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Catholics/Expert Profile
Expertise
I am an ordained permanent deacon in Catholic church. Married with three children. I am able to answer questions about most aspects of our faith, from Scripture to prayer. My perspective is pastoral and progressive.
Experience in the area
Ordained to permanent diaconate in 1985. Parish work in hospice, RCIA, liturgy, evangelization, and adult education since then.
What do you like about this subject?
It addresses the deepest and most important questions of life.
What do you still hope to achieve/learn in this field?
I'd like to know more about Scripture and about the beliefs and practices of all other religions, Christian and non-Christian. I'd also love to know how to reconcile people who have been hurt by the Church or some of its stupid members.
Something interesting about this subject that others may not know:
The highest moral arbiter for any human being is his or her conscience. It's higher than the pope, higher than Councils, higher than any bishop, priest, deacon, brother, nun, or spiritual advisor.
Something controversial or provocative about this subject
The answers to all important questions don't necessarily come from Rome.
Average Ratings
Recent Reviews from Users
K = Knowledgeability C = Clarity of Response T = Timeliness P = Politeness| User | Date | K | C | T | P | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jessica | 10/26/09 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | |
| Phil | 10/22/09 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | Thanks Deacon Tom. Your responses are very ..... |
| alice | 10/08/09 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | |
| Liza | 10/05/09 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | Thank you for your prompt and helpful ..... |
| Luke | 09/22/09 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | Many thanks for your both answers Tom! ..... |
Recent Answers from Tom Schott
2009-10-21 Weddings on Sunday:
Phil, I've seen people married during Sunday mass at parishes . . . . so the answer is yes, the church does do weddings on Sunday. In fact, to be married in the midst of the Christian community is
2009-10-17 RCIA:
Dear Jessica, Your sponsor is absolutely wrong and grossly misinformed. There are many gay people in the church. There is nothing sinful about your being gay, and being gay is certainly no impediment
2009-10-03 Novus Ordo presbyter:
Gene, A Novus Ordo presbyter is a priest who celebrates mass and the sacraments according to the rites revised by the Vatican II council. Here's some explanation from Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia
2009-09-07 Inter-religioius marriage:
Arun, No. I'm sorry there is no way that this can be done in the Church. Why? Because the sacrament of matrimony (which is what a marriage blessed by the church is) has to be entered into by two baptized
2009-07-26 Jesus' family:
Indeed, there probably are some Catholic priests who subscribe to some other belief about Mary other than official Church doctrine. And, sadly, there are some who probably don't have enough sense to keep
Answers by Expert:
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