In this episode, Justin Hibbard is joined with award winning author Rhonda Franklin Ortiz. Rhonda Ortiz is a Lay Dominican, award-winning novelist, nonfiction writer, and founding editor of Chrism Press. A native Oregonian, she attended St. John’s College in historic Annapolis, Maryland and now lives in Michigan with her husband and children.

Rhonda’s books and articles can be found at rhondaortiz.com

Watch her husband’s Coming Home Network interview - Dr. Jared Ortiz: Revert from the World

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In this episode, Justin Hibbard addresses both the common Protestant objections to Catholic Sacrament of Reconciliation (aka Confession) as well as the common misconceptions Catholics express around confession. Why do Catholics confess their sins to a Priest? Why can Catholic Priests absolve sins? Justin addresses these questions and more on this third episode on the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

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Everybody sins, and so everybody needs to be reconciled to God, theirselves, and their community. In this episode, Justin Hibbard compares the confessional with the to a bathroom and why it’s essential to flush out the toxins in our bodies and to bring us relief.

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In this episode, Justin Hibbard dives into the Jewish roots behind the sacrament of reconciliation (or confession). When one person sinned in Israel, why did God punish the entire community? What do we learn about practices such as Passover and Yom Kippur that can help us understand God’s desire for communal reconciliation?

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In this episode of Why Catholic?, Justin Hibbard offers a brief eulogy of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI (April 16, 1927 – December 31, 2022). Justin also shares why he believes Pope Benedict’s reluctancy to become Pope and to remain in the Papacy until his death was one of the Holy Father’s noblest attributes.

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In this episode, Justin Hibbard interviews Cory Dennis, press secretary for the Attorney General of Louisiana. Cory and Justin share a number of things together: they both graduated from Annapolis Area Christian School, Justin was Cory’s former teacher, and they both entered the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil in 2022. Cory shares his faith journey from an Evangelical home, to entering the Naval Academy and becoming apathetic about faith, to moving to Louisiana and becoming Catholic. Cory also shares his perspective on being a Catholic in politics.

Follow Cory Dennis on LinkedIn and Twitter.

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In a time of hostile tension between the Spanish and the Aztecs, the miracle of Our Lady of Guadalupe changed the course of history. In this episode, Justin Hibbard recounts the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe, why it was so important in the evangelization of the New World, and some of the peculiar phenomena of the image of the Virgin Mary on the 500-year-old tilma.

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Sources:

Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Am I Not Here: Mother of the Americas, Our Lady of Guadalupe by Harold Rahm

Our Lady of Guadalupe: Mother of the Civilization of Love by Carl Anderson and Father Eduardo Chavez

A Handbook on Guadalupe Edited by Brother Francis Mary

Unconfirmed Apparition in Mexico - University of Dayton Marian Library

Images of the glowing womb of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Original Music Notation of the Tilma

Embellished Music of the Tilma

Claims about the Tilma and the Image - Knights of Columbus

Fact or fiction? Nine popular myths about Our Lady of Guadalupe - Catholic News Agency

The Sacrament of Confirmation is the rite in which the Holy Spirit is conferred upon the baptized Christian. In this episode, Justin Hibbard explains the biblical basis for confirmation, the different practices and opinions across the Catholic Church, and the importance of confirmation in the life of the Christian.

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Sources:

Confirmation - Lesson 27 on the Catholic Catechism by the Venerable Fulton Sheen

A New Field Guide for Confirmation - The Jeff Cavins Show

The Catechism of the Catholic Church - The Sacrament of Confirmation

The Catholic Church believes that the Holy Spirit is completely conferred upon a baptized Christian upon the Sacrament of Confirmation. Where does this practice come from? Why do Catholics use oil for confirmation? In this episode, Justin Hibbard explores the Jewish roots of the Sacrament of Confirmation.

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In this episode, Justin Hibbard interviews Amy Thomas (aka the Catholic Pilgrim). Amy shares how she grew up in an Evangelical home, turned her back on God in anger, married a Catholic, and eventually became Catholic herself. Amy gives advice to Catholics on sharing their faith and standing up for convictions, as well as gives her perspective on preventing sexual abuse.

Follow the Catholic Pilgrim:

* Journeying with the Saints Podcast

* Catholic Pilgrim on Instagram

* Catholic Pilgrim on Facebook

See video clips of this episode on Why Catholic’s Instagram profile.

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