Podcasts about pope saint john paul ii

Hello everyone, I'm not a huge fan of these sort of admin episodes, but there's enough going on I figure it'll be worth it. So here's an update on three fronts: first, the upcoming consistory, which may be on your radar already since you listen to my show, second, what's been going on at the USCCB this past week, and third, some show updates, including something I've put together to feel a bit better about having these admin updates periodically. So first, CONSISTORY Those of you already familiar with the word will know why it grabbed my attention earlier in the month, when various sources announced that Pope Leo was calling the Cardinals together for a consistory in January of next year. You see, it was a consistory that threw a wrench onto my daily show plans in 2023, and in 2024 it was another consistory that sent me back into a hiatus I'm still recovering from.   For those not in the know already, a consistory is a meeting of the Cardinals of the Catholic Church, a group so particular they have multiple terms even for their administrative meetings, the other being a conclave, and which, well, if you're listening to this, I'm just going to assume you're already familiar with the idea of a conclave, if only because that's what I spent most of my air time covering the first half of this year. So enough about conclaves. Those are different from consistories.   The type of consistory that gets me scrambling when I see the word is a consistory for the creation of new cardinals. The consistory that showed up on our radars earlier this month shows no particular signs of being one of those, though stranger things have happened and I'm fully expecting Pope Leo to hand out some red hats and titles sometime in 2026. I just don't think it'll be at this promised January 8th meeting, since that's usually included in the description—often with names—right from the start when we've got that on the docket.   Don't be disappointed though—we can still expect this to be an extraordinary consistory, and not least because “extraordinary consistory” is the technical term for this specific type of consistory and I enjoy punning with ya'll. You see, an “extraordinary” consistory is when the Pope calls together all the Catholic Cardinals around the world for a meet-up in Rome, as opposed to an ordinary consistory, which is typically just a meeting of the Cardinals resident in the Eternal City, which are generally unremarkable enough that they don't get reported on, unless he's creating new Cardinals. Oh, and by the way, I kind of had a hunch about this but this research is where I first confirmed Cardinals are actually *required*  to live in Rome unless they're serving out and about as a diocesan bishop somewhere. Which makes sense given their role as an advisory body for the Pope. It's clear there are exceptions—the Argentine Capuchin priest Cardinal Dri, may he rest in peace, died in Buenos Aires a few months ago. He's the one Pope Francis elevated at the age of 96 in 2023, we did an episode about him. Nor are such exceptions particularly new–Saint John Henry Newman, who Pope Leo recently proclaimed as a Doctor of the Church, became a Cardinal late in life and travelled to the Eternal City for the occasion but continued to reside in England. All right, enough about what older Cardinals get up to. How common are these extraordinary consistories? Well, these meetings are unusual, but not unheard of. According to the incredible Gabriel Chow of GCatholic.org, Pope Saint John Paul II held seven of them, all but one within a few months of him creating a batch of new Cardinals, something he tended to do every three years. It seems like he got Cardinals on his mind and liked to both create new ones and catch up with the old ones as a group in the same general stretch. Cardinal season, if you will. A lot of the reporting on this upcoming consistory notes that Pope Benedict, JPII's successor, never held an extraordinary consistory, and that might technically be true if we're only counting things officially declared “extraordinary consistories”, but GCatholic disagrees, counting the meetings of cardinals held the night before his first creations of new Cardinals as extraordinary consistories. I'm not sold on that interpretation, as from what I've seen those gatherings were not as well attended as a typical extraordinary consistory would be, since again, those are mandatory. But they did seem to be private affairs of the Cardinals, which is one of the hallmarks of extraordinary consistories and another factor that distinguishes them from ordinary consistories, at least as far as the Code of Canon Law is concerned. Put a pin in that.Also, even though, yeah, it was officially a pretty minor meeting, the consistory where Pope Benedict announced that he was going to be resigning the Papacy–yeah– I mean–wasn't officially an “extraordinary consistory”, but it was an *extraordinary* consistory.   As for Pope Francis, most of the coverage agreed he held two extraordinary consistories: one in 2014, with the topic of the family, which was part of the ramp up to Amoris Laetitia where communion for divorced Catholics was the apparent hot-button subtext. He also held one in 2022, where they discussed the new Apostolic Constitution Praedicate Evangelium. If that's not ringing a bell, that's the one where pretty much every Vatican department got renamed to a Dicastery. If it's still not ringing a bell, don't worry about it. For what it's worth, both of these were either right before or right after new batches of Cardinals were made. I think if I got made a Cardinal the day *after* a two-day closed-door meeting of all the Cardinals I'd feel a little bit left out. Though maybe the Cardinals who formally joined the body just in time to hear two days of explanations of that new Constitution changing all the department names would have preferred to have been left out of that one. Either way, GCatholic counts a third Extraordinary Consistory for Pope Francis, a two-day affair right before he made a batch of new Cardinals in 2015. But like the ones GCatholic reported as happening in Pope Benedict's pontificate, this gathering didn't have all the Cardinals–or at least it didn't have enough Cardinals around that it had a “mandatory for everyone” vibe like an extraordinary consistory is supposed to. According to Catholic News Agency, 148 cardinals made an appearance, and because I'm the sort of nerd I am, I can tell you that that was out of a full college of 212 at the time, and yes that includes disgraced Cardinal Keith O'Brien, because he never renounced the Cardinalate itself, only renouncing the rights and privileges associated with it, and it also incidentally includes Mr. Theodore McCarrick, who would go on to renounce the Cardinalate in later years and would wind up deservedly laicized, but who was still a Cardinal at this stage.You probably didn't need me to mention all that, but just in case, there you have it. It's worth noting that one of the reported topics during the 2025 conclave, at least during the meetings in the leadup to the conclave, was frustration from the Cardinals over a general lack of consultation of the Pope with the College of Cardinals as a whole, i.e. they wanted more extraordinary consistories. I wouldn't be too shocked if we saw such gatherings in say, January and June, fit in between the end of Christmas and the beginning of Lent and around the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, respectively, become a regular thing, if Pope Leo does want to lean into these big extraordinary consistories being a regular thing.   Now, it's fun and all to hear reports that the expected meeting is a response to popular demand by the Cardinals, but what will it actually be about? Why is Pope Leo apparently calling a closed-door meeting of all the Cardinals of the Catholic Church? Well, first off, despite all my talk, and despite a lot of other people's talk, no such meeting has actually been called yet. What we have at this stage is a letter that went out from the Secretariat of State stating that “Holy Father Leo XIV has in mind to convene an Extraordinary Consistory for the days of January 7 and 8, 2026.” Which, admittedly, is pretty straightforward, and is coming from an official source. But Pope Leo having that “in mind” is not the same as actually announcing it, which matters because the letter goes on to state that “In due course, the Dean of the College of Cardinals will send to Your Eminence the relevant letter with further details”. In other words, watch this space. And yes, it's entirely possible that “further details” could still include noting that by the way while everyone is in town Pope Leo's going to create some more new Cardinals too. I don't expect that since my read on him is he's going to want to be more respectful of the official 120-elector cap than his predecessor was, but it wouldn't be the first time they've covered multiple items while the Cardinals were gathered. It's probably more efficient from a travel cost perspective, anyhow. By the way, if they DO create more new Cardinals, it won't be right after the Extraordinary Consistory On An Unknown Topic, because Pope Leo is already booked for the next day, when he is due for his annual meeting with diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See, followed by him meeting with all the ambassadors from the 184 states that have full diplomatic relations with the Holy See. With that context–while recognizing those are regular annual meetings so it could be a coincidence–I am tempted to think there *will* be something big Pope Leo hopes to talk about with all the Cardinals and then all the diplomats. Maybe something going back to my hope–and the hope of many–on Catholic-Orthodox relations, some fruit of Pope Leo's visit to Turkey to mark the 1700th anniversary of Nicea later this month, a council which Catholics and Orthodox agree on, and which helped set the date of Easter. To speculate one step yet further, if they were looking at something relating to the dating of Easter, the timing would be pretty good, a few months out.   ***To complicate matters further, *** the day *before* the expected Extraordinary Consistory, Pope Leo will be closing the Holy Doors to finish out the Holy Year. So yeah, that date's booked too, unless he wants to multitask, which given all he's got going on, he doesn't seem opposed to doing.    *** IN THE END, it's likely the bulk of the discussion will be the fruit of the “study groups” that came out of the Synod on Synodality, which are meant to reach some form of consensus on a number of active topics discussed over the course of the synod during the last few years. The study groups are so idiosyncratic and generally wonkish that even I, who love listing off obscure stuff at you, refuse to go through them in detail, but they contain are hot button issues  such as women deacons and polygamy alongside, uh, cold-button topics such as canon law and the role of nuncios, although I suppose it depends on what you're into.   Anyways, it's worth noting that—following what has proven to be a pattern for the Synod on Synodality with extension after extension—the end-of-the-year “deadline” for the study groups doesn't seem to be a hard deadline and at least some of the study group discussions may well still be ongoing past the time of the Extraordinary Consistory, so really, who knows? Again, time will tell.***   Ok, time for the second promised topic: the USCCB, that is, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. They had one of their Plenary or General assemblies this week–I believe they use the word interchangeably–-which, now that you're hip to consistory talk you can think of Plenary Assemblies as the US Catholic Bishops' version of an extraordinary consistory with everyone gathered to chat about whatever. In this case, a major order of business was the election of new leadership, especially a new USCCB President and Vice-President. When it comes to the USCCB, often the Vice-Presidency is the real election to watch, since unless they've hit retirement age the Vice President usually gets elected the President after putting in their three-year term as VP. But in this case, both President and Vice President were retiring, so this was one of the more open election years, with ten candidates nominated by their peers, including Bishop Barron of the Word on Fire media empire which will be printing breviaries for Americans in the coming years–more on that lucrative endeavor some other time. In the end, Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City was elected USSB President, and will serve in that capacity until 2028 when, if tradition holds, he will be succeeded by the man who was runner-up this time around, Bishop Daniel Flores of Brownsville, Texas. We'll see if tradition does hold, as it's not really a secret that US politics is deeply divided and the shift would be from a perceived conservative to a perceived liberal if that's the way it goes, although yes, both are Catholic bishops so there's a lot of agreement between the two. One bishop who was not particularly agreeing with the rest of the body present was  the emeritus bishop of Tyler, Texas, one Joseph Strickland. I've discussed Bishop Strickland here and there, and he seems interested in continuing to pop up, despite his removal from his see a couple years ago after publicly endorsing a video calling Pope Francis a “diabolically disordered clown”. In any case, he is apparently still part of the USCCB–which makes sense as he's still a bishop, though I'm not going to act like I expected him there. From what I can tell, since he's officially an emeritus bishop, he does not get to vote. But he did have some floor time, and used it to try to add condemning Fr James Martin's outreach to LGBT folks to the docket, a plea which went unanswered. There's video of this online if you want to find it, and sure, a link in the notes for your convenience. Don't get the wrong idea though, the bishops actually have been pretty active since the new USCCB President took up his role, on the one hand banning gender-affirming care for transgender patients at Catholic hospitals, something which I honestly was  surprised wasn't already done, and on the other hand speaking up pretty loudly about all the deporting going on around here. It's the latter topic I'm going to focus on for today, no offense to my friends who might love a word on the former, but I'm trying to stay positive, you know? Plus there's more meat on the immigration side of the discussion, specifically my favorite thing: a statement short enough to read in its entirety for ya'll.Yes, for the first time in over a decade–since their Special Message on the contraceptive mandate in the Affordable Care Act–the Bishops overwhelmingly voted in support of releasing the following Special Message, and by overwhelmingly I mean 216-5 with three abstentions. Without further ado: “As pastors, we the bishops of the United States are bound to our people by ties of communion and compassion in Our Lord Jesus Christ. We are disturbed when we see among our people a climate of fear and anxiety around questions of profiling and immigration enforcement. We are saddened by the state of contemporary debate and the vilification of immigrants. We are concerned about the conditions in detention centers and the lack of access to pastoral care. We lament that some immigrants in the United States have arbitrarily lost their legal status. We are troubled by threats against the sanctity of houses of worship and the special nature of hospitals and schools. We are grieved when we meet parents who fear being detained when taking their children to school and when we try to console family members who have already been separated from their loved ones.  Despite obstacles and prejudices, generations of immigrants have made enormous contributions to the well-being of our nation. We as Catholic bishops love our country and pray for its peace and prosperity. For this very reason, we feel compelled now in this environment to raise our voices in defense of God-given human dignity. Catholic teaching exhorts nations to recognize the fundamental dignity of all persons, including immigrants. We bishops advocate for a meaningful reform of our nation's immigration laws and procedures. Human dignity and national security are not in conflict. Both are possible if people of good will work together. We recognize that nations have a responsibility to regulate their borders and establish a just and orderly immigration system for the sake of the common good. Without such processes, immigrants face the risk of trafficking and other forms of exploitation. Safe and legal pathways serve as an antidote to such risks. The Church's teaching rests on the foundational concern for the human person, as created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:27). As pastors, we look to Sacred Scripture and the example of the Lord Himself, where we find the wisdom of God's compassion. The priority of the Lord, as the Prophets remind us, is for those who are most vulnerable: the widow, the orphan, the poor, and the stranger (Zechariah 7:10). In the Lord Jesus, we see the One who became poor for our sake (2 Corinthians 8:9), we see the Good Samaritan who lifts us from the dust (Luke 10:30–37), and we see the One who is found in the least of these (Matthew 25). The Church's concern for neighbor and our concern here for immigrants is a response to the Lord's command to love as He has loved us (John 13:34). To our immigrant brothers and sisters, we stand with you in your suffering, since, when one member suffers, all suffer (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:26). You are not alone! We note with gratitude that so many of our clergy, consecrated religious, and lay faithful already accompany and assist immigrants in meeting their basic human needs. We urge all people of good will to continue and expand such efforts.  We oppose the indiscriminate mass deportation of people. We pray for an end to dehumanizing rhetoric and violence, whether directed at immigrants or at law enforcement. We pray that the Lord may guide the leaders of our nation, and we are grateful for past and present opportunities to dialogue with public and elected officials. In this dialogue, we will continue to advocate for meaningful immigration reform.  As disciples of the Lord, we remain men and women of hope, and hope does not disappoint! (cf. Romans 5:5) May the mantle of Our Lady of Guadalupe enfold us all in her maternal and loving care and draw us ever closer to the heart of Christ.” Alright, now for the final topic, PODCAST ADMIN. Assuming you've been around for a minute, you've probably noticed that Popeular History is approximately eight projects in a trenchcoat. You might think that sounds like an exaggeration, but I did wind up with 8 tabs when I organized all my episodes i  nto a spreadsheet I plan to use as a roadmap for the show. The Cardinal Numbers tab even has info about the Cardinals in question from my cardinals database. Not all the Cardinals, mind you, for now it's focused on the current cardinals since that's where the show is focused. Eventually the full database will be made public-facing in some form, minus perhaps some embarrassing scribbled notes like instructions on how to pronounce names that will only make sense to me since I'm bad at phonetic alphabet stuff. Oh, and the Worldbuilding section has the epitomes next to links to the episodes they're summarizing! Cool stuff like that, and as an added bonus I'll even be putting things like when I expect to get to the next episode or two of a particular series, that way if you want an answer it's there without relying on me randomly mentioning on the show at some point. I'm even including notes about things like when I have something recorded and am just working on editing it. So that's all exciting! Check it out!–I'm putting that link at the tail end of the show notes for your convenience. It should be publicly accessible, let me know via email to popeularhistory@gmail.com if you hit any snags. Also, jubilation! Popeularhistory.com is back up, and I have no idea how that happened. My ability to make changes to it directly went away about a year ago, hence all but the RSS feeds being frozen, zombie mode, but now it's back. I didn't even have to log in to anything. I think St Carlo Acutis just did another miracle (miracles effect from Pontifacts). So that's an unexpected plus that literally only came up when I googled up the name of my old host as part of an explanation that the spreadsheet I just described was going to replace the website moving forward. I guess it isn't? We'll see–I am very confused, I was already prepared to move on–but I'm not mad about it. Finally, one more last-minute thing has popped up. Our hero, Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa, will be visiting Detroit December 4th through 7th, raising funds for the struggling Christian remnant in the Holy Land. Detroit is a manageable trip from my home base in Ohio (go Bucks) and I'd love to meet Pierbattista Pizzaballa. But I don't plan to crash Pierbattista Pizzaballa's fundraising trip emptyhanded. And so, I've created a gofundme to raise money so I can give Pierbattista Pizzaballa a real check for a grand in addition to a comedically oversized check made by my children, which I'm sure Pierbattista Pizzaballa will really truly appreciate as a Franciscan friar. Obviously December 4th through 7th is soon, so act now via the link in the show notes if you'd like to contribute to what is already my most successful fundraiser to date. And don't worry if you miss the deadline, I still intend to forward funds to him and his cause as appropriate, whatever way I can. Full disclosure: I'm setting aside $200 of the funds for travel expenses for me getting there, and giant check. Thank you in advance and remember: prayer support is just as welcome and is even more important than financial support. Alright, that's all for tonight! November's Habemus Pointsam is coming out soon, I just need to edit it! Of course, you already knew that, because you saw it on the database, right? Thank you for listening, God bless you all! Thanks, Joe! LINKS: Early reporting on upcoming extraordinary consistory: https://www.americamagazine.org/vatican-dispatch/2025/11/08/pope-leo-to-call-college-of-cardinals-to-rome-for-a-two-day-january-meeting/ https://thecatholicherald.com/article/pope-leo-to-call-cardinals-to-rome-for-extraordinary-consistory-amid-speculation-of-first-encyclical https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/pope-leo-xiv-to-convene-extraordinary-consistory-of-cardinals-in-january-report/?utm_source=lsncathfb&fbclid=IwY2xjawN_jjJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA80MDk5NjI2MjMwODU2MDkAAR7SwHBdI9sPFNkrmLzutgXvu6eUyuUQPNbHpBxEEej8S63RLNA83qCYOPDyqQ_aem_kfnzrdO3vyL7EE2rqlgcWg https://www.ncregister.com/news/pope-leo-calls-january-2026-consistory Gcatholic.org consistory notes: https://gcatholic.org/documents/tag/consistory CNA Reporting on 2015 consistory: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/31501/a-reform-to-promote-harmony-%E2%80%93-pope-francis-opens-a-much-debated-consistory Bishop Strickland at the USCCB: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/OU0i97XFTlw USCCB Special Message: https://www.usccb.org/news/2025/us-bishops-issue-special-message-immigration-plenary-assembly-baltimore Popeular History Episode Spreadsheet link (feel free to share, this should give public access) https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/17NFWcln6CA8yjH96-bORP2G3HA2ct331E6Zi880BewU/edit?usp=sharing Pizzaballa Trip Gofundme: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-gregg-bring-pierbattista-pizzaballa-a-giant-check?fbclid=IwY2xjawOKzAVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA80MDk5NjI2MjMwODU2MDkAAR4IokJTnLt5tbazv1IuHqeQowX8-horhHZ0HRkHo5beXwCliQi3avOZ4LXDaA_aem_Lsc6fiO4LRUoTq6WizJ3fQ

On September 27, 1992, Pope Saint John Paul II beatified 17 Irish martyrs including a Jesuit brother named Dominic Collins. What was Blessed Dominic's occupation before he joined the Jesuits? Hear the answer on today's reflection from Fr. Kubicki.

Fr. Dan Reehil discusses the life of Pope Saint John Paul II on his feast day.Radio Maria is a 100% listener supported radio station. If this broadcast has touched your life, please consider donating at https://rmusa.civi-go.net/donateStream live episodes of Battle Ready with Fr. Dan Reehil at https://radiomaria.us/ at 9:00 am cst or tune in on radio in Louisiana (580 AM Alexandria, 1360 AM New Iberia, 89.7 FM Natchitoches, 91.1 FM Lake Charles) in Ohio (1600 AM Springfield, 88.7 FM Anna, 103.3 Enon/Dayton) in Mississippi (88.1 FM D'Iberville/Biloxi) in Florida (91.9 Hammocks/Miami) in Pennsylvania (88.1 FM Hollidaysburg/Altoona) in Texas (1250 AM Port Arthur) in Wisconsin (91.3 FM Peshtigo), 1280 AM Columbia, TN (98.9 FM Columbia, TN)Download the Radio Maria Play app to any smart device:Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.radiomaria.v3&hl=en_US&gl=US&pli=1iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/radio-maria-play/id848153139 

Join Father Billy Swan on The Breakfast Show as he reflects on mission, faith, and the enduring call to discipleship in the modern world. In this episode, he explores the lessons of St. John Henry Newman, the transformative influence of Pope Saint John Paul II, and insights from Jordan Peterson on truth, responsibility, and human […] L'articolo RM Breakfast Show – The Vision of St. John Paul II – Fr Billy Swan proviene da Radio Maria.

Join Father Des Farren on Catechesis as he explores the life, teachings, and Marian devotion of Pope Saint John Paul II. In this episode, he reflects on the Pope's encyclical Redemptoris Mater (Mother of the Redeemer), highlighting Mary's role as model disciple, intercessor, and mother of the Church. Father Des shares inspiring stories from John […] L'articolo Catechesis – Mary, Mother of the Redeemer – Fr Des Farren proviene da Radio Maria.

In this episode of Life to the Full, Eileen reflects on the beauty of God's perfect timing and His providential care in every moment of our lives. She explores how God weaves His love into the tapestry of each person's story, using the life of Pope Saint John Paul II as a powerful example of […] L'articolo E227 | Life to the Full – God's Providence – Eileen O'Driscoll proviene da Radio Maria.

Henri de Lubac is not well known by most Catholics, but the upcoming documentary is hoping to change that... See More of the De Lubac Film Here: https://m9b.185.myftpupload.com/ Purchase Henri De Lubac's Books Here: https://ignatius.com/authors/henri-de-lubac/   Cardinal Henri de Lubac was a French theologian who lived in Europe during the tumultuous 20th century. He survived the front-line trenches of World War I and participated in the French Resistance of World War II. He lived to see the murder of the last Tsar of Russia, all the way to the fall of the Berlin Wall. During his life, he was known as a controversial theologian who was eventually elevated to a Cardinal by Pope Saint John Paul II and participated in the Second Vatican Council. Today, we are joined by Geoffrey Zokal and Sam Soruch, who are creating a detailed documentary about Henri de Lubac. In this episode, they not only comment on the extraordinary life of Henri de Lubac, but also touch on some of the more controversial elements of his theology. They remark on both his profound wisdom and theological insight as well as his great personal humility and holiness.   SUBSCRIBE to our channel and never miss an episode of the Ignatius Press Podcast. You can also listen to the podcast on Apple, Spotify, and other podcast platforms. Follow us on social media: Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/IgnatiusPress Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ignatiuspress Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ignatius_press/   Watch Things Hidden: The Life and Legacy of René Girard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-vB1HaBsog&t=44s   Lumen Christi Institute: https://lumenchristi.org/   Music from Pexels, Gregor Quendel. https://www.classicals.de/legal

Want to reach out to us? Want to leave a comment or review? Want to give us a suggestion or berate Anthony? Send us a text by clicking this link!The intersection of faith and self-protection creates complex questions for many Catholics, especially in light of recent church shootings like the one at Annunciation Parish. Drawing from Church history, papal teachings, and the Catechism, we unpack the surprising truth: the Catholic Church has consistently upheld not just the right but often the duty of self-defense.Contrary to modern assumptions, Catholics throughout history routinely carried weapons at Mass—from swords in medieval times to firearms in frontier churches. Pope Saint John Paul II's powerful words in Evangelium Vitae affirm that "legitimate defense can be not only a right but a grave duty for someone responsible for another's life." We explore how this teaching aligns with Scripture, particularly 1 Timothy 5:8, which places responsibility on men to protect their families as a fundamental expression of faith.Beyond theology, we discuss practical considerations for parish security teams: controlling access points, training in de-escalation techniques, emergency medical preparedness, and the careful selection of appropriate equipment. For individuals, we address choosing reliable firearms, proper training, and navigating parish politics when establishing security measures.The Church's wisdom offers a balanced approach that respects both the sacredness of life and the obligation to defend it. As Catholics navigate these waters, we're called to thoughtful preparation rather than fearful reaction—recognizing that protecting those in our care is a profound expression of love in an increasingly unpredictable world.What responsibility do you bear for those in your care, and how might you fulfill this duty with both prudence and courage?Support the show"Protect Catholic Kids" Shirt Fundraiser for Victims of Annunciation Shooting: https://avoiding-babylon-shop.fourthwall.com/collections/protect-catholic-kids ********************************************************Please subscribe! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKsxnv80ByFV4OGvt_kImjQ?sub_confirmation=1https://www.avoidingbabylon.comMerchandise: https://avoiding-babylon-shop.fourthwall.comLocals Community: https://avoidingbabylon.locals.comFull Premium/Locals Shows on Audio Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1987412/subscribeRSS Feed for Podcast Apps: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1987412.rssRumble: https://rumble.com/c/AvoidingBabylon

Today we celebrate 22 young men from Africa who were kill in the late 1800s. Father shares some words from Pope Saint John Paul II’s words about these heroic martyrs. Deepen your own knowledge of the Church so you can share her better with others.

In this episode, we conclude our conversation on life transitions with Michelle's husband, Chris Benzinger. We focus on the second and third steps in walking through transitions: releasing with trust and redeeming with hope. We talk about God wanting to redeem our past, the need to let go of the ways we've failed, and how God wants to do something new in the future. We also reflect on the importance of ceremony to conclude a season, the four responses to a loss, and why we should share our hopes for the future with God.   Heather's One Thing - Return to the Heart: The Biblical Spirituality of St. Augustine's Confessions by Dr. Shane Owens Sister Miriam's One Thing -  Mediterranean Chicken Bowls Michelle's One Thing - Belovedness: Overcoming Your Inner Critic - A Lyrical Devotional by Sarah Kroger Chris' One Thing - Running a 5k with his daughter Lilly    Journal Questions: What was good about the previous season of my life? Am I grieving or still carrying hurts?  What is God specifically asking me to release from this past season?  In this next season of my life, what is one thing God is making new? What is one hope I have for this next season of my life?   Creative Prompt: Take a bookmark and decorate it with your hopes for the next season and place it in your Bible. It will serve as a reminder in the next chapter of your life.   Discussion Questions: Reflect back upon the past few years and choose one big or small transition in your life.  What is one thing you are grateful for in the past season of your life? What is God calling you to release with trust from that past season? As you look to this current season, what action can you take to ceremonialize the end of an old season and create the foundation for a new season? Are you able to name what you desire? Why or why not? How are you responding to loss in your current season of life? What is something new God is doing in the current season of your life?   Quote to Ponder: “Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not. See I am doing something new. Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” (Isaiah 43:18)   Scripture for Lectio: “But now thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, and formed you O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; and you are mine.” (Isaiah 43:1)   Sponsor - Karol Coffee Co.: This week's sponsor is more than just a coffee company. Karol Coffee Co. was inspired by the life and work of one of the most beloved saints of the modern era: Karol Wojtyła, better known to the world as Pope St. John Paul II. His life was a testimony to courage, joy, and cultivating beauty that draws souls into union with Jesus and one other. From his days as a young priest in Nazi-occupied Poland to his years leading the global Church, St. John Paul II consistently called people to embrace truth, goodness, and beauty in every aspect of their lives. Karol Coffee Co. seeks to carry on that mission in a small but meaningful way — by bringing community, love, and joy into the heart of our everyday routines through coffee. Founded by Nate and Megan Whipple, a faithful Catholic couple rooted in mission, Karol Coffee Co. began humbly in 2022 as a simple garage-based roasting operation in Minneapolis, Minnesota. What started as a passion project quickly became something greater, thanks to the encouragement and support of fellow Catholics and coffee enthusiasts. In just a short time, their venture has grown into a thriving small business that now serves customers all over the country. In an age when many of our purchases inadvertently support massive corporations with values often at odds with our own, supporting small, Catholic-owned businesses has never been more important. Karol Coffee Co. offers an alternative: ethically-sourced, traceable coffees roasted with care and intention. Each batch is crafted not only for flavor but with the desire to honor the dignity of those who cultivate the beans and to support communities around the world. Their rotating coffee offerings include a range of carefully selected beans from notable coffee-growing regions with flavor profiles to suit a variety of preferences. Karol Coffee Co. makes it easier to keep your kitchen stocked with beans through bi-weekly or monthly subscription options. Fresh, delicious coffee delivered right to your door — no last-minute grocery runs or chain coffee stops required. But beyond the coffee itself, what makes Karol Coffee Co. truly remarkable is the heart behind it. Nate and Megan have built their business around community and mission. It's about more than just selling beans; it's about creating opportunities for people to encounter beauty, truth, and goodness in the midst of their everyday lives, and to share that with the people around them. They have a passion for creating opportunities for people of all backgrounds and walks of life to experience connection and unity through the shared love of coffee and beauty. We'd love for you to get to know them and become part of their growing community. You can visit their website at www.karolcoffeeco.com to explore their current offerings, sign up for a subscription, or learn more about the mission behind the brand. You can also follow along with them on Instagram @karolcoffeeco.  And if you're ever passing through St. Paul, Minnesota, be sure to visit their brand-new brick-and-mortar coffee shop. Their beautiful shop is a space where faith, community, and great coffee come together in a setting that feels like home. The walls are covered in paintings by local artists, as well as those of Megan herself (@meganwhippleart). You can even find a portrait of Pope Saint John Paul II painted by Megan (prints available on the Karol Coffee Co. website - https://karolcoffeeco.com/products/megan-whipple-art-karol-8x10-print). The shop offers a simple but complete food menu of organic and locally sourced food and a great variety of caffeinated and non-caffeinated drinks.  So whether you're looking to start your mornings with a little more purpose, support a Catholic business, or simply discover some truly great coffee, we wholeheartedly encourage you to check out Karol Coffee Co. Use code ABIDING for 10% your first order.   Timestamps:  00:00 - Karol Coffee Co. 01:36 - Intro 02:26 - Welcome 03:13 - Releasing with Trust 07:26 - Your Past Seasons 13:24 - Four Responses to Loss 16:55 - Our Responses to Losses in Life 25:56 - Redeem with Hope 27: 30 - Redemption in Our Lives 33:29 - One Things  

IMAGE CREDIT: Peciul, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons LINKS: Vatican bio of Cardinal Oscar CANTONI: https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/documentation/cardinali_biografie/cardinali_bio_cantoni_o.html      Oscar CANTONI on FIU's Cardinals Database (by Salvador Miranda): https://cardinals.fiu.edu/bios2022.htm#Cantoni    Cardinal Oscar CANTONI on Gcatholic.org: https://gcatholic.org/p/4928                      Cardinal Oscar CANTONI on Catholic-Hierarchy.org: https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bcantoni.html Diocese of Como on Gcatholic.org: https://gcatholic.org/dioceses/diocese/como0.htm?tab=info         Diocese of Como on Catholic-Hierarchy.org: https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dcomi.html   2022 Aleteia.org profile of Cardinal-elect Cantoni and the Diocese of Como: https://aleteia.org/2022/08/27/cardinal-cantoni-an-italian-in-red-for-a-martyred-diocese/  Telegraph.co.uk 2024 reporting on Fr. Martinelli case: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/01/24/priest-jailed-abuse-altar-boy-popes-choirboys/ Catholic News Agency reporting on the 2021 Fr. Martinelli trial: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/246626/vatican-abuse-trial-witnesses-say-allegations-about-youth-seminary-were-ignored National Catholic Reporter 2024 reporting on Fr. Martinelli case: https://www.ncronline.org/vatican/vatican-news/vatican-appeals-court-finds-priest-guilty-corrupting-minor  Reuters 2024 reporting on Fr. Martinelli case: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/vatican-convicts-priest-accused-abuse-papal-altar-boys-school-2024-01-23/   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.   Please note that this episode includes discussion of sexual crimes and allegations, and may not be appropriate for all audiences.   Today we're discussing another current Cardinal o f the Catholic Church, one of the 120 or so people who will choose the next Pope when the time comes..   Oscar CANTONI was born on September 1, 1950, in Lenno, a small town in the Como Province of the Lombardy Region of northern Italy.   We've had several Italian Cardinals before- nine, to be exact, and we've even had another Cardinal from Lombardy–Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and I count myself blessed every time I have the chance to say the name of Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa.   In any event, Oscar had the most surprising educational history out of all the Cardinals so far: while by all accounts he did well at school, and he's actually published several books, *and* he's taught in various capacities for decades, he doesn't have any academic degrees.   Nevertheless, in 1975 he was ordained as a priest for the Diocese of Como. From 1985 to 1999 he was actively involved in promoting vocations, becoming director of the Vocational Diocesan Center in 1986. From 1990 to 2005, Father Cantoni served as a Spiritual Director at the diocesan seminary.    One more unique project came along in 2000, when he re-founded the Ordo Virginum in the Diocese, the Ordo Virginum being an association of consecrated virgins that had fallen into obscurity until it was restored by the Second Vatican Council.   From 2003 to 2005, Father Cantoni was episcopal vicar for the clergy of Como, and it's time that I admit that for a while I thought each Diocese could only have one Episcopal Vicar but I have since come to understand that while each Episcopal Vicar has their own distinct mandate, there can nevertheless be several, if that's what the Bishop wants.   In 2005, the trusty old white phone rang, and it was Pope Saint John Paul II, looking to make Father Cantoni Bishop of Crema.   Now, you don't say no to JPII, or at least Father Cantoni didn't, and so on March 5th, he was consecrated by his former ordinary, the Bishop of Como, and, well, his other former ordinary, the Bishop Emeritus of Como. The third spot was filled by the Italian Nuncio, a fairly standard arrangement. The previous Bishop of Crema had died in office a few months before, if you're wondering what he was up to.   In 2016, Bishop Cantoni was transferred to the Diocese of Como, where he had grown up and served as a priest. In 2017, he ordained Gabriele Martinelli, despite having received some reports of sexual misconduct connected to Matinelli over the years, which Bishop Cantoni later said he had dismissed as quote “transitory homosexual tendency linked to adolescence”.   Both the future Father Martinelli and his alleged victim, identified as “L.G.” were teenagers at the time, with Martinelli being about a year older.    The alleged sexual relationship took place over several years in a pre-seminary that was actually on Vatican grounds, tasked with supplying altar servers for Saint Peter's Basilica. The pre-seminary was sponsored by the Diocese of Como, hence Bishop Cantoni's connection.   In 2021, Father Martinelli, who has consistently denied everything, was cleared due to a combination of his youth at the time and insufficient evidence, and it was after that ruling that Pope Francis elevated Bishop Cantoni to the Cardinalate, which we'll circle back to.   The Martinelli case has a coda, because under Vatican Law the prosecution can appeal cases and earlier this year, that's 2024, Father Martinelli was found guilty of corrupting a minor, that is, L.G., the same accuser as in the 2021 trial.   In September 2020, one of Bishop Cantoni's priests, Father Robero Malgesini, was murdered by a homeless person he was caring for. The event was widely covered in the press and prompted Pope Francis to praise God for quote “the martyrdom of this witness of charity toward the poorest”.   It should be noted that by all accounts Father Malgesini knew the risks associated with serving the outcasts, who often suffer mental illness. It should also be noted that in 2019, he was fined by local police for feeding people living under the portico of a former church, which, allow me to say, as the only official public policy position of Popeular History, **** such fines.   In 2022, in a somewhat surprising move, Pope Francis elevated Bishop Cantoni to the college of Cardinals and added him to the Dicastery for Bishops. I say somewhat sur prising because Como hasn't been headed by a Cardinal since 1694, so it's surprising in that sense, but people knew to expect surprises from Pope Francis by that point, it being his 8th consistory and all, so it  would have been surprising if there had been no surprises on the list. Still, it's fair to ask, why Como?   This is always a matter of speculation, because Popes are absolute monarchs and are never expected to give reasons for choosing one possible Cardinal over another. But my guess is the safest one for any analysis: it's a combination of factors. The fluffiest is one I've seen elsewhere, namely leaning into the crimson of the martyrs worn by the Cardinals and seeking to honor a Diocese that had seen more martyrdom in the last generation than most in Italy, not just Father Malgesini, but also Bl. Sr. Maria Laura Mainetti, who was murdered by three teenage girls in a satanic ritual in 2000, dying while asking God to forgive her murderers, certainly a death more on the classic end of the martyrdom spectrum.   I think it's likely the Martinelli case also played a role, certainly in the form of delaying Bishop Cantoni's elevation, but also, well, hear me out here.   Pope Francis *really* likes to reach out to the marginalized. Like, it's a whole thing for him, and he has absolutely used his cardinatial appointments to do just that–Cardinal Cantoni was sandwiched between a Pacific Islander and an African American in the 2022 consistory. I'm by no means confident in this assessment, but I don't think the fact that Cardinal Cantoni had been recently facing criticism for his handling o f Father Martinelli's case hurt his standings in Pope Francis' assessment. Especially fresh off Martinelli's initial acquittal, Pope Francis may have seen in Bishop Cantoni another marginalized individual.    One way or another, Cardinal Oscar CANTONI 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!

Not a spelling mistake, a pun. I do those. Search up "dubia letter" if you're scrathing your head over the title. LINKS Catholic Herald coverage of Cardinal Müller's church split comments: https://thecatholicherald.com/cardinal-muller-warns-church-risks-split-if-orthodox-pope-not-chosen/  Apostolic Constitution Romano Pontifici Eligendo (1975): https://www.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/it/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_p-vi_apc_19751001_romano-pontifici-eligendo.html  CNN coverage of Cardinal Becciu situation: https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/23/europe/cardinal-becciu-conclave-controversy-intl/index.html  Cruxnow coverage of Sister Brambilla situation: https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2025/04/francis-legacy-lives-as-top-vatican-woman-gets-accidental-invite-to-conclave  Pontifacts + Popeular History Livestream of Pope Francis' funeral (join Adopt-A-Cardinal in the comments!): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Cl8ISMTqMA  Novena to Mary, Undoer of Knots: https://www.theholyrosary.org/maryundoerknots/  TRANSCRIPT Welcome to Popeular History. My name is Gregg and this is another Conclave special: “Raising the Alarm: Schism by Dubias Means?” Last Thursday, The Catholic Herald ran an article titled “Cardinal Müller warns Church risks split if ‘orthodox' pope not chosen.” Specifically, the Catholic Herald quotes the former head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith as saying “a heretic pope who changes every day depending on what the mass media is saying would be catastrophic.” Which, I hope he's answering a question like “would a heretic pope who changes every day depending on what the mass media is saying be catastrophic”? Because unless that idea is being planted in his mind by the interviewer, it would seem that such a dire scenario is something Cardinal Müller is actively worried about. And if it's something he's actively worried about, well that's got its own gravity. Bottom line, the article raises the potential specter of a schism, a split, in the Church, presumably some sort of major antipope situation where some of the Cardinals decide to reject the conclusion and go off and set up a rival Pope. We've seen antipopes before many times in Church history, though it's been a while since there's been a major one, recognized by a significant number of Catholics, say 5 percent. Or heck, even 1 percent. Longtime Pontifacts listeners will recall Bry and Fry actually interviewed Pope Michael, a modern antipope, back in 2022 shortly before his death. Oh, and thanks recent livestream viewer "Nogah f" for asking their antipope question with a handy definition of “serious” antipope accompanying, that was useful. Attentive listeners will probably know that I'm concerned about the possibility of schism myself, and if the Herald headline about Cardinal Müller is correct, I'm not alone. The reality is that even if the headline is wrong, I am comfortable saying it would be naïve to conclude that the possibility of schism isn't present in the minds of most Cardinals. After all, fundamentally, preventing schism is what the conclave process and ultimately the College of Cardinals is all about. Really, you could take it further: preventing schism is what the Papacy is about, uniting Christians under one clear umbrella. Wait, no, preventing schism is what Christianity is about, uniting humanity in Christ. Wait, no, ending the schism between God and humanity caused by the Fall is what Christ is about. You get the idea: Schism bad. Given that there seems to be more concern about the possibility of schism than usual, as we ramp up towards the conclave, it's worth asking what should be done to reduce the possibility and severity of such a break. Obviously it's pretty presumptuous of me to be talking about this, but I haven't seen it elsewhere, and it needs to be discussed. There are steps that should be taken publicly before the conclave to resolve ambiguities and close loopholes, and I haven't seen them taken yet, which has me a bit nervous, but given the nature of the situation, well, it may simply be that fundamental differences will remain. I'll update the show notes if and when I see updates relating to any of these things, this is obviously pretty cutting edge in terms of events coverage and there's a lot going on. Ok, let me lay this out. First, there are a surprising number of issues relating to who is actually a Cardinal-Elector in this conclave: an unusually high number of points of discussion, but not an unprecedented number, to be clear, since you need to work hard to find truly unprecedented things in Church history. Second, there is a notably strong traditionalist camp who, if I may read between the lines in Müller's statement, is prepared to reject any Pope they do not consider sufficiently orthodox. Let's tackle the first topic first. Probably the single most significant source of uncertainty in this election is the canonical limit of 120 Cardinal Electors, given that this will be the first Conclave to exceed the limit. In fact, there will be more Cardinal-Electors in this conclave than there have ever been, though that may be misleading, after all, how many people tended to take part in the Papal elections of the first millennium where not only the clergy but the people of Rome participated? Rome was smaller then, but it would be difficult to believe it wasn't a healthy crowd. The word “thousands” comes to mind. And yes, I too wonder how many women were in the crowds on those occasions when Popes were elected by acclamation. But then I think of how if it were up to individual voting in any form, even the most popular elections in the Hellenistic world appeared to be sausage fests. The Greco-Roman milieu gave us the Patriarchy after all, and as they say, the past is a foreign country, they do things differently there. In any event, the 120 cap being broken isn't too crazy a precedent, as it was only established in 1975 and was ignored at times by two of Pope Francis' traditionally-minded predecessors, Pope Saint John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI. But it's also worth noting that Pope Francis ignored the rule so aggressively you might be tempted to think he misunderstood it. Did he think it was a minimum rather than a maximum? By my count, when Francis announced what would turn out to be his final batch of new Cardinals on October 6th of last year, there were already 121 new Cardinals kicking around, and it was only the untimely death of Spanish Cardinal Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot that made sure there were fewer than 120 electors when the time came for the official elevation of the new batch. During the waiting period, one of the announced new Cardinals–Bishop Syukur of Bogor, Indonesia–declined the honor, and, as if to underscore how determined he was to have a very full College of Cardinals, Pope Francis elevated the Archbishop of Naples in his place, bringing the total number of Cardinal-Electors to a record high 140, which went mostly down to 135 by the time of Pope Francis' death last Monday due to Cardinals reaching the age of 80 and automatically losing their elector status. And yes, you heard that right, the Catholic Church of all places is one of the few organizations in the world with a hard cap on the age of electors. Oh, and yes, I did say the number went *mostly* down, more on that later. In reality, the Pope is an absolute monarch. Sure, the Apostolic Constitution Romano Pontifici Eligendo exists and caps the number of Cardinal-Electors at 120 in Paragraph 33, but it's not like that was news to Pope Francis when he was blatantly disregarding It throughout his pontificate, and it's not like absolute monarchs are bound by constitutions–that's pretty specifically what makes them absolute monarchs. In short, it was a bit of a non-issue for him. And I also think it was an occasion where he decided to make things uncomfortable for the cardinals who he critiqued for being too comfortable early on in his pontificate. He famously told people to make a bit of a mess in the Church, and here he made a bit of a mess with the constitution of the college compared to the, uh, well, the Constitution of the College. I think he wanted the Cardinals to *have to * figure it out,  have to be a little uncomfortable with rigid rules. Anyways, in the words of an analysis kindly provided by Gabe over at the Papability Index over on X, quote “The 120 rule is a matter of Ecclesiastical Law, not Divine Law, so the Pope can dispense of it as he sees fit. Those ‘extra' Cardinals have just as many rights as the 120 since the Pope's powers, privileges, and appointments are unassailable as long as he's operating within the confines of Divine Law.”  end quote That makes sense to me, but constitutions are more of an issue for constitutional bodies, which, at the end of the day, is what the College of Cardinals is. I hate to say it, but I am definitely of the opinion that the College needs to address this discrepancy somehow, as this is a loophole that could be used to undermine the legitimacy of the next Pope. Perhaps the safest course would be to ensure the final vote is lopsided enough that a ⅔ majority would be cleared even discounting the “extra” electors, however many there end up being. Really what I think may happen is that this issue will go unaddressed during the sede vacante but may be used by a dissatisfied faction as an excuse to refuse to recognize the result. If this happens, it will be readily identifiable as an excuse because if the faction were really only interested in the legitimacy of the election, they would be objecting sooner, like right now, before any votes take place. To allow the conclave to proceed without flagging legitimate concerns about its, well, legitimacy, would be startlingly irresponsible for any Cardinal, and to follow that up with only rejecting the result and declaring an antipope only after the fact would expose the cynical motives and manipulative nature of such an act. I genuinely hope that doesn't happen, but now is not the time for me to sit back and say nothing about the apparent possibility. There are other smaller-scale eligibility questions with similar solutions and potentially similar outcomes, such as the updated official birthdays of a couple of the African cardinals that have had the result of keeping them eligible. I want to be clear that I, personally, am not questioning their eligibility, nor is this breaking news, this is as publicly available information as the 120 elector limit and everything else I've been talking about. But all legitimately concerned about avoiding schism should raise their objections now. Any Cardinals planning to toss the game board only after they lose need to know that their motives are clear and that this is not a game. And yeah, in case you can't tell, I have a particular concern about this. But it's a general problem, so there's no need to put my case into territory where I could be accused of ad hominem accusations by naming names. Let's just say late challenges here would be doubias at best. There's also the case of Cardinal Becciu, who as I understand it, resigned the rights and privileges of the Cardinalate back in 2020 but who now appears to be arguing that participating in a Conclave wasn't among those rights and privileges that he resigned. I do not expect the other Cardinals to find his arguments convincing. Finally, we have the case of Sister Simona Bambrilla, a female head of one of the Vatican's Dicasteries and more importantly *not a Cardinal* who was accidentally invited to participate in the Cardinals-only general congregations that began last week. I don't expect that to be an actual issue, but I thought it worth mentioning both for a bit of levity and as a reminder of the way women are kept out of places where they really honestly should be if you ask me. Whoops, uh, there went that levity. Ok, so that's my TED talk on the surprisingly fuzzy boundaries marking of the participants in the upcoming conclave. Eventually the “Extra Omnes” will be said and the doors will be locked “Con clave”--with a key, and, well, the “speak now or forever hold your peace” window will have passed at that point. Unless there are significant developments before then, I anticipate only Cardinal Becciu will have raised concerns, and then only for his case if my reading is right. Pro tip: I'm giving plenty of qualifiers when talking about Becciu due to what I perceive as a high risk of litigation. Just in case that wasn't obvious. Anyways, let's shift gears to the second of topic of concern I brought up at the start of this: Cardinals prepared to reject any Pope they do not consider sufficiently orthodox. And really, I can broaden that out to any Catholic prepared to reject the Pope, because the underlying scenario is the same, whether you're a Cardinal or a catechumen. If you reject the Pope, you're not Catholic. Union with the Pope is what defines Catholicism. I know there are those who disagree, I would hope they are not Cardinals of the Catholic Church. They can go play for Saint Louis if they want to be Cardinals while rejecting the Pope. The idea that a Pope can be deposed for heresy has been brought up and refuted time and again throughout Church history. If I need to work up an episode on that specifically I can, but the reality is putting this together has been a lot of work for one night, following up on the two and a half hours I spent livestreaming Francis' funeral at 4 am yesterday. Oh, yes, so if you're looking for yesterday's episode, by the way, look on the Pontifacts feed youtube and get ready to Adopt-A-Cardinal in the comments of the video! In any case, getting away from the self-plug and back to as serious as I have ever been and then some, I'll say this: I will accept whoever the next Pope is as Pope until they die or resign. You'd think Cardinals would be prepared to do this as well, but I've developed a degree of doubt. I want to conclude this episode by encouraging you to join the Vice-Pope and I in a novena to Mary, Undoer of Knots. As you may know, a novena is a sort of nine-day prayer-a-thon for a specific intention: in this case for a successful conclave, defined as one that finds the Cardinals and the whole Church united under the new Pope.  As you may also know, Our Lady, Undoer of Knots was a favorite devotion of the late Pope Francis, himself a noted fan of Our Lady. Since the novena includes a complete Rosary, and it's quite late, I'm not going to accompany you through the actual prayers as we go, just encourage you to consider joining Vice-Pope Mrs Popeular History and I on it in the coming days (and yeah, you can start it whenever, it's not like we have to be on the same timetable or you can't have a similar intention after the conclave wraps up). Fair warning, when I asked Mrs. Popeular History if she was up for this she said, and I quote, “sure, But it's known to end up with things worse before they get better lol” So on that note, thank you all for listening, God bless you all!

Read OnlineThe Savior of the World died a cruel death upon the Cross. His broken body was laid in the tomb. His disciples scattered and were fearful that they would be next. But our Blessed Mother kept vigil in the perfect hope that her Son would soon rise.Traditionally, Saturdays within the Church year are dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. This ancient tradition developed in part due to the belief that, as others were filled with fear and confusion, Mother Mary kept vigil on Holy Saturday in prayerful anticipation of Jesus' resurrection. She knew her Son would rise. She had hope beyond hope. Her faith was certain. Her love kept her vigilant as she awaited the return of her Son.For many centuries, it has been suggested that the first person to whom Jesus appeared after His Resurrection was His own mother. Pope Saint John Paul II believed this. Saint Ignatius of Loyola believed it. And many others throughout the centuries shared this belief.For these reasons, Holy Saturday is an ideal day to ponder the pondering heart of our Blessed Mother. There are several times in Sacred Scripture where we are told that Mother Mary pondered the mysteries of her Son's life in her heart. She was one of the few who stood by Him in His agony and death. She stood before the Cross and prayerfully pondered His perfect sacrifice. The Blessed Mother held His dead body in her arms and pondered where His spirit had gone. And today she keeps vigil, pondering His imminent return to her.Ponder her pondering heart. Try to unite your own heart with hers. Try to understand what she was thinking and hoping. Try to feel what she felt this sorrowful day. Try to experience her faith, her trust and her joyful expectation. So many people in this world walk in despair and confusion.So many have lost hope in the new life that awaits them. So many have their own form of interior death without allowing God to draw them into His Resurrection. So many people today need the hope that was so alive in the heart of our Blessed Mother that first Holy Saturday. Ponder the reality of Holy Saturday in silence this day and allow the glorious heart of our Blessed Mother to inspire you and draw you more deeply into her life of faith, hope and love.Dearest Mother Mary, on that first Holy Saturday, you kept vigil for your Son. You allowed the divine gift of hope to grow within you, and you allowed that hope to be your strength in the midst of the horror of the Cross. Pray for me that I may ponder your beautiful heart this day so that I, too, may be filled with hope as I endure the challenges of this earthly life. Give me a heart of joyful anticipation as I await the grace of new life our Lord so deeply desires to bestow upon me. Mother Mary, pray for me.  Jesus, I do trust in You.  Guercino, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Today is the feast of a Polish saint, Saint Stanislaus, who was killed by a Polish king for excommunicating him in light of his immoral life. Father Kubicki shares some words from Pope Saint John Paul II about this great saint.

A high-profile Supreme Court case could strip Planned Parenthood of Medicaid funding; the president of the March for Life explains what's at stake in this case. And reaction to the Wisconsin Supreme Court Results. A maternity home on the border supports pregnant asylum seekers. Plus, the legacy of Pope Saint John Paul II's Theology of the Body. #SupremeCourt #Planned Parenthood #JP2

AMDG.   “When I get to heaven, I'll ask him.”   “What if he's not in heaven?”   “Then you can ask him.”   First introduced to Fulton Sheen through her research on his famous converts, historian Cheryl Hughes tells the fascinating story of Fulton Sheen's life. Dr. Hughes brings history to life with hilarious anecdotes and touching narratives. Listen in to hear facts such as the surprising connection between Fulton Sheen and Frank Sinatra; his Emmy acceptance speech, including the writers he credited for his success; Sheen's opposition to secularism and communism; his friendship with Pope Saint John Paul II, who learned English through listening to Fulton Sheen; the miracle attributed to Fulton Sheen, and the current status of his beatification process; and details such as Sheen's real height, Irish Catholic upbringing, and more.   Links mentioned & relevant:  Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, Convert Maker by Dr. Cheryl Hughes  Steven refers to when Archbishop Sheen helped launch Thomas Aquinas College  Chautauqua character studies   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! 

Read OnlineWhen Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home. Matthew 1:24What is it that made Saint Joseph so great? He wasn't immaculately conceived as our Blessed Mother was. He was not divine like Jesus. But he was the head of the Holy Family, its guardian and its provider. He became the legal father of the Savior of the World and the spouse of the Mother of God. But Joseph is not great only because he was given such incredible privileges. First and foremost, he was great because of the choices he made in life. Today's Gospel refers to him as a “righteous man” and as a man who “did as the angel of the Lord commanded him.” Thus, his greatness is primarily on account of his moral righteousness and obedience to the will of God. Joseph's obedience is especially seen in the fact that he obeyed the voice of God given to him in the four dreams recorded in Scripture. In his first dream, Joseph is told “do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:20–21). In his second dream, Joseph is told, “Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him” (Matthew 2:13). In his third dream, Joseph is told, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead” (Matthew 2:20). And in his fourth dream, Joseph is warned to go instead to Galilee rather than Judea (Matthew 2:22).When these dreams are read in succession, it is clear that Saint Joseph was attentive to the voice of God. We all have dreams, but Joseph's dreams were different. They were clear communications from God, and they required a willing recipient. Joseph was open to the voice of God and listened in faith as that willing recipient.Joseph also responded with complete submission and full determination. The commands Joseph received were not insignificant. His obedience required that he and his family travel great distances, take up residence in strange lands and do so all in faith.It's also clear that Joseph took his vocation seriously. Pope Saint John Paul II gave him the title “Guardian of the Redeemer.” Over and over, he showed his unwavering commitment to his role as the guardian of his legal Son, Jesus, and of his wife, Mary. His life was spent providing for them, protecting them and offering them a father's heart. Reflect, today, upon the unique vocation of Saint Joseph. Ponder, especially, the early years of his marriage and the raising of Jesus. Consider his fatherly commitment to care for, provide for and protect his Son. We all must seek to imitate Saint Joseph's virtues by protecting the presence of Christ within our own hearts, the hearts of our family and friends and in the world as a whole. Pray to Saint Joseph, asking him to help you follow his example so that the hidden presence of our Lord in our lives will grow and come to full maturation. Hail, Guardian of the Redeemer, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. To you God entrusted his only Son; in you Mary placed her trust; with you Christ became man. Blessed Joseph, to us too, show yourself a father and guide us in the path of life. Obtain for us grace, mercy and courage, and defend us from every evil. Amen. (Prayer from Patris Corde)Image: Luca Giordano, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Yesterday was the World Day of the Sick, instituted by Pope Saint John Paul II. Father shares a letter from this saint about the need to care for the sick both physically and spiritually. How do you unite your suffering to God?

The tireless efforts of Pope Saint John Paul II gave us the timeless Theology of the Body – and that has provided sound philosophical grounding from which to handle the ever shifting sands of moral turpitude of our modern era. Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse and Dr. Deborah Savage discuss the Catholic Church's teachings on marriage, family, and human sexuality, particularly in the context of the challenges posed by the sexual revolution. They explore the importance of lived experience in understanding these teachings, the implications of recent changes within the Pontifical Academy for Life, and the philosophical foundations laid by John Paul II. The discussion emphasizes the need for a balance between lived experience and objective truth, the role of self-governance, and the significance of virtue in achieving true freedom.   00:00 - The Catholic Church's Stance on Contraception 02:55 - The Role of Lived Experience in Theology 05:49 - Response to the Pontifical Academy for Life's Document 09:05 - The Impact of the Sexual Revolution 11:58 - Bridging Theory and Experience 14:52 - Understanding Human Acts and Impulses 18:12 - John Paul II's Anthropology and Personalism 20:51 - The Importance of Self-Governance 24:03 - The Personalist Norm vs. Kant's Categorical Imperative 26:55 - The Path to Virtue and True Freedom 30:08 - Real Stories from the Frontlines   Dr. Deborah Savage joined the Theology faculty during the 2021-22 academic year, having taught both philosophy and theology at the St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota for the previous thirteen years. She received her doctorate in Religious Studies from Marquette University in 2005; her degree is in both theology and philosophy. Dr. Savage is the co-founder and acting director of the Siena Symposium for Women, Family, and Culture, an interdisciplinary think tank, organized to respond to John Paul II's call for a new and explicitly Christian feminism.     Dr. Savage is a member of the Academy of Catholic Theology and the American Catholic Philosophical Association. She served for several years as a member of the Board of Trustees at Franciscan University, resigning in 2021. She moved to Steubenville along with her husband of 32 years, Andrew Percic, and their daughter, Madeline.   Lived Experience and the Search for Truth: Revisiting Catholic Sexual Morality Buy it here: https://www.amazon.com/Lived-Experience-Search-Truth-Revisiting/dp/B0DG2PVQ6K/ref=sr_1_1   A World Without Fathers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjNiVYfDdSU   Male and Female He Created Them: Complementarity as Mission: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJBgR6krKaY https://drdeborahsavage.com/   Is There A War On Men? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWz4iLHFwKE    Other videos of Dr. Savage: https://drdeborahsavage.com/videos/   Catholic Women's Forum Interview with Dr. Savage: https://catholicwomensforum.org/staff/woman-know-deborah-savage/   Active Projects: https://drdeborahsavage.com/active-projects/   Publications: https://drdeborahsavage.com/publications/   Department of Theology of Fransiscan University at Steubenville: https://spt.franciscan.edu/faculty/savage-dr-deborah/ Have a question or a comment? Leave it in the comments, and we'll get back to you!   Subscribe to our YouTube playlist:  @RuthInstitute  Follow us on Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/theruthinstitute https://twitter.com/RuthInstitute https://www.facebook.com/TheRuthInstitute/ https://theruthinstitute.locals.com/newsfeed   Press: NC Register: https://www.ncregister.com/author/jennifer-roback-morse Catholic Answers: https://www.catholic.com/profile/jennifer-roback-morse The Stream: https://stream.org/author/jennifer-roback-morse/ Crisis Magazine: https://crisismagazine.com/author/jennifer-roeback-morse   Father Sullins' Reports on Clergy Sexual Abuse: https://ruthinstitute.org/resource-centers/father-sullins-research/   Buy Dr. Morse's Books: The Sexual State: https://ruthinstitute.org/product/the-sexual-state-2/ Love and Economics: https://ruthinstitute.org/product/love-and-economics-it-takes-a-family-to-raise-a-village/ Smart Sex: https://ruthinstitute.org/product/smart-sex-finding-life-long-love-in-a-hook-up-world/ 101 Tips for a Happier Marriage: https://ruthinstitute.org/product/101-tips-for-a-happier-marriage/ 101 Tips for Marrying the Right Person: https://ruthinstitute.org/product/101-tips-for-marrying-the-right-person/   Listen to our podcast: Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ruth-institute-podcast/id309797947 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1t7mWLRHjrCqNjsbH7zXv1   Subscribe to our newsletter to get this amazing report: Refute the Top 5 Gay Myths https://ruthinstitute.org/refute-the-top-five-myths/   Get the full interview by joining us for exclusive, uncensored content on Locals: https://theruthinstitute.locals.com/support

Today is the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Mary under this title is the patroness of the entire western hemisphere. Father shares some words from Pope Saint John Paul II about Our Lady of Guadalupe which encourages us to have trust in Mary.

The rise in Catholic trade schools with Mike Sullivan, the president of the College of St. Joseph the Worker. (0:54) The case for promoting trade schools, especially among young men. (24:47)  Pope Saint John Paul II on overcoming fear and finding hope and joy. (41:30) Resources mentioned:  Steubenville, Ohio – College of St. Joseph the Worker https://www.collegeofstjoseph.com/programs-overview   Orange County, CA – Santiago Trade School https://www.santiagotradeschool.com/   Grand Rapids, MI – Harmel Academy  https://www.thecatholichomeschool.com/harmel-academy-of-the-trades/#google_vignette   Gallup, NM – Kateri College https://katericollege.org/

Hey, friends! This extra-long episode is about a pope who travelled more miles than every previous pontiff and broke down the walls between other religions around the world. Let's settle in and hear why we should “Be not afraid” with our new friend: Pope Saint John Paul II.

FAN MAIL--We would love YOUR feedback--Send us a Text MessageCelebrating the rich legacy of St. John Paul II on his feast day, we journey through his monumental impact on the Catholic Church and global history. From his role in the fall of communism in Eastern Europe to his visionary teachings on human dignity and religious freedom, this episode captures the essence of his influence. Drawing from George Weigel's authoritative biography, "Witness to Hope," we reflect on how John Paul II reshaped the papacy, introduced a universal call to holiness, and championed the transformative power of Vatican II. Join us as we explore the profound wisdom of a leader who transcended political boundaries to inspire hope and unity across nations. Listen in for an enriching insight into a life that continues to offer inspiration and guidance to believers and non-believers alike.Key Points from the Episode:As we honor the 25th anniversary of Weigel's biography, personal anecdotes reveal a deep connection to John Paul II's message of hope and faith. His unforgettable address at the United Nations in 1995 underscores his plea for global unity and theological hope, challenging us to build a future on the secure foundation of our faith.We, also, draw from inspiration from Fr. John O'Malley's "the history of the popes" Through discussions on his extensive travels, canonizations, and his radical Christian example, we celebrate his lasting influence on Catholic thought and the world.Other resources: George Weigel in First Things on "Witness to Hope- 25 years later"Weigel in 1997 on Carl Berstein in First Things, "Pope 007?"Weigel in the 2024 tribute to Pope Saint John Paul II for the Polish DominicansWant to leave a review? Click here, and if we earned a five-star review from you **high five and knuckle bumps**, we appreciate it greatly, thank you so much!Because we care what you think about what we think and our website, please email David@teammojoacademy.com, 

Join Archbishop Alexander Sample as he discusses the various ways he discerns the pastoral needs of the Archdiocese and his heart-to-heart leadership style rooted in prayer, reflective collaboration and listening. Learn how Christ-centered leadership and the example of Pope Saint John Paul II has influenced the Archbishop and his approach to spiritual fatherhood. For more: https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_letters/2001/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_20010106_novo-millennio-ineunte.htmlSubscribe to the Voice of the Shepherd on your favorite podcast platform.Learn more about the Archdiocese of Portland.Find this show on the free Hail Mary Media App, along with a radio live-stream, prayers, news, and more.Look through past episodes or support this podcast.The Voice of the Shepherd is produced by Mater Dei Radio in collaboration with the Archdiocese of Portland.

Father Kubicki shares some insights from Pope Saint John Paul II about this reading from the Gospel of Mark in today's readings. What is Good? Why does it matter in the context of this passage? Learn that in this reflection.

IMAGE James Bradley, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons LINKS Angelo ACERBI on Catholic-Hierarchy.org https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bacerbi.html  Angelo ACERBI on Gcatholic.org https://gcatholic.org/p/6760  2024 Aleteia profile of Cardinal-Elect ACERBI https://aleteia.org/2024/10/09/oldest-cardinal-ever-named-will-support-pope-with-prayer  2024 Vatican News profile of Cardinal-Elect ACERBI https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2024-10/cardinal-elect-acerbi-appointment-diplomats.html?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1FkcEQXPlQQ0GisXPW3tDuVtGdsweDpgAMqxjBpHFijrWKH1SVwoJAxJI_aem_aNoXJ7ogQxgNqyZKZWwfGA  CathNews New Zealand's profile of Cardinal-Elect ACERBI: https://cathnews.co.nz/2024/10/07/former-nz-nuncio-angelo-acerbi-appointed-a-cardinal/  TRANSCRIPT Hello everyone, welcome to Cardinal Numbers, a rexypod reviewing and ranking all the Cardinals of the Catholic Church from the Catacombs to Kingdom Come. As part of our march to the Kingdom Come part, the years keep rolling on and the Holy Father keeps adding new Cardinals to… well I'd normally say to fill vacancies, but the reality this is the first time possibly in history where technically the College is already over capacity but here comes Pope Francis adding more new Cardinals anyways. Don't get too worked up about that, it's not a sudden departure as JPII and Benedict both went over the same theoretical limit. The Papacy is an absolute monarchy so constitutions are more like guidelines, though I'm still very curious what it will look like if there's ever a need for a conclave when the College is over capacity, something that seems all the more likely as Pope Francis continues to treat the maximum as a minimum and keeps hid apparent preference for having a consistory every year– the only full year he's skipped in his pontificate was 2021 due to COVID.   But enough about the generalities, we've got 21 new Cardinals to cover and only a couple months to do so! To be clear, for the sake of my sanity as I continue to juggle my various responsibilities, I've decided I'm *not* planning to cover all the new Cardinals in time for the consistory on December 8th, at least not on the main feed. I *do* have it down as a stretch goal for my Patreon supporters, getting them all the new cardinals in a more timely fashion but everyone will get the same content eventually. It's just going to take 21 weeks to cover the 21 new Cardinals on the main feed, and it'll be faster for my Patreon folks as a thank-you for the support without actually putting content behind a paywall- just a mild time delay. Fair enough? Look, if you're in a pinch and can't afford a Patreon subscription just write in and ask, I'm a softie and I've been there before, no sweat, I'll get you a link to whichever episode you like when it's ready, free. Again, you'd be getting it eventually anyway, so really you don't even need to do that, just have some patience.   Alright, enough admin, let's get talking about the first Cardinal-Elect on Pope Francis' list, and let's start at the beginning, nearly a hundred years ago.   Angelo Acerbi was born on September 23rd 1925 in Sesta Godano, part of the province of La Spezia in the Liguria region of Italy, basically due north–ok and a smidge east–of Corsica. Historically, the area was for many years part of the Republic of Genoa, but, look, Cardinal-Elect Acerbi is old but he's not *that* old. He is old enough though that he grew up under Benito Mussolini's Fascist dictatorship and may just remember some adult's reaction to the Lateran Treaty, but probably not, he was three at the time and that's a lot of geopolitical awareness to ask of a toddler. Then again, this is a future diplomat we're talking about here.   In any event, the most likely answer for what Angelo was doing as he came of age in Mussolini's Italy is “going to school”, in particular going to seminary, as he was ordained by the age of 22, becoming a priest for the Diocese of… well, somewhere. He seems to have been near the border of two dioceses, La Spezia and Pontremoli. Vatican News lists Pontremoli, so we'll go with that, you'd think they'd know. Part of what makes it not as clear as you'd think is he wasn't serving in the diocese for long. In 1956, about 8 years after his ordination, Fr Acerbi entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See, which was expanding outward now that it was no longer dominated by Italian politics, at least not quite so much. Of course, to be clear, part of that domination had been voluntary, part of what made Mussolini successful was his partners in the Church.   Probably the biggest question of the 20th century Papacy is the extent to which Pius XII was one of those partners, and we'll certainly be looking at that eventually, but for today's purposes Acerbi's overlap with the Pope of the Second World War is a brief couple years before Pius was succeeded by John XXIII of Second Vatican Council fame. I don't have any stories of Father Acerbi and the Council, certainly he was aware of it, but he doesn't seem to have been there, which makes sense as he wasn't a bishop yet and his diplomatic work would have been ongoing throughout. His early diplomatic portfolio included relations with Colombia, Brazil, France, Japan, and Portugal. It's possible his work in Colombia and Portugal overlapped with Papal trips there- Paul VI had kicked off the modern era of Papal travel in 1964 when he visited the Holy Land, the first Papal trip outside Italy since the time of Napoleon. Certainly Father Acerbi and Paul VI at least got together in 1974, when His Holiness appointed Father Acerbi as Pro-Nuncio to New Zealand and personally consecrated him Titular Archbishop of Zella, which as near as I can tell is an oasis in the middle of Libya. As a reminder, titular dioceses  have no function, it's just a way of giving an official jurisdiction to a bishop whose responsibilities won't actually include running a diocese. Oh, and if you're wondering, a Pro-Nuncio is actually one step *below* a regular Nuncio. It's a step above an Apostolic Delegate, which, well, he also became one of those at the same time. Not to New Zealand, but to the Pacific Ocean. Realistically of course, “the Pacific Ocean” is referring to a number of Pacific Island nations, many of which have their own nunciatures these days, though I still like to think of it as managing the Holy See's relations with Poseidon, God of the Sea.   The fifth Pope now-Archbishop Acerbi served was Pope Saint John Paul II, careful counters might wonder who the fourth Pope was but of course since they're careful counters they're probably already aware of the implied existence of John Paul the Second's immediate predecessor, John Paul I. But JPI didn't get up to much in his 33 days as Supreme Pontiff,  Which is why we've already blown past him so I can tell you that JPII made Archbishop Acerbi his Nuncio to Colombia in 1979, full-on Nuncio this time, and with him revisiting an area he had worked previously, keeping in mind Columbia was a possible overlap between Acerbi and Paul VI given Paul VI's trip and Acerbi's early work there.   Acerbi's decade-plus as Nuncio to Colombia overlaps with some serious drug and cartel times we'll look at more if he makes it to the next round. A particularly memorable stretch would have been the six weeks he spent as a hostage to Socialist guerrillas from that country's 19th of April movement.   In 1990, Aberbi was made Nuncio to Hungary, making him first on the restored diplomatic scene there after the fall of the Iron Curtain–Hungary hadn't had a nuncio since 1945. He continued on i n that role for seven years, simultaneously serving as Nuncio to Moldova starting in 1994, the same year Moldova adopted their current constitution.   From 97 to 2001, Archbishop Acerbi served in his presumably final diplomatic post, as the Nuncio to the Netherlands. I say presumably because, of course, Pope Francis is giving him a new role in a couple months, so who knows? Maybe he will be asked to step back into another nunciature. Then again, Cardinal-Elect Acerbi himself has already thrown cold water on that idea, noting that he expects to support Pope Francis, quote, “with prayer, as I do not see how else I can contribute given my old age”. Which, I mean, fair enough, he's 99.   But we're not quite done with our overview, because from 2001 to 2015, Archbishop Acerbi served as the Prelate of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta, a name which of course needs some unpacking– the Knights of Malta for short, they're a military religious order that originally was meant to protect pilgrims  to the Holy Land and wound up running Rhodes and Malta after the crusades, Rhodes until the Turks kicked them out and Malta until Napoleon kicked them out, at which point they moved to Rome. They're more about ceremony and charitable stuff than military stuff these days, and we actually came across them during our Patreon special on Cardinal Burke with Fry from Pontifacts if you need another reason to join Patreon. Don't worry, Cardinal Burke and the Knights of Malta will be popping up on the main feed again in due course. Anyways, as Prelate for the Order, the octogenarian Archbishop Acerbi's job was to oversee the priests of the Order, making sure they were doing their priest things right. The end of his tenure overlapped with the beginning of the aforementioned Cardinal Burke's time as their Cardinal-Patron by the way, if you were wondering about that.   Archbishop Acerbi retired from that role a few months before his 90th birthday, and hadn't been making many headlines since, most recently residing at the Casa Santa Marta on the Vatican grounds, which if that name rings a bell, yes, Pope Francis lives in Room 201 there. And it was Pope Francis who put Archbishop Acerbi back into the headlines last week, when he  dropped his name at his weekly Angelus last Sunday, which apparently the Acerbi was listening to, since he said that's how he found out about it. His reaction to the news has been as diplomatic as you might expect, refusing to make it about himself personally, quote:   "I believe the Pope wanted to give a sign of appreciation and recognition for the service that many old and new nuncios, as well as the staff of the nunciatures, are providing around the world"   As he is already over the maximum voting age of 80, Cardinal-Elect Angelo Acerbi will not be able to vote in future conclaves, though traditionally older Cardinals do participate in the preliminary gatherings and discussions that take place during the sede vacante period before the opening of the conclave itself.   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! Thanks, Joe!

Start your day with the joy of our Catholic faith and with Brenda and Brian on The Morning Blend. Oregon Right To Life is ready to push back in court against the mandate to include abortion in their health plan. Hear the latest information on their case plus a celebration of Pope Saint John Paul II from the Knights of Columbus. It's all on today's show from Mater Dei Radio.Subscribe to the Morning Blend on your favorite podcast platform.Find this show on the free Hail Mary Media App, along with a radio live-stream, prayers, news, and more.Look through past episodes or support this podcast.The Morning Blend is a production of Mater Dei Radio in Portland, Oregon.

Friends of the Rosary, Today, October 5, is the Memorial Day of the contemporary saint St. Faustina Kowalska, Virgin, the apostle of the Divine Mercy. Jesus appeared to Faustina as the King of Divine Mercy, choosing her to deliver the message of his merciful heart of love for all people, especially sinners. Our Lord asked her to have a picture painted of him as she saw him — clothed in white, with red and white rays of light streaming from his heart. The rays represent the blood and water that flowed from Jesus's side on the cross. Under the image are the words, "Jesus, I trust in you." Many people did not believe Faustina at first. The sisters in her convent thought that Jesus could not possibly have selected her for this great favor. After all, she was an uneducated peasant girl. Her superiors often refused to give her permission to carry out Jesus' requests. Church theologians, too, doubted her word. Jesus told Faustina that he loved her obedience and that his will would be done in the end. In 1934, an artist completed the painting of the Divine Mercy according to her instructions, and it soon became a focus for devotion. Faustina continued to record the appearances of Jesus in her diary under the title Divine Mercy in My Soul. St. Faustina came from Poland. Pope Saint John Paul II was also Polish and had a great devotion to the Divine Mercy. He made it a feast day on the second Sunday after Easter. [This is the Holy Father's April 30, 2000, Homily at the solemn Mass celebrated for the canonization of Sr. Mary Faustina Kowalska.] Ave Maria!Jesus, I Trust In You!St. Faustina Kowalska, Pray for Us! Come, Holy Spirit, come! To Jesus through Mary! + Mikel Amigot | RosaryNetwork.com, New York • October 5, 2024, Today's Rosary on YouTube | Daily broadcast at 7:30 pm ET    

Friends of the Rosary, Today is the Memorial of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face (1873-1897), popularly known as "the Little Flower" and St. Thérèse of Lisieux. She was a cloistered Carmelite Discalced nun who entered the Carmel of Lisieux at fifteen. She attained a high degree of holiness by carrying out her daily duties with perfect fidelity, having a childlike confidence in God's providence and merciful love. The Little Flower had a great love of the Church and a zeal for the conversion of souls. She prayed especially for priests and was always ready to be at the service of others. She died of consumption on September 30, 1897, at the age of 24, and was canonized in 1925. She has never ceased to fulfill her promise: "I will pass my heaven in doing good on earth." Her interior life is revealed in her autobiography, Story of a Soul. In 1997, Pope Saint John Paul II declared her a Doctor of the Church. In his Apostolic Exhortation On Christian Joy (Gaudete in Domino), Paul VI spoke of St. Thérèse in 1975. "In more recent times, St. Thérèse of Lisieux shows us the courageous way of abandonment into the hands of God to whom she entrusts her littleness. And yet it is not that she has no experience of the feeling of God's absence, a feeling which our century is harshly experiencing. This is the moment of perfect joy for the poor, weak little thing. What happiness for it to remain there nevertheless, and to gaze at the invisible light that hides from its faith." Ave Maria!Jesus, I Trust In You!Come, Holy Spirit, come!St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Pray for Us! To Jesus through Mary! + Mikel Amigot | RosaryNetwork.com, New York • October 1, 2024, Today's Rosary on YouTube | Daily broadcast at 7:30 pm ET

In today's episode, Lisa and Laura dive into Lesson 4 of Ordering Your Priorities, Priority 3: Your Marriage. This is a big one, friends, so we will give you a special, bonus episode on marriage next week. Acknowledging that marriage takes work—it can be wonderful and painful—Lisa and Laura set out to remind us that we should never lose hope. With God, anything can happen. Miracles can happen. God doesn't just part things like the Red Sea. He brings things back together. We pray this conversation offers you peace and hope wherever you are. Open your Heart to our key Scripture. Genesis 2:24: Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh.  Open your Bible to other Scriptures referenced in this episode. Isaiah 59:1: The hand of the Lord is not too short to save. John 12:24: Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Ephesians 4:26–27: Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Invite Him in with this episode's questions for reflection. What suffering in your marriage are you making worse by refusing to accept it? Look at the pain in your marriage and ask yourself, “What virtue might the Lord be inviting me to grow in?” Show mentions. Dan and Stephanie Burke, Divine Intimacy Retreat Flourish: The Art of Being Human. Register here. Pope Saint John Paul II, “We are not the sum total of our weaknesses and our failures; we are the sum total of the Father's love for us.” Using code OYPBOGO, purchase one Ordering Your Priorities and get a second one at 50% off. Limit one use per customer. This offer ends October 31, 2024. Let's stay connected. Don't miss an episode. Subscribe to our podcast on your favorite platform.  Want to keep the conversation going? Join our private Facebook community. Stay in the know. Connect with us today.  We are committed to creating content that is free and easily accessible to every woman—especially the one looking for answers but unsure of where to go. If you've enjoyed this podcast, prayerfully consider making a donation to support it and other WWP outreach programs that bring women closer to Christ. Learn more about WWP on our website. Our Shop. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, X, and YouTube.

27th September, 2024 – Join Thomas for The Sodality of Our Lady Radio Hour! In this episode of the “Sodality of Our Lady Hour,” Thomas delve into the profound relationship between Mary, the Mother of the Church, and the Holy Eucharist, as articulated in Pope Saint John Paul II's encyclical Ecclesia de Eucharistia. They explore […] The post E159 | Sodality of Our Lady Radio Hour – Mary: The Model of Eucharistic Faith appeared first on Radio Maria Ireland.

AMDG. Do you want to build your own “super habits”? Founding dean of CUA business school and Forbes contributing writer Dr. Andrew Abela promises that “super habits” are the secret to a successful—and happy— life. He reveals the three steps to building “super habits;” highlights the connection between neuroscience and virtue; argues that good ethics are the most effective business practices; and paints an entirely new picture of classic virtues and success. Stay tuned to the end to hear details about Dr. Abela's upcoming book, Super Habits: The Universal System for a Successful Life.  Links mentioned & related:  Dr. Abela's book Superhabits: The Universal System for a Successful Life  Catholic University of America   Dr. Abela references Pope Saint John Paul II's encyclical Centesimus Annus   St. Thomas Aquinas on the virtues  A Latin-English Dictionary of St. Thomas Aquinas by Roy J. Deferrari  Follow Dr. Abela on Forbes.com, Substack, and Linkedin    Relevant Kolbecast episodes  188 Dr. Kevin Majeres Sees Challenges as Opportunities and 219 The Upside of Anxiety with Dr. Kevin Majeres  176 The Agenda Is to Grow -- Art & Laraine Bennett and the Temperaments  84 The Essence of Catholic Education and 157 Renewal, Revival, Variety, and Unity with Patrick Reilly of the Cardinal Newman Society, publisher of the Newman Guide  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! 

20th September, 2024 – In this episode, Fr. Eamonn and Matthias delve into Chapter 5 of Ecclesia de Eucharistia, reading paragraphs 47-52. The following topics are discussed: Overview of Ecclesia de Eucharistia: Introduction to the document by Pope Saint John Paul II, its significance, and its relation to the Eucharist. Context of the Last Supper: […] The post E8 | Ecclesia de Eucharistia 47-52 – The Dignity of the Eucharistic Celebration – Fr Eamonn McCarthy & Matthias Conroy appeared first on Radio Maria Ireland.

13th September, 2024 –Welcome to Ecclesia de Eucharistia, where Father Eamonn McCarthy and Matthias Conroy delve into the profound teachings of Pope Saint John Paul II's 2003 document on the Holy Eucharist. In this episode, they explore the significance of the Eucharist in fostering ecclesial unity and communion. Father McCarthy and Matthias discuss key themes […] The post E11 | Ecclesia de Eucharistia – Fr Eamonn McCarthy & Matthias Conroy – Understanding Ecclesial Communion through the Eucharist appeared first on Radio Maria Ireland.

3rd September, 2024 – Join Helen and Harry for a Catholic perspective on marriage and relationships! Welcome to the Pure in Heart show! In this episode, we conclude our series on Edward Sri's Men, Women, and the Mystery of Love, a condensed exploration of Pope Saint John Paul II's Love and Responsibility. Join us as we […] The post E152 | Pure in Heart – Helen & Harry – Navigating the Mysteries of Love: Insights from Edward Sri's Men, Women, and the Mystery of Love appeared first on Radio Maria Ireland.

LINKS Vatican bio of Cardinal Kambanda https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/documentation/cardinali_biografie/cardinali_bio_kambanda_a.html     Aontoine Kambanda on FIU's Cardinals Database (by Salvadore Miranda): https://cardinals.fiu.edu/bios2020.htm#Kambanda  Cardinal Kambanda on Gcatholic.org: http://www.gcatholic.org/p/52193    Cardinal Kambanda on Catholic-Hierarchy.org: https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bkamb.html     Archdiocese of Kigali on Gcatholic.org: http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/diocese/kiga0.htm?tab=info     Archdiocese of Kigali on Catholic-Hierarchy.org: https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dkiga.html Official Vatican summary of JPII's 1990 visit to Rwanda (and other African nations): https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/travels/1990/travels/documents/trav_est-africa.html  2004 BBC timeline of the Rwandan Genocide: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3580247.stm  Caritas Internationalis official website: https://www.caritas.org/  Athanase Seromba, genocidal priest: https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna16189347  Seromba upsate: https://alchetron.com/Athanase-Seromba  2001 Washington Post reporting on Rwandan nuns jailed for role in genocide: https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2001/06/09/rwandan-nuns-jailed-in-genocide/fce3308b-3e6e-4784-8490-0887f69c7a39/  VOA News coverage of 2016 Rwandan Bishops' Conference statement acknowledging and apologizing for complicity in the genocide: https://www.voanews.com/a/rwanda-genocide-catholic-bishops/3605319.html  Reaction to 2019 Rwandan Bishops' Conference statement: https://cisanewsafrica.com/rwanda-bishops-apologize-for-calling-for-release-of-convicts-of-genocide/  2022 English-language video interview with Cardinal Kambanda (via The New Times/Pacis TV): https://youtu.be/yadR0vD1EW4?si=J5nJHxHCLjFMd0z7    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! IMAGE CRED: By David Neuvere - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=126027927  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.   Antoine KAMBANDA was born on November 10, 1958 in Nyamata, Rwanda, which is today part of the country's Eastern Province. Rwanda has somewhat famously had ethnic tensions between two out of three of their main tribes, the Hutu and the Tutsi. Antoine and his family were Tutsi, and, well, content warning, because today's episode includes a genocide.   Antoine studied internationally right from the start, doing primary schooling in neighboring Burundi and Uganda, followed by secondary school in somewhat more distant Kenya. His seminary training took place back in Rwanda, and in 1990 he was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Kigali, Kigali being Rwanda's Capital. He was actually personally ordained by Pope Saint John Paul II during his 1990 visit to Rwanda.   Fortunately for him Father Kambanda decided to pursue further studies and so left for the Alphonsian Academy in Rome in 1993, I say fortunately because while he was studying abroad his parents and five of his six siblings were killed during the 1994 Rwandan Genocide during which half a million people were butchered and hundreds of thousands more were raped, predominately Tutsi but also a fair number of Hutu and Twa who were less than enthusiastic about joining the murderous Hutu militias. And those are the more conservative estimates, the 2003 Constitution of Rwanda lists the death toll at over a million.   Let's just take a moment to pray, you can do reverent silence if that's your thing but my wife and I are going to say a quick Hail Mary.   In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, amen.   ***Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.   Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.***   In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, amen.   For what it's worth I didn't plan for this to be a rough stretch, as a reminder I'm doing these cardinals in age order. Tomorrow's episode doesn't have a death toll.   As weird as it feels to get back to a normal narrative after that, get back we should, and Father Kambanda got back to things as well, obtaining a doctorate in moral theology in 1999 and taking on teaching at a minor seminary while also serving as the director of Caritas for the diocese. Caritas, a Latin term most often translated as “charity” but more strongly conveying the sense of selfless love, is an international confederation of organizations that effectively serves as the Catholic Church's in-house clearinghouse for charity initiatives, if I'm allowed to put it that way. Catholic Relief Services, for example, is one of the founding members of Caritas Internationalis, with 0 points going to anyone who can correctly guess what internationalis means.   In 2005, Father Kambanda began the first of two seminary rectorships, and we'll jump ahead to 2013, that's when he was elected bishop of Kibunga.   As a bishop, he joined his brothers in a difficult admission: The Catholic Church had been part of the genocide. Sure, the one Catholic Bishop who was formally charged with war crimes had been cleared, but he had also refused to shelter those who had sought refuge, and indeed many of the massacre sites were the churches themselves, including in the case of Father Athanase Seromba–and I mean seriously, fast forward 15 seconds if you need to–the hutu priest who ordered his church bulldozed when it was housing thousands of refugees, personally showing the driver the weakest points of the church, and by some accounts helping massacre remaining survivors found in the rubble.   In case you're speed listening or tuned out for a minute, just as a reminder I am not currently talking about our cardinal of the day, a Tutsi who was studying in Rome at the time of the genocide and whose family was by and large slaughtered. But I don't want to gloss over the Church's involvement in the genocide–an involvement which our Cardinal acknowledges as we will see. So we're looking at the tough cases, because I hope to God none of them are ever made Cardinals or we'd talk about them then.   Father Seromba was found guilty of genocide and originally sentenced to 15 years. He appealed to the tribunal, which found that oh yes, they had indeed failed to carry out justice in his case, upgrading his sentence to life imprisonment upon further review.   There's more to say about the Seromba case, especially how he was hidden by church authorities after fleeing, and I'll say more about it if Cardinal Kambanda makes it to the next round, but for today I want to get back to Kambanda, because he isn't even a Cardinal yet in our narrative.   In 2016, Bishop Kambanda cosigned a major statement from the Rwandan Bishop's Conference apologizing for the complicity of the Rwandan Catholic Church as an institution in the genocide, stating, quote:   “Forgive us for the crime of hate in the country to the extent of also hating our colleagues because of their ethnicity. We didn't show that we are one family but instead killed each other.” End quote   The statement, which was read in parishes across the country, was generally well received, though of course there are wounds that words cannot heal and there were understandable questions about why it took 22 years for such a statement to be made. A later statement asking for some clemency for elderly and infirm convicted perpetrators was less well received, though honestly pretty on-brand for the Catholic Church in terms of mercy. By that time, Bishop Kambanda was Archbishop Kambanda, having been transferred to Rwanda's principle see of Kigali.   In 2020, Pope Francis made Archbishop Kambanda Rwanda's first Cardinal, also naming him a member of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples later that year. The next year, Pope Francis also added him to the Congregation for Catholic Education, and the year after that, 2022, he became head of the Rwandan Bishops' Conference for a three-year term. More recently, in February of 2023, he was added to the Dicastery for Culture and Education. So, he's definitely not sitting around.   Antoine Kambanda is eligible to participate in future conclaves until he turns 80 in 2038.   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!

Today is the feast of Saint Anthony Zaccaria, a man who studied medicine and founded a religious order. Father Kubicki shares the ideal of perfection written of by Pope Saint John Paul II. We are all called to be perfect.

Episode 92: "Pilgrimages evoke our earthly journey toward heaven and are traditionally very special occasions for renewal in prayer. For pilgrims seeking living water, shrines are special places for living the forms of Christian prayer 'in Church.'" - CCC, 2691 --- Tune in to this episode as author and host Julia Monnin shares with listeners Reflections #258 and #263 in her book The World Is Noisy - God Whispers: Volume II and announces an upcoming JRM pilgrimage to France. Here are the details: Join Fr. Jedidiah Tritle & Julia Monnin, OCDS on a 12-Day Journeys Revealed Ministries Pilgrimage to France! This pilgrimage to France offers you an unforgettable experience in the country that has long been known as the “Eldest daughter of the Church.” The goal of this pilgrimage is “to put people in communion, in intimacy, with Jesus Christ: only he can lead us to the love of the Father in the Spirit and make us share in the life of the Holy Trinity.” – POPE SAINT JOHN PAUL II, CATECHESI TRADENDAE September 27-October 8, 2025 MORE DETAILS AT: journeysrevealed.com/events REGISTER AT: stcharlespilgrimages.com/tritle-monnin --- theworldisnoisy.com | journeysrevealed.com

Today is the feast of Pope Saint Paul VI, the predecessor of Pope Saint John Paul II. Father Kubicki shares some words from Pope Francis about Pope Saint Paul regarding sadness and joy. Do you have joy?

As we continue to honor Mary during this moth of May, Father Kubicki shares a special prayer from Pope Saint John Paul II. Even though this prayer is for Boy Scouts we can all learn from this prayer to our Lady.

When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they began to be afraid. But he said to them, “It is I. Do not be afraid.” John 6:19–20 On October 22, 1978, Pope Saint John Paul II was inaugurated as the 264th pope of our Holy Church. During his homily, the Holy Father said, “Brothers and sisters, do not be afraid to welcome Christ and accept his power.” The phrase “Do not be afraid” was repeated over and over again throughout his pontificate. In his book, Crossing the Threshold of Hope, which was written as a preparation for the new millenia, the Holy Father explained the following: “When pronouncing these words in St. Peter's Square, I already knew that my first encyclical and my entire papacy would be tied to the truth of the Redemption. In the Redemption we find the most profound basis for the words “Be not afraid!”: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son” (cf. Jn 3:16). This exhortation against fear is repeated throughout the Bible numerous times. It is found in the Old Testament over a hundred times in some form and in the New Testament over fifty times. Again and again, God wants us to conquer fear, worry, and anxiety. He wants us to trust in Him in all things and place all of our hope in Him. What is it that you fear the most in life? For some, fear comes on a daily basis. Perhaps you face financial insecurity, poor health, a broken relationship, psychological difficulties, etc. There are numerous things in life that can easily tempt us to fear. In the Gospel passage for today, Jesus walks toward His disciples on the water during a turbulent time on the Sea of Galilee. The wind was blowing, and the waves were distressing. And though these fishermen had spent many nights on the sea, Jesus chose to come to them at this moment, not so much to help them get to shore but to teach all of us that no matter what “storm” we face in life, He will be there in ways that are truly miraculous. Certainly, none of the disciples ever expected to see Jesus walking on the water in the middle of the night while the waves were crashing upon their boat. But Jesus did this and spoke those words, “Do not be afraid,” because He wanted us to know that no matter what we struggle with in life, He is always there, coming to us in love, and will see us safely to the shore of His peace. If fear is something you struggle with on a personal level, then turn your eyes to the reality of the Redemption. The Father sent the Son into the world to save you. Jesus did not only come to teach, or to inspire, or to help. He came to save. To redeem. To destroy death, fear, sin and all that keeps us from the Father. His saving act changes humanity forever. If you understand that and believe it, then nothing can steal away your peace and fill you with fear. Reflect, today, upon this powerful little phrase: “Do not be afraid!” Imagine yourself in the boat with the disciples at night, being tossed by the waves, surrounded by darkness. And then see Jesus coming to you speaking those words. Know that He speaks them to you in the darkest moments of your life and that He will never leave you. Hope in Him and let His saving act of the Redemption transform your life forever. Jesus, my Redeemer, I thank You for coming into this world to save us. Thank You for the gift of the Redemption of the world. When I am tempted to fear and turn my eyes to the difficulties of the world, give me the grace I need to turn to You in hope and trust. Enter the storms of my life, dear Lord, and lift my burden of fear. Jesus, I trust in You. Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2024 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.Featured images above: Jesus walking on the Sea of Galilee By Paul Bril and Frederik van Valckenborch, via Wikimedia Commons

Friends of the Rosary, Today is the Sunday of Divine Mercy, the Octave Day of Easter, and we confidently say: Jesus, I trust in You, have mercy upon us and the whole world. The Divine Mercy Sunday origin is from a revelation to the Polish nun Saint Faustina Maria Kowalska, the mystic of the twentieth century who initiated the Divine Mercy devotion. Between 1930 and 1938 Jesus requested to her numerous times a Feast of Divine Mercy. On May 5, 2000, five days after the canonization of Saint Faustina, the Vatican decreed that the Second Sunday of Easter would be Divine Mercy Sunday. God the Father revealed his nature of pure love through the Scriptures and the life, Passion, death, and Resurrection of his Son. It's the mystery of God's divine mercy, a gift of humanity, described by Pope Saint John Paul II as “the greatest of the attributes and perfections of God” (Dives in misericordia, 13). The risen Jesus offers His love that pardons, reconciles, and gives peace. ----------Jesus to St. Maria Faustina Kowalska—Excerpted from Diary of Sr. M. Faustina Kowalska On one occasion, I heard these words: "My daughter, tell the whole world about My inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which graces flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity. Everything that exists has come forth from the very depths of My most tender mercy. Every soul in its relation to Me will contemplate My love and mercy throughout eternity. The Feast of Mercy emerged from My very depths of tenderness. It is My desire that it be solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the Fount of My Mercy. "[Let] the greatest sinners place their trust in My mercy. They have the right before others to trust in the abyss of My mercy. My daughter, write about My mercy towards tormented souls. Souls that make an appeal to My mercy delight Me. To such souls I grant even more graces than they ask. I cannot punish even the greatest sinner if he makes an appeal to My compassion, but on the contrary, I justify him in My unfathomable and inscrutable mercy. Write: before I come as a just Judge, I first open wide the door of My mercy. He who refuses to pass through the door of My mercy must pass through the door of My justice. "From all My wounds, like from streams, mercy flows for souls, but the wound in My Heart is the fountain of unfathomable mercy. From this fountain spring all graces for souls. The flames of compassion burn Me. I desire greatly to pour them out upon souls. Speak to the whole world about My mercy." Ave Maria!Jesus, I Trust In You! To Jesus through Mary! Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will! + Mikel Amigot | RosaryNetwork.com, New York • April 7, 2024, Today's Rosary on YouTube | Daily broadcast at 7:30 pm ET   

The Savior of the World died a cruel death upon the Cross. His broken body was laid in the tomb. His disciples scattered and were fearful that they would be next. But our Blessed Mother kept vigil in the perfect hope that her Son would soon rise.Traditionally, Saturdays within the Church year are dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. This ancient tradition developed in part due to the belief that, as others were filled with fear and confusion, Mother Mary kept vigil on Holy Saturday in prayerful anticipation of Jesus' resurrection. She knew her Son would rise. She had hope beyond hope. Her faith was certain. Her love kept her vigilant as she awaited the return of her Son.For many centuries, it has been suggested that the first person to whom Jesus appeared after His Resurrection was His own mother. Pope Saint John Paul II believed this. Saint Ignatius of Loyola believed it. And many others throughout the centuries shared this belief.For these reasons, Holy Saturday is an ideal day to ponder the pondering heart of our Blessed Mother. There are several times in Sacred Scripture where we are told that Mother Mary pondered the mysteries of her Son's life in her heart. She was one of the few who stood by Him in His agony and death. She stood before the Cross and prayerfully pondered His perfect sacrifice. The Blessed Mother held His dead body in her arms and pondered where His spirit had gone. And today she keeps vigil, pondering His imminent return to her.Ponder her pondering heart. Try to unite your own heart with hers. Try to understand what she was thinking and hoping. Try to feel what she felt this sorrowful day. Try to experience her faith, her trust and her joyful expectation.So many people in this world walk in despair and confusion. So many have lost hope in the new life that awaits them. So many have their own form of interior death without allowing God to draw them into His Resurrection. So many people today need the hope that was so alive in the heart of our Blessed Mother that first Holy Saturday.Ponder the reality of Holy Saturday in silence this day and allow the glorious heart of our Blessed Mother to inspire you and draw you more deeply into her life of faith, hope and love.Dearest Mother Mary, on that first Holy Saturday, you kept vigil for your Son. You allowed the divine gift of hope to grow within you, and you allowed that hope to be your strength in the midst of the horror of the Cross. Pray for me that I may ponder your beautiful heart this day so that I, too, may be filled with hope as I endure the challenges of this earthly life. Give me a heart of joyful anticipation as I await the grace of new life our Lord so deeply desires to bestow upon me. Mother Mary, pray for me. Jesus, I do trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2024 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.Featured images above: St Peter Weeping before the Virgin By Guercino, via Wikimedia Commons

When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home. Matthew 1:24What is it that made Saint Joseph so great? He wasn't immaculately conceived as our Blessed Mother was. He was not divine like Jesus. But he was the head of the Holy Family, its guardian and its provider. He became the legal father of the Savior of the World and the spouse of the Mother of God. But Joseph is not great only because he was given such incredible privileges. First and foremost, he was great because of the choices he made in life. Today's Gospel refers to him as a “righteous man” and as a man who “did as the angel of the Lord commanded him.” Thus, his greatness is primarily on account of his moral righteousness and obedience to the will of God.Joseph's obedience is especially seen in the fact that he obeyed the voice of God given to him in the four dreams recorded in Scripture. In his first dream, Joseph is told “do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:20–21). In his second dream, Joseph is told, “Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him” (Matthew 2:13). In his third dream, Joseph is told, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead” (Matthew 2:20). And in his fourth dream, Joseph is warned to go instead to Galilee rather than Judea (Matthew 2:22).When these dreams are read in succession, it is clear that Saint Joseph was attentive to the voice of God. We all have dreams, but Joseph's dreams were different. They were clear communications from God, and they required a willing recipient. Joseph was open to the voice of God and listened in faith as that willing recipient.Joseph also responded with complete submission and full determination. The commands Joseph received were not insignificant. His obedience required that he and his family travel great distances, take up residence in strange lands and do so all in faith.It's also clear that Joseph took his vocation seriously. Pope Saint John Paul II gave him the title “Guardian of the Redeemer.” Over and over, he showed his unwavering commitment to his role as the guardian of his legal Son, Jesus, and of his wife, Mary. His life was spent providing for them, protecting them and offering them a father's heart.Reflect, today, upon the unique vocation of Saint Joseph. Ponder, especially, the early years of his marriage and the raising of Jesus. Consider his fatherly commitment to care for, provide for and protect his Son. We all must seek to imitate Saint Joseph's virtues by protecting the presence of Christ within our own hearts, the hearts of our family and friends and in the world as a whole. Pray to Saint Joseph, asking him to help you follow his example so that the hidden presence of our Lord in our lives will grow and come to full maturation.Hail, Guardian of the Redeemer, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. To you God entrusted his only Son; in you Mary placed her trust; with you Christ became man. Blessed Joseph, to us too, show yourself a father and guide us in the path of life. Obtain for us grace, mercy and courage, and defend us from every evil. Amen. (Prayer from Patris Corde)Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2024 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.Featured image above: he Dream of St. Joseph By Luca Giordano, via Wikimedia Commons

#95: Reflections on the Feminine Genius   In this episode, Lauren, Annie, Stacy, and Alisha share our reflections on the previous interview with Fr. Christopher Brashears on JPII's Feminine Genius and our own insights about how the characteristics of receptivity, maternity, sensitivity, and generosity play out in our lives.    Pope Saint John Paul II's Mulieris Dignitatem https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_letters/1988/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_19880815_mulieris-dignitatem.html   Pope Saint John Paul II's Letter to Women https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/letters/1995/documents/hf_jp-ii_let_29061995_women.html   Hallow's Feminine Genius Course with Lisa Cotter    Reveal the Gift: Living the Feminine Genius  by Lisa Cotter    The Eternal Woman by Gertrud Von Le Fort    Essays on Woman (The Collected Works of Edith Stein)   https://www.alicevonhildebrand.org/   Unlocking the Feminine Genius with Edith Stein by Alexandra Richards Cathey, MTh   Oxytocin and the Development of Parenting in Humans: A Study from Ruth Feldman Lab   https://norbertinesisters.org/    https://aleteia.org/2023/12/25/up-with-your-baby-late-last-night-these-nuns-prayed-for-you/   Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis   Join us on Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/groups/231017461535192 If you enjoy this podcast, please consider contributing to our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/coffeeandcatholics or you can email us at coffeeandcatholics@gmail.com for direct donations and prayer requests. Thank you to our lovely affiliate Blessed is She for their dedication to sisterhood in Christ. https://blessedisshe.net/?ref=COFFEECATHOLICS   We are big fans of Catholic Sprouts and all the wonderful things Nancy and the team are doing to spread the faith in families. Get their new book Catholic Social Teaching for Youth and many other great items at https://shop.catholicsprouts.com/?ref=COFFEEANDCATHOLICS   Love TAN Books? We do too! Consider using our affiliate account for your next purchase. https://tanbooks.com?rfsn=7123077.dfb511   We're a proud partner of the SmartCatholics Podcast Network. Find new shows to love, meet like-minded Catholics, and join the community at smartcatholics.com.                                                          

In this week's episode, we continue our Lenten study on the book “A Time of Renewal” and focus on the theme of being in conversation with Jesus. We reflect on the importance of reserving space for dialogue with God, surrendering to Him our own plans and desires, and allowing Him to love us in our poverty. The process of dying to self is always accompanied with the hope in the promise of resurrection and new life that Jesus offers.     Heather's One Thing - In thanksgiving for Deacon Bob and Fr Dave Pivonka letting her use their studio to record this episode and for being asked to be a guest on their podcast called They That Hope. Sister Miriam's One Thing - The book How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen by David Brooks Michelle's One Thing - Her household sisters at Francisan University   Journal Questions: Am I in conversation with God or in a monologue with myself? How can I create more space for dialogue with God? What Isaacs (idols) do I have? How do I self-sabotage in order to confirm my deepest fears?   Discussion Questions: What does it look like for you to be a new creation in Christ? Have you ever felt like God contradicts Himself? How did He resolve that apparent contradiction? What littleness in your life do you tend to hide and run away from? How can you be more open with the Lord in your littleness? What holds me back from entering into prayer honestly or making a confession regularly?   Quotes to Ponder: “Then, a word about the Tabor Gospel. I was newly impressed by the fact that Moses and Elijah were in conversation with Jesus. Let us be occupied always in being in conversation with Jesus. We know the deepest conversations are the wordless ones. We love that simple and profound word of Pope Saint John Paul II, “Let Jesus be the one to whom you talk the most.”” (Mother Mary Francis P.C.C. A Time of Renewal. Kindle Edition. Page 76)   Scripture for Lectio:  “Here am I, Lord!” (Genesis 22:1)   Sponsor - CORDA: Connect with the saints and create a peaceful place of prayer with CORDA's handcrafted Catholic candles. Each candle has a custom scent inspired by saints and the faith, and they're made with clean coconut wax and have a beautiful, modern design. There's 24 candles and counting, including ones inspired by St. Therese, St. Augustine, and Morning Prayer, with unique scents for everyone. There's even a fragrance-free option, inspired by Mary the Immaculate Conception. Each CORDA candle comes beautifully packaged, with the story behind the scent inspiration on the box. And the simple design of the candle leads with beauty, making them perfect for gifting and helping you share the faith in a lovely and meaningful way. If you know someone getting married or having a baby, CORDA also offers special bulk discounts for wedding favors, bridal showers, and baby showers!  CORDA is a Catholic small business run by a husband-and-wife team, and they'd love to gift you a free tealight sampler with your next order of $35 or more - thar's 6 free mini candles! To receive your special gift, be sure to go to cordacandles.com/abiding and follow the steps on that page (good now through April 30, 2024).

Friends of the Rosary: Tomorrow, Thursday, January 18, 2024, is the National Prayer Vigil for Life. It is held on the eve of the March for Life each January at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. Thousands of pilgrims and participants pray for an end to abortion and a greater respect for all human life. The 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. prayer events on January 18 and the 8:00 p.m. – 9:00 a.m. Mass on January 19 will be televised by EWTN and live-streamed on the Basilica's webpage. “A prayer for life is urgently needed, a prayer that will rise throughout the world,” Pope Saint John Paul II wrote. Ave Maria!Jesus, I Trust In You! To Jesus through Mary!Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will. + Mikel A. | RosaryNetwork.com, New York • January 17, 2024, Today's Rosary on YouTube | Daily broadcast at 7:30 pm ET

How to find the balance between passion and desire with Bear Woznick on Trending with Timmerie. (2:54) What is the difference between being a nice guy and a good man? (18:58) Do we really expect more of women when we train them to abort their babies and live on birth control?  What conversations need to happen to change this?  (24:49) The mystery of marriage – Pope Saint John Paul II's Theology of the Body.  (40:45) Resources mentioned :  12 Rules for manliness Book https://www.amazon.com/12-Rules-Manliness-Where-Cowboys/dp/1644136368/ref=asc_df_1644136368?tag=bingshoppinga-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=80127043331020&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4583726561065746&psc=1   Bear's Website https://www.bearschoolofmanliness.com/  Teen girl is accused of cutting her newborn's throat article https://people.com/nebraska-teen-16-accused-of-cutting-her-newborn-s-throat-8401216

Pope Saint John Paul II points to finding purpose and inspiration through the meaning of your body. (0:26) Devin Schadt joins Trending with Timmerie discussing: Why is physical intimacy a core need for a husband and the  3 phases of a man. (8:12) Join Timmerie as she walks you through Catechetical talks 98-102.    Resources mentioned :   Read the Book and follow along: Theology of the Body by Pope Saint John Paul II https://amzn.to/48sjWDh     Episode 1 – In the Beginning  https://relevantradio.com/2023/07/theology-of-the-body-in-the-beginning-special-podcast-highlight/  Episode 2  – Original Solitude  https://relevantradio.com/2023/07/original-solitude-jp-iis-theology-of-the-body-part-2/  Episode 3 – Original Unity https://relevantradio.com/2023/07/original-unity-theology-of-the-body-part-3/  Episode 4 – The Spousal Meaning of the Body  https://relevantradio.com/2023/08/the-spousal-meaning-of-the-body-theology-of-the-body-part-4/ Episode 5 –  Original Innocence https://relevantradio.com/2023/08/original-innocence-theology-of-the-body-part-4/  Episode 6 –  Knowledge & Procreation https://relevantradio.com/2023/08/knowledge-procreation-theology-of-the-body-part-6/  Episode 7 – Fashion & Introducing the Sermon on the Mount https://relevantradio.com/2023/08/fashion-introducing-the-sermon-on-the-mount-theology-of-the-body-part-7/ Episode 8 – God's Law Written on the Heart  https://relevantradio.com/2023/09/gods-law-written-on-the-heart-theology-of-the-body-part-8/  Episode 9 – Integrity & Accountability  https://omny.fm/shows/trending-with-timmerie-catholic-principles-applied/integrity-accountability-theology-of-the-body-part    Episode 10 – Expectations & Influencers  https://omny.fm/shows/trending-with-timmerie-catholic-principles-applied/expectations-influencers-theology-of-the-body-part    Episode 11 – Desire, Eroticism & Self Mastery https://relevantradio.com/2023/09/desire-eroticism-self-mastery-theology-of-the-body-part-11/    Episode 12 – Ethos of the Image   https://relevantradio.com/2023/10/ethos-of-the-image-theology-of-the-body-part-12/    Episode 13 – Fulfillment of the Body   https://relevantradio.com/2023/10/fulfillment-of-the-body-theology-of-the-body-part-13/   Episode 14 – Celibacy & Virginity  https://relevantradio.com/2023/10/celibacy-virginity-theology-of-the-body-part-14/    Episode 15 – Ephesians 5 & the Role of Men https://relevantradio.com/2023/11/ephesians-5-the-role-of-men-theology-of-the-body-part-15/    Episode 16 – The Mystery of Marriage https://relevantradio.com/2023/11/the-mystery-of-marriage-theology-of-the-body-part-16/ 

#TransDayofRemembrance is trending on social media. Why is identity a crisis today?  (2:49) Theology of the Body series – Pope Saint John Paul II points to finding purpose and inspiration through the meaning of your body. (18:48) Difficult marriage questions answered on Trending with Timmerie by licensed marriage and family therapist Doug Hinderer. (27:47) Simple ways to be kinder to your spouse (44:50) Resources mentioned :  Trans school shooters post  https://twitter.com/elamigoaz/status/1726644200912072871?s=46   Ireland - no trans deaths post https://twitter.com/cyberfrontier/status/1726423857689415892?s=46    Casti Connubii – Papal Encyclical  https://www.vatican.va/content/pius-xi/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xi_enc_19301231_casti-connubii.html   Bloom for women website  https://www.bloomforcatholicwomen.com/   Impossible Marriage Redeemed book https://www.amazon.com/Impossible-Marriages-Redeemed-Didnt-Middle/dp/0997989327  LMFT Doug Hinderer  https://www.happymarriageforlife.com/    3 important questions to ask your spouse. List your three biggest needs, and how can I fulfill them? What kinds of things do I do that annoy you, and what kinds of behaviors do you think I should stop or modify? When did you feel most loved by me?   5 love languages quiz https://5lovelanguages.com/quizzes