Will Arbery’s 2019 play “Heroes of the Fourth Turning” was praised by viewers from across the political spectrum for its nuanced depiction of Catholic conservatives in the Trump era. While Donald Trump is no longer in the White House (or on Twitter), 74 million Americans voted to give him a second term, and debates about how his supporters will affect the Republican Party and the country have only intensified since the attack on the Capitol. We talk to Will about his play, the Jan. 6 insurrection and learning to listen across our cultural divides.  

In Signs of the Times, we bring our colleague Michael J. O’Loughlin to discuss the Vatican’s controversial statement banning blessings for same-sex couples. Plus: the Jesuits pledged to raise $100 million to benefit the descendents of enslaved persons owned and sold by the Society of Jesus, and March Madness returns.  

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Links from the show: 

Vatican, with Pope Francis’ approval, says priests cannot bless same-sex couples

‘It just hurts’: Catholics react to Vatican ban on blessings for same-sex couples

How ESPN’s Joe Lunardi invented bracketology

Interview: Did playwright Will Arbery predict the storming of the Capitol in ‘Heroes of the Fourth Turning’?

A visit to the rural Catholic college that has 171 students, 12 horses and zero textbooks

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