ministering to the people of God, chiefly through the sacraments and the ministry of the word. Some use “nun” and “sister” interchangeably. Both have vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. Theoretically, “nuns” are cloistered; that is, they do not get out into the world (and the world does not get into them!) “Sisters” usually have more contact with the world.

CATEGORY: Prayer

Why should I go to adoration? There are various types of devotion, and various types of “spirituality.” Our diocese has emphasized Eucharistic adoration as a very important way of spirituality. But there might be other ways. Perhaps I might become closer to God by reading the Scriptures for an hour. Perhaps even a communion with nature might lead me to the Lord. The question is: What exactly am I doing to become closer to the Lord? This, of course, leads to our primary spirituality which must be Trinitarian and communal:
Trinitarian in that we come to the Father through Jesus Christ his incarnate Son, in the power of the Holy Spirit, united with the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the saints.

Is there an “official” prayer of the Church? If so, which one is it? The official prayer of the Church is called the “Liturgy of the Hours” In times past, it was called “The Divine Office” This consists of psalms, readings, reflections, and prayers which are organized into what are called “hours.” The chief “hours” (which actually take only about ten minutes) are “morning prayer” (also called lauds) and “evening prayer” (also called vespers.) Each of these consists of a hymn, three psalms, a short scripture passage, a short responsory, a canticle, and general intercessions. The “canticle” in the morning is Zachary’s hymn called the “Benedictus.” The canticle in the evening is called the “Magnificat:” it is Mary’s hymn. In addition to these “hours,” there is the “Office of Readings” (three psalms, a lengthy scripture reading and a reading from the Fathers or church documents. The “little hour” may be in the morning, at midday, or in the afternoon. Finally there is “compline” or “night prayer. Every deacon and priest must pray the entire “liturgy of the hours” each day. Most brothers, monks, nuns, and sisters also pray the “liturgy of the hours.” These pray for the entire Church. More and more, lay people are beginning to pray this “official prayer of the Church.”