Today’s excerpt from “Catholicism – explained”

The Holy Catholic Church is the Authentic, Original
Universal, Evangelical, Bible Writing and Believing
Hymn Singing, Charismatic, Pentecostal
Jesus Declaring, Holy Trinity Worshiping, Apostolic
Holy Martyr, Full Gospel, Devil Crushing
Salvation Proclaiming, Mass Going, Eucharistic
Grace Dispensing, Devotional, Teaching
Preaching, Sanctifying, Civilization Building
Faith Affirming, Church Erecting, Sin Confessing
Sacramental, Rosary Praying, Holy Water Sprinkling
Sinner’s Hospital, Charitable, Fasting, Almsgiving
World Wide, Pray Without Ceasing, Divine Mercy
Mystical Body of Christ, Healing, Miracle Working
Commandment Keeping, Resurrection Proclaiming
Baptizing, Militant, Suffering, Triumphant, Exorcising
Holy Spirit Guided, God the Father Glorifying
Missionary Church, that was personally founded
authorized, empowered and perpetually guaranteed
by Jesus Christ, while he still walked the earth.

FREE Download  C A T H O L I C I S M  – explained  (PDF)

Which is greater in God: Mercy or Justice?

We know that in God there is both mercy and justice; rather, that God is both mercy and justice. However, we also pray that, upon our death, we might meet in Christ not the just Judge, but the merciful Savior. Knowing that mercy and justice can never truly contradict one another, we might still ask which is greater in God, and which comes first and which is greater.

Is justice the foundation from which mercy builds? Or, is mercy the fundamental disposition of God toward his creatures?

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Editor’s note: Those who approach God in charity, and with genuine humility are likely to encounter their merciful Savior. Otherwise … ???

Decisive victory at the Milvian Bridge was a major boon to the Catholic Church

Constantine’s decisive victory at the Milvian Bridge, he remarked came at a time when “the era of imperial persecution against Christians was about to come to an end, giving way to the evangelization of the entire empire and molding the profile of western Europe and the Balkans; a Europe which gave rise to the values of human dignity, distinction and cooperation between religion and the state, and freedom of conscience, religion and worship.”

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Eusebius’ first hand historical account

You never know when your time will come, so please don’t wait to make amends.

Over the last few months, your father started going to Sunday Mass with me again.  After all those years, he finally started reconnecting with the Church!

We also had a few short conversations recently about his desire to do things differently with the rest of his life and I could tell he was really troubled with a lot on his mind.  He was coming to some big decision points about his life.

Now I am going to give you both something I found next to the computer in your dad’s study the morning after… the morning after he passed away….

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Only in America ……do they have drive-up ATM machines with Braille lettering.

ONLY IN AMERICA …

Only in America …….do drugstores make the sick walk all the way to the back of the store to get their prescriptions while healthy people can buy cigarettes at the front.

Only in America ……do people order double cheeseburgers, large fries, and a diet coke.

Only in America …….do banks leave vault doors open and then chain the pens to the counters.

Only in America …….do we leave cars worth thousands of dollars in the driveway and put our useless junk in the garage.

Only in America ………..do we buy hot dogs in packages of ten and buns in packages of eight..

Only in America ……do they have drive-up ATM machines with Braille lettering.

EVER WONDER …

Why the sun lightens our hair, but darkens our skin?

Why can’t women put on mascara with their mouth closed?

Why don’t you ever see the headline ‘Psychic Wins Lottery’?

Why is ‘abbreviated’ such a long word?

Why is it that doctors call what they do ‘practice’?

Why is lemon juice made with artificial flavor, and dishwashing liquid made with real lemons?

Why is the man who invests all your money called a broker?

Why is the time of day with the slowest traffic called rush hour?

Why isn’t there mouse-flavored cat food?

Why didn’t Noah swat those two mosquitoes?

Why do they sterilize the needle for lethal injections?

You know that indestructible black box that is used on airplanes? Why don’t they make the whole plane out of that stuff?!

Why don’t sheep shrink when it rains?

Why are they called apartments when they are all stuck together?

FINALLY …

If con is the opposite of pro, is Congress the opposite of progress?

If flying is so safe, why do they call the airport the terminal?

Ya gotta have heart…

Those familiar with scripture will readily recall that the heart has a prominent place in both testaments.

In the Old Testament, God complains, through the prophets, about the superficial worship of the people, who offer material sacrifice, but their hearts are far from him. Proverbs speaks of wisdom entering one’s heart (Prov 2:10), the need to trust the Lord with all one’s heart (3.5), how a perverted heart devises evil (Prov 6.14), and that the Lord weighs the heart (Prov 21:2).

At the beginning of the New Testament, Mary is described as treasuring and pondering events in her heart. Then, there is that intense preacher in the desert, St. John the Baptist, who had people travel from all over the country into the desert to experience his ministry. What did his speech have that converted such difficult categories of people, like the greedy tax collectors, the tough military, and the professional prostitutes?  Even the haughty King Herod listened to his prisoner’s words.

The key is found in his description as ardens et lucens, ardent and illuminating. He appealed to both the mind, and to the heart. Malachi foretold a prophet who would turn the hearts of fathers to the children, and the hearts of children to their fathers. This was mentioned by Gabriel to John’s father, Zachary, in the Temple.

The Letters of St. Paul frequently speak in reference to the heart, such as when he asks Philemon to “refresh [his] heart in Christ” (Phlm1:20).  Christ always pleads with others in the hope their exchange enlarges his hearers’ hearts towards him.

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Three “classes” of priests: “The shepherd is to be loved, the hireling is to be tolerated, of the robber must we beware.”

Saint Augustine

A hired man, who is not a shepherd and whose sheep are not his own, sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf catches and scatters them.

Preaching on this verse, St. Augustine once said, “The shepherd is to be loved, the hireling is to be tolerated, of the robber must we beware.” He refers these three characters to three classes of priests.

On Good Shepherd Sunday, we do well to consider the qualities of these characters and, even more, how the faithful ought to relate to their priests and bishops. Why is it that the people should tolerate the hireling?

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Today’s excerpt from “Catholicism – explained”

C A T H O L I C I S M
enthusiastically accepts
and encompasses the fullness
of all God’s revealed truth
wisdom, power and grace
faithfully handed down
from Jesus Christ and the Apostles
and translated into a particularly
fruitful, holy way of life
both temporal and eternal.

FREE Download  C A T H O L I C I S M  – explained  (PDF)

The fine line between Catholic dogma and geopolitics concerning Muslims and their particular beliefs

Istanbul, Hagia Sophia – Where Christianity and Islam Meet

In declaring that both Muslims and Catholics adore the one and merciful God, the Council obviously did not mean that Muslims and Catholics regard that God in exactly the same way, or that the differences were insignificant.

The Council is silent on the question of whether or not the Muslims’ adoration is blind or informed. So what, then, is the Council actually saying?

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Editor’s note: The Council was deliberately leaving plenty of room for liberal clerics and politicians to demagogue the issue.

The Mystery and the Blessing of Divine Providence

Just when it looked as if the early church would be snuffed out by the heavy hand of the Roman Emperor, the 4th century Emperor Constantine miraculously converted to Christianity and became one of the greatest benefactors of the church.

Just when it looked as if the entirety of western civilization might be wiped out, in the 5th century fall of the Roman Empire, the Catholic Church miraculously stepped up, preserved all that was good, and successfully rebuilt all the rest in the image of Heaven, complete with a Millennium of relative peace and prosperity.

Just when it looked as if the Protestant Reformation would fatally splinter the church into thousands of virtually unrecognizable fragments, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared in the Americas, and caused millions of pagan souls to enter the church … more than enough to offset all that was lost, back in Europe.

In more recent times, just as the “Evil Empire” of the Soviet Union and its ignominious “Iron Curtain” was expected to become a permanent feature of the modern world, a Polish Pope emerged, who somehow managed to cause that wall to come down and the entire godless empire to spontaneously collapse, freeing millions of souls to worship God, in spirit and in truth.

Today, the Russians are arguably more fervent in their Christian faith than either the Americans or the Europeans.

The Catholic faith on the African Continent is also growing by supernatural leaps and bounds!

Who knows what God has in store for us?

But, based on all that has come before, we must continue to have faith in Divine Providence, while striving to live according to his just precepts.

And in this messed up modern world, that will be not be an easy thing to do!

A Brief History of Devotion to the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist

“One thing I ask of the Lord, this I seek:
To dwell in the House of the Lord
all the days of my life…
to gaze on the Lord’s beauty”  (Psalm 27)

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is an ancient practice and is the logical result of faith in the Real Presence of Christ, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Holy Eucharist.

Yet, it is believed this devotional ceremony of giving Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament was not observed during the early ages of Christianity for fear of profanity and persecution.

Historical evidence, however, shows that even during this early period, in times of great difficulty and serious trials, the Blessed Sacrament was exposed on private altars for the veneration of the faithful so that they might obtain peace, light, consolation and strength.

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Submitted by Doria2

A handy guide to examination of conscience for your “Easter Duty” Reconciliation

[1] I am the Lord your God. You shall not have strange gods before me. 

• Do I give God time every day in prayer?
• Do I seek to love Him with my whole heart?
• Have I been involved with superstitious practices or have I been involved with the occult?
• Do I seek to surrender myself to God’s Word as taught by the Church?
• Have I ever received Communion in a state of mortal sin?
• Have I ever deliberately told a lie in confession or have I withheld a mortal sin from the priest in confession?

[2] You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.

• Have I used God’s name in vain: lightly or carelessly?
• Have I been angry with God?
• Have I wished evil upon another person?
• Have I insulted a sacred person or abused a sacred object?

[3] Remember to keep holy the Lord’s Day.

• Have I deliberately missed Mass on Sundays or Holy Days of Obligation?
• Have I tried to observe Sunday as a family day and a day of rest?
• Do I do needless work on Sunday?

[4] Honor your Father and your Mother.

• Do I honor and obey my parents?
• Have I neglected my duties to my spouse and children?
• Have I given my family good religious example?
• Do I try to bring peace into my home life?
• Do I care for my aged and infirm relatives?

Visit the site for the other six … and more

The Catholic Catechism contains some excellent advice for married couples

 

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

2363 The spouses’ union achieves the twofold end of marriage: the good of the spouses themselves and the transmission of life. These two meanings or values of marriage cannot be separated without altering the couple’s spiritual life and compromising the goods of marriage and the future of the family.

The conjugal love of man and woman thus stands under the twofold obligation of fidelity and fecundity.

* Conjugal fidelity

2364 The married couple forms “the intimate partnership of life and love established by the Creator and governed by his laws; it is rooted in the conjugal covenant, that is, in their irrevocable personal consent.”¹⁴⁷ Both give themselves definitively and totally to one another. They are no longer two; from now on they form one flesh. The covenant they freely contracted imposes on the spouses the obligation to preserve it as unique and indissoluble.¹⁴⁸ “What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder.”¹⁴⁹

2365 Fidelity expresses constancy in keeping one’s given word. God is faithful. The Sacrament of Matrimony enables man and woman to enter into Christ’s fidelity for his Church. Through conjugal chastity, they bear witness to this mystery before the world.

St. John Chrysostom suggests that young husbands should say to their wives: I have taken you in my arms, and I love you, and I prefer you to my life itself. For the present life is nothing, and my most ardent dream is to spend it with you in such a way that we may be assured of not being separated in the life reserved for us. . . . I place your love above all things, and nothing would be more bitter or painful to me than to be of a different mind than you.¹⁵⁰

* The fecundity of marriage

2366 Fecundity is a gift, an end of marriage, for conjugal love naturally tends to be fruitful. A child does not come from outside as something added on to the mutual love of the spouses, but springs from the very heart of that mutual giving, as its fruit and fulfillment. So the Church, which is “on the side of life,”¹⁵¹ teaches that “it is necessary that each and every marriage act remain ordered per se to the procreation of human life.”¹⁵² “This particular doctrine, expounded on numerous occasions by the Magisterium, is based on the inseparable connection, established by God, which man on his own initiative may not break, between the unitive significance and the procreative significance which are both inherent to the marriage act.”¹⁵³

2367 Called to give life, spouses share in the creative power and fatherhood of God.¹⁵⁴ “Married couples should regard it as their proper mission to transmit human life and to educate their children; they should realize that they are thereby cooperating with the love of God the Creator and are, in a certain sense, its interpreters. They will fulfill this duty with a sense of human and Christian responsibility.”¹⁵⁵

2368 A particular aspect of this responsibility concerns the regulation of procreation. For just reasons, spouses may wish to space the births of their children. It is their duty to make certain that their desire is not motivated by selfishness but is in conformity with the generosity appropriate to responsible parenthood. Moreover, they should conform their behavior to the objective criteria of morality:

When it is a question of harmonizing married love with the responsible transmission of life, the morality of the behavior does not depend on sincere intention and evaluation of motives alone; but it must be determined by objective criteria, criteria drawn from the nature of the person and his acts, criteria that respect the total meaning of mutual self-giving and human procreation in the context of true love; this is possible only if the virtue of married chastity is practiced with sincerity of heart.¹⁵⁶

2369 “By safeguarding both these essential aspects, the unitive and the procreative, the conjugal act preserves in its fullness the sense of true mutual love and its orientation toward man’s exalted vocation to parenthood.”¹⁵⁷

2370 Periodic continence, that is, the methods of birth regulation based on self-observation and the use of infertile periods, is in conformity with the objective criteria of morality.¹⁵⁸ These methods respect the bodies of the spouses, encourage tenderness between them, and favor the education of an authentic freedom. In contrast, “every action which, whether in anticipation of the conjugal act, or in its accomplishment, or in the development of its natural consequences, proposes, whether as an end or as a means, to render procreation impossible” is intrinsically evil:¹⁵⁹

Thus the innate language that expresses the total reciprocal self-giving of husband and wife is overlaid, through contraception, by an objectively contradictory language, namely, that of not giving oneself totally to the other. This leads not only to a positive refusal to be open to life but also to a falsification of the inner truth of conjugal love, which is called upon to give itself in personal totality. . . . The difference, both anthropological and moral, between contraception and recourse to the rhythm of the cycle . . . involves in the final analysis two irreconcilable concepts of the human person and of human sexuality.¹⁶⁰

2371 “Let all be convinced that human life and the duty of transmitting it are not limited by the horizons of this life only: their true evaluation and full significance can be understood only in reference to man’s eternal destiny.”¹⁶¹

2372 The state has a responsibility for its citizens’ well-being. In this capacity it is legitimate for it to intervene to orient the demography of the population. This can be done by means of objective and respectful information, but certainly not by authoritarian, coercive measures. The state may not legitimately usurp the initiative of spouses, who have the primary responsibility for the procreation and education of their children.¹⁶² In this area, it is not authorized to employ means contrary to the moral law.

The gift of a child

2373 Sacred Scripture and the Church’s traditional practice see in large families a sign of God’s blessing and the parents’ generosity.¹⁶³

Psycho babe claims she “loves” abortion … and you should too!

Rather than trying to cozy up to the forced-birth camp, women who value their freedom should be proud to say that they like abortion. In fact, they should venerate it whole-heartedly. Abortion is our last refuge, the one final, definitive instrument that secures our bodily autonomy. What’s not to love?

Link

Editor’s note: The Bible is quite often literally true … as well as prophetic.

(2nd Timothy 3:1-7)

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with diverse lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Buchanan: Over a half century, the left captured and now controls the culture.

Traditional Catholic morality is mocked, as are Southern evangelical Christians. And the new cultural establishment has erected a new regime called Political Correctness. It writes the hate-crimes laws that citizens must obey and the campus speech codes students must follow.

The new mortal sins are not filthy talk or immoral conduct, but racism, sexism, homophobia and nativism. The establishment alone defines these sins and enforces the proscriptions against them, from which there is no appeal, only the obligatory apology, the act of contrition and the solemn commitment never to sin again.

If you still believe homosexuality is unnatural and immoral and gay marriage absurd, you are a homophobe who is to keep his mouth shut.

If you think some ethnic and racial groups have greater natural athletic, academic or artistic talents, don’t go there, if you do not wish an early end to your journalistic career.

If you think illegal aliens should be sent home and legal immigration should mirror the ethnic makeup of the nation, you are a xenophobe and a racist.

All of these terms – racist, sexist, homophobe – are synonyms for heretic. Any of them can get you hauled before an inquisition.

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Celebrating Mass inside a nuclear submarine, more than a hundred fathoms beneath the sea.

As venues for religious services go, the Rev. Thomas Hoar says you could do worse than a submarine.

Hoar, who presided over a Mass aboard the USS Missouri last Sunday, said there was a quiet calm to the sub as it surged through the Atlantic Ocean, and he was touched by the thanks from sailors who crowded into the officers’ ward room to pray.

“When I started I said, ‘Let us remember we’re in the presence of God, even though we’re 650 feet beneath the surface of the ocean,’” Hoar said.

Editor’s note: Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? or hast thou walked in the search of the depth? (Job 38:16) – Fr. Hoar and his fellow Catholics in the Missouri can rightly say, with no risk of blasphemy, “As a matter of fact, we have … and we did it with Jesus, himself!”

An open letter to “ex” Catholics – wherever they might be

by Doug Lawrence

Dear “Ex”,

There’s no such thing as an “ex” Catholic. When you were baptized you became an adopted child of God, a living temple of the Holy Spirit, a citizen of Heaven, co-heir with Jesus Christ, and a member of the church.

Your immortal soul received a special, indelible mark, identifying you as one of God’s very own. You also received a number of unique rights and privileges, the most important of which is the right to expect God to freely accept all your prayers and petitions.

None of this was merely temporary, or subject to revocation.

The corruption and hypocrisy of some who lead the church is shameful and scandalous, yet such things should no more keep you from being authentically Catholic than corrupt politicians and congressmen should keep you from being authentically American.

The most important thing at stake is the eternal salvation of your own personal soul, and for that you need to fully and faithfully participate in all of the work, worship, sacraments and devotions of the Catholic Church … the only church that Jesus Christ ever founded … for that express purpose.

If you’re old enough and intelligent enough to post opinion pieces on the internet, you’re old enough and intelligent enough to satisfactorily work through adult questions of faith, without merely throwing up your hands and walking away.

In any case, God loves you, and God will provide … but things begin to look much, much better once you take the time to discern your proper place in the whole scheme of things, stand up for God’s honest truth, and begin to properly pursue the high purpose for which you were created.

Of course, none of that really matters if you remain estranged and/or separated from Christ and his church.

There has always been a direct relationship between corruption in the church and the need for authentic, faithful Catholicity. The more corrupt the church evidently appears … the more good, faithful, well informed, mature Catholics are needed … in order to help turn things around.

I suspect the problem you have with the Catholic church is actually rooted some intractable, personal moral issue … and not something that is specific to any of the current public scandals. If that’s true, then you’re in denial and the only real barrier to effective reconciliation is your own personal pride.

When dealing with things of God, its typically left up to us mortals to first apologize and then ask forgiveness. Catholics … including voluntarily separated ones … typically accomplish that by going to confession, after which the subject will never be brought up again.

I speak from personal experience.

God is good. His Catholic Church is troubled, but still quite capable of saving souls and ministering to all the needs of the faithful, and Jesus Christ specifically set things up that way, just for you.

Why not give it one more try?

If today you hear God’s voice, harden not your heart. (Psalms 95:8) (Hebrews 4:7)

Love,

Doug

Today’s question: Why is Christianity the correct religion? Please do not quote the Bible.

Q: Why is Christianity the correct religion? Please do not quote the Bible.

A: There is more evidence for the existence of Jesus Christ than virtually any other historical figure who ever lived. The very calendar we use today is based on the approximate year of his birth, and it will end on the very day Jesus chooses to return.

Jesus Christ claimed to be God, and he proved the truth of his claim in many and various ways.

Jesus Christ accomplished what the Hebrew scriptures (not necessarily what the Hebrews themselves) predicted he would accomplish. This includes various types of miracles, and many other events and particular works that were predicted (in writing) from 200 to 6000 years, in advance.

Jesus Christ stated that he would allow himself to be put to death and he would rise again, three days hence. He did just that, in the presence of many eye-witnesses, some of whom were his enemies.

In the 40 day period between his resurrection and his ascension, Jesus was seen by some 500 eye witnesses. Many of these same witnesses preferred to die, rather than deny what/who they had seen.

Many details of Jesus’ earthly life and times were initially faithfully preserved by those who actually knew him, as well as his own family. Later, these factual accounts were reduced to writing. In both instances, people who knew Jesus Christ and the particular details of his life, his death and his resurrection were still alive and available to confirm or deny the truth of the accounts.

This process is the way genuine world history has always been recorded and preserved. It’s how we know about Julius Caesar, Genghis Khan, Alexander the Great, George Washington, and every other historical figure who ever lived.

The government of the United States of America has preserved the history pertaining to George Washington, over a period of the last 230 years. George Washington’s descendants along with various other world governments confirm those historical claims.

The Catholic Church, which was personally founded by Jesus Christ, while he still walked the earth, has been the living eye witness to Jesus Christ, for the last 2000 years. The Catholic Church also constitutes the oldest, longest reigning, continuous government on earth, ante-ceding every existing world system in existence today.

The history of the Catholic Church and the history of those governments confirm both the existence of Jesus Christ as a real historical person, and the unique establishment, growth, universality, hierarchical leadership and holiness of the only Christian Church that Jesus Christ ever founded, for the purpose of our salvation.

As a rational person, you must realize that the existence of the historical Jesus Christ cannot be truthfully denied.

As a human being, who is posited to have an immortal soul, subject to divine judgment, you must study all the historical evidence, all the theology, and all the related philosophy, in order to come to a valid personal conclusion as to whether or not Jesus Christ is the divine person he claimed to be.

At that point, a modicum of faith (faith enlightened by reason … not blind faith) will be required, simply because you will no longer be dealing with the purely natural, but also the supernatural and the infinite, since that is part and parcel of the realm of the eternal, almighty God.

Enlightened by the facts and illuminated by the huge body of authentic systematic Catholic theology and related philosophy, any required “leap” of faith is not nearly as far as many people might think.

To Tell You the Whole Truth (PDF)
A Complete, Concise and Understandable
Basic and Advanced Course In Catholicism.

Go To Bob Stanley’s “The Catholic Treasure Chest”

Immoral government coercion is a logical consequence of the artifical birth control mentality.

Here’s the thing, though: the Catholic Church is the world’s biggest and oldest organization.

It has buried all of the greatest empires known to man, from the Romans to the Soviets.

It has establishments literally all over the world, touching every area of human endeavor.

It’s given us some of the world’s greatest thinkers, from Saint Augustine on down to René Girard.

When it does things, it usually has a good reason. Everyone has a right to disagree, but it’s not that they’re a bunch of crazy old white dudes who are stuck in the Middle Ages.

So, what’s going on?

The Church teaches that love, marriage, sex, and procreation are all things that belong together. That’s it. But it’s pretty important. And though the Church has been teaching this for 2,000 years, it’s probably never been as salient as today.

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Why can’t deacons confer Anointing of the Sick?

 

That priests and only priests can confer this sacrament is clearly taught in Sacred Scripture: Is any man sick among you? Let him bring in the priests of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. (James 5:14)

This is not the type of teaching which can change. The minister of the sacrament of Anointing of the Sick has been and will always be priests and only priests (including, of course, bishops). Still, we ask, Why is it so?

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