Reverend Father Robert Altier

Again?

Fr. Altier will be opening the new season for Catholic Parents Online cable television this September. He will be taking questions in the segment entitled, "Simple Answers to Tough Questions", hosted by Colleen Perfect. This ought to be a very informative program. (CPO is open to your questions, since it is a taped program you would have to submit your questions in advance, via email. If you're interested, click on this link.) Some of the questions may be like the following:

"How does a Catholic respond when they receive a wedding invitation from a Catholic relative who is getting married in a non-Catholic Church?"

(My answer would be, just don't go - that's because I rarely go to anyone's wedding. Seriously, I would politely excuse myself, without lying, and gladly tell them why -I just don't get enough real excuses to use and I'd jump at the chance to use this one - I just don't like to go to weddings.)

"What do you say if you have out of town relatives staying at your house, who are not practicing Catholics, and while on your way to attending Sunday Mass they inform you that they think it's okay to receive Holy Communion even if a person attends Mass only occasionally."

(I would say, "Whatever - you are not going to Communion if you haven't been to confession." And I would berate and humiliate them and tell them they are going to hell if they do! Just kidding. Actually I would gently and kindly inform them of the rules regarding the reception of Holy Communion, and pray they would abide by them.)

"What do you say, if anything, if the mom-to-be has undergone in-vetro fertilization? And do you attend the baby shower?"

(Again, my answer would be, "I can't go to your stupid shower because you're going to hell." No - I'm so kidding. I would say, "The last baby shower I was at was for "Rosemary's Baby" and I don't trust any of them anymore." Again, I'm kidding. I would just go and keep my mouth shut. Well actually I wouldn't go because I'm a guy - men are so fortunate that they get to avoid that crap.)

Some people have commented that they thought Fr. Altier was prohibited from speaking on any media, but I think he just agreed to not presenting on radio, specifically Relevant Radio. Otherwise I know he speaks at conferences and stuff, and as spiritual director for CPO, I would think he's more than entitled to speak on their show.