Fr. William P. Saunders

Straight Answers

Holding Hands During the Lord's Prayer
In one of your previous columns, you addressed the reason for gestures at Mass. I am puzzled however by a seemingly new gesture: that of holding hands during the Lord's Prayer. I feel very uncomfortable doing it. I heard it is actually a violation of Canon Law because it assumes an intimacy or communion before the "real communion," the Eucharistic celebration. Why do pastor's allow it? Read more

More Straight Answers

1. The Sign of the Cross
2. Pornography
3. Transubstantiation
4. Suicide
5. General Absolution
6. Tarot Cards
7. Who is Elijah?
8. The Shroud of Turin
9. Receiving Communion
10. Confession Comes First
11. The Proper Response in Handling a Fallen Host
12. The Case of Terri Schiavo
13. Angels - Part 1
14. Angels - Part 2
15. Modest Dress
16. Stem Cell Research
17. Our Father
18. Missing Mass
19. Masses for the Dead
20. Annulment: A Catholic Divorce?
21. The Immaculate Conception
22. The Twelve Days of Christmas
23. Is There a Santa Claus?
24. Excommunication: A Call to Grace
25. Daily Mass and Priestly Obligation
26. Is Baptism Necessary For Salvation?
27. Church Teaching on Abortion
28. What is Shrove Tuesday?
29. The Ashen Cross
30. Lenten Pretzels
31. Making a Good Confession
32. The Eastern Rite Church
33. Can the Pope Retire?
34. Who Really Killed Jesus?
35. Resurrection of the Dead
36. Euthanasia
37. The Path to the Papacy
38. John Paul the Great
39. Did Jesus Have Brothers?
40. Apparitions and Dogma
41. The Holy See and the Chair of St. Peter
42. The Gifts of the Spirit
43. Why Do We Call Catholic Priests 'Father'?
44. St. Anthony: Patron of Lost Things
45. Whose Homily Is It?
46. Dismas and Longinus
47. The Gnostic Gospels
48. St. Michael the Archangel
49. One Faith, Two Creeds
50. Basilicas, Cathedrals & Shrines
51. Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament
52. Who Was Mary Magdalene?
53. The Feast of the Assumption
54. The Primacy of Peter
55. Mass Intentions
56. St. Helena and the True Cross
57. Mother of Sorrows
58. Freemasonry
59. Origins of the Rosary
60. Origins of the Rosary - Part II
61. What Is a Novena?
62. Purgatory
63. The Celebration of Advent
64. Christian Twist to Christmas Decorations
65. The Advent Wreath
66. The "O Antiphons"
67. The Christmas Tree
68. Mary: True Mother of God
69. The Holy Name of Jesus
70. Women Deacons
71. Mary as Our Lady of Hope
72. The Feast of St. Blaise
73. Sterilization as Contraception
74. The Placement of the Tabernacle
75. The Origins of Lent
76. The Symbolism of the Gospel Writers
77. Lead Us Not into Temptation
78. The Morality of 'Sex Change' Operations
79. Leave Cell Phones at Home
80. Traveling the Path to Catholicism
81. Answering 'Amen'
82. Images Surrounding the Crucifix
83. The Chrism Mass and Holy Oils
84. Holy Water
85. Jesus Descended into Hell
86. The Mortal Sin of Blasphemy
87. Who Wrote the Gospels?
88. The Fable of Pope Joan
89. Our Lady of Perpetual Help
90. St. Anthony of Padua
91. Our Lady of La Salette
92. The Sacrament of Penance
93. St. Joseph
94. St. Joseph - Part II
95. Mary as Our Lady of Hope
96. What Is Purgatory Like?
97. Masses for the Repose of Souls
98. Marriage Problems
99. Our Lady of Guadalupe
100. Our Lady of Guadalupe (Part II)
101. Halloween and All Saints Day
102. All Souls Day
103. Why Fast Before Communion?
104. When was Jesus Born?
105. Who Were the Magi?
106. The Sadness of Life After Abortion
107. Celibacy in the Priesthood
108. The Elusive St. Valentine
109. The Passion of Christ
110. Cruelty Toward Animals
111. The "Lamb of God"
112. The Easter Triduum
113. Cremation
114. Why Is Bad Language a Sin?
115. Brushing Up on Confession
116. The Pervasive Reach of Pornography
117. The Church and Contraception (Part 1)
118. Marital Love Is Sacred Action
119. Marital Love Is Both Unitive and Procreative
120. Natural Family Planning
121. Church Teaching Has Solid Foundation
122. The Pressure to Contracept
123. The Miracle of Lanciano
124. Confused by Terminology
125. The Catechism: A Gift for Everyone
126. Prudence: Mother of All Virtues
127. Justice, Fortitude, Temperance
128. An Irish Catholic Tradition
129. The Debate Over Incorruptibility
130. Selecting the Right Godparents
131. Does the Church Condone Tyrannicide?
132. Disposing of Blessed Objects