Bishop Robert Barron and Cardinal Gerhard Muller recently posted a video podcast in which they discussed a variety of theological topics, including how the Church presents a worldview that can counter today’s despair. We talk about it with Dr. Henry Russell.

Further Reading

Barron and Müller — Nietzsche, Vatican II, and the Catholic Church as the Antidote to Despair.

Homeschool Connections

The Nuremberg trials began on this day in 1945. After years of devastation at the hands of the Axis powers, something more than vengeance was required. No civil code at the time was sufficient – so the Allies relied on something greater. Marcus discusses.

On this day in 1863, on the site of the bloodiest battle ever fought on US soil, President Abraham Lincoln delivered one of the great speeches in American history. We discuss it with Brad Birzer.

Cardinal Blaise Cupich recently commented that “The tragic reality in our nation today is that there are essentially no Catholic public officials who consistently pursue the essential elements of Catholic social teaching.” But are Catholics supposed to find a political home in this world at all? Daniel Gallagher joins us.

Further Reading

Should Catholics Expect to Find a ‘Political Home’?

Most religious liberty battles never reach the Supreme Court, so it’s important to pay attention to what is happening in the lower courts. Cases currently under review in the federal courts of appeal will have immediate impact on the lives of many Americans and can offer important legal roadmaps for courts addressing similar issues in the future. Andrea Picciotti-Bayer joins us.

November, the month of the dead, calls us to remember our own death and to prepare for eternal life. What if we could visit Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven? Wouldn’t that open our eyes and put life into an entirely different and eternal perspective? Jared Staudt joins us.

Further Reading

Preparing for Death: A Brief Imaginative Pilgrimage

Alice and Ellen Kessler, German twin sisters and dancers who were famous across Europe in the 1950s, died this week by joint assisted suicide. Predictably, many are hailing their suicide as a “heroic” or “empowering” act. Wes Smith joins us with more.

Further Reading

German Identical Twins Receive Death on Demand

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Guest Info

St. Mary Student Parish in Ann Arbor will reportedly host an “LGBT Yoga” retreat soon. What is a loving, faithful response when Church officials misrepresent what the Church teaches? Marcus discusses.

We all know people who are bearing the cross of addiction, but there is hope. Keaton Douglas joins Marcus to take your stories and questions.

Resources mentioned in this Interview

iThirst Initiative

The Road to Hope: Responding to the Crisis of Addiction

Freedom Coaching

Catholic in Recovery

Al-Anon

The Twelve Steps and the Sacraments

Addiction is much more than a psychological or physical problem – it is a spiritual problem, because in our addictions we create an altar for a false god. Dr Greg Popcak joins us with advice for confronting this problem.