Podcasts about Gavin Ashenden

Lois McLatchie Miller, a Christian activist, was arrested in Brussel for wearing a billboard which read: “Children are never born in the wrong body.” She was detained alongside Canadian child protection advocate Chris Elston, known as “Billboard Chris” (@BillboardChris), after they were surrounded by an angry mob. In spite of the pair's peaceful conduct, police arrested Ms McLatchie Miller and Billboard Chris rather than address the aggression of the crowd. Lois talks about her ordeal to Dr Gavin Ashenden in this 102nd episode of Merely Catholic, the podcast for the Catholic Herald.

The award winning former Catholic Herald editor William Cash joins Dr Gavin Ashenden from Rome to discuss the forthcoming conclave to elect a successor to Pope Francis in this 100th Merely Catholic podcast. They discuss how Francis came to be elected, reflect on the invisible machinations already under way to choose the next pope, and they consider several of those members of the College of Cardinals who are drawing attention from the world's media because they are “papabile”, or worthy to hold the papal office. Our sponsor: https://thomasmorecollege.edu/

Journalist and author Simon Caldwell returns to Merely Catholic to discuss his new thriller, Lady Mabel's Gold, with Dr Gavin Ashenden in this 99th episode. A standalone sequel to The Beast of Bethulia Park, the author's 2022 debut, Lady Mabel's Gold has been praised by former Catholic Herald editor William Cash as a “truly original novel with excellent writing, clever plot twists and a cast of memorable characters which put Caldwell at the front rank of Catholic novelists today”. Dr Ashenden talks to Caldwell about his characters, themes and inspirations and both read from the book for the first time publicly. https://www.gracewing.co.uk/page416.html

Tim Dieppe, the head of public policy at Christian Concern, joins Dr Gavin Ashenden for this 97th episode of Merely Catholic, the podcast series for the Catholic Herald, to discuss his new book, The Challenge of Islam. This book discusses the increasing influence of Islam in the UK and how non-Muslims might respond. Chapters include: “Is Islam a Religion of Peace?”, “Is Islam Antisemitic?”, “What's wrong with Multiculturalism?”, and “What's wrong with Islamic Finance?” The book concludes with some policy proposals that would make a difference. In their conversation, Mr Dieppe and Dr Ashenden also confront the theological question of whether Allah is the same as the God of the Bible.

We have Gavin Ashenden on his conversion story.

We have Gavin Ashenden on his conversion story.

Conservative Party peer Lord (Nigel) Biggar CBE, the Regius Professor Emeritus of Moral Theology at the University of Oxford and an Anglican priest, joins Dr Gavin Ashenden for this 96th episode of Merely Catholic, the podcast series for the Catholic Herald. Lord Biggar, an Oxford-educated historian and author of the 2023 book Colonialism: A Moral Reckoning, reflects on the plan by the Church of England to pay £100 million in reparations for its role in the transatlantic slave trade following criticism in a new report for Policy Exchange that such policies are based on a defective process which “embedded activism rather than balance”. He gives Dr Ashenden a more nuanced account of the British Empire and its expansion and of the conduct of several of the important figures involved in its creation.

We have Gavin Ashenden on his conversion story.

We have Gavin Ashenden on his conversion story.

With the Holy Father still in the hospital, countless Catholics across the globe have been praying for him including cardinals gathering every evening in Rome to pray the Rosary. "And as the Holy Father desperately needs our prayers and is begging for our prayers," as Msgr. Roger Landry tells us, we discuss all the ways Catholics pray for the Vicar of Christ at every Mass, in every Rosary, and especially in these hours of need. We also chat with the former chaplain to the late Queen Elizabeth of England all about his powerful conversion story wrought on by an encounter with the devil which left him clinging to the Marian prayer. As Ashenden says, "Evil subsided and went away--the Rosary worked." With the White House going all-in on IVF, Dr. Marguerite Duane also joins to share why "infertility is not a disease" and why naprotechnology fixes the underlying issues while IVF just ignores them. Catch the show every Saturday at 7amET/5pmET on EWTN radio!

Rod Dreher's close friendship with U.S. Vice President JD Vance is the subject of this 96th episode of Merely Catholic, the podcast series for the Catholic Herald. He and Dr Gavin Ashenden discuss Mr Vance's shocking accusation in a landmark speech at the Munich that the greatest threat to European security is not posed by Russia or China but by the European elites, and the extent to which Europe is “changing sides” with its ideological opponents of the Cold War. An American author who now lives in Budapest, Hungary, Mr Dreher is perhaps best known for The Benedict Option, his 2017 book about how Christians might prepare themselves for a new dark age. It was one of three New York Times best-sellers, with Live Not By Lies and The Little Way of Ruthie Leming. His latest book, Living in Wonder: Finding Mystery and Meaning in a Secular Age, was published last year. Our sponsor: thomasmorecollege.edu

February 11th, 2025 - We welcome back Steve Cunningham to talk DOGE, USAID & Gaza. Then we're joined again by Dr. Gavin Ashenden to discuss assisted suicide and immigration in the UK. TheStationOfTheCross.com/ACT  

The rapid promotion by Pope Francis of Cardinal Robert McElroy as the new Archbishop of Washington DC has astonished many within the Catholic Church. Mark Lambert, the author of a popular blog called De Omnibus Dubitandum Est and a regular on the Catholic Unscripted YouTube channel, joins Dr Gavin Ashenden for this 95th episode of Merely Catholic to analyse what might lie behind the motivations of the Holy See in choosing Cardinal McElroy to lead such an important see, placing the appointment in the context of the crises currently afflicting the Catholic Church and western civilisation more generally.

Dr Calum Miller, a medical doctor working within the NHS, joins Dr Gavin Ashenden for this 93rd episode of Merely Catholic, the podcast series for the Catholic Herald. Dr Miller graduated from the University of Oxford Medical School in 2015. As a researcher at the University of Oxford, he has published more than 30 academic papers in medicine, law, philosophy and ethics – examining such complex subjects as examined include foetal sentience, and abortion and mental health - and has won prizes for his work in bioethics from the University of Oxford and the Royal Psychiatry of Medicine In this podcast, Dr Miller describes his journey of discovery and discusses how his concern for the vulnerable and belief in true equality led him to a robust, enduring and defensible pro-life position in the face of moves to further liberalise abortion and legalise euthanasia.

I posted this yesterday but needed to make some corrections.  I would also like to add the following comment: Many of the opinions expressed in this video are controversial.  But in the interests of open dialogue I offer Gavin Ashenden's views for consideration.  All are free to comment and to disagree. Debate is welcome. I do not agree with everything he says in this video.  I agree with most of it but issues of fact (such as the rate of immigration and so forth) I will leave to others to adjudicate.  I do disagree however, that charges of "racism" is not really a valid thing worthy of consideration on the shaky grounds that concepts of race, from a biological perspective, are nebulous.  I think racism is very real if one defines racism broadly as the bigoted oppression of one group of people by another based on purely epiphenomenal factors like skin color or facial morphology. I am also not so certain that Tommy Robinson is a morally upright person.  To be sure, I think Gavin is very circumspect in this as well. Next week I will be interviewing another guest on this same topic from the UK who will offer a different perspective.  This is in no way a criticism of Gavin.  I loved having him on the podcast and I think he is intelligent and articulate.  I thank him for taking the time to come on the show.  His voice should be heard.

Following the enforced resignation of Justice Welby as Archbishop of Canterbury, numerous assessments have been made about his role in the post. Today, Gavin Ashenden is joined by an authoritative Anglican commentator from America, Canon George Conger. George is both an Episcopalian clergyman and a journalist. He is the author some 6,000 articles . His work has appeared in the Guardian, the Times, the Telegraph and the Washington Post. He was senior corespondent for the Church of England Newspaper for twenty years and a correspondent for the Jerusalem Post for nearly as long. He runs one of the most famous websites in the Anglican world,Anglican Ink, and has known personally most of the English Archbishops as well a the Primates of the Anglican Communion. Famous for his shrewd and perceptive assessments, he joins Merely Catholic today to make an assessment of Welby's tenure. Trigger warning; Not for the delicate.

This week, Dr Gavin Ashenden is joined by Karen Anstiss, the service manager for Caritas Bakhita House, a safe house in London for trafficked and exploited women which is run by the Catholic Church. A former police officer, Miss Anstiss charts the origins of the project 10 years ago as part of a broader response to the “endemic and deeply embedded” global problem of an estimated 50 million people trapped in modern-day slavery, a scourge described by Pope Francis as a “wound in the body of humanity and therefore in the body of Christ himself” She goes on to describe the pioneering work of Bakhita House, which since 2015 has given sanctuary to 188 women, aged between 15 and 70, who are drawn from 49 countries and who are overwhelmingly the victims of sexual exploitation or serious sexual assault.

 The Catholic novelist Fiorella De Maria discusses Catholic literature for Christmas with Dr Gavin Ashenden for this 91st episode of Merely Catholic. Fiorella tells how she wrote her first book in the summer after graduating from university before she went on to publish about a dozen books with San Francisco-based Ignatius Press and to win the Book Prize of Malta. Her works include acclaimed murder mysteries, biographies of saintly and heroic figures and even a recent foray into horror with This Thing of Darkness, a story she co-authored with KV Turley. She and Dr Ashenden discuss her inspirations, her observations about what makes a Catholic novelist, the threat of cancel culture. Finally she offers a few suggestions for good stocking fillers this Christmas. Check out our sponsor: https://jpcatholic.edu/landingpages/c...

Ann Widdecombe, the former Conservative Party minister, joins Dr Gavin Ashenden in this 90th episode of Merely Catholic, the podcast series for the Catholic Herald, to discuss the resignation of Justin Welby as Archbishop of Canterbury and the future of the Church of England. Miss Widdecombe, who, like Dr Ashenden was a member of the Church of England before converting to the Catholic faith, charts the leadership difficulties and challenges which have split Anglicans in the last 30 years and discuss the prospects of reconciliation. She and Dr Ashenden consider the strong possibility that the next leader of the Church of England and the Worldwide Anglican Communion will, for the first time in history, be a woman.

In this 89th episode of Merely Catholic, the podcast series for the Catholic Herald, Rod Dreher talks to Dr Gavin Ashenden about his new book, Living in Wonder: Finding Mystery and Meaning in a Secular Age. With increasing numbers of young people in the West seeking spirituality in esoteric religions or the Occult, Mr Dreher argues that the Church must act urgently to rediscover and better express the mysterious beauty of the Catholic faith that has animated and inspired the lives of so many saints. An American author who now lives in Budapest, Hungary, Mr Dreher is perhaps best known for The Benedict Option, his 2017 book about how Christians might prepare themselves for a new dark age. It was one of three New York Times best-sellers, with Live Not By Lives and The Little Way of Ruthie Leming.

We welcome back Matt Archbold of Creative Minority Report to discuss the growth in the popularity of the occult, the need to develop a healthy Catholic suspicion, and fallen humanity's near endless creativity to sin and deface the image of God. Are there any signs of hope to be found?   Show Notes Atheism Is Fading, But This Uglier Beast Is Taking Its Place  When Atheism becomes vulgar--Aleteia  This is the Worst Thing to Come out of the Vatican Since the Last Awful Thing.  Gavin Ashenden on Twitter: "It is no accident that the optics of this produce a small wave of disgust and revulsion…"  Cody J. Swanson on Twitter: "Treat 'em like kids and they'll act like kids..." Anime: The New Face of Catholicism? - The New American  Pro-life hospice offers ‘Do Not Euthanize Defense Kit' to protect against assisted suicide predators - LifeSite New Liturgical Movement: Introducing the Newest Jubilee Mascot: Tenebro Dr. John Coleman, Covid Hero, Is Stunned by the Shroud of Turin  The Screwtape Letters Narrated by John Cleese - Complete The Constitution Won't Save Us Forever | The Crusader Gal Catholic Encyclopedia: Divine Providence iCatholic Mobile The Station of the Cross Merchandise - Use Coupon Code 14STATIONS for 10% off | Catholic to the Max Read Fr. McTeigue's Written Works! Listen to Fr. McTeigue's Preaching! | Herald of the Gospel Sermons Podcast on Spotify Visit Fr. McTeigue's Website | Herald of the Gospel Questions? Comments? Feedback? Ask Father!

Professor David Albert Jones, the director of the Anscombe Bioethics Centre, Oxford, joins Dr Gavin Ashenden for this 88th episode of Merely Catholic, the podcast series for the Catholic Herald. They discuss the rush to assisted suicide ahead of a crucial vote to legalise the practice in the House of Commons on November 29 and the horrible realities of what a change of the law will mean. Professor Jones is the winner of the Paul Ramsey Award for Excellence in Bioethics, and in 2017 he co-edited Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide: Lessons from Belgium with Chris Gastmans and Calum MacKellar.

Dr Gavin Ashenden is joined for this 87th episode of Merely Catholic, the podcast series for the Catholic Herald, by Andrew Jacoby, an American businessman and entrepreneur. Mr Jacoby, who converted to the Catholic faith from the Judaism of his youth and the “hedonistic lifestyle” of his later years when he travelled the world as a musician, explains how he was ultimately drawn to the Church by “the truth”. He tells of his dalliance with “New Age” and Eastern esotericism, which took him down “down some dark paths” until he rediscovered the stories of the Bible and found that his perspective on life had been altered profoundly.

Dom Alcuin Reid, the distinguished Australian Benedictine who founded the Monastère Saint-Benoît in Fréjus-Toulon, France, joins Dr Gavin Ashenden for this 86th episode of Merely Catholic, the podcast series for the Catholic Herald. Dom Alcuin is an internationally-recognised expert on the liturgy, having published and lectured on the subject extensively. Among his works are The Organic Development of the Liturgy, which included a preface by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, and The Ceremonies of the Roman Rite Described. He and Dr Ashenden discuss the liturgical revolutions that have taken place in the last half century, the “overt persecution of that which is good and of God”, and how the “ideology and politics of a passing generation” may be in their dying throes.

Dr Gavin Ashenden is joined on Merely Catholic this week by Dr Derry Connolly, the founding president of John Paul the Great Catholic University, California. Dr Connolly charts his journey from his youth in rural County Cork, Ireland, and a career in engineering and technology in Los Angeles to the moment when “God put it in my heart” to establish a “radically different” Catholic university in San Diego to harness the power of beauty to transform contemporary culture, and how he was able to realise his vision in spite of setting out with no funds. In this 85th episode of the podcast series for The Catholic Herald, Dr Connolly also discusses with Dr Ashenden what a Catholic university is, and how John Paul the Great might form Catholics for Hollywood.  To find out more about John Paul the Great Catholic University visit: https://jpcatholic.edu/landingpages/catholicherald/

Dear All, Thank you for listening to Into the Pray, a podcast akin to a growing library of voice-notes helping disciples of Christ around the world to breach the global chaos of the unfaithful Church...because Christ is coming and we are not ready. Despite being advertised as such, there is no YouTube version of this podcast but you can watch my message to Justin Welby here and my brief analysis of Tommy Robinson's reflections on Christianity here. The right hand of fellowship is an essential safeguard for the darkness that is coming upon the earth. All of us must be better at protecting it.“However, like a pimp's walk of shame from one whorehouse to another, it is a ludicrous solution for an adulterous Bride and a false, spawning ‘gospel', to ignominiously traipse to another brothel in search of fidelity.”My blog re the sub-radical Catholic conversions of Gavin Ashenden and Michael Nazir-Ali is here.Dave's Brephos podcast is here.Words of T. A-Sparks here.PLEASE WATCH/SHARE: Urgent Bible teaching here with all info here. Nick's reflections on Jordan Peterson & Elon Musk's conversation here.Mairi speaking about IVF here.You can subscribe to our YouTube channel and tap the "bell" to ensure you don't miss any videos here.Please do share these videos on to your networks.Maranatha?MARANATHA!Love, Nick & MairiOur flagship content:

GUEST OVERVIEW: Dr Gavin Ashenden is the former chaplain of Queen Elizabeth II. He is an Author, columnist, recovering-academic, ex-BBC presenter, now Roman Catholic; Associate Editor Catholic Herald.    Gavin Roy Pelham Ashenden is a British Catholic layman, author and commentator, and Associate Editor of the Catholic Herald. Formerly a priest of the Church of England, and subsequently a continuing Anglican bishop, he was appointed Chaplain to the Queen from 2008 until his resignation in 2017.   GUEST OVERVIEW: After over 30 years in the entertainment industry working “behind the curtain” for some of music's biggest names, John Gusty turned his attention to health and wellness in an effort to help his wife heal from what was originally diagnosed as Multiple Sclerosis. He soon realized that the same deceit and profit motive that plagued the entertainment media was even worse inside the Medical Industrial Complex. As a devout agorist and champion of individuality, he now devotes his time to producing content that celebrates the spirit of sovereignty in all aspects of life.

The Rt Rev. Joseph Strickland, the former Bishop of Tyler, Texas, who was “relieved” of his duties by Pope Francis last year, joins Dr Gavin Ashenden for this 84th episode of Merely Catholic, the podcast series for the Catholic Herald They discuss his removal from office and the post-modern assault on truth in the Church and in the world, and other subjects including the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, the Francis papacy and the Rupnik scandal. In the podcast, Bishop Strickland also explains why Christians have a fundamental duty to be heed and be obedient to the truth, warning the faithful that “false messages fall to dust”.

Our guest for this 83rd episode of Merely Catholic, the podcast series for the Catholic Herald, is Fr Michael Ward, the English literary critic and theologian and an internationally recognised expert on the writings of CS Lewis. Perhaps best known for his 2010 book Planet Narnia, Fr Ward is an associate member of the Faculty of Theology and Religion at the University of Oxford, and Professor of Apologetics at Houston Christian University. He played the role of a vicar in The Most Reluctant Convert, the CS Lewis biopic. He has also reviewed films and plays for the Catholic Herald and other media. He talks to Dr Gavin Ashenden about why Lewis continues to appeal to millions of Catholics and to discuss where Lewis's theology would fit in today's ecclesial landscape.

Holly Ordway joins Dr Gavin Ashenden for the 82nd episode of Merely Catholic to discuss the Catholicism of JRR Tolkien, the author of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. She is the Cardinal Francis George Professor of Faith and Culture at the Word on Fire Institute and Visiting Professor of Apologetics at Houston Christian University. Her book Tolkien's Modern Reading: Middle-earth Beyond the Middle Ages (Word on Fire Academic, 2021) received the 2022 Mythopoeic Society Scholarship Award in Inklings Studies. Her newest book is Tolkien's Faith: A Spiritual Biography, which was released in time for the 50th anniversary of Tolkien's death on September 2nd, 202 and can be purchased from on Amazon US and Blackwell's Books and Amazon UK.

GUEST OVERVIEW: Gavin is the former chaplain of Queen Elizabeth II. He describes himself as an Author, columnist, recovering-academic, ex-BBC presenter, now Roman Catholic; Associate Editor Catholic Hera. http://www.ashenden.org/      

Dr. Gavin Ashenden (born 3 June 1954) is a British commentator and former priest of the Church of England, and subsequently a continuing Anglican bishop, he was appointed Chaplain to the Queen from 2008 until his resignation in 2017. He became Catholic in 2019. DR. TAYLOR MARSHALL PODCAST #catholic #catholicchurch 

George Farmer, the Oxford-educated investment banker, social media wizard and GB News board member, is our guest for this 80th episode of Merely Catholic, the podcast series for the Catholic Herald. Mr Farmer, husband to the American social media influencer and author Candace Owens and the son of Conservative Party peer Lord Farmer, tells Dr Gavin Ashenden about his journey into the Catholic faith from an Evangelical background. They also discuss the crises facing Christianity and the West in the third millennium.

This week Dr Gavin Ashenden is joined from California by author James Crowell to discuss the work and vision of John Paul the Great Catholic University, an institute founded to harness the power of beauty to transform culture. They discuss the ambition of the university to shape “the next generation of artists and innovators with academic excellence, unparalleled creativity, and an authentic community centred on Jesus Christ”. Inspired by St John Paul's demand for a new evangelisation, the Catholic film school aims to provide a hub to create culture by bringing together storytellers, artists, designers, leaders, and entrepreneurs in the pursuit of truth, beauty and goodness – and offer an antidote to an ugly and bleak post-Christian future. https://jpcatholic.edu/

Dr Gavin Ashenden this week speaks to fellow Catholic Herald associate editor and novelist Simon Caldwell about the recently published norms from the Vatican governing the discernment and handling of private revelations and associated mystical and supernatural phenomena. They discuss what the new norms represent and what has prompted the overhaul, the first since 1978. They also examine the purpose of private revelations and the dangers posed to the Church by those which are fraudulent. Caldwell, who has written frequently about private revelations, also talks for the first time about his forthcoming second novel, Lady Mabel's Gold – the sequel to The Beast of Bethulia Park – and the character of Ana Guerrero, a schoolteacher who bleeds mysteriously from her head. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0852447000?ref=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_76JQB9YEXV7WDKNRPTYE&ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_76JQB9YEXV7WDKNRPTYE&social_share=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_76JQB9YEXV7WDKNRPTYE

When Pope Benedict XVI visited Britain in 2010 he was welcomed on behalf of the youth of country by Paschal Uche, then a 22-year-old from Stratford, East London. Ten years later Father Pascal was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Brentwood. In this 77th episode of Merely Catholic, Father Pascal talks to Dr Gavin Ashenden about how he answered his call to the priesthood, his priestly formation, and about the exercise of the vocation to priestly ministry in the 21st century.

GUEST HOST: Basil Valentine filling in for David Kurten.  GUEST 1 OVERVIEW: Alex was a scaffolder until taking the Astrazeneca vaccine in March 2021 and collapsed at home in April 2021. He is now classified as a Vitt (Vaccine induced thrombocytopenia thrombosis) and an amputee from above the knee. Alex campaigns on raising awareness of the Vaccine bereaved and injured across the UK and globally. GUEST 2 OVERVIEW: James Barrington is a former Executive Director of the League Against Cruel Sports. He has been involved in various animal welfare campaigns for over 40 years. Currently, he is a welfare consultant to the Countryside Alliance, Council of Hunting Associations and a committee member of the Veterinary Association for Wildlife Management. GUEST 3 OVERVIEW: Gavin is the former chaplain of Queen Elizabeth II. He describes himself as an Author, columnist, recovering-academic, ex-BBC presenter, now Roman Catholic; Associate Editor Catholic Herald. Gavin's pronouns are 'Dr.'

GUEST 1 OVERVIEW: William Clouston is the leader of the Socialist Democratic Party (SDP) in the UK. GUEST 2 OVERVIEW: Gavin is the former chaplain of Queen Elizabeth II. He describes himself as an Author, columnist, recovering-academic, ex-BBC presenter, now Roman Catholic; Associate Editor Catholic Herald. Gavin's pronouns are 'Dr.' GUEST 3 OVERVIEW: Chloe Dobbs is a Political Commentator and contributor to Reasoned UK, Chloe regularly contributes to shows such as GB News and Talk TV, giving her insight into current affairs and news.

Hour 1 of The Drew Mariani Show on 4-12-24 Special in-studio guests join Drew all hour: Gavin Ashenden, Katherine Bennett, and Mark Lambert of Catholic Unscripted give us a taste of what the Catholic Faith is up against in the UK, from bias in the Church of England and academic institutions, the influx of Islam, and the fighting off of woke and feminist ideologies 

Michael J. Knowles, the American broadcaster, political commentator, actor and author, is the guest of Dr Gavin Ashenden for this 75th episode for Merely Catholic, the podcast series for the Catholic Herald. They discuss the many “diverse and eccentric” identities of American conservativism in the twilight of the Biden presidency and Mr Knowles' work for the Daily Wire, the popular US news website and media company, amid the shifting sands of the cultural revolutions of the last decade. They also talk about the vital role of the Catholic Church in upholding objective moral truth in the crisis of relativism gripping the West.

Dr Gavin Ashenden is joined this week by Dr Patricia Morgan, the distinguished sociologist and author of the 2023 book Banning Conversion Therapy: The Missing Evidence, amid impending legislation to criminalise counselling, discussion, prayer and teaching based on orthodox Christian doctrine in spite of such changes representing a serious attack upon free inquiry and freedom of speech. In this 75th episode for Merely Catholic, the podcast series for the Catholic Herald, Dr Morgan sets such changes in the prevailing anti-family and anti-marriage ideology that has convulsed the West for more than 50 years.

GUEST 1 OVERVIEW: Niall Fraser is a Scottish political commentator and a proud member of the Official Scottish Family Party @scotfamparty GUEST 2 OVERVIEW: Gavin is the former chaplain of Queen Elizabeth II. He describes himself as an Author, columnist, recovering-academic, ex-BBC presenter, now Roman Catholic; Associate Editor Catholic Herald. Gavin's pronouns are 'Dr.'  

Madeline Page of Right to Life UK joins Dr Gavin Ashenden this week to discuss shocking scenes at Manchester University when a violent mob descended on a meeting of the students' pro-life group with the aim of closing it down. Hundreds converged on the venue where a group of students met peacefully to spit at the women taking part and to shout “get raped” in their faces, with the police forced to intervene to prevent violent attacks on participants. Dr Ashenden, in this 74th episode of Merely Catholic, the podcast series for the Catholic, asks Madeline what this was all about and what it signifies.

Dr Gavin Ashenden is joined this week by John Zmirak, a senior editor of The Stream and author of the new Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism, to discuss the new novelties “gathering slime” in the West and within the Catholic Church. Zmirak is the author, co-author, or editor of twelve books, including Wilhelm Ropke: Swiss Localist, Global Economist, The Grand Inquisitor (graphic novel) and The Race to Save Our Century and his essays, poems, and other works have appeared in First Things, The Weekly Standard, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, USA Today, FrontPage Magazine, The American Conservative, The South Carolina Review, Modern Age, The Intercollegiate Review, Commonweal, and The National Catholic Register. He has contributed to American Conservatism: An Encyclopedia and The Encyclopedia of Catholic Social Thought.