Kresta in the Afternoon

British and American scholars have recently began devoting more attention to the 19th-century revivals of Catholicism in the English speaking world. One of the central figures was John Henry Newman, who would later inspire GK Chesterton. June 19 is the anniversary of St. John Henry Newman’s canonization as the first male American saint, and we'll talk with Susan Hanssen.

Right now, religious liberty violations are showing up across the country. Those on the political left generally argue that there is supposed to be a wall between the religion and the state. But is this actually what the Founding Fathers envisioned? Dr. Vincent Phillip Muñoz joins Al to discuss this

With a Catholic in the White House and mixed messages from the bishops, ambiguous statements from the pope, and possible impending schism in Germany, the Church is in crisis in many ways. It can be easy to despair and wring hands and lament that the “good ole days are gone,” but there is a way forward. Dr. Ralph Martin discusses his new book A Church in Crisis and Pathways Forward.

June 12th marked 34 years since President Ronald Reagan gave his speech at the Brandenburg Gate in Germany, calling on Gorbachev to “tear down this wall.” The all ultimately the wall fell. It was an iconic symbol of Communism because it was designed to keep people in, not out. At the time its falling was viewed as a decisive victory for Western liberties and values, and a possible death blow for Soviet-style Communism. But was it? What do today’s generations believe about the values of Communism and Socialism? Dr. Paul Kengor from Grove City College discusses the fall of the Berlin Wall.

June 14th is the anniversary of the death GK Chesterton. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest Christian writers of the 20th century and heavily influenced the work of CS Lewis. He is especially known for his quotable writings and comments. Dale Ahlquist, president of the American Chesterton Society and co-founder of the Chesterton Academy, is with Al discuss some of Chesterton’s greatest quotes.

As many dioceses remove their general dispensations for the Sunday Mass obligation, it is a coincidence that this is the tenth year since the publication of Dr. Edward Sri’s book A Biblical Walk Through the Mass. He joins Al to discuss this and the Catholic liturgy.

Last month, an unmarked mass grave was discovered at an Indian Residential School in Kamloops that was run by the Catholic Church in the 19thand 20th centuries. The school has been closed since 1970. The question remains, what happened? And why was the Catholic Church involved in this? Dr. Aaron Ross, adjunct professor at the University of Ontario, joins Al to discuss Indian Residential Schools and the history of the first peoples in Canada.

Are aliens real and is artificial intelligence a real threat? Those were the topics of the Society of Catholic Scientists’ recent conference. Dr. Steven Barr is the president of that society and he joins Al to discuss this.

Pope Francis refuses the resignation of Cardinal Reinhard Marx in Germany.  What does this mean for the German Church and der synodale weg?  Plus, the 2006 USCCB document on Eucharistic coherence you didn't know about.  How does it related to President Biden and other pro-abortion politicians?  Dr. Matthew Bunson, executive editor and Washington bureau chief of EWTN News, joins Al to discuss these.

We are coming up on the 20th anniversary of the execution of Timothy McVeigh on June 11th.  He was found guilty for his role in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.  We often remember the names of the perpetrators, but not of the victims.  Jeanne Bishop, author of Grace from the Rubble: Two Fathers' Road to Reconciliation after the Oklahoma City Bombing, shares with Al the story of McVeigh's father meeting with the father of one of the victims.

You can find all of the books, articles, and guests featured on today's program online at AveMariaRadio.net

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