Kresta in the Afternoon

We've talked before about how young Americans have shown increasing support for the idea of "socialism," likely associating it with something like European social democracy. Making a case against socialism means formulating arguments that are not just based on material grounds, but on moral grounds. Sam Gregg joins us.

Sam Gregg is director of research at the Acton Institute. He’s the author of several books, including Reason, Faith and the Struggle for Western Civilization and has written and spoken extensively on questions of political economy, economic history, ethics in finance, and natural law theory. He has an MA in political philosophy from the University of Melbourne, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in moral philosophy and political economy from the University of Oxford.

More than 100 people have been arrested following massive protests that broke out in Cuba on Sunday, the largest demonstrations that ever occurred in more than 60 years of Communist rule. Alejandro Bermudez tells us what's going on in Cuba and also has details on the assassination of Haiti's president.

Alejandro Bermudez is the Executive Director of ACI Prensa, the sister agency of Catholic News Agency. Follow him on Twitter @albermudezr

Pope Francis has appointed Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich as the Realtor General for the 2023 Synod of Bishops on Synodality. The 62-year-old archbishop of Luxembourg has expressed his support for Germany's Synodal Path and advocates greater lay and youth involvement in the Church. We'll take a look with Matthew Bunson.  Also its the feast of St. Kateri Tekakwitha.

Matthew Bunson is Executive Editor and Washington Bureau Chief for EWTN News and a Senior Fellow at St Paul Center for Biblical Theology. He’s the author or co-author of more than 50 books including the first English-language biography of Pope Francis and The Encyclopedia of Catholic History. Follow him on twitter at MattBunson. Register Radio airs Saturdays at 7 pm and Sundays at 11 am.

We all know someone who is battling addiction and recent studies have shown alcohol abuse has risen over the last year as people try to cope with the stress and isolation brought on by the pandemic. Addiction attacks the mind, the body and the spirit, and all three areas must be addressed to get help. We’ll look at a pastoral approach to addictions with Fr Anthony Pinizzotto.

Fr. Anthony J. Pinizzotto, PhD, is a priest of the Diocese of Arlington (VA). Ordained for over 40 years, he holds advanced degrees in theology, psychology and psychopharmacology. Assigned to St. Agnes Parish in Arlington, VA, Father continues to work as a consultant in Clinical Forensic Psychology.

What has the Christian faith inherited from the philosphy of Plato?  Quite a lot actually as Dr. Louis Markos explains.  His new book, From Plato to Christ: How Platonic Thought Shaped the Christian Faith, explores how Plato influenced St. Augustine and how Plato's student, Aristotle, influenced St. Thomas Aquinas.

Al explores a common Protestant idea: sola scriptura (scripture alone).  Does this idea makes sense?  And is it what the early Church actually practiced?

Br. Guy Consolmagno was once asked if he would baptize an extra-terrestrial in a radio interview.  He responded, "only if she asked."  Br. Guy works with Fr. Paul Mueller SJ, superior of the Jesuit community that oversees the Vatican Observator, joins Al to discuss this, the relationship between faith and science, and how humans fit into the grand scheme of creation.

Former president Donald Trump was the keynote speaker at this year's CPAC 2021 conference in Texas.  Deal Hudson, author of 365 Days of Catholic Wisdom: A Treasury of Truth, Beauty, and Goodness, was a panel moderator and joins Al to discuss the forty-fifth president and his speech.

When we talk of America's founding, we typically look to the East coast, where we find the Revolutionary battlefields and the buildings where the American government was born. But there's another set of Founding Fathers in the West who are often overlooked. Led by Fr Junipero Serra, they laid the foundation for much of Western America. On St. Serra's Feast Day, we talk with Patrick Laurence.

Patrick M. Laurence, an attorney, writes on legal, cultural, and philosophical issues from Orange County, California. His talk “Junípero Serra on Trial: Criminal or Saint?” has been presented to numerous audiences and was featured on a nationally-syndicated radio program. He received his undergraduate degree from Thomas Aquinas College in California and his law degree from Ave Maria School of Law in Michigan.

After 23 years in the Archdiocese of Dijon, in eastern France, the priests of the Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP) will be dismissed at the end of summer. Matthew Bunson explains what's going on in this story.

Matthew Bunson is Executive Editor and Washington Bureau Chief for EWTN News and a Senior Fellow at St Paul Center for Biblical Theology. He’s the author or co-author of more than 50 books including the first English-language biography of Pope Francis and The Encyclopedia of Catholic History. Follow him on twitter @MattBunson. Register Radio airs Saturdays at 7 pm and Sundays at 11 am.