Catholic Answers Focus artwork

Catholic Answers Focus

536 episodes - English - Latest episode: 27 days ago - ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings

Catholic Answers Focus, the world's premier podcast on Catholic apologetics, helps you explain and defend the Catholic Faith. If you want to take a deep dive into the reasons behind Church teaching, Catholic Answers Focus is for you.

Christianity Religion & Spirituality
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed

Episodes

#336 Is Vatican Blessing Decision Anti-Gay? - Karlo Broussard

March 22, 2021 11:00 - 40.6 MB

CNN host Don Lemon took on the Vatican in a conversation with the women of The View. He explained that he doesn’t think God approves of the Catholic refusal to bless same-sex unions. We asked apologist Karlo Broussard to respond to Mr. Lemon’s take. Cy Kellett: Don Lemon lectures the Catholic Church. Karlo Broussard responds next. Hello and welcome to Focus, the Catholic answers podcast for living, understanding, and defending your Catholic faith. I’m Cy Kellett, your host. And the Vatican s...

#335 Is it a Sin to Call Someone a Jerk? - Scott Hefelfinger

March 17, 2021 11:00 - 31.6 MB

A listener asks us if it is wrong to say bad things about others, especially online, if the bad things are true. Turns out, it is, and theologian Dr. Scott Hefelfinger explains why. Cy Kellett: When’s it wrong to share the truth about someone? Augustine Institute Professor Scott Hefelfinger, next. Cy Kellett: Hello and welcome to Focus, the Catholic answers podcast for living, understanding and defending your Catholic faith. I’m Cy Kellett your host and Tony in Canada sent us an email about ...

#334 Is Chastity Education Anti-Gay? - Monica Doumit

March 15, 2021 11:00 - 34.9 MB

Our friend from down under, Monica Doumit, the Director of Public Affairs and Engagement for the Archdiocese of Sydney, shares another legal innovation from Australia, laws that are meant to protect gay people by making it illegal to teach chastity as Catholics understand it. We ask her what the laws require, and what the Catholic Church actually teaches about human sexuality. Cy Kellett: Is chastity a hate crime? Monica Doumit is next. Hello and welcome to Focus, the Catholic Answers podcas...

#333 Catholics and Inquisitions (Part 3) - Christopher Check

March 10, 2021 11:00 - 32.3 MB

The boss is back, and this time he’s taking on the big daddy of Catholic misbehavior: the Spanish Inquisition. Our president, Chris Check, wraps up our three part series on inquisitions with a sober look at an iconic time in Catholic history. And if this piques your interest, take Chris’s class on the Inquisition at the Catholic Answers School of Apologetics. schoolofapologetics.com Cy Kellett: Trying to make sense of the Spanish Inquisition, Chris Check is next. Hello and welcome to Focus, ...

#332 Anger as Bad Apologetics - Matthew Walther

March 08, 2021 11:00 - 33.2 MB

It’s a delicate time to talk about anger. There is a lot to be angry about. There’s a lot in the secular world to be angry about. There’s a lot in the church to be angry about, but we want to be giving an account of our faith that draws other people—most especially our children—towards the faith. Matthew Walther and Cy Kellett discuss how anger can ruin apologetics. “Which brings me to my final point, the harshest of all the censures that I intend to present here. It is one that I hope will,...

#331 Catholics and Inquisitions (Part 2) - Christopher Check

March 03, 2021 11:00 - 32.7 MB

Why did the Church end up in such a bitter struggle against the Cathars, and how did that struggle play out? Our three-part dive into the various Catholic inquisitions continues as we ask Catholic Answers President Chris Check what really happened in the Medieval Inquisition. How bad was the Medieval Inquisition? Chris Check is next. Cy Kellett: Hello, and welcome to Focus, the Catholic Answers Podcast for living, understanding, and defending your Catholic faith. I’m Cy Kellett, your host, a...

#330 Sharing the Faith with Those Who Don’t Care - Matt Nelson

March 01, 2021 11:00 - 26.9 MB

Listener Geraldine writes from the Netherlands to ask for an episode on “indifferentism.” Just how are we supposed to share the Faith with people who show no interest? We get some helpful answers from Matt Nelson, author of Just Whatever: How to Help the Spiritually Indifferent Find Beliefs That Really Matter. Cy: Can we reach those who just don’t care about God? Matt Nelson is next. Hi, Geraldine. Thanks for your email. We always ask at the end of these episodes for people to send us emails...

#329 Catholics and Inquisitions (Part One) - Christopher Check

February 24, 2021 11:00 - 34.8 MB

We begin a three-part dive into the various Catholic inquisitions with Catholic Answers President Chris Check. In part one we ask about the mindset of the Catholics who first established the mechanisms of inquisition. Cy Kellett: Part one of our deep dive into the Inquisition, Chris Check next. Hello and welcome to Focus, the Catholic Answers podcast for living, understanding, and defending your Catholic faith. I’m Cy Kellett your host and among the hardest things to defend the church agains...

#328 Confession and Modern States - Monica Doumit

February 22, 2021 10:00 - 28.3 MB

Monica Doumit, the Director of Public Affairs and Engagement for the Archdiocese of Sydney in Australia, explains how anti-confession laws are bringing frightening implications not just for priests but for Catholic schools and other Catholic institutions throughout Australia. But do Catholics really have a right to keep secrets from secular authorities? What happens when the seal of confession is called a crime? Monica Doumit, next. Cy Kellett: Hello and welcome to Focus, the Catholic Answer...

#327 Defending Classical Theism - John DeRosa

February 17, 2021 11:00 - 41.9 MB

John DeRosa, author of One Less God Than You, explains what classical theism is, why the Catholic Church embraces it, and how to defend it against less noble visions of the divine. Cy Kellett: Does classical theism still work? John DeRosa next. Cy Kellett: Hello and welcome to Focus, the Catholic Answers podcast for living, understanding, and defending your Catholic faith. I’m Cy Kellett, your host. Cy Kellett: One of the things we have to defend is the existence of God, but it’s not just th...

#326 What Good Does Adoration Do? - Fr. James Boric

February 15, 2021 11:00 - 23.9 MB

Father James Boric, the rector of America’s first cathedral, the Basilica of the Assumption in Baltimore, joins us to explain why he chose Eucharistic adoration as a cornerstone of his parish-building efforts. It turns out there is a lot of power in sitting quietly with Jesus. Cy Kellett: Why bother with adoration? Father James Boric is next. Hello and welcome to Focus, the Catholic Answers podcast for living, understanding and defending your Catholic faith. I’m Cy Kellett, your host, and ri...

#325 How to Disagree with the Pope - Joe Heschmeyer

February 10, 2021 16:00 - 40 MB

Joe Heschmeyer, author of Pope Peter – Defending the Church’s Most Distinctive Doctrine in a Time of Crisis, is back with more help explaining how to deal with the modern papacy. In this episode, we talk about talkative popes and the proper way to disagree with them when what they say seems out of bounds. Cy Kellett: Is there a right way to disagree with the pope? Joe Heschmeyer next. Hello and welcome to Focus, the Catholic Answers podcast for living, understanding, and defending your Catho...

#324 Is Hell Unfair? - Karlo Broussard

February 08, 2021 11:00 - 41.4 MB

Karlo Broussard, the author of Purgatory is for Real, addresses an email correspondent who asks: “Isn’t eternal punishment unfair for finite sins?” Cy Kellett: Is hell unfair? Karlo Broussard, next. Hello, and welcome to Focus, the Catholic Answers podcast for living, understanding and defending your Catholic faith. I’m Cy Kellett, your host. And today, we actually tackle what in many ways is probably the most difficult doctrine of Christian faith. The doctrine of hell, of the existence of h...

#323 Does God Change His Mind? - Jimmy Akin

February 03, 2021 11:00 - 20.9 MB

The Bible seems conflicted on whether God can change his mind. Can he? And if he cannot, how do we explain those pesky Bible passages? Also, why pray if God can’t change his mind? Jimmy Akin tackles these tough questions for us. Cy Kellett: Can God change his mind? Jimmy Akin, next. Cy Kellett: Hello and welcome to Focus, the Catholic answers podcast for living, understanding, and defending your Catholic faith. I’m Cy Kellett, your host. And this time we take a question that came from a list...

#322 Modernism - Fr. Sebastian Walshe

February 01, 2021 21:15 - 28.4 MB

“Modernism” is the charge against the Church in many parts of the internet. In fact, it is common to find Catholics attacking the Second Vatican Council as modernist heresy. So what is modernism, and has it infected the Church? Father Sebastian Walshe, author of Secrets From Heaven and Always a Catholic, explains modernism and engages with the charge of modernism against the Church. Cy Kellett: Has the Catholic church fallen prey to modernism? Father Sebastian Walshe is next. Hello, and welc...

#321 Jesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls - John Bergsma

January 27, 2021 11:00 - 32.2 MB

The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls changed the way modern scholars view Judaism in the time of Jesus. John Bergsma, author of Jesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls: Revealing the Jewish Roots of Christianity, joins us to explain some of the ways the scrolls shed light on the gospels. Cy Kellett: Hello, and welcome to Focus, the Catholic Answers podcast for living, understanding and defending your Catholic faith. I’m Cy Kellett your host. One of the things we have to defend our Catholic faith aga...

#320 How the Holy Spirit Guides the Church - Jimmy Akin

January 25, 2021 23:00 - 28.6 MB

Especially in times of upset within the Church, we might well ask just what the Holy Spirit is doing. Does the Spirit really lead the Church? And if so, why so many problems and confusions? Jimmy Akin responds. Cy Kellett: How does the Holy Spirit lead the church? Jimmy Akin next. Hello, and welcome to Focus, the Catholic Answers podcast for living, understanding, and defending your Catholic faith. I’m Cy Kellett, your host. And the question came to us via the email about just how does the H...

#319 Are the German Bishops a Danger? - Ed Condon

January 20, 2021 23:00 - 22.4 MB

What is up with Germany’s bishops and their attempts to re-write some basic Church teachings? Is a schism in the offing? We asked Ed Condon, one of the founders of the The Pillar, a new “Catholic media project focused on smart, faithful, and serious journalism, from committed and informed Catholics.” Cy Kellett: What is up with the German bishops? Ed Condon is next. Hello, and welcome to Focus the Catholic Answers podcast for living, understanding, and defending your Catholic faith. I’m Cy K...

#318 The Lady of All Nations Controversy - Tim Staples

January 18, 2021 11:00 - 23.9 MB

Tim Staples joins us for a conversation about just where things stand regarding the alleged apparitions to Ida Peerdeman given new communications from the Vatican. Also, what does all this have to do with the push to dogmatically define Mary with words such as co-redemptrix and mediatrix of all graces? Cy Kellett: The Lady of All Nations, Mediatrix of All Graces. Tim Staples is next.   Cy Kellett: Hello and welcome to Focus, the Catholic Answers podcast for living, understanding, and defendi...

#317 Deepak Chopra’s Jesus - Trent Horn

January 14, 2021 10:00 - 30.6 MB

As a leader in New Age thought, Deepak Chopra has taken it upon himself to explain the real meaning of Jesus. But does he shed light on the real Jesus or invent a new Jesus of his own? We asked Trent Horn. Has Deepak Chopra cracked the Jesus code? Trent Horn is next. Cy Kellett: Welcome to Focus, the Catholic Answers podcast for living, understanding, and defending your Catholic faith. I’m Cy Kellett, your host. Probably one of the big temptations of us modern people is the temptation to thi...

#316 Sex Robots Will Destroy Us - Todd Aglialoro

January 11, 2021 11:00 - 29.8 MB

We’re not kidding with this title. Catholic Answers Director of Publishing, Todd Aglialoro joins us for a conversation about the role sex robots could play in the destruction of civilization. Warning: this conversation includes a strong defense of Christian teaching on sexuality. Cy Kellett: We really need to talk about the danger posed by sex robots. Todd Aglialoro is next. Hello, and welcome to Focus, the Catholic Answers podcast for living, understanding and defending your Catholic faith....

#315 Is Drinking Christ’s Blood Unbiblical? - Karlo Broussard

January 06, 2021 11:00 - 18.3 MB

How can the Catholic Church teach that we actually eat and drink the Body and Blood of Jesus when Scripture forbids partaking of blood in Leviticus 17:10? The author of Meeting the Protestant Challenge, Karlo Broussard, explains why it is acceptable for Jesus to teach us to drink his blood, and, more than that, why it makes sense that he would. Cy Kellett: Is it unbiblical to drink Christ’s blood? Karlo Broussard, next. Hello, and welcome to Focus, the Catholic Answers podcast for living, un...

#314 Is Enola Holmes the Most Evil Movie Ever Made? - Marie Bates

January 04, 2021 11:00 - 27 MB

Modern movies continue to be problematic, promoting twisted popular agendas to young audiences and slipping past adult audiences. How can Catholics respond to movies and television that pose such grave moral challenges? Marie Bates: So, Cy sends me an email about Focus episode ideas, and it just says, “Is Enola Holmes the most evil movie to ever be made?” I stormed into his office, I sat down, and here we are. We’re about to have a great discussion about it. Next on Catholic Answers Focus. H...

#313 Journalism and Truth - Tim Ryland

December 30, 2020 11:00 - 31.8 MB

Tim Ryland, editor of Catholic Answers Magazine helps us close 2020 with a reflection on the state of journalism. Specifically, given the parlous state of journalism, how can anyone know the truth about what the heck is going on? Cy: I don’t know how to know the truth about anything anymore. Tim Ryland from Catholic Answers Magazine helps me next. Hello, and welcome to Focus, the Catholic Answers podcast for living, understanding and defending your Catholic faith. I’m Cy Kellett, your host. ...

#312 Is Baptism Really Necessary? - Karlo Broussard

December 28, 2020 11:00 - 19.9 MB

How can the Catholic Church teach that baptism is necessary for salvation when the Bible shows people receiving the Holy Spirit before baptism and Paul tells us that Christ did not send him to baptize but to preach the gospel? The author of Meeting the Protestant Challenge, Karlo Broussard, explains. Cy Kellet: Is baptism necessary for our salvation? Karlo Broussard is next. Hello and welcome to Focus, the Catholic Answers podcast for living, understanding, and defending your Catholic faith....

#311 The Perfection of the Nativity - Fr. Hugh Barbour, O. Praem.

December 23, 2020 11:00 - 26.1 MB

The coming of the Lord as a babe in Bethlehem is perfectly arranged by the Lord. Drawing on Thomas Aquinas, Father Hugh Barbour explains some of the ways God arranged for his son to be born in just the right way, place, and time. Cy Kellett: Every single detail of the nativity is perfect. Father Hugh Barbour is next. Hello and welcome to Catholic Answers Focus, the podcast for living, understanding, and defending your Catholic faith. I’m Cy Kellett your host. And man, if you want to have a g...

#310 Distraction in Prayer - Fr. Hugh Barbour, O. Praem.

December 21, 2020 11:00 - 27.2 MB

Understanding what prayer is goes a long way when tacking problems with distraction in prayer. Father Hugh and Cy discuss how to start praying, and what distraction in prayer means, which is maybe less than you think. Cy Kellett: Distracted in prayer? Father Hugh Barbour with help next. Hello and welcome to Catholic Answers Focus, the podcast for living, understanding, and defending your Catholic faith. I’m Cy Kellett, your host, and I get distracted constantly. Wait, should I start again? W...

#309 Victims of the Sexual Revolution - Bishop Thomas John Paprocki

December 16, 2020 11:00 - 35.7 MB

Our society has all but given up on protecting the innocence of children. This is a grave matter, one the Catholic Church must speak up against, and Bishop Thomas Paprocki joins us to do just that. Cy Kellett: How did the modern world turn out to be so abusive of children? Bishop Thomas Paprocki, next. Hello and welcome to Catholic Answers Focus, the podcast for living, understanding, and defending your faith. I’m Cy Kellett, your host. And today we tackle a tough subject with a tough Bishop...

#308 A World Broken into “Worldviews” - Fr. Robert McTeigue

December 09, 2020 11:00 - 28.1 MB

People today live in physical proximity to one another even as they occupy very different worlds. Father Robert McTeigue, author of Real Philosophy for Real People explains how we got here, and some possible cures. Cy Kellett: Hello and welcome to Focus, the Catholic Answers podcast for living, understanding and defending your Catholic faith. I’m Cy Kellett, your host, and one of my heroes is Walker Percy, who once said, “In the modern world, you can have 20 people sitting on a bus, a city b...

#307 Hard Truths About Marian Consecration - Fr. Hugh Barbour, O. Praem.

December 07, 2020 11:00 - 24.4 MB

Father Hugh Barbour takes on the growing Marian Consecration movement and explains its theological roots. What is consecration and can one really consecrate oneself to Mary? Is Marian consecration, anything more than just a pious practice? Fr. Hugh Barbour is next. Cy Kellett: Hello and welcome to Focus, the Catholic Answers Podcast for living, understanding and defending your Catholic faith. I’m Cy Kellett your host. And as everybody knows, Christians are divided over the person of Mary and...

#306 Satanic Temple for Beginners - Karlo Broussard

December 02, 2020 11:00 - 31.7 MB

This year has been a pretty good one for the Satanic Temple. They’ve even gotten a good deal of positive press. So who are they, what do they believe, and are Catholics obligated to battle them in the streets? Karlo Broussard examines their seven tenets to see. Cy Kellett: What’s behind the growth of the Satanic Temple? Karlo Broussard next. Welcome to Focus, the Catholic Answers podcast for living, understanding, and defending your Catholic faith. I’m Cy Kellett, your host, and there has be...

#305 What Is the Sin Against the Holy Spirit? - Fr. Hugh Barbour, O. Praem.

November 30, 2020 11:00 - 25.1 MB

Jesus tells us that there is a certain sin that will not be forgiven. Because Jesus is God, we can be sure he is not misleading us. But what is the sin against the Holy Spirit, and how can we avoid it? Father Hugh Barbour explains. Are you scared of committing the sin against the Holy Spirit? We’ll help you out with Father Hugh next.. Cy Kellett: What if there was something that you could do that could not be forgiven, that would guarantee your damnation? I’d want to know exactly what that w...

#304 Are Indulgences a Scam? - Karlo Broussard

November 25, 2020 11:00 - 26.4 MB

The author of Purgatory Is for Real, Karlo Broussard, explains the reality of indulgences and why they are effective in paying off debts. What is the deal with indulgences? Karlo Broussard is next. Cy Kellett: Hello, and welcome to Focus, the Catholic Answers podcast for living, understanding and defending your Catholic faith. I’m Cy Kellett, your host. One of the things that comes with being Catholic is the understanding that there are many real and true and existing things. There are aspec...

#303 Is the Church Failing? - JD Flynn

November 24, 2020 11:00 - 31.8 MB

As the editor in chief of the Catholic News Agency, JD Flynn has reporters covering the Church around the world. We asked him to give us an assessment of the state of the Church today. Some improvement is needed, to say the least. The state of the Catholic church with a man who knows, JD Flynn is next. Cy Kellett: Hello, and welcome to Focus, the Catholic Answers podcast for living, understanding, and defending your Catholic faith. I’m Cy Kellett your host. And I recently had an opportunity ...

#302 Can a Christian Meditate? - Fr. Hugh Barbour, O. Praem.

November 23, 2020 22:00 - 35.3 MB

Meditation, mindfulness, centering — it’s all the rage. But what are the implications of these things for the Christian person? Father Hugh Barbour breaks down what meditation is and why the Church, actually, has a great deal to teach the world about how to get it right. Meditation, it’s all the rage- we ask Fr. Hugh about it, next. Cy Kellett: Everybody’s talking about meditation and mindfulness and awareness and all of this. Well, it turns out that Christians have been thinking about these...

#301 A Catholic Relationship with Jesus - null

November 18, 2020 11:00 - 31 MB

Cy Kellett is his own guest in this episode. On the 56th anniversary of Lumen Gentium, he discusses what the Church proposes as the way to personal relationship with Jesus. This process—Encounter, Conversion, Communion, and Mission—brings the person into intimacy with Jesus while cementing the person into the life of the Church. How to have a personal relationship with Jesus, with me, Cy Kellett, next. Hello and welcome to Focus, the Catholic Answers podcast for living, understanding, and de...

#300 Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament - Fr. Hugh Barbour, O. Praem.

November 16, 2020 11:00 - 34.2 MB

In what sense is Jesus available to us in the Eucharist? Can anyone understand it? And why is his presence in the Eucharist central to our salvation? Father Hugh Barbour explains. It’s Jesus Week, and we talk about Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament with Father Hugh Barbour next. Cy Kellett: Hello, and welcome to Focus, the Catholic Answers Podcast for living, understanding, and defending your Catholic faith. I’m Cy Kellett, your host and it’s Jesus Week here at Catholic Answers, like shark week...

#299 The Church in the Year 3000 - Tim Staples

November 11, 2020 11:00 - 40.7 MB

We meet Tim Staples in the year 3,000 to ask what has changed in the Church and what has stayed the same? Could there be new sacraments? How much could the ones we have now change? And what will be the Catholic response to technology beyond our current imagination? Cy Kellett: We now interrupt your regularly scheduled broadcasts to bring you this trip into the future, into the year 3000 with Tim Staples. Hello, and welcome again to Catholic Answers Focus, the time traveling podcast for livin...

#298 Praying for the Dead - Fr. Hugh Barbour, O. Praem.

November 09, 2020 20:00 - 29 MB

Guest host, Chis Check, asks Fr. Hugh to defend praying for the dead. Fr. Hugh explains why praying for the dead is every Christian’s duty. Cy Kellett: What are Catholics doing when we pray for the dead? Father Hugh Barbour is next. Hello and welcome to Focus, the Catholic Answers podcast for living, understanding, and defending your Catholic faith. I’m Cy Kellett, your usual host, but we’ve got a guest host today, Chris Check, in conversation with Father Hugh Barbour. Catholics, as we’ve sa...

#297 Why Does God Command Sacrifice? - Jimmy Akin

November 04, 2020 05:00 - 28.5 MB

In the Hebrew Scriptures, God gives quite specific directions on how to make sacrifices to him. We ask Jimmy Akin why God does this? What good does it do? And does God need all these sacrifices? Cy: How should we think about biblical sacrifices? Jimmy Akin, right now. Hello and welcome to Focus, the Catholic answers podcast for living, understanding, and defending the Catholic faith. I’m Cy Kellett, your host, and remember to subscribe to focus on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, wherever y...

#296 God Judges You, Deal with It! - Fr. Hugh Barbour, O. Praem.

November 02, 2020 11:00 - 28.4 MB

Father Hugh Barbour explains the two judgments. What happens at our particular judgment? What happens at the general judgment? And what does all of this have to do with ghosts who might need some help? Cy: What happens when God judges you? Father Hugh Barber is next. Cy: Hello and welcome to Focus, the Catholic Answers podcast for living, understanding and defending the Catholic faith. I’m Cy Kellett, your host. And usually I wait until the end of these podcasts to ask for your financial sup...

#295 Good News About Purgatory - Karlo Broussard

October 28, 2020 11:00 - 28 MB

Our own Karlo Broussard has a new book that not only defends the doctrine of purgatory but explains why Christ’s teaching about purgatory is a key part of the Good News of salvation. He shares with us why purgatory is such good news for us. Cy: Karlo Broussard explains Purgatory, next on Focus. Cy: Hello and welcome to Focus, the Catholic answers podcasts for living, understanding and defending your Catholic faith. I’m Cy Kellett, your host. I have to admit, I don’t know you well, but just l...

#294 Saints and Souls in the Next Life - Fr. Hugh Barbour, O. Praem.

October 26, 2020 11:00 - 29.1 MB

What happens when we die? Answers are limited, but the news is generally good. Father Hugh Barbour shares insights into the feasts of All Saints and All Souls. Cy: You are connected to the dead, and before long you’re going to join them. Father Hugh Barbour helps you deal with that, next. Cy: Hello, and welcome to Focus, the Catholic Answers podcast for living, understanding, and defending the Catholic faith. I am Cy Kellett, your host. I always like talking to Father Hugh, but there’s a par...

#293 Power in Weakness? - Fr. Hugh Barbour, O. Praem.

October 19, 2020 11:00 - 24.9 MB

St. Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” might well have been a moral failing that he simply could not overcome. Father Hugh Barbour explains how this reading of 2 Corinthians offers those of us who struggle with habitual sin a liberating glimpse into the personal and unfailing love of God. Cy: What was that thorn in St. Paul’s flesh? Father Hugh Barber is next. Cy: Hello and welcome to Focus, the Catholic Answers podcasts for living, understanding, and defending your Catholic faith. I’m Cy Kellett y...

#292 What If Francis Is a Bad Pope? - Joe Heschmeyer

October 14, 2020 11:00 - 52.2 MB

Many people have grown quite concerned that Pope Francis might, in fact, be a bad pope. We asked Joe Heschmeyer, the author of the book Pope Peter, to examine common complaints against Francis, and consider what our obligations would be if these complaints turn out to be true. Cy: What if Francis is a bad pope? We ask Joe Heschmeyer next. Hello and welcome to Focus, the Catholic Answers podcast for living, understanding, and defending the Catholic faith. I’m Cy Kellett, your host. We get kin...

#291 Why Do Catholics Bless Stuff? - Fr. Hugh Barbour, O. Praem.

October 12, 2020 11:00 - 21.4 MB

A Catholic priest will literally bless your cat if you ask. But what is this ritual about? Why do we do it, and what does it accomplish? Father Hugh Barbour explains. Cy: What does a blessing do? Father Hugh Barbour is next. Hello, and welcome to Focus, the Catholic Answers podcast for living, understanding, and defending your faith. I’m Cy Kellett, your host. What a blessing to have you here with us today. Catholics are constantly getting stuff blessed. If a priest starts to bless us, we kn...

#290 The Rapture Code - Karlo Broussard

October 07, 2020 11:00 - 22.1 MB

Media depictions sell the “Rapture” as a Christian doctrine. But the event generally understood as the Rapture is not Christian doctrine at all. Karlo Broussard, the author of Purgatory Is for Real, decodes the truth about the end times. Cy Kellett: Do you want to be raptured? Karlo Broussard is next. Hello, and welcome to Focus, the Catholic Answers podcast for living, understanding and defending your Catholic faith. I’m Cy Kellett, your host, and Karlo Broussard is here with us to talk abo...

#289 The Truth About Exorcism - Fr. Vincent Lampert

October 05, 2020 11:00 - 36.1 MB

The author of a brand new book called Exorcism, Father Vincent Lampert explains exorcism as a ministry of charity. The long-time exorcist of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis has seen many strange things, but insists that the most important lesson from exorcisms is to rely on Christ, who is the help of all in need. Cy Kellett: Let’s talk with an exorcist, right now on Catholic Answers Focus. Hello, and welcome to Focus, the Catholic Answers podcast for living, understanding, and defending your...

#288 Who Gets to Be Called a Catholic? - Fr. Sebastian Walshe

September 30, 2020 11:00 - 36.3 MB

With election season passions heating up, Catholics are more willing than ever to excommunicate each other online. But what, exactly, does it take to be put out of the Church? We asked the king of careful distinctions, Father Sebastian Walshe. Cy Kellett: Can we just get the bad people out of the Catholic Church? Father Sebastian Walsh joins us next. Hello and welcome to Focus, the Catholic answers podcast for living, understanding, and defending the Catholic faith. I’m Cy Kellett, your host...

#287 What Does an Archangel Do? - Fr. Hugh Barbour, O. Praem.

September 28, 2020 11:00 - 44.6 MB

Father Hugh Barbour helps us get ready for the Feast of St. Michael with a reflection on angels. Who are they? What do they do? And how, without having bodies, do they get anything done? Cy Kellett: What is the deal with angels? Father Hugh Barbour is next. Hello, and welcome to Focus, the Catholic Answers podcast for living, understanding and defending your Catholic faith. I’m Cy Kellett, your host, and we’ve got the feast of Saint Michael coming up. Michael the Archangel. Is he the highest...