Interesting Questions for Catholics

Please note, I got this from a catholic forum and I am directly copying and pasting it, though not entirely.

Q:Is a devotion to Mary required of Catholics?
Answered by Michelle Arnold, a catholic apologist:
Devotion is an emotional attachment, which cannot be required of anyone. All that is required is that which can be governed by an act of the will, such as assent to those doctrines that the Church has declared to be true and binding upon Catholic consciences. So, as long as you give assent of the will to the Marian doctrines, it is not required that you have any particular emotional attachment to the Blessed Mother.

That said, devotion can be developed just like emotional attachment to any person can be developed, and it is certainly a pious action for a Catholic to seek to develop a devotion to his spiritual Mother. One way of developing such an attachment is to learn more about the Blessed Mother. To start learning about Mary, please consider the resources linked below.

Recommended resources:
True Devotion to Mary by St. Louis De Montfort
The World's First Love by Fulton J. Sheen
Meeting Mary, Our Mother in Faith by Kenneth J. Howell
Mary, The Mother of God (video) by Stephen K. Ray

Q:How are Protestants' sins forgiven without going to confession?
The Catholic Church does teach that protestants are Christians, correct? But the Church also teaches that there is no forgiveness of sins without the Sacrament of Reconciliation (confession) - correct? So since protestants don't believe in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, what is the Church's position on how protestant Christians can go to heaven without having gone to confession?

Answered by Jim Blackburn, catholic apologist
Jesus instituted the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation for the forgiveness of sins. It remains the only ordinary means of forgiveness of serious sins (cf., Code of Canon Law, 960). But it is not the only means. Those who cannot approach the sacrament, including non-Catholics, may attain forgiveness in other ways.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation (Penance) is generally required for the remission of mortal sins committed after Baptism (which forgives all sins). The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) explains, “Christ instituted the sacrament of Penance for all sinful members of his Church: above all for those who, since Baptism, have fallen into grave sin, and have thus lost their baptismal grace and wounded ecclesial communion. It is to them that the sacrament of Penance offers a new possibility to convert and to recover the grace of justification” (CCC 1446).

While sacramental confession of all sins is recommended (cf. Code of Canon Law, 988.2), venial sins may be confessed directly to God. Moreover, the Catechism notes, “[Scripture and the Fathers] cite as means of obtaining forgiveness of sins: efforts at reconciliation with one's neighbor, tears of repentance, concern for the salvation of one's neighbor, the intercession of the saints, and the practice of charity which covers a multitude of sins” (CCC 1434).

Perfect contrition also obtains forgiveness. “When it arises from a love by which God is loved above all else, contrition is called "perfect" (contrition of charity). Such contrition remits venial sins; it also obtains forgiveness of mortal sins if it includes the firm resolution to have recourse to sacramental confession as soon as possible” (CCC 1452).

Q:Why do bad things happen to good people?
The answer is found here. Great reading. Simple and to the point.
http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/religion/re0019.html