The Catholic Herald Podcast: Merely Catholic with Gavin Ashenden

In the fifth of our Merely Catholic podcast series, Dr Gavin Ashenden is joined from Jerusalem by Father Dwight Longenecker, the acclaimed U.S. author and speaker. They discuss Easter in the Holy Land as well as mounting tensions between Christians in the West and the increasingly secularised societies in which they find themselves. The worldliness of a Church in which the sex appears to many Christians to be more important than the supernatural is brought into focus, along with the dynamic responses to contemporary challenges initiated by others who seem more determined to deliver the authentic fruits of the New Evangelisation.

Dr Gavin Ashenden speaks to Father David Palmer, chaplain to Nottingham University, about shocking sexual blasphemy in a children’s book which has divided staff at a Catholic school in south London. Father Palmer, who was last year “cancelled” after he expressed forthright Catholic views over social media, discusses the decision by the Archdiocese of Southwark to stop author Simon James Green visiting The John Fisher School in Purley. With Dr Ashenden, he explores some of the ideological, sociological and theological issues at the heart of this clash between Christianity and an overtly hostile secular culture in the fourth of our podcast series.

For the third podcast in our Merely Catholic series, Dr Gavin Ashenden is joined from Chicago by Melissa Villalobos, the mother whose inexplicable healing from a potentially fatal haemorrhage provided Pope Francis with the miracle required to recognise Cardinal John Henry Newman as a saint. Melissa, the Catholic Herald 2019 “Catholic of the Year”, recalls her healing and reflects on the deep spiritual bond of friendship she forged with the first English saint since the Reformation era, and also speaks about the importance of his teachings to our secular times, particularly in the formation of consciences.

“What weight do we give to the teaching of Jesus Christ and the Apostles?” In the second episode of our Merely Catholic podcast series Dr Gavin Ashenden talks to Cardinal George Pell about dangers inherent in conforming to contemporary fads and ideologies. Bishops presiding over the German Synodal Path would be embarking on an “absolutely disastrous” experiment if they succumbed to the temptation to water down the faith and accept secular mores in its place, says the distinguished Australian cardinal. Such bishops are “facing in the wrong direction”, Cardinal Pell asserts, and he predicts the intervention of the Pope.

“When they came to Jesus, they saw he was already dead, and so instead of breaking his legs one of the soldiers pierced his side with a lance; and immediately there came out blood and water.” With these words, St John, a witness to the crucifixion, describes the effusion from the side of Jesus Christ on the first Good Friday. In this inaugural episode of Merely Catholic our presenter Dr Gavin Ashenden speaks to the Reverend Professor Patrick Pullicino, a former consultant neurologist and now a Catholic priest, about a fascinating theory which might explain medically what happened that day. Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.

For the best spirited thinking on religious affairs today, join Gavin Ashenden and his guest on the Catholic Herald's podcast Merely Catholic. Every week we will reflect on what's happening in the Christian world and shed some light on the most important cultural, spiritual and moral issues of the day. Hit that subscribe button wherever you listen to your podcasts!