264th pope and saint of the Catholic Church
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203 episodes with Pope John Paul II
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Today's Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, is celebrated annually on the Monday after Pentecost. It was officially added to the Church's calendar by Pope Francis in 2018. As outlined in an address by Pope John Paul II, the Blessed Mother's role as Mother of the Church can be traced back to four significant events. The first is the Annunciation, where Mary was called to give her consent to the coming of the Messianic Kingdom, which would take place with the formation of the Church. The second event which helps clarify the Blessed Mother's role in the formation of the Church happens at the wedding feast of Cana. Mary asks her Son to exercise his Messianic power in changing water into wine, implanting faith in the lives of the first century disciples. The third event takes place at Calvary. The Crucified Christ proclaims Mary's motherhood of all the faithful when he proclaims: “Woman, behold your Son.” This was not just addressed to John the Evangelist, Pope John Paul II explained, but to all the faithful, including ourselves 1992 years later. The fourth instance of Mary's motherhood of the Church is recognized by St. Luke in Acts 1:14 in today's alternative reading, in which Luke describes the early Christians gathering together in prayer. Specifically, it states that all the apostles, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers were present and united in prayer. This verse follows our Lord's Ascension into heaven as they were waiting for the arrival of the promised Holy Spirit. The verse highlights the unity of the early Church and the Blessed Mother's prayerful presence imploring the gift of the Holy Spirit for all, the same Holy Spirit that had overshadowed her during the Annunciation. The Church is like a mother, generating life by giving birth, but also helping her children to grow through the sacraments and accompanying us through our entire lives. For St. Jerome, “The Church is nothing other than the souls of those who believe in Christ,” carefully watched over by the Mother of the Church, our Most Blessed Virgin Mary. Blessings,Fr. Kevin MacDonald, C.Ss.R.
It's often remarked that America has become less religious, especially during recent decades. But what if that religiosity hasn't disappeared, but just taken less visible forms? That's exactly what was happening in the arts in 1980s NYC, argues Paul Elie, author of The Last Supper: Art, Faith, Sex, and Controversy in the 1980s. As Elie tells it, the era wasn't just marked by the ascendance of the moral majority and the authority of tradition—figures like Pope John Paul II and Ronald Reagan. It also featured subtle engagement with spiritual themes by the likes of figures like Leonard Cohen, Andy Warhol, Madonna, Patti Smith, Bruce Springsteen, and Martin Scorcese, and provides a template for understanding where Catholicism stands today. For further reading: An excerpt from Paul Elie's new book Kaya Oakes on why religion must ask better questions Susan Bigelow Reynolds on millennial religious rejection
Jim talks with Mark Stahlman about the new Pope Leo XIV and the Catholic Church's evolving role in a digital age. They discuss Trump as an avatar of the digital paradigm shift, the significance of Leo XIV's name choice, Francis as a thug, Francis's background as chemical engineer and bouncer, Synodality & Church decentralization, the exterior vs interior personas of Pope Francis, Leo XIII's 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum, the three pillars of Catholic social teaching, financial system reforms and new settlement currencies, the role of Dubai in blockchain/crypto development, multipolar traps & solidarity, generational changes & media consumption, the growth of Catholicism in France despite overall European decline, the Catholic Church's diplomatic efforts and interfaith outreach, the future of global systems, and much more. JRS EP290 - Mark Stahlman on Trump as the Avatar of the Digital Paradigm Shift Center for the Study of Digital Life (digitallife.center) Mark Stahlman's Substack (exogenous.substack.com) First Things (magazine) Trivium University (online graduate school mentioned) Rerum Novarum, by Pope Leo XIII (1891 encyclical) Quadragesimo Anno, by Pope Pius XI (1931 encyclical) Centesimus Annus, by Pope John Paul II (1991 encyclical) Aeterni Patris, by Pope Leo XIII (1879 encyclical) Return of the Strong Gods, by R.R. Reno "The Two Popes" (movie) "Dictator Pope" (book) God's Diplomats, by Victor Gaetan Mark Stahlman is a biologist, computer architect and ex-Wall Street technology strategist. He is the President of the not-for-profit Center for the Study of Digital Life (CSDL, 501(c)3, digitallife.center) and its educational project Trivium University (Triv U, trivium.university). He is also CEO of Exogenous, Inc. (EXO, exogenousinc.com), a strategic risk analysis group and on the editorial staff of its publication, the Three Spheres Newsletter (TSN). He studied for but did not complete advanced degrees in Theology (UofChicago) and Molecular Biology (UW-Mad). He has been widely interviewed and published, including teaching online courses (available on YouTube via 52 Living Ideas).
Who was America's great power prophet during the Cold War? Perhaps not Henry Kissinger. In Zbig, Financial Times' U.S. editor, Edward Luce, makes the case that the Polish-American strategist Zbigniew Brzezinski was at least equal to Kissinger in his prophetic grasp of America's role in the Cold War world. Luce explores Brzezinski's role as Jimmy Carter's National Security Advisor, his combination of hard and soft power strategies against the Soviet Union, and his uncannily prescient predictions about Soviet collapse and the emergence of an "alliance of the aggrieved" against the United States. five key takeaways * Brzezinski was remarkably prescient - He accurately predicted Soviet collapse decades in advance, identifying the USSR's "Achilles heel" as its suppressed internal nations and calling it a "gerontocracy" destined to fail through "reverse natural selection."* The dinner that saved Europe - Brzezinski's coordination with Pope John Paul II in 1980 helped prevent Soviet invasion of Poland by persuading Solidarity to moderate their rhetoric while warning Moscow that Poland would be "indigestible."* Post-Cold War prophet of doom - Unlike triumphalist Americans in the 1990s, Brzezinski warned that U.S. hubris would create an "alliance of the aggrieved" (China, Russia, Iran, North Korea) - a prediction that proved remarkably accurate.* Meritocracy believer with aristocratic standards - Despite his Polish noble background, Brzezinski championed American meritocracy but maintained old-world intellectual rigor, famously giving only one A per class regardless of size.* Study your adversaries - His key lesson for today: America must continue studying and understanding other nations' languages, cultures, and motivations rather than assuming everyone should simply follow the American model.Edward Luce is the US national editor and columnist at the Financial Times. Luce's biography of Zbigniew Brzezinski Zbig, The life of Zbig Brzezinski: America's great power prophet, came out this month. He is the author of three highly acclaimed books, The Retreat of Western Liberalism (2017), Time to Start Thinking: America in the Age of Descent (2012), and In Spite of the Gods: The Strange Rise of Modern India (2007). He appears regularly on CNN, NPR, MSNBC's Morning Joe, and the BBC.Keen On America is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe
Bishop Michael Martin joins Patrick to Discuss Love for the Papacy Bishop Michael Martin Gives his thoughts on the new Pope Leo What is the papacy? (12:54) What does it mean that the pope is the visible head of the Church? (16:35) Break 1 Pamela - Experience with Pope John Paul II. Visited my country (Ecuador). I was a young child. The street was so crowded. I recall him going down the road looking at us with the sweetest look. Gave us his blessing. My dad cried with joy. (29:28) Fr. Don - I'm a priest in the diocese of Phoenix. in 87, JPII came to the diocese. My sister gave him flowers. Beautiful experience and is part of why I became a priest. (36:18) Break 2 Tim - One of my dear friends, a deacon, told me a story about not being into any faith. Saw JPII in Chicago and he looked him in the eye and he blessed him. Changed his life and he became a deacon. (41:24) Margie - I've been praying for years for conversion of my mother. She's 82. Pope Leo has touched her heart. She told me she's considered about being more faithful to the Catholic faith. I gave her a crucifix and miraculous medal. This pope reminds me of my grandfather. What happens when you say you don’t like this pope or that pope?
Welcome to this enlightening episode of Father and Joe, where Joe Rockey and Father Boniface unfold the complexities and significance of a new papal election. With the election of Pope Leo, many Catholics and non-Catholics alike grapple with the question: "What does this new leadership mean for our daily lives?" While changes might seem ceremonial, Father Boniface provides deep insights into how different popes have redefined roles within the Church, highlighting shifts from Pope John Paul II, Benedict XVI, to Francis.We delve into Pope Benedict's contribution, focusing on his theological brilliance and subtle yet profound changes, such as his emphasis on localized beatification and the wealth of academic discourse he left behind. Unlike his predecessor, Pope Francis brought a mission-focused agenda fueled by simplicity and poverty, reshaping annulment processes, Curial structures, and emphasizing the global mission of the Church. Joe and Father Boniface discuss the unforeseen election of an American Pope, reflecting on how a conclave discerningly selects a pontiff to address contemporary ecclesiastical and global challenges, considering factors often veiled in secrecy.Father Boniface further illuminates the balance between doctrine, which remains unchanged, and governance, which can evolve with each papal reign. This episode enriches listeners' understanding of how a Pope not only influences ecclesiastical direction but also impacts billions globally. Whether you are a devout Catholic or a curious observer, this discussion promises to deepen your appreciation of the Papal office's depth and its alignment with the broader mission of the Church. Tune in next week for more reflections on Pope Leo's election and expectations in his papacy.Tags: Papal Transition, Pontiff, Pope Leo, Pope Francis, Pope Benedict XVI, Catholic Doctrine, Church Governance, Vatican, Catholic Church, Papal Influence, Missionary Discipleship, Evangelization, Church Reform, New Evangelization, Church History, Pope John Paul II, Papal Election, Catholic Tradition, Spiritual Leadership, Theological Insights, Papal Teachings, Beatification, Synod, Catholic Audience, Religious Influence, Modern Christianity, Global Catholicism, Church Doctrine, Vatican Council, Church Unity, Catholic Faith, Church and Society, Clergy, Congregation, Catholic Community, Church Practices, Religious Discussions, Theology, Papal CeremoniesHashtags: #PapalTransition, #PopeLeo, #CatholicChurch, #Vatican, #PopeFrancis, #PopeBenedict, #ChurchHistory, #CatholicDoctrine, #MissionaryDiscipleship, #Evangelization, #ChurchReform, #PapalInfluence, #UniversalChurch, #SpiritualLeadership, #PapalTeachings, #CatholicTradition, #TheologyInsights, #ChurchGovernance, #CatholicFaith, #ReligiousInfluence, #Beatification, #Synod, #CatholicCommunity, #VaticanCouncil, #GlobalCatholicism, #ModernChristianity, #ChurchUnity, #CatholicAudience, #SpiritualDirection, #ChurchPractices, #ReligiousDiscussions, #PapalCeremonies, #NewEvangelization, #PapalElection, #ReligiousSignificance, #CatholicPodcast.
This is Part 2! For Part 1, check the feed!This week we're examining the most unlikely sport stars that history has to offer! We've got Pope John Paul II, the goalie. Che Guevara: the rugby years. Plus, Albert Camus, the football obsessive.And Mr Brightside would be a far better national anthem for the United Kingdom, we know that now. But do you have a better suggestion? If yes: hello@ohwhatatime.comIf you fancy a bunch of OWAT content you've never heard before, why not treat yourself and become an Oh What A Time: FULL TIMER?Up for grabs is:- two bonus episodes every month!- ad-free listening- episodes a week ahead of everyone else- And much moreSubscriptions are available via AnotherSlice and Wondery +. For all the links head to: ohwhatatime.comYou can also follow us on: X (formerly Twitter) at @ohwhatatimepodAnd Instagram at @ohwhatatimepodAaannnd if you like it, why not drop us a review in your podcast app of choice?Thank you to Dan Evans for the artwork (idrawforfood.co.uk).Chris, Elis and Tom xSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Episode Topic: The Church's Vision for WomenThirty years ago, in both Evangelium Vitae and his Letter to Women, Pope John Paul II issued a clear call for the genius of women to be “more fully expressed in the life of society as a whole, as well as in the life of the Church” (Letter to Women 10). Throughout his papacy, in fact, he emphasized women's “prophetic character,” calling on them to be “witnesses” and “sentinels” — guardians of the sacred gift of life and the order of love (Mulieris Dignitatem 29; Homily at Lourdes 2004). “The Church's Vision for Women,” presented by Angela Franks, took place at the McGrath Institute for Church Life conference True Genius: The Mission of Women in Church and Culture at the University of Notre Dame in March 2025, developed by Abigail Favale, Ph.D., Professor of the Practice, Theology & Literature, at the McGrath Institute for Church Life.Featured Speakers:Abigail Favale, professor, University of Notre DameAngela Franks, St. John's Seminary, BostonRead this episode's recap over on the University of Notre Dame's open online learning community platform, ThinkND: https://go.nd.edu/f9588d.This podcast is a part of the ThinkND Series titled True Genius: The Mission of Women in Church and Culture. Thanks for listening! The ThinkND Podcast is brought to you by ThinkND, the University of Notre Dame's online learning community. We connect you with videos, podcasts, articles, courses, and other resources to inspire minds and spark conversations on topics that matter to you — everything from faith and politics, to science, technology, and your career. Learn more about ThinkND and register for upcoming live events at think.nd.edu. Join our LinkedIn community for updates, episode clips, and more.
This week we're examining the most unlikely sport stars that history has to offer! We've got Pope John Paul II, the goalie. Che Guevara: the rugby years. Plus, Albert Camus, the football obsessive.And Mr Brightside would be a far better national anthem for the United Kingdom, we know that now. But do you have a better suggestion? If yes: hello@ohwhatatime.comIf you fancy a bunch of OWAT content you've never heard before, why not treat yourself and become an Oh What A Time: FULL TIMER?Up for grabs is:- two bonus episodes every month!- ad-free listening- episodes a week ahead of everyone else- And much moreSubscriptions are available via AnotherSlice and Wondery +. For all the links head to: ohwhatatime.comYou can also follow us on: X (formerly Twitter) at @ohwhatatimepodAnd Instagram at @ohwhatatimepodAaannnd if you like it, why not drop us a review in your podcast app of choice?Thank you to Dan Evans for the artwork (idrawforfood.co.uk).Chris, Elis and Tom xSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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National No dirty dishes day. Entertainment from 1958. Bath school massacre, Mt. St. Helens erupted, 1st female pilot to break the sound barrier. Todays birthdays - Seth Wheeler, Big Joe Turner, Perry Como, Pope John Paul II, Pernell Roberts, Mark Mothersbaugh, George Strait, Tina Fey. Jill Ireland died.Intro - God did good - Dianna Corcoran https://www.diannacorcoran.com/ Too many dirty dishes - Albert CollinsAll I have to do is dream - The Everly BrothersOh lonesome me - Don GibsonBirthdays - in da club - 50 Cent http://50cent.com/Shake rattle & roll - Big Joe TurnerPrisoner of love - Perry ComoBananza TV themeWhip it - DevoUnwound - George StraitExit - God did good - Dianna Corcoran https://www.diannacorcoran.com/ countryundergroundradio.comcooolmedia.com
On May 13, 1981, shots rang out in St. Peter's Square as Pope John Paul II was struck by bullets fired at close range. In this episode of True Crimecast, Jamie and John unravel the tangled web behind one of history's most shocking assassination attempts. From Turkish gunman Mehmet Ali Ağca's shadowy ties to international conspiracies involving the Bulgarian Secret Service and the Soviet KGB, to Pope John Paul II's remarkable act of forgiveness, this story weaves global politics, religious leadership, and personal redemption into one unforgettable narrative. --For early, ad free episodes and monthly exclusive bonus content, join our Patreon!
AMDG. “I always knew I liked these things and I knew they were beautiful, but now I know why.” In a special sneak peek episode, Kolbe Academy team members Carol Gilpin, Stephanie Foley, and Therese Prudlo join the Kolbecast to discuss the brand new art history and architecture book. The trio discusses the layout of the new art book, revealing the thought process and design work that went into the new text. “It's like we're having a conversation with that artist… a real human connection,” Stephanie reflects. Whether you are considering purchasing this book for your children or interested in picking up a beautiful, readable art book for yourself, this episode is a must-listen! Related Kolbecast episodes: 194 Visual Literacy with Amanda Shepherd 249 Stories Crafted with Care featuring Carol Gilpin, Stephanie Foley, and Stasha Becher 186 Full Circle (of Fifths) and 201 The Soundtrack of Life with Carl Hasler and Olivia Knuffke on the topic of music Links mentioned & relevant: Pope John Paul II's Letter to Artists Art History text The “Not-Artistic” Parent's Guide to Art Appreciation with free download/preview of artist spotlights Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you'd like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey. We'd be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey! The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
Full Text of ReadingsTuesday of the Fourth Week of Easter Lectionary: 280The Saint of the day is Our Lady of FatimaThe Story of Our Lady of Fatima Between May 13 and October 13, 1917, three Portuguese children–Francisco and Jacinta Marto and their cousin Lucia dos Santos–received apparitions of Our Lady at Cova da Iria near Fatima, a city 110 miles north of Lisbon. Mary asked the children to pray the rosary for world peace, for the end of World War I, for sinners, and for the conversion of Russia. Mary gave the children three secrets. Following the deaths of Francisco and Jacinta in 1919 and 1920 respectively, Lucia revealed the first secret in 1927. It concerned devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The second secret was a vision of hell. When Lucia grew up she became a Carmelite nun and died in 2005 at the age of 97. Pope John Paul II directed the Holy See's Secretary of State to reveal the third secret in 2000; it spoke of a “bishop in white” who was shot by a group of soldiers who fired bullets and arrows into him. Many people linked this vision to the assassination attempt against Pope John Paul II in St. Peter's Square on May 13, 1981. The feast of Our Lady of Fatima was approved by the local bishop in 1930; it was added to the Church's worldwide calendar in 2002. Reflection The message of Fatima is simple: Pray. Unfortunately, some people—not Sister Lucia—have distorted these revelations, making them into an apocalyptic event for which they are now the only reliable interpreters. They have, for example, claimed that Mary's request that the world be consecrated to her has been ignored. Sister Lucia agreed that Pope John Paul II's public consecration in St. Peter's Square on March 25, 1984, fulfilled Mary's request. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith prepared a June 26, 2000, document explaining the “third secret.” Mary is perfectly honored when people generously imitate her response “Let it be done to me as you say” (Luke 1:38). Mary can never be seen as a rival to Jesus or to the Church's teaching authority, as exercised by the college of bishops united with the bishop of Rome. Click here for more on Our Lady! Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media
Send us a textSPONSOR: Briefcase MarketingPope Leo XIV, born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago, becomes the first American pope in Church history, bringing a unique blend of Augustinian spirituality, canon law expertise, and pastoral experience from his years serving the poor in Peru.• White smoke appeared lunchtime (EST) on Thursday, signaling a relatively quick conclave.• Pope Leo chose his name after Leo XIII, known for social justice teaching.• His first words as pope were "Peace be with you," signaling a focus on unity.• Both traditionalists and progressives have responded positively to his election. • As an Augustinian, he comes from a religious order and will bring his order's perspective to the papacy.• His American accent and Midwestern English create a new sound for papal addresses.• He combines elements of his predecessors: Francis's concern for the poor with Benedict's academic approach.• His living brothers in Chicago and Florida offer a humanizing glimpse into his family life.• Early indications suggest he'll be a unifying figure while continuing Francis's mission in a "more buttoned-up" style.• He's already begun peace initiatives, meeting with Ukraine's president shortly after his election.Let us pray for Pope Leo XIV as he begins his pontificate, that the Lord will guide him in leading the Church through whatever hardships may come.Church Search goes to St. Noel.SPONSOR: Briefcase MarketingAt Briefcase Marketing, we create marketing that inspires action and delivers results. We will:Clarify your message to attract the right audience.Streamline your website to convert more visitors into customers, donors or volunteers.Create consistency to build trust and deepen relationships across every marketing platform (Emails, Ads, Social Media, Etc).Check out just two of their successful clients and their most recent client, Womankind.WomankindTheology of the Body CLESt. John Cantius ParishFr Damian invites you:Jubilee Year pilgrimages will happen across the Diocese of Cleveland: June 12th at St. John of the Cross to Lourdes Shrine.July 19th at St. John Bosco to Shrine of the Queen of the Holy Rosary at Incarnate Word Academy (especially for young adults),July 26th at St. Anne Shrine (focused on grandparents and families).Readings for the 5th Sunday of Easter.
Patrick celebrates the historic election of the new pope and highlights how faith and Catholic media bring hope to listeners. Patrick shares inspiring stories of people reconnecting with their faith, families staying close across the miles, and the unique ways Catholic initiatives make a difference. Through listener questions and meaningful conversations, Patrick brings the community together to build a stronger, faith-filled future. Audio: Pope Leo XIV echoed the iconic words of Pope John Paul II to young people: “Do not be afraid.” (01:44) Audio: PLXIV gives an Italian blessing (02:13) Audio: Pope Leo sings Regina Caeli (03:17) Jillian - Should Catholics fear God? (11:35) Beth - Am I allowed to bless my nieces and nephews that are not my godchildren? My husband is deployed in a Muslim country. Can he pray Rosary during the call to prayer? (18:02) Javier - Does the Church have any teaching about biblical stories and whether Adam and Eve committed mortal or venial sin? (30:21) Louis - Is having a cough drop in Mass going against the fasting rule before receiving Eucharist? (32:56) Dante - Is gambling a sin? (43:21)
China is cracking down on religious freedom and Pope Leo XIV faces a raging controversy about a deal his predecessor signed with Xi Xinping’s Communist Party. Today - how the China situation helped Leo defeat other contenders, and the dilemma he faces now. Find out more about The Front podcast here. You can read about this story and more on The Australian's website or on The Australian’s app. This episode of The Front is presented and produced by Claire Harvey and edited by Jasper Leak, who also composed our theme. Our team also includes regular producer Kristen Amiet, Lia Tsamoglou, Tiffany Dimmack, Joshua Burton and Stephanie Coombes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Fifteen years after Sarah Silverman's viral call to “Sell the Vatican, Feed the World,” we now have a “Marxist Pope,” according to Trump stormtrooper Laura Loomer, and our wildest dreams. This week for Gaslit Nation's bonus show, we dive into the groundbreaking election of the first American pope, Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, whose ancestry ties him to Black lineage. While many celebrate this historic milestone, deeper questions remain. Most crucially, Pope Leo's stance on Opus Dei, a secretive, powerful crime cult aligned with far-right politics and accused of human trafficking and labor abuses, remains unclear, especially given his close connections to Opus Dei in Peru. By Vatican standards, Pope Francis launched an open war on Opus Dei. (Fun fact: Robert Hanssen, the FBI agent and traitor who spied for the Kremlin, was an Opus Dei member). Pope Francis began the work of reigning in Opus Dei's unchecked power. Pope Leo, seen as a moderate administrator, played both sides during his tenure in Peru, where Opus Dei holds sway. Will he now take bold action to finish Francis's mission, and protect the world from Opus Dei, especially America where Opus Dei has been expanding its influence in Washington, DC, thanks to allies Leonard Leo of the Federalist Society and Kevin Roberts of the Heritage Foundation and Project 2025? Want to enjoy Gaslit Nation ad-free? Join our community of listeners for bonus shows, ad-free episodes, exclusive Q&A sessions, our group chat, invites to live events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit! EVENTS AT GASLIT NATION: May 26 4pm ET – Book club discussion of Octavia Butler's The Parable of the Sower Indiana-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to join, available on Patreon. Florida-based listeners are going strong meeting in person. Be sure to join their Signal group, available on Patreon. Have you taken Gaslit Nation's HyperNormalization Survey Yet? Gaslit Nation Salons take place Mondays 4pm ET over Zoom and the first ~40 minutes are recorded and shared on Patreon.com/Gaslit for our community Show Notes: ‘Papabile' of the Day: Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost https://cruxnow.com/papal-transition/2025/05/papabile-of-the-day-cardinal-robert-francis-prevost Trump's New Favorite Adviser Starts MAGA Meltdown Over ‘TDS' Pope https://www.thedailybeast.com/trumps-new-favorite-advisor-laura-loomer-starts-maga-meltdown-over-tds-pope/ The Far Right is Coming for the Vatican https://www.americanfreakshow.news/p/the-far-right-is-coming-for-the-vatican Catholic Church To Excommunicate Priests for Following New US State Law https://www.newsweek.com/catholic-church-excommunicate-priests-following-new-us-state-law-2069039 Opus Dei: The Gaslit Nation Gareth Gore Interview: https://www.gaslitnationpod.com/episodes-transcripts-20/2024/12/31/opus-dei?rq=Gareth%20Gore Mafia boss breaks silence over Roberto Calvi killing: This article is more than 13 years old Godfather turned supergrass accused of murder of 'God's banker' claims case will never be solved https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/may/12/roberto-calvi-blackfriars-bridge-mafia Surveillance Self-Defense: A Presentation by the Gaslit Nation Security Committee https://www.patreon.com/posts/surveillance-128381880?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link Parable of the Sower: Gaslit Nation Book Club Discussion: https://www.patreon.com/posts/zoom-link-for-et-128213704?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link
POPE JOHN PAUL II AND SUCCESS. MARY ANASTASIA O'GRADY WSJ 17770 ROME
GOOD EVENING; THE SHOW BEGINS IN MOSCOW FOR THE PUTIN-XI SUMMIT... 1945 BERLIN CBS EYE ON THE WORLD WITH JOHN BATCHELOR FIRST HOUR 9:00-9:15 1/2: #Russia #PRC: Condemn US Hegemony. Anatol Lieven, Quincy 9:15-9:30 #Kashmir: No One to Arbitrate. Anatol Lieven, Quincy 9:30-9:45 #PRC: Beijing Comes to the Table. #ScalaReport: Chris Riegel, CEO, Scala.com @Stratacache 9:45-10:00 #Iran: Dismantle is the Necessary Nuke Deal. Cliff May, FDD SECOND HOUR 10:00-10:15 #Israel: Securing Gaza and the Gazans. Alex Traiman, JNS. Malcolm Hoenlein @Conf_of_pres @mhoenlein1 10:15-10:30 #Antisemitism: The Harvard Report. Alex Goldberger, MCRI. Malcolm Hoenlein @Conf_of_pres @mhoenlein1 10:30-10:45 #Antisemitism: Persecuting the Academy. Boaz Galony, Neaman Institute. Malcolm Hoenlein @Conf_of_pres @mhoenlein1 10:45-11:00 #Syria: Unsolved WMD. Gregg Roman, Middle East Forum. Malcolm Hoenlein @Conf_of_pres @mhoenlein1 THIRD HOUR 11:00-11:15 1/2: #VE Day: Recalling. Svetlana Lokhova, author, "The Spy Who Changed History"11:15-11:30 2/2: #VE Day: Recalling. Svetlana Lokhova, author, "The Spy Who Changed History" 11:30-11:45 1/2 #Hotel Mars: SPHEREx and the Origin of Water. Jamie Bock, Cal Tech, JPL. David Livingston, SpaceShow.com 11:45-12:00 2/2 #Hotel Mars: SPHEREx and the Origin of Water. Jamie Bock, Cal Tech, JPL. David Livingston, SpaceShow.com FOURTH HOUR 12:00-12:15 #Canada: Growth, Energy, Housing, Security. Conrad Black 12:15-12:30 #POTUS: Disappointing Budget. Veronique de Rugy 12:30-12:45 #Pope John Paul II and Success. Mary Anastasia O'Grady, WSJ12:45-1:00 AM #POTUS: Defense Needs for Peace Keeping. Brad Bowman, Ryan Brobst, FDD
The co-hosts weigh in on the Catholic Church choosing the first U.S.-born pope in papal history, Pope Leo XIV, and question if he will follow in his predecessor's progressive leadership. Busy Philipps discusses the exciting guests coming up on season two of her show "Busy This Week," her longtime friendship with Michelle Williams and how she was blessed by Pope John Paul II when she was a teenager. Isabel Allende discusses the themes of tyranny and immigration in her writing, starting her writing career later in life and what readers can expect from her new book, "My Name is Emilia del Valle." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The recent worldwide outpouring of grief upon the death of Pope John Paul II was unprecedented. Mourners ranged from his humblest adherents to the most powerful political and religious leaders of our day, including France's President Jacques Chirac and British Prime Minister Tony Blair. California Governor Schwarzenegger called the Pope “a beacon of virtue, strength and goodness.” Former President Clinton called him “a man of God,” while former President Bush said that his “adherence to liberty and freedom…gave people a real anchor.”
Patrick updates listeners on the ongoing papal conclave, sharing what’s happening behind the scenes as the Church seeks its next leader. He highlights the unique global impact of the conclave, explains key challenges facing Church leadership, and draws lessons entrepreneurs can take from the Church’s ability to adapt in changing times. Stay tuned for more insights and real-time coverage as history unfolds. Update on the Conclave – What are the chances the next pope will be from the United States? (01:27) Richard - How come Protestants can't see that Peter was the leader of the early Church? (11:22) Amelia - Is leaking info outside of the Conclave allowed? (20:10) Patrick shares The Final Confrontation, a talk from Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, who would one day become Pope John Paul II (36:30) Rebecca – Will the new Pope inherit a deal with communist China? How can this work? (41:31) Vince - What is SSPX? What do they stand for? (47:58)
IMAGE CREDIT Claude Truong-Ngoc / Wikimedia Commons - cc-by-sa-3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons LINKS Vatican bio of Cardinal Kurt KOCH: https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/documentation/cardinali_biografie/cardinali_bio_koch_k.html Kurt KOCH on FIU's Cardinals Database (by Salvador Miranda): https://cardinals.fiu.edu/bios2010.htm#Koch Cardinal Kurt KOCH on Gcatholic.org: https://gcatholic.org/p/4021 Cardinal Kurt KOCH on Catholic-Hierarchy.org: https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bkoch.html Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity on Gcatholic.org: https://gcatholic.org/dioceses/romancuria/d16.htm Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity on Catholic-Hierarchy.org: https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dxpcu.html Basel Cathedral website discussing the canons: https://www.bistum-basel.ch/news/drei-neue-domherren-eingesetzt La Repubblica 1995 article on Bishop Vogel's resignation and son: https://ricerca.repubblica.it/repubblica/archivio/repubblica/1995/06/03/il-vescovo-si-dimette-aspetto-un.html Nostra Aetate: https://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decl_19651028_nostra-aetate_en.html 2012 Catholic News Service overview of Cardinal Koch's comments on conservative Catholics and Judaism (archived via Library of Congress Web Archives): https://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20121205205921/http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1202023.htm Thank you for listening, and thank my family and friends for putting up with the time investment and for helping me out as needed. As always, feel free to email the show at Popeularhistory@gmail.com If you would like to financially support Popeular history, go to www.patreon.com/Popeular. If you don't have any money to spare but still want to give back, pray and tell others– prayers and listeners are worth more than gold! TRANSCRIPT Welcome to Popeular History, a library of Catholic knowledge and insights. Check out the show notes for sources, further reading, and a transcript. Today we're discussing another current Cardinal of the Catholic Church, one of the 120 or so people who will choose the next Pope when the time comes. Kurt KOCH was born on March 15, 1950, Emmenbrücke a town just north of the middle of Switzerland, in the Canton of Lucerne. Cardinal Koch is the second Swiss-born Cardinal we've met after Cardinal Tscherrig, the Nuncio's Nuncio we met last summer. But at the time we had dozens of countries involved, because, well, nuncio's nuncio, and didn't get a chance to just talk Switzerland. These days Switzerland is famous for their neutrality, staying out of pretty much every conflict they can avoid. Perhaps that's in part due to the fact that it used to be a battleground, especially in the rolling conflicts between the Popes in Italy and the Holy Roman Emperors in Germany. When the Reformation came, Switzerland was again divided in loyalty between largely Catholic southern Europe and largely Protestant northern Europe. One of the fruits of conflict, for better or for worse, is military skill, which is how the Swiss Guard that still protects the Vatican today came about. Fortunately, like I mentioned, the Swiss came to embrace neutrality, including in religion, with laws allowing for freedom of conscience–first just among Christian denominations and then more broadly. Keep this context of conflict to resolution in the back of your mind as we go. Kurt Koch studied Theology at the University of Lucerne in Switzerland, then went to Munich Germany to study more theology, getting a diploma in theology in 1975. He served as a research assistant at the University of Lucerne from ‘76 to ‘81, presumably while studying even More theology, and soon after he was ordained a priest for his home Diocese of Basel in 1982. This is actually the first time I've seen someone ordained apparently without any specific philosophy training, going pure theology isn't as normal as one might expect. After a period of chaplaincy, his theology studies continued, and in 1987 he wound up with a doctorate in, you guessed it, theology. I expected he'd stop there, or perhaps get another doctorate, but apparently in Kurt's neck of the woods there's another step you can go beyond a simple doctorate, the Habilitation, which basically works out to full professorship. The most surprising thing about this to me is that this is the first time I'm realizing it, it's extremely possible- I would say likely- that he actually isn't our first Cardinal to achieve this level, I just didn't flag it before and my sources described it differently this time. Part of why I love doing this is it lets me learn something every day. Anyways, after obtaining his habilitation, Father Koch became Professor of dogmatics, liturgy and ecumenical theology at the Theological Faculty of the University of Lucerne from 1989, a post he held until 1996. He was also simultaneously rector for a short time, though that was interrupted by a call. Normally this would be a tongue-in-cheek note about a white phone, but in this case the call was coming from the Cathedral Chapter of the Diocese of Basel, because it was actually their job to elect the next Bishop of Basel and they wanted to choose Father Koch. Of course, much like my normal white phone joke, this isn't necessarily *exactly* how it went down, since for all I know maybe Father Koch *was* one of the Canons of Basel Cathedral and no phone was needed for the news. But either way, my point is that unlike the typical process for most dioceses, where the relevant nuncio and the relevant Dicastery work with the Pope to figure out new bishops, Basel uses the old Cathedral Chapter model, where there's a local election among the members of the Chapter. The Cathedral Chapter might have been a little sheepish, because they had actually just elected a new Bishop of Basel, who had found himself under a lot of psychological pressure–being a bishop isn't easy–and had wound up going to an old friend for comfort. A female friend, who wound up pregnant. He resigned, got laicized, and married her. Hopefully he's a better traditional father than he was a spiritual one. Bishop Koch received his episcopal consecration directly and personally from Pope John Paul II in the Vatican, possibly because everyone was wanting to do things right after the last kerfuffle, though I don't have any source claiming that, just a guess. The University Of Lucerne made him an honorary professor on his way out the door, a nice gesture, presumably a sort of “you're welcome to come back by any time” kind of arrangement. Bishop Koch got involved in the Swiss Bishop's conference, serving as their Vice-President for nine years, and as their President for three. Together that represents pretty much his entire time as a bishop in Switzerland, because in 2010 Bishop Koch was called up to the Vatican to head the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity, of which he had been a member since 2002. To fit the dignity of his new office, he was promoted to Archbishop and then Cardinal. Speaking of archbishops, today I learned Switzerland has no archbishops, all six dioceses are immediately subject to the Holy See, meaning if there's something that would normally involve an Archbishop, it goes to the Vatican. But enough about Switzerland, we're in Rome now. Pope Benedict had Cardinal Koch jump in headfirst, heading a delegation to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew–the leader of the Orthodox, the largest Christian Church outside of Catholicism, and co-presiding over a meeting of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue Between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church with his Orthodox counterpart. In December, Pope Benedict also added Koch to the Congregation for the Oriental Churches and the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. What a difference a year makes, Koch had started the year as a simple bishop, now he was pretty much everywhere. Cardinal Koch's big Christian unity gig also extends outside Christianity, as the head of that dicastery is also automatically the President of the Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews. Sometimes the two overlap, like when he's talking with traditionalists who are to varying degrees reluctant to embrace Jews as their brothers. In those cases he points to Nostra Aetate, essentially the Catholic Church's foundational document on religious freedom, which explicitly decries antisemitism, and which Cardinal Koch has called “important for every Catholic”. In addition to dozens of articles and papers, Cardinal Koch has written at least fifteen books. Originally elevated as a Cardinal-Deacon, Cardinal Koch exercised his right to become a Cardinal-Priest after ten years of service as a Cardinal. In addition to the roles we've already discussed, Cardinal Koch is currently a member of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith; the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints; the Dicastery for Bishops; and the Dicastery for Culture and Education. A veteran of the 2013 conclave that elected Pope Francis, Kurt Cardinal KOCH is eligible to participate in future conclaves until he turns 80 in 2030. Today's episode is part of Cardinal Numbers. Stay tuned to see if today's Cardinal gets selected for a deeper dive in the next round! Thank you for listening; God bless you all!
Patrick answers urgent questions about Catholic teaching—from interfaith relationships and Church marriage rules, to what the Bible says about Mary’s perpetual virginity and why Church dogma matters. Patrick clears up confusion around Jesus’ “brothers,” talks about what Catholics should know before attending Greek Orthodox services, and explains what causes division in the Church. Whether you’re seeking to strengthen your faith or looking for straightforward answers to your questions, this episode brings practical advice and real understanding. Kathy - What is the Catholic Church's position on masturbation. (02:19) Grace - When Mary appeared to Fatima, part of the 3rd Secret was that Pope John Paul II was the last Pope. Is this true? (03:37) Joe - Why does Matthew use the term brother interchangeably? (05:52) Stella (email) – Why is it a big deal if Jesus had brothers? (17:25) Jack - My granddaughter is Catholic who works with a Greek Orthodox. He invited her to go to his Church. Can she go? (26:00) Ruben - Martin Luther still affirmed the Perpetual Virginity of Mary and he still prayed the Rosary. (30:30) Daniel (email) - Can you discuss what caused the schism within the Catholic Church? (36:13) Lee - Daughter was married by justice of the peace and is still married to the same guy. Can she get her marriage blessed now or do they need an annulment first? (39:17) Dan – I heard there is no such thing as the Immaculate Conception or Queen of heaven? (47:23)
In this episode, Brett sits down with Dr. Ralph Martin—Catholic author, theologian, and president of Renewal Ministries—for a powerful conversation on faith, mission, and the movement of the Holy Spirit. They dive into Dr. Martin's pivotal role in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal and his unforgettable encounter with Pope John Paul II. Dr. Martin also shares about his latest book, A Life in the Spirit: A Memoir, and his commitment to Christ. Dr. Martin's Website Subscribe/Rate Never miss out on an episode by subscribing to the podcast on whatever platform you are listening on. Help other people find the show by sharing this episode on your social media. Thanks! Connect with Brett: Website: https://brettpowell.org Coaching: buildmylifecompass.com/coaching Twitter/X: @BrettPowellorg https://twitter.com/BrettPowellorg Music "Southern Gothic" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Editing by ForteCatholic (https://www.fortecatholic.com)
In April 2005, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger became Pope Benedict XVI following the death of Pope John Paul II.The new leader of the Catholic Church was elected after four ballots of the papal conclave. The late Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor was one of 115 cardinals who took part.He spoke to Rebecca Kesby in 2013.Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more. Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic' and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy's Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they've had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America's occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.(Photo: Cardinals conduct their final mass before entering into the conclave in 2005. Credit: Getty Images)
Full Text of ReadingsThird Sunday of Easter Lectionary: 48The Saint of the day is Blessed Michael GiedroycBlessed Michael Giedroyc's Story A life of physical pain and mental torment didn't prevent Michael Giedroyc from achieving holiness. Born near Vilnius, Lithuania, Michael suffered from physical and permanent handicaps from birth. He was a dwarf who had the use of only one foot. Because of his delicate physical condition, his formal education was frequently interrupted. But over time, Michael showed special skills at metalwork. Working with bronze and silver, he created sacred vessels, including chalices. He traveled to Kraków, Poland, where he joined the Augustinians. He received permission to live the life of a hermit in a cell adjoining the monastery. There Michael spent his days in prayer, fasted and abstained from all meat and lived to an old age. Though he knew the meaning of suffering throughout his years, his rich spiritual life brought him consolation. Michael's long life ended in 1485 in Kraków. Five hundred years later, Pope John Paul II visited the city and spoke to the faculty of the Pontifical Academy of Theology. The 15th century in Kraków, the pope said, was “the century of saints.” Among those he cited was Blessed Michael Giedroyc. Reflection Many people today face a life of suffering and discrimination due to physical handicaps. Let's ask Blessed Michael Giedroyc to pray for them that their situation might be addressed by society at large. Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media
IMAGE DESCRIPTION: By Pufui Pc Pifpef I - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31309211 via Wikipedia LINKS Vatican bio of Cardinal Raymond Leo BURKE https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/documentation/cardinali_biografie/cardinali_bio_burke_rl.html Raymond Leo BURKE on FIU's Cardinals Database (by Salvador Miranda): https://cardinals.fiu.edu/bios2010.htm#Burke Cardinal Raymond Leo BURKE on Gcatholic.org: https://gcatholic.org/p/2334 Cardinal Raymond Leo BURKE on Catholic-Hierarchy.org: https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bburke.html Apostolic Signatura on Gcatholic.org: https://gcatholic.org/dioceses/romancuria/d13.htm Apostolic Signatura on Catholic-Hierarchy.org: https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dbgch.html 2003 Catholic News Agency bio of Archbishop Burke: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/286/pope-appoints-bishop-raymond-burke-as-new-archbishop-of-st-louis Merriam-Webster, “Defender of the Bond”: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defender%20of%20the%20bond#:~:text=The%20meaning%20of%20DEFENDER%20OF%20THE%20BOND,the%20marriage%20bond%20in%20suits%20for%20annulment Dead Theologians Society: https://deadtheologianssociety.com/about/ Catholic Herald analysis of Cardinal Burke's 2014 reassignment: https://web.archive.org/web/20160701214308/http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2014/11/10/thousands-sign-petition-thanking-cardinal-burke/ 2013 National Catholic Reporter commentary- “I want a mess” -Pope Francis: https://www.ncronline.org/blogs/distinctly-catholic/pope-i-want-mess 2014 CruxNow “Soap Opera” Synod on the Family coverage: https://web.archive.org/web/20141017055135/http://www.cruxnow.com/church/2014/10/16/synod-is-more-and-more-like-a-soap-opera/ Amoris Laetitia: https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20160319_amoris-laetitia.html 2017 Knights of Malta reshuffle: https://catholicherald.co.uk/pope-names-archbishop-becciu-as-personal-delegate-to-order-of-malta/ 2018 National Catholic Register editorial Reflection on Amoris Laetitia controversy https://www.ncregister.com/news/francis-fifth-a-pontificate-of-footnotes 2016 National Catholic Register coverage of the Dubia: https://www.ncregister.com/news/four-cardinals-formally-ask-pope-for-clarity-on-amoris-laetitia Traditionis custodes: https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/motu_proprio/documents/20210716-motu-proprio-traditionis-custodes.html Cardinal Burke's Statement on Traditionis Custodes: https://www.cardinalburke.com/presentations/traditionis-custodes The 2023 Dubia (w/Pope Francis' responses): https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2023-10/pope-francis-responds-to-dubia-of-five-cardinals.html National Catholic Reporter coverage of removal of Cardinal Burke's Vatican apartment and salary: https://www.ncronline.org/vatican/vatican-news/pope-francis-remove-cardinal-burkes-vatican-apartment-and-salary-sources-say Anonymous “Cardinal Burke is my enemy” report: https://catholicherald.co.uk/pope-calls-cardinal-burke-his-enemy-and-threatens-to-strip-him-of-privileges-reports-claim/ Where Peter Is coverage of Cardinal Burke's 2024 private meeting with Pope Francis https://wherepeteris.com/cardinal-burkes-meeting-withĥhh-pope-francis/ Thank you for listening, and thank my family and friends for putting up with the time investment and for helping me out as needed. As always, feel free to email the show at Popeularhistory@gmail.com If you would like to financially support Popeular history, go to www.patreon.com/Popeular. If you don't have any money to spare but still want to give back, pray and tell others– prayers and listeners are worth more than gold! TRANSCRIPT Welcome to Popeular History, a library of Catholic knowledge and insights. Check out the show notes for sources, further reading, and a transcript. Today we're discussing another current Cardinal of the Catholic Church, one of the 120 or so people who will choose the next Pope when the time comes. The youngest of six, Raymond Leo Burke was born on June 30, 1948, in Richland Center, a small town in sparsely populated Richland County, Wisconsin. Not too much later, the family moved north to tiny Stratford, Wisconsin, where he grew up. We've had a *lot*, of midwestern Cardinals, in fact all but one of our 8 American Cardinals so far has been born in the midwest, a percentage I would probably consider shocking if I didn't identify as a midwesterner myself, though technically I'm about as much of a northern southerner as you can get, considering my parents basically moved to Virginia to have their kids and immediately moved back to Ohio once that was accomplished. But enough about me, this is about Raymond Leo Burke, who signed up for Holy Cross Seminary in La Crosse in 1962. Later he went to The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, where he wound up with a masters in philosophy in 1971. After that he was sent to Rome for his theology studies, getting a second masters, this time from the Gregorian. He was ordained by Pope Paul VI–yes, *before* JPII, crazy I know, in 1975 on June 29th, which longtime listeners will probably clock as the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul and more importantly the Popeular History podcasts' official anniversary date. Returning to Wisconsin as a priest for the Diocese of La Crosse, Father Burke served as an associate rector for the cathedral, then as a religion teacher at Aquinas High School in town. Making his way back to Rome, Father Burke returned to the Gregorian to study Canon Law, by 1984 he had a doctorate in the topic with a specialization in jurisprudence. He came back stateside long enough to pick up a couple diocesan roles back in La Crosse, but soon enough he went back to the Gregorian for a third time, this time not as a student but as a teacher, namely as a Visiting professor of Canonical Jurisprudence, a post which he held for nearly a decade from ‘85 to ‘94. He wound up becoming the first American to hold the position of Defender of the Bond of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signature, as a reminder that's basically the Vatican's Supreme Court. As for what being a Defender of the Bond entails, it's basically the guy in charge of proving the validity of a disputed marriage, typically–I'd imagine--oversomeone's objections, or else, you know, the case wouldn't have wound up in court. In 1994, his white phone rang, and it was Pope John Paul II, calling to make him bishop of his home Diocese of La Crosse. Father Burke was personally consecrated by His Holiness in the Vatican. In ‘97, Bishop Burke became a member of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre, ranking as a Knight Commander with Star automatically by virtue of his being a bishop. The Order traces its origins to the First Crusade, making it one of the oldest chivalric Orders in the world–and it's not the only such order Bishop Burke will get involved in. In 2000, bishop Burke became National Director of the Marian Catechist Apostolate, something which certainly seems near to his heart considering he's still in the role. Well, international director now, as things have grown. In 2002, Bishop Burke invited a fairly new apostolate named the Dead Theologians Society to the diocese, which isn't something I'd normally include, but I wanted to make sure it got a shoutout because it started at my parish. Oriented towards high school and college students, they study the lives of the saints, and Cardinal Burke is a fan, saying: “I am happy to commend the Dead Theologians Society to individual families and to parishes, as a most effective form of Catholic youth ministry.” In 2003, Bishop Burke became Archbishop Burke when he was transferred to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Saint Louis, where he served until 2008, when he was called up to Rome, to serve as prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signature, there's that Vatican Supreme Court again, and this time he's running it. And if you're making assumptions based on that appointment, yes, he's absolutely considered one of the foremost experts on canon law worldwide, having published numerous books and articles. In 2010, Pope Benedict raised Archbishop Burke to the rank of Cardinal Deacon and assigned him the deaconry of S. Agata de 'Goti. Naturally he participated in the 2013 conclave that elected Pope Francis, where I am prepared to guess he was in the minority given subsequent events. The next year, so 2014, Cardinal Burke was transferred from his top judicial spot to serve as the patron of the Sovereign Order of Malta, aka the Knights of Malta, a reassignment that was generally interpreted as a demotion, given he was going from his dream job for canon law geek that made him the highest ranking American in the Vatican at the time to a largely ceremonial post that was, well, not that. [All that is nothing against the Knights of Malta, which these days are a solid humanitarian resource and quasi-state trivia machine I'll give their own episode at some point.] The tension between Cardinal Burke and Pope Francis has been fairly clear from the start. They have fundamentally different approaches and styles, and frankly different goals. Cardinal Burke is dedicated to maintaining tradition as the safest route, while Pope Francis has famously called for shaking things up, for example saying: “What is it that I expect as a consequence of World Youth Day? I want a mess. We knew that in Rio there would be great disorder, but I want trouble in the dioceses!” That's Pope Francis, of course. Just before his transfer out of his top spot at the Vatican's court, Cardinal Burke noted that many Catholics, quote: “feel a bit of seasickness, because it seems to them that the ship of the Church has lost its compass.” End quote. To his credit, Cardinal Burke took the move in stride, which matches up well with his general view that authority should be respected and that, as a canonist, the Pope is the ultimate authority. Deference to such authority in the context of the Catholic Church is known as Clericalism, and being pro or anti Clericalism is another point of disagreement between Cardinal Burke and Pope Francis, who said “I want to get rid of clericalism” in the same early interview I mentioned before. Part of what Cardinal Burke was responding to with his “lost compass” quote was the first stages of the Synod on the Family, which veteran Vatican reporter John Allen Jr described as like a “soap opera”, with working notes that were released to the public speaking positively about things like same-sex unions and other relationships the Vatican tends to describe as “irregular”. After the Synod on the Family wrapped up, in 2016 Pope Francis produced a post-synodal apostolic exhortation called Amoris Laetitia, or “The Joy of Love”, which I saw one of my sources described the longest document in the history of the Papacy, a hell of a claim I am not immediately able to refute because it sure *is* a long one, which is primarily known for the controversy of just one of its footnotes, footnote 351. I'm still making *some* effort to make these first round episodes be brief, but it's important to keep things in context, so let's go ahead and look at the sentence the footnote is attached to, which is in paragraph 305, and Then the footnote itself. If you want even more context, the entirety of Amoris Laetitia is, of course, linked in the show notes. Here we go: “Because of forms of conditioning and mitigating factors, it is possible that in an objective situation of sin – which may not be subjectively culpable, or fully such – a person can be living in God's grace, can love and can also grow in the life of grace and charity, while receiving the Church's help to this end.” And yes, that is one sentence. Popes are almost as bad about sentence length as I am. Without the footnote, this probably would have gone relatively unnoticed, the Church accompanying sinners is not a fundamentally revolutionary idea. But the footnote in question gets specific and brings in the Sacraments, which is where things get touchy: “In certain cases, this can include the help of the sacraments. Hence, “I want to remind priests that the confessional must not be a torture chamber, but rather an encounter with the Lord's mercy” I would also point out that the Eucharist “is not a prize for the perfect, but a powerful medicine and nourishment for the weak”. For one thing, just to get this out of the way, some of that is in quotation marks with citations. In a document like this that's pretty normal, showing how your argument is based on precedent and authority. Except in this case the precedent and the authority being cited is literally Pope Francis himself. To be clear, this is a normal Pope thing, I found multiple examples of JPII and Pope Benedict doing the same thing, it just amuses me. Anyways, the idea of people in objectively sinful states receiving communion is hyper-controversial. After all, even as far back as Saint Paul, receiving Communion “unworthily” is an awful thing. Of course, questions have long followed about how anyone can be truly worthy of the Eucharist, with the basic answer there being “with God's help”, but yeah, it's tricky. We can have an educated guess how Cardinal Burke felt about all this, because he and three other Cardinals--it'll be a while before we get to any of the others–anyways Cardinal Burke and three other Cardinals asked Pope Francis some fairly pointed questions about this in a format called a dubia, traditionally a yes/no format where the Holy Father affirms or denies potential implications drawn from one of their teachings to clarify areas of doubt. In this case, there were five questions submitted, with the first and I daresay the most sincerely debated being the question of whether footnote 351 means divorced and subsequently remarried Catholics can receive communion. There's lots of subtext here, but as a reminder this is actually the *short* version of this episode, so pardon the abbreviation. The next four questions are, to put it snarkily, variations on the obviously very sincere question of “does the truth matter anymore?” Pope Francis decided not to answer these dubia, which the Cardinals took as an invitation to make them–and his lack of a response–public. Not as a way of outing him after his refusal to answer gotcha questions with a yes/no, not by any means, but because clearly that's what not getting an answer meant Pope Francis wanted them to do. Now, there's something of an issue here, because we're nearing record word count for Cardinal Numbers, and that's without any real long diversions about the history of Catholicism in Cardinal Burke's area or his interactions with the local secular ruler. It's all been Church stuff. And we're nowhere near the end. The reality is that I'm painfully aware my own discipline is the only thing that keeps me from going longer on these episodes when appropriate, and the major driving force for keeping them short was to keep things manageable. But now that I'm no longer committed to a daily format, “manageable” has very different implications. And even my secondary driver, a general sense of fairness, not making one Cardinal's episode too much longer than the others, well, the other Cardinals in this batch have had longer episodes too, so it's not as much of a lopsided battle for the First Judgment, and it's not like longer automatically means more interesting. In the end, with those inhibitions gone, and a sense that this stuff is important and it would be a shame to skip big chunks of it if Cardinal Burke *doesn't* make it to the next round, I'm going to go ahead and keep walking through this so it gets said, and let it take what time it takes. My best guess is we're about halfway through. That way there's no special pressure to make Cardinal Burke advance just to cover anything I felt was too rushed. Don't worry, there's still plenty being left out. Fair? Fair or not, Let's resume. In 2015, so after his relegation to the Knights of Malta but before Amoris Laetitia and the Dubia, Cardinal Burke was added to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, which is still one of his roles though like other Vatican offices it has since been rebranded as a Dicastery. In 2017, Burke's posting as Patron of the Knights of Malta, the one I described as largely ceremonial, threatened to become interesting when Pope Francis forced the head of the order to resign over, well, condoms, basically. But as soon as things started looking interesting Pope Francis helicoptered in an archbishop to serve as his “special delegate” and more importantly his “exclusive spokesman” to the Order, which effectively sidelined Burke from a gig he had been sidelined *to* a few years earlier. Nevertheless, 2017 also actually saw Burke start to bounce back some. I want to re emphasize this is notably *after* the Dubia, when later in the year Pope Francis picked Cardinal Burke as the judge in the case of an Archbishop who had been accused of sexully abusing his altar servers. The Archbishop was found guilty and deposed, and by the end of the year, having gotten his feet wet again, Cardinal Burke was back on as a member of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signature, though, notably, not as its head anymore. The next major flashpoint came In 2021, when Pope Francis published Traditionis Custodes, a document that severely restricted the celebration of the old Latin Mass. Long story short, what's colloquially called Latin Mass is the version of Mass that was the main liturgy for Latin rite Catholics for hundreds of years until the Second Vatican Council kicked off serious updates in the 1960s, the most obvious of which is the general shift from Latin to the use of local aka vernacular languages, and the second most obvious is the direction the priest is facing for the majority of the liturgy. There's obviously more detail available on everything I just said, and people have *opinions*, I'll tell you that for sure. Cardinal Burke's fundamental opinion was and is that the Latin Mass is great and should be maintained and that, in short, Pope Francis may even be overstepping his bounds in restricting it as much as he is with Traditionis Custodes, which is a strong claim given the whole, you know, general idea of the Papacy. A few weeks after the Traditionis Custodes stuff went down, Cardinal Burke was on a ventilator fighting for his life. We're only doing living Cardinals at this time, so no suspense there for us, but his bout with COVID was touch-and-go for a while there. In June 2023, notably a few weeks before his 75th birthday and that customary retirement age, Pope Francis replaced Cardinal Burke as the Patron of the Knights of Malta with an 80 year old Jesuit Cardinal. If you're noticing that Burke was relaced by someone who was themselves a fair bit older and also well past retirement age, yeah, you're not alone in noticing that, and you wouldn't be alone in thinking that some kind of point was being made here. Just a few weeks after that retirement, Cardinal Burke attached his name to another dubia document, this one covering a larger variety of topics and appearing and in the context of the ongoing Synod on Synodality. Cardinal Burke was again joined by one of his fellow signers of the first dubia, the other two having passed away in 2017, may they rest in peace. They were also joined by three Cardinals who had not cosigned the previous Dubia, though all of those are over 80 and so we won't be covering them for a while. In any event, this second set of dubia covered a wider range of topics in its five questions, including two particularly hot-button issues, namely the question of blessings for same sex unions, which is something I will refer you to my Fiducia Supplicans anniversary coverage (oops, didn't get that out yet) on for fuller detail, and notion of women serving as deacons, which is still an open question at the time of this writing: as we've discussed previously, ordination has been pretty firmly ruled out, but there may be room for an unordained diaconate. After all, Saint Paul entrusted the letter to the Romans to a woman he described as a deacon. Pope Francis actually responded to this second dubia the day after the dubious Cardinals submitted it, giving lengthy and detailed answers to all of their questions. Naturally this seems to have annoyed Cardinal Burke and his compatriots, because remember, traditionally answers to Dubia have been yes or no, and so they reframed their questions and asked Pope Francis to respond just with “yes” or “no”. When it was evident His Holiness was not going to reply further, the Cardinals once again took the lack of an answer- or rather the lack of yes/no format answers- as encouragement to publish everything, which was an interesting move since that seems to have essentially set Fiducia Supplicans in motion, as Pope Francis indicated an openness to informal blessings for homosexuals in one of his dubia responses. All of that is in the show notes. Later in 2023, Pope Francis stripped Cardinal Burke of his Vatican apartment and retirement salary, which I have been tempted to call a pension but everyone I've seen calls it a retirement salary so it's probably safest to follow suit. Officially no reason was given, but I mean, you've listened to this episode, take your pick of tension points and believe it or not I've skipped several chapters of drama real or alleged. Speaking of alleged, this is the Vatican, so anonymous sources are happy to weigh in, including alleging that Pope Francis straight up said “Cardinal Burke is my enemy”. I don't think I buy that he was so plain about it, but I also don't expect Cardinal Burke is Pope Francis' favorite guy. On December 29, 2023, Cardinal Burke had a private audience with Pope Francis for the first time in over seven years. Cardinal Burke's last private audience with Pope Francis had been back in 2016, four days before the first dubia was made public. The idea of the two having a little chat grabbed media attention more than any other meeting between a Cardinal and a Pope that I can recall. As is typical for such one-on-ones, no official reason or agenda was given, and it's not likely we'll ever know what exactly was said, but I've got to hand it to Cardinal Burke for his response when Reuters asked him about it: ‘Well, I'm still alive.'” Raymond Leo Cardinal BURKE is eligible to participate in future conclaves until he turns 80 in 2028. “AM I THE DRAMA”? Today's episode is part of Cardinal Numbers, and there will be more Cardinal Numbers next week. Thank you for listening; God bless you all!
Full Text of ReadingsThursday of the Second Week of Easter Lectionary: 270The Saint of the day is Saint Joseph the WorkerThe Story of Saint Joseph the Worker To foster deep devotion to Saint Joseph among Catholics, and in response to the “May Day” celebrations for workers sponsored by Communists, Pope Pius XII instituted the feast of Saint Joseph the Worker in 1955. This feast extends the long relationship between Joseph and the cause of workers in both Catholic faith and devotion. Beginning in the Book of Genesis, the dignity of human work has long been celebrated as a participation in the creative work of God. By work, humankind both fulfills the command found in Genesis to care for the earth (Gn 2:15) and to be productive in their labors. Saint Joseph, the carpenter and foster father of Jesus, is but one example of the holiness of human labor. Jesus, too, was a carpenter. He learned the trade from Saint Joseph and spent his early adult years working side-by-side in Joseph's carpentry shop before leaving to pursue his ministry as preacher and healer. In his encyclical Laborem Exercens, Pope John Paul II stated: “the Church considers it her task always to call attention to the dignity and rights of those who work, to condemn situations in which that dignity and those rights are violated, and to help to guide [social] changes so as to ensure authentic progress by man and society.” Saint Joseph is held up as a model of such work. Pius XII emphasized this when he said, “The spirit flows to you and to all men from the heart of the God-man, Savior of the world, but certainly, no worker was ever more completely and profoundly penetrated by it than the foster father of Jesus, who lived with Him in closest intimacy and community of family life and work.” Reflection To capture the devotion to Saint Joseph within the Catholic liturgy, in 1870, Pope Pius IX declared Saint Joseph the patron of the universal Church. In 1955, Pope Pius XII added the feast of Saint Joseph the Worker. This silent saint, who was given the noble task of caring and watching over the Virgin Mary and Jesus, now cares for and watches over the Church and models for all the dignity of human work. Enjoy this look at the life of Saint Joseph! Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media
IMAGE CREDIT Elza Fiúza/Abr, CC BY 3.0 BR, via Wikimedia Commons LINKS Vatican bio of Cardinal Leonardo Ulrich STEINER: https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/documentation/cardinali_biografie/cardinali_bio_steiner_l.html Leonardo Ulrich STEINER on FIU's Cardinals Database (by Salvador Miranda): https://cardinals.fiu.edu/bios2022.htm#Steiner Cardinal Leonardo Ulrich STEINER on Gcatholic.org: https://gcatholic.org/p/5762 Cardinal Leonardo Ulrich STEINER on Catholic-Hierarchy.org: https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bulst.html Archdiocese of Manaus on Gcatholic.org: https://gcatholic.org/dioceses/diocese/mana1.htm?tab=info Archdiocese of Manaus on Catholic-Hierarchy.org: https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dmanb.html 2022 Aleteia.org profile of Cardinal-Elect Steiner: https://aleteia.org/2022/08/26/a-red-hat-for-the-amazon-basin/ 2022 Vatican News profile of Cardinal-Elect Steiner (Portuguese): https://www.vaticannews.va/pt/igreja/news/2022-05/presidencia-da-cnbb-sauda-os-novos-cardeais-do-brasil.html Special Assembly for the Pan-Amazon Region–list of participants: https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2019/09/21/0723/01479.html 2017 La Stampa coverage of the Amazon Synod (archived version): https://web.archive.org/web/20190618142401/https://www.lastampa.it/2017/10/15/vaticaninsider/eng/world-news/a-synod-for-the-indigenous-peoples-of-south-america-bu6BcrTX8a4HWl645ztM6O/pagina.html Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Querida Amazonia: https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20200202_querida-amazonia.html Ecclesiastical Conference of the Amazon on Gcatholic.org: https://gcatholic.org/dioceses/organizations/j02.htm The Revealer.org profile of Sister Manso Pereira: https://therevealer.org/in-the-amazon-religious-women-lead-the-way/ 2023 America Magazine report of indigenous women leaders from the Ecclesiastical Conference of the Amazon meeting with Pope Francis: https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2023/06/06/women-deacons-indigenous-pope-francis-meeting-245437 2023 National Catholic Reporter piece on women ministering in the Amazon: https://www.ncronline.org/opinion/guest-voices/sisters-model-womens-diaconal-ministry-amazon Cruxnow coverage of 2022 delegation of bishops (including Archbishop Steiner) meeting with Pope Francis to discuss violence in Amazonia: https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-americas/2022/06/brazilian-bishops-discuss-violence-in-the-amazon-with-pope-francis Thank you for listening, and thank my family and friends for putting up with the time investment and for helping me out as needed. As always, feel free to email the show at Popeularhistory@gmail.com If you would like to financially support Popeular history, go to www.patreon.com/Popeular. If you don't have any money to spare but still want to give back, pray and tell others– prayers and listeners are worth more than gold! TRANSCRIPT Welcome to Popeular History, a library of Catholic knowledge and insights. Check out the show notes for sources, further reading, and a transcript. Today we're discussing another current Cardinal of the Catholic Church, one of the 120 or so people who will choose the next Pope when the time comes. The thirteenth of sixteen children, Leonardo Ulrich STEINER was born on November 6, 1950 in Forquilhinha, a community in Brazil's second southernmost state of Santa Catarina. He's our third Brazilian Cardinal, but he won't be our last, in fact one of his cousins is fellow Brazilian Cardinal Paulo Evaristo Arns. Leonardo joined the Franciscans in 1972 at the age of 21, making his solemn profession in ‘76. In a pattern we've seen before, he studied philosophy and theology in Brazil, then went to Rome for more advanced studies, obtaining a licentiate and then a doctorate from the Antonianum. I don't know if I've emphasized the Franciscan affiliation of the Antonianum before, but it's certainly there–the Anthony it's named after is the Franciscan Anthony of Padua, after all. When Leonardo was ordained in 1978, it was carried out by his Cardinal-cousin I mentioned earlier, fellow Franciscan and then-Archbishop of São Paulo Cardinal Arns. He did pastoral work for a while, then he served as a formator at, uh, a seminary. From 1986 till 1995 Father Steiner was Master of Novices at, *a* seminary, presumably the same one, though that's not especially clear. The third source I checked for this particular detail described the posts he took up at the Antonianum in Rome in 1995 as the result of a transfer between institutions, so it I guess can rule that out as our mystery institution. While at the Antonianum, he served as a secretary–I expect the high level kind–and as a professor of Philosophy. He was in Rome for several years before moving back to southern Brazil in 2003. Back home, he served both as a pastor and lecturer, this time at the Bom Jesus Faculty of Philosophy, “bom” meaning "good” or I would perhaps suggest “sweet Jesus” as the more familiar English phrase with a close meaning. In 2005, Father Steiner's white phone rang and he learned he was being made Bishop-Prelate of São Félix. His episcopal consecration was carried out by none other than his longserving cousin, Cardinal Arns, who had been fully retired for years by that point, but apparently didn't mind making it a family affair. By the way, the voice on the other end of that white phone must have been fairly shaky, because Pope John Paul II died in the few months between the appointment and Bishop Steiner's actual consecration. Oh, also, did you catch that Prelate part of “Bishop-Prelate”? You see, São Félix was not and actually still is not a full-on diocese, rather it's at an intermediate sort of state called a “Territorial Prelature”. To give you an idea of why it's in an unusual state canonically, let me give you some stats. São Félix covers an area larger than England, with a total population of a bit under 200,000. At the time of his consecration, Bishop-Prelate Steiner had about ten priests to work with to address the spiritual needs of about 130,000 Catholics. The relatively sparse population is due to São Félix being on the edge of the Amazon Rainforest. This was not Bishop-Prelate Steiner's last contact with Amazonia. In May 2011 he became secretary general of the Brazilian Episcopal Conference, a post he held for the next eight years, and later on in 2011 Bishop-Prelate Steiner was appointed as an auxiliary bishop of the capitol, Brasília, working alongside Cardinal da Rocha, who we discussed in fall 2023. In 2017 Pope Francis announced the Synod on the Amazon, something which Bishop Steiner had apparently personally handed Pope Francis a document requesting on behalf of the Brazilian bishops. The Synod was duely held in 2019, and had a special focus on the indigenous peoples of the area, who, to quote Pope Francis, are “often forgotten and without the prospect of a serene future”. Another substantial issue is the ecology of the matter, with Pope Francis being known as an environmentalist before and certainly no less so after his 2015 encyclical Laudato Si, which called out the Amazon specifically as in need of special care. Bishop Steiner notably did *not* participate in the synod. I was fully expecting to say he had, and maybe I missed something, but the list of hundreds of official participants is linked in the show notes, and he's not on it. In reality his delivery of the bishop's request for the Synod was probably due to his formal role in the overall Bishop's conference and not due to his own connection to the region, which at this point was minor. However, despite that narratively inconvenient historical fact, later that year Bishop Steiner did become a full-on Amazonian bishop, being appointed the Archbishop of Manaus in the rather pointedly named Brazilian state of Amazonas. There he got to experience the staffing and geographic issues he had seen in his Bishop-Prelate days on a larger scale: there's a reason the Amazon Synod discussed things like allowing for married priests to help with the shortages, something which was much discussed in media coverage but was in truth only a minor topic in the Synod itself. One real fruit of the Amazon Synod was the establishment of the Ecclesiastical Conference of the Amazon. Adding yet another organizational wrinkle to the megacluster of organizational wrinkles that is the Catholic Church, an *Ecclesiastical* Conference functions like a Bishop's Conference, but is not limited to Bishops. In 2022, Archbishop Steiner became its First Vice-President. In yet another example of the organizational wrinkling I just joked about, I don't mean he's the first person to hold that office, instead, “First Vice-President” is his actual title, as the Ecclesiastical Conference actually has multiple Vice-President roles. I've been fairly brief and matter-of-fact in my descriptions here, so I want to end on a more human note, as there is real struggle in Amazonia. So let's hear from another Vice-President of the Ecclesiastical Conference, Sister Manso Pereira. A descendent of the Kariri Brazilian tribal group, Sister Manso Pereira recently related a conversation she had with the Karipuna people about the danger they face from armed groups of illegal logging and mining companies. Quote: “We sleep well when you are here, because you're with us.' I said, ‘Why? If they come for you to kill you, they're going to kill me, too.' And they said, ‘We know if you went missing, the church would come looking for you. They would know you were gone.'” In 2022, Pope Francis made Archbishop Steiner the first Cardinal from the Amazon region, also adding him to the Dicastery for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life. Leonardo Ulrich STEINER is eligible to participate in future conclaves until he turns 80 in 2030. Today's episode is part of Cardinal Numbers. Stay tuned to see if today's Cardinal gets selected for a deeper dive in the next round! Thank you for listening; God bless you all!
Friends of the Rosary,Today, Monday of the Second Week of Easter, a day after Divine Mercy Sunday, we celebrate the memorial of St. Louis-Marie de Montfort, a 17th-century French saint revered for his intense devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and the Virgin Mary, especially through the Rosary.St. Louis-Marie wrote the prayer of entrustment to Our Lady, “Totus Tuus ego sum,” which means, “I am all yours.” The late Pope John Paul II took the phrase “Totus Tuus” as his episcopal motto.The saint manifested a love for the poor while he was at school and joined a society of young men who ministered to the poor and the sick on school holidays. When he was 19, he walked 130 miles to Paris to study theology, giving all he had to the poor he met along the way, and made a vow to live solely on alms.With a gift for preaching, he often drew crowds of thousands to hear his sermons in which he encouraged frequent communion and devotion to Mary.He was poisoned by Jansenists, a heretical movement within the Church that believed in absolute Predestination, in which only a chosen few are saved, and the rest damned.He wrote two masterpieces of Marian piety, “The Secret of the Rosary” and “True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin,” which he correctly prophesied would be hidden by the devil for a time. The “True Devotion” was discovered 200 years after his death.One year before his death, St. Louis-Marie founded two congregations: the Daughters of Divine Wisdom, which cared for the sick in hospitals and educated poor girls, and the Company of Mary, a missionary order devoted to preaching and spreading devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.Ave Maria!Jesus, I Trust In You!Come, Holy Spirit, come!To Jesus through Mary!Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will. Please give us the grace to respond with joy!+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New York• April 28, 2025, Today's Rosary on YouTube | Daily broadcast at 7:30 pm ET
Full Text of ReadingsSecond Sunday of Easter Sunday of Divine Mercy Lectionary: 45The Saint of the day is Saint Louis Mary Grignion de MontfortSaint Louis Mary Grignion de Montfort's Story Louis's life is inseparable from his efforts to promote genuine devotion to Mary, the mother of Jesus and mother of the Church. Totus tuus (“completely yours”) was Louis's personal motto; Pope John Paul II chose it as his episcopal motto. Born in the Breton village of Montfort, close to Rennes, France, as an adult Louis identified himself by the place of his baptism instead of his family name, Grignion. After being educated by the Jesuits and the Sulpicians, he was ordained a diocesan priest in 1700. Soon he began preaching parish missions throughout western France. His years of ministering to the poor prompted him to travel and live very simply, sometimes getting him into trouble with Church authorities. In his preaching, which attracted thousands of people back to the faith, Father Louis recommended frequent, even daily, Holy Communion—not the custom then!—and imitation of the Virgin Mary's ongoing acceptance of God's will for her life. Louis founded the Missionaries of the Company of Mary, for priests and brothers, and the Daughters of Wisdom, who cared especially for the sick. His book True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin has become a classic explanation of Marian devotion. Louis died in Saint-Laurent-sur-Sèvre, where a basilica has been erected in his honor. He was canonized in 1947, and his liturgical feast is celebrated on April 28. Reflection Like Mary, Louis experienced challenges in his efforts to follow Jesus. Opposed at times in his preaching and in his other ministries, Louis knew with Saint Paul, “Neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who causes the growth” (1 Corinthians 3:7). Any attempt to succeed by worldly standards runs the risk of betraying the Good News of Jesus. Mary is “the first and most perfect disciple,” as the late Sulpician Father Raymond Brown described her. Enjoy these quotes from Catholic saints! Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media
This week on the Mark Levin Show, the passing of Pope Francis is deeply saddening for Catholics and non-Catholics, following his recent meeting with J.D. Vance and Easter ceremonies. The papacy holds immense significance, with Pope John Paul II widely revered as an influential modern leader and freedom fighter who played a key role in the Soviet Union's downfall. Afterward, we could be on the precipice of Iran developing a nuclear warhead with an ICMB aimed at America if things don't turn out right in the Iranian negotiations. If there is to be some kind of deal it would have to ensure that inspectors from the U.S., or the E.U actually get to inspect anywhere at any time but it's doubtful Iran would permit that. Pete Hegseth is a terrific Secretary of Defense; the attacks on him are designed to block President Trump's foreign policy. The isolationists are not supportive of Trump's pro-American foreign policy. They are Soros-Koch ideologues, and so are their podcast/influencer mouthpieces. These isolationists have come up with nothing new about foreign policy, recycling George McGovern's outdated views while acting as modern-day Tokyo Roses. Elon Musk, once aligned with the left, has become a patriot and hero. From the moment he purchased and exposed Twitter, he became a target of the media and the left. Musk's efforts to uncover hundreds of billions in government waste, fraud, and abuse, have cost him millions and hurt Tesla. Alongside President Trump, Musk risked everything for America. This moment right now is critical for slashing government spending, a unique opportunity driven by Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). It's frustrating that these leftwing federal judges are reversing President Trump's decisions, effectively trying to run the government from their courtrooms, which is not our constitutional system. Specifically, a judge blocked Trump's requirement for proof of citizenship on voter registration forms. These judges are doing the dirty work for the Democrat Party. This judge is helping the Democrats by taking the fraud barriers out of Trump's order. We cannot have a country where unelected judges undermine the nation. In the first 100 days of Trump's presidency, we are witnessing an aggressive, rogue judiciary. There may come a time when the only response is to refuse compliance with court orders, one courtroom after another. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
For nearly two thousand years Jews lived in the shadow of the Catholic Church. As heads of the church, popes throughout the ages formulated an official papal policy regarding the Jews as a religion, as a local community in Rome, as subjects of the pope in the Papal States, and broadly regarding the Jews across Europe. This relationship was complex and lopsided. On one hand, although often forced to convert or be killed, the official general papal policy was not to forcibly convert the Jewish People as a whole. On the other hand, the Jews were to be subjugated, humiliated and discriminated against, as the official church policy down to modern times. The Vatican and the Catholic Church more broadly played a decisive role in the rise of modern antisemitism in the 19th century as well. In 1858 the kidnapping of the Jewish boy Edgardo Mortara was a modern example of church persecution with direct papal approval. The 20th century brought two contrasts in papal relationship with the Jews. Pope Pius XII became infamous for his complicity during the Holocaust, while Pope John Paul II, who grew up with Jews in prewar Poland, changed course and had a much more positive relationship with the Jewish People and State of Israel. Subscribe to Jewish History Soundbites Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ or your favorite podcast platform Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history or feedback contact Yehuda at: yehuda@yehudageberer.com
Full Text of ReadingsSaturday in the Octave of Easter Lectionary: 266The Saint of the day is Saint Pedro de San Jos BetancurSaint Pedro de San José Betancur's Story Central America claimed its first saint with the canonization of Pedro de San José Betancur. Known as the “Saint Francis of the Americas,” Pedro de Betancur is the first saint to have worked and died in Guatemala. Pedro very much wanted to become a priest, but God had other plans for the young man born into a poor family on Tenerife in the Canary Islands. Pedro was a shepherd until age 24, when he began to make his way to Guatemala, hoping to connect with a relative engaged in government service there. By the time he reached Thavana, he was out of money. After working there to earn more, he got to Guatemala City the following year. When he arrived, he was so destitute that he joined the breadline that the Franciscans had established. Soon, Pedro enrolled in the local Jesuit college in hopes of studying for the priesthood. No matter how hard he tried, however, he could not master the material; he withdrew from school. In 1655, he joined the Secular Franciscan Order. Three years later, he opened a hospital for the convalescent poor; a shelter for the homeless, and a school for the poor soon followed. Not wanting to neglect the rich of Guatemala City, Pedro began walking through their part of town ringing a bell and inviting them to repent. Other men came to share in Pedro's work. Out of this group came the Bethlehemite Congregation, which won papal approval after Pedro's death. A Bethlehemite sisters' community, similarly founded after Pedro's death, was inspired by his life of prayer and compassion. He is sometimes credited with originating the Christmas Eve posadas procession in which people representing Mary and Joseph seek a night's lodging from their neighbors. The custom soon spread to Mexico and other Central American countries. Pedro died in 1667, and was canonized by Pope John Paul II in Guatemala City on July 30, 2002. Calling the new saint an “outstanding example” of Christian mercy, the Holy Father noted that Saint Pedro practiced mercy “heroically with the lowliest and the most deprived.” Speaking to the estimated 500,000 Guatemalans in attendance, the Holy Father spoke of the social ills that plague the country today and of the need for change. “Let us think of the children and young people who are homeless or deprived of an education; of abandoned women with their many needs; of the hordes of social outcasts who live in the cities; of the victims of organized crime, of prostitution or of drugs; of the sick who are neglected and the elderly who live in loneliness,” he said in his homily during the three-hour liturgy. The liturgical feast of Saint Pedro de San José Betancur is celebrated on April 25. Reflection As humans, we often pride ourselves on our ability to reason. But as Pedro's life shows, other skills may be an even more crucial element of our humanity than a clever mind: compassion, imagination, love. Unable to master studies for the priesthood despite his efforts, Pedro responded to the needs of homeless and sick people; he provided education to the poor and salvation to the rich. He became holy—as fully human as any of us can ever be. Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media
With Fr. Sean preparing for a new assignment and the recent anniversary of the passing of Pope John Paul II on their minds, Fr. John and Fr. Sean dive into what it means to leave a legacy.
Fr. William Rock, FSSP serves as Parochial Vicar at St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Nashua, New Hampshire. He was ordained in October of 2019 and serves as a regular contributor to the FSSP North America Missive Blog. In Today's Show: How do we continue to pray for the Pope's intentions? Is Neo-Scholasticism dead? Is there a reliable list of every Pope from the last 2000 years? How do you convince a fellow Catholic that telepresence at Mass is not enough? Is it a sin to bring more than the allowed number of campers to a campsite? Why did the College of Cardinals choose Roger Mahony to close the Pope's casket? If the Holy Spirit chooses the next pope in a conclave, how is this squared with free will? Can you explain why the color red is commonly used for tabernacle candles? Are 'Christians' and Catholics the same thing? How does the Church explain when killing is justified, and when is it considered murder? What is Divine Mercy Sunday all about? What would Fr. Rock's first encyclical be about as Pope Sebastian I? What was the motive for trying to assassinate Pope John Paul II? As a parent, am I overstepping my bounds by not allowing my daughter to dress certain ways? How can I help my Pentecostal wife see the truth of the Catholic faith? When should I stand at Mass, and should I follow what the eucharistic ministers are doing? Is it now OK to eat meat on Fridays? I am trying to convert to Catholicism, but my Catholic fiancé says we should wait to go to Mass until I am more familiar with it. Is this ok? If one chooses to follow the old calendar, that they should also follow the old canon law? Visit the show page at thestationofthecross.com/askapriest to listen live, check out the weekly lineup, listen to podcasts of past episodes, watch live video, find show resources, sign up for our mailing list of upcoming shows, and submit your question for Father!
Spring blooms in NYC, and Opie Radio at Gebhards delivers a chaotic, laugh-packed episode! The crew kicks off with conspiracies about the Pope’s “unalived” Easter Monday exit, a blessed Lamborghini for Pope John Paul II, and Jim Morrison hiding in Syracuse. They dive into Florida Man Games with lawnmower racing, family scandals, and barfing on JetBlue. Ron takes over with a freezing Coney Island beach tale, a dubious sexual harassment counselor claim, and rants on food dyes and declining birth rates. A $100 saltine-eating challenge ends in a dusty disaster, while the street cam spots Yoko Ono (maybe). Grab a Lagunitas IPA for this unfiltered, edgy rollercoaster of humor and absurdity!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Prince William will travel to Rome this weekend to attend the funeral of Pope Francis, Kensington Palace has announced. Representing His Majesty the King, Prince William will join a host of global dignitaries at the Vatican. The service will be held at St Peter's Basilica on Saturday.This will be Prince William's latest appearance on the international stage, following his meeting with President Trump in France last year. His father, then Prince of Wales, attended the funeral of Pope John Paul II in 2005—a moment that famously delayed his own wedding by a day.(new story)While William is off standing in for his father, Prince Harry will make his way to Beverly Hills for the 22nd annual Living Legends of Aviation awards. The ceremony, to be held Friday evening at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, will see the Prince join a host of celebrities, astronauts, pilots and aviation pioneers—all gathered to celebrate achievements in the skies.The awards will be hosted by actor and aviation ambassador John Travolta.Unlock an ad-free podcast experience with Caloroga Shark Media! Get all our shows on any player you love, hassle free! For Apple users, hit the banner on your Apple podcasts app which says UNITERRUPTED LISTENING. For Spotify or other players, visit caloroga.com/plus. No plug-ins needed! You also get 20+ other shows on the network ad-free!
I mean, I don't know you. Maybe you didn't grow up in an evangelical Christian subculture. But if you did, there's a high likelihood that the ideas you absorbed about how men and women behave—and what it even means to be masculine or feminine—were influenced heavily by C.S Lewis' famous Space Trilogy: Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, and That Hideous Strength.On this fascinating episode, Kathryn Wagner (returning guest and medieval lit scholar) and Robin Harris (writer and incoming seminarian) stopped by to evaluate Lewis' takes on gender against both more modern feminist sensibilities and much older writers and theologians in the Christian tradition.You should absolutely join us.★ About Our Guests:Robin Harris is a North Carolina based freelance writer and editor who specializes in Bible curriculum. She is on the board of the Davenant Institute. Her writing has appeared in Mere Orthodoxy, Ad Fontes, and the Theopolis Institute. As of Fall 2025, she will be a student at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary (MATS, 2027). She writes at robinjeanharris.substack.com/ and can be reached at robinjeanharris [at] gmail.com.Kathryn Wagner is the Director of Academic Programming at the Center for Christianity and Scholarship at Duke University. She studies the literature and religious culture of the late Middle Ages and teaches courses that aim to form students in virtue through the practices of the liberal arts. She can be reached at kathryn [at] mogkwagner.net.—★ Timestamps(00:00) #62 - Evangelicals' Gender Ideas Came from C.S. Lewis' Space Trilogy - with Robin Harris and Kathryn Wagner(04:20) Evangelicals who leaned on C.S. Lewis and the Space Trilogy(13:12) The Space Trilogy tackles gender(24:46) But can archetypes live in the real world?(38:44) God does not have a body: Metaphors in Christian scripture(53:28) Confusion and contraception are tied together(01:00:58) God as our mother?(01:06:39) Lewis's thinking evolution: widening the gender box(01:24:44) Replacing theoretical masculinity and femininity with real friendships(01:33:24) What would Lewis think of today's transgender conversation?(01:40:31) In the Christian tradition on gender, Lewis is the test run—★ Links and ReferencesThese well-read people dropped a lot of names and references. For your ease of Google searching, here are the ones we caught:John and Stasi Eldridge (books: Wild at Heart, Captivating), Jordan Peterson Jungian thinking, Council for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, Elisabeth Elliot (book: Let Me Be a Woman), complementarianism and egalitarianism, Michael Ward (book: Planet Narnia), apophatic theology, platonic forms and Aristotle's hylomorphism, Thomistic/ Thomas=Thomas Aquinas, Pope John Paul II (book/writings: Theology of the Body), Anselm of Canterbury talked about God as our mother, Julian of Norwich said a similar thing; Joy Davidman, Dorothy Sayers, philosopher Elizabeth Anscombe, Sister Penelope Lawson, Ruth Pitter, C. S. Lewis (books: The Four Loves, A Grief Observed), Kevin Vanhoozer (theologian).—★ Send us feedback, questions, comments, and support!Email: communionandshalom@gmail.com | Instagram: @newkinship | Substack: @newkinship | Patreon: @newkinship —★ CreditsCreators and Hosts: David Frank, TJ Espinoza | Audio Engineer: Carl Swenson, carlswensonmusic.com | Podcast Manager: Elena F. | Graphic Designer: Gavin Popken, gavinpopkenart.com ★ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newkinship.substack.com
On Monday's Mark Levin Show, the passing of Pope Francis is deeply saddening for Catholics and non-Catholics, following his recent meeting with J.D. Vance and Easter ceremonies. The papacy holds immense significance, with Pope John Paul II widely revered as an influential modern leader and freedom fighter who played a key role in the Soviet Union's downfall. Afterward, we could be on the precipice of Iran developing a nuclear warhead with an ICMB aimed at America if things don't turn out right in the Iranian negotiations. If there is to be some kind of deal it would have to ensure that inspectors from the U.S., or the E.U actually get to inspect anywhere at any time but it's doubtful Iran would permit that. President Obama led Iran's path to a nuke, President Biden helped fund and protect Iran, and it will be left to President Trump to say that's enough. We are looking terrorists in the eye who are threatening tens of millions of us with death as they are developing nuclear weapons and are within weeks of succeeding. Is there any generation of Americans before us that would not have dealt a deadly blow to such an enemy before they could destroy us? Will we be the first? It's not as if this is the imagination of the "warmongers" run amok. And how insane are those who demand that we essentially ignore this threat or appease it in some fashion? Later, the media's fixation on Abrego Garcia is sickening. He received due process before an immigration law judge and a board, was ordered deported, but evaded authorities. The Democrats' support for Garcia reveals their hypocrisy. Their latest cause célèbre is an MS-13-affiliated domestic abuser who was already granted due process. Also, Justice Samuel Alito, joined by Justice Clarence Thomas, dissented in the Supreme Court's midnight order in A.A.R.P. v. Trump, which blocked the Trump administration from deporting Venezuelan migrants under the Alien Enemies Act, arguing the decision was hasty, premature, and lacked clear jurisdiction. When the Supreme Court brazenly violates its own precedent and, indeed, a federal statute as it did Saturday morning, can that order be ignored? What would the Framers say? All this talk about the administration not complying with this or that court, here we have the High Court violating process and the law and apparently, there is no recourse. Why aren't the TV lawyers jumping up and down about this? The reason is they have no problem with judicial tyranny. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Potiphar's Wife: The Vatican's Secret and Child Sexual AbuseThe ‘cover-up' of child sexual abuse by the Catholic Church has been occurring under the pontificate of six popes since 1922. For 1500 years, the Catholic Church accepted that clergy who sexually abused children deserved to be stripped of their status as priests and then imprisoned. A series of papal and Council decrees from the twelfth century required such priests to be dismissed from the priesthood, and then handed over to the civil authorities for further punishment.That all changed in 1922 when Pope Pius XI issued his decree Crimen Sollicitationis that created a de facto ‘privilege of clergy' by imposing the ‘secret of the Holy Office' on all information obtained through the Church's canonical investigations. If the State did not know about these crimes, then there would be no State trials, and the matter could be treated as a purely canonical crime to be dealt with in secret in the Church courts. Pope Pius XII continued the decree. Pope John XXIII reissued it in 1962. Pope Paul VI in 1974 extended the reach of ‘pontifical secrecy' to the allegation itself. Pope John Paul II confirmed the application of pontifical secrecy in 2001, and in 2010, Benedict XVI even extended it to allegations about priests sexually abusing intellectually disabled adults. In 2010, Pope Benedict gave a dispensation to pontifical secrecy to allow reporting to the police where the local civil law required it, that is, just enough to keep bishops out of jail. Most countries in the world do not have any such reporting laws for the vast majority of complaints about the sexual abuse of children. Pontifical secrecy, the cornerstone of the cover up continues. The effect on the lives of children by the imposition of the Church's Top Secret classification on clergy sex abuse allegations may not have been so bad if canon law had a decent disciplinary system to dismiss these priests. The 1983 Code of Canon Law imposed a five year limitation period which virtually ensured there would be no canonical trials. It required bishops to try to reform these priests before putting them on trial. When they were on trial, the priest could plead the Vatican ‘Catch 22' defence—he should not be dismissed because he couldn't control himself. The Church claims that all of this has changed. Very little has changed. It has fiddled around the edges of pontifical secrecy and the disciplinary canons. The Church has been moonwalking.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-opperman-report--1198501/support.
Tune in here to this Monday's edition of the Brett Winterble Show! Brett kicks off the program talking about the passing of Pope Francis, reflecting on the profound impact of his life and leadership. He shares a personal moment from attending the Easter Vigil with his family, describing the emotional depth of the service and how it led him to think about the pope’s final days. We’re joined by Father Bill Nicholas from Corpus Christi Church in Evansville, Indiana to discuss the somber timing of the pope’s death—just one day after Easter Sunday—and draws a poignant connection to the death of Pope John Paul II, who also passed during the Easter season. He shares how Pope Francis, despite serious health struggles, remained committed to his role, offering a final Easter blessing from the Vatican. Father Bill explains the temporary liturgical changes during Mass, such as omitting the pope’s name in prayers until a new leader is elected. He acknowledges Pope Francis’ legacy as a compassionate yet faithful leader who challenged both sides of the Church. The segment closes with a moving blessing, uniting listeners in reflection, gratitude, and hope during this historic moment in the Church. Bo Thompson from Good Morning BT is also here for this Monday's episode of Crossing the Streams. Brett and Bo talk about the unique magic of radio and their experience attending George Noory’s first live event since the pandemic. Held at the Booth Playhouse in Charlotte, the event brought Coast to Coast AM to life with dream interpreters, cosmic topics, and even live audience “callers”—just like Noory does on air. Bo shares how surreal yet exciting it was to finally see Noory in person after years of radio conversations, describing him as down-to-earth and a true broadcasting pro. Bo also shares what he and Beth have coming up Tuesday on Good Morning BT! Listen here for all of this and more on The Brett Winterble Show! For more from Brett Winterble check out his YouTube channel. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tune in here to this Monday's edition of the Brett Winterble Show! We’re joined by Father Bill Nicholas from Corpus Christi Church in Evansville, Indiana to discuss the somber timing of the pope’s death—just one day after Easter Sunday—and draws a poignant connection to the death of Pope John Paul II, who also passed during the Easter season. He shares how Pope Francis, despite serious health struggles, remained committed to his role, offering a final Easter blessing from the Vatican. Father Bill explains the temporary liturgical changes during Mass, such as omitting the pope’s name in prayers until a new leader is elected. He acknowledges Pope Francis’ legacy as a compassionate yet faithful leader who challenged both sides of the Church. The segment closes with a moving blessing, uniting listeners in reflection, gratitude, and hope during this historic moment in the Church. Listen here for all of this and more on The Brett Winterble Show! For more from Brett Winterble check out his YouTube channel. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Patrick takes on various topics from the challenges of attending non-Catholic events and the legitimacy of certain wedding ceremonies, to deep spiritual questions about heaven and plenary indulgences. Listen in as Patrick addresses poignant questions from callers, offering guidance and thought-provoking insights grounded in faith. Whether you’re seeking clarity on complex theological issues or practical advice on life's challenges, this episode offers a wealth of information. Don't miss out on expanding your understanding! Max’s Mom - When babies die, will they be babies in heaven or adults? (03:22) Diana - Does the cloth that Veronica used to wipe Jesus's face exist? (07:31) Joanne - Can I go to a Lutheran Communion Service? (11:02) Tina – Can I go to a worship site instead of a Church? (13:06) Marion - What does the Church teach about what happens at the Final Judgement? Why would God expose all of our sins at Final Judgement? (21:11) Debra – Why didn’t Pope John Paul II announce the entire secret of Fatima? (29:20) Kathy – I went to five weddings in the last year. I keep seeing Eucharistic Ministers marrying people at event sites. (37:03) Tisa - When doing plenary indulgence activities, can a Spiritual Communion be sufficient to receive? (44:30)
A new week means new questions! Hope you have fun with these!What is an area of land where all water drains to a common body of water, like a stream, lake, or ocean: a) water table b) esturay or c) watershedWho preceded Pope John Paul II for only about a month?Labi Siffre's 1975 track I Got The… provides the background to whose 1999 song ranked by Q Magazine as the 6th best song of all time?Considered one of the greatest catchers in baseball history, who was the catcher for the New York Yankees when Don Larsen pitched the only perfect game in World Series history in 1956?What is the only remaining nation in the world to still have an Emperor?Which English physician developed a smallpox vaccine?In what country would you find the World Heritage Site Timbuktu?For which business did Clark Kent work in the Superman Comics?MusicHot Swing, Fast Talkin, Bass Walker, Dances and Dames, Ambush by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/Don't forget to follow us on social media:Patreon – patreon.com/quizbang – Please consider supporting us on Patreon. Check out our fun extras for patrons and help us keep this podcast going. We appreciate any level of support!Website – quizbangpod.com Check out our website, it will have all the links for social media that you need and while you're there, why not go to the contact us page and submit a question!Facebook – @quizbangpodcast – we post episode links and silly lego pictures to go with our trivia questions. Enjoy the silly picture and give your best guess, we will respond to your answer the next day to give everyone a chance to guess.Instagram – Quiz Quiz Bang Bang (quizquizbangbang), we post silly lego pictures to go with our trivia questions. Enjoy the silly picture and give your best guess, we will respond to your answer the next day to give everyone a chance to guess.Twitter – @quizbangpod We want to start a fun community for our fellow trivia lovers. If you hear/think of a fun or challenging trivia question, post it to our twitter feed and we will repost it so everyone can take a stab it. Come for the trivia – stay for the trivia.Ko-Fi – ko-fi.com/quizbangpod – Keep that sweet caffeine running through our body with a Ko-Fi, power us through a late night of fact checking and editing!
Full Text of ReadingsThursday of the Fifth Week of Lent Lectionary: 254The Saint of the day is Saint Magdalene of CanossaSaint Magdalene of Canossa's Story Wealth and privilege did nothing to prevent today's saint from following her calling to serve Christ in the poor. Nor did the protests of her relatives, concerned that such work was beneath her. Born in northern Italy in 1774, Magdalene knew her mind—and spoke it. At age 15 she announced she wished to become a nun. After trying out her vocation with the cloistered Carmelites, she realized her desire was to serve the needy without restriction. For years she worked among the poor and sick in hospitals and in their homes, and also among delinquent and abandoned girls. In her mid-20s, Magdalene began offering lodging to poor girls in her own home. In time she opened a school, which offered practical training and religious instruction. As other women joined her in the work, the new Congregation of the Canossian Daughters of Charity—or Canossian Sisters—emerged. Over time, houses were opened throughout Italy. Members of the new religious congregation focused on the educational and spiritual needs of women. Magdalene also founded a smaller congregation for priests and brothers. Both groups continue to this day. Magdalene died in 1835. Pope John Paul II canonized her in 1988. Reflection Let us pray to Saint Magdalene for the many young women who are caught up in the sex trafficking epidemic of our day. Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media
With Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs going into effect on Saturday, world leaders are grappling with how to respond to the chaos hitting markets across the globe. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock joined Christiane from NATO headquarters in Brussels to discuss how Europe plans to retaliate. Then, as Hungary withdraws from the International Criminal Court this week and Viktor Orban welcomes Benjamin Netanyahu, who's under an ICC arrest warrant for alleged war crimes in Gaza, Christiane asks former U.S. ambassador David Pressman, who served there until this year, whether Trump's America is following Hungary's autocratic playbook. Also, after far-right politician Marine Le Pen was found guilty of embezzlement, Melissa Bell reports from Paris on what it means for France and the future of the National Rally party in the 2027 elections. Christiane also speaks with two aid workers who've seen the horrors in Gaza up close; American physician Tanya Haj-Hassan just left Gaza after spending almost 6 weeks there, and Arwa Damon, a former CNN journalist turned charity founder is desperately trying to get back in. From Christiane's archives, the search for Pope John Paul II's successor, twenty years after his death. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Full Text of ReadingsFifth Sunday of Lent Lectionary: 34, 36The Saint of the day is Saint Crescentia HoessSaint Crescentia Hoess' Story Crescentia was born in 1682, the daughter of a poor weaver, in a little town near Augsburg. She spent play time praying in the parish church, assisted those even poorer than herself and had so mastered the truths of her religion that she was permitted to make her first Holy Communion at the then unusually early age of 7. In the town she was called “the little angel.” As she grew older, she desired to enter the convent of the Tertiaries of Saint Francis. But the convent was poor, and because Crescentia had no dowry, the superiors refused her admission. Her case was then pleaded by the Protestant mayor of the town to whom the convent owed a favor. The community felt it was forced into receiving her, and her new life was made miserable. She was considered a burden and assigned nothing other than menial tasks. Even her cheerful spirit was misinterpreted as flattery or hypocrisy. Conditions improved four years later when a new superior was elected who realized her virtue. Crescentia herself was appointed mistress of novices. She so won the love and respect of the sisters that, upon the death of the superior, Crescentia was unanimously elected to that position. Under her, the financial state of the convent improved and her reputation in spiritual matters spread. She was soon being consulted by princes and princesses; bishops and cardinals too sought her advice. And yet, a true daughter of Francis, she remained ever humble. Bodily afflictions and pain were always with her. First it was headaches and toothaches. Then she lost the ability to walk, her hands and feet gradually becoming so crippled that her body curled up into a fetal position. In the spirit of Francis she cried out, “Oh, you bodily members, praise God that he has given you the capacity to suffer.” Despite her sufferings she was filled with peace and joy as she died on Easter Sunday in 1744. She was beatified in 1900 and canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2001. The liturgical feast of Saint Crescentia Hoess is celebrated on June 15. Reflection Although she grew up in poverty and willingly embraced it in her vocation, Crescentia had a good head for business. Under her able administration, her convent regained financial stability. Too often, we think of good money management as, at best, a less-than-holy gift. But Crescentia was wise enough to balance her worldly skills with such acumen in spiritual matters that heads of State and Church both sought her advice. Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media
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