Dear catholic.com visitors: This website from Catholic Answers, with all its many resources, is the world's largest source of explanations for Catholic beliefs and practices. A fully independent, lay-run, 501(c)(3) ministry that receives no funding from the institutional Church, we rely entirely on the generosity of everyday people like you to keep this website going with trustworthy , fresh, and relevant content. If everyone visiting this month gave just $1, catholic.com would be fully funded for an entire year. Do you find catholic.com helpful? Please make a gift today. SPECIAL PROMOTION FOR NEW MONTHLY DONATIONS! Thank you and God bless.

Dear catholic.com visitors: This website from Catholic Answers, with all its many resources, is the world's largest source of explanations for Catholic beliefs and practices. A fully independent, lay-run, 501(c)(3) ministry that receives no funding from the institutional Church, we rely entirely on the generosity of everyday people like you to keep this website going with trustworthy , fresh, and relevant content. If everyone visiting this month gave just $1, catholic.com would be fully funded for an entire year. Do you find catholic.com helpful? Please make a gift today. SPECIAL PROMOTION FOR NEW MONTHLY DONATIONS! Thank you and God bless.

✕

Steven O’Reilly

Contributor

Steven O’Reilly is a frequent contributor to This Rock. He writes from Snellville, Georgia.

More by Steven O’Reilly

White Is Wrong 04/01/2001

Guilty Only of Failure to Teach 10/01/2000

The One Who Serves 07/01/2000

The Attempt to Whitewash Peter's Primacy 02/01/2000

Canon Broadsides 04/01/1999

The False Decretals 10/01/1998

Did you like this content? Please help keep us ad-free

Enjoying this content? Please support our mission!Donatewww.catholic.com/support-us