Difference between priest and monsignor
Q. Could you explain for me the difference (if any) between “priest” and “monsignor?” Under what circumstances is a priest given the title of “monsignor”? (Burke, Va.)
A. “Monsignor” is a title bestowed on a priest who has distinguished himself by exceptional service to the church. It is a title granted by the pope — typically, upon the recommendation of the priest’s diocesan bishop. It is a purely honorary title and has no effect on the priest’s duties or ministerial assignment. In January 2014, Pope Francis instructed the bishops of the world that diocesan priests would no longer be awarded the title before reaching the age of 65. No reasons were published for the pope’s decision, but Pope Francis has often cautioned priests against careerism and personal ambition. He seems to have long felt uncomfortable about ecclesiastical titles; when he was a bishop and later a cardinal in Argentina, Pope Francis always asked people to call him “Father.” And notably, while he served as archbishop of Buenos Aires (1998-2013), not once did he petition the Holy See to have one of his priests named a monsignor.
Purgatory and the good thief
Q. As I understand purgatory, it is a place where a cleansing is done, even if we have received the sacrament of anointing of the sick and/or made a good confession and had our sins absolved before death. My question is this: On the day Jesus was crucified, he told the good thief, “Today you will be with me in paradise”; so, are we to assume that no cleansing in purgatory was required for him? And if that’s the case, why not? (Philadelphia)
A. Your understanding of purgatory is correct. It has been a clear and consistent belief of the church, as stated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “All who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven” (No. 1030). What we don’t know, of course, is just what this transitional state consists of. How long it lasts, whether it might even be instantaneous and what it feels like are questions beyond our reckoning so long as we are still on this side of eternity. What needs to be factored in, too — and some might be unaware of this — is a prayer called the “Apostolic Pardon.” This prayer of blessing is customarily administered by a priest when someone is close to death and follows the anointing of the sick and, if possible, the sacraments of penance and the Eucharist as viaticum, bread for the journey. In this prayer, the priest says, “Through the holy mysteries of our redemption, may almighty God release you from all punishments in this life and in the life to come. May he open to you the gates of paradise and welcome you to everlasting joy.” And even if a priest is unavailable, the church provides in the Handbook of Indulgences that a dying person who is rightly disposed and has prayed regularly during life may be granted this same plenary indulgence (No. 28). So to me, it’s quite reasonable that Jesus could have absolved the repentant thief of both sin and of punishment. If a priest can do it, why not Christ?
Will Sr. Ita Ford be a saint?
Q. Recently four men were beatified as martyrs in El Salvador. In 1980, Archbishop Oscar Romero was murdered while celebrating Mass, and in 2018, he was declared a saint. Is there any effort underway to beatify the Maryknoll Sister Ita Ford and the three other church women who answered Archbishop Romero’s plea for help? They were brutally murdered also in 1980. Are they not martyrs as well? (Fredericksburg)
A. Sister Ita Ford was a Catholic Maryknoll Sister who grew up in Brooklyn. She served as a missionary in Bolivia, Chile and El Salvador, working primarily with the poor. She was beaten, raped and murdered Dec. 2, 1980, by members of the El Salvador military along with three fellow missionaries — Maryknoll Sister Maura Clarke, Ursuline Sister Dorothy Kazel and lay missionary Jean Donovan. In January 2022, Mass was celebrated in El Salvador at the tomb of Sisters Maura Clarke and Ita Ford by retired Bishop Octavio Cisneros of Brooklyn and Bishop Oswaldo Escobar of Chalatenango, El Salvador. Following the Mass, Bishop Escobar said Salvadoran bishops are working on a canonization cause that will include the four women martyrs.
‘Lead us not into temptation’
Q. When we say the Lord’s Prayer at Mass, we pray, “Lead us not into temptation.” Why would God lead us into temptation? I know that God allows temptation to occur, but the word “lead” is an active verb that implies God may be actively involved in our being tempted. Would you please clarify the church’s teaching on God’s role in temptation? (Chambersburg, Pa.)
A. I agree with your concern over the phrase “lead us not into temptation.” But more important, so does Pope Francis. In an interview in 2017 with Italian television, Pope Francis said, “That is not a good translation.” He suggested as a possible alternative, “Do not let us fall into temptation.” And within two years, Vatican-approved translations in French, Italian and Spanish included equivalents such as “Do not abandon us to temptation.” That comports with the biblical Letter of James that says: “No one experiencing temptation should say, ‘I am being tempted by God’; … Rather, each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire” (1:13-14). The Catechism of the Catholic Church clarifies that the Greek wording used in the Scripture “means both ‘do not allow us to enter into temptation’ and ‘do not let us yield to temptation’ ” (No. 2846). So be comforted: The God who created us out of love would not purposely place us in temptation and set us up to fall into sin.
Collection basket in sanctuary
Q. Recently a new priest came to our church and started a tradition many of us think is disrespectful and distasteful. When the ushers take up the collection, they put it in a covered basket and march it up the aisle, right behind the gifts of bread and wine. Then the priest accepts the gifts, places the basket on the floor of the sanctuary and the Mass continues with the basket in front of the altar. Is there anything in Catholic doctrine that indicates whether we should or should not do this? (Atlanta)
A. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal is the church’s official “guidebook” for the celebration of the Eucharist. Here is what it has to say about the offertory procession: “The offerings are then brought forward. It is a praiseworthy practice for the bread and wine to be presented by the faithful. … Even though the faithful no longer bring from their own possessions the bread and wine intended for the liturgy as was once the case, nevertheless the rite of carrying up the offerings still keeps its spiritual efficacy and significance” (No. 73). That same section of the instruction addresses your concern over the particular placing of monetary gifts: “Money or other gifts for the poor or for the church, brought by the faithful or collected in the church, are acceptable; given their purpose, they are to be put in a suitable place away from the eucharistic table.” From the wording of the instruction, it seems clear that the position of the collection basket should not take the focus away from the Mass.
Christ commands us to love