Catholic Spotlight

Out and about these days, I notice that decorative, carved crosses are very, very popular in many stores.  You don’t see any crucifixes, though, except in religious goods stores (mostly Catholic).  When someone buys a decorative cross, it could be for a number of reasons — inspirational or religious affiliation, or for a friend who is not Catholic, or just because it has nice colors and fits into the particular design of a room.  Crucifixes, which used to be a staple in EVERY Catholic home (and often as part of a little corner table shrine), are purchased very specifically to express our Roman Catholic Faith.  I still like to give a really nice crucifix as a wedding gift for a Catholic couple – something that definitely won’t be on the department store gift registry and highly unlikely to be duplicated! 

I find it more than a little ironic, though, that carved/decorative crosses are so popular, and yet there are groups working in our country every day to remove religious symbols from the public square.  Could it be a subconscious rebellion to keep the cross in our midst, even if it’s in our own private space?

Our parish is conducting a workshop this week on annulments, and it reminded me that this is one of the most misunderstood, yet intriguing, topics in the Catholic Church today. If you’re seeking information, whether for yourself or a friend or just because you want to know, be sure you go to a valid resource. I’ve had friends in other parishes tell me that they’ve received incorrect advice on this subject from parish staff that should know better. Whether the advisor wears a collar or not, we’re still human, and sometimes find it hard to convey difficult news. Especially when confronted with “good Catholics” who just want to be a fully-functioning member of the parish community.

If you search online, be careful of where the information is coming from. There are many resources that purport to be “authentic.” Here’s a book that is very well-written, and contains the authentic teachings of the Catholic Church. Written for lay people as well as pastoral leaders, Annulments and the Catholic Church addresses many different aspects of annulments, including the process, grounds for annulment, Catholics marrying non-Catholics, and much more. This is one of those books that is good to have on-hand, for your own education and to help answer questions of friends and family members who will surely have a need to know at some point.