Catholic Answers Live

“What Is the Origin of the Hail Mary Prayer in Catholicism?” Join Colin Donavan as he explores the roots of this beloved prayer, along with intriguing questions about the letter from Jesus King to Abgar and the nature of free will in relation to Eve and Mary. Join The CA Live Club Newsletter: Click Here Invite our apologists to speak at your parish! Visit Catholicanswersspeakers.com Questions Covered: 04:19 – What do we make of the letter from Jesus to King Abgar as recorded in Eusebius’ Church History? 07:02 – There was a supposedly leaked document from the Vatican about the TLM and it claims that the reasons why it was banned were fabricated. What do we know about that? 16:12 – Where did the prayer of the Hail Mary come from since it’s not in the bible? 24:37 – Did Eve have free will? If she did and didn’t fall, would we have had Mary? 41:52 – Did Pope Francis change church doctrine on capital punishment?

A caller shares that his coworker refuses to take direction from a female supervisor, citing Scripture as justification. In this episode, Catholic apologists respond with clarity on what the Church teaches about gender roles, authority, and human dignity. Discover how Catholic teaching affirms the equal dignity of men and women while refuting misuse of Scripture to justify sexism. Join The CA Live Club Newsletter: Click Here Invite our apologists to speak at your parish! Visit Catholicanswersspeakers.com Questions Covered: 02:35 – The Church recently rolled out the final document on the Synod on Synodality and I cannot intellectually accept it. Am I essentially no longer Catholic? 12:16 – Why is marriage between a man and a woman? 18:08 – At what point did Jesus declare that all animals are clean to eat? 24:49 – What is the Catholic stance on eugenics? 32:45 – My supervisor said he would refuse to submit to his supervisor because she is a woman. He used scripture to justify this. How do we approach this as Catholics? 42:41 – Regarding the year of Jubilee, when you visit 7 churches, do you receive 1 indulgence or an indulgence for every church you visit?

A listener asks whether it’s morally permissible to attend the wedding reception of a Catholic getting married outside the Church. In this episode, Catholic apologist Joe Heschmeyer explains the difference between supporting the person versus appearing to support an invalid union, and how to navigate these situations with charity, clarity, and fidelity to Church teaching. Join The CA Live Club Newsletter: Click Here Invite our apologists to speak at your parish! Visit Catholicanswersspeakers.com Questions Covered: 15:43 – Is there a small document that describes the latest eucharistic miracles from a scientific perspective?  21:38 – Is it ok to attend the reception of an invalid marriage of a confirmed Catholic who is not getting married in the Church?  28:38 – Melchizedek in Genesis. Where did he come from and what happened to him?  37:11 – If a laicized priest becomes an Anglican priest, is the host consecrated the body of Christ?  45:44 – What is your view on AI and what is the intersection between the Church and AI? 

A caller asks whether Muslims truly worship the same God as Christians. In this episode, Catholic apologist, Dr. Karlo Broussard, explains the Church’s teaching from Lumen Gentium and the Catechism, clarifying how Islam’s incomplete understanding of God still refers to the one true Creator. The conversation also touches on key differences between the faiths and what authentic interreligious respect looks like. Join The CA Live Club Newsletter: Click Here Invite our apologists to speak at your parish! Visit Catholicanswersspeakers.com Questions Covered: 03:04 – If we can’t control how people see us, how is it then that we can be culpable for the sin of scandal?  11:50 – Does the lack of understanding of a mortal sin mitigate something being a mortal sin? For example, if a person views pornography but doesn’t believe it’s a mortal sin, is it still a mortal sin?  21:02 – How does the pope calling the crusades and saying going on a crusade forgives sins, fall into the doctrine of the papacy?  29:23 – Can you explain how Muslims worship the same God even with an incomplete understanding of him?  37:04 – I’m not Catholic. I was shocked to hear that Catholics believe that the biblical story of the flood is allegorical. Is this true?  45:48 – Are we obligated to forgive those who have not repented of sinning against us?  50:34 – Why does a person who wants to be baptized have to wait until going through class up until Easter?

Many Catholics struggle with understanding what truly makes a sin mortal. In this episode, the hosts offer a clear explanation of the three conditions: grave matter, full knowledge, and deliberate consent. They explore common misconceptions, offer real-life examples, and help listeners better examine their consciences with clarity and confidence rooted in Church teaching. Join The CA Live Club Newsletter: Click Here Invite our apologists to speak at your parish! Visit Catholicanswersspeakers.com Questions Covered: 16:42 – I’m Orthodox and don’t believe that purgatory is a belief of the first century. What evidence do Catholics provide for it? 28:15 – Can I come up with my own mysteries of the rosary to meditate on? 34:44 – I feel the current criteria for mortal sin is not properly fleshed out to what they actually mean. How can one actually know what these 3 criteria actually constitute? 48:22 – The Filioque troubles me. How is it that a previous pope saw it problematic, yet a later pope included it? 52:47 – Can you clarify how there is salvation outside the Church?

What does Scripture mean when it says Christ was “made sin for us”? In this episode, Catholic apologists address a Protestant caller’s concern about Psalm 51 and the Catholic rejection of penal substitution. Learn how the Church understands Christ’s sacrifice—not as punishment in our place, but as a redemptive offering rooted in love and union with humanity. Join The CA Live Club Newsletter: Click Here Invite our apologists to speak at your parish! Visit Catholicanswersspeakers.com Questions Covered: 08:01 – I’m Protestant. I’ve listened to a lot of Catholic radio. I’ve had no change. Is this lack of movement of desire to change from Satan? 18:38 – How do we catechize older boomers who prioritize politics and social views over religion? 23:32 – What evidence do we have that the Catholic Church is the true Church? 34:09 – in Friday morning’s psalm prayer it says, “He who knew no sin was made sin for us to save us and restore us to your friendship” Psalm 51. We don’t believe in Calvinism substitutionary atonement. So, in what way was Christ made sin for us? 40:45 – Is there any point in saying “If God wills it, it will happen?” Especially if he has two wills? 48:22 – Is it possible for a person to sin in purgatory or if they have not died?

In this episode, Catholic bioethicist Fr. Tad Pacholczyk tackles tough moral questions about teenage medical consent, frozen embryo implantation in older women, and the ethics of sustaining life through new technologies. Hear a thoughtful Catholic perspective on where moral lines are drawn in modern medicine and why intention, consent, and dignity matter in every case. Join The CA Live Club Newsletter: Click Here Invite our apologists to speak at your parish! Visit Catholicanswersspeakers.com Questions Covered: 20:24 – What are the reasonable limits to sustaining a pregnancy, such as the case you were discussing vs embryos conceived in IVF?  30:03 – Regarding the Georgia situation, since keeping dead person vitals going a new technology, would this be done only at the consent of the mother? Would that solve the dilemma?  34:59 – I have a 13-year-old son. We were told that at 14 we would be asked to leave the room for our son to decide if he wanted to make his own medical decisions alone with the doctor. Are you familiar with this situation and would this be ethical?  44:19 – Would it be ethical to implant a frozen embryo in a woman who is 60 years of age knowing that the pregnancy would probably not be viable? 

Can someone with a water allergy be baptized? Why do priests receive both species of the Eucharist while the laity often don’t? In this episode of Catholic Answers Live, we take on some of the most thought-provoking questions about Catholic doctrine and tradition. Topics include evangelizing Jewish people, the theological necessity of Marian dogmas, recognizing divine inspiration in Scripture, and reconciling the joy of heaven with the loss of loved ones. We also address questions about God’s providence versus coincidence, and near-death experiences involving deceased relatives. Whether you’re exploring Catholic teachings or deepening your faith, this Q&A offers clear, faithful answers rooted in Church teaching. Ideal for those curious about baptism, Eucharistic theology, salvation, and how Catholics understand prophecy and the afterlife. Join The CA Live Club Newsletter: Click Here Invite our apologists to speak at your parish! Visit Catholicanswersspeakers.com Questions Covered: 02:10 – How would the Church baptize someone with a topical allergy to water, where contact with water causes hives but drinking it is fine? 08:15 – Did the Old Testament prophets know they were prophets? Did the New Testament writers know they were divinely inspired when writing? 18:22 – How can heaven be a place of perfect joy if a loved one, such as a child, does not attain eternal life? Wouldn’t we notice their absence and grieve? 22:15 – What is the Church’s current teaching on evangelizing Jewish people? Does God’s promise of the land to the Jewish people still apply under the New Covenant? 29:45 – Why is the Eucharistic cup often withheld from the laity? Jesus instructed us to eat His body and drink His blood. If the host contains both, why does the priest still consume both species separately? 34:58 – Why are the dogmas of the Immaculate Conception, Bodily Assumption, and Perpetual Virginity necessary for salvation from a theological standpoint? What core gospel truths are denied if these are rejected? 43:43 – If someone nearing death sees and speaks to deceased family members, does that mean those individuals are in Heaven or could they still be in Purgatory? What if certain people don’t appear—does that imply anything about their final destination? 50:01 – Is everything part of God’s plan, or do coincidences exist?

What’s really in a hot dog? Why does the letter “s” look like “f” in the Declaration of Independence? Are bald eagles actually bald? On this unique Fourth of July edition of Catholic Answers Live, we dive into five fun mysteries of Independence Day. Plus, callers ask deep theological questions: Did Christ always have a human nature? Can Genesis reflect ancient myths while remaining divinely inspired? Did the apostles expect the Second Coming in their lifetimes? Is it possible that angels are saints from a previous universe? And what happens to grace when a baptized person commits mortal sin? Join The CA Live Club Newsletter: Click Here Invite our apologists to speak at your parish! Visit Catholicanswersspeakers.com Questions Covered: 03:30 – Top 5 Mysteries of the 4th of July 14:25 – Why do some oppose the Traditional Latin Mass? 15:43 – Did Christ always possess a human nature, or did God gain a human nature at the moment of the Incarnation? What is the best language to describe this mystery? 18:28 – Could Genesis incorporate contemporary myths like the Mesopotamian flood stories to explain God’s actions, such as the Flood, using familiar cultural narratives? 31:47 – Why did the Church transition from severe fasting to weekly abstinence and now allows other penances in the US? Is this spiritual progression good or bad? 42:08 – Did the apostles believe the Parousia (Second Coming) was imminent during their lifetimes? 48:32 – Is it conceivable that angels are saints from a previous iteration of the universe? 52:22 – Does a baptized person who commits a mortal sin lose all grace until Confession, despite the indelible mark of baptism?

In this episode of Catholic Answers Live, listeners ask thought-provoking questions on topics ranging from liturgy and Church history to spiritual warfare and vocational discernment. Questions include how to begin a career in Catholic apologetics, whether the Novus Ordo Mass assumes an ad orientem posture, and how exorcism practices differ between Catholics and non-Catholic Christians. Also discussed is the historical development of the priesthood and the formal distribution of Communion, tracing its evolution from house churches to today’s liturgical structure. Join The CA Live Club Newsletter: Click Here Invite our apologists to speak at your parish! Visit Catholicanswersspeakers.com Questions Covered: 04:50 – What are some practical suggestions and advice for someone considering a career in Catholic apologetics? How should one begin to pursue the “soul” of apologetics? 15:19 – Does the Novus Ordo rubric originally assume that the Mass is celebrated ad orientem, and has it changed over time to be commonly celebrated facing the congregation? 29:15 – How is it that non-Catholic Christians are able to cast out demons, while in the Catholic Church exorcism is ecclesiastically regulated and reserved for authorized exorcists? 49:00 – When and how did the Church transition from early Christian gatherings in homes to a more formal institution of the priesthood and structured distribution of Communion?