Why Catholic?

Justin Hibbard continues the series on the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church by discussing the unity of the Catholic Church. How does the Catholic Church stay unified despite being a global church of 1.3 billion members and despite itself at times? Subscribe to Why Catholic? wherever you get your podcasts. Check out the Why Catholic Etsy shop (all proceeds support this podcast). Become a free...

In Jesus’ final moments before His arrest, He prayed that His followers would be one as He and the Father were one. Justin Hibbard continues the series on “The One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church” by exploring the exploring the characteristics of the Trinity and how that should apply to the Church. Subscribe to Why Catholic? wherever you get your podcasts. Check out the Why Catholic Etsy sho...

Since the 3rd century, the Church has said that “there’s no salvation outside the church.” In continuation of the series on “One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church,” Justin Hibbard explains why the reason behind this statement as well as what is meant and not meant by this phrase. Subscribe to Why Catholic? wherever you get your podcasts. Check out the Why Catholic Etsy shop (all proceeds support...

Why do Catholics pray for the dead? In this episode, Justin Hibbard continues the series on the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church by talking about the another facet on the communion of saints - praying for those in purgatory. 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 pat...

Do Catholics sell indulgences? Do Catholics believe that you can buy an indulgence and have your sin forgiven? Didn’t the Catholic Church do away with indulgences after the Protestant Reformation? Perhaps there’s no doctrine non-Catholics and Catholics misunderstand more than indulgences. In continuation of our series on One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, Justin Hibbard tackles the doctrin...

Justin Hibbard continues the series on “The One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church” by exploring the Catholic dogma of the collective treasury of the Church. What is the treasury? What’s the biblical and systematic theological basis for the treasury? How does the treasury work? Learn the reason behind Catholic jargon such as “intentions” and “offer it up.” Subscribe to Why Catholic? wherever yo...

Justin Hibbard sits down with Father Christopher Gray - Pastor of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Park City, Utah and point person for the Eucharistic Revival and Eucharistic Rally for the Diocese of Salt Lake City. In this interview, Father Gray shares the vision for the Eucharistic Revival; plans for the Eucharistic Rally on July 9, 2023, in Sandy, Utah; and his love for the Eucharist. Subscribe t...

Protestants often accuse Catholics of praying to dead people. “Why do you pray to dead people?” they say. “They’re dead; they can’t hear you.” Are they right, or is their concept of death terribly mistaken? In continuation of the series on “One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church,” Justin Hibbard explains what Catholics mean when they pray to the saints and why they do it. Subscribe to Why Catho...

Justin Hibbard continues the series on One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church with the doctrine of the communion of saints. How does the Catholic Church understand the communion of saints that make up the universal Church? How is the Church similar to the Trinity? Subscribe to Why Catholic? wherever you get your podcasts. Check out the Why Catholic Etsy shop (all proceeds support this podcast)....

What can the Apple Vision Pro and augmented reality teach us about the Kingdom of Heaven? In this new series on the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, Justin Hibbard dives into the meaning of Jesus’ words - “the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” How does the Catholic Church view Heaven and the interrelationship between Heaven and earth, and how can we train our perceptions to view the supernatur...

For this 50th episode, Justin Hibbard pays tribute to his confirmation saint - St. Justin Martyr on his feast day of June 1st. Learn how this philosopher turned his back on pagan philosophy in order to pursue the “true philosophy” of Christianity. Also, hear how his description of the Mass in the middle of the second century seems so similar to the Catholic Mass today. Subscribe to Why Catholic? w...

In the conclusion of the mini-series of salvation, Justin Hibbard talks about the Catholic doctrine of creation, redemption, salvation, and resurrection, as it pertains to both the soul and the body. Learn how Christianity’s perspective on the body was and still is such a counter-cultural philosophy. Subscribe to Why Catholic? wherever you get your podcasts. Check out the Why Catholic Etsy shop (a...

Pentecost marks the arrival of the Holy Spirit and the birthday of the Christian Church, but why do we call it Pentecost, and why did God choose this particular day to give the gift of the Holy Spirit? In this special episode, Justin Hibbard details the events of the first Pentecost (or Shavuot) at Mount Sinai, and why the fulfillment in Jerusalem is a work of God’s poetry. Subscribe to Why Cathol...

In our continued series on salvation, Justin Hibbard explains why the Catholic Church distinguishes between venial and mortal sin. How does Scripture distinguish between the two? What does the Bible say are the consequences of our sins? More importantly, how should we frame sin in light of God’s mercy, grace, and forgiveness? Subscribe to Why Catholic? wherever you get your podcasts. Check out the...

In continuing the series on the Catholic view of salvation, Justin Hibbard addresses the doctrine of purgatory. Hear how the death of the famous Protestant evangelist Ravi Zacharias convinced Justin of the need for purgatory, and why he thinks every Christian believes in some version of purgatory. Most importantly, you’ll learn why purgatory is the necessary preparation we need before entering Hea...

Justin Hibbard continues the series on salvation by talking about the purpose of salvation. What does it mean to become a saint? What does it mean to enter into eternal life? Christians historically understood that preparing for death was an important part of the Christian life. Why and how can we do that? Subscribe to Why Catholic? wherever you get your podcasts. Check out the Why Catholic Etsy s...

Justin Hibbard continues the series on salvation by diving into the Catholic view that salvation is a process, not a one-and-done event. Why does the Catholic Church believe that one can lose their salvation? Why do they reject the Protestant views of eternal security or once-saved-always-saved? And what is the ultimate assurance of salvation for Catholics? Subscribe to Why Catholic? wherever you...

So far the Why Catholic podcast has focused on the sacraments, but what is the point of sacraments? In this episode, Justin Hibbard begins a new series on the Catholic view of soteriology - the theology of salvation. In this episode you’ll learn about God’s breathtaking grace and mercy that is the heart of the Catholic faith. Subscribe to Why Catholic? wherever you get your podcasts. Check out the...

In our continuing series on the Sacrament of Holy Orders, Justin Hibbard interviews Deacon Tom Tosti - who serves in the Diocese of Salt Lake and was instrumental in Justin’s journey into the Catholic Church. Deacon Tom shares his Catholic upbringing, what inspired him to become a deacon, his role as a deacon, and how he balances his ministry on top of full responsibilities. Subscribe to Why Catho...

Justin Hibbard continues the mini-series on the Sacrament of Holy Orders with a special interview with Father John Paul Kern. Like Justin, Father John Paul grew up in a Protestant home and graduated from Annapolis Area Christian School. In this episode, he shares his story on becoming Catholic, and why he decided to become a Dominican Priest. He also shares the everyday responsibilities and some o...

In commemoration of Good Friday, Justin Hibbard shares an original poem called Pietà, reflecting on the moment when Mary held the body of Jesus after He was lowered from the cross. In the show notes, there are a number of depictions of Pietà if you would like to meditate on the image while you listen to the poem. The text of the poem is also listed in the show notes as well. Subscribe to Why Catho...

Justin Hibbard continues the mini-series on the Sacrament of Holy Orders with the Apostolic Succession. What authority did Jesus pass onto His disciples, and was their leadership clearly respected in the early churches? How did the disciples choose successors? And how did the early Church settle doctrine and power disputes? Subscribe to Why Catholic? wherever you get your podcasts. Check out the W...

Justin Hibbard continues the discussion of the sacrament with the final sacrament - the Sacrament of Holy Orders. Like all the other series on the sacraments, he begins by diving into the historical Jewish context of priestly ordination. What were the qualifications, functions, and the authority that God bestowed on Jewish priests? And how does the Jewish priesthood relate to the Catholic Church a...

In this episode, Justin Hibbard is joined by Daniel Markham - author of 52 Masses. For two years, Daniel traveled around the United States and attended Mass in every state, DC, and Puerto Rico. In this interview, Daniel shares the story about how this idea began and how it came to fruition along with some of the unique experiences God put in his pathway. Subscribe to Why Catholic? wherever you get...

In celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, Justin Hibbard goes beyond the Irish partying and green beer to tell the historic story of a young boy who ministered to his captors and changed the British Isles forever. 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...