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Q. I promised God that I would say a certain prayer every day for the conversion of sinners. I have not remained faithful to that vow. Is breaking a promise to God a mortal sin?

A. There was no sin, and you made no formal promise. You expressed a desire to implement a spiritual practice. People make these kinds of promises all the time. They are not binding. They are just a way of expressing some sort of pious desire.

Q. I ask one priest a question and get an answer. I ask another priest the same question and get a different answer. Why can I not get the same answer from both priests?

A. Although I appreciate your question and sense your frustration, I think this is the wrong question for a scrupulous person. I think the more helpful question might be to ask yourself why you are asking questions of multiple priests. This is not beneficial for you.

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