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<div>In older times, were genders separated at Catholic Masses?</div><div>Yes. It was a fairly common practice in many Catholic cultures into the mid-20th century. Though the 1917 Code of Canon Law did not require separation of men and women at Mass it did recommend it (<a href="http://www.jgray.org/codes/cic17lat.html">canon 1262 §1</a>). The 1983 Code makes no mention at all of this practice.
The practice is ancient. It is explicitly mentioned in the 4th century by St. Cyril of Jerusalem and <a>St. Augustine. It most likely was inherited and carried over from the same practice of the ancient synagogues.</a>
Many older churches have a St. Joseph statue on one side of the main altar and a Blessed Mother statue on the other side as a remnant from when this practice was more common. Some older churches even have all the images of male saints on one side and female saints on the other.
The practice appears to have been common in some areas and not in others. It would be difficult to call it a universal custom but it was most certainly not uncommon.
</div>

Were Genders Ever Separated at Catholic Mass?

It may seem like there isn&#8217;t any freedom in <a href="https://www.catholic.com/magazine/print-edition/free-will">free will</a> if one bad decision can damn you to <a href="https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/what-is-hell">hell</a> for eternity. What does it really mean when Catholics say we have free will? Jimmy Akin, Catholic Answers Apologist, freely chooses to answer this question.

Does Fear of Hell Contradict Free Will?

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Does the Bible DISPROVE that Mary was SINLESS?

Does praying to Mary and the Saints draw you away from, or towards, Jesus? Dr. Gavin Ortlund claims that Medieval Catholics&#8217; prayers to Mary prove that they viewed Jesus as far off, and thus needed to appeal to Mary and the Saints. But what do actual Medieval historians &#8211; and the writings of the Medieval Catholics themselves &#8211; have to say on the subject?

Does Devotion to Mary Draw Us Away from Jesus?

Recently, Ohio governor Mike DeWine vetoed a bill (<a href="https://search-prod.lis.state.oh.us/solarapi/v1/general_assembly_135/bills/hb68/EN/05/hb68_05_EN?format=pdf">Ohio House Bill 68</a>) that his own Ohio Republican party-majority House and Senate passed to ban “gender transition care” for youths under eighteen, which would include hormone therapy, puberty-blocker medication, and so-called “gender reassignment surgery.” Governor DeWine defended his veto decision by appealing to the “life-saving” nature of gender-affirming care. Here’s how he <a href="https://time.com/6551149/ohio-governor-gender-affirming-care/">put</a> it:
<blockquote>This bill would impact a very small number of Ohio’s children. But for those children who face gender dysphoria, and for their families, the consequences of this bill could not be more profound. Ultimately, I believe this is about protecting human life. Many parents have told me that their child would not have survived, would be dead today, if they had not received the treatment they received from one of Ohio’s children’s hospitals.</blockquote>
DeWine’s motive for vetoing Ohio’s bill is laudable. Who doesn’t want to save human life? But DeWine fails to consider whether the means of “gender-affirming care” is the best way to go about it.
There are two approaches that we could take here. One is to examine the morality of so-called “gender-affirming care.” If such “treatment” is ethically wrong, then DeWine’s desire to protect human life is irrelevant in discerning whether the Ohio Legislature should approve it.
What would be at work here is the fundamental ethical principle the end never justifies the means. No matter how good an end is, it can never be justified to use an immoral means to achieve it. The classic example that illustrates this principle is robbing a bank to provide for the financial wellbeing and security of my family. Such security is a good end to pursue. But that doesn’t morally justify me robbing a bank.
DeWine clearly doesn’t view “gender-affirming care” as being morally problematic. So challenging this view would be a worthwhile project. But I’m going to put that off for another time.
What I want to share here is a bit simpler—namely, that so-called gender-affirming care does the opposite of what DeWine intends to achieve by advocating for it. A recent <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31611339/">study</a>, for example, published in the journal Pediatrics showed that trans youth “had higher odds of all suicidality outcomes, and transgender males and transgender females had high risk for suicidal ideation and attempt.”
Other <a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/372/bmj.n356">studies</a> have confirmed such findings. According to <a href="https://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2015/06/15145">Paul McHugh</a>, former psychiatrist-in-chief at Johns Hopkins Hospital and University and Distinguished Service Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University, “ten to fifteen years after surgical reassignment, the suicide rate of those who had undergone sex-reassignment surgery rose to twenty times that of comparable peers.” McHugh made this statement based on a follow-up <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0016885">study</a> of people who received the surgery that extended over thirty years in Sweden, where the culture is very supportive of transgender people.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services acknowledged the results of the study in Sweden, which found high rates of suicide, along with other mental illnesses, among transgender people. Its <a href="https://www.cms.gov/medicare-coverage-database/view/ncacal-decision-memo.aspx?proposed=N&amp;NCAId=282&amp;bc=ACAAAAAAQAAA&amp;">memo</a> states,
<blockquote>The study identified increased mortality and psychiatric hospitalization compared to the matched controls. The mortality was primarily due to completed suicides (19.1-fold greater than in control Swedes), but death due to neoplasm and cardiovascular disease was increased 2 to 2.5 times as well. We note, mortality from this patient population did not become apparent until after ten years. The risk for psychiatric hospitalization was 2.8 times greater than in controls even after adjustment for prior psychiatric disease (18 percent). The risk for attempted suicide was greater in male-to-female patients regardless of the gender of the control. Further, we cannot exclude therapeutic interventions as a cause of the observed excess morbidity and mortality. The study, however, was not constructed to assess the impact of gender reassignment surgery per se.</blockquote>
Given the above evidence, it’s not the banning of so-called “gender-affirming care” that fails to protect human life. Rather, it’s the encouragement of people to undergo genital-mutilating surgery and body chemistry-distorting hormone regimens that actually does the harm.
DeWine would do well to consider the above statistics if he sincerely desires to protect human life. And in doing so, he might be more inclined to support his state’s Legislature to ban such “gender-affirming care”—not just for children, but for all who suffer from gender dysphoria. Such a ban would be the more reasonable means to achieve DeWine’s desired end. Self-mutilation is not the answer. Psychiatric help is.

Women, Men, Means, and Ends

How to Approach ‘Pro-Choice’ Family Members

When talking about the Catholic practice of asking the saints to pray for us, a question arises from both Catholics and Protestants: “Why seek the help of saints when we can go straight to Jesus?” Protestants often pose this question as an objection. For Catholics, it’s a question of curiosity.
There are two ways to answer. The first is to address the problematic assumptions, which we would direct primarily at our Protestant friends who ask this question as an objection. The second, which can be directed at both Protestants and Catholics, is to give positive reasons for the practice.
Let’s look at the assumptions first.
Consider that many who ask this question assume that the Catholic practice of asking the saints to pray for us implies that we can’t go straight to Jesus. But nothing could be farther from the truth. The Catholic Church affirms wholeheartedly that we can go straight to Jesus in prayer. The Catechism teaches in paragraph 2665,
<blockquote>The prayer of the Church, nourished by the word of God and the celebration of the liturgy, teaches us to pray to the Lord Jesus. Even though its prayer is addressed above all to the Father, it includes in all the liturgical traditions forms of prayer addressed to Christ.</blockquote>
Notice that the Church doesn’t say we must invoke the saints to pray for us before we can go straight to Jesus. The Church affirms that Christians have a straight path to Jesus.
A second, common assumption is that we should not seek the saints’ help because Jesus’ intercession is sufficient. Now, it’s true that Jesus’ intercession is sufficient, as the Catholic Church affirms in paragraph 662 of the Catechism. The Church teaches that Christ, in the heavenly sanctuary, “permanently exercises his priesthood, for he ‘always lives to make intercession’ for ‘those who draw near to God through him,’” quoting Hebrews 7:25.
But this shouldn’t be the reason why our Protestant friends reject seeking the saints’ prayers. If Jesus’ sufficiency as our intercessor precluded our asking the saints in heaven to pray for us, then there’d be no reason to ask the “saints” on earth (born-again Christians) to pray for us, either. The same question could be asked: “Why seek the help of Christians on earth when we can go straight to Jesus?”
No Christian wants to say we shouldn’t pray for one another. Therefore, the sufficiency of Jesus’ unique intercession doesn’t serve as an obstacle to the invocation of the saints’ intercession.
Now let’s look at some positive reasons why we should seek help from the saints.
First, it’s God’s will, and it has positive consequences. God has determined that he will answer some requests when multiple people are praying, which he might not answer if fewer people were to pray.
Second, since it’s God’s will for the saints to pray for us, our asking their intercession gives glory to God. And it gives glory to God not just because it’s his will. Our request for the saints’ intercession gives God glory because, as we mentioned in a previous chapter and above in this chapter, it highlights his goodness and wisdom in willing to use the saints to help us.
A third positive reason for the practice of the invocation of the saints is that St. Paul instructs us not to refuse help from other members of the mystical body of Christ. We’ve covered 1 Corinthians 12:20-21 a couple of times already, and it bears repeating again here: “There are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you,’ nor again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.’”
Now, the saints in heaven are still members of the body of Christ. Paul teaches us in Romans 8:35 and 38 that death doesn’t separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.
Since Christ has willed that we not reject the help of other members of the body of Christ, and the saints in heaven are members of the body of Christ, it follows that we shouldn’t deny their help that’s offered through their intercessory prayer. We should employ it, since we need all the help we can get.
Given that the saints are fellow Christians, invoking their intercession is in principle not at all different from Paul in Romans 15:30 asking the Christians in Rome to pray for him: “Strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints.” Why should where Christians exist (earth or heaven) be an obstacle to requesting their prayers, especially when such prayers are empowered by Jesus’ unique mediation, no matter where they’re offered?
A fourth reason, and the final one we’ll consider here, is that the saints’ prayers bear much fruit, as St. James makes clear in James 5:16 when he writes about the prayers of a righteous man. We know that the saints in heaven are perfectly just. The author of Hebrews, in 12:22-23, writes, “You have come to . . . the heavenly Jerusalem . . . to the spirits of just men made perfect.” Therefore, the prayers of the saints in heaven have great power in their effects.
Going straight to Jesus for help is essential to the Christian life. But going to other members of his mystical body for help, including those perfected members in heaven, is not to be disregarded. It’s the Christian way.

Why Not Just Go Straight to Jesus?

Apologist Pat Flynn, from the Philosophy for the People podcast, gets down to basics with us to defend the idea that we can, indeed, know things with certainty. This defense of knowledge helps when we are confronted with the argument that no one really knows anything for sure.

Can I Know Anything For Sure?

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Are Catholics actually IDOLATORS?! The simple answer is no. But let's talk about it.

LGBT History in California Schools

This year has been a pretty good one for the Satanic Temple. They&#8217;ve even gotten a good deal of positive press. So who are they, what do they believe, and are Catholics obligated to battle them in the streets? Karlo Broussard examines their seven tenets to see.

Satanic Temple for Beginners

What do you think about the reference to a Biblical creator in the Declaration of Independence?

Did the Declaration of Independence reference the Biblical Creator, or was it a more general idea of God? In this episode, we discuss The Church Against the State with Dr. Andrew Willard Jones, exploring the historical tension between secular and religious authority.

Did the Declaration of Independence Reference the Biblical Creator?

Have you ever felt angry at God? Don&#8217;t worry—you&#8217;re literally incapable of hurting his feelings. Joe Heschmeyer explains what it means to be angry with God.

How to be ANGRY with God as a Christian

Habemus Papam! &#8220;We have a pope!&#8221;
With these words today, May 8, 2025, following the famous sign of white smoke from the roof of the Sistine Chapel in Rome, the Catholic Church announced the election of its 267th pope. The newest successor of <a href="https://www.catholic.com/encyclopedia/peter-apostle-saint">St. Peter</a>, bishop of Rome, vicar of Christ, and leader of over one billion Catholics, is the American cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops. Following Catholic tradition, he has chosen a papal name: Leo XIV.
The new pope is a distinguished member of the Order of Saint Augustine and has long been a prominent figure in the Roman Catholic Church. His life and ministry reflect a deep commitment to the Church&#8217;s mission, rooted in Augustinian spirituality and a dedication to the pastoral care of the faithful.
<h2>The New Pope’s Early Life and Formation</h2>
Prevost was born on September 14, 1955, in Chicago.
His academic journey began at Villanova University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics in 1977. That same year, he entered the novitiate of the Augustinian Order in Saint Louis. After professing his solemn vows in 1981, he pursued theological studies at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, obtaining a Master of Divinity degree in 1982.
Prevost was ordained a priest on June 19, 1982. Furthering his education, he earned both a licentiate (1984) and a doctorate (1987) in <a href="https://www.catholic.com/video/what-is-canon-law">canon law</a> from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (the Angelicum) in Rome.
<h2>A Missionary and a Prior</h2>
In 1985, Prevost was assigned to the Augustinian mission in Chulucanas, Peru, marking the beginning of his extensive missionary work in that country. He served in various capacities in Trujillo, including community prior; director of formation; and professor of canon law, patristics, and moral theology at the diocesan seminary. His leadership extended to administrative roles, such as judicial vicar of the Archdiocese of Trujillo and director of the joint formation project for Augustinian aspirants in the Vicariates of Chulucanas, Iquitos, and Apurímac.
In 1999, he was elected provincial prior of the Augustinian Province of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Chicago. He later served two terms as prior general of the Augustinian Order, from 2001 to 2013.
<h2>Ordained a Bishop, Named a Leader</h2>
In November 2014, Pope Francis appointed Prevost as apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Chiclayo, Peru, elevating him to the dignity of bishop and assigning him the <a href="https://www.catholic.com/encyclopedia/auxiliary-bishop">titular diocese</a> of Sufar (in modern-day Algeria). He took canonical possession of the diocese on November 7, 2014, and was ordained a bishop on December 12, 2014, the Feast of <a href="https://www.catholic.com/tract/our-lady-of-guadalupe-catholic-answers-guide">Our Lady of Guadalupe</a>. As bishop, he served the faithful of Chiclayo with dedication, focusing on pastoral care, evangelization, and the formation of clergy. In March 2018, he was elected second vice president of the Peruvian episcopal conference.
<h2>To the Roman Curia</h2>
<a href="https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/rip-pope-francis">Pope Francis</a> appointed Prevost as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America on January 30, 2023. Prevost assumed these roles on April 12, 2023. In recognition of his service, he was created a cardinal in the consistory of September 30, 2023, receiving the deaconry of Santa Monica.
As prefect, he oversaw the nomination of bishops worldwide, charged with ensuring that candidates were well formed in doctrine, pastoral care, and fidelity to the Church&#8217;s teachings.
He was also a member of several other dicasteries, including those for Evangelization, the Doctrine of the Faith, Clergy, and Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. His multilingual abilities—fluent in English, Spanish, Italian, French, and Portuguese, with reading knowledge of Latin and German—enhanced his effectiveness in these international roles and no doubt added to his suitability for the papacy.
<h2>The New Pope’s Spiritual Center</h2>
Cardinal Prevost viewed his elevation to the College of Cardinals as a call to deeper service to the Church. He said that being a <a href="https://www.catholic.com/encyclopedia/cardinal">cardinal</a> is &#8220;a mission of love with Christ, our Savior,&#8221; emphasizing the responsibility to give his life in service to the Church. He also highlighted the significance of the red vestments of a cardinal, symbolizing the blood of martyrs, which underscores the gravity of his role. His approach to leadership is characterized by a commitment to <a href="https://www.catholic.com/qa/what-is-synodality">synodality</a>, seeking to walk together with the people of God in discerning the will of God.
<h2>Pray for Pope Leo XIV</h2>
Pope Leo’s life has been a testament to faithful service in the Church, marked by a deep commitment to Augustinian spirituality, rigorous academic formation, and pastoral dedication. His work continues to inspire those who seek to serve the Church with humility and devotion, upholding the timeless truths of the Catholic faith.
Let us pray now for our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV. May the Holy Spirit fill him with faith, hope, and charity. May he be provided the strength, wisdom, and good judgment he will need to teach the truth, govern with prudence, and promote the sanctification of the Church and the world.

We Have a Pope! Leo XIV in Brief

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How can Mary and the Saints hear our prayers?

Can someone want out of hell?

Moral Relativism is more dangerous than it may seem...

If you want to learn more about Moral relativism from Trent, be sure to check out the Catholic Answers School of Apologetics: Moral Apologetics Online Course 

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Moral Relativism is more dangerous than it may seem...

Is the song, Mary Did You Know, biblically accurate?

What does it mean to be consecrated to Mary? How do you do it and why is it important?

what are the Greek words when talking about Mary having other children?

Are we human race a type of Mary that’s looking for Jesus?&nbsp;

Walking with Mary

<div>I've heard several times that the Church is cannibalistic, since it teaches that bread and wine truly become the Body and Blood of Christ. Looking at the definition of cannibalism, they seem to be correct. Are they correct, and how should I respond?</div><div>The charge of cannibalism is not new. Roman pagans called early Church Christians cannibals precisely because the disciples spoke of eating and drinking their God. In doing so, the pagans provide further evidence that belief in the Real Presence of the Eucharist is an ancient Christian doctrine, and that the first Christians understood Jesus to be speaking literally when he established at the Last Supper the ritual we have come to call the Mass.
Yet the charge of cannibalism is misplaced. Cannibalism, simply put, is the eating of human flesh, typically after a person has died. A corpse (dead body) is usually present, or at least a dead body part. Second, the quantity of the flesh diminishes as it is being consumed. Third, digesting flesh results in physical nourishment, protein included.
In the banquet of the Eucharist, however, Jesus is not dead but is a living sacrifice. Second, his substance is not diminished by consuming the Eucharist. To the contrary, Jesus is bodily in heaven, seated at the right hand of the Father, though his body becomes miraculously present wherever the Eucharist is celebrated. Third, the eating of his Body and Blood does not result in practical physical nourishment on a natural level, although some have miraculously subsisted solely on the Eucharist. The purpose of the Eucharist is to provide spiritual nourishment.
In summary, cannibals consume the flesh of a dead person in a way that diminishes and profanes the corpse. Through the sacrament of the Eucharist, Jesus freely gives himself to us; and we consume his living body, blood, soul, and divinity in a way that mysteriously and miraculously does not diminish him but instead enhances our spiritual life.
For more on how receiving the Eucharist is not cannibalism, please see <a href="https://www.catholic.com/magazine/print-edition/what-catholics-believe-about-john-6">Tim Staples’ article on John 6</a>.
</div>

Is Receiving the Eucharist Cannibalism?

Most Catholics have never heard of generational spirits. That is no surprise: they rose to prominence in some circles only recently, and belief in them is part of the spirituality of very few Catholics. Their existence is an open question, meaning Catholics are within Church teaching to believe or disbelieve in them. Some exorcists and other Catholics involved in so-called deliverance ministry seem to have certainty not only in their existence, but in their demonic methods of attack, and in the means to be freed from them.
What does the Church teach us about this possible type of evil spirit?
<h2>What is a generational spirit?</h2>
It is not easy to give a definition, since the Church has no doctrine on the subject. They are said to be demons that attach to particular families. They are not mentioned in the Catechism of the Catholic Church or the Catechism of the Council of Trent, in papal documents or in Church councils, or in the writings of Doctors of the Church (St. Jerome, St. Augustine, St. Gregory the Great, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Francis de Sales, etc.). Different people have different names for them, such as family spirits, familial spirits, and wounding of the family tree. They are described in different ways, as demons that cause particular problems or provoke particular sins and continue to do so for succeeding generations of the person to whom they first attached. Some think membership in the Freemasons is especially inviting to generational spirits, though why this is so remains unexplained.
<h2>Does belief in generational spirits contradict Catholic doctrine?</h2>
No, the topic is neither taught nor condemned by Church doctrine. It might or might not be the case that the demon tempting me today is the same demon that tempted my Aunt Elgisa or Great-uncle Vito or Great-grandfather Nikola.
<h2>Where does the idea of generational spirits come from?</h2>
Within the Catholic Church, the belief and alleged methods of dealing with generational spirits  probably came from Pentecostal Christians in the 1960s. It is difficult if not impossible to find any mention of the topic by Catholic writers from before that time.
Some Catholics say that belief in generational spirits is found in Catholic teaching and tradition and point to the authority that parents have over their children. But parental authority comes from God, for the purpose of leading children to heaven. There is nothing in Church teaching or tradition that equates that authority with passing on a particular demon from one generation to the next.
<h2>Are generational spirits mentioned in the Bible?</h2>
No. Some who believe in them will point to Scripture verses such as Exodus 34:7, which states that God is “forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children&#8217;s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”
But neither this nor similar verses mention generational spirits, and there are more traditional explanations. For example, St. John Chrysostom said the above verse is “not to be universally applied, but was made with regard to those going out of Egypt” (Homily 56 on St. John).
Certainly, God seems to clarify this in Ezekiel 18:20:
<blockquote>The soul that sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.</blockquote>
A simple way to reconcile the two is that though God does allow parents’ sins to cause damage to their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, those descendants are not punished as such for a family member’s sins. In any event, there is no mention of generational spirits in the Bible.
One writer, with regard to Mark 9, says that “Jesus exorcises a demon from a man’s son, who has been possessed from infancy. That means that either the son was cursed in the womb, or else is the victim of a generational spirit.” But those are certainly not the only explanations for this case of demonic possession. According to Mark 9:21, “Jesus asked his father, ‘How long has he had this?’ And he said, ‘From childhood.’” Jesus did not ask or receive an exact age; the father could have meant age seven or seventeen or anywhere in between, and the young man could have done something to open himself to demonic attack.
<h2>What about exorcists and deliverance ministers who say they have experience with generational spirits?</h2>
There are a few problems with this. Some claim to be able to sense the spirits; some make deductions based on one’s ancestry; some even claim the demons have revealed themselves. But there is no way to verify these claims.
As for demons alleged to have revealed themselves, this could be the imagination of persons who mistakenly believe they are possessed and have unfortunately been reading about spiritual warfare with generational spirits. If an actual demon were to admit to being a generational spirit, exorcists and deliverance ministers should remember three things: they lie, they lie, they lie.
<h2>Can any harm be done by those promoting the belief in generational spirits?</h2>
Yes, great harm can be done and has been done to individuals struggling with a range of mental, emotional, and relationship problems. All of these may result from mistreatment by parents, who in turn may have been mistreated by their parents, but this is not the same as saying a demon has attached itself.
The suffering individual may go to an exorcist or deliverance minister who claims to have a method to drive off the generational spirit. When the method fails, the individual believes that, on top of his other struggles, he has a generational spirit that even an alleged expert could not banish.
<h2>Does the Church have certain prayers or rituals to bind generational spirits, or break the generational demonic bonds, or heal the family tree?</h2>
No. Again, there is no mention of generational spirits in Church teaching, and certainly no specific prayers or rituals dealing with them. Those who believe in them write their own prayers. There is nothing wrong with that, unless they try to tell people these prayers have special power against these demons, or even that these specific prayers must be said if the alleged generational demon is to be driven off.
In fact, the Rite of Exorcism specifically tells the exorcist, “During the exorcism, he shall preferably employ words from holy writ rather than forms of his own or someone else.” Bible verses are more powerful against demons than prayers we write ourselves.
<h2>The Church has the Rite of Exorcism for demonic possession. What does the Church say to do about demonic attacks that fall short of possession?</h2>
We use the spiritual weapons the Church has given us: sacraments, sacramentals, Scripture, and prayer.
For example, the Rite of Exorcism states that both the exorcist and the possessed person should go to confession and receive Holy Communion. The rite includes Gospel readings (Mark 16:15-18; Luke 10:17-20, 11:14-22; John 1:1-14) and Psalms (3, 10, 12, 21, 30, 34, 53, 67, 69, 90, 117); it also includes the St. Michael prayer and the Litany of the Saints. It tells the exorcist to have a crucifix and holy water.
We can and should use these frequently to protect against demonic temptation and attack. I think it important to note this instruction to the exorcist: “It will also help to say devoutly and often over the afflicted person the Our Father, Hail Mary, and the Creed.” As these are the very prayers of the rosary, clearly praying the rosary with the specific intention for protection against demons is a powerful weapon.
Satan tried to tempt Jesus, so we can be certain that he and his minions are tempting us. While in this world, we are part of the Church militant, fighting the battle against them. But we should not get too caught up in the mindset and language of fighting demons.
Jesus talked about this battle sometimes, but he did not talk about it all the time, and he never mentioned or hinted at generational spirits. The Lord’s Prayer forms the basis of all our prayers, and only in the last petition do we ask God’s help against the evil spirits: “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

Generational Spirits: Questions and Answers

Joe Heschmeyer delves into the Catholic doctrine of original sin, responding to a Reddit user&#8217;s query about its compatibility with the innate goodness of humanity. He discusses the impact of original sin on relationships with God, fellow humans, creation, and oneself, shedding light on the theological nuances and the need for redemption.

What Christians Get Wrong About Original Sin

The Bible teaches that Jesus is “the expiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2). This is the heart of the Christian message: Christ made satisfaction for our sins (paid a debt) through his death on the cross.
But the question is, “Was this necessary?” Did Jesus have to die on a cross to expiate our sins? Or could God have done it some other way?
Some Christians say it was necessary (absolutely speaking—i.e., it couldn’t be any other way, regardless of what God willed). But others say it wasn’t (i.e., redemption could have been accomplished some other way). What should we think?
Christians who say it was absolutely necessary often appeal to passages like the one quoted above. “The Bible says Jesus satisfied for our sins,” so it’s argued, “therefore, it was necessary.”
But the mere affirmation that Jesus’ death satisfied for our sins doesn’t logically entail that it was the only way to satisfy for our sins. It’s true that if Jesus wills to order his death for the satisfaction for our sins, then our sins will be satisfied. But to conclude that our sins wouldn’t be satisfied if Jesus didn’t die would be to commit the fallacy of negating the antecedent (if A, then B; not A; therefore, not B).
Now, concerning the positive reasons for why Jesus’ death wasn’t absolutely necessary for our redemption, we can turn to St. Thomas Aquinas for help. Here are three reasons that he gives in a variety of his works.
Reason #1: God is omnipotent.
Given his omnipotence, God can bring about anything that doesn’t entail a logical contradiction. As Mary says, “Nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37). The idea of God remitting the debt of sin in some way other than Jesus’ death doesn’t entail a logical contradiction. Therefore, as Aquinas concludes, “it was possible for God to deliver mankind otherwise than by the passion of Christ” (Summa Theologiae III:46:2).
Reason #2: Sin is ultimately against God alone and not some other.
One might think God couldn’t remit the sin of the human race without satisfaction (imposed suffering) lest he act unjustly. A judge, for example, can’t justly pardon fault without penalty when such fault has befallen another (another man, the State, etc.).
But, as Aquinas points out, sin has “the formality of fault in that it is committed against [God] himself” (ST III:46:2 ad 3, emphasis added). In other words, it’s a personal trespass against God. David captures this nicely in his psalm of repentance: “Against you, you alone have I sinned” (Ps. 51:6).
So for God to forgive sin without willing satisfaction he would in no way act against justice. Rather, his forgiveness would simply be an act of mercy. Such forgiveness would be no more unjust than me forgiving my friend’s offense without willing that he pay for it.
Reason #3: The dignity of Christ’s person is infinite.
In question two of his Quodlibet II, Aquinas appeals to the infinite dignity of Christ’s person as a reason why Jesus’ death wasn’t absolutely necessary. Given that Jesus is the Word of God, and thereby divine, any act that he performs has infinite power. Aquinas focuses merely on acts of suffering in this text. But the principle applies to any act Jesus performs. Thus, Jesus could have ordered any of his acts to the redemption of the human race and thereby accomplished it.
Now, if Jesus’ death wasn’t absolutely necessary to satisfy for sin, then why did the Father ordain it? Here are eight reasons.
First, sacrifice is understood by both Jews and all humans as that which brings about good relation between man and the divine (see Jimmy Akin, A Daily Defense, Day 4).
Second, sacrifice has a particular meaning for the Jews, given that they were delivered from slavery in Egypt through the sacrifice of the Passover lamb. Since Jesus is revealed to be the new Passover lamb (1 Cor. 5:7; see also John 1:29), it’s fitting that Jesus be sacrificed (see Jimmy Akin, A Daily Defense, Day 4).
Third, Jesus’ death on the cross manifests certain truths about God. It manifests God’s justice because Jesus’ death on the cross did in fact satisfy for sin, paying a debt that the human race could not pay (ST III:46:1). But Jesus’ death also manifests God’s mercy, since “man of himself could not satisfy for the sin of all human nature” (ST III:46:1; Cf. I:2 ad 2). Finally, Jesus’ death manifests how much God loves us (ST III:46:3). As Jesus teaches, “greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). Jesus speaks a language that we all understand—sacrificial death equals love. Paul concurs, writing, “But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8).
Fourth, Jesus’ death on the cross helps us progress on the path of holiness and conform our lives to his. It gives us an example of virtue—in particular, the virtues of “obedience, humility, constancy, [and] justice” (ST III:46:3). As Peter writes, “Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.” Jesus’ death also gives us an example to die to sin spiritually and our carnal desires (ST III:50:1; cf. Quodlibet II.2), for Paul teaches, “The death he died he died to sin . . . so you also must consider yourselves dead to sin” (Rom. 6:10). Finally, the ugliness of Jesus’ death inspires us to refrain from sin (ST III:46:3).
Fifth, Jesus’ death fittingly counters the devil’s combat tactics. Through Adam’s sin, which was brought about by the temptation of the devil, man experiences death as a penalty for sin. Christ takes on death to deliver us from death (ST III:46:3, 50:1). Jesus also counters the devil with his humility. It was the devil’s pride that prompted him to tempt Adam, which brough about the de-redemption of man. Jesus counters such pride with humility to redeem mankind (ST III:46:3 ad 3). Finally, Jesus redeems through justice (satisfying for sin) to counter the devil’s unjust assault on man (ST III:46:3 ad 3).
Sixth, Jesus’ death confirms three truths. It confirms the truth of Jesus’ resurrection. As Aquinas writes, “how could Christ’s victory over death appear, unless he endured it in the sight of men, and so proved that death was vanquished by the incorruption of his body?” (ST III:46:3 ad 2). The truth of Jesus’ humanity is also confirmed because a phantom cannot suffer and die (ST III:50:1). Finally, it confirms the ugliness of sin (ST III:46:3).
Seventh, given that the Word assumes to himself a human nature and redeems the human race through that nature, a certain dignity is bestowed upon man by incorporating him into the Father’s providential plan to overthrow Satan (ST III:46:3).
Eighth, it was fitting that Jesus merit the glory of exaltation through lowliness (ST III:46:1). Jesus says of himself, “Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” (Luke 24:26). Christ’s exaltation is threefold: his resurrection, the manifestation of his divinity, and the reverence shown to him by every creature (Phil. 2:8-10).
In 1 John 4:8, St. John tells us that God is love. It’s no surprise, therefore, that Jesus’ death on the cross, which is an expression of God’s love, would exclude absolute necessity, since love is an expression of the greatest freedom. God’s freedom to have done otherwise gets to the heart of the Christian message: God loves you!

Did Jesus Have to Die for Us?

<h2>What Did St. Malachy Predict?</h2>
You may have heard of <a href="https://www.catholic.com/qa/do-the-prophecies-of-st-malachy-suggest-we-are-living-in-the-end-times" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">St. Malachy</a>, but perhaps not for his holy life. He is a real saint, born in Armagh, Ireland, in 1094, and became the bishop there in 1032. He restored discipline to the Church in Armagh, and he died in 1148 in the arms of his <a href="https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/the-honey-sweet-doctor">fellow saint</a>, the great <a href="https://www.catholic.com/encyclopedia/bernard-of-clairvaux-saint">Bernard of Clairvaux</a>, a <a href="https://www.catholic.com/video/how-does-one-become-a-doctor-of-the-church" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Doctor of the Church</a>.
On the other hand, you probably have heard of the papal prophecies attributed to Malachy—<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prophecy_of_the_Popes">a list of 112 Roman pontiffs</a> (and anti-popes), identified by a brief epithet alluding to his name, family, place of origin or service, coat of arms, or some more nebulous identification. Proponents argue that the list dates to St. Malachy’s time, though the list was discovered—or published—only in the late 1500s, with no mention in the interim, including from sources one would expect to reference it—e.g., biographers of the saint.
Because of <a href="https://www.catholic.com/encyclopedia/prophecy">support in some Catholic circles</a>, though, and the countdown to the “final pope” on the list over the last century—along with the Church’s prophesied “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prophecy_of_the_Popes">final persecution</a>” (including the destruction of Rome)—the list has garnered media coverage <a href="https://www.catholic.com/qa/what-is-a-papal-conclave">during papal interregnums</a>, <a href="https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/will-our-next-pope-be-the-last-ushering-in-the-end-of-the-world">including here at Catholic Answers</a> when Pope Benedict XVI resigned in February 2013.
After all, of the 112 popes listed in Malachy’s prophecy, Pope Francis is . . . you guessed it: the 112th.
And so, if the reported private revelations were true, we would be on the doorstep of <a href="https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/gods-final-victory-is-coming">the Second Coming</a>, given the recent death of Pope Francis. Although we must always be ready for the Lord’s return—or to face him sooner than that, when we die—the end does not appear to be imminent, at least based on the credibility of the prophecies attributed to St. Malachy.
<h2>Dubious Historical Foundations</h2>
St. Bernard, who wrote Malachy’s biography, makes no mention of the prophecies, and the related document was discovered only years later, allegedly after being l<a href="https://www.catholic.com/qa/do-the-prophecies-of-st-malachy-suggest-we-are-living-in-the-end-times">ocked in the Vatican archives for centuries</a>. However, as <a href="https://www.ncregister.com/blog/9-things-you-need-to-know-about-the-prophecy-of-st-malachy">Jimmy Akin explains</a>,
<blockquote>The fact that we cannot establish its existence for hundreds of years until after its supposed author’s death is also consistent with the claim that it was a forgery composed around 1590 and then “salted” into the archive. (“Salting” is the term used for planting false records in archives.) It also may never have been in the archive but merely claimed to be.</blockquote>
The list of predicted popes appears to draw on a work of Italian historian <a href="https://www.catholic.com/encyclopedia/onofrio-panvinio">Onofrio Panvinio</a>, which is cited in M.J. O’Brien’s <a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/An_Historical_and_Critical_Account_of_th/qIZVuIhz06cC?hl=en&amp;gbpv=1&amp;printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=falseThe">Historical and Critical Account of the So-called Prophecy of St. Malachy Regarding the Succession of Popes</a>. O’Brien opposes the historicity of the reported prophecies. Panvinio was a respected historian in his day, and not an advocate of the prophecies.
At the same time, Panvinio, also known as <a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/First_Proofs_of_the_Universal_Catalogue/WNcZAAAAMAAJ?hl=en&amp;gbpv=1&amp;dq=Accurat%C3%A6+Effigies+Pontificum+Maximorum&amp;pg=PA1535&amp;printsec=frontcover">Onuphrius Panvinius</a>, did author—or <a href="https://cdm15942.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15942coll53">at least contribute</a> to—<a href="https://digital.library.villanova.edu/Item/vudl:497683#?xywh=-4605%2C-265%2C11225%2C3529">Accuratæ Effigies Pontificum Maximorum</a>, which appears to be the source of the purported prophetic list, as <a href="https://cdm15942.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15942coll53">this work</a> contains “portraits and short biographies of popes starting from Urban VI in 1378 and ending with Gregory XIII in 1572.” This work itself appears to draw on a history of the popes for which Panvinio definitely authored an updated version, as <a href="https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/panvinio-onofrio#:~:text=A%20book%20of%20portraits%20of%2027%20popes,richly%20illustrated%20with%20portraits%2C%20coats%2Dof%2Darms%2C%20and%20seals.">that book</a>, Platina&#8217;s Lives of the Popes (De Vitis Pontificum), includes their respective papal coat of arms, an element noted in the list of pontiffs attributed to St. Malachy.
<h2>Missing the Mark on Papal Prognostications</h2>
Not surprisingly, whereas the papal “prophecies” are on the mark until 1590, the opposite is true afterward, <a href="https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/is-pope-francis-the-final-roman-pontiff">as Tim Staples reports</a>:
<blockquote>Pope Benedict XIV is referred to as “rustic animal”—in Latin, animal rurale. This means something akin to what southerners might call a “country boy.” But Benedict XIV was anything but a country boy. He was a brilliant scholar educated in Rome at the Collegium Clementium, which he entered at the age of thirteen! . . . He was also an exceptional administrator and a man of many talents, respected within and without the Church. He was anything but animal rurale! . . .
John Paul I (1978) is referred to as “of the half moon.” Your guess is as good as mine. . . .
And finally, we should mention our present Pope Francis (2013-). He is referred to as “Peter the Roman” [Petrus Romanus] in the prophecy. The best the proponents of the prophecy have been able to do is point out that our good Cardinal Bergoglio took the name of St. Francis, whose father’s name was Pietro. Of course! Plus, even though he is Argentinian, his parents are Italian. Huh? Huh?</blockquote>
In contrast to Marian apparitions like <a href="https://www.catholic.com/magazine/print-edition/getting-fatima-right">Fatima</a>, <a href="https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/what-miracles-point-to">Lourdes</a>, and <a href="https://www.catholic.com/tract/our-lady-of-guadalupe-catholic-answers-guide">Guadalupe</a>, the Church has never approved the alleged prophecies attributed to St. Malachy. Defenders might respond that the Church never approves reported apparitions until they are completed and can be more closely analyzed. But that would be a rather convenient—and ill-founded—counterargument, as we’d have to wait until after the last pope and thus for our Lord’s Second Coming and the Last Judgment (<a href="http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p123a12.htm#V">CCC 1038-1041</a>) to get a definitive ruling on the matter.
Instead, given both its dubious historical origins and predictions <a href="https://www.catholic.com/qa/do-the-prophecies-of-st-malachy-suggest-we-are-living-in-the-end-times">since 1590</a>, “the consensus among modern scholars is that it is a sixteenth-century forgery created for partisan political reasons.”
Still, the alleged prophecies have remained popular, in part because of support in some Catholic circles over the centuries. <a href="https://www.catholic.com/encyclopedia">The Catholic Encyclopedia</a>, published in the early 1900s, is normally a reliable source on matters related to the Faith. But in its “<a href="https://www.catholic.com/encyclopedia/prophecy">Prophecies</a>” article, the priest author doesn’t help the cause in speculating that there could be unnamed popes between numbers 111 and 112:
<blockquote>It has been noticed concerning Petrus Romanus, who according to St. Malachy’s list is to be the last pope, that the prophecy does not say that no popes shall intervene between him and his predecessor designated Gloria olivae. It merely says that he is to be the last, so that we may suppose as many popes as we please before “Peter the Roman.”</blockquote>
Or not, given the list’s historical and predictive deficiencies.
<h2>Trusting in Jesus Instead</h2>
When asked for a sign from the Pharisees, Jesus says,
<blockquote>An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign; but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so will the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth (Matt. 12:39-40).</blockquote>
Jesus’ paschal mystery—his death, <a href="https://www.catholic.com/magazine/print-edition/the-last-word">resurrection</a>, and ascension into heaven (and his related <a href="https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/pentecost-and-the-papacy">sending of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost</a>)—remains the fundamental historical sign on which the truth of the Faith rests. And the Church’s sustenance through two thousand years is further evidence of the truth of that divine sign, which Jesus has otherwise affirmed (see <a href="http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p1s1c3a1.htm#III">CCC 156</a>).
In the meantime, <a href="https://www.catholic.com/qa/star-struck-about-92317-dont-be">as I write elsewhere</a>, “we all need to be vigilant, because none of us knows the hour or day when Jesus will call us via death to our own particular judgment (see Matt. 24:42-51, <a href="http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p123a12.htm#I">CCC 1021-22</a>).”

St. Malachy’s Prophecy and Pope Francis

<div>Is it okay to have a child baptized with two sets of godparents?</div><div>No. Canon law provides that one godparent is sufficient but that there may be two, so long as there is one of each sex (<a href="https://www.vatican.va/archive/cod-iuris-canonici/eng/documents/cic_lib4-cann834-878_en.html">canon 873, Code of Canon Law</a>). There is no provision for more than two godparents.
If the parents wish to honor another couple at the baptism, and that couple are both baptized Christians, they may ask the couple to be Christian witnesses to the baptism together with the Catholic godparents (<a href="https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/directory-on-ecumenism-2345">Directory on Ecumenism 98</a>).
</div>

May a Child Have Four Godparents?

It’s common for skeptics of Christianity to claim that the word Easter comes from the name of a pagan deity called Ishtar, suggesting that the Christian faith has pagan roots. But no matter how prevalent this contention has become, it has no basis in history or reality.
In Jeremiah 44:15-17, the people of Judah reject the prophet Jeremiah’s message in preference to their idolatrous worship of an entity called “the queen of heaven”—apparently the pagan deity Ishtar. Commentators seem to be in general agreement that Jeremiah’s “queen of heaven” is Astaroth or Ashtaroth—Astarte in the Septuagint, which is the Greek Old Testament. Literally, Astaroth means “the moon.” The moon was a Sidonian idol worshipped by the Phoenicians and worshipped as Ishtar by the Assyrians, Egyptians, and Babylonians. In nature worship, the sun and the moon were considered the king and queen, respectively, of the celestial heavens.
Some people have inferred that Easter is the English derivation of the Greek Astarte, but there is no linguistic or historical basis for this. In addition, the English word Easter is said to have derived from an Anglo-Saxon pagan goddess named Eostre. This theory was based on an incorrect conclusion by St. Bede the Venerable about the etymological origins of the English month that coincides with spring and the celebration of Easter, Eosturmonath. But, as Anthony McRoy, a fellow of the British Society for Middle East Studies, notes, <a href="http://www.christianitytoday.com/history/2009/april/was-easter-borrowed-from-pagan-holiday.html">there is no historical basis for this derivation</a>. He notes that St. Bede himself said his conclusion was based on his interpretation rather than a generally held position or proven fact.
Also, there is no doubt that the focus of Easter for St. Bede and English Christians in general, was and is Jesus, the Passover Lamb who died on our behalf and rose from the dead.
Indeed, in most European countries, the name for Easter derives from the Greek word Pascha, which itself is derived from the Hebrew Pesach—i.e., the word Passover. Thus, the term paschal sacrifice refers to Jesus’ one sacrifice, and paschal candle is another name for the Easter candle.
So where did the English get their word for the celebration of Christ’s Resurrection? McRoy <a href="http://www.christianitytoday.com/history/2009/april/was-easter-borrowed-from-pagan-holiday.html">notes there are two main theories, both of which are plausible</a>:
<blockquote>One theory for the origin of the name is that the Latin phrase in albis (“in white”), which Christians used in reference to Easter week, found its way into Old High German as eostarum, or “dawn.” The other is that Eosturmonath simply meant “the month of opening,” which is comparable to the meaning of “April” in Latin. The names of both the Saxon and Latin months (which are calendrically similar) were related to spring, the season when the buds open.</blockquote>
In either case, the claim that the English celebration is rooted in pagan goddess worship simply has no historical basis, even if some anti-Catholic polemicists have gotten a good deal of mileage out of it.

Easter Is Not a Secretly Pagan Holiday

Trent Horn, author of Why We&#8217;re Pro-Life, digs into some of the Bible verses that people use to support abortion. Turns out, the Bible is pro-life. Go figure&#8230; Find out how you can get free copies of Why We&#8217;re Pro-Life at <a href="https://whyweareprolife.com">whyweareprolife.com.</a>

No. The Bible Does Not Support Abortion.

<div>Are all attributes identical in God? Do the distinctions in his attributes come from our way of understanding him?</div><div>The answer to your first question is yes. Because of God’s absolute simplicity (the fact that there are no parts within him, either physical or metaphysical), all of God’s attributes are one with his essence, which is existence itself. God is his eternity, which is his power, which is his will, which is his intelligence, and so on. Talking about God’s different attributes are just different ways of talking about the one and same reality. Although we distinguish his attributes in thought, they are not distinct in reality.
This doesn’t mean, however, that all his attributes mean the same thing. Just as the expressions “the morning star” and “the evening star” differ in sense while referring to the one and same thing, so to “intellect,” “will,” “goodness,” “power,” etc., differ in sense while referring to one and the same thing when applied to God.
It’s also important to keep in mind that when we predicate these attributes to God, we do so analogically. And this gets to your second question.
When we name God with positive attributes, such as goodness, power, and intellect, we take these names from creatures. But we don’t apply them to God in the same way (univocal predication). Nor do we apply them in an entirely different way (equivocal predication). When we apply them, we recognize that there is similarity, but at the same time, there is also a difference (analogical predication).
As philosopher Edward Feser puts it, “There is in God something that is analogous to power, something analogous to goodness, something analogous to intellect, and so on, and that these &#8216;somethings&#8217; all turn out to be one and the same thing” (Aquinas: A Beginner’s Guide, ch. 3).
</div>

How Are We to Understand God’s Attributes?

Last week in Luke 16 we heard the very strange story of the dishonest steward. <a href="https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/whats-the-deal-with-the-dishonest-steward">I spoke about</a> the joy of forgiveness, and how the steward’s clever scheme, while perhaps superficially unjust, shows the value of forgiveness and grace.
But in today’s parable of Lazarus in the rich man (Dives in the Latin, and in much of the Western art tradition), we see an object lesson in the Lord’s command to “make friends for ourselves by unrighteous mammon” (16:9). According to some of the old commentators, like St. Bede, this parable is meant directly as a confirmation of that principle.
How so? Because Dives had an opportunity to use his wealth—however it was gained—for the good of someone in need right in front of him. Had he done so, perhaps when that wealth failed, he might have been “received into the eternal habitations.”
The “make friends by unrighteous mammon” instruction, then, isn’t a general commendation of dishonest business practices, but a reinforcement that what may be “unrighteous” in the world of money-making may end up being “righteous” in the world of eternity. Helping lift a poor, ailing man out of poverty isn’t going to win the rich man any friends or give him any rewards in this life, but it gains him a friendship and reward for the life to come, which is ultimately more important.
Does this parable mean that helping the poor will bring us to heaven, or that failing to help the poor will send us to hell? Maybe, but we had better be careful about an approach to almsgiving and the works of mercy that treats it like a simplistic credit in the cosmic accounting — almost like the businesses proudly saying that they plant a tree for every item sold. Salvation isn’t a marketing gimmick, and we can’t buy our way into heaven, as if it were just a matter of doing a work of kindness to counteract every work of selfishness or greed. Ultimately, our presence with God in heaven comes down to our relationship with Jesus: have we turned away from sin, away from our own desires, and cooperated with the grace wherein he unites us to himself?
So I think Augustine’s reading of this parable is helpful. He says Lazarus is a type of Christ. He is the wounded man sitting on the doorstep waiting for us to notice him. Augustine even gives us a rather vivid and unsettling image of the Gentiles as the dogs licking the poor man’s sores: they may be dogs, but they at least partake of the Lord’s own body and blood!
Lest we think this Christological reading of the parable means that the Lord doesn’t think we should notice and care for the poor in a more general way, remember that haunting reminder about the “least of these” in Matthew 25. The only path to eternal life is noticing Jesus, and this requires not only noticing his particular life as it appears to us in history, or even his life as it is presented to us in the Church and its sacraments, but also his life as it appears to us in one another. Suffering doesn’t make one holy any more than poverty does, but both suffering and poverty can bring us closer to Christ in a way that riches and comfort never can. So an attitude like that of the parable’s rich man, where we despise and ignore the poor and suffering lest they violate our own comfort and pleasure moves us toward hell in that it represents a habitual lack of interest in finding Jesus where he has promised us he will be.
The final words of this parable further reinforce our Christ-centered reading: “If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if some one should rise from the dead.” It may sound heartless, but remember that only a few chapters back, Jesus appeared on the mountainside alongside Moses and Elijah, the Law and the Prophets. In other words, he’s saying, if you will not listen to me, there is nothing else, no higher or clearer proof that preserves human freedom.
The Fathers and later readers often speak about the “unbridgeable chasm” between Lazarus, in the “bosom of Abraham,” and Dives in hell. This chasm does of course support the idea, maintained by Catholic teaching, that there really is a division and an immediate judgment at the point of death. We may be further purified and perfected, but there is no additional change to revivify a soul that has committed itself to eternal death.
There is, however, another way of looking at this chasm, which is that, if we take Augustine’s Christological reading to heart, we can see the incredible generosity of Christ in bridging the gap between death and life, in rising from the dead as a sign not of necessity, but of overwhelming love and favor. Yes, we should have listened to Moses and the Prophets, but we didn’t. So he is going to make a way through his own flesh. He is going to lower himself to the lowest state possible, even the state of death, so that he might burst open the doors of the eternal habitations.
So although the parable of Dives and Lazarus is a warning, it is also a promise: that conversion is possible in this life. We do not have to follow the way of the world, the way of pleasure and comfort and wealth for its own sake. We can instead turn and follow Christ, recognizing that in the final eternal scheme, all our worldly wealth and status are the most abject poverty in light of his glory and power. Yet he wants to share all his goodness with us, if only we can toss aside the many things of this life holding us down.