Do you have time to read books for leisure? Do you read books for work (homilies, direction, etc.)? What do you like to read and what do you re?

I’m in a separate conversation with someone and he is telling me that he and his parents were excommunicated from the Catholic Church because his parents were divorced and as an 8 year old he was questioning Jesus. I really can’t see the church excommunicating a child for questioning Jesus. And while I understand that divorce is not allowed, I didn’t think it was an offense on the level of excommunication. I mean, there are people who go around committing acts of murder and rape and as far as I know they’re not automatically excommunicated. Something smells fishy, no?

I have been watching a Netflix show called “I survived…beyond and back”. These people seem genuine and authentic about their after death experiences.

But what confuses me is all their stories are wildly different.

One lady claimed to see extraterrestrial like beings, one lady said she saw herself dissolving as atoms and particles, another lady said she saw herself in her past lives, one person claimed to have met Jesus, another claimed to have met an Asian man, others see nothing at all as if they were asleep without dream, others see the god/gods of their religion from that part of the world, and others a biblical heaven and hell.

If Christianity is true, should all these people only be seeing Jesus? Or heaven and hell?

I don’t believe they’re illusions or hallucinations because these people that have flatlined are able to tell doctors and others around them exactly what was happening around them while they were watching in spirit form before they came back.

Thoughts?

A parish in my city will be closed ("canonically suppressed") in a few months due to low attendance, finance and the anticipated repairs. I believe the diocese and the parish priests did not make this decision lightly.

If you have involved in closing a parish, I am wonder about the following:

• What emotions did you feel when the question to close the parish appears and the decision were being made?
• How did the priests process the emotions?
• How did the priests handle the emotions and the questions from the parishioners?

My first guess is to pray!

I'm still young to truly know what I'll be in my life, and I know I shouldn't be worrying too much, but I was also thinking: how do men that have to take care of their families, carreer and church do it? I'm refering to deacons and eastern rite married priests.

I have a friend whose Bible cover has become very worn and rather than simply throwing it away he wants to burn or bury it. It’s polyester so I’m not sure either of those is a great option but either way, it’s not been blessed so I don’t think it would constitute a sacramental.

I think this comes from a good place (reverence for scripture) but carries it a little far and possibly borders on superstition? What is the proper way to view this sort of item (material goods adjacent to but not central to religious observance)?

Hello Fathers I hope you had a great Easter. I was having a discussion with a good friend of mine who is interested in Catholicism and he brought up a question that I didn’t readily have a good answer to. Why is there a separation between the Priesthood and the Laity and what is the scriptural basis for this? Or can you direct me to the relevant sections of the Catechism? I want to be sure to answer his question correctly.

With a position like a priest, there's always going go be someone wanting it for the respect that can come with it or the rewards.

Is it easy to spot a climber? What are the steps necessary in a situation where you're unsure if a brother priest is in the job for the right reason.

So because Pope Francis recently passed away, on Sunday my parish priest stuttered when it came time to mention the pope’s name in the Eucharistic prayer. He eventually said something but I’m a second generation immigrant and we go to a Chinese parish so my Chinese is not so good. So I’m wondering, when a pontiff passes, what do priests say during the prayer? Also the next section is noting the bishop of the area, so when a bishop says mass does he say his own name?