Why does Pope Leo XIV call himself a “son of Saint Augustine”? Examining his life and writings, we can see a prominent Augustinian influence that is manifested in four themes. We talk about them with Matthew Becklo.

Further Reading

The Augustinian Pope: Four key themes of Leo XIV

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Matt’s blog

Guest Info

Matthew Becklo is a husband and father, writer and editor, and the Publishing Director for Word on Fire Catholic Ministries. His first book, The Way of Heaven and Earth: From Either/Or to the Catholic Both/And, is available now from Word on Fire.

Like his hero St. Paul, the Venerable Fulton Sheen never shied away form using the technology of the day to spread the Gospel. And if he were still preaching today, he’d surely use social media to “go viral.” We look back at some of his most “meme-worthy” moments with Jack Figge.

Further Reading

The would-be viral moments of (soon-to-be-Blessed) Archbishop Fulton Sheen

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Guest Info

Jack Figge is a young Catholic journalist pursuing an MBA at Benedictine College, with a BA in political science and theology. He is also a writer for the Pillar.

The Pharisees were instrumental in Jesus’ death. But we would be wrong to say the Jews killed Jesus. No, our sins killed Jesus. When Jesus rebukes the Pharisees, he’s rebuking the Pharisee in all of us. Marcus has more.

The Supreme Court has ruled that the state of California cannot keep student’s transgender identities hidden from parents. In a 6-3 ruling, the court said that parents enjoy “the right not to be shut out of participation in decisions regarding their children’s mental health.” Andrea Picciotti-Bayer has the details.

Further Reading

Supreme Court Rejects California’s Presumption Against Parents

Supreme Court Says California Can’t Hide Student Transgender Identities From Parents

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Guest Info

Andrea Picciotti-Bayer is a legal analyst for EWTN News. She also directs the Conscience Project. Follow her on Twitter @bayerpicciotti and visit conscience-project.org.

The cultural historian Christopher Dawson has been called one of the foremost Catholic thinkers of modern times. When he retired from Harvard in 1962, Pope John XXIII sent him an Apostolic blessing. Dawson once observed that “the first step in the transformation of culture is a change in the pattern of culture within the mind.” Joseph Stuart joins us to talk more about Dawson and cultural transformation.

Further Reading

Christopher Dawson: The Medium of Culture in Political Theory

Guest Info

Joseph Stuart is program chair of history and a fellow of Catholic Studies at the University of Mary. He’s the author of Christopher Dawson: A Cultural Mind in the Age of the Great War

Pope Leo XIV voiced concern on Sunday about developments in the Middle East and Iran, urging the parties involved to stop what he called a “spiral of violence” before it becomes an “unbridgeable chasm.” Alberto Fernandez has the latest.

Further Reading

Pope Leo XIV urges diplomacy amid Iran tensions

Guest Info

Ambassador Alberto M. Fernandez is vice-president of the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) and a Contributor to EWTN News and the National Catholic Register. He served as the U.S. State Department’s coordinator for the Center for Strategic Counterterrorism Communications from 2012 to 2015, retiring from the State Department in May 2015. Follow him on X at @AlbertoMiguelF5.

Now that abortion-rights advocate Susan Ostermann has stepped away from an academic leadership post at Notre Dame, the university needs to undertake meaningful reforms to ensure a comprehensively Catholic identity. Doug Keck joins us to talk about it.

Further Reading

The Ostermann Fiasco Is Over. Notre Dame’s Catholic Identity Crisis Is Not

Guest Info

Doug Keck is emeritus president and COO of EWTN and the host of EWTN Bookmark.

Do you ever feel like Lent is a New Years Resolution all over again? You start out strong for a couple weeks, then find yourself regressing to the norm? Year after year and Lent after Lent promises to be different, but inevitably fails? We discuss persistence in penance with Stephen White.

Further Reading

Do Lent!

Marcus’ Lenten book

Guest Info

Stephen P. White is executive director of The Catholic Project at The Catholic University of America and a fellow in Catholic Studies at the Ethics and Public Policy Center.

The AI revolution is rapidly changing Hollywood. Movie producers see many advantages in a “cast” that can work unlimited hours, will follow any direction, and demands no salary. And there may be a silver lining in all this change. Marcus explains.

Further Reading

Tilly Norwood, the fully AI ‘actor,’ to be part of rapidly expanding ‘Tillyverse’

President Trump’s decision to bomb Iran has sparked a variety of reactions, with many questioning its constitutionality or asking if the US should involve itself in yet another war in the Middle East. But there is a line that must be drawn – and claims that Iran was a peaceful and rights-respecting state defy any basic fact-checking. Marcus shares more.