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Q u i c k Q u e s t i o n s
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This Rock
Volume 18, Number 10
 December 2007 
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After We Die, What Happens Next?
Q: What is the official church teaching on what happens after our earthly bodies die: Are we "dead" until Judgment Day or do we immediately go to heaven, hell, or purgatory?
A: Although physical human bodies die, human souls never die. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that every spiritual soul "is immortal: It does not perish when it separates from the body at death, and it will be reunited with the body at the final Resurrection" (CCC 366).
So at the moment of death, the soul separates from the body, is judged immediately, and enters either heaven (immediately or through purgatory) or hell.
Each man receives his eternal retribution in his immortal soul at the very moment of his death, in a particular judgment that refers his life to Christ: either entrance into the blessedness of heaven—through a purification or immediately—or immediate and everlasting damnation. (CCC 1022)
(For scriptural evidence of this, see Luke 16:22; 23:43; 2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23.)
Every soul will unite with its resurrected body just prior to the Last Judgment ("Judgment Day") when Christ returns:
In the presence of Christ, who is Truth itself, the truth of each man’s relationship with God will be laid bare. The Last Judgment will reveal even to its furthest consequences the good each person has done or failed to do during his earthly life . . .
The Last Judgment will come when Christ returns in glory. Only the Father knows the day and the hour; only he determines the moment of its coming. Then through his Son Jesus Christ he will pronounce the final word on all history. We shall know the ultimate meaning of the whole work of creation and of the entire economy of salvation and understand the marvelous ways by which his Providence led everything towards its final end. The Last Judgment will reveal that God’s justice triumphs over all the injustices committed by his creatures and that God’s love is stronger than death. (CCC 1039-1040)
—Jim Blackburn
Q: An extraordinary minister of Holy Communion at my parish holds up the host and uses it to make a cross in the air before placing it in the communicant’s hand. Is this allowed?
A: Absolutely not. What this EMHC is doing essentially is giving benediction with the Eucharist, a liturgical action that is reserved to a priest or deacon. The document Holy Communion and Worship of the Eucharist Outside of Mass states:
[Special] ministers [of Communion] may open the tabernacle and also, as required, place the ciborium on the altar or place the host in the monstrance. At the end of the period of adoration, they replace the Blessed Sacrament in the tabernacle. It is not lawful, however, for them to give the blessing with the Sacrament. (HCWE 91)
I recommend taking to your pastor a copy of this document, which can be found online at the Web site for the Diocese of Fargo (www.fargodiocese.org), and explaining to him your observation that one of the EMHCs is giving Eucharistic benediction during the distribution of Communion.
—Michelle Arnold
Q: Some people feel that because the Church has no definitive statement on when ensoulment takes place, it is okay to allow abortion and to use early embryos for research. What does the Church say about this?
A: The Declaration on Procured Abortion states the following:
In the course of history, the Fathers of the Church, her pastors, and her Doctors have taught the same doctrine—the various opinions on the infusion of the spiritual soul did not introduce any doubt about the illicitness of abortion. It is true that in the Middle Ages, when the opinion was generally held that the spiritual soul was not present until after the first few weeks, a distinction was made in the evaluation of the sin and the gravity of penal sanctions. Excellent authors allowed for this first period more lenient case solutions which they rejected for following periods. But it was never denied at that time that procured abortion, even during the first days, was objectively grave fault. This condemnation was in fact unanimous . . . Most recently, the Second Vatican Council, presided over by Paul VI, has most severely condemned abortion: "Life must be safeguarded with extreme care from conception; abortion and infanticide are abominable crimes." The same Paul VI, speaking on this subject on many occasions, has not been afraid to declare that this teaching of the Church "has not changed and is unchangeable." (7)
Concerning the issue of ensoulment and embryonic stem cell research, Evangelium Vitae teaches that
Even if the presence of a spiritual soul cannot be ascertained by empirical data, the results themselves of scientific research on the human embryo provide a valuable indication for discerning by the use of reason a personal presence at the moment of the first appearance of a human life: How could a human individual not be a human person? (EV 60)
Furthermore, what is at stake is so important that, from the standpoint of moral obligation, the mere probability that a human person is involved would suffice to justify an absolutely clear prohibition of any intervention aimed at killing a human embryo. Precisely for this reason, over and above all scientific debates and those philosophical affirmations to which the Magisterium has not expressly committed itself, the Church has always taught and continues to teach that the result of human procreation, from the first moment of its existence, must be guaranteed that unconditional respect which is morally due to the human being in his or her totality and unity as body and spirit:
The human being is to be respected and treated as a person from the moment of conception; and therefore from that same moment his rights as a person must be recognized, among which in the first place is the inviolable right of every innocent human being to life. (EV 60)
—Peggy Frye
Q: Is it true that sexual intercourse between a married couple is sinful if the spouses do it with lust for each other?
A: I realize that in our culture the word "lust" can be understood quite broadly, from "lusting after a chocolate bar" to simply finding another person to be sexually attractive.
But for the Catholic Church, to lust is to seek sexual pleasure in another person solely for one’s own pleasure without regard for the other person. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: " Lust is disordered desire for or inordinate enjoyment of sexual pleasure. Sexual pleasure is morally disordered when sought for itself, isolated from its procreative and unitive purposes" (CCC 2351).
To have sexual feelings for one’s spouse or to enjoy sexual pleasure with one’s spouse is fine and according to God’s design. But to use one’s spouse as an object of pleasure without concern for the spouse is mortally sinful.
—Fr. Vincent Serpa
Q: Is it lying if you said something, discovered that it was wrong, then took it back? Is it still a sin?
A: By definition, lying involves intentional deceit. The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines a lie as follows: "A lie consists in speaking a falsehood with the intention of deceiving" (CCC 2482) and "To lie is to speak or act against the truth in order to lead someone into error" (CCC 2483).
Since you thought you were speaking the truth and then, after discovering your error, you corrected yourself, you are not guilty of lying. There is no sin in this.
—Jim Blackburn
Q: If a person does not believe the consecrated host becomes the true body and blood of Christ, does that make a difference in what happens when he receives it? If he were given a shot of morphine, his belief that it is not morphine would not change the effects on his body. It would seem the same thing happens with the host. The body and blood of Christ enters his body and gives him grace, no matter what he believes.
A: Every one of the sacraments is a personal encounter with Jesus. Grace is a share in his life and in his love. He never forces his love on anyone. Certainly the reality of the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist does not depend on the state of soul of the communicant. He can receive the Eucharist as an act of sacrilege. But he cannot receive the grace of the sacrament without a proper attitude or disposition. It’s like going to the well without a bucket. The water is real. But without a bucket, he leaves without any water. Love is two ways. A person cannot enter into a love relationship without being willing to love.
—Fr. Vincent Serpa
Q: Was Jesus male before the Incarnation?
A: Before the Incarnation the Son was pure spirit, just as are the Father and the Holy Spirit. As such, he did not have gender at that time. Only when the Son incarnated as the man Christ Jesus did he become male. The Father and the Holy Spirit remain pure spirit and so do not have biological gender.
For the purpose of revealing himself to us, God has revealed his Trinitarian self primarily in masculine terms because he is the instigator, the first cause; it is he who initiates salvation. It is the Church that is revealed in feminine terms because the Church is the recipient of salvation and the one who nurtures Christians with the graces received from God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
—Michelle Arnold
Q: When distributing Holy Communion, the extraordinary ministers have been told to say "This is the body of Christ" instead of "the body of Christ," and the communicants are to respond with "I believe" instead of "Amen." Our priest says it’s more meaningful this way and has assured us that he is authorized to make such changes. Is this true?
A: No. A priest has no authority to make creative changes to the Mass. He is to follow the rubrics as outlined in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, which is binding on all Roman Rite celebrations of the liturgy.
According to the Code of Canon Law, "In celebrating the sacraments the liturgical books approved by competent authority are to be observed faithfully; accordingly, no one is to add, omit, or alter anything in them on one’s own authority" (CIC 846 §1).
The General Instruction of the Roman Missal states:
If Communion is given only under the species of bread, the priest raises the host slightly and shows it to each, saying, " Corpus Christi " (the body of Christ). The communicant replies "Amen" and receives the sacrament either on the tongue or, where this is allowed and if the communicant so chooses, in the hand. As soon as the communicant receives the host, he or she consumes it entirely. (161)
If Communion from the chalice is carried out by intinction, each communicant, holding a communion-plate under the chin, approaches the priest, who holds a vessel with the sacred particles, a minister standing at his side and holding the chalice. The priest takes a host, dips it partly into the chalice and, showing it, says, " Corpus et Sanguis Christi " (the body and blood of Christ). The communicant responds "Amen," receives the sacrament in the mouth from the priest, and then withdraws. (287)
The USCCB’s Committee on the Liturgy document "Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion at Mass" states:
The proper and only permissible form for distributing Holy Communion is to offer the consecrated bread by saying, "the body of Christ" and to offer the consecrated wine by saying, "the blood of Christ." No other words or names should be added; and the formula should not be edited in any way.
—Peggy Frye
Q: Is it right or wrong to have a small family? Must I have a large family?
A: God said, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth . . ." (Gen. 1:28). The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches, "Sacred Scripture and the Church’s traditional practice see in large families a sign of God’s blessing and the parents’ generosity" (CCC 2373). So does this mean that having a large family is every married couple’s moral responsibility? The answer is no. In fact, family size is not an issue of morality at all—but both openness to children and responsible family planning are.
It is important to understand that engendering and raising children is one of the primary purposes of marriage. The Catechism explains, "The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring" (CCC 1601). "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" (CCC 2366).
That said, couples have a moral obligation to plan their families responsibly.
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. (CCC 2368)
Ultimately, family size should be determined by responsible procreation in cooperation with the love of God the Creator (cf. CCC 2367).
—Jim Blackburn
Q: I have been struggling with the issue of masturbation for the past couple of months. After doing some research, I discovered that it has some medicinal benefits. Why is the Church so hostile to sex? Is there a plan for the Magisterium to review the sex rules anytime soon?
A: Even if the physical benefits to masturbation were substantial, which I doubt, they would not justify the negative results. Masturbation conflicts with the whole purpose of sexuality. The act of sexual intercourse is the physical expression of the marriage vows made at the altar. It is therefore an expression of Christian love, i.e., concern for the other. It is the most complete way of expressing the total self-donation of one person to another. Total means until death. It can’t be total for a week or a couple of years.
With masturbation there is no self-donation to anybody. It consists of taking pleasure for oneself alone. There is no giving at all. We were created for more than that.
The Church is not hostile to sex; indeed, nowhere will you find a higher understanding of sexuality than in the Catholic Church. The Church teaches reality. Opinions don’t change reality. Nor will the Church ever attempt to do so. I suggest that you get a copy of Good News About Sex and Marriage by Christopher West. You can order it through shop.catholic.com or by phone: 888 291 8000.
—Fr. Vincent Serpa
Q: I don’t want to be Catholic anymore: I want to be not Catholic. What can I do?
A: The fact that you ask this question reveals your recognition of Church authority. Otherwise, why even ask the question? I find this reassuring because no one who recognizes the Church’s authority, and really understands it, would ever want to be "not Catholic."
I suspect that you question some Church teaching, discipline, or canon law. You want to trust your own authority over that of the Church’s. But seen in its proper perspective, the Church’s authority is comforting because Jesus endowed the Church with its powers so that we might achieve salvation. The Vatican II document Lumen Gentium explains,
For the nurturing and constant growth of the People of God, Christ the Lord instituted in his Church a variety of ministries, which work for the good of the whole body. For those ministers, who are endowed with sacred power, serve their brethren, so that all who are of the people of God, and therefore enjoy a true Christian dignity, working toward a common goal freely and in an orderly way, may arrive at salvation. (LG 18)
I suggest that you seriously look into what it is you are questioning, find out what it really means, why it exists, and ultimately, why you’re better off because it.
—Jim Blackburn
Q: My Lutheran father asked me if there is a patron saint of good deeds. If not, is there a saint who was known for doing good deeds?
A: All saints do good deeds; they are one of the ways sanctity is measured. One saint who stressed the necessity of doing good deeds is St. James the Less, commonly believed to have been the author of the scriptural Epistle of James. In that letter he wrote:
What does it profit, my brethren, if a man says he has faith but has not works? Can his faith save him? If a brother or sister is ill-clad and in lack of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what does it profit? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. (Jas. 2:14–17)
—Michelle Arnold
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