Kresta in the Afternoon

Yesterday President Biden claimed that some bishops, as well as Pope Francis, support taxpayer-funded abortions. Also, a new report finds that the late Jean Vanier abused dozens of women under his care, a secret that was known by many. What do these stories have to do with the murder of Tyre Nichols? In all cases, the figurative emperor had no clothes, but nobody would state the obvious. Al discusses.

Today we celebrate the Feast of St. John Bosco. As a child, he had a deep love for the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and this continued into his priesthood. What can he teach us today? We talk with Fr. Charlie Lana.

This January marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of a great Catholic mind who has sadly been all but forgotten in modern times. Charles Péguy, a French poet and essayist, offered a perspective on life that has become more and more relevant today. Long before the term “political correctness” became mainstream, he noticed how certain attitudes and opinions were becoming obligatory in the public square. We get to know him with Robert Royal.

While Catholics regularly gather for liturgical celebrations and for devotions such as the Rosary and Stations of the Cross, we also pray in all sorts of settings and for many reasons where we aren’t quite sure what to say. Justin McClain joins us with prayers for all occasions.

The persecution of Christians is at its highest point in three decades, according to the latest report from advocacy group Open Doors. North Korea tops the list once again, and things are also bad in Somalia, Yemen, Iran and Afghanistan. David Curry has more.

“Blessed are the_____” Many of us can fill in the blank with a list memorized in Sunday school or catechism class. The meek, the poor in spirit, something about those who are reviled… and that’s it. These Beatitudes are a nice bit of pious trivia, nothing more. But if that’s what we think, we’re missing out―not only on some of Jesus’ most important teachings in the Gospels, but on the very core of his saving message. Fr. Sebastian Walshe joins us.

If you were school-aged or older in 1986, you probably remember where you were when you heard of the Challenger disaster. But what you may not know is that the entire tragedy could have been avoided. An engineer tried to warn NASA that the O-rings for the fuel system would not seal properly under low temperatures; his warnings were ignored, and this flaw led to disaster. How many warnings do we get in our own lives that we ignore to our own detriment?  Marcus Grodi joins us.

The story of abortion in America extends far beyond the 50-year lifespan of Roe vs Wade. It’s been a part of American history since the beginning. Leah Savas walks us through the cultural and legal history of abortion in America from 1652 to today.

This week the AP published an interview it conducted with Pope Francis and the quote everyone is talking about is when he said that “Homosexuality is not a crime.” But he said many other things worthy of our attention, particularly about the German synod. Matthew Bunson joins us with more.

We are living in extraordinary times as members of the Church. Prominent members of the Church have felt the freedom to speak on things the Church has long since settled. In a recent essay, San Diego Cardinal Mcelroy addressed the “the exclusion of divorced and remarried and L.G.B.T. Catholics, particularly on the issue of participation in the Eucharist.” Al discusses.