Episode Description
Former Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, Sam Brownback, joins to discuss his powerful new book, China’s War on Faith, and the escalating persecution of religious believers under the Chinese Communist Party. He discusses the fate of imprisoned Catholic publisher Jimmy Lai, and other faithful being held on trumped up charges. He sounds the alarm on the Chinese government’s growing influence inside American universities, and why the US must disentangle itself economically from the CCP.
As Catholics around the world await Pope Leo XIV's encyclical on AI coming out early next week, renowned theologian and EWTN host, Father Robert Spitzer, joins to discuss what we might expect from the document, especially as it pertains to the dangers of AI and the impact this new digital arena is having on the economy. As a creator of his own AI tools pioneering the Catholic system known as Magis, Father Spitzer discusses why theologically sound AI concepts must be developed to combat the secular nature of mainstream options that have led to depression and death among teens.
TCA chaplain Monsignor Roger Landry helps prepare hearts for Pentecost Sunday with a rich reflection on the Holy Spirit, the birth of the Church, and the call for every Christian to become a “spiritual arsonist” setting the world ablaze with the fire of God’s love.
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Bios
Sam Brownback is an American attorney, politician, diplomat, and prominent voice for the global advancement of religious freedom. The only living American to have served as a congressman, US senator, governor, and ambassador, he earned a B.S. in agricultural economics from Kansas State University and a J.D. from the University of Kansas. He became one of the youngest to serve as Kansas Secretary of Agriculture. He later served as a US Representative and then a US Senator, where he was a key architect in the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 and the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000. He served as 46th Governor of Kansas and was nominated by President Trump to become US Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, the first Catholic to hold that role. His new book, China’s War on Faith, documents the CCP’s escalating crackdown on religious believers and the growing global threat posed by authoritarian communism.
Father Robert Spitzer, SJ is president of the Magis Center of Reason and Faith, founder of the Napa Institute, bestselling author, and longtime host of Father Spitzer’s Universe on EWTN. Widely recognized for his work at the intersection of science, philosophy, theology, and ethics, Father Spitzer recently helped develop Magis AI, a Catholic artificial intelligence platform designed to provide faithful answers to questions about morality, faith, science, and culture. He is a leading voice for the Church on the ethics of AI and emerging technologies. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1974, was ordained in 1983, and earned advanced degrees including a Ph.D. in Philosophy from The Catholic University of America. He taught philosophy and business ethics at Georgetown University and Seattle University before serving as President of Gonzaga University. He has written twenty books, including the award-winning New Proofs for the Existence of God.
Monsignor Roger Landry is a priest of the Diocese of Fall River, Massachusetts. A graduate of Harvard and the Pontifical North American College in Rome, he served as Attaché to the Holy See’s Permanent Observer Mission to the UN in New York. In 2024, he was appointed National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in the USA by Pope Francis. He writes for numerous publications, speaks on radio and TV, and served as executive editor for the weekly newspaper of the Diocese of Fall River. He is the author of the book, Plan of Life: Habits to Help You Grow Closer to God, and leads pilgrimages to Rome, the Holy Land, and other sacred destinations. He was an on-site commentator for EWTN’s coverage of the 2013 papal conclave that elected Pope Francis. He is national chaplain for Catholic Voices USA and New York Chaplain for the Leonine Forum. Father Landry traversed the 1500-mile Eucharist Pilgrimage in 2024, which coincided with his 25th year in the priesthood.
The following transcript is machine generated.