Jesuitical

In the first episode of season eight of “Jesuitical,” Zac and Ashley critique a general perception that younger priests are more conservative and rigid in their pastoral ministry. Joining them to discuss the countercultural decision to join the diocesan priesthood is the Rev. Wade Bass, a young priest who serves as pastoral administrator at Our Lady of Angels Catholic Church in Allen, Tex., a suburb of Dallas.They discuss: - Father Wade’s call to the priesthood, experience in seminary and love of the liturgy- The daily life and duties of young diocesan priests today, the joy and positive energy among younger priests, and the risks of loneliness and burnout- The extent to which the ministry of these priests is—or is not—impacted by theological and ideological debates within the church In Signs of the Times, Zac and Ashley discuss Pope Francis’ apostolic journey to Asia; a lawsuit from the Diocese of Paterson, N.J., over a new procedural change by the United States government regarding the processing of green cards for foreign-born priests; and the tragic execution by Hamas of Israeli-American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, whose mother, Rachel, appeared on Jesuitical in November 2023.Links from the show: Pope Francis begins the longest trip of his papacy yet despite age and mobility issuesMother of a Gaza hostage on keeping faith after Oct. 7: ‘It doesn’t make sense. And I still believe.’Diocese sues immigration agencies over rule change that could force thousands of foreign-born priests to leaveU.S. Catholics are more liberal. Young priests are more conservative. Can the synod help us overcome our divisions?Why Pope Francis is worried about seminaries and young priests with ‘authoritarian attitudes’Join Jesuitical for a live recording on Wednesday, Sept. 11 in Madison, New Jersey!Become a Jesuitical Patron and get access to an exclusive synod Zoom event with James Martin, S.J., on Thursday, Sept. 19, from 6-7 p.m. ET. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

[CLICK HERE to complete the 2024 Jesuitical listener survey]This week on “Jesuitical,” Zac and Ashley struggle to resist the temptation to “type” each other as they learn about the Enneagram from Liz Orr, a college chaplain who created the popular “Rude Ass Enneagram” Instagram account and authored the new book, “The Unfiltered Enneagram: A Witty and Wise Guide to Self-Compassion.”They discuss:Various personality types and how they relate to each other (including Zac and Ashley)How we create defensive structures to protect our egos and what to do about itWhat the Catholic Church as a community and institution can learn from the Enneagram about humble self-assessmentIn Signs of the Times, Zac and Ashley discuss the developing news around Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganó, former nuncio to the United States, who has been formally charged with schism by the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. They also preview the upcoming Jubilee year of hope and chart the pilgrimages and charitable works that will grant you an indulgence!What’s on tap?Spicy Margarita Links:Archbishop Viganó charged with schism by the Vatican, will face trialArchbishop Viganò says he will not participate in Vatican schism trialRude Ass Enneagram Instagram accountThe Unfiltered Enneagram: A Witty and Wise Guide to Self-Compassion Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

[CLICK HERE to complete the 2024 Jesuitical listener survey]This week on “Jesuitical,” Zac and Ashley are joined by journalist Rachel Swarns to discuss her latest book, The 272: The Families Who Were Enslaved and Sold to Build the American Catholic Church. Rachel shares her wisdom about this important issue for U.S. Catholics and her experience as a Black Catholic, opening up a wide-ranging conversation about the work being done to repair such a grave injustice and promote racial justice in the church.They discuss:The history of Catholic slaveholding and the Jesuits’ involvement in the slave tradeThe sale of enslaved people by the Jesuits in 1838, its impact on families and the reunion of the descendants The efforts of Georgetown University and the church to repair this injusticeIn Signs of the Times, Zac and Ashley cover Pope Francis’ recent meeting with comedians from around the world (and America’s editor at large, James Martin, S.J.). They then discuss the pope’s trip to the G7 in Italy and the concerns he raised in his speech about artificial intelligence. Lastly, they talk about recent polling from the Vinia Research Group that found that Catholics’ belief in the real presence in the Eucharist is higher than a 2019 report from the Pew Research Group would suggest.What’s on tap?ProseccoLinks from the show:Pope Francis jokes with Colbert, Fallon, Conan, Whoopi, Chris Rock, Gaffigan and others at the VaticanPope Francis has private meeting with Joe Biden at G7 summitNew Study Suggests More Than Two-Thirds of Catholics Believe the Eucharist is Truly JesusDo most Catholics think the Eucharist is ‘just a symbol’? It’s complicated.The 272: The Families Who Were Enslaved and Sold to Build the American Catholic Church by Rachel L. Swarns Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

[CLICK HERE to complete the 2024 Jesuitical listener survey] Basketball fans know Steve Javie as a longtime N.B.A. referee and a frequent commentator on ESPN and ABC. But for the parishioners at St. Andrew’s Catholic Church in Newtown, Pa., he’s Deacon Steve. In the midst of the N.B.A. finals tournament, Deacon Steve took some time out of his busy schedule to chat with Zac and Ashley about life on the court and in the pulpit. They discuss:His journey from zealous rookie ref to humble officiator in the N.B.A.The dangers of turning sports into your religion.How his career in refereeing has informed his ministry as a permanent deacon.In Signs of the Times, a second miracle has been attributed to Blessed Carlo Acutis. Zac and Ashley discuss the life and legacy of the Italian teenager on track to be the first millennial saint. Plus, Pope Francis has again used a homophobic slur in a discussion about admitting gay men to seminary. How are Catholics supposed to understand these comments from a pope who famously said about gay priests, “Who am I to judge?”Links from the show:Pope Francis recognizes miracle needed for the first ‘millennial’ saint: Blessed Carlos AcutisPope Francis uses gay slur for second time in closed-door meeting, Italian reports allegeJesuitical: Pope Francis used a homophobic slur. How should Catholics respond?What’s on tap?Miller Lite—on ice Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s a very special week on “Jesuitical”—Ethan Hawke joins us to discuss his new film, “Wildcat,” about the Catholic writer Flannery O’Connor, who is portrayed in the film by Ethan’s daughter, Maya. Zac, Ashley and Ethan share a wide-ranging and profound conversation about this great American writer and the work of bringing her to life in “Wildcat.”They discuss: Ethan’s introduction to Flannery through Maya and the inspiration behind “Wildcat” Portraying Flannery’s complicated views on race Exploring religious questions through art Links from the show: Ethan Hawke’s new biopic ‘Wildcat’ gracefully captures Flannery O’Connor’s complex attitudes on race, writing and faith What can we learn from our confirmation names? Share your confirmation saint name in our Facebook group What’s on tap?Flannery’s favorite concoction: Coca-Cola and coffee (plus a shot of bourbon, per Ethan’s recommendation) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on “Jesuitical,” we’re breaking from our usual format to discuss news out of the Vatican that Pope Francis used a homophobic slur while discussing church policy on admitting gay men to the priesthood. To discuss this incident and the apology that followed, Ashley is joined by “Jesuitical” producer Sebastian Gomes; Mike O’Loughlin, executive director of Outreach, a resource for L.G.B.T.Q. Catholics; and Ricardo da Silva, S.J., producer of the “Inside the Vatican” podcast, host of the “Preach” podcast and an associate editor at America.They discuss: The context of the incident, the Vatican’s response, and the implications for L.G.B.T.Q. CatholicsVatican policy about gay men in seminaries and the history of Francis’ outreach to L.G.B.T.Q. CatholicsAdvice for those affected by the pope’s commentsLinks from the show: I am a gay priest. We need more than an apology for Pope Francis’ homophobic slur.Pope Francis used an anti-gay slur. What now for L.G.B.T.Q. Catholics?Pope Francis says Italian seminaries should reject gay applicantsVatican issues apology after Pope Francis’ use of an anti-gay slurPope Francis’ remarks about gay seminarians ‘taken out of context and used to divide,’ Italian bishop says Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on “Jesuitical,” Zac and Ashley are live at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, for a conversation with Eric Sundrup, S.J., who provides spiritual direction (or spiritual violence, depending on who you ask) for the podcast. The hosts and Eric share their own experiences discerning their paths as young adults and offer insights from Jesuit spirituality to young people navigating big life questions.They discuss:The need for community and friends you can be vulnerable with while discerningHow consolation and desolation can guide discernmentAdvice for young people discerning their pathDuring Signs of the Times, Zac and Ashley are joined by Stuart Wilson-Smith, C.S.P., the Catholic chaplain at the University of California, Los Angeles, to discuss the recent student protests taking place on campus. Father Stu describes the scene on U.C.L.A.’s campus, how the Catholic center offered support and spaces for interfaith dialogue to students, and where he saw God amid the protests.Links from the show: UCLA’s Catholic chaplain: The world saw scenes of violence at campus protests. Here’s what they didn’t see.Learn more about the PaulistsWhat’s on tap?Kentucky Bourbon from the Neeley Family Distillery  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ryan Burge set out to learn how many Catholics agree with church teachings on three key pro-life issues: abortion, euthanasia and the death penalty. The answer? Fewer than 1 percent. This week on “Jesuitical,” Zac and Ashley are joined by Ryan, an associate professor of political science at Eastern Illinois University and the author of the “Graphs about Religion” Substack, to discuss his findings on the beliefs of American Catholics today.They discuss:Trends in Catholic opinion on pro-life issues.How faith-based beliefs and secular politics interact in our polarized society.The role of data in understanding religious trends and effectively communicating church teaching.In Signs of the Times, Zac and Ashley discuss the eucharistic pilgrimages taking place ahead of July’s National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis. They also cover the controversial commencement speech given by Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker at Benedictine College.Links from the show:Cafeteria Catholicism?Planning to join up with the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage? Here’s what you need to know.Harrison Butker’s commencement speech and the danger of a Catholic ‘dead traditionalism’Young U.S. Catholics want more orthodoxy. That doesn’t mean they reject Vatican II.Podcast: When Catholic doctrine can change—and when it can’tWhat’s on tap?Carajillos (2 parts cold brew, 2 parts Licor 43) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Jesuitical, Zac and Ashley are joined by Andrea Von Kampen, a singer-songwriter and friend of the show. Hailing from Lincoln, Neb., Andrea discusses her new album, “Sister Moon.” (For those keeping track at home, yes, that is a St. Francis of Assisi reference.) Recorded at Union Pool in Brooklyn, N.Y., they share a wide-ranging conversation touching on spirituality, live music, the environment and more.They discuss:The spiritual and environmental influences on “Sister Moon”How Andrea writes about important issues without being preachyThe joys and challenges of touring as a singer-songwriter, especially post-CovidIn Signs of the Times, Zac and Ashley cover the ins and outs of the recent synod meeting of parish priests at the Vatican. They also discuss a “home blessing challenge” in Cincinnati, then close out by talking about the Catholics who recently received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from a fellow Catholic, President Joe Biden.Links from the ShowSister MoonAndrea Von Kampen's websiteParish priests had a synod meeting with the Vatican. But will they be included in October’s assembly?Cincinnati priests compete to meet parishioners in home blessing challengeJesuit Father Gregory Boyle and Nancy Pelosi to be awarded the Presidential Medal of FreedomFrancesco: A Pope Francis DocumentaryWhat’s on tap?Nine Pin Hard Cider Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Jesuitical, Zac and Ashley share their conversation with Cardinal Wilton Gregory on the role of a church in a polarized society. As the Archbishop of Washington, D.C., “the epicenter of division,” Cardinal Gregory has devoted himself to bringing people together across vast political and faith-based differences, lending profound insight (and humor!) to this live conversation, which was hosted by Georgetown University’s Catholic Social Thought and Public Life and Leadership Roundtable.They discuss: Cardinal Gregory’s conversion as a boy and life as a priest Watching people come together through the synod, from diocesan meetings to the universal session in Rome The cardinal’s advice for young people who feel disengaged from politics During Signs of the Times, Zac and Ashley are joined by one of Jesuitical’s assistant producers, Delaney Coyne, to break down a recent debacle surrounding an A.I. priest. They cover the laicization of Catholic Answers’ “Father Justin” and discuss the kind of insights this technology can—and can’t—provide.Want to advertise your school, ministry program, book or anything else on Jesuitical? Send us an email at jesuitical@americamedia.org Links from the showThe real lesson behind the ‘Father Justin’ AI priest debacle. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices