Jesuitical

Whoever says you have to choose between science and faith has not met Guy Consolmagno, S.J.—a Jesuit brother and director of the Vatican Observatory. We ask what projects the pope’s astronomers are working on now, if he believes in aliens and why people in every time and place look to the stars with big questions. And in Signs of the Times, Pope Francis denounces a chemical attack in Syria that killed dozens of innocent civilians. How should the United States respond? And U.S. and Mexican bishops push back on President Trump’s plan to send the National Guard to secure the border as a group of Central American migrants travels north seeking sanctuary. Next, the pope has released a new apostolic exhortation on holiness. Zac, Olga and I discuss our favorite parts of the document. Plus, updates on Catholics in France, Sweden and Brazil—where one church decided to incorporate a drone into the liturgy. As always, we want to hear from you. You can tweet us @jesuiticalshow or send us an email jesuitical@americamedia.org. Please leave us a review on Apple podcasts, tell your friends about the show and check out our Patreon page to support Jesuitical. P.S., if you’re in the New York area next week, come see us talk to New York Times-bestselling author, Mary Karr, for a live recording of Jesuitical! You can buy your tickets here—drinks are on us. Links from the show: Pope Francis denounces chemical weapons attack in Syria Top Five Takeaways from ‘Gaudete et Exsultate’ Bishops on both sides of Mexico border criticize troop deployment France's Macron sparks uproar by reaching out to Catholic Church Sweden's Lutherans to let Catholic parish hold Masses in Lund cathedral Video: Jesus Saves, but Drone Delivers This Catholic Church from Boredom What’s on tap? Need. Coffee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“You know, I don’t know about Jesuits except what I am learning,” Sarah Silverman tells us on this week’s episode of Jesuitical. “Every Jesuit I meet, I find that I adore and just love the bringing emotion and feelings and intellect together.” Every week, during the interview portion of the podcast, we feature a guest, Catholic and sometimes non-Catholic, that offers an interesting perspective on faith, culture or the news. This week, we welcome Sarah, a comedian, actress and host of “I Love You America with Sarah Silverman.” We discuss why she loves Jesuit priests even as a non-believer, whether or not hell exists and why the world desperately needs Mr. Rogers. Before our conversation with Sarah (which starts at 12:15), we discuss and analyze this week’s top Catholic news:this year’s NCAA tournament champions, Villanova and Notre Dame; and Joan Roanhauer, the first woman to lead Jesuit Refugee Services. We also discuss Pope Francis’ latest Easter message, in which he calls for an end to conflicts in the Holy Land and Syria. April 4 also marked 50 years since the assassination of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Memphis. We talk about Dr. King’s legacy, his influence on people like Pope Francis and the whitewashing of his beliefs. We also discuss the killing of 22-year-old Stephon Clark in Sacramento. Please tweet us @jesuiticalshow or send us an email jesuitical@americamedia.org and let us know your reactions to our conversation with Sarah. And please leave us a review on Apple podcasts and tell your friends about the show. Links from the show: I Love You, America with Sarah Silverman Pope Francis in Easter message calls for end to conflicts in Syria and the Holy Land How Pope Francis carries on Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy of Christian nonviolence First woman to head Jesuit agency takes on refugee crisis Nuns in Poland show ‘fighting spirit’ in boxing video to raise funds for orphanage Ogunbowale encore! Final Four hero lifts Notre Dame to title What’s on tap? Lent is over! Easter is here! So we celebrate with prosecco. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For this week’s episode, we’re bringing you our live recording from last Friday, March 23 at Loyola University Chicago. We’re talking with a frequent guest of the show, James Martin, S.J., about his new podcast “The Examen with Father James Martin.” Now, I will admit—I have always wanted to be good at praying the Examen (like a good Jesuit-educated Catholic), but for various reasons (sloth and original sin) have not been able to. Father Martin told us all why he has never missed a daily Examen since he entered the Jesuits, and why it’s been so essential to his ministry. For Signs of the Times, we mark the fifth anniversary of Pope Francis’ pontificate by discussing our favorite moments from his papacy, and where he has fallen short. We know many of you might be listening in the heart of Triduum and could be looking for a show on that topic. If so, we’ve got you covered. You can check out our interview with Father Martin from last year, where we talked all things Holy Week. Once again, want to give a huge thank you to our Patreon supporters. You can check out the page here.  As always, you can tweet us @jesuiticalshow or send us an email jestuical@americamedia.org. And please leave us a review on Apple podcasts and tell your friends about show. An extra special thank you this week to Loyola University Chicago and the Hank Center for the Catholic Intellectual Heritage for hosting us. It was a great consolation for me to be back on the campus of my alma mater, and especially during the middle of our Cinderella run in N.C.A.A. tournament. Have a blessed Easter, and Go Ramblers. Links from the show The Hank Center for the Catholic Intellectual Heritage Five years into Pope Francis’ papacy, there is much more noise to be made. The Examen with Fr. James Martin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is a papal ninja and how do you become one? This week, we went straight to the source to find out. Sean Bryan competes on the hit NBC show “American Ninja Warrior,” where he takes on insanely difficult obstacle courses—for the greater glory of God. And that’s just his side gig. Sean also helps lead the Lay Mission Project, which forms lay people to live out their faith and transform whatever corner of the secular world they work in. We ask Sean how to pray while doing pull-ups and which church leaders would make good ninjas. And in Signs of the Times: It snowed. Again. The 427th Nor’easter to hit New York this March kept us out of the studio on Wednesday so just a couple of headlines delivered by yours truly: a Catholic school in Australia is in trouble for letting girls wear shorts; Pope Francis gives his imprimatur to tattoos; and World Downs Syndrome Day gives us time to reflect on the human dignity of people with disabilities—in and outside the womb. Once again, want to give a huge thank you to our Patreon supporters. You can check out the page here. Sign up ASAP if you want to take part in our first Jesuitical video chat at the end of the month! As always, you can tweet us @jesuiticalshow or send us an email jestuical@americamedia.org. And please leave us a review on Apple podcasts and tell your friends about show. Links from the show Allowing shorts at a Catholic girls' school is sensible and without hidden intent Pope Francis talks tech, sex and tattoos with young adults ‘Elimination’ of Down syndrome is a ‘great hate crime,’ says Holy See conference at the U.N. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s taken over a year for us to get our boss, Matt Malone, S.J., on Jesuitical—and we promise it was worth the wait. Matt is president and editor in chief of America, and the reason why Jesuitical exists in the first place. This week we talk to him about Pope Francis’ election five years ago, for which he was present, the spiritual side of St. Patrick’s day and his journey to working at America. In Signs of the Times we chat about  our favorite topic of all time: Catholic sisters, since it’s National Catholic Sisters Week, and we also discuss how Catholics should be responding to the Parkland students’ call for gun reform. Thank you to all of our new patrons this week! To see the full unedited interview, visit patreon.com/americamedia to donate. Shout out to our VIPs: Kody Teaford and Vivian Veloso Macaspac; and our Super Fans, Jim Eraci and Ben Bartosik. As always, we want to hear from you. Write us an email at jesuitical@americamedia.org and follow us on Twitter @jesuiticalshow. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, due to inclement weather, we were unable to record on our usual Wednesday. This week’s episode is an abbreviated one, sans consolations and desolations, but have no fear: It’s a good one. Since Selection Sunday—the official start of the NCAA tournament and office bracket pools across the nation—is this weekend, we decided to bring in Joe Lunardi, the ESPN bracketologist and administrator at St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia. We talk to Joe about the art of bracketology, how his Jesuit education has influenced his career and more. Finally, in Signs of the Times, we talk “Lady Bird” getting snubbed at the Oscars, Francis’ five years and a new feast day for Mary. We want to give a huge thank you to listeners who have pledged to support Jesuitical through our new Patreon page. Shout out to Super Fans Jessica, Caroline Marcotte and Sarah Neville Jimenez and Ambassador Emilee Hunter Macguire. We are grateful for your investment in our little (but growing!) podcast community. As always, we want to hear from you. Write us an email at jesuitical@americamedia.org and follow us on Twitter @jesuiticalshow.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I feel the same way about poetry that I do about prayer: I know it’s good for the soul; I really respect those who have mastered the art—and I have a very hard time getting into it. To which Elizabeth Acevedo, this week’s guest, (wisely) responds: “Maybe you just haven’t found the right poet.” Liz is a slam poet and author of the upcoming novel, The Poet X, set for release on March 6. In the book and in her spoken-word poetry, Liz explores her identity as a Dominican woman and wrestles with the Catholic faith of her upbringing. We ask her what it means for Latinos and people of color to see themselves reflected in literature. In Signs on the Times, Catholic activists, including priests and sisters, were arrested on Capitol Hill this week as they voiced their support for Dreamers. Plus, why has the Catholic Church fought against attempts to extend the statute of limitations in sexual abuse cases? And why are the bishops in Texas cutting ties with the state’s largest pro-life group? Finally, some lighter stories (and great photos) coming out of Rome: Versace and Vogue go to the Vatican, and a rare snowstorm blankets the Eternal City. We want to give a huge thank you to listeners who have pledged to support Jesuitical through our new Patreon page. Shout out to Supers Fans Allison Colson, Catherine Addington, Jeff Trussel, Keith Bourgoin, Matthew Kyrish and Nicholas Frega; Ambassadors Carlos Mesquita, Claudia Macaluso and Michael Kelly; and V.I.P. Andy Stulc. We are eternally grateful for your investment in our little (but growing!) podcast community. As always, we want to hear from you. Write us an email at jesuitical@americamedia.org and follow us on Twitter @jesuiticalshow. Link’s from the show: Dozens of Catholics arrested as they call on Congress to help 'Dreamers' Bill spurred by Nassar case concerns Catholic Church Catholic bishops cut ties with Texas anti-abortion group Vatican, Versace and Vogue team up to show Catholic influences in fashion First snow in six years: Priests have a snowball fight at the Vatican What’s on tap? Seltzer for Zac, Diet Coke for me. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How’s your Lent going? Did you make it at least a few days (unlike me) before breaking your Lenten practice? If you’re trying to up your prayer game this Lent and haven’t quite figured out how to do it yet, you won’t want to miss this week’s guest. Luigi Gioia, a professor at the Pontifical University of Sant’Anselmo in Rome, is the author of Say It To God: In Search of Prayer, which the Archbishop of Canterbury has chosen for his official Lent book of 2018. “Far too spiritual, our prayer is asphyxiated by good manners,” Luigi writes in his new book. We ask Luigi about why almost everyone has a difficult time with prayer and what it means to truly find God everywhere in our lives. In Signs of the Times, we give an update on Pope Francis’ handling of the sexual abuse crisis in Chile, the U.S. bishops’ national call-in to Congress day for Dreamers, discuss the Secret Service’s new chaplain and more. In other news, we’re starting a Patreon page! We’ve been blessed to do the show for a full (liturgical) year, and we love the community that we’ve created so far. But if we want to keep it going, we’re going to need some help from our listeners. We’d also like to make this a mutually beneficial relationship. If you pledge to support the show, you can get access to full-length interviews that don’t make it into the final podcast, Jesuitical shirts and swag, and monthly video chats with Ashley, Olga and me. Check out the Patreon page for full details. Thank you so much to everyone who writes to give us adverbs and share your reactions from the show. It means a lot to us, and we want to keep hearing from you. Send us an email at jesuitical@americamedia.org and tweet at us @jesuiticalshow. Links from the show: Chile abuse victim: story is finally heard Pope Francis revives lapsed commission on sex abuse Vatican wants to hear from young about hopes, concerns Secret Service chaplain called to the diaconate USCCB calls on Catholics to take action for Dreamers A Catholic parish in Parkland preaches love the first Sunday after the massacre Say it to God: In Search of Prayer Our Patreon page! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, to celebrate our one year (liturgical) anniversary we are talking with Liel Leibovitz and Stephanie Butnick. They are two-thirds of Unorthodox, a Jewish podcast from The Tablet. Here at Jesuitical, we hold a special place in our hearts for these hosts—they are a part of our origin story. We talk to Liel and Stephanie about how we basically stole their podcast format, the differences between Jewish and Catholic fasting and more. And, because this week is also the start of Lent, we asked our guests what we should all give up for Lent. In Signs of the Times, we discuss the latest firing of L.G.B.T. Catholic church workers, focusing on why these firings have gotten so much media attention and what it means for the church as a whole. The Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops supports a new resolution that could label pornography a “public health risk.” In light of the #MeToo movement, we talk about why conversations about sex must include a focus on the effects of pornography, what the church can do and more. Finally, a Catholic school robotics team ranks 15th in the world. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @jesuiticalshow. Send us any questions, cocktail recipes or consolations and desolations at jesuitical@americamedia.org. And if you haven’t already, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, and tell your friends, parents or children about the show. P.S. Hope you enjoy our amazing redesign, courtesy of Angelo Jesus Canta. And, along with Jesuitical, you can check out additional America podcasts, including “The Examen with Father James Martin, S.J.” and “The Word: Scripture Reflections from America Media.” Links from the show: Firing of L.G.B.T. Catholic church workers raises hard (and new) questions Florida resolution could label pornography a ‘public health risk' Carmel Catholic robotics team, ranked number 15 in the world, qualifies for state tournament What’s on tap? Nothing. Because Lent. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We live in an age of opinion writers telling us that we live in an age of [insert sweeping generalization here]. The hotter the take, the more attention it gets not only from readers who already agree but pundits eager to tear it down with their own scorching rebuttal. Enter Christine Emba, an op-ed writer for The Washington Post, who traffics in nuance and explores the deeper questions beneath the latest outrage de jour. On topics from #MeToo movement and s***hole countries to Harry Potter and burritos, Christine has opinions worth reading. This week, we ask her about her vocation as an op-ed writer and what a successful column looks like. (Homilists would be wise to take notes.) And in Signs of the Times, did you know the Winter Olympics were underway? Yeah, neither did we. Next: A German cardinal seems to (maybe) open the door to pastors blessing same-sex unions, fall out from Pope Francis’ handling of clerical sex abuse continues and we dive into a potential breakthrough for the Catholic Church in China. Finally, Lent begins next week on Valentine’s Day/Ash Wednesday—and PETA wants you to go vegan. Tell us what you’re giving up (or #TakingUp) this Lent! Tweet us @jesuiticalshow or send us an email jestuical@americamedia.org. And please leave us a review on Apple podcasts and tell your friends, parents or children about the show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices