Priest Answers 27 Questions

by Michael Kerper

Do ghosts really exist?

Do I have to give money to every beggar who comes along?

Is it okay to be cremated?

In these pages, Fr. Michael Kerper has collected and answered over two dozen questions that most of us have asked, but rarely took the time to seek an answer. With wit and enthusiasm, Fr. Kerper tackles each question head-on, relying on Scripture, tradition, the Catechism, and the writing of the saints to provide us with answers.

Fast-paced and thoroughly enjoyable, this book provides you with a treasure trove of little-known knowledge to share with your family and friends.

Genres: Religion, Catholic, Christianity

146 pages, Paperback

Published February 14, 2017

Reviews

[Emmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent book that I came upon completely by chance. So often, Catholics and non-Catholics alike have questions about doctrine, whether to ask why or to point out an apparent unfairness about something. Fr. Kerper brings up a whole host of interesting questions and provides clear and thorough answers to each. Whether you want to know if cremation is ok, if guardian angels exist, or why you can't have female priests, this is the book for you. It's a quick (very quick) read and so incredibly interesting. Highly recommend.

[Lynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the question-answer format and learned a few things. I hope Fr. Kerper continues with this as a series.

[Christian Engler · Rating 5 out of 5]

The one thing that I’ve always liked about the Catholic Church is its historical roots and the strong and unshakable foundation that has withered so many storms throughout its history. I thought I knew a lot. And Father Kerper’s book was one of those works that I didn’t think I would need or even find useful, primarily because I considered myself firmly grounded in my Catholic knowledge and faith - the do’s and don’ts along with the how’s and why’s. With that, however, questions do arise. In my parish, there are many deacons (and they’re looking for more) who take on a good amount of responsibility. And the priests always seem to be new ones, constantly rotating. Additionally, during the segment of the Mass when parishioners say the Our Father, they do so using the Orans Position (outstretched arms and hands), a position that I always associated more with the Pentecostal faith. Not that any of the aforementioned bothered me, but there was always a thought in my mind as to why these things were the way that they were. Then I came across Fr. Kerper’s excellent book that answered those questions and more.

Written in a question and answer format, some of the questions that are asked are: Are we required to give to everyone who asks for something? What is God’s Name? Why do priests get moved? Why do deacons do so much of the priestly work now? Is damnation real? Can Catholics believe in reincarnation (a very interesting answer)? It is okay to be cremated? The history of cremation and why the Church originally frowned upon it was very illuminating. What I appreciated most about the answers were that they were grounded in history and Scripture. Some of the things (like deacons and the types of worship expression) are not new at all but have a legacy that go back to Christ and the early Church. There are a lot of newfangled approaches to evangelization that sometimes appear unorthodox and highly questionable, but rather, they have been pulled from the neither reaches of history and brought forth into the modern age. This work is appropriately titled, because there really are some questions that I would never ever have considered to ask. But what this work did mostly was offer clarity to grey areas that I just assumed that I knew the answers to. This was a good go-to handbook that every Catholic should have, because when you think you probably know they answers, they are probably incorrect.

[Katarzyna Balutowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a bit dated. But I am glad it exists.

[Anna Claxton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Useful! The answers could have been more succinct and persuasive, but I learned some fresh verbiage and analogy. The 27 questions are grouped in 4 sections, but the questions address diverse topics such that the sections did not seem necessary.

[Ken Agni · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very thorough and well researched book.