Why Catholic?

Did Peter’s role as head of the Church continue with the successor of the Bishop of Rome, or was Jesus’ intention that only Peter would have such a role? In continuation of our series on the Papacy, Justin Hibbard examines three questions: Why does the Catholic Church believe that Peter had a successor? Why do we believe it was specifically the Bishop of Rome and no one else? And why do we believe...

In continuation of our series on the Papacy, Justin Hibbard addresses St. Peter’s role as the leader of the Apostles and the early Church. Why does the Catholic Church claim that St. Peter was the first Pope, even though we don’t see such a title in Scripture? Discover the Biblical evidence that supports Jesus giving this authority and the way in which Peter leads the Church after Jesus’ ascension...

Justin Hibbard begins a new series on The Papacy. Learn why the Papacy is the most distinctly Catholic practice, rooted deep in Scripture. In this episode, Justin dives deep into the Jewish practices that serve as the foundation for why Jesus established a leader for His Church. Subscribe to Why Catholic? wherever you get your podcasts. Check out the Why Catholic Etsy shop (all proceeds support th...

Justin Hibbard is joined by Paul Rose - a Catholic convert and creator of Sing the Hours. In this episode, you’ll hear Paul talk about his upbringing in an evangelical home and how it served as a catalyst for his conversion to Catholicism; his enthusiasm for proper music in liturgy and how that can be transformative and transcendental in the Mass; and his love for the Liturgy of the Hours and pray...

How can Christians change the world? Do we have to engage in politics in order to make a difference? In conclusion of the series Catholicism & Politics, Justin Hibbard gives three practical suggestions on how Catholics can change the world. Subscribe to Why Catholic? wherever you get your podcasts. Check out the Why Catholic Etsy shop (all proceeds support this podcast). Become a free subscriber o...

Why is it that the Church seems to thrive the most when it has the least temporal power and is persecuted the greatest? In continuation of the series on Catholicism & Politics, Justin Hibbard explores three times where the Catholic Church’s power and prominence led to disunity and evil atrocities. Why is there a correlation of power and corruption, and what are the principles of the upside down Ki...

How much power should we give to our leaders? Or is the more important question: what are the characteristics we should scrutinize to whom we give power? In continuation of the series Catholicism and Politics, Justin Hibbard explores the notion of leadership, specifically as it relates to one’s character and the power given to them. Subscribe to Why Catholic? wherever you get your podcasts. Check...

Throughout history, religious groups have sought to prioritize politics to gain control over a society. In continuation on our series on Catholicism and Politics, Justin Hibbard retells two cautionary tales of how religious groups sought to crown a king, only to compromise their morals and become pawns of those political leaders. Subscribe to Why Catholic? wherever you get your podcasts. Check out...

In a new series on Catholicism and Politics, Justin Hibbard explores the politics of Jesus by looking at his conversation regarding paying the controversial head tax to the Roman government. How does Jesus resist three particular political temptations, how is his position revolutionary without actually starting a political revolution? Subscribe to Why Catholic? wherever you get your podcasts. Chec...

In this special episode of Why Catholic, Justin Hibbard is joined by Casey Allison - a fellow Catholic convert. Casey, her husband, and her nine children served as Church of Christ missionaries to Cambodia. However, after a fellow missionary converted to Catholicism, Casey began to explore the Catholic faith ultimately deciding she wanted to become Catholic as well. In this episode, Casey shares t...

Why Catholic celebrates its 100th episode with submissions from Why Catholic listeners. Hear perspectives, personal stories, and questions from listeners from a diverse background. Subscribe to Why Catholic? wherever you get your podcasts. Check out the Why Catholic Etsy shop (all proceeds support this podcast). Become a free subscriber or a patron of Why Catholic? and get the next episode and a d...

Our Lady of… Lourdes, the Pillar, Guadalupe, Fatima… Immerse yourself in Catholicism and you’ll no doubt hear these references to Marian apparitions. Yet what’s the point of these apparitions, and can we trust that they occurred? In conclusion of our series on the Blessed Virgin Mary, Justin Hibbard addresses some common themes of approved Marian apparitions and explains why the Catholic Church he...

Justin Hibbard continues the series on the Blessed Virgin Mary with the fourth and final Marian dogma - Mary’s assumption body and soul into heaven. Learn some of the biblical support for this dogma, some of the objections as well as the rebuttals, and the various nuances and traditions of Mary’s assumption. Subscribe to Why Catholic? wherever you get your podcasts. Check out the Why Catholic Etsy...

What does Mary’s immaculate conception mean and not mean? Why do Catholics believe that Mary had no sin? In our continuing series on the Blessed Virgin Mary, Justin Hibbard does a deep dive into the Scriptural reasons behind the Immaculate Conception, what church fathers believed about the subject, and why it’s a fitting doctrine given Mary’s role as Mother of God. Subscribe to Why Catholic? where...

Did Mary have other children besides Jesus, or did she remain a virgin her entire life? And why does the Catholic Church make a big deal out of it? In continuation on our series on the Blessed Virgin Mary, Justin Hibbard examines the 2nd Marian Dogma - Mary’s Perpetual Virginity. How does the Church define it, how did the doctrine develop into a dogma, and why does it matter? Subscribe to Why Cath...

In continuation of our series on the Blessed Virgin Mary, Justin Hibbard explores the first of the four Catholic Marian dogmas - Mary the Mother of God. When did this the Church begin using this title for Mary? What do we mean and not mean by it? What are some common Protestant objections? And why is it a fitting title in light of Marian biblical typology? Subscribe to Why Catholic? wherever you g...

Catholics claim that Mary is the Ark of the New Covenant, the New Eve, and the Queen Mother of Heaven? But why? Where do these ideas come from? In continuation on our series on the Blessed Virgin Mary, Justin Hibbard explores biblical typology particularly as it relates the Mother of Jesus. Subscribe to Why Catholic? wherever you get your podcasts. Check out the Why Catholic Etsy shop (all proceed...

Many Protestants accuse Catholics of worshipping Mary or idols of Mary. How Catholics and Orthodox Christians approach Mary are on of the primary differences that separate them from Protestantism. In this introductory episode on the Blessed Virgin Mary, Justin Hibbard talks about five principles for how Catholics approach Mary and addresses the common misconceptions Protestants have about Mary. Su...

In this special episode, Justin Hibbard sits down with Fr. Joseph Uhen to talk about his lifelong mission of serving the poor and particularly his work at Santísimo Sacramento in Piura, Peru - a parish of about 50,000 people. Hear Fr. Joe’s journey from growing up in a Catholic home in the Midwest to working with the Missionaries of Charity to eventually landing in Peru where he was ordained to th...

In continuing our series on the nature of God, Justin Hibbard explores the Holy Spirit. What does Jesus mean when He refers to the Holy Spirit as the Advocate or Paraclete? How does the Holy Spirit come alongside of us, and in what ways can we receive Him or suppress Him? Subscribe to Why Catholic? wherever you get your podcasts. Check out the Why Catholic Etsy shop (all proceeds support this podc...

Was Jesus part God and part man? Did he become God at some point in His life? Was Jesus just appearing in human form? These are some of the questions that have caused divisions in the Church throughout the centuries. In continuation of our series on the Nature of God, Justin Hibbard explores the Church’s emphatic and repeated declaration that Jesus was fully human and fully divine. Subscribe to Wh...

Easter isn’t just a one-day celebration. It’s an octave in the Catholic Church - an 8-day feast, beginning on Easter Sunday and ending on Divine Mercy Sunday. In this episode, Justin Hibbard explains the origin of Divine Mercy Sunday, its significance in connection to God’s nature as mercy, and how we can receive the extraordinary mercy offered to us on this important day. Subscribe to Why Catholi...

Why was the incarnation necessary? Did God really have to become a man in order to redeem mankind, or is the incarnation more indicative of an imaginative God with a taste for the theatrical and the mythological? Justin Hibbard continues the series on the nature of God by looking at God and His imagination. Why does God tell Moses that no one can see His face and live, yet we see a number of times...

Why does God tell Moses that no one can see His face and live, yet we see a number of times where God has a face-to-face encounter with man prior to the incarnation. In continuation of our series on the Nature of God, Justin Hibbard explores Christophanies - pre-incarnate appearances of Christ. Subscribe to Why Catholic? wherever you get your podcasts. Check out the Why Catholic Etsy shop (all pro...

Many people think of the God of the Old Testament differently than the God of the New Testament. The God of the Old Testament is stern and gruff, whereas Jesus is meek and mild. In continuation of our series on the nature of God, Justin Hibbard explores the reason Jesus most often referred to God as “father.” Subscribe to Why Catholic? wherever you get your podcasts. Check out the Why Catholic Ets...