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The battle between love and lust rages in every human heart. In this powerful exploration of the Maria Goretti story, we uncover how what we consume shapes who we become – sometimes with devastating consequences.

Maria Goretti was just 11 years old when Alessandro Serenelli, a young man living and working with her family, attacked and murdered her after she refused his sexual advances. What drove this ordinary farm worker to such violence? The toxic media he consumed played a crucial role. Alessandro filled his mind with sensational novels about crime and lust, creating a dangerous inner landscape where "forbidden fruit no longer nourished him" and "self-abuse infuriated him."

Our guest Michael Lichens, author and editor with a passion for overlooked aspects of Christian history, walks us through this harrowing yet ultimately redemptive story. 

As John Paul II observed, "The problem with pornography is not that it reveals too much, it reveals too little." It fails to reveal the person – the human heart that longs to be loved, not used. This insight resonates powerfully today as young people navigate a hypersexualized culture bombarding them with distorted messages about sexuality and human dignity.

The story takes an extraordinary turn when Alessandro experiences a vision of Maria while in prison. 

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