Bridge Builder Podcast

What is Catholic Social Doctrine? What is conscience binding? What are matters of prudence? And, what are the relevant principles in discerning these matters? We speak with Fr. Peter Ryan a Jesuit priest and professor at Sacred Heart Major Seminary. He also served as Executive Director of the Secretariat of Doctrine and Canonical Affairs at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

In our Classic Catholic Social Teaching segment, we discuss Pope Saint John Paul II's encyclical Fides et Ratio - Faith and Reason. Listen and learn why the Church teaches that these are not opposite ends of the spectrum but actually complementary.

Then stay tuned for practical ways to engage in politics and to prepare for the election in November. Rachel has tips in our Bridge Builder segment.

And, we leave you with the beautiful voices of the Gregorian Chant Schola of Saint John's Abbey and University singing Tu, puer - You, O Child in honor of St. John the Baptist.

The current Supreme Court vacancy and the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh are fueling the conversation about the future of abortion in the United States. We speak with Clarke Forsythe, Senior Counsel for Americans United for Life, to address whether we are likely to see Roe overturned, what a post-Roe society and pro-life movement would look like, and what we as Catholics are called to do amid these possible changes.

In our Classic Catholic Social Teaching segment, we delve into the USCCB's "Living the Gospel of Life", on its 20th Anniversary, and its call to faithful citizenship and the protection of life from womb to tomb. This episode's Bridge Builder segment focuses on the primaries and forming your conscience and your vote. We wrap up the podcast with the ancient Gregorian chant, Laudate Dominum, sung by the National Catholic Youth Choir performed at Saint John's University.

Here are links to the various documents and sites talked about in the podcast:

Living the Gospel of Life:

http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/abortion/living-the-gospel-of-life.cfm

The Gospel of Life:

http://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_25031995_evangelium-vitae.html

Jason Adkins' law review article - Meet Me at the (West Coast) Hotel: The Lochner Era and the Demise of Roe v. Wade: 

https://minnesotalawreview.org/article/note-meet-west-coast-hotel-lochner-era-demise-roe-v-wade/

Election Resources: www.mncatholic.org/resources/election/

Humanae Vitae at 50 years: We delve into the connections between Humanae Vitae and the more recent papal encyclical, Laudato Si', to examine what both tell us about integral ecology. We speak with Dr. Christopher Thompson, professor of moral theology and director of the center for theological formation at the St. Paul Seminary. We also give you practical steps for taking your faith into the public arena. We end with beautiful sacred music performed by the National Catholic Youth Choir at St. John's University.

Check out the following links for further resources:

Laudato Si': http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html

Humanae Vitae: http://w2.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-vi_enc_25071968_humanae-vitae.html

Find your legislators: https://www.mncatholic.org/actioncenter/?vvsrc=%2fAddress