Kresta in the Afternoon

At the Fall Assembly in November, the US Bishops voted to advance the cause of beatification for Fr. Isaac Hecker, founder of the Paulist Fathers. Hecker is an important figure in American Catholic history, but most people today likely aren’t familiar with him. Dr. John Farina helps us get to know him better.

The latest viral trend on TikTok is surprising, to say the least. Users began rediscovering the “Letter to America” that Osama bin Laden wrote in 2002, explaining his reasons for the 9/11 attacks. Multiple users on TikTok declared that “their eyes had been opened” and that Bin Laden made good points. Raymond Ibrahim joins us with more.

In Romans 11:29, St. Paul writes that “the Gifts and Callings of God are irrevocable.” What does that mean for God’s covenant with the Jewish people and promise of the Land of Israel? Dr. Larry Feingold joins us.

Larry Nassar, the infamous doctor who sexually abused more than 200 female gymnasts, was stabbed in federal prison in July. Upon hearing the news, most people’s immediate reaction was “good riddance, you monster.” Rachael Denhollander, the first woman to publicly accuse him of abuse, had a different reaction that reflects her deeply-held Christian faith. Al takes a closer look.

On June 22, the feasts of St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher, the USCCB kicked off Religious Freedom Week. Over the last several years the Supreme Court has vindicated Religious Liberty several times – but Helen Alvare thinks there is still work to be done. She joins us.

The 24/7 news cycle, coupled with the design of social media, has given our society the memory of a goldfish. We are forever living in the moment. Hamas is banking on that, as the memories of the atrocities of its attack are being swallowed up by the increasing death toll in the war. As a Jewish American, this hits home for Mona Charen. She joins us.

Many Americans think of slavery as their nation's original sin. But in truth, slavery has involved peoples and cultures and countries far beyond the United States. Slavery is as old as human history itself. And yet, the one living institution that has condemned slavery longer and more consistently than any other is the Roman Catholic Church. Paul Kengor joins us.

Other than St. Patrick, St. Francis of Assisi is probably the best-known saint in the secular world. People know of his love for creation and he's even the inspiration for "World Animal Day." But there is much more to him than that. Bill Cook joins us with a look at his life and how St. Francis inspired his own work with poor children around the world.

The Reformation is one of the most misunderstood and challenging periods in religious history and the problems start with the term itself. There was not one “Reformation” but multiple Reformations occurring over two centuries, which all influenced each other. Carlos Eire gives us an overview of how they played out.

Earlier this year a group of physicians published a letter in the Wall Street Journal saying that youth gender transition therapies are being pushed without evidence that they are beneficial. Wes Smith joins us with more.