When Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost became Pope in May 2025, he chose the name Leo XIV, echoing Pope Leo XIII, whose 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum laid the foundation of Catholic Social Teaching.

First published during the upheaval of the Industrial Revolution, Rerum Novarum addressed the struggles of workers, the threats to family life, and the dangers of both unregulated capitalism and socialist ideologies. It champions the dignity of the human person, just wages, private property, and religious freedom.

Reprinted and recorded as an audiobook in 2025 to mark the election of Pope Leo XIV, this landmark Church document speaks powerfully to today’s world of rapid economic and technological change.

Listen now and rediscover the Church’s enduring vision for justice, work, and human dignity.

📖 Get the print edition: ⁠https://bit.ly/4miparX⁠

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On 21st April, 2025, The Holy Father, Pope Francis, died. After nine days of official mourning in the Church, the Cardinals will meet in Conclave to elect a new successor of Peter.

Bound by oaths of secrecy, they can never reveal what is said behind the closed doors of the Sistine Chapel, but what can be told about the Conclave – how it is conducted, who fills the many important offices needed to facilitate the process, and what actions are taken behind closed doors – Mgr Charles Burns, OBE explains.

Revised and updated by Mgr Denis Carlin following the death of Pope Francis, this fascinating guide will take you step by step through the interregnum period, from the moment the Camerlengo (the papal household chamberlain) declares ‘Sede Vacante’ (the Holy See is vacant) until white smoke billows from the chimney above St Peter’s Square, signalling the election of a new pope.

Listen to this free audiobook for the truth about the election of a new Pope.

Also available as a free PDF download here:

Throughout history Christians have suffered martyrdom and torture as a result of ‘hatred of the faith’ (odium fidei). Archbishop Oscar Romero, gunned down while saying Mass, was declared to be such a martyr by Pope Francis, thus opening the way for his beatification and subsequent canonisation. Romero paid the ultimate price for his faithfulness to Christ and his Church, rather than is often misrepresented, for his political activism. Romero’s impressive body of teaching, personal holiness and sufferings illustrate what an impressive witness to the faith he truly was.

A young man who spent his short life caring for the sick and infirm. A handsome and active young man from an influential family in Turin who dedicated his short life to the care of the poor and the sick and working for social and political reforms. Pier Giorgio Frassati's generosity was legendary. He often gave the clothes he was wearing to poor people he met who were in need. An open anti-fascist, a keen sportsman and mountaineer, an enthusiast of the theatre and literature, and a young man with a great devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, he stands as a great example of Christianity in action. His life was cut short by polio at the age of 24 and thousands of the Italian industrial city's poor lined the streets at his funeral. He was beatified in 1990 by Pope St John Paul II.

The Inquisition has become a byword for persecution and intolerance and is often given as a reason for distrusting the Catholic Church. Intending to separate fact from fiction, this helpful and informative audiobook explores what led to this most controversial chapter in the Church's history. What really happened during the time of the Inquisition? And what changes of perspective led to Pope John Paul's famous apology in 1997? In this audiobook, discover the historical context of the delicate topic of the history of the Inquisition.

Also available as an ebook here.

St Josephine Bakhita was a trafficked child: abducted from her home and family by slave raiders, sold and re-sold, and horribly abused. To a succession of cruel owners she was a thing, not a person, and even her name was taken from her. Yet her discovery of Jesus Christ, her true master, gave meaning to her appalling suffering.

Based on the ⁠Catholic Truth Society⁠ book by Jean Olwen Maynard, this audiobook tells the incredible story of a saint whose story is sadly very relevant for society today.

“Human trafficking is an open wound on the body of contemporary society, a scourge upon the body of Christ. It is a crime against humanity.” (Pope Francis)

Listen to this audiobook for free. Part 1 available here.

Also available as an ebook here.

St Josephine Bakhita was a trafficked child: abducted from her home and family by slave raiders, sold and re-sold, and horribly abused. To a succession of cruel owners she was a thing, not a person, and even her name was taken from her. Yet her discovery of Jesus Christ, her true master, gave meaning to her appalling suffering.

Based on the ⁠Catholic Truth Society⁠ book by Jean Olwen Maynard, this audiobook tells the incredible story of a saint whose story is sadly very relevant for society today.

“Human trafficking is an open wound on the body of contemporary society, a scourge upon the body of Christ. It is a crime against humanity.” (Pope Francis)

Listen to this audiobook for free.

Also available as an ebook here.

The extraordinary life of a man who went from being a successful engineer to the priesthood and a ministry spent at the centre of some of the most momentous Church events of the twentieth century. He was present at Vatican II as a theological expert and on the death of St Josemaría Escrivá became the prelate of Opus Dei. This audiobook, based on the book published by the Catholic Truth Society, reveals the wonderful example of faithfulness to the Church set by Bl Alvaro, which he combined with openness and humility.

Listen to this audiobook for free. Read by Luis Soto.

Also available as a physical book and an ebook here.

In 1902 in an Italian village a young girl, Maria Goretti, was murdered during a sexual attack. Her killer, Alessandro Serenelli, himself a teenager, was a close neighbour well-known to her and her family. He had been threatening her for some time.

What does it mean, how can it help, to say that she is a virgin and martyr? This is an often misunderstood and sentimentalised story. When many parents and teenagers strive for a balanced view of sexuality, of personal integrity, of Christian family life, and forgiveness to those who do irreparable harm, Maria's story speaks powerfully and authentically. It echoes Pope St John Paul II's cry to young people – 'Do not be afraid to be saints!'

Based on the Catholic Truth Society book written by Glynn MacNiven-Johnston. ⁠⁠Available as an ebook here⁠.

Born sixty years before the Second Vatican Council, St. Josemaria Escriva grew up in a politically volatile Spain, where the Church struggled to dialogue in a fast-changing world. This audiobook, based on the Catholic Truth Society booklet by Ethel Tolansky & Helena Scott, traces St. Josemaria Escriva’s journey from childhood and family tragedy, vocational struggle and civil war to the personal discovery of his own, fairly revolutionary task of teaching people, ordinary lay people, how to find God in their work.

This refreshing account offers moving evidence of St. Josemaria Escriva’s courage, goodness and originality, and his prophetic contribution towards uncovering the fullness of the apostolate shared by all the baptised, which itself helped prepare the ground for the Council.

Listen to this audiobook for free. Read by Luis Soto and produced in partnership with the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales.

Also available as an ebook here