Kresta In The Afternoon

One of the strange ironies of the Christian life is that sorrow and suffering are to be celebrated as a chance for sanctification. Marcus reflects on today's Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows.

The Second Vatican Council's Pastoral Constitution defines the responsibility of the Church to respond to perennial questions which men ask about the present life. We explore what it means to have a Church in dialogue with Randall Smith.

If there was a silver lining to the horrors of the September 11 terrorist attacks, it was how the nation came together. Americans understood that they shared a brotherhood that went beyond race or political affiliation. Stores sold out of American flags for weeks. Today, such a climate seems like something out a different life. Can we ever recover this? Peter Laffin joins us.

There are now hundreds, if not thousands, of dating apps on the market. About half of American young adults have used them – not just for hookups, but to find a serious relationship. But most of them are unhappy with the entire dating culture. The roots of the problem life far deeper than an app, and no algorithm will solve them. We talk with Dr. Marianna Orlandi.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier's clash with the state's Catholic bishops over vaccine policy in Catholic schools threatens the eligibility of Catholic schools to participate in Florida's universal school choice program. Andrea Picciotit-Bayer believes this case does not need a winner or a loser - Florida can respect the bishops' authority over Catholic schools while preserving a workable path for parents with vaccine objections. She joins us.

On the National Day of Remembrance for Aborted Children we visit the burial places of the unborn victims of abortion and other memorial sites dedicated to them. Join us at a prayer vigil near you. Monica Miller has the details.

Our consumption decisions should be focused on the needs of our family members. This requires attention to unglamorous factors such as budgets and nutritional requirements, instead of being up-to-date with the brands and campaigns that purport to solve the world's problems by selling us products. Clara Piano discusses what this means.

Glowing obituaries are pouring in after the death of feminist icon Gloria Steinem, It is hard to overstate her influence upon Western women. Gloria Steinem wasn't just one among many feminists; she was the “it” girl who normalized feminism and made it broadly attractive. We talk more about her legacy with Carrie Gress.

Indiaʼs Maharashtra state enacted a sweeping anti-conversion law on Aug. 28, prompting Catholic leaders to call for prayer and a legal challenge. Matthew Bunson has more on this and other Church news.

The modern world and our imprudent use of technology have left many of us isolated and struggling in fruitless cycles. We are often seeking what is right, with a strong desire to be transformed to participate in what is good, but don't feel that we have the power to get there on our own. Alex Ziolkowski is launching a new app to help people in this fight. He joins us.

On December 16, 2002, Ken Craycraft made an impulsive decision that changed the course of his life. He gathered the liquor bottles from around his house and poured them down the sink – and he has not taken a drink since. Ken and Marcus speak about their experiences as alcoholics, bearing the cross of addiction, and what they want the loved ones of alcoholics to understand.

What does it mean to say that the Lord our God is a jealous God? And how does that relate to the doctrine of the Eucharist? Jared Staudt joins us.

Facing the English justice system and knowing his life was on the line, St. Thomas More refused to back down, insisting he could not set his private judgement against “the general council of Christendom.” He would not sever himself from the living body of the Church in history. Nearly five centuries later, society has forgotten that lesson. The West has not simply drifted from Christianity. It has, in a profound way, orphaned itself. We talk about it with Brendan Towell.

Päivi Räsänen, a Finnish Christian politician who had been barred from entering the United Kingdom to give a talk on free speech at a Northern Ireland church conference last week, was eventually granted a visa to enter the country — but it arrived too late. Matthew Bunson has more on this and other Church news.

Daniel Ortega has told Nicaragua to forget about elections. Nobody who has watched his regime work should be surprised. What should alarm Americans more is what Ortega and his wife, co-president Rosario Murillo, have already done to the one institution in Nicaragua they cannot fully control: the Catholic Church. His crackdown on Catholics shows why religious freedom is not a gift from the state — and why Americans should never take it for granted. Andrea Picciotti-Bayer has more.

In today's First Reading, St Paul instructs the Thessalonians to ”stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours.” Marcus unpacks today's readings.

The Sacrament of Baptism saves us on an individual level. But it also goes beyond that – it is a vehicle to union with those who need God's love. Mike Schramm joins us.

Rob Corzine unpacks the Sunday readings and David Bonagura asks why reading is on the decline.

Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller of San Antonio has announced that John Mary Foster, a priest of the archdiocese, has been found guilty of schism and has been dismissed from the clerical state. Matthew Bunson has more on this and other Church news.

Newly released texts show that Dr. Anthony Fauci privately told colleagues that a reaction some people had after their second COVID-19 vaccine dose “theoretically could be associated with miscarriage in the 1st trimester.” Days later, he told the public that 10,000 pregnant women had received COVID-19 vaccines without any concerning safety signals being detected. “No red flags,” as he put it. Granted, the texts don't prove the vaccines caused harm. But they do show a gap between what officials knew and worried about privately and what they told the public. All of this makes a court order out of Virginia worth attention. Andrea Picciotti Bayer has more.

A new survey by CatholicTV suggests widespread emotional distress among US Catholics, raising questions about how mental health may shape parish life and Mass attendance. Dr. Greg Popcak joins us.

On August 16, 1896, gold was discovered in the Yukon Territory of Canada, and the Klondike Gold Rush was on. More than 100,000 prospectors migrated north with dreams of striking it rich, but only a few thousand succeeded. It's a warning for all of us today – where does your treasure lie? Marcus has more.

In 1974, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen stated that he intended to write a book about the demonic. But such a book never came to fruition. Now, some fifty years later, Sheen's intended book has finally been compiled, all in his own words.' Fr. Dave Tomaszycki joins us.

Today we celebrate the Feast of Blessed Michael McGivney, the founder of the Knights of Columbus. His feast is today because it falls directly between the anniversaries of his birth and death. We talk more about his life and canonization cause with Brian Caulfield.

For the last several years, the Church has been focusing on “synodality.” But many Catholics are still unsure of what the term even means, as many Church documents on the topic tend to be bogged down by bureaucratic jargon. Carl Olson turns to the clear writings of St Paul to help cut through the mess.

Today is the anniversary of the death of Robin Williams, who died by suicide in 2014. Starring in films like Aladdin, Dead Poets Society, Mrs. Doubtfire, and Good Morning Vietnam, his voice was woven into the cultural memory for millions. Tragically, the man who brought laughter to so many could not overcome his own tears. Marcus has more.

Deaths from opioid overdoses hit record highs in 2021 and 2022, and are now on the decline. But there is still much work to be done. Mike Vasquez has devoted his life to confronting the opioid crisis on a mental, physical, and spiritual front and he joins us with more.

How did Roman Catholics shift from being perceived as un-American to emerging as the standard-bearers for political liberty and economic prosperity? We look at the rise of the American Church during the Cold War with D.G. Hart.

An investor in Germany is offering families 500 euros for every child they have baptized. The local diocese has acknowledged the donorʼs intentions but stressed that, from the Churchʼs point of view, there is no financial barrier to baptism in the first place. We talk more about this and other Church news with Matthew Bunson.

There is a troubling pattern emerging of government officials in America's bluest states punishing religious organizations and individuals for simply living their faith. We talk about it with Andrea Picciotti-Bayer.

The US national debt is hovering around $30 trillion and has hit 100% of the US GDP. How did we end up here and what happens now? James Peregoy joins us.

Dr. Haywood Robinson performed abortions for 14 years before experiencing a radical conversion. He spent the rest of his life spreading the message that “abortion is the greatest injustice of our time.” He recently passed away, and Brian Gibson joins us with a look at his life.

In his timeless work The Screwtape Letters, CS Lewis exposes how subtle distractions, small compromises, spiritual pride, and misplaced fears erode a Christian's faith and trust in God. We take a deep dive with Andrew Swafford.

The schism of the traditionalist Priestly Society of St. Pius X (SSPX), and its aftermath, has highlighted how the unity in the Church that Leo XIV set as the primary goal of his pontificate is still far from being achieved. And as the Vatican signs off on the ordination of state-approved Chinese bishops, many are left asking why followers of the traditional Mass are excommunicated while Chinese bishops are not. Matthew Bunson joins us.

Sarah Morse is an American teacher working at a high school in Scotland. When her students asked her what she thinks about abortion, she said she opposes it as a Catholic but they were free to have their own opinions. She was fired a few hours later. Morse's case unfolded under British employment law, but the question it raises is not a foreign one. American teachers face the same scenario, and the answer for them turns on a body of U.S. case law most people have never had reason to learn. Andrea Picciotti-Bayer has more.

Dr. Peter Kreeft recently lost his wife Maria, to whom he was married for 63 years. Shortly after her death, he was asked what advice he had for young married couples, and his response has gone viral. Even in the midst of his grief, he was able to deliver a reflection full of love, wisdom and even humor. Marcus looks at his comments.

It has been a long and winding path to beatification for Fulton Sheen. Msgr. Jason Gray has lead the investigation into his cause, and he joins us with an inside look at the process.

On July 25, 1968, Pope Paul VI published Humane Vitae. And on July 25, 1978, the first test-tube baby was born. It seems fitting that these events would fall on the same day; the culture and even some within the church disregarded the warnings of Humane Vitae when it was published, and we've been paying the price ever since. Rachel Coleman has more.

US Ambassador Brian Burch recently said that when Pope Leo spoke out against the war in Iran, he was not doing so as a leader of the Roman Catholic Church, adding that he was speaking as a world leader of the Holy See. What authority does the pope have in such occasions? Matthew Bunson joins us with more on this and other Church news.

Thousands of Catholics flocked to Detroit today for the Rising from the Ashes revival. Fr. Adam Nowak joins us at the conference to talk about how the Eucharist can revitalize the culture.

Andy Burnham was officially named the leader of Britain's governing Labour Party on July 17, paving the way for him to become the United Kingdom's first prime minister to enter office publicly identifying as a Catholic. Joanna Bogle tells us more about him.

We discuss blood sacrifice and the natural law with Michael Pakaluk.