Ave Maria in the Afternoon

In November of 1990, two scientists proposed a method of linking documents across a network of computers. Their dream is what we know today as the World Wide Web. In the decades since, the Web has evolved from something constrained to a large desktop in the corner of the room, to something we carry around in our pockets and can never fully disconnect from. It has become a 21st-century Tower of Bab...

The Taliban have set up a ministry for the “propagation of virtue and prevention of vice” in Afghanistan. The rules include dozens of standards for dress code and how women may conduct themselves in public, with severe punishments for violating the rules. Luma Simms joins us to discuss the Catholic and Islamic views of the nature of the human person and the role religion can play in supporting dem...

The continued popularity of figures such as Tucker Carlson, Nick Fuentes and Candace Owens and the growing faction known as the “Woke Right” is one of the strangest spectacles in contemporary public discourse. What began as a resistance to identity politics has curdled into its own version of extremism. Marcus has more. Further Reading How Critical Theory Paved the Way for Nick Fuentes From Frankf...

“We don’t need the Creed – we have the Bible!” Have you ever heard this from a Protestant friend? How do you respond? Barnabas Aspray joins us. Further Reading Can the Creed Be Proven from Scripture? Implications for Ecumenical Dialogue This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit avemariapm.substack.com

Our culture has placed a massive value on being busy, constantly involved in events and activities. But this comes at a price – families have no time to spend together or pray together. Greg Popcak has some solutions. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit avemariapm.substack.com

The USCCB has elected Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City to serve as its next president, with Bishop Daniel Flores of Brownsville, Texas serving as vice-president. Coakley has a history of promoting a culture of life, opposing gender ideology, and supporting migrants. Matthew Bunson joins us with a live report from Baltimore. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with o...

At 11:00 am on this day in 1918 – the “eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month” – an armistice took effect that brought the end to the Great War. At the time, many referred to the conflict as the “War to End All Wars,” believing that the world would never again see violence on such a scale. We discuss the impact of the war and religion’s role in the conflict with Dr. Vejas Liulevic...

Secular newscasts continue to overlook or ignore the spiritual context of their stories. From a Catholic perspective, covering news should actually evoke prayer and reflection on the things that really matter. We talk more about it with Bill Schmitt. Further Reading Headlines Need Hearts: Sing a ‘News’ Song unto the Lord This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscr...

As the Mayflower lay at anchor in Cape Cod, Pilgrim leaders signed the Mayflower Compact, the first governing document of Plymouth Colony. This short document is laden with profound truths about the role of religion in the world. Marcus has more. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit avemariapm.substack.com

Only a few saints in Church history have been recognized as “the Great,” and we celebrate one of them today – Pope Leo I, who helped define the critical doctrine of the Human and Divine nature of Christ. Matthew Bunson joins us. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit avemariapm.substack.com

In a special video message on Friday, Pope Leo warned about how excessive internet use is fueling the continued rise of addictions such as pornography and gambling. Doug Keck joins us with more. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit avemariapm.substack.com

In a special video message on Friday, Pope Leo warned about how excessive internet use is fueling the continued rise of addictions such as pornography and gambling. Doug Keck joins us with more. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit avemariapm.substack.com

The fathers of the Early Church believed that the Church is necessary for Salvation because the Church is, first and foremost, an organism – the literal bodily ingrafting of humanity into Christ. But this does not mean the Church is not also an Institution. We discuss both roles of the Church with Richard Bulzacchelli. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscrib...

A major recent survey suggests that a new generation of Catholic priests is breaking free of the restrictive political labels of “conservative” and “liberal,” recognizing that the claims of our Faith transcend such increasingly anachronistic branding. We look at the numbers with Ken Craycraft. Further Reading The Emergence of the Post-Liberal Catholic Priest This is a public episode. If you would...

Every year, British citizens celebrate Guy Fawkes Day, in commemoration of the failed Gunpowder Plot to blow up Parliament. For generations after Fawkes’ execution, English identity was centered on opposition to Rome – with disastrous results. Marcus has more. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit avemariapm.substa...

Before one can fully understand why the Church teaches that contraception is intrinsically evil, one must first comprehend the true meaning of human sexuality itself and the purpose for which it was intended. Monica Miller joins us. Further Reading Why Contraception is Evil This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ave...

In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus famously drives the salesmen and money-changers out of the Temple, and then says that if the Temple is destroyed, He will raise it up. We unpack the readings with Rob Corzine. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit avemariapm.substack.com

Pope Leo has already made AI a focus of his papacy and encourages Catholics to be leaders in discussing the field and the ethical problems it raises. Brendan Newell joins us with more. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit avemariapm.substack.com

Regardless of how we feel about political talking points, the Church has made clear where she stands on her relationship with the Jewish People. We talk more about what the Church has said, from St. Paul to Nostra Aetate, with Andre Villeneuve. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit avemariapm.substack.com

The classic saying “all roads lead to Rome” still rings true today – for the influence of the Roman Empire lingers on centuries after the empire’s demise. Matthew Bunson joins us. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit avemariapm.substack.com

The Vatican II document Nostra Aetate is the hinge of Catholic reflection on Judaism and clarifies what Scripture has always said about the Church’s relationship with the Jewish people. Marcus reflects more on what it says. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit avemariapm.substack.com

Like so many men, Jonathan Edwards vowed to be a better person, husband and father time and time again – but it wasn’t until he felt the presence of Jesus as he walked out of a jail cell that he realized how much he wanted to change. He shares his story. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit avemariapm.substack.com

Fr Jim Rolph is a dynamic young priest in the Diocese of Lansing who has embraced the Cross of Jesus, yet radiates the joy of the Lord. He shares his story of discipleship and suffering. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit avemariapm.substack.com

More than one hundred Catholic priest-chaplains served during the American Civil War. Sadly, their commitment to faith and to the men they served has often been overlooked. Fr. Bob Miller joins us with a portrait of these courageous men and the importance of faith in nineteenth-century America. Further Reading Faith of the Fathers: The Comprehensive History of Catholic Chaplains in the Civil War B...

As parents, our primary goal is to help our kids grow in their faith and become the person God created them to be. But in doing so, we should also grow in our own relationship with God. Dr. Greg Popcak has more. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit avemariapm.substack.com