Question:  What is really the proper baptismal formula of words?  If Jesus commanded to baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, then why didn't the apostles do it as seen in the book of Acts where they baptized in the name of Jesus?

Question:  I'm getting married in the next short while and this weekend we were at wedding.  It was in the Ukrainian church and I didn't understand most of it.  They had a statue, a Bible, and something else where the participants wandered in a circle kissing and showing respect.  I'm not Catholic and I've rarely been to a Catholic Church so that was new to me.  BUT the thing I was most curious about is the bride and groom had a crown of thorns placed on their heads.  Now, I really liked that idea…I'd steal it if i could…but here's the question…What does it represent?  I was thinking simply being believers…now someone else says chastity before marriage?  Is that a Catholic-only symbol?  Fill me in.

Question:  Why does the Catholic Church sacrifice Jesus at Mass?

Question:  There seem to be a lot of theories about the Eucharistic sacrifice.  I always wondered what "unbloody sacrifice" means at Mass.

Question:  I was told by a Baptist that Catholics believe that babies that die before baptism all go to hell.  He told me he couldn't accept that belief, and therefore rejects the Catholic Church.

Question:  Art Sippo answers a series of questions about the sacrament of Baptism.

Question:  Why is Christian polygamy a novelty?  I think the Bible supports it.

Question:  My letter is simply to ask about baptisms (infant or otherwise), done outside of the Catholic church.  Could you point me to writings that you, or others, have prepared on the topic?  My questions are pretty simple…an infant baptism (say, in a Lutheran or Presbyterian church) or an adult baptism (say, in a Baptist church)…are these "valid" baptisms?  You have written much about the glorious things that happen in baptism (and I have no argument with what you have written), I am just curious as to your thoughts on how much, or how little of these things occur when the baptism takes place outside of the Catholic Church.

Question:  A Protestant friend of mine complains about all of the "Pomp and Ceremony of the Mass".  Do you know where I could find the origins of the ceremony?

A series of questions about the ministerial priesthood.

Question:  Hey, I'm in a heavy email discussion with an evangelical musician.  We are going over purgatory, Eucharist and Infant Baptism.  What do I say about

It seems they want to use this passage as an argument for baptism as a mature appeal from an adult and a symbol rather than a true cleansing –– HELP!

Question:  Since "elder" (the Greek "presbyter") does not mean "priest", why do Catholic translations translate it as such?  After all, if the New Testament wanted to convey the meaning of priest, it would have used "hiereus".

Question:  Christian baptism is necessary for the remission of sins.  John's baptism didn't remit original or actual sin.  So then how were those baptized by John & NOT re-baptized with Christian baptism cleansed of sin?

Question:  I am a former Roman Catholic, saved by Jesus Christ in l99l.  I have heard all the arguements, and I still know that what I was taught in the Roman Catholic Church is completely opposed to orthodoxed biblical doctrine.  I do not care what Luther or Calvin (or any Pope) has to say – the Scriptures alone are clear that faith saves man, and that Jesus Christ's ONE TIME sacrifice was perfect for my sins, and never to be repeated (Hebrews chapters 7-10).  God Bless you and take care.

Question:  Remember when Jesus said that He would not drink the fruit of the vine until he is with the Father, yet he drinks it when He is at the Cross?  You see, that seems to not fit correctly since he "appears" to not be in the Kingdom and with our Father.  I say that because if you remember Jesus said, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?"  By that I have been taught that Jesus became "separated" by God because of death.  Unlike the Protestant understanding that Jesus was INFUSED within.  Which we both know that that would be impossible for God to be infused with Sin.  What I am trying to ask is how would you explain this…how do you understand that Jesus drank of the fruit of the vine yet not being with the Father?  Or was he still with the Father at that time?  And if so, why did He ask the Father, "Eloi Eloi lama…"?

Question:  Did Pope Gelasius deny the doctrine of Transubstantiation?  I was just on line with James White and he made the claim that Pope Gelasius denied transubstantiation.  Can you give me any insight on this.  He quoted from Galasius where he said the "substance" did not change.  Is there a source document on the net?  I have heard him make this argument before.

Question:  My question is: when did Christians first start going to Confession, and how did it develop into what it is today?  I want to be able to tell my Protestant friends what's really going on and that this isn't some pagan practice.

Question:  I've heard people recently saying something about celibacy being linked to land ownership during the Middle Ages.  How should I respond?

Question:  I'm wondering if you can affirm or deny what I just heard on a Catholic apologetics tape set by Tim Gray, namely, that the line of Levitical priests was broken at the Destruction of the Temple in 70 AD and therefore there can be no more bloody sacrifice in Judaism.  I just used this argument with a Protestant, but he says there still are Jewish priests, and now I'm stuck.

Question:  Since you did some research on Feeneyism, could you help me answer the following point?  I had argued with a Feeneyite that God wouldn't send a newborn African child dying of hunger of malaria to be sent to hell only because he didn't have a chance to be baptized.  This is her response:

Now what?