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Mary was saved "at her conception" from the stain of original sin. The sinfulness of her parents plays no part in that. It could have happened with Jesus Christ. The Church does not teach that it "had" to happen that way, only that it was fitting that it did. Everything God does is for our...

What I have read of the Septuagint is that it was more than just a "bunch of documents." It was not an official canon in the sense that we think of it today because the Jews did not have a magisterial authority to make it so. However, the Septuagint was the Greek version of Hebrew scriptures and...

Are they limited? In a sense, yes. Because the number of requests being asked of them are of a finite number. It is a big number, but it is still finite. We understand that those in heaven are made aware of our requests. God is the one who makes them aware, and how he does that has not been...

It may be that I haven't read the entire thread and you already addressed this, but in what way did the Church alter the canon in 1546?

I wouldn't say it was a "final" approval, as that seems to say that there was still question as to what was inspired scripture and what was not. The Catholic Church established the canon in 393 at Hippo and affirmed it in subsequent councils. The Reformers called this into question 1000+ years...

Actually, the canon was established and confirmed at more than one council. In 393 AD there was the Council at Hippo. At the time, St. Augustine was the Bishop of Hippo and he was very active in this particular Council. There were also the Councils of the 4th and 5th Councils of Carthage in 397...

My understanding is that the Catholic Church did not take any books out. In order to remove books, there would have had to be an official canon. The Septuagint was never an official canon. There were different versions of the Old Testament at the time of Christ. What the Catholic Church did...

I read through the Wikipedia article on free will. Truth be told, I did not read every section in it's entirety, mostly because of time constraints.

Interesting, but problematic. Purgatory is not a place where God tortures us, however it is a place where there is suffering. The suffering is caused by our attachments to sin. Sanctification involves suffering (Rom. 5:3–5), and purgatory is the final stage of sanctification that some of us...

I'll check it out and get back to you.

Yes, I have heard that view before. The basis for that, as I understand it, are some scriptures: "If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin" (John 15:22) Romans 2:15-16 also speaks of God's law being written on the hearts of men and that they will be judged accordingly. I...

Agreed. Thank you for the explanation. I listen to the apologists on Catholic Answers quite a bit, and they continue to teach and preach the traditional view of what Purgatory is.

No.

Really? I have never heard that. I have never heard the term "celestial showerbath." It may be that some priests, anxious to not offend, have softened their presentation of the truth, but the Catechism of the Catholic Church still says that Purgatory is a cleansing by fire: 1030 All who die in...

I think the issue is the word "pray." Catholicism is 2000 years old and not just an English speaking faith. The word pray traditionally meant to "ask" or "petition." It wasn't until Protestantism, and specifically American Protestantism, that the word pray came to mean specifically and only...

As far as I know this is the view still taught in current times. What has changed?

Here is the document by Pope Pius IX regarding the Immaculate Conception. CATHOLIC LIBRARY: Ineffabilis Deus (1854) No where can I find the quote you posted and attributed to Pope Pius IX, here in this document. I am also unable to find any credible reference for the quote you posted...

For the same reason a person would pray (meaning ask) a creation (saints on earth) to pray for them. Those in heaven are not dead, they are with God, before the the throne. They continue to be part of the Body of Christ, so why could they not pray for us as any Christian can do? The Bible...

God has free will, and yet we understand the he cannot choose to sin because that would be a logical contradiction due to the fact that he is perfect love and goodness. Those in heaven are perfected by God, and so our free will is perfected and rightly ordered toward good and we would be unable...

Yes, it is by fire, and yes it is suffering, just as there is suffering in this life. However the souls in purgatory are assured of salvation. So while there is suffering, it isn't just suffering and agony (that is hell), there is also great joy.