Kresta in the Afternoon

Why is it that, when asked to describe the Church, so many people would say it is "oppressive" or "Close-minded" and not acknowledge the contributions the Church has made to civilization? Al discusses.

Do Catholics and Evangelical Protestants share a common faith in Christ? The teachings of Vatican II say yes, but some Protestants would disagree and say we can work together on cultural matters such as abortion but don’t share a common cause in the Gospel. Dr. Eduardo Echeverria weighs in

Last week, 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died in Iran in police custody after she was arrested for failing to properly wear her hijab in public. Protests have erupted across the country in the days since then, and five people have been shot dead at the demonstrations. Michael Rubin explains what's going on

The power to define is the power to control. If we can’t even agree on the meaning of terms as basic as “male” or “female,” how can we ever hope to have reasonable discourse on the meaning of marriage or the issue of abortion? A breakdown in our common understanding of words leads to a society of chaos, frustration and distrust. How can we respond? Noelle Mering joins us - see her live in Michigan...

Queen Elizabeth II was laid to rest yesterday and will go down in history as England’s longest-reigning monarch. Coincidentally, the other Elizabeth would also make the top ten; she reigned for 44 years in the latter half of the 16th century. Other than their namesakes, do the two Elizabeths share any similarities? How do their life and times compare? Dr. Patrick Allitt is our guest.

A lot of Catholics tend to view the Sacrament of Confession as something like going to the dentist – it’s good to do every so often, but it’s certainly not something you look forward to. But Confession is much more than a chance for us to confess our wrongs – it is a door to the heart of God. And as we enter the three-year Eucharistic Revival, there’s never been a better time to get reacquainted w...

It’s easy to get concerned about the future of the Church. Al helps us find comfort in St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians.

In open defiance of the Vatican, Catholic bishops in Belgium have announced the introduction of blessing ceremonies for same-sex couples in their dioceses. The bishops of Flanders also published a liturgy for the celebration of homosexual unions. Matthew Bunson has more.

On Election Day, Michigan voters will decide the fate of Proposal 3, also known as the Reproductive Freedom for All Act. If approved, it would enshrine abortion in the state constitution and remove virtually all limitations, including parental notification. But this isn’t just a concern for Michigan voters – it will be a litmus test for the future of the pro-life movement in America. Paul Long joi...

The late Fr Paul Mankowski wrote with a unique wit, a singular breadth of learning, and a penetrating insight into the challenges of Catholic life in the postmodern world. He suffered for his convictions but never lost hope in the renewal of Catholicism, and the truth of what the Church proposed to the world. We examine his legacy with George Weigel.

Jake and Heather Khym's ministry Life Restoration helps awaken disciples of Christ by connecting them to Jesus, their authentic self, and Kingdom living. Through human and spiritual formation, they join Jesus in bringing the Kingdom of God into our everyday lives.

We don’t typically think of the professional world, especially the business world, as a place for building the Church. It’s easy to fall into the trap that work should stay at work and Church should stay at home. But that’s not how Robert Tunmire sees it. He joins us to share his journey to faith, how we shares his faith and his work, and how we can encourage men to do the same.

Sister Miriam James entered college on a volleyball scholarship with the dream of one day working for ESPN. She had been raised Catholic, but never truly understood Christ's love and pursued love in other places. Feeling empty and broken, she eventually rediscovered her faith and found her vocation. She joins us with her story.

Is anger always bad? After all, wrath is one of the Seven Deadly Sins. But, used properly, anger can be a useful emotion. It is our anger at injustice and evil that can lead to change; our anger at the loss of souls that leads us to evangelize. We'll talk with Bert Ghezzi.

Every Catholic has heard the challenge: "How can you believe that? Don't you know the Bible says..." It's a challenge we have to meet. If we can't reconcile apparent contradictions between Scripture and Catholic teaching, how can our own faith survive? Karlo Broussard joins us.

As we receive and nurture sanctifying grace in our souls, we are strengthened to follow the way of the Lord Jesus. St. Paul describes this as being “clothed” in Jesus Christ.  And one way we can symbolize this is through a scapular. Fr. Jeffrey Kirby walks us through the history and symbolism of the Brown Scapular.

What is the Trinity? Where can we find teachings on the Trinity in the Scriptures and writings of the Church Fathers? We take a close look with William Albrecht.

Vanessa Forsblad is a young Catholic who feels called to use platforms like YouTube and TikTok to share the Gospel with her peers and others. She joins us with some tips and tricks.

St. John Chrysostom, whose feast we celebrated yesterday, was known as the “Golden-Tongued One.” He was an eloquent preacher and pastor of souls, and his writings dealt with practical problems that challenge the people of God. We look at his life and teachings with Joe Heschmeyer.

One of the most aggressive pro-abortion slogans is “Abortion on Demand and Without Apology.” People who talk like this believe they are building a good and decent society. And in response, a Catholic could pray the Rosary – In Public and Without Apology – despite claims that it has been “coopted by extremists.” Jennifer Roback Morse joins us.

This Sunday, Jesus tells us the parable in which a lazy and dishonest steward is facing termination, so he settles his master’s accounts by negotiating a reduced balance for his debtors. What is the meaning of this parable for us today? Peggy Stanton opens up the Catechism for the answers.

Yesterday South Carolina Republican Lindsey Graham introduced legislation that would ban most abortions nationwide after 15 weeks of pregnancy, except in cases of rape, incest or when the life of the mother is in danger. What future does it face in Congress? We talk with Michael New.

Pope Francis is currently in Kazakhstan and is the first pope to visit the country since John Paul II in 2001. He sees the trip to the former Soviet country, which is now a majority Muslim, as “an opportunity to meet many religious representatives and engage in dialogue, inspired by the mutual desire for peace.” We get more details from Matthew Bunson.

In the last few centuries, a new focus has been given to the role of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the work of our redemption. Is she a co-redemptrix, or does this title place her on equal level with Christ? Dr. Robert Fastiggi joins us with a review of how Church leaders have approached the issue.

What is the influence of Classical Liberalism in the world today? One thing we know is that it does not have the influence it did as recently as the 1990s. What has changed? Sam Gregg joins us.