Catholic Answers Focus

#137 Communism, Mary, and 1917 - Paul Kengor

The Fatima apparitions ended the very same month that communists took over Russia. A century of spiritual battle between communism and Our Lady ensued. The author of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Communism explains the hidden battle at the heart of the 20th century. …

#136 Same Kind of Different as Me - null

Director and screenwriter Michael Carney stops by for a chat about making good, uplifting movies in Hollywood and about his new movie, Same Kind of Different as Me. …

#135 The Scholastics and the Jews - null

Though the era of Christendom was plagued with anti-Semitism, it was not universally anti-Semitic. Scholar Edmund Mazza discusses how scholastic scholars of the time understood relations between Christians and Jews. …

#134 God Is Not Nice - null

Renowned theologian Ulrich L. Lehner challenges modern ideas about the niceness and usefulness of God, offering an introduction to the wild and dangerous God of the Bible. …

#133 Missionary to the Top of the World - null

Bishop Chad Zielinski is the 6th bishop of Fairbanks Alaska, a diocese of 11,000 Catholics spread across an area of more than 410,000 square miles. He shares what it is like to minister in America’s largest, and coldest, mission diocese. …

#132 Slander from the South (Part 2) - Jennifer Roback Morse

With the Southern Poverty Law Center labeling Catholic and other Christian-leaning institutions as “hate groups,” we talk with Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse, the founder of the Ruth Institute, a recent target of the SPLC. …

#131 A Catholic Community in the Eye of a Storm - null

Jim Towey, president of Ave Maria University in South Florida, shares the story of one Catholic school’s journey through the eye of Hurricane Irma.  …

#130 Slander from the South (Part 1) - null

In the name of LBGT rights, the Southern Poverty Law Center has begun labeling Catholic and other Christian-leaning institutions as “hate groups.” We talk with Family Research Council Senior Fellow, Chris Gacek, and Communications Director and Legal Counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom, Kerri Kupec, about the serious consequences of such labeling. …

#129 Why Belonging to the Catholic Church Matters - null

People have lost faith in the Catholic Faith. Pat Gohn, lifelong Catechist and author of All In: Why Belonging to the Catholic Church Matters stops by for an in-depth discussion of the reasons not just to remain Catholic, but to go All In. …

#128 A Married Catholic Priest on Priestly Celibacy - null

Should Catholic priests be allowed to marry? Fr. Joshua Whitfield, a married Catholic priest, explains why he thinks a departure from the traditional practice of priestly celibacy would be unwise. …

#127 Life as a Refugee - null

What is life like for Christian refugees from Syria and Iraq? We ask Dalal Saied, who left Iraq when she was seven, lived for years as a refugee in Syria, and finally settled in the United States as part of the Middle Eastern Christian diaspora. …

#126 Drunks & Monks - null

Once a successful Los Angeles entertainment lawyer, subsequently a nearly broken man, John Carmichael tells his story of collapse and redemption in the memoir Drunks & Monks. He joins us to reflect on his reasons for writing about the mess he made of his life, and the grace that turned it all around. …

#125 A Man of Dignity - null

Michael Vanderberg is the director of Stewardship for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, and he is a survivor of priestly sexual abuse. His story is about the transforming power of Christ’s love and finding the dignity in every person. …

#124 Good Profit - null

Can the modern world put people, instead of economics, at the center of policy? We discuss the Catholic understanding of business profit with former Swiss Guard and renowned CEO, Andreas Widmer. …

#123 Holiness, Love, and Disability - null

Dr. Pia Matthews, author of God’s Wildflowers: Saints with Disabilities, joins us for a discussion of disability and holiness. We touch on the teaching of Pope John Paul II, the case of Charlie Gard, and the role of disability in the lives of individuals and communities. …

#122 A Catholic Case for Capital Punishment - Edward Feser

Philosopher Edward Feser joins Cy to discuss his new book, By Man Shall His Blood Be Shed: A Catholic Defense of Capital Punishment. Feser points out that Catholic doctrine has not changed, and argues that there are positive reasons not to abandon the death penalty. …

#121 Dorothy Day, Finding Faith in a Secular Society - Cy Kellett

Guest host Jimmy Akin interviews Catholic Answers Live host, Cy Kellett, about his experience in the Catholic Worker Movement, and about its founder, Dorothy Day. …

#120 Are Catholics Strangers in America? - Archbishop Charles J. Chaput

Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput joins us for a discussion of Catholic Faith in American society. His new book, Strangers in a Strange Land, is our jumping off point. …

#119 Fitness, Manliness, and the Gospel - null

Bodybuilder and theologian Jared Zimmerer joins us for a discussion of fitness, asceticism, self-discipline, manliness and faith in Christ, the fullness of manhood. …

#118 The Bible Answer Man Finds the Eucharist - null

Hank Hanegraaff, the Bible Answer Man to millions of Protestant radio listeners, discusses his entry into the Orthodox Church, his veneration of Mary, and the fullness of life found in the Eucharist. Oh, and why he still doesn’t believe in the Prosperity Gospel. …

#117 Why Don’t the Media Get Religion? - null

Why don’t the media get religion, and what can churches do to change that fact? Revered religion reporter and founder of GetReligion.org Terry Mattingly joins us for a wide-ranging look at the state of religion reporting in America. …

#116 Door to Door Catholicism - null

Is it really okay for Catholics to go door to door sharing the faith? We talk with Father John Guzaldo, pastor of St. Louis Parish in Waco, Texas about the door to door ministry he and his parishioners have started. …

#115 A Truly Catholic Education - Anthony Esolen

Renowned scholar Anthony Esolen is leaving Providence College to take up residence at St. Thomas More College in New Hampshire. Professor Esolen shares his reasons for the move and his insights into the state of Catholic higher education. …

#114 Anglicans in the Catholic Church - null

Can one be Anglican and fully in communion with the Catholic Church? We talk with Father Glenn Baaten and Deacon Candidate Keith Way about their entry into the Catholic Church. Both are members of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter, created by the Vatican in 2012 for people nurtured in the Anglican tradition who wish to become Catholic. …

#113 The Proverbs Explained - Fr. Mitch Pacwa

The Book of Proverbs is a powerful mix of human striving for wisdom and divine inspiration. Far more than just a collection of sayings, the proverbs form a blueprint for Christian living. In this installment of CA Focus, Father Mitch Pacwa, host of EWTN Live, shares some of the history and import of the proverbs with us. …

#112 St. Joseph the Worker - Fr. Matthew Spencer

Established in 1955, the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker is part of a growing devotion to Joseph of Nazareth. But it is also a message from the Church about what it means to be truly human in the modern world. Oblate of Saint Joseph, Father Matthew Spencer walks us through this history, and dispels some myths about the patron of the Universal Church. …

#111 Pastor and Flock Become Catholic - null

Assemblies of God Pastor Josh Mangels came into the Catholic Church this Easter with his family and members of his congregation. It all began with a desire to live as the first Christians lived. …

#110 The Benedict Option - null

Rod Dreher’s book The Benedict Option has become a center of conversation among Christians. Mr. Dreher drops by to discuss the book, our culture, and the Christian-response to post-Christianity. …

#109 The Case for Christ - null

Lee Strobel joins Cy for a conversation about his new movie – The Case for Christ. Cy and Lee also discuss how Christians can evangelize in a post-Christian era. …

#108 What’s So Sacred About Sacred Music? - null

Jennifer Donelson, associate professor and the director of sacred music at St. Joseph’s Seminary (Dunwoodie) in New York, shares her insights on the interior life and the sacred music of the Catholic Church. …

#107 Christ in the City - null

In the Christ in the City program, young adults are answering the call to serve the poor while being formed for mission. Meet some of the Church’s most committed young people, as well those who help in their formation. …

#106 Sons of St. Patrick - null

All 10 archbishops of New York have been Irishmen of one degree or another. Author George Marlin shares their history with us, and a bit of the history of New York as America’s leading archdiocese. …

#105 The Very First Christians - Jimmy Akin

Who were the very earliest Christians? How many of them were there? What were their lives like? For the first in what we hope will be a series of talks about the early life of Christianity, Jimmy Akin stops by for a discussion of the first three years (33-36 A.D.) in the life of the Church. …

#104 Pro-Life on Campus - null

Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life, discusses the (somewhat) quiet revolution on college campuses toward the pro-life position. She also discusses how her organization became a national leader in organizing students to stand up for women and the unborn. …

#103 Living the Faith in the World - null

Patrick Novecosky, Editor-In-Chief of Legatus Magazine since 2005, discusses Legatus’s efforts to form executives in the Faith. He also discusses changes within Catholic media, and the influence of Opus Dei on ideas about faith and the work world. …

#102 Pro-Life and Pro-Woman - null

Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List, talks with Cy about pro-life politics and the feminine power of Mary, mother of Jesus. A convert to both the pro-life movement and the Catholic Church, today Dannenfelser is one of America’s most important leaders in the fight for the right to life. …

#101 Staying Catholic in College - null

Aurora Griffin, author of How I Stayed Catholic at Harvard, visits with Cy Kellett to discuss her own strategies for staying Catholic while she was in college, the power of the sacraments, and what parents can do to help their college-aged kids keep the Faith. …

#100 Dappled Things - null

Cy Kellett talks about beauty and the revitalization of culture with Bernardo Aparicio Garcia, founder and publisher of Dappled Things, a literary magazine dedicated to providing a space for emerging writers to engage the literary world from a Catholic perspective. Why does the literary world need the Catholic perspective? Bernardo gets into that and more in this wide-ranging interview. …

#99 A Catholic Guide to Navigating Science - Stacy Trasancos

Dr. Stacy Trasancos talks with Cy Kellett about her book Particles of Faith: A Catholic guide to navigating science. Trasancos encourages Catholics to take the widest possible view of science and faith in order to see both in the context of God’s gift of creation. She also defends the idea that Christ is the savior of science. …

#98 Meet Cy Kellett - Cy Kellett

#97 Mormonism to Mary - Rachel Lu

#96 Managing Interpersonal Conflict - null

#95 A Mormon Couple Finds Catholicism - null

#94 The Hidden Rebellion - null

#93 The Craft of Acting in Light of the Gospel - null

#92 Ending the Cycle of Violence in Northern Iraq: The Role Ahead for Christians - null

#91 Unpacking Augustine’s Confessions - Peter Kreeft

#90 The Psychological Roots of Atheism - Paul Vitz

#89 From Tehran to Rome - null

#88 Modesty in Speaking, Doing, and Dressing - null