Catholic Answers Focus

Questions Covered:

05:35 – My husband isn’t Catholic anymore because he doesn’t think God is good. How can I respond? The problem of evil is his big objection.

14:12 – I’m not Catholic because they don’t pray directly to God. Why is that?

20:35 – I’m not Catholic because I grew up as a southern Baptist and had all the preconceived notions that a Baptist has. I am feeling drawn to the Church. Where do I start?

24:31 – I’m not Catholic because I can’t fully comprehend the Eucharist.

35:13 – I was raised Catholic and fell away because I just didn’t care and was later baptized non-denominational.

42:25 – My girlfriend is not Catholics because we do strange things like the sign of the cross.

46:00 – The early Church was not the Catholic Church because they were a Sabbath keeping Church.

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An argument has been spreading that Francis is not the pope because Benedict retained some of the papal powers. We ask apologist Michael Lofton to explain the munus/ministerium debate.

Cy Kellett:

What about the theory that Pope Benedict resigned only part of the papacy? Apologist Michael Lofton is next.

Cy Kellett:

Hello and welcome to Focus, the Catholic Answers Podcast for living, understanding, and defending your Catholic faith. I’m Cy Kellett, your host, and our guest this time is Apologist Michael Lofton. Michael Lofton has actually been quite critical of Pope Francis, and so we t...

Questions Covered:

03:40 – I’ve noticed a non-Catholic friend go up to receive communion during Mass. What’s the Church’s official teaching on this? 

13:42 – My Godson said he learned in Catholic school that your venial sins are forgiven during communion. I thought venial and mortal sins could only be forgiven during confession. Could you help clarify? 

18:30 – Domestic Church Radio…Why did God throughout Salvation History demand a blood sacrifice?   

23:40 – What’s a good book that shows that the Catholic Church is the one true Church? 

28:50 – Why did Jesus not say “This is my body” at the feeding of 5,000? This would have been more convincing. 

32:30 – Why do we only receive the host and not from the Chalice during communion? 

38:50 – How do you properly dispose of a broken rosary? 

40:55 – Why would abortion automatically excommunicate someone? Wouldn’t confession just solve it? 

46:10 – Do I have a responsibility to talk to someone who has given up hope on salvation? How would I go about that? 

51:16 – When the priest says that Jesus loves you more than your parents, what does that mean? 

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Questions Covered:

03:26 – In the gospels, Jesus says he will not take away anything from the law but later he lets his disciples take things away. Can you clarify? 

14:03 – Do we sacrifice Christ over and over again? Can you help me understand that and respond? 

24:13 – Did Galileo get in trouble with the Church because he didn’t have enough evidence and was claiming Copernicanism as fact or was it because he was interpreting scripture as a scientist? 

33:33 – The Pope came out with scripture in defense to bring LGBT people into the Church while allowing them to continue to live the lifestyle. Isn’t this contrary to the Church’s teaching? 

46:20 – What is the best course of action to address churches named after the controversial “Our Lady of All Nations?” 

50:10 – Why can’t women be priests? 

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Questions Covered:

24:21 – Was the Aristotelian philosophy integrated with other philosophy in Chaldean for the translation?  

29:14 – Has anyone gone back to the original Greek from the time Aristotle for a translation? 

32:50 – Can you explain Aristotle’s concept of happiness and his influence on Thomas Jefferson?  

43:20 – Did Aristotle have any spiritual mindset beyond philosophy? 

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Questions Covered:

05:04 – What’s the Catholic teaching on what to do when a fetus has been conceived in vitro but not implanted in the womb yet? 

11:28 – How should we balance strong defense of the faith and the unborn with a charitable approach to those who are pro-choice? 

19:29 – How should a Catholic talk to a family member with homosexual inclinations about what the Church teaches, while still having a caring approach? 

28:35 – How can I explain anointing of the sick to a Seventh Day Adventist? 

35:39 – How can I respond to Protestants who say statues and things like that are idols? 

42:45 – How can the Son be begotten of the Father but also be consubstantial with him? 

47:18 – How can we defend the idea that life begins at conception if not all fertilized eggs become implanted? 

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Questions Covered:

02:00 – I’ve been taught that you are required to believe in hell but not required to believe that anyone is in there. What are your thoughts? 

13:21 – When Jesus says eat “my body and drink my blood”, does he truly mean eat or believe? 

28:46 – Why does the Church teach against contraception but promote NFP? 

41:27 – I am struggling with my Faith right now. How do we know that we have an immortal soul? 

46:00 – Why do fundamentalist translate the 7 days of creation literally, but Catholics do not? And why do Catholics take the Eucharist literally but not fundamentalists? Who is right? 

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Questions Covered:

03:15 – I see that there’s some questionable quotes in Church History on the Immaculate Conception. Can you help clarify why they seem to contradict the official dogma? 

12:17 – On Marian Consecration, why do they use the language of “giving ourselves to Mary” and worshiping her? 

17:55 – Why has Judas been condemned since he seemed so remorseful? Why has the Church and even Jesus seem to condemn him? 

28:31 – What is the Church’s stance on aliens? Resources: Would Aliens Debunk Christianity? | Dr. Karin Öberg | Catholic Answers Focus 

28:31 – What is the Church’s stance on aliens? 

36:54 – What is Transubstantiation and Consubstantiation? What did Luther believe? 

44:38 – Are people in heaven aware of people who are not there? 

51:24 – I heard a theory that Jesus asked Judas to make the biggest sacrifice and turn him in because Jesus loved him the most. What are your thoughts on this theory? 

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Questions Covered:

08:07 – Where can I find purgatory in the bible? 

16:16 – What’s the moral stance on helping beggars? Are we obligated to help, or can it be considered enabling drug addicts? 

21:46 – Did the Church condemn dissection in the Middle Ages? If they did, has that been reversed to allow for scientific discovery? 

29:18 – I’m a theology student in college. I read in the Summa; Aquinas says the husband has a right to beat his wife as a punishment. I also heard that it was part of canon law. This is disturbing to me. Can you help clarify this? 

40:42 – I’m involved with FOCUS; we are going over a passage in 2 Kings. In the story of Bathsheba taking a request to Solomon, Solomon rejects his mother’s request. How do I better explain the typology of Marian intercession since it seems like intercession is rejected? 

46:57 – I’m currently attending a Catholic high school that is increasingly slipping away from Catholic ideals? What should I do? 

52:03 – When should we offer fraternal correction according to St. Augustine? Does using the Lord’s name call for fraternal correction? 

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Questions Covered:

02:44 – What’s the culpability of Jazz? How culpable is a child and the parents when it comes to transitioning genders?

12:08 – Is the protestant doctrine of justification contrary to the Gospel?

19:02 – What’s the morality behind the use of marijuana?

24:10 – My ex-wife had an abortion before we were married, and I just found out. If the abortion excommunicated her, does that mean that she was no longer Catholic while we were married? Does this make the marriage invalid?

30:29 – Regarding Archbishop Gomez’s request to fast tomorrow, is the protocol for fasting the same as Ash Wed. and Good Friday?

35:57 – On the initiation of reconciliation, Jesus said “Whoever sins you retain are retained.” What does that mean?

43:04 – I’m currently a student at a protestant seminary and I’m convinced Catholicism is true. What can I do with my degree if I convert? How do I approach my marriage?

50:19 – Should I boycott buying from companies that support pro-abortion organizations? At what point is it ok to shop at certain stores?

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