Kresta in the Afternoon

On April 11, 1963, Pope John XXIII promulgated what would be his final encyclical – Pacem in terris, Peace on Earth. Signed on Holy Thursday, it was a landmark piece of writing that appeared at one of the most dangerous points in the Cold War, just months after the Cuban Missile Crisis. We examine the environment in which it was written and the conditions it lays out for peace with Dan Philpott.

Yesterday the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a declaration entitled Fiducia Supplicans, which allows for the blessings of “irregular couples,” including same-sex couples. LGBT activists are hailing the document as an important step, but the text explicitly states that any blessings of couples may not in any way shape or form resemble a marriage, which is still between a man and a woman. Still, Declarations are rare in the Church and should not be ignored or dismissed as irrelevant. So how should we respond? We take a break from our countdown to hear from Al.

On October 28 in the year 312, the forces of the Emperor Constantine won a battle at the Milvian Bridge over the forces of Maxentius. The night before, Constantine had a vision which led him to fight under the protection of the Christian god. We learn more about the events of the battle and Constantine’s vision with Thomas Madden.

It may surprise you to learn that the final surviving prosecutor from the Nuremberg Trials lived until this year, dying in April. His team was tasked with prosecuting the Einsatzgruppen death squads that were responsible for much of the mass murder of Jews. We examine his life and the trials with Michael Pakaluk.

The Spanish Inquisition is among the most misunderstood events in Medieval history, and many people simply associate it with the Monty Python sketch – “nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!” Well, nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition to show wise restraint in dealing with witchcraft—unless somebody has heard of Alonso de Salazar Frías, ‘The Witches’ Advocate.” Sandra Miesel joins us with his story.

Despite the efforts of some transhumanists, all of us are going to die someday. In his letter to the Philippians, St. Paul writes that for him “to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” This idea that death could be a gain is foreign to our society and even to many Christians. This discomfort with death might be why the Anointing of the Sick tends to be an underappreciated sacrament. Roger Nutt is here to re-introduce us to the gift of this sacrament.

Millions have been impacted by the music and characters of the smash hit Les Miserables, but not everyone has taken advantage of the deeper stories the novel is able to explore. The story is filled with rich, dynamic characters and Christian themes that help illustrate the Gospel. Pastor Stan Butt joins us.

It’s common for Christians to wax nostalgic about the “good old days.” We’ll see a display of public faith from the past and lament that it would never happen today. But when NFL safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field on Monday Night Football in January, it sparked a public call for prayer from the NFL, ESPN and more. And back in 1965, CBS executives were very hesitant to sign off on the Charlie Brown Christmas special, fearing it was “too religious.” Were the “good old days” so good? Al discusses.

The word "Fire" appears more than 500 times in the Bible. Christ made salvation possible through a baptism of fire and the Lord hopes to accomplish much in our lives through his Holy Flames. We'll talk more with Peter Herbeck.

Earlier this year the legal blog Law & Liberty surveyed self-identified conservative and libertarian legal scholars about which Supreme Court cases they consider to be the worst ever. The answers were fascinating and included infamous cases such as Dred Scott and Roe v Wade, along with other cases that are not nearly as well-known. Dean John Czarnetzky helps us understand what makes these cases so notorious.