Kresta in the Afternoon

In order to have a faithful Catholic college or university, you need to have a faculty that honors and respects the teachings of the Church both in their teaching and in their behaviors. Anne Hendershott joins us.

Yesterday the Vatican’s top doctrinal office issued a declaration on human dignity that addresses issues such as gender transition, abortion, and surrogacy. We break it all down with Fr. Thomas Petri.

In the case 303 Creative v Elenis last summer, the Supreme Court ruled that the state of Colorado could not compel a wedding website designer to provide her services for same-sex couples. Last month, a federal trial court judge in Colorado entered final judgement in the designer’s favor, a big win for religious liberty. Charles Russo joins us with the details.

Like most wars of attrition, culture wars are wearisome, enervating affairs. Competing and irreconcilable accounts of what it means to be human – and, thus, of what the proper ends of human life and action ought to be – are a source of unrelenting friction, not only in our politics but also within the Church. And to further the problem, few people seem to understand what a “culture” is. Stephen White joins us.

In the weeks leading up to the publication of a new Vatican document on human dignity, some speculated that the text would send shockwaves throughout the Church. But based off the initial reaction to Dignitas Infinita, it seems that something of the opposite has occurred. Shannon Mullen joins us.

As more Americans leave organized religion, they find themselves looking for spirituality in other places. They look to all sorts of everyday activities--from eating and parenting to dating and voting--for the identity, purpose, and meaning once provided on Sunday morning. In our striving, we are chasing a sense of enoughness. But it remains ever out of reach, and the effort and anxiety are burning us out. We talk about it with David Zahl.

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Annunciation, which was pushed back from March 25 due to Holy Week. Fulton Sheen wrote extensively on the Feast, and Al reads from his writings today.

We probably all know someone who has struggled with depression. We want to help, but it can be hard to know where to start. Al has experienced this firsthand, as he was hospitalized twice for depression back in the 1980s. He sits down with Dr. Ray Guarendi to recount the story and how he was able to find hope.

This weekend is Divine Mercy Sunday. We believe in a God who is all-Merciful, but is also perfectly Just. Do these qualities contradict each other? Michael Dauphinais is our guest.

Proposed legislation in California would make assisted suicide available to patients with ‘early and mid-stage dementia,’ while dropping a required waiting period. Wes Smith joins us with more.