Thank you Azreal.

Thank you so much 😊

Glad you enjoyed it!

Carlos Enrique next week!

Hi Kristine, please see our reply to your other comment.

Sorry for your lost. Your mother never were alone Jesús was with her and this is what really matters. The rest of the people are just sinners and our salvation do not depends of them. That was exactly what happened to Jesús in the cross, all his disciples ran away from him but his father never left him.

Michael Verde no twin, but he does have a semi-secret first name he might have been going by, so it could be him!

Yes, if there is no other possible way to defend other human lives from that criminal. As an addendum, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, in its most recent edition now says that the Death Penalty should be avoided under all circumstances.

First of all, Kristine, we want to say that we are very sorry for what your family had to go through following the loss of your mother. The Church is supposed to offer compassion and comfort to those who grieve, and it is obvious from your first comment that your mother’s parish was no help to you or your family. Please know that not all parishes are like that. Every parish is made up of human beings, some good and some bad - just like any other group of people in society. We can totally understand your frustration and it frustrates us as well. Moving on to this comment, it really hit us between the eyes! It would indeed be cruel for someone to be thrust on the path to Hell based on the circumstances they are born into and on the choices that arise from those circumstances. But please keep in mind that that is not how Catholics view our eternal destiny. In order for sin to be mortal (putting them on the path to Hell), it requires full knowledge and consent, and Catholics believe that there are many factors that go into our choices, and that God sees all of the circumstances surrounding our lives and has mercy on all of us. We are definitely not going to accuse you of laziness, and there is no easy answer to the reasons behind the pain that you've experienced in life. We would like to encourage you not to lose hope, however, and believe that your existence in the world is a gift to all of us that goes far beyond your job or accomplishments. You add something unique and unrepeatable to the world, and have even been a blessing to us just by commenting on this page and asking us to reflect. Of course, we do hope that more Catholics follow the teachings of the Gospel and work to support the grieving as well as the vulnerable, including the homeless and disabled, and recognize that there is still so much work to be done in those areas. But despite the fact that we have often failed in the past and are often failing now, hope still remains for all of us to better give and receive love.

Just wanted to add that I hate my father not only for going after my mother and giving me life, but for raising me Catholic. My post and your response are a prime example of how the Church's antiquated ideas no longer work in modern society. Along with the legions of evil, pedophile priests (no one can trust a priest anymore) this is why the Catholic church is clearly dying.

Kristine, we are worried about the rage you have in your heart, not only toward others but toward yourself, which is far more destructive. We have never known anyone who wishes their parents had aborted them. With concern and respect, we urge you to find someone who can help you recognize that your life is worthy of love and that you deserve inner peace, not a perpetual torment of hate and self-loathing. You might be interested to watch our episode called “Spirituality and Mental Health” along with its link to mental health resources. There are other online sites such as betterhelp.com that connect you to instant chat with a mental health professional, and the SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357 for other 24/7 365 information. The abuse scandal can be used to stay angry at the Church, but data reveals that priests accused in the sex scandal represent only 5% of all priests worldwide, a percentage below the societal number for teachers, doctors, scoutmasters and any other child-based occupation, and well below that of parents, who commit 90% of all child abuse crimes, as we point out in our episode “The Sexual Abuse Crisis,” which we also invite you to see. While even one priest who abuses children is too many and we excuse no one for committing these horrendous acts, we affirm that the Catholic Church endures as a 2000-yr-old spiritual resource that can heal and transform souls. We cannot figure out how we have demonstrated the Church’s “antiquated ideas” in our conversation with you. The central idea of our faith is that everyone has a purpose, even though we have all been dealt cards we may not be happy with. That purpose, which is both timeless and timely, is to learn to give and receive love, and to find beauty in this life. Of course, we can all do better in fulfilling this purpose. As an example, your mother's parish could have done a much better job reaching out to you and your family in time of profound need. But we know of many parishes and many Catholics who would have deeply sympathized with your situation and would have done anything they could to help you. Believe us when we say that all of us at Catholic Central sympathize with you now, Kristine, and we pray that soon, in the words of Jesus, "you may have life and have it to the full.”

@@kristinekalapos1066 you have a lot of anger and hatred in your heart. I feel very sorry for you

Hello, thanks for the comment. We would like to point out that we never said that all of them are equal, but they are all indeed pro-life issues, as described in several official Church documents. Homelessness can indeed be a life-or-death issue when a homeless person dies needlessly of exposure or starvation. For resources on homelessness specifically, you might want to check out these quotes, which go back to 1891: www.cctwincities.org/education-advocacy/catholic-social-teaching/notable-quotations/housing-and-homelessness/ In terms of the death penalty, Aquinas' position was that it was only permissible if there were no other way to protect society from the criminal, there were a fair trial, and came from a legitimate authority. Modern-day systems not available in Aquinas' day eliminate the need for it. Since it is the direct taking of life, it is indeed a pro-life issue comparable to abortion and euthanasia. The Catechism calls it "an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person" in light of the Gospel. You might want to check out the official Vatican statement on this, which was released last August: www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20180801_catechismo-penadimorte_en.html

@@CatholicCentralVideos Thanks a lot for the detailed reply, I appreciate the time & effort. I will give both links a check & go back to St. Thomas Aquinas in order to understand better. To address my last point: what about the role in the death penalty in expiating sin? E.g. the good thief on the cross says “we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds” (Luke 23:39-43). Whereas abortion and euthanasia is different because these are innocent people. And the other verses in the Old & New Testaments where God kills people, does not that catechism change therefore implicitly accuse God of attacking the “inviolability and dignity of the person”?

@@CatholicaTV Thank you very much for your openness to respectful conversation! To that point, essentially, since God is the creator of life, he is the only one with the authority to take life. However, when the state or a group of people executes someone, they are taking away their chance for repentance. Also, you may notice that the revision to the Catechism says "in light of the Gospel." Because of Christ's death, the theology of expiation for sins changes. Christ demonstrates that God's impulse is to forgive, whereas the human impulse is to destroy. But we see the depths of God's love in the fact that, despite everything that humans have done, God rises to forgive.

@@CatholicCentralVideos Your first point makes sense to me-God is the creator of life so he has authority to take it. But your last point, isn't it contradicted by Purgatory, which is a place of expiation for sin?

Catholica yes, sorry, I should have clarified that we are talking about EARTHLY expiation for sin at the hands of the state as a matter of justice, since we were originally talking about the death penalty. Sins committed by those in purgatory have already been forgiven, but they are undergoing the penance that would be due to them, but God does not ask us to use the death penalty in order to punish or expiate sin.

Ava, what you say about providing better support for children and pregnant women makes beautiful sense. Catholic ministries like Project Rachel offer counselling and assistance for women before, during and after crisis pregnancies, and connect them with the network of Catholic adoption agencies whose goals prominently include family reunification. But still the need is huge and there can never be enough helping hands. Criminalizing, as you suggest, does not always change hearts and minds or, indeed, behaviors, and too often it fuels cultural polarization. The right of informed conscience is a constant teaching of the Church but in the case of a future human organism that will owe its once-only existence to a single fertilized ovum, it must operate at the highest level of moral responsibility, intellectual awareness and above all, Christian love. In conditions of crisis like an unwanted or unexpected pregnancy, these standards can be challenging and are often trivialized and abused. Your alternative dream of societal transformation sounds like the ultimate fulfillment of Catholic Social Teaching (see our episode by that name). Create a better world for the care and education of our children? Safe and healthy environments that will mean saving the lives of the unborn? Amen!

Watch some of Trent Horn’s videos he refutes everything you just said

Lillianna, thank you for your thoughtful reflection. It may be that we could have been more cautious in our choice of the graphic in question, and we apologize for any offense to you or to the foundational wisdom of feminism. But we invite you to watch our episode titled "Feminism" which is affirmative of women and men as equals in dignity and human potential, as well as asserting the sanctity of life from conception to death (kzfaq.info/get/bejne/gp2DaJOGpsqaqac.html). The militant feminism we visually satirize in Pro-Life is the feminism (in your words) about "people who take it too far." From the many comments we have received on both of these episodes, it appears that this perspective is clearly understood and that our overall characterization of feminism is far from being interpreted as one of "hating on people." This is not to deny your reaction at all, but we hope going forward you can appreciate our jests and jibes in the discerning light-hearted context for which Catholic Central is acclaimed. Please check our website for a full list of episodes and study guides.

Catholics do not condone the sacrificing of a woman’s body for an unborn life. All life is precious to us, from conception to natural death. This certainly includes a woman's life when medically endangered by her unborn baby and aborting the fetus is the only way to save her.

@@CatholicCentralVideos Rape victims should have the right to abort the unwanted product of the most traumatic experience of their life. A first trimester baby should not be able to choose the path of life the mother goes down. When the birth of an unwanted child happens, the child ends in foster care 90% of the time. Leading to a burden on the mother, and a child enduring the worst possible way to grow up (an unstable environment with no paternal connection). You are supporting these common results.

As Catholics, we are in solidarity with your anguish. We profoundly understand the traumatic effects of rape. We are also in sympathy with those people conceived in rape or other horrific circumstances who have gone on to thrive. Catholics believe they have as much of a right to life as any other person. We’re unable to find statistics supporting your claim that 90% of unwanted children end up in foster care. Regardless, one of the highest goals of the Catholic foster care system is to aid family reunification. In all circumstances our guiding ethic is the cherishing of life in all of its stages, as well as valuing the God-given freedom of informed conscience. For us, life is worth living, a once-only gift not necessarily measured by the absence of hardship.