Posts by Deacon Paul Poulter

Why do Catholic altars have relics? Relics became integrated in the Catholic Church at the Second Council of Nicaea in 787 when Church authorities passed a law stating that every church should have a relic at its altar. A relic is, strictly speaking, the mortal remains of a saint and, in a broad sense, the…

How are the Sunday Scripture readings chosen? In the first century the Church celebrated the Eucharist by obeying Christ’s directions and doing as He had done at the Last Supper the night before He died. Today, scripture is proclaimed on Sundays according to a schedule of passages called a lectionary. For Roman Catholics, it is The Lectionary for the Mass. The earliest Christians simply read whatever scriptures were available in their community. The first “lectionaries” which appeared by the fifth or sixth…

I got a Bible for Christmas. How do I know if it’s approved by the Catholic Church? The easiest way to tell for your Bible and many other religious books is to look in the front pages of the book.  Approval from the Church has to be requested and the document reviewed. Look for these…