Why should we pray if God already knows what we need?

THE EARLY CHURCH

Q – Why are there so many different ways to address priests? Can’t we just call them all Father?

Why do I need to go to a Priest for Confession? Why not tell God my sins directly?

Is it always wrong to lie? My mother asked me some personal questions about a friend and I didn’t want to reveal something that she had told me in strict confidence. What should I have done?

The name ‘Pope’ comes from the Latin word Papa meaning father. The Pope is the Bishop of Rome. St Peter is seen as the first Pope or leader of the Church because Jesus called him ‘the rock’ and said that He would build His Church on this rock.

A list of the names of all the Bishops of Rome has been kept from the time of St Peter to the present day. Pope Francis is the 266th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church.

There was a great persecution of Christians in Rome in the first few centuries and many of the early Popes were martyred for their faith.

June Palmer answers some of your questions about the saints.

Q– Why do we choose a Saint’s name when we are Confirmed? 

The world has witnessed social and cultural changes through the ages. Should the views of the Catholic Church change to reflect those of the majority of people these days?

1. Pentecost is one of the greatest festivals of the Church, although it is not widely celebrated or known outside the Church

2. When the Apostles and Our Lady went to the Upper Room to pray they were actually going to celebrate the Feast of Weeks. This Jewish festival was held each year on the 50th day after the Sabbath of Passover week and is described in Leviticus 23:15-22

3. The Jewish Festival of Weeks (called Shavuot in Hebrew) was originally to celebrate the harvest but later it celebrated the time when God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai.