Kresta in the Afternoon

Ahead of the German Synodal Way’s final meeting next month, four prominent participants — all of them women — officially announced they were quitting the controversial process. They say the Way is “casting doubt on central Catholic doctrines and beliefs" and accused organizers of ignoring the Vatican’s repeated warnings and interventions. Matthew Bunson has more.

Over the course of a few days, a small chapel service at Asbury University exploded into a massive Revival. For Catholics, it can hardly escape notice that this revival has occurred as we are eight months into the “Eucharistic Revival” initiated by the U.S. bishops — a three-year movement to renew the Church by rekindling devotion to the Eucharist, the source and summit of our life.  We talk more about the Eucharistic Revival with Bishop Andrew Cozzens.

St. Peter calls us to “always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope.” It’s one of God’s greatest gifts to us and is an essential and life-giving topic. By meditating on Scripture and the teachings of the Church, we come to a deeper understanding of how hope is necessary in the life of a disciple. We’ll talk more with Fr. Philip Bochanski.

We normally celebrate the Feast of the Chair of St Peter on February 22, but due to Ash Wednesday, it was observed on the 21stthis year. Without the ongoing ministry of St Peter, the Church would suffer the same divisions and contradictions other Christians have experienced firsthand. The teachings of Christ, handed down from the apostles, would be subject to arbitrary and relative interpretation. What is the pope's role as leader of the Church? Why does it Matter? We talk with Steve Ray.

In today’s Gospel, Christ tells us to anoint our head and wash our face when fasting, so that only the Father knows what we are doing. Does this contradict the act of putting ashes on our head? Al discusses this and much more in a special Ash Wednesday commentary.

Most people know that Lent lasts 40 days to unite with Jesus' 40 days fasting in the desert. But why did Jesus fast for 40 days, instead of a different period of time? We'll talk with Gary Michuta.

Lent gives us an opportunity to reflect on the Sacrifice Christ made for all of us. The entire Passion narrative is deeply rooted in Scriptural theology, and we continue our look with Ed Sri.

It’s been almost a thousand years since St Peter Damian penned the Book of Gomorrah, but its teachings still apply today as the Church grapples with the latest in the sexual misconduct crisis. It offers a scathing analysis of the evil of sodomy, while also expressing compassion for those who have fallen into such vice and the possibility of their redemption by the aid of divine grace. Matt Hoffman joins us.

The abuse scandals of 2002 and 2018 caused Catholics great distress and turned some people off to the Church forever. But that does not free us of our responsibility to build the Church and spread the Gospel. Al discusses more.

The Communist Manifesto was published on this day in 1848. Its ideology gradually took hold in Russia, and for decades Americans, though divided on many issues, were united against a common enemy in Soviet-style Communism. We’ve talked before about the devastating effects of a Communist ideology, but what of the man who conceived them? We look at the life and thought process of Karl Marx with Paul Kengor.