Does the Church have an answer? Archives

Would Mass be better if there was more variety?

Does the Church have an answer?, October 2021

Oct 01, 2021 by rkranz

Question: Can you help me understand why so much of the Mass is repetitive? So many of the prayers are the same from week to week, and it seems like if there was more variety, it’d be more interesting to both Catholics and others as well. Answer: Thank you for this honest question! It’s true there is a good deal of repetition in the Mass, and it’s common to wonder if less repetition would make it easier to keep our attention focused. So in order to answer this question, I’d like first to explain a bit about the Mass prayers from a “big picture” perspective, and then we’ll focus on the question. At every Mass, there are two sets of prayers: the prayers of the order (in Latin, “ordo”), and…

Is it possible for us to know that Jesus is divine?

Does the Church have an answer?, September 2021

Sep 01, 2021 by rkranz

Question: I know this might seem like a silly question for a Catholic to ask, but how do we know Jesus is divine? Answer: Thank you for submitting this question, and let me assure you, this isn’t a silly question at all. As I’ve written repeatedly of late in this column, it’s a good thing to ask questions about our faith in order to better understand it. And, as I’ve said many times, we can’t love what we don’t know, so if we’re going to love God more deeply, we need to understand him more fully. This question in particular is a crucial one, as it goes to the very heart of our Catholic faith. Jesus is unique in a great many ways, but among founders of world religions, his…

How do we know Church teachings are biblical?

August 2021, Does the Church have an answer?

Aug 01, 2021 by rkranz

Question: Last November, you answered a question about why Catholics don’t read the Bible more. I have a related but different question: how do I respond to people who say the Church’s teachings aren’t biblical? Answer: This is another great question, especially because it’s such a common one; many other Christians look at the Church’s teachings in light of their own reading of the Bible and wonder where those teachings came from, or even more, how Catholics can square their teachings with the Bible. By way of answering this question, I’d like to start with this point: the Catholic Church firmly and absolutely teaches that none of its doctrines contradict Scripture. That is, there are no Catholic teachings that go against the Bible. Now, many other Christians will certainly disagree…

Why does it matter if I’m Catholic?

Does the Church have an answer?, July 2021

Jul 01, 2021 by rkranz

Wow! Two great questions in the same question! I’d be happy to try to answer them. Let’s start with the first. As I say all the time, one of my favorite questions with regard to our Catholic faith is one often found on the lips of little children, including my own kids, and that’s the one we’re talking about here: “Why?” As in, “Why do we believe what we believe?” or “Why do we do what we do?” Sometimes our answer to these questions is, “well, that’s just the way we do things as Catholics,” but at other times, we want more, we need more. We ask this tiny question: “Why?” In fact, and as I indicated in April’s column, I think this is one of the most important questions…

Are the teachings of the Church Jesus’ teachings?

Does the Church have an answer?, June 2021

Jun 01, 2021 by rkranz

Question: How do we know the teachings of the Catholic Church are the teachings of Jesus? Answer: In April’s column we addressed the claim that Catholics are not permitted to think for themselves. As noted then, oftentimes the real issue underlying this objection is the view that the teachings of the Church are not the teachings of Jesus. In other words, the person who makes this objection often does not believe the teachings of the Catholic Church are the teachings of Jesus Christ. Let’s see how we can respond to this challenge. At the end of St. Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus commanded the apostles to proclaim his teachings to the entire world. In other words, the followers of Jesus—led by the apostles and their successors, who are the bishops—were tasked with…

How do we know Jesus rose from the dead?

Does the Church have an answer?, May 2021

May 01, 2021 by rkranz

Question: How do we actually know Jesus rose from the dead? Answer: Last month I said we were going to address people’s doubts that the Church’s teachings are Jesus’ teachings. However, given the timeliness of the question about the resurrection, we’ll address the question about the Church’s teachings next month. Asking about the resurrection is timely because we just celebrated Easter last month and are still in the midst of the Easter season. Beyond that, however, it’s a fitting question for the times in which we live, as traditional Christian teachings are exposed to ever greater scrutiny in our society. And this question in particular—the question of the truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ—goes to the very heart of our faith. In certain scholarly circles over the last few…

Does the Church allow me to think for myself?

April 2021, Does the Church have an answer?

Apr 01, 2021 by rkranz

Question I have relatives who are Catholic but don’t go to Church anymore because they claim that they want to be able to think for themselves. How can I respond to them? Answer Unfortunately, this is a very common objection many people raise against the Catholic Church; you’ll hear it from inactive Catholics, other Christians and atheists. As is so often the case, however, the reality is very different from the perception. [caption id="attachment_5751" align="alignright" width="300"] The Catholic Church doesn’t shrink from critical thinking. Just ask the Belgian priest Monsignor Georges Lemaitre who was a professor of physics and the first to propose the Big Bang theory.[/caption] One thing that must be noted up front is that the stated desire of this objection is sound: it’s a good thing to…

Do I have to go to confession during Lent?

Does the Church have an answer?, March 2021

Mar 01, 2021 by rkranz

Question: Why does the Church require going to confession during Lent? Answer: Actually, the requirement for Catholics is to receive the sacrament of reconciliation or confession at least once per year, but it does not specify when that should be. Many Catholics, however, do receive this sacrament during the Lenten season, and for good reason: Lent is an especially penitential season, meaning that during Lent we are called to make an extra effort to examine our lives and to strive to live in greater conformity with our faith, to imitate Jesus in a greater way. During Lent we also take on some extra penitential practices in order to grow in holiness and be free from the bondage of sin. Because of this, it is fitting that many Catholics choose to…

Does “apologetics” mean we are apologizing?

Does the Church have an answer?, February 2021

Feb 01, 2021 by rkranz

Question: I’ve been reading your column, but what, exactly, does “apologetics” mean? Answer: Thanks for this question! Frankly, it’s probably a topic I should’ve addressed in the very first column before taking any questions. In order to answer it, I’d like to begin by referring to Bishop DeGrood’s vision for the diocese: Lifelong Catholic Missionary Discipleship Through God’s Love. At the heart of this vision is missionary discipleship: the reality that we are all called not only to follow Jesus as His disciples ourselves, but to invite others to follow Him as well. In both following Jesus more closely and helping others do the same, questions often arise, whether they be our own questions or the questions of those we are talking with. Boiling it down, we can put it…