Kresta in the Afternoon

Yesterday Jackie Walorski, a Republican member of the House of Representatives from Indiana, was killed in a car crash. During his own time in Congress, Dan Lipinski was able to reach across the aisle and work with her. He joins us today to remember her.

In his first encyclical, Redemptor Hominis , Pope St. John Paul II claims that the Holy Eucharist in its “full magnitude and its essential meaning” is “at one and the same time a Sacrifice-Sacrament, a Communion-Sacrament, and a Presence-Sacrament” What does this mean? We'll talk with Dr. Lawrence Feingold.

Do you feel like God is calling you to…something, but you don’t know what? Don’t know where to start? Do you find it hard to clear away the noise of life, and apps, and phones and really listen to God? If you said yes to any of these, you aren't alone. Fr George Elliott joins us with practical tips for discernment.

Wednesday was the feat of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit order. At the start of the nineteenth century, the Jesuit order seemed fated for oblivion; it had just been restored as a religious order and had about six hundred aged members. But a century later, the Jesuits numbered seventeen thousand men and were at the vanguard of the Catholic Church's expansion around the world, esp...

Last night Kansas voters rejected a measure that would have allowed for future pro-life laws to be passed in the state. The vote was not close, failing about 60%-40%, and was the first indicator since the Dobbs ruling of how voters may be thinking on the abortion issue. But pro-lifers still need not despair. Michael New explains why.

Thomas Jefferson has a complicated legacy. He’s arguably the face of American liberty, and wrote the immortal words that “All men are created equal,” but he also kept slaves for most of his adult life. This makes him a target for “woke” activists. Last year a Jefferson statue was removed from the New York City Council Chamber, and now even his home of Monticello is changing its approach to his leg...

Last night, President Biden addressed the nation to announce the death of Ayman al-Zawahiri, who was killed by a drone strike in Kabul. A mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, Zawahiri succeeded Bin Laden as the leader of Al Qaeda in 2011. The world hasn’t heard as much from him lately, especially since ISIS came on the scene, but his death is still an important step in the War on Terror. Raymond Ibrahi...

Abortion harms everyone. It hollows out marriage and the family. It undermines the rule of law and corrupts our political system. It turns healers into executioners and “women’s health” into a euphemism for extermination. Now that the issue is back in the hands of the states, how can we go about communicating these truths to others? Ryan Anderson joins us.

This spring we sat down with the Diocese of Arlington and Archdiocese of Detroit to explore the role Catholic media can play in bringing truth and hope in very troubled times. The project will be available on August 12, and today we get a preview from Billy Atwell.

At Acton University earlier this summer, we spoke with Mustafa Akyol, a Libertarian Muslim who believes there is a future for a democratic worldview in his faith. Are there Muslim-majority societies that honor what we would call First-Amendment liberties? If so, where are they and how influential are they? Dan Philpott joins us.

This weekend officials in New York City declared a public health emergency in an effort to curb the spread of the Monkeypox Virus, as the disease normally associated with African countries continues to crop up around the globe. The Washington Post has already declared the outbreak a pandemic and called for officials to “enlist the full spectrum of prevention and diagnostics to curb the spread.” Da...

We are living at a time when we can barely agree what words like “race” and “justice mean,” much less deal with the issues surrounding these concepts. When you combine that with journalists, pundits, and diversity trainers all desperate to advance their own causes, it’s easy to see why we’ve become so polarized on this issue. How do we work, and talk, our way out of this mess? Ismael Hernandez wei...

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus warns us “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.” Have you ever wondered how the people of Noah’s day could be so clueless? He warned them of what was coming, and they did nothing to change their lives. What lessons can we learn from Noah as our own culture descends into madness? Al discusses.

The Church celebrates July as the month of the Precious Blood of Christ. Just consider the infinite value and power of one drop of the blood of God, the Divine Person of Jesus! How can we even discuss this with the limitations of human speech? Steve Ray joins us.

As a young woman, Alice von Hildebrand fled with her family to New York City to escape the perils of the Nazi invasion of her native Belgium. She studied philosophy at Fordham University under one of the great enemies of Hitler, Dietrich von Hildebrand. Ronda Chervin, who knew her well, tells us more about her life.

The early Christians didn’t live in our world, and their encounters with Scripture happened in one main context – the Liturgy. This was where they heard Scripture and, more importantly, this is where they heard Scripture interpreted. Mike Aquilina joins us with a look at the early days of the Church and how the liturgy became the home for Scripture.

In a speech to Canadian officials this week, Pope Francis again asked forgiveness for the harm done to indigenous Canadians in schools run by the Catholic Church. What do we know about this history? Matthew Bunson is our guest.

Lawmakers in Kansas are generally prohibited from passing legislation to regulate abortion, thanks to a 2019 State Supreme Court ruling that found abortion was protected by the state’s Constitution. That could change on August 2, when Kansans will vote on the Value Them Both Amendment. Clare Kosmalski has the latest.

We spoke yesterday with John Czarnetzky, Dean of Ave Maria Law School, about the function of the Supreme Court in today’s society. He joins us again to discuss the work he is doing at Ave Maria and the importance of having good Catholic law schools.

This Sunday, Jesus tells the parable of the foolish rich man who filled his barns with grain after a bountiful harvest. What is he demanding of us in teaching? Peggy Stanton joins us.

The St. Mary’s Catholic Center on the campus of Texas A&M has become a gold-standard for student evangelization. Fr. Dean Wilhelm is a former leader of the Center and has also led several parishes in Texas. He joins us to share how he has helped move his parishioners from maintenance to mission.

It’s been 54 years since Paul VI gave us the wisdom of Humanae vitae . John Grabowski joins us with a look at the history of the teaching and why it matters today.

This week is recognized as National NFP Week, in honor of the July 25, 1968, release of Humanae Vitae , which confirmed the Church’s teaching that contraception was always a moral evil. At this time there are also serious questions about some confusing ideas coming from the Pontifical Academy for Life. Matthew Bunson explains what is going on.

The 1975 Apollo-Soyuz space mission was an important step in Russia-US relations, as the two rivals were able to set aside political differences for the sake of science. And for more than 20 years, the countries have been able to work together on the International Space Station. But yesterday Russia announced it would leave the project when operation agreements end in 2024. We look at the possible...

The midterms are still several months away, but we know they’re going to be another round of nasty political fighting. Want to know a great remedy? A pilgrimage. Teresa Tomeo joins us to invite you to join her and Fr. James Conlon this fall to follow the steps of St. Francis of Assisi and St. Peter.