Jesuitical

“It is not possible to build bridges between people while forgetting God,” Pope Francis said early in his pontificate. “But the converse is also true: it is not possible to establish true links with God, while ignoring other people.” Many U.S. Catholics have not only ignored their Muslim brothers and sisters but harbor discriminatory views about Muslims at alarming rates. Georgetown University’s Bridge Initiative, “a multi-year research project that connects the academic study of Islamophobia with the public square,” released a report in 2016 that documented how U.S. Catholics view Muslims. America’s national correspondent, Michael O’Loughlin, reported then: When asked, “What is your overall impression of Muslims?” 30 percent of those Catholics polled said they held unfavorable views, 14 percent said favorable and 45 percent said they held neither favorable nor unfavorable views... Forty-five percent of Catholics said that Islam encourages violence more than other religions while 24 percent said it encourages violence as much as other religions. Jordan Denari Duffner, an associate at the Bridge Initiative and author of the new book, Finding Jesus Among Muslims: How Loving Islam Makes Me a Better Catholic, joins us on this week’s episode of Jesuitical. Jordan discusses why she felt called to work in Catholic-Islamic dialogue, and why it’s an essential part of the Christian vocation. In Signs of the Times, we discuss President Trump’s invocation of dreamers in his State of the Union address, and a Chicago priest who is on hunger strike in support of DACA recipients. We also provide an update on Pope Francis’ handling of allegations of sexual abuse in Chile, a rise in demonic activity and a limb of St. Francis Xavier making a road trip across Canada. Links from the show: Undocumented Loyola Medical Student to Join Durbin at State of the Union Chicago priest pledges hunger strike to support ‘Dreamers’ Pope Francis sends special prosecutor to Chile to investigate charges against Bishop Barros Couple, married 70 years, renew vows—this time in church St. Francis Xavier’s severed arm to visit Calgary in relic pilgrimage Irish priest asks for back-up as demand for exorcisms rises ‘exponentially’ What’s on tap? Hot Toddy 1 cup of tea Whiskey (feel free to eyeball the amount) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is yoga cultural appropriation? Is it just stretching? Is it possible to blend yoga and the Catholic faith? This week we get into these questions and more with Bobby Karle, S.J., the founder of Ignatian Yoga, a practice that draws on Ignatian spirituality and yoga. Through Ignatian Yoga, Bobby offers classes, retreats and workshops centered around the core principles of Ignatian spirituality, like finding God in all things and living a life of self-awareness and discernment, and yoga practices like breathing meditations and vinyasa flow. In Signs of the Times, we talk Catholic dioceses suspending the sign of the peace due to flu outbreaks; priests in cassocks competing for the John Paul II Cup; and Pope Francis celebrating the marriage of two flight attendants during a papal flight. “Going, Going, Gone: The Dynamics of Disaffiliation in Young Catholics” is a new study that seeks to understand why so many young Catholics leave the faith they were born into. We get into the study, our own experiences growing up in the church and some of the study’s most interesting findings. Should older married men become priests in order to serve isolated Catholic communities? Cardinal Beniamino Stella, of the Congregation for Clergy, says yes. Finally, we get into Pope Francis’ latest handling of sexual abuse allegations against clergy. Make sure to leave us a review on Apple podcasts. If you already have, thank you! And don’t forget write us an email at jesuitical@americamedia.org, where you can share your own consolations and desolations or drink recipes, and follow us on Twitter @jesuiticalshow. Links from the show: Catholic diocese suspends ‘sign of peace’ due to flu VIDEO: Priests in cassocks take part in annual skiing competition Serving isolated parishes may mean ordaining married men, cardinal says Study asks: Why are young Catholics going, going, gone? Pope Francis explains why he celebrated the airborne marriage of two flight attendants Pope Francis asks forgiveness from sexual abuse victims but reaffirms support for Bishop Barros What’s on tap? Negronis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You have heard it said, “Who run the world? Girls” (Bey 4:12). But we ask: Who runs the church? Popes, of course. But across the country there are dedicated women of faith taking the lead in parishes, schools, social ministries—and magazines. Our guest this week is one of them. Kerry Weber is an executive editor at America and the driving force behind a groundbreaking new survey of U.S. Catholic women. We ask her why Catholic women are so often reluctant to claim the label of role model and what the church can do to lift up the important work women are already doing in the church. Make sure to check out the new special issue on women in the church, which features Kerry’s piece, “The humble, indispensable women leading the Catholic Church you’ve (probably) never heard of,” plus tons of other great articles diving into the survey data. [view:related_content] And in Signs of the Times, Pope Francis says he is “truly afraid” of nuclear war—and how Catholics in Hawaii reacted when they thought that such a war was coming. Next, we discuss what America’s findings about the politics of U.S. Catholic women might mean for the 2018 midterm elections. Finally, we tackle the history of football’s “Hail Mary pass” and the question: Should church doors ever be locked? Have you left us a review on Apple podcasts yet? We’d be eternally grateful if you did. Please. Not that we’re desperate. If you already have, thank you! Do keep in touch: Write us an email at jesuitical@americamedia.org and follow us on Twitter @jesuiticalshow so you can take part in our unscientifically significant polls! Links from the show U.S. Catholic Women: What a New Survey Reveals Pope Francis: “I am truly afraid” of nuclear war. How our Confirmation students kept us calm during a false missile threat in Hawaii Overall, the survey found that 59 percent of Catholic women are Democrats or lean Democratic, whereas 38 percent are Republican or lean Republican. Roger Staubach, Drew Pearson hope Vikings’ miracle play makes up for 1975 Hail Mary Catholic bishop says churches should stay open like the Church of England What’s on tap? (Modified) Elderflower Thistle 2 ounces of Jameson, an ounce of St. Germain and a dash of Angostura bitters, over ice. (The original recipe calls for Scotch. Apparently, Irish whiskey is not, in fact, the same thing as Scotch. You live and you learn.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It is not the first time and it is unlikely to be the last time, but President Trump’s latest racist remarks about “shithole” countries has many of asking: Who are we? What do we stand for? Who do we welcome and why? We recorded this episode on Wednesday before the news about the president’s comments broke, but nonetheless we think a lot of what we talk about with this week’s guest will help you channel the anger you might feel toward practical steps to help migrants and refugees. This Sunday the Catholic Church marks the 2018 World Day of Migrants and Refugees, and Jesuitical is marking that by talking with Giulia McPherson. Giulia is the director of advocacy and operations at Jesuit Refugee Service/USA, where she works [...] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In our final Jesuitical episode of 2017, we talk with my fellow Bronxite and award-winning journalist at The New York Times, David Gonzalez. Born and raised in the South Bronx to Puerto Rican immigrants, David was raised Catholic and attended Cardinal Hayes High School. Since the 1970s, he has been snapping pictures of people and places all around New York City. Currently, he co-edits the Times’ photography and video blog, Lens, and writes the Side Street column. In Side Street, he offers his “native New Yorker take on life off the beaten path in the five boroughs” in stories such as the Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How does an appointee in the Bill Clinton administration end up as a regular face of Fox News? It’s complicated. And what does a woman who has worked for decades in both politics and the media have to say about today’s sexual assault and harassment reckoning? A lot. This week we talk with Kirsten Powers, who you may recognize as a frequent on-air political analyst for CNN and an opinion writer for USA Today. We ask Kirsten whether she thinks we’ve reached a turning point in how we handle sexual misconduct in the workplace and beyond. Kirsten has also had a fascinating spiritual journey—from growing up in an Episcopal church in Alaska to straddling atheism and agnosticism in New York to becoming an evangelical Christian and, finally, entering the Catholic Church. We ask her how her faith has changed her approach to politics [...] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever gotten to know a priest only to discover that your conception of who he was was misguided? Too often priests have either the best or the worst assumed of them, and the result is that we, the laity, fail to see them as they are: human. Our guest this week is Chris Yates, a graduate of Loyola Marymount University who has created a fine-art coffee table book that seeks to show the Jesuits he had grown close to as they truly were. Emmaus: The Nature of the Way profiles several Jesuit priests with two portraits. One is a traditional headshot, the other is an informal composition of each Jesuit doing one of his hobbies: gardening, cooking, stand-up. It’s a beautiful book filled with over 100 portraits, some of which can be found on Yates’s site. Some housekeeping notes: you’ll notice that this week’s episode is a bit shorter than normal. A [...] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When you think about the history of American Catholicism, images of Irish, Italian, German and Polish immigrant parishes probably come to mind. Think about the future of the U.S. church, and you’ve probably been told it’s Latino. But the story of the church, in the United States—past, present and future—is the story of black Catholics. On this week’s show we talk with Mary C. Curtis, an award-winning journalist and columnist at Roll Call, who recently wrote about the African-American Catholic experience for America. We ask her how the church can address the sin of racism, about the gifts black Catholics bring to the church and what she thinks about Pope Francis five years in. In Signs of the Times: An entrepreneurial cannabis company in Canada is selling a unique Advent calendar—and the Archdiocese of Washington holds its ground in the W [...] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we talk with Brian Larkin of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. Larkin is part of the Jesuit Basketball Spotlight. Founded in 2018, the J.B.S. is “a nationwide effort to capitalize on basketball games between Jesuit schools and, through those games, bring greater positive awareness and exposure to Jesuit education and its shared mission.” We talk about its creation, the Jesuit Player of the Week, greatest moments in Jesuit ball history and why he thinks Patrick Ewing should be canonized. No Signs of the Time this week because it’s Thanksgiving. We are super thankful for all of our listeners. As always, we appreciate your feedback, so email us at jesuitical@americamedia.org or follow us on Twitter at @jesuiticalshow. While you’re home eating turkey, tell your family about us an [...] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In an article that appeared in America over the summer, David Michael wrote: Hipsters are drawn to craft beer, obscure cheeses, organic farms, taxidermy and homemade preserves. They favor hand-dipped candles, old-fashioned stationery, Indian headdresses and the lamentable industrial-chic decor and exposed bricks that mark so many new restaurants and bars. Hipsters love the authentic, the craft and the obscure—which is exactly why Catholicism, in its practices and its aesthetic, is perfectly suited for them. Don’t believe me? Well, let Tommy Tighe, this week’s guest on Jesuitical, have his say. Tighe is the author of The Catholic Hipster Handbook: Rediscovering Cool Saints, Forgotten Prayers, and Other Weird bu [...] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices