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Is the form of dancing,grinding a sin? I just don’t get a lot of direct answers for dating and relationships, circumstances vary but acts are either a sin or they aren’t. So is it?

I plan to marry my filipina girlfriend but she tells me that her sister was married in August 2017 and we will have to wait a year to get married or one of us will die within a year. I do not want to wait. I know this is a supresticion from my research but she is stedfast in her belief. We want to get married in the church in Butuan. I would like the church’s view on this superstition. I will be in Butuan in October and it would be great if we could get married as soon as I complete conversion to Catholicism. I need an opinion from the church. Please reply

C Fleegal

Hi Father,

As the postal vote for same-sex marriage is coming up, I have been hearing more debate around the topic.

One objection to Christians who oppose same-sex marriage is “it seems hypocritical for a Christian baker to make a wedding cake for a divorcee who is re-marrying and refuse to serve a same-sex couple’s wedding cake because both actions are condemmed in the Bible”.

How should one respond to this?

Thanks.

Hi Father,

I was recently speaking with another person about marriage and proposing to them why it would not be in society’s best interest to re-define it. We spoke about the importance of children and right to a mother and father but he said to me “How can you be opposed to same sex couples having children and not be opposed to a single mother raising her children after her husband passes away”.

I hadn’t heard of the argument or a response before this conversation so I was admittedly a bit stuck to respond. How should I respond to this? I know there are many responses to the argument on sterile couples and same-sex marriages but it was the first I’d heard of objecting to a biological mother taking care of her kids on her own due to no fault of her own (her husband passing away).

Thanks for your help.

Hello Father,

Thank you so much for all you do. I am writing, because I am conflicted about the “serious reasons” for using NFP. My husband and I really want children and look forward to having them. We do not want to use NFP with a contraceptive mentality. However, he will be going overseas for 7-9 months starting in July, as he is in the military, and I cannot go along with him. Then, about 3-4 months after he returns from being overseas, we will most likely have to move about 3,000 miles across the country to a new location. If we were to conceive a baby before he left for his deployment, there would be a good possibility that he would miss the baby’s birth. Then, we would have to relocate across the country with an infant a few months afterwards. I don’t want to be selfish, and we are very open to life, but at the same time, having a baby in the situation I described above is not exactly the most convenient. Would our situation be considered a serious reason to postpone pregnancy?

Thank you, and God bless you!

What should I do if someone is an occasion of sin for me? When I correspond with a certain person, I will sometimes experience sinful feelings. However, this doesn’t happen quite often enough for it to be considered a NEAR occasion of sin, I’d say it seems to be more of a remote occasion of sin, and if I understand correctly we have no obligation to avoid those. My question is this… If, when one risks the remote occasion of sin and ends up falling (In my case, into impure feelings) is it automatically a mortal sin? For instance, I know that impure thoughts or feelings are not a mortal sin unless fully and willfully consented to, but would not avoiding people that inadvertently trigger them equate to full consent? Because I know how to manage these thoughts and impulses, I would never willfully entertain them, I’m just wondering if I carry the weight of obligation to avoid this person. This person is a friend, so I really hope it doesn’t come to that.

Dear Father,

Although a cradle Catholic, my knowledge thus far of the faith is not where it ideally should be. I have just started my journey of deeper reseach into the teachings of the Church and my confusion seems to revolve around the topic of homosexuality and marriage.

I understand the teaching on what marriage is, that it is between a man and a woman, as God Himself designed it. And how it is supposed to be a free, total, faithful and fruitful relationship. However, my question is if a person is already married and finds that they develop homosexual feelings or attractions, or maybe have always had same-sex feelings, is that a valid reason for an annulment? Or is there still a chance for the couple to remain in the marital bond?

Thank you for your service,

Nireeksha

Hi Father,

Today’s reading, Matthew 19:3-12, mentions that “Some are incapable of marriage because they were born so”. Can you please elaborate on that, I read the foot note and it mentioned [i]eunuchs[/i], and [i]castration[/i], can you also clarify what these mean.

Thank you,

Hello Father,

Thank you for your time in answering my question. I know that different cultures have different concepts of modest and immodest attire, and I know that what I wear to the beach is not appropriate at Mass, etc, but I am curious as to when immodesty becomes grave matter, and therefore, if willingly chosen, a mortal sin? Any insight you could lend would be very helpful.

Thank you!

I’m a newly married man, and my wife an I are both devout Catholics. Unfortunately, my wife’s brother is living with his same-sex partner. They are both great guys and we enjoy hanging out with them. My wife and I both frequently pray for him to sort his life out.

Thankfully, the law in Australia currently doesn’t currently recognise same-sex marriage, however, my brother-in-law has let it be known that, should the law change, he intends to “marry” his partner. I’ve made it clear to my wife that I don’t intend to attend should we be invited. However, she is torn.

It doesn’t help that my brother-in-law is emotionally immature and is likely to take it personally should either of us not attend. It is also possible he may cut my wife out of his life as much as he can. As his mother (my mother-in-law) and grandmother (her mother) both support his life choices unquestioned and induldges him a little, it is likely they may behave similarly. While they may not cut us off, it is likely to put a lot of strain on our relationship. As my wife is very close to her brother and mother, and especially close to her grandmother, she desperately wants to avoid a confrontation. Also, should she not attend, they will almost certainly blame it on my influence (not unjustly).

My question is: how should I best prepare my wife and I for this possibility? What steps can we take to minimise the damage to relationships should we need to make an unpopular decision?