Jesuitical

Everything is on the table: immigration and racism, women's ordination, abortion, sexual abuse, pornography, gender identity and dating apps. We’ve never seen a conversation with the pope like this. In Hulu’s “The Pope: Answers,” Francis sits with a group of 20 to 25-year-olds to discuss their most profound questions and struggles with faith and the church’s teachings. The young people also get practical, asking if the pope gets a salary. Ashley and Zac are joined by two Jesuit colleagues, Ricardo da Silva, S.J., and Jim McDermott, S.J., to discuss the new documentary and how Catholics can process this profoundly honest conversation that seemingly raised more questions than answers. Read more: In Hulu’s ‘The Pope: Answers,’ Pope Francis talks abortion, gender identity, dating apps and more with 10 young adults by Ricardo da Silva, S.J. Hulu’s ‘The Pope: Answers’ is the most thrilling movie out right now by Jim McDermott, S.J. Listen to the full conversation here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaph

This week, Jesuitical is joined by Sam Sawyer, S.J., the new editor in chief of America Media to talk about:  How Sam went from working as a software developer to joining the Jesuits The Catholic Church’s approach to technology, and what A.I. and ChatGPT have in store for it His latest essay in America: “Catholicism, authentic communion and the way out of our polarization trap” And during Signs of the Times, Ashley and Zac discuss the following news stories:  Pope Francis has given women the right to vote at the synod for the first time in history Pope Francis losing his blue verification checkmark on Twitter Two events in Catholic-Anglican relations: A gift from Pope Francis to King Charles III and a “breakdown in communication” between a visiting Anglican group in Rome and the Basilica of St. John Lateran  Links from the show Support America’s Anniversary! “Catholicism, authentic communion and the way out of our polarization trap” Does ChatGPT have a soul? A conversation on Catholic ethics and A.

Let’s face it: talking about climate change can feel depressing and futile. It seems like every few years there’s a new dire report, another agreement signed, and little progress is made. This week’s guest, Dorothy Fortenberry, is a writer and executive producer of “Extrapolations,” a new show from Apple TV+ that aims to shake us from our complacency by showing us what the world might look like in 10, 20, 30 years if we stay on our current trajectory. We talk to her about getting people to care about climate change, her love of Pope Francis’ environmental encyclical “Laudato Si’” and the ethics of having kids in a climate crisis. In Signs of the Times, Zac and Ashley discuss a controversy between a group of Franciscans and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, and talk about how Catholics should react to SatanCon, a gathering of members of the Satanic Temple in Boston next week. Links from the show: Military archdiocese: The end of Walter Reed’s pastoral care contract is ‘incomprehensible’ Boston 'Sat

This week, Jesuitical chats with Ronald Rolheiser, O.M.I., spiritual master and the author of many books, including “The Holy Longing: The Search for a Christian Spirituality.” Ashley and Zac talk to Father Rolheiser about the importance and universality of spiritual energy, sex, isolation and the differences between therapy and spirituality. During “Signs of the Times,” the team is joined by Michael O’Louglin to unpack an FBI memo that seems to be targeting “traditionalist Catholics.” Later they discuss Hulu’s new documentary, “The Pope: Answers.” Links from the show:  RonRolheiser.Com House committee alleges FBI used undercover agent to produce analysis on ‘radical traditionalist’ Catholics In Hulu’s ‘The Pope: Answers,’ Pope Francis talks abortion, gender identity, dating apps and more with 10 young adults What’s on Tap? Sparkling wine, with bubbles that are rising (like Jesus) Support Jesuitical! Become a digital subscriber to America Media! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For this special triduum edition of Jesuitical, we’re doing something a little different. Instead of a regular interview, we’re sharing an episode from the America Media podcast “Imagine: A Guide to Jesuit Prayer,” by our friend and colleague Tucker Redding, S.J. In this episode, Tucker guides us through an imaginative prayer focusing on the Way of the Cross, the time between Jesus’ trial under Pontius Pilate and his crucifixion. In Signs of the Times, Zac and Ashley give an update on Pope Francis’ health and time in the hospital, and then they share their favorite parts of the Easter Triduum. Happy Easter everyone! Links from the show: Imagine: A Guide to Jesuit Prayer After hospital pizza party and baptizing a baby, Pope Francis expected to return to Vatican Saturday The Easter Vigil is the longest liturgy of the year. And it’s so, so worth your time. More Easter content from America The best way to support Jesuitical is to become a digital subscriber to America Media and access all of our digital con

Before Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, B.V.M., captured the heart of America during Loyola Chicago’s Cinderella run to the Final Four in 2018, she was Zac’s hero and mentor while he was attending Loyola. To be fair, she had been many things to many people in 100 years of life. Sister Jean is out with a new book (written with help from ace basketball writer Seth Davis) titled Wake Up With Purpose!: What I’ve Learned in My First Hundred Years. She joins the podcast to discuss that magical Final Four run, why she loves being around young people and where she believes the Catholic Church is headed. During Signs of the Times, Zac and Ashley give an update on Pope Francis’ health and discuss why an A.I.-generated image of him in a puffer jacket went viral. Finally, Zac explains where he found God during jury duty. Links from the show:  “Wake Up With Purpose!” What you don’t know about Loyola’s Sister Jean How Loyola Chicago’s Sister Jean prays—on and off the court Vatican: Pope Francis’ condition improving after r

What if you could pray with the Black Madonna of Montserrat, on the banks of the River Cardoner or the cave in Manresa where St. Ignatius developed the Spiritual Exercises—from the comfort of your couch? Today’s guest, Vivian Richards, S.J., wants to help Catholics do just that. Father Vivian is a Jesuit priest of India’s Karnataka province and part of the team of Jesuits who developed the JesuitPilgrimage app. The app provides photos, prayer and audio guides and interactive maps to bring users to the significant spots in the life of St. Ignatius and the Society of Jesus. We talk with Father Richards about how smartphones can help (and hurt) our prayer life, what it’s like to work at the Jesuit curia (a.k.a the home office) and what it means to take a “digital pilgrimage.” And in Signs of the Times, Ashley and Zac discuss President Joe Biden’s asylum policy being at odds with Catholic teaching, the five lucky cousins who will receive an inheritance from the late Pope Benedict XVI and Georgetown University po

Bishop Robert Brennan leads the most diverse diocese in the country: Brooklyn-Queens. Every Sunday, you are able to find Mass in over 25 languages throughout the diocese. Before coming to Brooklyn, Bishop Brennan was bishop of Columbus, Ohio (Zac’s hometown). This week, we talk to Bishop Brennan about the differences between Ohio and Brooklyn, what it’s like to switch dioceses as a bishop and the future of parish life in an era of church closings and reorganization. In Signs of the Times, Ashley and Zac look at St. Patrick’s Day dispensations around the country and a new “cannabis studies” certificate offered by St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. Links from the show:  Bishop Brennan Podcast: Big City Catholics St. Joseph’s University has a cannabis certificate program, and some Catholics aren’t pleased When St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Friday in Lent, should we eat the corned beef? Jesuitical March Madness: Facebook What’s on tap?  Scotch! (We have a St. Patrick’s Day dispensation ourselves) Learn more

Each year, during Holy Week, Catholics hear the story of Jesus’ triumphant entrance into Jerusalem, the Last Supper and the washing of the apostles’ feet, and finally, the betrayal, trial and crucifixion of Jesus. These events at the heart of our faith can become familiar, even sanitized after a while. But this year, we can hear them all anew thanks to “The Passion,” a new musical production from the Notre Dame Folk Choir. Zac and Ashley talk with J.J. Wright, the director of the University of Notre Dame Folk Choir, and Tristan Cooley, the creative director and librettist for “The Passion,” about the origins of the album, how spending so many hours with these Gospel passages affected their faith and how current realities—clergy sex abuse, police brutality and ongoing discussions about the place of women in the church—shaped the production. In Signs of the Times, we mark International Women’s Day by discussing the record number of female employees at the Vatican—as well the hope expressed during synod consulta

Catholics love their saints. But it's not easy to become one. On this special Deep Dive episode of “Inside the Vatican,” we take you inside the grueling process of saint-making, which starts at a local diocese and involves dozens of people, a long paper trail with the Vatican, travel for miracle verification and a lot of money. We’ll hear from Vatican historians and journalists about how the process evolved from folks being devoted to holy people in their cities to a codified Vatican process. We’ll talk with individuals who are working on Dorothy Day's canonization cause in New York about how the significant cost and local politics can lead to causes being delayed indefinitely. And finally, we’ll look into how miracles are verified—and why some people think that ought to change. Support Inside the Vatican! Become a digital subscriber to America Media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Zac and Ashley join forces with the hosts of the universe’s leading Jewish podcast, “Unorthodox,” for our annual Lenten conversation. As is custom, Mark Oppenheimer, Stephanie Butnick and Liel Leibovitz offer the hosts of “Jesuitical” their annual Lenten practices.  Links from the show:  Unorthodox Tablet Magazine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Catholics probably won’t hear hip-hop at Mass anytime soon, but that doesn’t mean the genre doesn’t have a lot to say about God and the plight of God’s people. Much like liberation theology starts from the experience of the poor when talking about God, hip-hop, which originated in the South Bronx in the 1970s, expresses the struggles for justice and freedom of people living on the margins of America. That’s the case this week’s guest, Alex Nava, makes in his new book, Street Scriptures: Between God and Hip-Hop. Zac and Ashley ask Alex about the history of liberation theology and about the liberating potential of hip-hop. In Signs of the Times, we give an update on the crackdown Catholics and other opponents of the Ortega regime in Nicaragua and discuss the slick “He Gets Us” ads for Jesus at the Super Bowl. Were they an effective way to evangelize—or a massive waste of money? Links from the show: Pope Francis denounces imprisonment of Nicaragua’s Bishop Rolando Álvarez What the Jesus Super Bowl ads get righ

Jean Vanier was the founder of L’Arche, a network of intentional communities where people with and without disabilities live alongside one another in mutual friendship. While he was considered a “living saint” up until his death in 2019, allegations that he had sexually abused six adult, nondisabled women sent shockwaves throughout the L’Arche Community. And more recently, a nearly 900-page report was released last Monday shed more light on the scope of the abuse. Jenna Barnett has been following this story since it broke. She is the host of the new podcast “Lead Us Not” from Sojourners. We talk to Jenna about Vanier and how L’Arche is responding, as well as larger questions about how we hold in tension the good works created by deeply flawed, charismatic founders. During Signs of the Times, we talk about the developing situation between the church and the government in Nicaragua, where four priests were sentenced to 10 years in prison, as well as Notre Dame’s new food delivery robots. (After we recorded, new

What would it take to build a radically inclusive church? That is the question Cardinal Robert McElroy took up in a recent article published by America. In it, he called on the church to dismantle the “structures and cultures of exclusion” that alienate some Catholics, including women, the poor, divorced-and-remarried couples and L.G.B.T. Catholics. Most controversially, he argued that people who do not conform to the church’s teaching on sex and marriage should not be excluded from receiving Communion. The article sparked a wide range of reactions online, and this week on “Jesuitical,” Zac Davis and Ashley McKinless bring on Cardinal McElroy on to the podcast to continue the conversation. They ask the cardinal whether he is in favor of open Communion, if the inclusion he’s advocating for requires a change in church teaching and if he’s worried that disagreements over the place of women and L.G.B.T. Catholics in the church could lead to schism. Cardinal McElroy shares his view that “judgmentalism is the worst

The human person is an autonomous, self-governing and self-actualizing being. It has individual rights that no government or obligation should infringe upon. At least, that is the traditionally American, classically liberal way of viewing a human being. But does this view match up with a Christian anthropology? And what does that mean for how Christians should engage in the public sphere? This week, Ashley and Zac are joined by Susannah Black Roberts to discuss all of this and more. Susannah is a senior editor at Plough Quarterly and Mere Orthodoxy and the co-host of “The Ploughcast” podcast. During Signs of the Times, the hosts give an overview of a new interview with Pope Francis and talk about his disdain for “long homilies.”  Links from the Show:  Pope Francis gives major interview on his critics, sex abuse, decriminalizing homosexuality and more Pope Francis: Long homilies are ‘a disaster’—keep it under 10 minutes Our post-liberal moment: What do we want? The common good! When do we want it? Now! Susanna

We’re changing things up a bit today and bringing you a preview of a new podcast we’re enjoying and think you will, too. Where There’s a Will searches for the surprising places Shakespeare shows up outside the theater. Host Barry Edelstein, artistic director at one of the country’s leading Shakespeare theaters, and co-host, writer and director Em Weinstein, ask what is it about Shakespeare that’s given him a continuous afterlife in all sorts of unexpected ways? You’ll hear Shakespeare doing rehabilitative work in a maximum security prison, helping autistic kids to communicate, shaping religious observances, in the mouths of U.S. presidents, and even at the center of a deadly riot in New York City. Join Barry and Em as they uncover the ways Shakespeare endures in our modern society, and what that says about us. In this preview, Barry and Em take a deep dive into how Shakespeare informs contemporary religious practices and faith traditions, and explore one of Shakespeare’s greatest plays—The Winter's Tale. Hear

For many Christians, the prevalence of the religious imagery at the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol—crosses, rosary, a flag proclaiming “Trump Is My President—Jesus Is My Savior”—came as a shock. But not for this week’s guest, Brad Onishi, who joined (and eventually left) an evangelical church that combined the conservative politics and “God and country” faith embraced by many who sought to overturn the 2020 election that day. Brad is a co-host of the “Straight White American Jesus” podcast and the author of the new book, Preparing for War: The Extremist History of White Christian Nationalism – And What Comes Next. We discuss the history of white Christian nationalism, how Catholics and evangelicals became allies in our political and culture wars, and if there’s a non-toxic way to mix faith and politics. In Signs of the Times, Zac and Ashley mark the passing of Sister André, a French nun and oldest known person in the world, who died this week at the age of 118; the late Pope Benedict XVI’s custom-made colo

There has been no shortage of commentary on the life of Pope Benedict XVI since his death on Dec. 31. But one aspect of Benedict’s legacy that many Americans miss is his contributions to Catholic social teaching. John Carr would know. John is the founder of the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life at Georgetown University and for 20 years served as director of the Department of Justice, Peace, and Human Development at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. John has more than five decades of experience working in the Catholic Church to help promote its public witness to justice. We talk to John about Pope Benedict, the perception of the church and politics as well as his personal and professional experience with the sexual abuse crisis. As you can probably tell from Ashley’s voice in the interview, we decided to give her vocal cords a rest. So you’ll hear an abbreviated version of the rest of the show.  What’s on tap Orange Fanta Links from the show:  Pope Benedict’s greatest discon

This week, Ashley and Zac turn over the keys to their listeners. In their first ever mailbag episode, they answer listener-submitted questions on a range of topics, from what it's like being a professional Catholic in a parish, to what theological mystery they struggle with the most and who they cheered for in the World Cup.  What's on tap? Rosso di Montalcino, combined with a great story! Note: This episode was recorded on Dec. 20, 2022. Early access to this episode was available to Patreon supporters. Join the community at: www.patreon.com/americamedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christmas drinks, Christmas carols, Christmas movies–it's the Jesuitical Christmas special! On today's festive episode, Ashley McKinless and Zac Davis are joined by two colleagues, Maggi Van Dorn, the host of America Media's podcast "Hark! The stories behind our favorite Christmas carols" and associate editor Jim McDermott, S.J., to discuss the making of "Hark!", the incredible history of the Ukrainian classic, "Carol of the Bells", and why carols are so meaningful year, after year, after year. They also channel Mr. Grinch and discuss their least favorite carols. Merry Christmas to all! The story of ‘Carol of the Bells,’ a Christmas classic born in Ukraine Don't forget to follow Hark! The stories behind our favorite Christmas carols on your podcast app! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices