Podcasts about interreligious affairs

Rabbi Noam Marans, AJC's Director of Interreligious Affairs, reflects on Pope Francis' legacy—from his deep ties with Argentina's Jewish community to his historic visit to Israel and strong stance against antisemitism. He also addresses recent tensions over the Pope's comments on the Israel-Hamas War and highlights the ongoing collaboration between AJC and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in combating hate and building interfaith understanding. ___ Resources: The Francis I Knew: A Warrior Against Antisemitism, a Sometimes Impolitic Critic of Israel Listen – AJC Podcasts: The Forgotten Exodus: Untold stories of Jews who left or were driven from Arab nations and Iran People of the Pod:  Latest Episodes: Inside the New U.S.-Iran Nuclear Talks: What's at Stake?  This Often Forgotten 1929 Massacre is Key to Understanding the Current Israel-Palestinian Conflict Related Episodes: The Next Chapter in Catholic-Jewish Relations What We Can All Learn from Rabbi Heschel on Confronting Injustice Follow People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org If you've appreciated this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.  

In this episode of The Cordial Catholic, I'm joined by Nathan Smith, the  Director of Ecumenism for Glenmary Home Missioners, a Catholic religious community, and as a consultant for the USCCB's Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs and one of the authors behind The Gift of Being Christian Together, a new document seeking to build a bridge between Catholic and Evangelical communities.In this amazing conversation, Nathan shares the heart of ecumenism: how we can reach out to our separated brethren – other non-Catholic Christian communities – to successfully find common ground and work towards a closer relationship. We talk about Christ's vision in John 17, how to understand non-Catholic Christian communities especially for converts, and how to reconcile the truth found only in the Catholic Church with the Body of Christ, broken and separated, in other Christian communities. This is a profound conversation! For more visit The Gift of Being Christian Together.Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on  episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests.To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel.Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page.  All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me.If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page.Thank you to those already supporting the show!Theme Music: "Splendor (Intro)" by Former Ruins. Learn more at formerruins.com or listen on Spotify, Apple Music, and Bandcamp.This show is brought to you in a special way by our Patreon Co-Producers. Thank you to Elli and Tom, Fr. Larry, Gina, Heather, James, Michelle, Noah, Robert, Shelby, Susanne and Victor, and William. Beyond The BeaconJoin Bishop Kevin Sweeney for inspired interviews with Christians living out their faith!Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the showFind and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media:Instagram: @cordialcatholicTwitter: @cordialcatholicYouTube: /thecordialcatholicFacebook: The Cordial CatholicTikTok: @cordialcatholic

Bishop Joseph Bambera marks the launch of a groundbreaking Catholic-Jewish initiative - Translate Hate: The Catholic Edition - with a wide-ranging interview with AJC's People of the Pod. At a time when recent events have challenged Catholic-Jewish relations, Bambera, the Chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee (USCCB) on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, details why the church has made combating antisemitism a priority.  Translate Hate: The Catholic Edition, a joint project of AJC and the USCCB, features Catholic commentary on various entries of AJC's renowned Translate Hate glossary of antisemitic terms, themes, and memes. It comes as Catholic and Jewish communities prepare to mark six decades of trust-building and mutual learning beginning when the Catholic Church reached out to the Jewish people and the world with Nostra Aetate, the historic Second Vatican Council document disseminated on October 28, 1965, which dramatically and publicly decried antisemitism and transformed the Church's approach to the Jewish people for the better.Resources: New Glossary Breaks Ground in Tackling Antisemitism Through a Catholic Lens Listen – AJC Podcasts: The Forgotten Exodus: with Hen Mazzig, Einat Admony, and more. People of the Pod:  Bernard-Henri Lévy and AJC CEO Ted Deutch on How to Build a Resilient Jewish Future Post-October 7 What's Next for the Abraham Accords Under President Trump? The ICC Issues Arrest Warrants: What You Need to Know Follow People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org If you've appreciated this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. __ Transcript of Conversation with Bishop Bambera: Manya Brachear Pashman:   Nearly 60 years ago, the Roman Catholic Church issued a declaration called Nostra Aetate, a groundbreaking document that, among other things, aimed to heal the Church's strained relationship with the Jewish community at large. But over the past year, since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, there have been some tense moments: a call from Pope Francis to investigate whether Israel is committing genocide, a photograph of the Pope before a Nativity scene–featuring a keffiyeh. Now AJC and the US Conference of Catholic Bishops have unveiled Translate Hate: the Catholic edition, the glossary of antisemitic terms, tropes and memes, originally published in 2019, also features Catholic commentaries to explain why the church has made combating antisemitism a priority. Here to talk about this partnership is Bishop Joseph Bambera, Chairman of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Ecumenical and interreligious affairs. Bishop, welcome. Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera:   Thank you for the honor of being with you today. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Bishop Bambera, please walk us through the Catholic edition of Translate Hate and how the Catholic Church became involved in this initiative together with the Jewish community. Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera:   I think the best way to walk us through the Translate Hate Catholic edition is to first take us back to 1965 and the Second Vatican Council and the declaration on the church's relationship with non-Christian religions, and particularly with the Jewish community. There was this really milestone declaration Nostra Aetate that I think many of us would be familiar with, and that really speaks about our relationship as it stands today. A relationship that I would say. tragically prior to the Second Vatican Council was not what it should have been. And on the heels of the Council, for almost 60 years, an anniversary that we'll celebrate next year, we have grown together in mutual respect and understanding.  That particular declaration Nostra aetate speaks very, very clearly about the fact that Catholics and Jews really share a common patrimony. We Catholics, our roots are in Judaism. Jesus was Jewish. His family was. And so many members of the early church were as well. And we recognize and affirm in that document the fact that the Jewish people were the first to hear the Word of God and are a part of a covenant relationship that certainly has not been in any way broken, but has been maintained. And something that we affirm and that we teach in that document. A very important thing, from my perspective. And as well, the document reminds all those who would be familiar with it, and certainly who should be, if they are not, of the importance of us coming to a deeper sense of mutual respect and understanding. Of decrying any sense of hatred, persecution, or antisemitic efforts on the part of individuals that really have been such a burden to the Jewish people. So that particular document really laid the groundwork, for the very simple fact that I am here today and a part of this initiative.  But to fast forward a bit, the reality of antisemitism, as you know better than I, it has hardly diminished, and sadly, has intensified in recent years. And well before October 7 of 2023. So much so that the bishops of the United States, many of them, brought to the attention of the committee that I chair, the Bishops Committee for Humanism and Interreligious Affairs, have brought to our attention the fact that we need to begin to do something in a more concrete way. To walk more intimately and closely and lovingly with our Jewish brothers and sisters and to address the reality of antisemitism in a very real and concrete manner.  And so in 2022 this committee that I just referenced, they issued a document that they shared with all of the bishops. It's called the Fruits of Dialogues: Catholics Confronting Antisemitism. And in many respects, I would say that that particular document was the impetus for this initiative that we are a part of today, the Translate Hate Catholic Edition, hopefully it's been the impetus for other efforts on the part of many bishops in their own particular dioceses and archdiocese to work with their Jewish partners, to help to eradicate this, or certainly to address it in a way that is hope filled.  So this document has been in the works now for quite a while particularly with the leadership of the Bishop's Committee and the American Jewish Committee as well. What you will find is building upon the antisemitic themes and tropes that were placed in the document when the American Jewish Committee put it together; we have provided commentary on a number of them from a Catholic perspective. So you know, if you look at the notion of deicide, the commentary that we provide there offers very clear Catholic theological teaching on the fact that that whole reality is certainly not something that we would ever intend to insinuate today is the responsibility of all of the Jewish people. In the midst of these commentaries, we offer current theological teaching. We offer teaching on human dignity, which is so much a part of our tradition and our hope and prayer for humankind, and we acknowledge, as well, in some of those commentaries, the fact that, you know, some members of the Church throughout history have been insensitive and inappropriately offered, and perhaps even negligently offered, words and actions that led to antisemitic efforts, sadly on the part of so many. Manya Brachear Pashman:   So what is the expectation? This document is going out. How are you expecting or wanting parishes and pastors to implement it? Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera:   Given the fact that it the document that the Bishops Committee came out with in 2022 was really at the initiative of many bishops in the United States, I would like to believe and think that the vast majority of our bishops will embrace this and use it in whatever way speaks to the situation within their own territory, their own region, relative to the Jewish community there. So for example, once this is officially promulgated today, later on in the day, we will be releasing from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops on our bishops-only website.  We will be releasing a letter from me as the chair of this committee, and the document, and that will be followed up with a hard copy that will be sent to every bishop in the near future, following the online version that they'll receive today. We anticipate that this will be used by other committees that might have some relationship to the work that our committee does, and the hope that they would use them. We will be disseminating it to ecumenical officers who are appointed in every one of our dioceses to do the work of ecumenism and interreligious affairs folks.  Manya Brachear Pashman:   You mentioned Nostra Atate. In 1965 you were just a child then. And I should also mention AJC played a leading role in those conversations, as well with Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel. You were ordained 20 years later. And I'm just curious if this major turning point in Catholic Jewish relations, did it come up in your theology training, or 20 years later, was it just accepted as the norm? Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera:   You know, I will be frank with you, the term that you used in asking the question was, did it come up? Yes, it did. It did. But given the scope of issues that would be necessary to prepare a man for ministry in the church as a priest in the seminary, it was one of many things that everything rose to the level of being absolutely vital, all right, to our preparation. So this was but it took its place in a whole line of other things that were just as vital.  So maybe the best way to answer your question was, you know, a great deal of the teaching of the Second Vatican Council was integrated into many of the theology courses that I would have taken, all right, and the same would go for something like Nostra Atate. All right. We were, I was certainly familiar with it. All right. It was certainly something that was communicated as a very significant teaching, a milestone moment in our church, a clear refocusing of our relationship with the Jewish community. Prior to that, there were no relationships officially. So it was put before us as something that was vital to consider. But I would not be honest in wanting to suggest that in some way it was a major focus. It was one of many. Manya Brachear Pashman:   I do want to fast forward and talk about today. Of course, Catholic Jewish relations are quite complicated now, especially given the Israel Hamas war, I imagine educating inspiring your flock on the moral complexities of that war, while also rallying the faithful to combat the rise of antisemitism against Israel and the Jewish Diaspora at large is very complicated, and there have been some tense moments. Recently, a letter from Pope Francis, one year after the October 7 terror attacks, included a couple kind of eerily iconic phrases from John 8:44, a verse that's long been understood as a fundamental, eternal indictment of the entire Jewish people. He was even cited by the Pittsburgh synagogue shooter. A lot of Jews are irate that the Pope has called for an investigation into whether Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. And most recently, some people were upset that the nativity scene at the Vatican featured a baby Jesus resting in a manger draped with a keffiyeh, Palestinian national symbol, and I know that has since been removed from that scene. But how do you talk about all of these moments with your Jewish friends, friends like the Hollanders, when they arise? Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera:   First of all, the concern that you share in that question, maybe the hurt or the confusion that some of these things have caused. It's rather palpable. I spoke about it just coming into the studio today with Rabbi Marans. I would first say that the very fact that in this exchange that we are having here today, on a day that is a real positive step. I believe in Catholic Jewish relations with the promulgation of the Translate Hate Catholic Edition, I would say it's a testimony to the relationship that we have developed. And I want to thank you for that. I want to thank you for the question, you know, they're, not easy questions to address, but they are of great concern to you and so many others. And you, on behalf of your people, have a responsibility to ask me that question, and I need to say to you that my presence here today is meant to speak a word of encouragement regarding our relationship. It is one that is deeply valued. I treasure it. I'm grateful for it. I am honored to be here today.  Now with that, let me, let me speak a little bit more directly to the question and how these types of things are addressed. I look at the work that I have done in ecumenism and interreligious affairs, and I've been privileged to be chairman of this committee for a term now, for three years. I was previously back in 2017 elected chairman of this very same committee. So I've been at the helm of it twice now, and I've learned so much, so much from Christian partners, so much from our Jewish partners. One of the things that I have learned in the midst of the work that I have done with ecumenism is that I can't create a false sense of unity and harmony. For us to journey together in a positive way, I need to hear what you have to say, and I need to receive it, and I can't say something that is contrary to where my church is.  Now, another dimension of the dialogue work that I have learned relates to listening. How do we listen to what we hear about this relationship? What are we hearing when we read something about Pope Francis? How is that speaking to our hearts? What is it saying to this relationship? I hear from you hurt. I hear from you confusion. I said that a moment ago. For me, and perhaps this is the best thing that I can say, and I would say it across all three areas or topics that you raised in your question, I would say this much. I can't speak for Pope Francis. But what I can do is reflect to you what I hear from him and what I have heard from him throughout his 11 years as Pope. I have heard from him very, very early on, and you're all familiar with this quote that he offered to a Jewish interreligious organization way back, I think, in 2013 or 14, shortly after he was elected Pope, that a true Christian cannot be an antisemite. That's something that I would affirm, and that's something that I have never heard him go back on.  I have heard him embrace better than probably I have heard prior to his election, a deep commitment to the documents of Vatican Council, Vatican Two, and particularly, a deep commitment to the tenets of Nostra Aetate. The other thing that I've heard from Pope Francis, and perhaps this speaks to some of the struggle that you raise that in the face of terrorism and war and the loss of innocent lives, of Jewish lives that were lost in 2023 and of countless other lives that are lost throughout our world in the midst of war. I hear him speak over and over again about human dignity, the value of life and the reason for why we treasure life, and that's rooted in a common scripture that we both cherish, in the first book of the Torah, Genesis, the first chapter. In the image of God man was created, in the image and likeness of God. I think that that speaks for me to this moment.  It does not take away, and I would not imagine that for a moment some of the struggle that you experience, but that's what I hear when I look at his papacy. I also look at some more personal dimensions of it. And I know that his experience as the archbishop of Buenos Aires was an experience that found him deeply connected to the Jewish community, particularly to a close friend of his, whom I've been privileged to meet, Rabbi Abraham Skorka. So I share these things with you in response to your observation. And by the same token, I would say to you that we have miles to go before we achieve the end for which we are about here today. Manya Brachear Pashman:   In this moment, Bishop, do you believe that Translate Hate, specifically this new Catholic edition has particular value in this, in this moment that we talked about, where the relationship can get complicated? Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera:   I think, in any moment in time when there is suffering because of hatred, because of an antisemitic perspective that so many people so horrifically bring to life, I think this particular initiative is vital, and I think today more than ever, we have recognized it in our church, the sufferings of our Jewish brothers and sisters. We have recognized it globally. We have recognized it in our country, and we experience it in in my community, Scranton, relatively, you know, small city of about 100,000 people, you know, we it's sadly, it's sadly everywhere. I believe this moment is a bit of a clarion call for all of us to walk a little bit more authentically and closely with our Jewish brothers and sisters. It's one thing to have issued a document 60 years ago. You can forget the intensity and the significance that document was and meant 60 years ago, 50 years ago, maybe even 40 years ago. But as time goes on and generations pass, we sometimes need to refocus our attention, don't we? And we need to recognize the fact that as our society, becomes more secularized, we can't possibly circle the wagons to just preserve what we have. Every one of our congregations, many of yours and many of mine, are diminishing in terms of numbers since the pandemic, but also before that as well. And I think sadly, what you see in many congregations is this sense of trying to preserve what one has and therefore excluding others. Not just, I certainly don't necessarily mean from being in a church or a synagogue or temple, but I mean excluding from life by one's attitudes and one's actions and one's words. And I think we are, at this moment, really at risk of losing a sense of what we learn and how we grow from dialogue.  I'm here to tell you today that I am so much richer personally because of this opportunity that I have been given to be a part of this initiative, frankly, to even prepare for today. It's just been a wonderful experience for me that has really re-energized me. This wonderful mission. But it's also reminded me of how much people who are involved in in faith traditions, in a leadership position, can be somewhat academically connected to something. It's it's got to be translated to the heart, and I hope that that's what happens here. Manya Brachear Pashman:   I mentioned that you were just a child when Nostra Aetate came about. Can you tell us a little bit about your upbringing and when you heard the calling to seek ordination and become a priest? Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera:   I grew up in a Catholic family. I didn't have a lot of Jewish friends. There weren't a lot of Jewish people living in our community, although I did develop friends as as I went off to college. Okay, when I when I got the call to be a become a priest. I was actually at the University of Pittsburgh with every intention of becoming a dentist. It was kind of the family business, okay? And and I got involved in an ecumenical Christian campus ministry program. But, you know, it was just an experience that really called me to develop a deeper sense of authenticity, I think, in my faith journey, and, and, and so that's what ultimately prompted me to go into the seminary and become a priest. Did you grow up in Pittsburgh? I grew up in Scranton, where I serve as bishop, which is very unusual. So I my mom, who, at 97 still lives nearby. We I've spent my entire ministry in the Diocese of Scranton, and 15 years ago was appointed Bishop. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Wow, wow. That that is indeed rare, and that is indeed rare. So you get to see the parish in which you you grew up. Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera:   I do. I do, yeah. And I've journeyed with this community, there's, there's pluses and minuses to something like that. You know, sometimes people say, What's the best thing about being bishop in your home diocese? I say, you know people, and they know you and and what's the most challenging thing? You know people and they know you. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Well, Bishop, thank you so much for sharing what the church's teaching now and how it's collaborating with AJC to build bridges and educate your flock. Thank you so much, and thank you for joining us. Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera:   It's been a real pleasure.

Rabbi Arnie Resnicoff's life took a fateful turn on October 23, 1983, when he found himself amidst the chaos and devastation of the Beirut barracks bombing, a bombing that took the lives of 241 U.S. servicemembers in one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history. Rabbi Resnicoff was in Beirut to conduct a memorial service for Staff Sgt. Allen Soifert, a Jewish Marine killed by a sniper. Due to his observance of the Jewish Sabbath, he remained in Beirut following the service. When the bomb exploded, he was in a nearby building and immediately rushed to the site, becoming one of the first rescuers on the scene. Rabbi Resnicoff spent the entire day pulling survivors from the rubble and providing comfort to the dying. During the rescue, he lost his yarmulke, and Father George Pucciarelli crafted him a new one from the camouflage cover of a helmet. His actions that day were later chronicled in a letter to his wife and mother and in a report used by President Reagan. Today, Rabbi Resnicoff shares powerful memories of October 23, 1983, in the last episode of our limited series: Beirut Survivors. Rabbi Arnold E. Resnicoff began his naval career as an enlisted man in the reserves during high school and served as a Navy line officer in Vietnam, where his ship was the first to enter Cambodia in 1970. After Vietnam and a stint with Naval Intelligence in Europe, he left the Navy to study at rabbinical school. Returning to the Navy Chaplain Corps, he served on active duty for nearly 25 years, earning the Defense Superior Service Medal for his work with military and civilian leaders throughout Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Rabbi Resnicoff also served as the National Director of Interreligious Affairs for the American Jewish Committee and continues to be a consultant on interfaith values and interreligious affairs. His life of service, both in and out of uniform, reflects a deep commitment to faith, humanity, and the enduring bonds forged in moments of profound challenge. SPONSORS TARGETED: BEIRUT – The first in Jack's new non-fiction series https://www.officialjackcarr.com/books/targeted-beirut/ Bravo Company Manufacturing: Visit us on the web at http://jackcarr.co/bcm and on Instagram @BravoCompanyUSA.com SIG: Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the legendary SIG SAUER P226. Learn more here - Jack Carr Gear: Explore the gear here - https://jackcarr.co/gear

Co-hosts Fr. Greg Sakowicz and Mark Teresi. Grounded in our faith in Jesus Christ and in the teachings of the Second Vatican Council's Decree on Ecumenism and Declaration on Non-Christian Religions, the Office for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs works to foster Christian unity and to deepen our relationships with Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, and followers of other religions through initiatives that resonate on a local and global scale. Joining us for today's program from the Archdiocese of Chicago Office of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs are Dan Olsen and Susan Pudelek.

In August of 2023, The Parliament of the World's Religions returns to the birthplace of the modern interfaith movement after 30 years away to celebrate 130 years of history in the city of Chicago. Parliament Convenings attract participants from more than 200 diverse religious, indigenous, and secular beliefs and more than 80 nations.  Joining hosts Fr. Greg Sakowicz and Mark Teresi to talk about the Parliament of the World's Relitions are Dan Olsen and Susan Pudelek from the Office For Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs.

Maharat Rori Picker Neiss serves as the Executive Director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of St Louis. Prior to that she was the Director of Programming, Education and Community Engagement at Bais Abraham Congregation, a Modern Orthodox Jewish synagogue in University City, MO. She is one of the first graduates of Yeshivat Maharat, a pioneering institution training Orthodox Jewish women to be spiritual leaders and halakhic (Jewish legal) authorities. She previously served as Acting Executive Director for Religions for Peace-USA, Program Coordinator for the Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance, Assistant Director of Interreligious Affairs for the American Jewish Committee, and Secretariat for the International Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultations, the formal Jewish representative in international, interreligious dialogue. Rori is the co-chair of the North American Interfaith Youth Network of Religions for Peace, a CLAL Rabbis Without Borders fellow, and co-editor of "InterActive Faith: The Essential Interreligious Community-Building Handbook." She is married to Russel Neiss, a Software Engineer for Sefaria, and they have three wonderful children. This episode originally aired on February 14th, 2023.

Father Tiso gathered eyewitness accounts in Tibet of the dissolution of the material body at the death of Kenpo A Chö. His questions are: Can we bridge the gap between physics and metaphysics, between spirituality and paranormal phenomena? Can we verify the claim that the resurrection of Jesus is not just a metaphor but an actual physical resurrection? Father Francis Tiso holds a Master of Divinity degree from Harvard University, and a doctorate from Columbia University and Union Theological Seminary where his specialization was Buddhist studies. He was Associate Director of the Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the U.S. Conference of Catholic bishops from 2004 to 2009, where he served as liaison to the Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, the Sikhs, and Traditional religions as well as the Reformed confessions. He is the author of Liberation in One Lifetime (North Atlantic Books 2014) and Rainbow Body and Resurrection: Spiritual Attainment, the Dissolution of the Material Body, and the Case of Khenpo A Chö (North Atlantic Books 2016) Interview Date: 4/11/2016 Tags: Francis Tiso, Rainbow body, resurrection of Jesus, Dzogchen, Bonpo, Scythian realm, Brother David Steindl-Rast, Shroud of Turin, Bodhisattva, Dudjom Rinpoche, Dalai Lama, Lama Kenpo A Chö, Eucharist, resurrection at the end of time, spiritual body, Thomas Merton, Syro-Oriental Christians, King Gesar of Tibet, contemplative practice, Thomas Keating, Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche, Chöki Nyima Rinpoche, Buddhism, Religion, Death & Dying, Spirituality

In today's episode I am joined by Fr. Walter Kedjierski, the Executive Director for the Secretariat of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs for the US Conference of Catholic Bishops. Fr. Kedjierski and his team lead the various dialogues that the Bishops host with Christian and Jewish groups along with those of other religions. With that he has a front-row seat to the new ways in which unity is being fostered between people and specifically between Christians. To learn more about the SEIA click here. To check out the last book published by the USCCB and Evangelical theologians, Justified in Jesus Christ, click here. To keep up with the ecumenical work of Glenmary click here.

These episodes are really among my favorites. Aired in 2008, we hosted Rabbi David Rosen, a gent with an impressive resume. David Shlomo Rosen is the former Chief Rabbi of Ireland and currently serves as the American Jewish Committee's International Director of Interreligious Affairs. He has participated in some of the world's more seachanging conferences in the arena of multi-faith engagement. In these conversations David and I discuss, among other things, the major interfaith event that was convened in Spain under the direction of King Abdullah, then the monarch of Saudi Arabia. I'm pleased to say that in the 20+ years we've produced Common Threads we've hosted many brilliant minds. This is an example of that. Listen or lose out.

Dr. Dan Olsen is the Director for the Office of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs with the Archdiocese of Chicago. In today's conversation we discuss his work and the unique role the family, or domestic church, can play in the ministry of ecumenism.

Abide in my love… you shall bear much fruit.” (John 15:1-17) The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is open to all Christians of various denominations and of different commitments within the church. The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd offers its services to the diocese and therefore works in communion with the bishop. The Characteristics of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd - 32 Points of Reflection Every year, Christian communities and churches join together to pray for the visible unity of the Church, accepting the will of Christ, who prayed "that all may be one" (John 17:21) during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity which we are celebrating this week.  As we gather throughout our world to pray for the unity of Christians in 2021, we celebrate the theme gifted this year to the Church from the ecumenical monastic community of Grandchamp in Switzerland, "Abide in my love... you shall bear much fruit." (John 15:1-17)  We know how important this parable is to the children and catechists in CGS.   The True Vine and His branches, the sap that nourishes the vine and the Vinedresser who is taking care of all.  Each branch can produce abundant good fruit to nourish in turn the whole world. And we know that it is Jesus Christ himself who is the vine who holds us all together. Together then, especially after the upheavals and anguish of 2020, let us all remain in His love to bear the good fruit that can make 2021 a blessing for all.  We are delighted to have the Most Reverend David Talley, Bishop of Memphis, Chairman of the USCCB Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs and CGS Level I and Level II catechist, who will discuss his experience with CGS and with ecumenism. You can read a short bio of Bishop David Talley here: https://cdom.org/bishop-david-talley/ Join us in prayer online on Friday, January 22, 2021 at 11:AM ET. You can register here: https://www.cgsusa.org/event/week-of-prayer-for-christian-unity/   Learn more about Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at www.cgsusa.org   Follow us on Social Media- Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd” Instagram-  cgsusa Twitter- @cgsusa Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA YouTube- oneofhisheep  

Fr. Lawrence E. Frizzell and Fr. Philip Latronico share their reflections about Advent. Father Latronico is the chair of the Archdiocesan Commission of Interreligious Affairs for the Catholic Archdiocese of Newark, the Executive Secretary of the Archdiocesan Commission for Christian Unity and the Secretary of the Faiths in the World Committee of the Catholic Association of Diocesan Ecumenical and Interreligious Officers (CADEIO).

In this episode, Molly talks to Rabbi Sandmel, Senior Advisor on Interreligious Affairs at ADL (Anti-Defamation League).  We learn about his connections to Maine and the work he does through ADL.

An interview with Rabbi David Rosen, former Chief Rabbi of Ireland & head of the AJC's Department of Interreligious Affairs. Rabbi Rosen is an outspoken critic of animal consumption, a leading Orthodox voice in this matter. We discuss his rabbinic argument that questions the kashrut of any factory farmed animal products, the pushback he has received from the Kosher meat industry in response, and Rabbi Rosen's raising this issue to Pope Francis himself in their meetings at the Vatican. Recorded & edited by Alex Weisz "Uniq - Japan" is under a Royalty Free license. Photo of the license: http://bit.ly/2sTETUQ Music promoted by BreakingCopyright: https://youtu.be/MAiHpRUbc0k Follow Shamayim on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/shamayimjewishanimaladvocacy/ Follow us on Instagram at @shamayimjewishanimaladvocacy

As hate crimes and domestic terrorism dominate the headlines, the legacy of the late Rabbi Marc Tanenbaum as a leader in interfaith and race relations in the United States and around the world becomes more and more relevant with each atrocity that is perpetrated in the name of racial purity, religion and rectitude. His widow, humanitarian and philanthropist Dr. Georgette Bennett, discusses the first-ever biography of Rabbi Tanenbaum, Confronting Hate: The Untold Story of the Rabbi Who Stood Up for Human Rights, Racial Justice and Religious Reconciliation by Deborah Hart Strober and Gerald S. Strober. From his position as director of Interreligious Affairs at the American Jewish Committee, Rabbi Tanenbaum was deeply involved in the historic Vatican II Council, which promulgated a landmark encyclical on Catholic-Jewish relations. Rabbi Tanenbaum also was one of the few Jewish leaders who worked closely with Martin Luther King Jr. and Jesse Jackson, Reverend Billy Graham and other evangelical leaders. Inspired by his tradition’s ethic of social justice, he worked tirelessly as a civil rights activist and helped lead the Soviet Jewry liberation movement.Confronting Hate details Rabbi Tanenbaum’s remarkable career and interactions with civil rights legends such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Jesse Jackson as well as several US presidents, from Dwight D. Eisenhower to George H.W. Bush. Above all, its authors bring to light the immense international influence and relevance that Rabbi Tanenbaum has for today’s world, more than twenty-five years after his passing. Indeed, at a time when our world is riven by conflict, partisanship and hate, the lessons of his life could not be more timely. This event was co-sponsored by The JTS Library, the Milstein Center for Interreligious Dialogue, and the New York Board of Rabbis. Dr. Burton Visotzky, Appleman Professor of Midrash and Interreligious Studies and director of the Milstein Center for Interreligious Dialogue, JTS, served as moderator.

Orthodox Rabbi David Rosen, is the former Chief Rabbi of Ireland, is the International Director of Interreligious Affairs of AJC and Director of its Heilbrunn Institute for International Interreligious Understanding. Today he talks about climate change as a pragmatic and religious issue of major concern on a cosmological scale. We start with David’s self-introduction. You won’t want to miss this podcast. More from Religica at https://religica.org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Religica.org/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/religica YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPuwufds6gAu2u6xmm8SBuw Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-religica Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3CZwIO4uGP1voqiVpYdMas?si=0k2-TSmwTkuTQC2rgdGObQ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/religica/id1448005061?mt=2 Religica is a comprehensive online platform at the axis of religion and society that provides non-sectarian, coherent, integrated and accessible awareness about the role of religion in society, with a focus on strengthening local communities.

Dr. F. Javier Orozco, OFS, PhD, Executive Director, Intercultural and Interreligious Affairs, Archdiocese of St. Louis, speaks on “Hispanic Ministry in the U.S. Catholic Church." The presentation will be an introduction to the reality and practice of Hispanic ministry in the US Catholic Church. It will explore and highlight key demographics, methodology, theological-pastoral themes, and best-practices. (April 19, 2018)

Dr. F. Javier Orozco, OFS, PhD, Executive Director, Intercultural and Interreligious Affairs, Archdiocese of St. Louis, speaks on “Hispanic Ministry in the U.S. Catholic Church." The presentation will be an introduction to the reality and practice of Hispanic ministry in the US Catholic Church. It will explore and highlight key demographics, methodology, theological-pastoral themes, and best-practices. (April 19, 2018)

In a world-culture that seems fascinated with communication and intersectionality, this reflection invites us to step back from our fast-paced cadence of life in order to examine more intentionally how human relationships and the desire for the common good demand greater self-awareness (honesty) and vulnerability (personal risk).Javier Orozco is Executive Director of Intercultural and Interreligious Affairs for the Archdiocese of St. Louis, overseeing the Office of Hispanic Ministry and the Office of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs. Drawing from his experience working across lines of religious difference, in this Platform Address he will share his experiences and thoughts on how we can build relationships with those who believe differently.

This edition of the biweekly AJC Live radio focused on AJC's international interreligious work. AJC's International Director of Interreligious Affairs, Rabbi David Rosen, was interviewed by the show's host, AJC Westchester/Fairfield Director Scott Richman. They discussed moderate Muslims, Rabbi Rosen's recent travels to Indonesia and Saudi Arabia, his work as the Chief Rabbi of Ireland before the Good Friday Accords and as a rabbi fighting apartheid in South Africa, his encounters with the Popes, and his views on religion and interfaith work. This show aired live on WVOX 1460 AM from New Rochelle, New York on Monday, September 3, 2018 and was streamed live at www.wvox.com. All AJC Live radio shows are podcasted and can be found in the AJC Live archive at https://www.ajc.org/news/ajc-live-radio-show-archive.

Born in the UK and based in Jerusalem, Rabbi Rosen was granted a papal Knighthood in 2005 for his contribution to Jewish-Catholic reconciliation and in 2010 made a CBE (Commander of the British Empire) by H.M. Queen Elizabeth II for his work promoting interfaith understanding and cooperation. He was the former Chief Rabbi of Ireland, and is currently the International Director of Interreligious Affairs of AJC, the American Jewish Committee, as well as a leading figure in several prominent interreligious dialogue organizations. FOR MORE INFORMATION: https://www.rabbidavidrosen.net/

Father Francis Tiso holds a Master of Divinity degree from Have University, and a doctorate from Columbia University and Union Theological Seminary where his specialization was Buddhist studies. He was Associated Director of the Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the U.S. Conference of Catholic bishops from 2004 to 2009, where he served as liaison to Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, the Sikhs, and Traditions religions as well as the Reformed confessions.He  is the author of: Liberation in One Lifetime (North Atlantic Books 2014) and Rainbow body and Resurrection: Spiritual Attainment, the Dissolution of the Material Body, and the Case of Khenpo A Chö (North Atlantic Books 2016)Tags:  Francis Tiso, Interreligious dialogues, Berlin Wall, refugee migration, meaningful work, religious education, diversity, Eco diversity, religious diversity, Religion, Spirituality, 

It is 80 years since anti-fascist demonstrators took on the police and Oswald Mosley's Black Shirts in the East End of London. Trevor Barnes reports on The Battle of Cable Street. The Director of the Anglican Centre in Rome - The Most Reverend Sir David Moxon - joins William Crawley to celebrate the Centre's 50th anniversary and to talk about his role as the Archbishop of Canterbury's Representative to the Holy See. Rabbi David Rosen - Director of the American Jewish Committee's Department of Interreligious Affairs - pays tribute to the former Israeli Prime Minister and President Shimon Peres. Why is 15 year old Rayouf Alhumedhi campaigning for a hijaj emoji? This week, the Archbishops of Armagh and Canterbury issued a joint statement welcoming the end of a three-year stand-off between Catholic residents and a protestant group who want to march through their neighbourhood. William talks to Professor John Brewer, an expert in post-conflict peace-building in Northern Ireland. Catholic aid agency Progressio is to close after 75 years, we discuss why. Today is Animal Welfare Sunday when children across the country will be taking their pets to church. Samantha Chandler of the Anglican Society for the Welfare of Animals believes that animals go to heaven. Exorcists are reporting a rise in demand for their services. To discuss why this might be the case, William is joined by Myles Dempsey, a Catholic with experience of 'deliverance' and exorcism, and by Professor Les Lancaster, Director of the Alef Trust which offers postgraduate courses in spiritual psychology. Producers: Helen Lee and Dan Tierney Series Producer: Amanda Hancox.

Bishop Denis J. Madden, Auxiliary Bishop of Baltimore and member of the US Bishops' Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, joins us to share his experiences from his recent travels to refugee centers supported by Catholic Relief Services in Serbia, Greece, and Lebanon.

PatiCakes & Toan welcome the Mayor of Garden Grove CA, Bao Nguyen Bao Nguyen is the Mayor of the City of Garden Grove. He is also the first Vietnamese Democratic mayor in the United States and the first directly elected openly gay mayor in Orange County. Prior to his election in 2014, he served, by appointment in 2011, then by election in 2012, as trustee of the Garden Grove Unified School District Board of Education, including a term as Vice-President. In 2014, Mayor Nguyen was appointed by the Governor to serve on the Orange County Fair Board of Directors, California 32nd District Agricultural Association. The Mayor has also served as a Commissioner of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange. Born in a UN refugee camp, the Mayor arrived at the United States at three months of age. He attended Garden Grove High School and graduated from Pacifica High School in 1998. Mayor Nguyen won the Most Spirited Award from his graduating class at Pacifica. While earning his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science at the University of California, Irvine, Nguyen interned for the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, under Executive Order 13125 in Rockville, Maryland. Mayor Nguyen holds a Master’s Degree in Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado and a certification in mediation from the Dispute Resolution Program of the Orange County Human Relations Commission. He also completed an intensive Spanish immersion program at Universidad Internacional in Cuernavaca, Morelos in Mexico. Have a Fabulous Day! We love hearing from you! Call us at 714.287.0329 or email us at PatiCakes@hempradio.com. Be Safe Be Smart Have a fabulous time! PatiCakes https://bao2016.com/

Get ready for the newest podcast episode! As Season 2 moves along, we welcome John Borelli to the microphone. In his conversation with Stephen Okey, Dr. Borelli talks about how being drafted into the Vietnam War set him on the path to studying comparative theology, the positive impact of ecumenical and interreligious dialogues on his own Catholic faith, and what he thinks will be important for engaging Nostra Aetate in the next fifty years.  Dr. John Borelli is the Special Assistant to the President for Interreligious Initiatives atGeorgetown University. He previously served as the associate director of the Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs at the USCCB. He earned his BA in Philosophy fromSaint Louis University and his PhD in History of Religions and Theology from Fordham University. He is an internationally recognized expert on interreligious dialogue. He was the editor of The Quest for Unity: Orthodox and Catholics in Dialogue : Documents of the Joint International Commission and Official Dialogues in the United States, 1965-1995 (St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1996) and co-author (along with Michael L. Fitzgerald) ofInterfaith Dialogue: A Catholic View (Orbis, 2006). Special thanks go to Dr. Matthew Tapie of the Center for Catholic Jewish Studies at Saint Leo University, who made this conversation possible.

Today's topics: New Prospects for Catholic-Orthodox Unity Summary of today's show: When Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew met in Jerusalem in May, they were commemorating the 50th anniversary of a similar meeting between Pope Paul VI and Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras, which was itself a groundbreaking historic event. In anticipation of this latest meeting, Cardinal Seán and Metrpolitan Methodios of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis in Boston issued a joint letter to the faithful highlighting just how significant this meeting would be for the future re-unification of the Church in both East and West. Vito Nicastro of the Archdiocese of Boston's Office of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs joins Scot Landry and Domenico Bettinelli to discuss these significant events, the declaration of the pope and patriarch, and the outcomes from this visit and gatherings. Listen to the show: Today's host(s): Scot Landry and Domenico Bettinelli Today's guest(s): Vito Nicastro Links from today's show:

Today's topics: Ecumenical Prayer Service for all Christian Martyrs Summary of today's show: When a photo of Cardinal Seán being assisted in remembering his baptism by a female Methodist minister took the Internet by storm, it brought to the forefront that we are in the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, which began with that 50-year commemorative event in Sudbury and will end with an Ecumenical Prayer Service for all Christian Martyrs. Vito Nicastro of the office of ecumenical and interreligious affairs and Tibrine da Fonseca of the Sant'egidio Community join Scot Landry and Fr. Chip Hines to discuss the Sudbury event and the upcoming event at Mission Church, which will recall Christian martyrs of all Christian churches and ecclesial communities. The prayer, which was initiated by Pope John Paul II in Rome during the 90s, is meant to pray for peace in the world to end the persecutions of Christians that occur in great numbers today. Listen to the show: Today's host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Chip Hines Today's guest(s): Dr. Vito Nicastro of the Office of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs and Tibrine da Fonseca of the Sant'egidio Community Links from today's show: For those who wish to RSVP to the event next week at the Mission Church, please send an email to . All are invited. Icon of the New Martyrs

Father Lawrence Frizzell and Fr. John Crossin, Executive Director of the Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops , discuss the impact of the Decree on Ecumenism of the Second Vatican Council on the Catholic Church.

Summary of today's show: On our Thursday show, Scot Landry, Susan Abbott, Gregory Tracy, and Fr. Roger Landry consider the new headlines of the week, including the Supreme Court's ruling on the Affordable Care Act; Cardinal Seán's Fortnight for Freedom town hall; last Saturday's ordination Mass; the Redemptoris Mater Seminary gala dinner honoring Rabbi David Rosen; the Catholic Appeal passing a milestone; and Catholic Press awards for the Pilot. Listen to the show: Today's host(s): Scot Landry and Susan Abbott Today's guest(s): Gregory Tracy, managing editor of the Pilot, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of Boston, and Fr. Roger Landry, pastor of St. Bernadette Parish in Fall River Links from today's show: Some of the stories discussed on this show will be available on The Pilot's and The Anchor's websites on Friday morning. Please check those sites for the latest links. Today's topics: Supreme Court ruling; Fortnight for Freedom town hall; Ordination Mass; Redemptoris Mater dinner; Catholic Appeal; Catholic Press Awards 1st segment: Scot said big tech news from Susan. She finally got an iPhone and is turning to producer Rick Heil for help in learning how to use it. She has already added the ICatholicRadio app. It's been a busy week between the ordinations, the Fortnight4Freedom live,interactive town hall, the Redmeptoris Mater Seminary. They brought in Gregory Tracy and Fr. Roger Landry, who has just completed his move to St. Bernadette Parish. Scot said the live town hall was the first of its kind to his memory. Susan said she was impressed by the production values as well as the guests, Jim Garvey, president of Catholic University of America; Kim Daniel of CatholicVoices USA; and Angela Franks of Theological Institute for the New Evangelization. Greg said he liked it very much especially toward the end with the question and answer period. He liked the give and take among the panelists. Scot said that for those who hadn't been up to speed on these issues this town hall provided a lot of good background. Fr. Roger said he was also very impressed by the Q and A. He thought President Garvey looked like Christopher Plummer and speaks like a movie star. Angela Franks was incredibly powerful on how this isn't a war on women. Fr. Roger also thinks this is the kind of thing we should do more often, not just when we're in crisis. It's a great opportunity to learn a lot in one hour. Scot said Cardinal Seán very much liked it too and he thinks the cardinal would like to do similar things on other issues, like the Year of Faith this fall on what it's about and what he's asking Catholics in the Archdiocese to do. Scot said the Pilot article did a good job on getting quotes from the panelists, including Angela Franks: “You may have heard some in the secular media advance certain myths about the HHS mandate, which is the latest infringement on our religious liberty. For example, you might have heard that this issue is about access to contraception, or that this is just a Catholic issue, or that the Church is imposing her values on the rest of society. You might have heard that the Church is waging a war on women,” she said. “All are false, blatantly false. Clearly this issue cannot be about access to contraception, which is inexpensive and broadly available. If a person can afford a cell phone or even three lattes a month, she can quite likely afford to pay for contraception. Instead this issue is about forcing Church organizations and every Catholic to provide contraception and abortion-causing drugs and subsidize them, which are actions against public teaching,” she said. Susan said the comparison to phones and coffee grounds it in reality. Angela was succinct and refuted the major points we keep hearing in the popular press one by one. Susan also liked Angela's comment that it's up to the laity to take the lead on the front lines at the water cooler. Scot also quoted John Garvey's third point: “The framers of our constitution and the Bill of Rights protected the free exercise of religion because they thought it was important for human flourishing and happiness, but our society will not care about protecting religious freedom for long if it doesn't care about God. That is where we must begin to reform. We won't have and we probably won't need religious exemptions for nurses, doctors, teachers, social workers, if no one is practicing their religion. The best way to protect religious freedom might be to remind people that they should love God,” Garvey said. Scot said when we look at the Church as a family, many of our family members have stopped practicing their faith and we have to look in the mirror and see if we are still practicing our faith as strongly. If we don't care about our faith, then why should it be protected? Greg said the ambivalence of some Catholics was one of the arguments used against our religious liberty. Fr. Roger said the point illustrates how we got here. As for the how to move in the future, we have to grow in the importance of religion not just to society, but to each of us individually as well, which is why the Year of Faith is so important. Moving to other news, the ordination Mass took place at Holy Cross Cathedral last Saturday. The new priests are Fathers Eric M. Bennett, 31; Eric F. Cadin, 31; Felipe de Jesus Gonzalez, 34; John J. Healey, 62; Adrian A. Milik, 30; and Michael F. Sheehan FPO, 31. Father Michael Sheehan, a member of the Franciscans of the Primitive Observance, a religious community in the archdiocese, described the feeling of finally becoming a priest after completing his studies. “It is awesome. It is awesome in all of the senses of that word. On the one hand, there is the joyful thrill of knowing that you will be acting as Christ for people, and then on the other hand, there is the chilling responsibility that you will be acting as Christ for people,” he said. Father Sheehan's parents said their son felt the call to the priesthood from an early age. “I am extremely proud of Michael and all his accomplishments. It all culminates today in his ordination. We are very pleased and excited for him,” the new priest's father Gary Sheehan, 59, said. His mother Diane Sheehan, 57, said she knew her son would find success in his pursuits. “Michael has been a leader his whole life. We knew in second grade that he was going to do well whatever he did. God bless him. It has been a long time coming to this day,” she said. His grandmother, Anne P. Shannon, 83, said she knew her grandson had a calling since he was young. “I was attending the quarter of seven Mass every morning. He was with me, so I always knew that Michael was special, and that he indeed had a calling — and I was right,” she said. Scot said the ordination is the highlight for all the families, not just the new priests. Susan said she didn't attend the Mass, but watched it on TV and found herself compelled to watch the whole thing. She said she took notes on Cardinal Seán's homily in which he talked about St. Peter's denial, which he said wasn't made to a soldier with a knife, but to a waitress with an attitude. She talked about the images of the imposition of hands and how the CatholicTV coverage allowed for the sacred silence that occurred at several times during the Mass. Fr. Roger said the words of the sacrament are a continuing call to conversion 13 years after his own ordination. He looks at his hands differently now because of the sacraments he now performs with them. His hands are an extension of his body as he is an extension of Christ's Body. Fr. Roger talked about how as a priest he is now on call 24/7. He recalled a conversation with actor Jim Caviezel who played Jesus in the Passion of the Christ about the pressure that's on him all the time now to live up to that image and how he wondered how priests lived up to that their whole lives. Greg said he thought how fortunate he's been able to go to the last 10 out of 11 ordination Masses. What he recalls is the sense of emotion among the ordinands both before and after the Mass. One of his favorite moments was when the Cardinal blesses the hands of the new priests and then kisses them. The six men are starting their new assignments today. Breaking news this morning is that Archbishop Fulton Sheen has been declared Venerable, which is the second big step toward canonization. Fr. Roger said when he was in the diocese of Peoria, he'd heard about a miracle attributed to Sheen, which could advance him to the next step of beatification. He also called attention to the cause of Servant of God Alvaro del Portillo y Diez de Sollano, who was also declared Venerable, and was a major contributor to Vatican II as well as a close collaborator with Pope John Paul II. from on . Also in the Pilot this week is a story about the Redemptoris Mater Seminary gala dinner last Sunday. Susan said her first close-up experience of the NeoCatechumenal Way and the seminary was the big concert this past May at Symphony Hall and so she wanted to come to this dinner. She said it was a great dinner, honoring Rabbi David Rosen, the International Director of Interreligious Affairs of the American Jewish Committee and Director of its Heilbrunn Institute for International Interreligious Understanding. He is also the former Chief Rabbi of Ireland. He is a past chairman of the International Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultations and is also Honorary Advisor on Interfaith Relations to the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. He serves on its Commission for Interreligious Dialogue, and represents the Chief Rabbinate on the Council of Religious Institutions of the Holy Land. Susan said he spoke about the struggle of the Jewish people for survival as well as the teaching of the Church in the Second Vatican Council on our Jewish elder brothers in faith. He also spoke about Pope John Paul II's friendship with the Jewish people. After the rabbi spoke, the seminarians of Redemptoris Mater sang “Shema Israel,” a song based on one of the most important Jewish prayers, to honor the speaker and the message. … The archdiocesan liaison to the Jewish community, Father David C. Michael gave his thoughts on the speaker and the meaning of the night for Catholic and Jewish communities in Boston. “Reaching out in love and understanding to one another, that is an important place to begin. Then we have to deepen that relationship, that's where the hard work begins. The hard work begins in the deepening,” he said. “I think that his quote of John Paul II was absolutely on target where the pope says before we can be a blessing to the nations we have to be a blessing to one another,” Father Michael said. Greg said Rosen is very significant in terms of Catholic-Jewish relations. When the Holy Father calls inter-religious meetings, it's Rosen who is called to stand next to the Pope as a representative of the Jewish faith. The audio of Rosen's speech will be on the Pilot's website on Friday. Scot said June 30 is a milestone date for the Catholic Appeal, because it's the end of the fiscal year and the end of the parish campaign. Scot said they are within $100,000 of making their fiscal year goal of $14 million but still have a long way to go to make the calendar year goal of $14 million in 2012. Scot also noted that the Pilot won seven Catholic Press Awards among 64 total awards given. Greg won an award for a photo he took to illustrate a story on the new Roman Missal. They also won an award for their editorial on the Maria Talks website as well as another on the Defense of Marriage Act. The Anchor also won an award for the columns written by Fr. Timothy Goldrick. The award was given by the Society for the Propagation for the Faith. Scot also profiled the obituary of Fr. Joseph Moynihan who was a pastor for 22 years in Westwood. 3rd segment: cot said the Supreme Court decision this morning was surprising, that Chief Justice Roberts sided with the so-called liberal wing. Scot read from : Today the United States Supreme Court issued a decision upholding as a tax the provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that requires individuals to purchase a health plan—the so-called “individual mandate.” For nearly a century, the Catholic bishops of the United States have been and continue to be consistent advocates for comprehensive health care reform to ensure access to life-affirming health care for all, especially the poorest and the most vulnerable.Although the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) did not participate in these cases and took no position on the specific questions presented to the Court, USCCB's position on health care reform generally and on ACA particularly is a matter of public record.The bishops ultimately opposed final passage of ACA for several reasons. First, ACA allows use of federal funds to pay for elective abortions and for plans that cover such abortions, contradicting longstanding federal policy.The risk we identified in this area has already materialized, particularly in the initial approval by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) of “high risk” insurance pools that would have covered abortion. Second, the Act fails to include necessary language to provide essential conscience protection, both within and beyond the abortion context.We have provided extensive analyses of ACA's defects with respect to both abortion and conscience.The lack of statutory conscience protections applicable to ACA's new mandates has been illustrated in dramatic fashion by HHS's “preventive services” mandate, which forces religious and other employers to cover sterilization and contraception, including abortifacient drugs. Third, ACA fails to treat immigrant workers and their families fairly. ACA leaves them worse off by not allowing them to purchase health coverage in the new exchanges created under the law, even if they use their own money.This undermines the Act's stated goal of promoting access to basic life-affirming health care for everyone, especially for those most in need. Following enactment of ACA, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has not joined in efforts to repeal the law in its entirety, and we do not do so today.The decision of the Supreme Court neither diminishes the moral imperative to ensure decent health care for all, nor eliminates the need to correct the fundamental flaws described above.We therefore continue to urge Congress to pass, and the Administration to sign, legislation to fix those flaws. Scot said it seems a measured statement. If the whole act had been struck down, the 50-plus lawsuits filed against the HHS mandate wouldn't have been needed, but today we're in the same position we were in yesterday. Greg noted that the justices in the minority would have struck down the whole law. He said the bishops were always in favor of expanding healthcare for the poor, just in a way that doesn't violate consciences. Scot said these lawsuits filed Catholic institutions continue and it is another constitutional issue about religious liberty. Today's decision was on the government's authority to enact an individual mandate. Scot said his analysis is that this clearly expands federal power, even if it's a tax on those who won't buy federal healthcare. Roberts said you can't force someone to buy healthcare, but you can tax someone for almost anything. Greg said Roberts also said he wasn't saying that this tax is a good idea. He's essentially saying that we need to respect the will of the people through their elected officials in passing a law if it's constitutional. It may not be a good law, but it's constitutional. It also means it can be repealed by the representatives as well. Scot said this is the second biggest court decision in his lifetime, second only to Bush v. Gore. Greg noted that this is different from Roe v. Wade when it invented something that didn't exist before. In this case, the court was only giving deference was being given to the elected representatives.

Summary of today's show: Msgr. James Moroney will assume the mantle of rector of St. John's Seminary on July 1 and Scot Landry and Fr. Chris O'Connor talk with him about his background, his work at the US bishops conference and with the Vatican on liturgy, and what it takes to form a “Swiss Army” priest for today's Church. Listen to the show: Today's host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Chris O'Connor Today's guest(s): Msgr. James Moroney, incoming rector of St. John Seminary Links from today's show: Today's topics: Msgr. James Moroney and Formation of Priests 1st segment: Scot welcomed Fr. Chris O'Connor to the show. There's been a lot going on over the last three days, starting with the Ordination Mass on Saturday an on up to the live, town hall on CatholicTV last night. Fr. Chris said the cathedral was filled with people celebrating thesis new priests. Fr. Chris preached the homily at Fr. Eric Cadin's first Mass on Sunday night at St. Mary's in Dedham. This was during the Life Teen Mass and he thought there will be some more vocations coming from among the teens who were there. Vocations come from families, from moms and dads, including asking them if God was calling to them to the priesthood or religious life. Fr. Chris said on Monday, the men went to Regina Cleri to celebrate Mass with the retired priests. They will also be with Cardinal Seán on Wednesday with their families and the faculty of St. John's Seminary for a luncheon. Last night was the live town hall meeting and CatholicTV will be re-broadcasting it several times, including tonight at 8pm. Scot encouraged everyone to get more involved. 2nd segment: Scot and Fr. Chris welcomed Msgr. James Moroney to the show. Scot said formation of future priests is one of the most important ministries in the Church. Msgr. Moroney has been involved in formation before, but now he will become rector of St. John's Seminary. It was a different perspective this year for him at the ordination Mass. He looked at the men and thought to himself how good how God is to us. Fr. Chris and Msgr. Moroney were both very moved during the Mass. They know how beauty it is, even in the cross that it comes with. Msgr. Moroney said Fr. Chris has taught him to survive in this new job. As the vice-rector he's the one the monsignor relies on. He said day to day you come to know these men like a pastor knows his people. Scot recalled that the greeting of the priests at the Mass to the newly ordained is a fraternal embrace, a brotherhood even if they have just met. Msgr. Moroney said we are not saved individually, but by being baptized into the body of Christ. In the same way, the presbyterate is all of the priests joined to the archbishop. The men were ordained into that presbyterate, now sharing the three part ministry of being shepherd, teacher, and sanctifier. Scot asked Msgr. Moroney about his background. He grew up in Milbury, Mass. in Our Lady of Lourdes parish and then St. Bridget's parish in the same town. He didn't go to Catholic school because one wasn't available. He recalls the town was 80 to 85% Catholic. He recalls his teacher leading the public school kids in prayer every day. As he walked home from school every day, he'd stop in the church to pray and he learned to listen to God, quieting all the problems in his own life. Msgr. Moroney said it's important that every young man listening pray for God to open up to him what his plan for him is. After high school, he went to a college seminary in Baltimore for one year until it closed. Then he stayed in Maryland for a year, working as a community organizer for the Quakers against the draft. He came back to Worcester and was sent to North American College in Rome. He's been a pastor in several different places. He's also worked for the US bishops conference for 13 years as director of the liturgy office. Scot said Msgr. Moroney has prepared two different series on the liturgy for EWTN and CatholicTV, as well as other media. Msgr. Moroney said he had been told that the Church needed someone to explain the liturgy for the average man and that's why he studied for it in order to promote it. Once he was pastor of two parishes separated by a parking lot and lots of old feelings. They used the promotion of beautiful liturgies and Eucharistic adoration to bring them together so that the two eventually became one parish. Msgr. Moroney was appointed by Pope John Paul II as a consulter to the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments. He's also executive secretary of Vox Clara, a committee of bishops who advise bishops' conference on English in the liturgy around the world. Fr. Chris noted that Msgr. Moroney is a priest of the Worcester diocese. Msgr. Moroney said Cardinal Seán has promoted St. John's as a regional diocese. They have seminarians from every diocese in New England and other countries too, including Saudi Arabia. He sees the role of rector as being pastor of the seminary, which is how John Paul II saw it in the document Pastores dos Vobis. Being a pastor of a flock of shepherds is one way to put it. Scot said he's the first diocesan priest not of Boston to be appointed rector. Scot recounted some of the other rectors over time. Msgr. Moroney said Bishop Arthur Kennedy, the outgoing rector, is an old friend from when they both worked at the US Bishops Conference. Bishop Kennedy working in the Secretariat of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs. When Bishop Kennedy became rector in St. John's, he asked Msgr. Moroney to come teach there as well. He said Bishop Kennedy is the “second founder” of the seminary, expanding the seminary, not just in numbers, but in programs and quality of formation. 3rd segment: Scot asked the essential aspects of forming a priest today. Msgr. Moroney said it's centering on Christ, a personal relationship with Christ. The same Christ, Cardinal Seán prayed to in the ordination prayer. The same Christ the new priests prayed to on Sunday in their first Masses. Whether you're a newly ordained priest or a priest living in Regina Cleri, to know Christ personally, to be led deeper into the mystery of Christ. “That I may decrease, that Christ may increase,” is the heart of priestly formation. Msgr. Moroney said every generation faces particular challenges. The challenge we face is that all the demands made of me to look at this and that, to grab my attention, to be able to put that aside and center on Christ. The device and media might be able to help, but it's a challenge. He noted that book, “I Am Not A Gadget”, asks a lot of philosophical questions about living in a digital world with social media and everything. If Christ is not there, then all the digital stuff is a clanging symbol. Scot said 50 years ago we lived in a much stronger Catholic culture. We had 75% or higher Mass attendance then. Now the new priests will serve where the majority of Catholics don't attend Mass. Msgr. Moroney said the zeal and purity of vision is just the same as when he was was ordained. However, the men come from a different culture now. Msgr. Moroney came from an atmosphere where everyone was imbued with catechism and devotions were the norm. A few years ago, the US bishops acknowledged that we need two extra years of formation for priests because they're not getting that like they used to. Msgr. Moroney taught a course on homily preparation. About 5 years he played tapes of Archbishop Fulton Sheen, and the seminarians were not that impressed. Msgr. Moroney realized he was speaking to a different culture and a different world. There's more skepticism about even the fact of ultimate truths. Fr. Reed of CatholicTV will teach a course next year on media and the new evangelization. Scot said Msgr. Moroney leads days of recollections across the country for priests and to teach in seminaries on many subjects. Scot asked if there's a vocations crisis. Msgr. Moroney said the crisis is in believing God will take care of us. When we say to young men, “Have you thought about becoming a priest?” the result is magnificent. God only asks us to pray and do a little work. He said he saw a young man at Fr. Cadin's Mass who looked particularly intent and so he went over asked him if he ever thought of becoming a priest. Scot said in the Archdiocese of Boston on a Sunday morning you can find a Mass every 30 minutes within a 15 minute drive. In other places in the country, you have to drive 1-1/2 hours to get to the next church. Msgr. Moroney said the numbers of priests in the 60s was a result of the baby boom. We are doing very well for priests in the United States today. Fr. Chris asked about the type of priest to ordain from St. John's. Msgr. Moroney said they want to form the Swiss Army priest. They want a priest who could go to a parish centered around the Extraordinary Form of the Latin Mass or a Life Teen parish or a Brazilian parish or whatever. The priest has such a pastor's heart and skills to go beyond himself, he'll be able to minister wherever he goes. Like St. Paul who was able to be all things to all men wherever he went. Scot said there's a pressure on young priests to be defined by their parishioners as a type of priest. Msgr, Moroney said the biggest obstacle to the Swiss Army priest is the self-confidence of the young man. The temptation is to compromise in order to get people to like you. We should preach Christ, not just tickle people's ears with what they want to hear. He said they should preach in kindness, but in truth. Fr. Chris said the Gospel is meant to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. Scot noted that the age of new priests is creeping upward. In the past they would have to be 25 at least. Fr. Chris said most men coming into seminary are 23 to 24 or so. Fr. Chris said when men come in right from college, they often left soon after. Now men who have been out in the world are leaving something behind, and have already thought long and hard about this step, so they are less likely to leave. The men are generally ordained in late 20s/early 30s. Scot asked if it's easier or tougher to have men that are older who more experience as well as more habits to break. Msgr. Moroney recalled one of the first seminary classes he taught had a former doctor, a former lawyer, a former engineer. They were very accomplished and used to calling the shots. Now they are living a simple life and having to listen to others tell them how to grow and improve. Fr. Chris said seminary is meant to stretch and challenge the men because priesthood will do the same. Msgr. Moroney said during the ordination Mass the men lay flat on their face while the litany is prayed around them. In reality, they laid down on their face when they entered seminary by embracing the humility of openness to formation. Scot asked Msgr. Moroney how his background on liturgy will affect the formation of seminarians. Msgr. Moroney said over the last five years he's monied into a reflection on priestly spirituality. Without a conformity to Christ on the Cross, the people will see it as inauthentic. It is from hearts that hearts learn. He said we're on the cusp of a revival of spirituality among priests today. Msgr. Moroney asked people to pray for seminarians every day. Go to the St. John's website, pick a seminarian, and pray for him every day.

Today's host(s): Scot Landry Today's guest(s): Fr. Thomas Foley, Episcopal Vicar and Secretary for Pastoral Life and Leadership of the Archdiocese of Boston Today's topics: Priest Profile: Fr. Thomas Foley Summary of today's show: Scot chats with Fr. Thomas Foley who oversees the largest part of the Central Ministries of the Archdiocese as the secretary for pastoral life and leadership. They dicuss the various ways the Archdiocese provides support to clergy and laity and assists parishes in their day-to-day efforts and planning for the future. 1st segment: Scot welcomed everyone to the show. He said today the archdiocese says goodbye to our current vicar general, Fr. Rich Erikson, and tomorrow say hello to Msgr. Robert Deeley, who will become vicar general and moderator of the curia. He will be on the show on September 9. Scot explained that moderator of the curia helps organize the rest of Cardinal Sean's cabinet secretaries and coordinate their efforts. The cabinets include administration, education, faith formation, communications, health services, social services, institutional advancement, Catholic media, and the parish life and leadership. Fr. Foley is an episcopal vicar and he is the only vicar in the cabinet apart from the vicar general. A vicar represents or stands-in for the ministry of the bishop. Some dioceses have more than one vicar general. There is a judicial vicar, who is Fr. Mark O'Connell in Boston. Episcopal vicars are less common and he is the bishop's delegate over a certain area of church life or people. Fr. Foley is the vicar for clergy and parishes. The other episcopal vicar in Boston is Fr. Arthur Coyle who is the Cardinal's representative to the Merrimac region. A vicar has ordinary power, as canon law puts it. The bishop is the ordinary and the vicar can sign certain documents and take certain actions on the Cardinal's behalf. 2nd segment: Scot met Fr. Foley in 2006 at the consistory in Rome at which Cardinal Seán was made a cardinal. At the time he was pastor of St. Ann in Neponset. Fr. Foley was born in Woburn, like many priests of the archdiocese. Cardinal Medeiros called Woburn the land of priests. He was baptized at St. Mary, Winchester, and celebrated his first Mass at Immaculate Conception, Winchester. His first assignment as priest in 1986 was St. Mary and Martha in Lakeville. When he was ordained, he got his assignment and said he'd never heard of Lakeville, which is on the far southern edge of the archdiocese. He was only there for three years. His next assignment was St. Eulalia in Winchester in his hometown where he stayed for five years. It was very busy with 1,500 kids in CCD. Four priests lived in the rectory. In a very unusual move, he was moved to St. Mary in Winchester for four years. He was then offered Immaculate Conception in Winchester, his home parish. He was there for 6-1/2 years until it closed in 2004. Scot asked how they dealt with the closing of the parish. They knew they were very small and that their finances wouldn't work to keep them open. He told the people that the closing affected him as much as them; he had celebrated his first Mass at that altar. From there, he moved to St. Ann in the Neponset section of Dorchester as pastor. He was there only four years before Cardinal Sean asked him to come to the new assignment. Scot said Cardinal Sean might have looked to Fr. Foley because of his role in the formation of Pope John Paul II Catholic Academy, which gathered together 7 Catholics into one. Fr. Foley said in Dorchester, people even today identify themselves by what parish they come from, so merging the schools was very difficult. At the time, St. Ann was the largest school, but the budget was twice revenue very year and he and the other pastors recognized that it was impossible to make it on their own. Scot said it wasn't easy but in the end it achieved what they hoped, which was the preservation of Catholic education in Dorchester. Fr. Foley said he wasn't at first convinced about the merger of schools, but he was invited to a meeting in Brighton with the people behind the 2010 Initiative for Catholic education which gave him a lot to think about. After thinking long and hard, praying about it, and talking to his people, he became convinced. He stayed on the board of JPII academy for about a year after he moved to the Pastoral Center. He began his new assignment in June 2008 right as construction began on the new school and went back at the beginning of the school year for the opening. He missed St. Ann and not being a part of the new academy, but he was impressed by the excitement of the kids and parents in their new school. 3rd segment: Fr. Foley actually worked for a month in Brighton before the move to the Pastoral Center in Braintree. His position in the secretariate was created new by Cardinal Sean as part of a reorganization of the Archdiocese to strengthen services provided to clergy and parishes and focus on evangelization and faith formation. Among the offices are Clergy Personnel, which gives priests and deacons their assignments. Fr. Tom said it's a strategic and important part of their service. They have a personnel board that meets to look at parishes that need a priest, look at available priest, and look at the surrounding parishes to make recommendations. They have regular meetings with Cardinal Sean to update him on the latest information and changes. Fr. Michael Medas is the head of that office. Scot said Clergy Personnel also provides pastoral care for priests. It includes direct support for priests who have immediate needs, one-on-one care they provide. The Cardinal often wants to get personally involved as well when there is a priest in need, such as with a death in the family. The same with the vicar general's office. His secretariate helps with the ongoing formation of priests, including preparing parochial vicars to be pastors, ongoing education and formation, and more. Fr. Tom recently added Sr. Lucille to his staff to work with Fr. Medas in planning ongoing formation programs, workshops, conferences, the annual convocation, and retreats. There are also three or four priests per year who go on sabbatical, such as at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. Officially, a priest takes a sabbatical every 10 years, but in practice few of them ask for sabbatical. They don't leave their parishes. The Vocations Office sponsors vocations to the priesthood as well as promoting the other vocations in the Church. They are bringing in many seminarians to study for the Archdiocese. There are about 60 seminarians for the Archdiocese right now. There's another class of permanent deacons about to be ordained in September. The Office of Permanent Deacons is concerned with their formation and ongoing care. The Office of Pastoral Planning works with many in the parishes including pastoral associates in the parishes as part of the planning effort to strengthen parishes. Scot said the most important initiative in the Archdiocese over the next 5 years is pastoral planning for a stronger archdiocese given changing resources in the future. There is a lot of coordination among different departments and offices on a variety of committees that involve pastoral planning to get a wide perspective on the whole. 4th segment: It's time to announce the winner of the weekly WQOM Benefactor Raffle. Our prize this week is the Let's Talk Series of books for teens by Ken Ogorek and Once Upon a Time Rosary Activity Set for children by Holy Cross Family Ministries This week's winner is Anna Malinauskas from Waltham, MA. Congratulations Anna! If you would like to be eligible to win in an upcoming week, please visit . For a one-time $30 donation, you'll receive the Station of the Cross benefactor card and key tag, making you eligible for WQOM's weekly raffle of books, DVDs, CDs and religious items. We'll be announcing the winner each Wednesday during “The Good Catholic Life” program. 5th segment: Fr. Foley also oversees the the care and support of senior priests. Fr. FOley serves on the board of Regina Cleri, which he says is the finest home for senior priests in the country and many dioceses don't even have a residence for senior priests. It was founded by Cardinal Cushing who had the foresight of building Regina Cleri when the West End was demolished for urban renewal. About 50 priests live at Regina Cleri, mostly those who are older and need more care, for whom living in a rectory is not practical. They have a good dignified life and a close community. Some senior priests also live in their own homes as well. The last office is Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs. Ecumenical is among other Christian churches and interreligious is relations with Jewish and Muslim groups. It was founded by Cardinal Cushing and the office is overseen by two priests who are also pastors.

Father Leo Walsh of the USCCB Secretariat of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs reflects on the Easter Sunday Gospel; Father Richard Hilgartner of the USCCB Secretariat of Divine Worship discusses the period of continued learning for new Catholics called the mystagogy.  Fact of Faith: how Easter got its name; CNS Spotlight: Sainthood cause for Fr. Augustine Tolton; National Dr. Karen Ristau, president of the National Catholic Educational Association previews the group's  convention; Life Issues commentary: Mary McClusky; Rome Report: Medjugore; Movie Review: "Remember Me."

Tom Price of Catholic Relief Services discusses the agency's response to the Cholera outbreak in Haiti; Rome Report: New members of the College of Cardinals; USCCB Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs director Fr. James Massa provides an update on the official Catholic-Jewish dialogue; Fact of Faith: Feast of Asses; Life Issues Forum: Kimberly Baker on Assisted Suicide; CNS Spotlight: Catholic milliner's hats to be displayed at the Smithsonian; DVD Review: "Metropolis."