Since the earliest days of the Church, Christians used a Greek translation of the Old Testament known as
the Septuagint. This collection of the texts of the Hebrew Scriptures included 46 books. At the time of
the Protestant Reformation in the 1500s, the Protestant reformers began to create their own
translations of the Bible (into local languages) and some began to question why the Jewish Scriptures
would have included texts that were written in Greek, because, they assumed, the only valid Jewish
Scriptures would have been written in Hebrew. And so, they decided to remove seven books from the
Old Testament: Baruch, Sirach, 1 and 2 Maccabees, Tobit, Judith and Wisdom (as well as portions of the
Books of Daniel and Esther). This means that the Protestant Old Testament only includes 39 books, while
Catholic Bibles continue to include those original 46 books. Both Catholic and Protestant Bibles include
27 books and letters in the New Testament.

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It’s part of human nature to experience some sense of unease and fear about the future. This can lead some people to seek out the services of psychics or consult horoscopes or turn to other occult practices or resources (e.g. Ouija boards or tarot cards). The Catechism of the Catholic Church is very clear that Catholics should avoid such practices: “Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear that we owe to God alone” (no. 2116).

Despite the uncertainties we might feel, we are called to have faith and trust in God, confident of God’s desire for what is best for us. This means that we are called to surrender, to pray and to reflect on how we can best move into the future in hope, knowing that God is with us.

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Many Catholics are not exactly sure what an annulment does. An annulment does not deny that a marriage took place, nor does it deny that there once was love. It does not mean that people say anything untrue, such as they never loved each other or that everything in their marriage was wrong. An annulment does not negate children, nor make them illegitimate. An annulment addresses the spiritual aspect of marriage. In effect, an annulment says that at the time of the wedding, there was either something present or something absent that prevented the sacrament from taking place. It is a spiritual determination that, if granted in the affirmative, allows a person to marry in the Church.

Annulments have no legal standing and are unable to be used in a civil court. Therefore, a Catholic has no moral obligation to pursue an annulment. However, when the tragedy of divorce occurs, and there is no hope for reconciliation, annulments may help bring some spiritual closure to a person’s life. Some people have found the process to be healing and others have found it to be difficult. Speak to your priest or a member of the Diocesan Tribunal staff to decide what is best for you.

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Offering money and other goods to God and the Church is, before all else, a statement of gratitude. We see this when we look at how our spiritual ancestors showed their gratitude to God for the gifts they had received (e.g. Genesis 14:18-20 and Genesis 28:16-22). One of the ways they offered thanks to God was through a practice called “tithing,” in which 10 percent of a person’s goods (crops, livestock, money, etc.) were given back to God.

Today, the practice of tithing — giving 10 percent — is still common in many Protestant communities, but it is not required for Catholics. Instead, the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us that, “The faithful also have the duty of providing for the material needs of the Church, each according to [their] own abilities” (no. 2043). This means that, although we are not bound to practice “tithing” in the traditional sense, we do share a responsibility to share our money or other resources with our parish communities. Like our spiritual ancestors, we give as a sign of our gratitude for the many gifts that God has given to us. Beyond this, we also share our resources with other Catholic organizations to help them finance their ministries, to continue and grow their outreach to the poor and the needy, and to provide just wages for their employees.

How much we give depends on our individual circumstances, but since we share a responsibility for the programs, outreach, and health of our parish communities and Catholic organizations, this question gives us a wonderful opportunity to ask some important questions about the quality of our giving and what our priorities are. Remember, we are only stewards of our time, talents, and treasures and as the First Letter of Peter reminds us, “As each one of you has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied graces” (4:10).

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No matter who we are, our inner lives affect the way we interact with the world. In the United States, we have freedom of religion. That means there is no official state sanctioned religion. This does not mean that our faith is a private affair with no impact on public life! We have the ability to freely exercise our religious beliefs in accord with our conscience. Not only do we have the option to do so, but we also have the responsibility.

We’re called to imitate Christ in every area of our life, not compartmentalize our faith. This means acting with respect and honoring the common humanity all we encounter. It means recognizing the person behind the politics. It also means standing up for the truth of human life and dignity, and advocating for just policies that serve the common good. The Vatican has produced a “Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church.” It contains more detailed exposition of how our Catholic faith relates to various aspects of public life.

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