2/3/25 - Fr. Gerald Murray - Catholic Definition of a Couple?

Fr. Gerald Murray is the Pastor of Holy Family Church in the Archdiocese of New York. He received his Doctorate in Canon Law from the Gregorian University in Rome in 1998, and he is one of the most well-respected Canon Lawyers in the church today. He also served in the U.S. Naval Reserve Chaplain Corps from 1994 to 2005. In Today's Show I made a private vow to pay off debts, am I obligated to fulfil them, or can I get the bow dispensed? What religion was followed in the Old Testament? What is the Catholic Church's definition of a "couple" and "irregular couple"? What are the dietary restrictions with fasting before mass when becoming a Catholic? How is the current Canon Law different from the 1917 Canon Law? What do we think happened with the poor souls lost in the DC plane crash? What happens to the souls of those who commit suicide? Do those that die as martyrs have the marks of what killed them in heaven? What to do if someone is pretending to be a priest in our apostolate group? Our priest says it's not in Canon Law that we have to receive communion from a priest, thus allowing extraordinary ministers. What happened to the gold that Magi gave Jesus? Why is there a correlation between modernization and secularism? I heard a story where a priest baptized a premature baby on the top of the incubator, does that count? Visit the show page at thestationofthecross.com/askapriest to listen live, check out the weekly lineup, listen to podcasts of past episodes, watch live video, find show resources, sign up for our mailing list of upcoming shows, and submit your question for Father!