Q: Love your blog.  Have learned so much both from the content as well as your attitude of faithful servant-leadership on liturgical issues. With regards to your answer about live-streaming I have to ask: “This can’t be right.” Parishioners come to church for Mass and find that we are “full” with all the social distancing guidelines in place.  Ushers direct them to the church hall in the same building.  They watch Mass on live-stream, hear the readings, and are anxious to receive the Eucharist when those attending Mass in the church receive.  We are to deny them the Eucharist? == …

Q: People want to know, and I don’t have a good answer: If we live-stream a school Mass, but in-person in church can only allow 75-85 students because of social distancing, can communion be distributed to those students who participated via the live-stream? If so, why and if not, why not? Thanks.  I appreciate your time with this.  Parents have been asking……… All of this is crazy.  I appreciate your wisdom.  . == A: We’re not supposed to do that. The reason is that those who are “participating” on live-stream are not at the Mass. If communion is to be …

Q: I’ve got confreres who announce the Mass intentions differently. On Sundays, as a rule, we include it in the General Intercessions, but some of the guys still announce it at the start of Mass or (if it is a deceased) use the prayer for the dead in the Eucharistic prayers after the consecration. So, they are getting 2 mentions on Sundays. I have one confrere who does both and so the Mass intention got mentioned 3 times on Sunday! To me that’s overkill. Should Mass intentions be announced to the assembly?  And if so, when and where in the liturgy? …

Q: Can someone being received into the full communion of the Catholic Church be a godparent for a child being baptized in the same ceremony? == A: A godparent should be someone who is already Catholic. The godparent’s role starts at the beginning of the baptismal liturgy, so they really should be Catholic before it ever begins.

Q: When someone is received under the Rite of Reception of Validly Baptized Christians into the Full Communion of the Catholic Church, must the candidate pronounce the Profession of Faith (“I believe and profess…”), or can it be simply “I do”, with the Profession of Faith in question-form (“Do you believe and profess…”)? == A: There is no provision for a Q/A here. The preparers of that ritual wanted it clear that the person was stepping forward of their own free will and making a declaration. I treated this on p. 63 of my book, When Other Christians Become Catholic. Even …

Q: In a live-streamed Mass, can we go along like normal and then have a live person from their living room read the First Reading. The same for the Prayers of the faithful. Asking for a friend.  My sense is no but because someone told me “well, we haven’t been told no” they are live videoing in a reader or splicing in a taped reading. Tech minds want to know.  == A: The Mass being live-streamed needs to be a complete, integral Mass. The priest cannot pause the Mass at certain points, like, say the first reading, announce, “OK, everyone at home, …

Q: I believe I remember you writing at some point that there is a request in to the Vatican about using an implement to administer the oil of chrism for confirmation so that the thumb does not need to be used. Has there been any word on this yet? Thank you! == A: Yes, we have an answer, though it went in a private correspondence from the Vatican to bishops. At least one diocese has published it online here: https://www.cathdal.org/USCCB-Confirmation-Letter-20200602.pdf. The use of an instrument does not affect the validity of the sacrament. The minister may continue to use his thumb, but …

Q: Please respond to the question a non-Catholic friend raised after attending the ordination of a permanent deacon in our parish. A Catholic participant has also raised similar questions. I’d prefer an expert like you to respond. Thanks! Last evening in particular I really enjoyed the Litany of the Saints. Just now I’ve been listening to several versions on YouTube and there seem to be a number of versions and some differences in Saints. Why is a Litany of Saints sung at ordinations? What determines the choice of Saints? == A: The Litany of the Saints has been a common …

Q: I read your blog about invalid baptisms. I know a priest who always ends the invocation of the trinity with “amen”. This doesn’t  make it invalid does it? == A: I can’t imagine that an “amen” would make it invalid because the formula is complete by then. But it’s not a good practice. This latest directive from the Vatican should impress upon all of us not to play with the formulas of any of the sacraments.

Q: Is it possible to move the Solemnity of the Epiphany which is on 6 January 2021 to 2nd Sunday in Christmas Time 3 January 2021 which I believe is within the Octave of Christmas. Also I note some calendars have put Epiphany on 3 January 2021: the Philippines, Hong Kong and the USCCB. The UK one remains at 6 January. I have the understanding that the feast is moved to the nearest Sunday every time it falls on a week day, this is to allow  people to celebrate the feast. Hence, the research on what conferences would do next …