Jesuitical

As a young adult, José Manuel de Urquidi had a lot of questions about faith but couldn’t find satisfying answers. He went to law school, opened a craft brewery and started a family, but it wasn’t until he started podcasting that he found his purpose as a digital missionary. José is a voting member in the synod on synodality at the Vatican this month and his advocacy for evangelizing–or rather listening–in digital spaces is turning heads. Leading up to the synod, he worked closely with the synod secretariat to get the word out on dozens of digital platforms. The result is the digital synod “continental” document, which centers previously unheard voices of those who are or feel excluded from the traditional structures of the Church. In Signs of the Times, Ashley and Zac break open the final thematic module of the synod that’s currently being discussed: Participation, governance and authority.  Links Synod Diary: Will the synod change its members? Synod cardinal from Brazil: In the Amazon ‘everyone votes, except

This week on “Jesuitical,” Zac and Ashley turn their attention to the Middle East. Their guest is Olivier Poquillon, O.P., a French Dominican priest who, until recently, served as the pastor of a Catholic Church in Mosul, Iraq. That church was almost completely destroyed by ISIS in 2014 when the terrorist group took over one of the few remaining religiously diverse communities in the country. After ISIS was driven from the city, Father Poquillon returned to oversee the reconstruction of the church. He was recently named the director of the École Biblique in Jerusalem—the oldest biblical and archaeological research center in the Holy Land—and is on the commission for methodology for the Synod on Synodality here in Rome. Zac and Ashley talk to Father Poquillon about: The history of religious diversity and violence in Mesopotamia, the birthplace of the Abrahamic faiths What Pope Francis’ 2021 visit to Iraq meant to the people of Mosul What he heard from the Catholics living in the Middle East during their loc

Listen to this full bonus episode on Patreon! Ashley and Zac are joined by their colleagues, Sebastian Gomes and Colleen Dulle to break down the curious media strategy around the Vatican's synod on synodality. Synod members are "fasting" from public speaking after Pope Francis decried what he perceived to be distorted media narratives around previous synods. But this media blackout strategy brings very real risks. Support Jesuitical and access bonus content–including this full episode–on Patreon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ashley and Zac get schooled in social justice from a Latin American perspective. Emilce Cuda, the Secretary of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America and the highest ranking lay woman working in the Vatican, joins the podcast to explain how “el pueblo”—ordinary, working class people—are at the forefront of a burgeoning synodal church. They also discuss: Populism in Latin America versus North America Pope Francis’ vision for a church that does social justice What it’s like working as a lay woman in the Vatican In Signs of the Times, the hosts share updates about the synod on synodality, including some of the hot topics emerging from inside the hall: concern for the poor, the environment, welcoming marginalized groups including women and LGBT Catholics, formation and a lot more. They also discuss Pope Francis’ remarks concerning the terrorist attack on Israel last Saturday. What’s on tap: Malbec (from Argentina!) Links: Cardinal Tobin at the synod: the church is ‘most beautiful when the doors are ope

The synod on synodality learned a lot from the young people who attended the youth synod in 2018, says Julian Paparella, who was 25 years old when he addressed hundreds of bishops in that assembly. Now studying in Rome, he joins Zac and Ashley to shed light on the dynamic at work inside synods and how the process has evolved over the past five years to truly listen to lay—and especially younger—people. They also discuss: The young people’s call in 2018 for greater inclusion of women in the church The balance between learning synodality and tackling the hot-button issues that matter to many people who feel excluded from the church How conversion happens inside a synod among the participants In Signs of the Times, the part of the show where the hosts sift through Catholic news of the week, the hosts discuss the complicated process of the discussions in the synod on synodality. Links Julian Paparella’s Synodal Intervention America’s synod coverage What’s on Tap? Birra Moretti Learn more about your ad choic

Hello from Rome! Ashley and Zac are joined by their colleague Gerard O’Connell, a journalist who has covered the Vatican since 1985. They bring questions from listeners about the Synod on Synodality, which began this week: How will the discussions inside the synod hall work? How will the synod deal with internal polarization? What will determine the success of this synod? They also discuss: The changes that Pope Francis has brought to the synod, making it more open and inclusive. How to listen and remain open to the Holy Spirit. Lay involvement in the synod, especially of women and young people. Links from the Show Analysis: The synod is not Vatican III. It’s Pope Francis’ implementation of Vatican II. America’s synod coverage What’s on Tap? Falanghina (Italian white wine) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Jesuitical, Zac and Ashley are joined by Chris Hadley, S.J., to talk about the oft-overshadowed third person of the Trinity: the Holy Spirit. Father Hadley, an associate professor of systematic theology at Santa Clara University, uses his expertise in pneumatology to guide us through a great discussion about: How Catholics understand the Spirit, from biblical times to today Signs of the Holy Spirit at work in the world How Catholics can open themselves to the Holy Spirit—at the Synod and beyond In Signs of the Times, Zac and Ashley announce that they will travel to Rome to cover the Synod on Synodality, which is shaping up to be the biggest church event since Vatican II. Jesuitical will cover the broader themes at the synod and welcome guests from around the world to share their insight and experience. They will be recording twice a week, with some episodes exclusive to Patreon, so subscribe for all of our coverage. Links from the Show Christopher M. Hadley, S.J. America’s synod coverage pla

This week on Jesuitical, Zac and Ashley are talking about the migrant crisis in New York City and the work Catholics are doing to respond. They are joined by Richard Slizeski, the senior vice president for mission at Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens. They talk to him about: Migrants’ often harrowing experiences coming to the United States What’s missing in the political debates around the migrant crisis in New York How Catholic Charities’ mission and Catholic identity informs their work on the ground In Signs of the Times, Zac and Ashley discuss recent revelations about what World War II-era Pope Pius XII knew about the Holocaust as it was occuring, as well as Pope Francis’ recent conversation with Bill Clinton. Links from the Show As New York’s migrant crisis makes headlines, Catholic Charities gets to work Letter Found in Vatican Archives Confirms Church Was Told About Death Camps; more info Conversation between Pope Francis and Bill Clinton What’s on Tap? Dark beer—Guinness stout, specifi

This week, Zac and Ashley are talking about the psychological care that seminarians (i.e., priests-in-training) receive as part of their formation. They are joined by Maribel Laguna, the founder and owner of Cor Sacrum Counseling and Consulting. They talk to Maribel about: The Catholic Church’s relationship with psychology and counseling, historically and today The unique challenges seminarians are facing The type of psychological screening that goes into the decision to accept someone into a seminary program In Signs of the Times, they discuss Pope Francis’ new pick to lead the Vatican’s doctrinal office and the best thing to go on tour in the United States this year: the relic of St. Jude’s arm. Links from the show: Pope Francis appoints Archbishop Victor Manuel Fernandez as the new head of Vatican office for doctrine St. Jude’s arm is on tour in the US; tour schedule Become a member of Jesuitical’s Patreon community Invite Jesuitical to your college, parish or community! Send us an email: jesuitical@a

On the season premier of Jesuitical’s seventh season, Zac and Ashley talk with their friend and colleague James Martin, S.J., who is out with a brand new book, Come Forth: The Promise of Jesus's Greatest Miracle. They ask Father Martin: If Jesus actually raised Lazarus from the dead (and do Catholic have to believe it) What Mary, Martha and Lazarus can teach us about friendship And how we can all come forth into new life in our daily lives In Signs of the Times, we discuss the “DJ Priest” who made headlines at World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal, and ask: Were Pope Francis’ criticisms of “reactionary” Catholics in the United States fair (or helpful)? Links from the show: The (not so) curious case of priests who DJ in the history of electronic music Pope Francis speaks out against his critics in the U.S. Catholic Church Pope Francis’ criticisms of ‘reactionary’ U.S. Catholics are counterproductive Come Forth: The Promise of Jesus's Greatest Miracle Exclusive Excerpt: What can the story of Lazarus teach us

We have a great summer bonus episode, all about baseball! To listen to the full episode, become a patron of Jesuitical! This is the first season with a pitch clock in Major League Baseball, which was implemented to try to speed up the game and appeal to younger viewers. But to some longtime baseball fans the rule change feels gimmicky and disrespectful to the grand tradition of America's pastime. If the debate sounds familiar, that's because the Catholic Church is at a similar pivotal moment in its history. Younger people are not filling the pews as previous generations have, and Catholics are grappling with how to reform itself without compromising its authentic tradition.  On today's episode, two past guests and baseball fanatics return to debate the pitch clock and draw analogies between the game and the church they love. J.D. Long-Garcia is a senior editor at America and Greg Hillis runs the Aquinas Center of Theology at Emory University. You can read their takes on the pitch clock here: J.D. Long-Garcia,

On the season finale of “Jesuitical,” Zac and producer Sebastian Gomes talk with Cardinal Michael Czerny, S.J., who leads the Vatican’s department for social justice and human development. (Ashley was out of the country at the time of the interview). Cardinal Czerny is also the co-author of the new book Siblings All, Sign of the Times: The Social Teaching of Pope Francis. We talk to him about: The disputed legacy of Vatican II How Pope Francis has developed the church’s social teaching How the church should relate to the outside world In Signs of the Times, Zac and Ashley point ahead to some stories to look out for this summer. And in As One Friend Speaks to Another, they look back at the season and the many graces it held. Links from the show: Jesuitical listener survey Learn more about the O’Hare fellowship Vatican confirms Pope Francis will enjoy a ‘staycation’ in July Pope Francis’ prep advice for World Youth Day: talk to your grandparents first Siblings All, Sign of the Times: The Social Teaching of

This week on Jesuitical, Ashley and Zac chat with Bryan McCarthy, who teaches philosophy at the University of Pittsburgh, Greensburg, and is the author of a new paper, “Christianity and Psychedelic Medicine: A Pastoral Approach.” They discuss:  What the church teaches about drugs and intoxication How psychedelic drugs are being used in therapeutic settings, and how Christians should respond Bryan’s own religious experiences while using psychedelic drugs  During Signs of the Times, Ashley and Zac give initial reactions to the new working document for the Synod on Synodality and discuss a curious story involving a fake priest and serious labor violations out of California.  Links from the show:  Bryan’s paper Vatican releases Synod document calling for discussion of women, LGBT Catholics, church authority and more California restaurant had fake priest hear workers’ confessions, Labor Department says Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Earlier this year, Pope Francis called most Catholic homilies “a disaster.” Well, we’re doing something about it. This week, Ashley and Zac welcome Ricardo da Silva, S.J., their colleague and the host of the brand new podcast from America Media, “Preach: The Catholic Homilies Podcast.” “Preach” releases weekly and features a diverse cast of the finest Catholic preachers. On each episode, preachers open up their hearts and minds, sharing their spiritual lives, approaches to interpreting Scripture and techniques for preparing the best homilies. Whether you’re curious about preaching methods, or you’re a preacher looking for inspiration and best practices, “Preach” is here to accompany you through the liturgical year with great homilies and conversations about them. Follow “Preach: The Catholic Homilies Podcast” on your podcast app! Or at AmericaMagazine.org If you know a priest, deacon or lay preacher who would benefit from “Preach,” please share it with them! And, if you want to recommend a great preacher for

This week on “Jesuitical,” Zac and Ashley chat with Linda K. Wertheimer, a journalist and the author of the book Faith Ed: Teaching about Religion in an Age of Intolerance. In a recent article in The New Republic, Linda explores renewed efforts in some parts of the country to get prayer back into public schools. They discuss: Linda’s experience of being the only Jewish student in a public school with weekly Christian Bible classes The history of school prayer at the Supreme Court How to balance religious freedom and inclusion in an increasingly diverse country In Signs of the Times, the hosts give an update on Pope Francis’ recovery after his three-hour abdominal surgery and discuss the approval of what would be the first publicly funded religious charter school in the nation. Finally, Ashley reflects on her vision of heaven. Links from the show: Surgeon: Pope Francis is ‘alert’ and cracking jokes after hernia operation Catholic virtual school approved by Oklahoma board would be first religious charter i

This week, Ashley and Zac are joined by Bishop John Dolan of the Diocese of Phoenix to talk about losing several members of his family to suicide, a groundbreaking new mental health ministry in his diocese and how the church can better support those struggling with mental health issues.  They are also joined by America colleague James Martin, S.J., who serves as a consultor for the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication. They discuss the dicastery’s new document “Towards Full Presence: A Pastoral Reflection on Engagement with Social Media.” Finally, Zac brings a question to discuss: Does God take bribes?  Links from the show:  Bishop Dolan: How losing family to suicide led me to start a mental health ministry Office of Mental Health Ministry of the Diocese of Phoenix National Suicide Prevention Lifeline American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Towards Full Presence: A Pastoral Reflection on Engagement with Social Media Vatican tells the bishops of Catholic Twitter: be reflective, not reactive God doesn’t acc

This week, Jesuitical is joined by Sister Donna Dodge, the president of the Sisters of Charity of New York, which recently decided to embark on a “path to completion,” meaning the over 200-year-old congregation will no longer accept new vocations (though their ministry continues). We discuss: How religious life has changed since Sister Donna joined in 1966 How the sisters discerned that it was time to let go—and how their charism of charity will live on in the work of lay collaborators Why the church needs to change the way it talks about “vocation” with young people And in Signs of the Times, Zac and Ashley chat with America’s national correspondent, Michael O’Loughlin, about the controversy sparked by the Los Angeles Dodgers’ decision to include a group of “drag queen nuns” in their Pride Night this June. Links from the show: Drag queen ‘nuns’ will be included in LA Dodgers Pride Night. I have complicated feelings about it. The end of an era for the Sisters of Charity of New York  Nerves, tears and cha

“Can we consider Toni Morrison a Catholic novelist,” Nadra Nittle asked in an article for America in 2017. Since Morrison’s passing in 2019, Nadra has been exploring that question in more depth, and the result is her new book: Toni Morrison's Spiritual Vision: Faith, Folktales, and Feminism in Her Life and Literature, out this month from Fortress Press. This week, Zac reintroduces this popular interview with Nadra Nittle from 2021 which explores the Catholic sensibilities and love for aesthetics of the acclaimed writer Toni Morrison. Support Jesuitical by becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/americamedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Jesuitical is joined by Pete Davis to talk about his new documentary “Join or Die,” “a film about why you should join a club — and why the fate of America depends on it.” They discuss: Why Americans join fewer clubs and associations than they used to Why churches are suffering the same fate The work of Robert Putnam in his groundbreaking book, Bowling Alone During Signs of the Times, Zac highlights a new transcript of Pope Francis in conversation with Jesuits in Hungary. Links from the show:  “Join or Die” ‘This is God’s Style’: Pope Francis’ conversation with Hungarian Jesuits How could a country that was 90 percent Catholic “disappear” Catholic priests and seminarians? Who is the real Bergoglio? What’s on tap?  Tank 7 American Saison Ale from Boulevard Brewing Company Support Jesuitical by becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/americamedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Jesuitical, we’re joined by Luke Russert, the author of the new memoir Look for Me There: Grieving My Father, Finding Myself. Luke is the son of Tim Russert, the legendary host of NBC’s “Meet the Press,” and served as an NBC News correspondent from 2008 to 2016. We talk to Luke about: What it was like to lose his father and hero Tim Russert the year he graduated from college Why he decided to leave a successful career in journalism to travel the world The limits of travel when it comes to processing grief and finding yourself And during Signs of the Times, Ashley and Zac discuss the following news stories:  The historic participation of Catholic cardinals and bishops at the coronation of King Charles III this weekend The Sisters of Charity of New York’s decision to no longer accept new members and to embark on a “path of completion” The maiden voyage of a Staten Island Ferry named for Dorothy Day Links from the show: Look for Me There: Grieving My Father, Finding Myself British Cathol