The Catholic Culture Podcast

Mike Aquilina has been a highly successful freelance writer for over three decades. He is best known for his popular books on the Fathers of the Church, but he is also a poet and has co-written songs with the well-known blues singer Dion. We chat about the process of collaboration (whether as a ghostwriter or a song lyricist), the trajectory of poetry over the past century, and more. Links Mike Aquilina's website https://fathersofthechurch.com/ "New York Is My Home" (a song Mike co-wrote performed by Dion and Paul Simon) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpsVSLUOCGA A History of the Church in 100 Objects by Mike & Grace Aquilina https://catholicbooksdirect.com/product/a-history-of-the-church-in-100-objects/ The Fathers of the Church, 3rd Edition by Mike Aquilina https://catholicbooksdirect.com/product/the-fathers-of-the-church-3rd-edition/ "Hindu Traditions of St. Thomas" at Mike's blog https://fathersofthechurch.com/2007/05/21/hindu-traditions-of-st-thomas/ "Birdhouse in Your Soul" by They Might Be Giants https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhjSzjoU7OQ Timestamps Mike Aquilina 2:29 St. Thomas Aquinas's Eucharistic hymns 5:27 Being a lyricist collaborating with a musician (Dion) 7:05 The fun of ghostwriting 9:18 Prose influences 11:18 Mike's eclectic career path 13:27 The modern idea of the artist; poetry in the past century 31:39 Life as a full-time freelance writer 32:46 Mike's work on patristics 35:18 Distilling the scholarship of experts for a popular audience 38:09 More on Mike's collaboration with Dion 40:24 Having his lyrics sung by Paul Simon 41:31 Chatting about favorite musicians and lyricists 50:18 "Thomas Christians" in India and early Korean Catholicism 53:52 This week's readings: Clement of Alexandria

Are music and morals connected? If so, what is the nature of that connection? Are certain musical sounds morally bad or good in themselves, or are they neutral? Could the influence of music on morality be of an indirect kind? Is there such a thing as a virtuous way of listening to music? Can music prepare us for the spiritual life? Do you have to be a good person to make beautiful music? I discuss these questions and more with theologian Fr. Basil Cole, O.P., an amateur jazz pianist who wrote his dissertation on the moral effects of music (not to be confused with another Fr. Basil who has also commented on the same subject!). Links Basil Cole, O.P. bio https://www.dominicanajournal.org/preacher-professor-and-author-extraordinaire/ Read Fr. Basil's dissertation https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=11968 Fr. Basil articles at CC https://www.catholicculture.org/search/resultslist.cfm?requesttype=docbrowseauth&resourcetype=1&catlabel=author&catid=85 Excellent article on the Rosary by Fr. Basil https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=9226 Jeff Mirus's review of Music and Morals https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/otc.cfm?id=510 Jeff Mirus's review of The Hidden Enemies of the Priesthood https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/articles.cfm?id=253 Jeff Mirus's review of Christian Totality https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/otc.cfm?id=842 Further recommended reading (not mentioned in episode): Elisabeth-Paule Labat, O.S.B., The Song That I Am: On the Mystery of Music https://amzn.to/2LemFYY Timestamps 3:16 Fr. Basil Cole interview 4:05 Fr. Basil's musical background 10:01 Refuting the claim that certain musical sounds are intrinsically morally bad or good 12:20 Common misapplication of Plato's theory of music 18:28 Does music imitate or express emotions? 20:05 Why certain personalities might feel threatened by musical creativity; the necessity of risk in art and the spiritual life 25:31 Why the philosophers have not understood music: it goes beyond reason and concepts 31:32 How good music teaches us to "rejoice rightly" 37:34 Music as school of contemplation 44:34 Beauty and morality: an indirect relationship; can music promote morality through happiness? 48:31 Temperance in listening to music 51:17 Is mediocre music morally degrading? 55:08 Using music to foster false identity and narcissistic sentimentality vs. true self-knowledge through contemplation 59:16 The vice of curiositas in music: music streaming tempts us to superficial musical gluttony 1:01:05 Curiositas: Over-analysis and musical snobbery 1:03:28 What Frank Serpico can teach us about music and integrity 1:06:38 Do you have to be a good person to make beautiful music? 1:10:50 What virtues does an artist need? 1:13:02 How to begin listening to music more deeply 1:15:47 This week's excerpt: Sirach 32:5

Jeff Mirus, founder of CatholicCulture.org and Trinity Communications, shares his extensive experience in establishing Catholic organizations. He discusses his transition from a college position to launching a nonprofit publishing venture, emphasizing a student-centered approach. Mirus reflects on the evolution of CatholicCulture.org and the need for adaptability in a digital age. He also highlights St. Catherine Drexel’s inspiring commitment to service, encouraging listeners to embrace similar generosity in their own apostolate efforts.

In this conversation with Jeff Mirus, founder of CatholicCulture.org and various Catholic institutions, he shares his journey into Catholic apologetics amidst a Church crisis. He reflects on founding the journal Faith & Reason and co-founding Christendom College, emphasizing the importance of prayer for sustaining faith. Mirus discusses the shifting cultural landscape of the 60s, the rise of lay apostolic efforts, and the balance between family life and institutional work. His insights are rich with personal anecdotes and practical wisdom for aspiring leaders in the Church.

Abriana Chilelli had to drive her children past a lewd strip club advertisement every day on their way home from school in downtown Denver. But instead of taking a fatalistic attitude and a detour, or worse, just accepting it, she got in touch with a city councilman and within days, the pornographic image was gone. We discuss her story and the lessons she learned about how we can still accomplish positive change in our communities, and the importance of teaching children the true meaning of their bodies. Links Abriana Chilelli https://twitter.com/AbrianaChilelli Book mentioned in interview: Good Pictures, Bad Pictures https://goo.gl/XHNJzn Book reviewed: A Bad Catholic's Essays on What's Wrong with the World by Marc Barnes https://amzn.to/2MZhQkl Sample essay https://www.firstthings.com/article/2017/08/make-hell-hot-again Marc Barnes's website https://bad-catholic.com/ 1979 Wise Blood film adaptation https://amzn.to/2yJjd3N Timestamps 00:48 Book review: A Bad Catholic's Essays on What's Wrong with the World by Marc Barnes 7:59 John Huston's film adaptation of Flannery O'Connor's Wise Blood 9:46 Abriana Chilelli interview 10:50 The lewd advertisement on Abriana's commute home from her children's school 15:07 Her attempts to get it taken down, and final success with help from a city councilman 19:54 What she learned: Don't assume nothing can be done; the problem of Catholic fatalism and the need to be in the public square and build relationships 22:00 Thomas's frustration at lewd public service ads on the NYC subway 24:36 #MeToo and America's reckoning with the consumption of women's bodies 26:06 Tact and truth: communicating your complaint in a way that accomplishes something 30:53 Abriana's work as curriculum director for Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Denver; how to teach children about the meaning of their bodies 34:20 How pornography influences gender ideology 36:03 This week's excerpt: Pope Francis, Amoris Laetitia, Ch. 4, p. 151 https://goo.gl/yLgtwU

It would not occur to most of us to imagine that monetary has a moral component. Catholic prelates are as silent about matters like fiat money, central banking and inflation and as are the secular ethicists. But the production of currency is not just a matter for the technocrats, and the Catholic tradition once had something to say on the topic. Economist Guido Hülsmann has combined the moral-economic analysis of the scholastics, particularly the 14th-century bishop Nicholas Oresme (who wrote that debauching the currency is worse than either usury or prostitution), with the insights of the Austrian school of economics in order to formulate an authentically Christian Ethics of Money Production for the modern age. Links: Guido Hülsmann's website http://www.guidohulsmann.com/ Jörg Guido Hülsmann, The Ethics of Money Production: Buy https://amzn.to/2lifyQT or read for free https://mises.org/library/ethics-money-production Thomas's series of articles on Prof. Hülsmann's book https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/articles.cfm?id=694 Read Nicholas Oresme's De Moneta for free https://mises.org/library/de-moneta-nicholas-oresme-and-english-mint-documents Timestamps: 3:13 Interview with Guido Hülsmann Part 1: Money and Banking 3:51 Silence of Catholic social teaching on money production; using scholastic tradition, esp. Nicole Oresme, as a source 5:38 What is the "Austrian school" of economics and why would the Catholic mind find it compelling? 10:58 Competing definitions of money: commodity or sign? 14:54 Origin and evolution of banking; from simple money warehousing to fractional reserve 21:00 Varying origins of fractional reserve banking in Europe 25:10 Absence of legal and contractual clarity throughout the history of fractional reserve banking; attempts by states to keep banks from going bankrupt leading to the creation of central banks Part 2: Inflation and Its Consequences 34:53 Three unprecedented modern developments: the abandonment of precious metals, the imposition of fiat money, constant inflation 40:19 The first economist was a scholastic: Bishop Oresme on inflation and the debasement of coinage 48:56 Render to Caesar: does all money belong to the government? Oresme says governments may not alter previously existing moneys without the consent of the entire community 50:54 Inflation worse than usury and prostitution according to Oresme; deceptive practices by governments 54:01 Similar economic consequences of debasement of coinage and modern inflation: Enrichment of earliest recipients of new money at the expense of latest recipients 57:54 A uniquely modern recurrence: the business cycle as a result of fractional reserve banking 1:00:43 Central banks incentivizing commercial banks to irresponsible behavior leading to the 2008 financial crisis 1:08:26 Cultural consequences of inflation: a debt-based economy, borrowing and investment prioritized over saving, materialism and short-term thinking 1:12:45 This week's excerpts: Aristotle, Jean-Baptiste Say, Etienne Gilson

The Dominicans have just celebrated the 150-year jubilee of their ministry on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Fr. John Maria Devaney, O.P., host of the Order's Word to Life program on Sirius XM, takes me through the history of the Dominicans in NYC (which involves quite a bit of history of the city itself). From Rose Hawthorne to Andy Warhol, it is a fascinating and grace-filled legacy. Links Word to Life, Fr. John's Sirius XM radio show https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/word-to-life/id1416667926 Dominican Friars Province of St. Joseph https://opeast.org/category/word-to-life/ The St. John Paul II Society https://www.stjohnpaul.org/ The Angelic Warfare Confraternity http://www.angelicwarfareconfraternity.org/ Book mentioned by Fr. John, Pioneer Priests and Makeshift Altars: A History of Catholicism in the Thirteen Colonies by Fr. Charles Connor https://amzn.to/2Mk6Iyo Timestamps 2:17 Father John's background and call to the priesthood 4:34 Parish missions: the beginnings of Dominican ministry in Manhattan in 1867; Catholic demographics in New York at the time 14:57 The second church of St. Vincent Ferrer that was built after the arrival of more Irish immigrants; Dominican Sisters of St. Mary of the Springs start a school 17:20 The English sisters who served poor immigrants and started the Dominican Sisters of Sparkill 21:07 Aside on Bishop John Hughes, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, and Dominican friars out West 26:38 The first two bishops of New York were Dominican 28:47 The gilded age of New York: opening the Priory of St. Vincent Ferrer and the Mission Church of St. Catherine of Siena 35:07 The story of Rose Hawthorne and her founding of a community of Dominican sisters to care for poor cancer sufferers (the "Hawthorne Dominicans") 41:54 Rose's cause for canonization and its importance in combatting assisted suicide; her connection to Sloan-Kettering and Dominican hospital work in NYC more generally 47:48 The vital role of Dominican nuns and sisters 49:44 The current St. Vincent Ferrer church built in Gothic style by the great architect Bertram Goodhue 52:02 The stained-glass Aristotle window; his importance to the Dominicans 56:15 Developments in the neighborhood since the 1950s 57:39 Andy Warhol's attendance of St. Vincent Ferrer 1:01:28 Catholicism in the public sphere and art circles in the mid-20th century 1:03:42 The Dominican mission of influencing NYC as a cultural hub today; the Dominican contribution to Catholicism in the US is devotional life 1:09:55 The Our Lady of Fatima statue at St. Vincent Ferrer which was sculpted by Fr. McGlynn under the direction of Sister Lucia, the piece of St. John Paul II's bloodstained cassock from when he was shot 1:14:48 The importance of the rosary to Dominicans and all Catholics 1:18:56 How Fr. Matthew Carroll got the sisters to wear their habits again 1:27:36 This week's excerpt: Pope St. John Paul II, Crossing the Threshold of Hope

One of the most creative rock bands around today is Virginia-based indie rock trio The Duskwhales. Drummer/singer Chris Baker joins me to talk about their new EP, Hospital Dreams, a set of melancholic, folky acoustic songs he wrote while battling cancer. In this episode I also discuss the Metropolitan Museum of Art's controversial Heavenly Bodies exhibit, and give a couple of movie recommendations. Links Listen to and purchase Hospital Dreams on Bandcamp https://theduskwhales.bandcamp.com/album/hospital-dreams My interview with The Duskwhales about their 2017 album Sorrowful Mysteries https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/otc.cfm?id=1473 Follow The Duskwhales on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/TheDuskwhales/ Timestamps 1:32 Heavenly Bodies exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Movie recommendations 12:34 Babette's Feast 15:28 A Quiet Place 19:41 Chris Baker interview (songs used with permission) 20:39 Song: "Hospital Dreams" by The Duskwhales 24:32 The story behind Hospital Dreams: Chris's cancer 27:41 Writing songs as a way of occupying time during chemo 28:42 Song discussion: "Hospital Dreams" 29:57 You can't spell the word "chemotherapy" without "mother": Mary in " All Her Wonder" and "Turn White" 32:20 The band's first time self-recording 33:56 Plans for a trilogy of albums 35:20 Keyboardist Brian Majewski's departure and return 36:10 Hospital Dreams cover art 37:23 Chris's ill-fated but diverting Twitter campaign 38:09 The Duskwhales' future 39:02 Music Chris is currently listening to; influences on Hospital Dreams 44:25 Weekly excerpt: Hans Urs von Balthasar

There is an easy, short, perfect and sure way to save our failing Western civilization that is often overlooked in the endless slew of books and articles penned by Catholic intellectuals: Turn to Mary. Carrie Gress's book The Marian Option: God's Solution to a Civilization in Crisis reminds us that in crisis after overwhelming civilizational crisis, Mary has saved the day when her children had the humility and simplicity to beg her for help. Our age is no different. In this episode, Carrie and I discuss The Marian Option, as well as her latest book, Marian Consecration for Children, the importance of women in the church, and the pernicious attempts by "Catholic feminists" to remake Mary in the image of Beyonce. Come, Holy Spirit! Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us! Links: The Marian Option https://amzn.to/2IIYvSd Marian Consecration for Children https://amzn.to/2KHydju Carrie's blog, My Favorite Catholic Things https://myfavoritecatholicthings.com/ Helena Daily https://www.helenadaily.com/ Books on Marian consecration for adults: St. Louis de Montfort: True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin https://amzn.to/2IEn4zB Preparation for Total Consecration According to St. Louis de Montfort, Fr. Hugh Gillespie, S.M.M. https://amzn.to/2Lgqom1 33 Days to Morning Glory, Fr. Michael E. Gaitley, M.I.C. https://amzn.to/2KKnZ1Q Other books mentioned: The World's First Love, Ven. Fulton J. Sheen https://amzn.to/2IDocU9 Jesus and His Mother, Fr. Andre Feuillet (out of print) https://amzn.to/2s17cQA Ultimate Makeover: The Transforming Power of Motherhood, Carrie Gress https://amzn.to/2KJ7LGh Timestamps: Carrie Gress interview 2:55 Carrie's book panned by wacky individual 4:15 Origin of The Marian Option—nothing wrong with Benedict, but Mary is more powerful, central and directly relevant to contemporary challenges 9:17 The big picture of Mary's influence on world history; Mary's influence on the Battle of New Orleans 10:12 Little-known intercontinental links between Marian events; example: Our Lady of Guadalupe in the Reconquista, the conversation of Mexico and the Battle of Lepanto 15:26 Why the Marian Option is not just an option 17:15 How cultures flourish under Mary 18:41 Why Catholic intellectuals look to their own pet projects to save the West and not to Mary; hang-ups about private revelation; the limits of argumentation 26:01 Carrie's new book, Marian Consecration for Children; giving children a sense of their mission here and now 37:01 The influence of women on culture 40:15 The importance of women, feminine spirituality and the Church as feminine vs. modern "feminization" of the Church 47:10 The attempts by "Catholic feminists" to make their own Mary 53:54 "Equal" is not a useful word 55:09 Women are demonstrably unhappier under today's model of womanhood 57:30 Sts. John Paul II and Edith Stein on feminism 1:00:59 The dangers of trying to create Catholic versions of ideologies 1:02:48 Carrie's new content aggregate site for Catholic women, Helena Daily 1:07:00 Books on Marian consecration for adults 1:10:24 This week's excerpt: Ven. Fulton J. Sheen This podcast is a production of CatholicCulture.org. If you like the show, please consider supporting us! http://catholicculture.org/donate/audio

The history of Catholicism in the native American nations is little known, but is rife with lessons for lay spirituality, inculturation, and the New Evangelization. Today's guest, journalist Peter Jesserer Smith, shares some of the holy treasures of American history, such as Joseph Chiwatenhwa and Marie Aonetta, the Huron "power couple" of evangelization, and the martyrs (numbering over a thousand) of the La Florida missions. Links Homily of Pope St. John Paul II at the Martyrs' Shrine (Huronia) on Saturday, 15 September 1984 https://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/homilies/1984/documents/hf_jp-ii_hom_19840915_santuario-huronia.html Friends of God: The Early Native Huron Church in Canada, by Bruce Henry (tells the story of Joseph Chiwatenhwa and Marie Aonetta) http://www.wyandot.org/friendsofgod.htm Eustace Ahasistari, Catholic Huron warrior, as described by Jesuit missionaries https://books.google.com/books?id=xqRBAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA252&lpg=PA252&dq=Eustace+Ahasistari&source=bl&ots=7ifewQvpp4&sig=1sIn-WpAEKEBgaaEQOhwVvJDkfk&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjehPf5ku_aAhWMnOAKHU7dDzYQ6AEIMDAD#v=onepage&q=Eustace%20Ahasistari&f=false Articles by Peter Jesserer Smith America's first paths of holiness: Lives of indigenous saints and martyrs https://angelusnews.com/content/america-s-first-paths-of-holiness-lives-of-indigenous-saints-and-martyrs Hundreds of Martyrs Sow the Seeds of Faith in the United States http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/north-american-martyrs-sow-the-seeds-of-faith-in-the-new-world St. Kateri Tekakwitha: Our Saint for All Seasons http://www.angelusnews.com/articles/st-kateri-tekakwitha-our-saint-for-all-seasons A holy marriage gave the Church a community of native saints, and St. Kateri Tekakwitha http://www.angelusnews.com/articles/a-holy-marriage-gave-the-church-a-community-of-native-saints-and-st-kateri-tekakwitha St. Kateri and the Four Holy Martyrs from Kahnawake http://www.angelusnews.com/articles/st-kateri-and-the-four-holy-martyrs-from-kahnawake A proven path to holiness: Mentoring a saint https://angelusnews.com/content/a-proven-path-to-holiness-mentoring-a-saint Cause Opens for Nicholas Black Elk, Holy Man of the Lakota http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/cause-opens-for-nicholas-black-elk-holy-man-of-the-lakota Timestamps: Peter Jesserer Smith interview 3:25 Why is native American Catholic history and culture important for the New Evangelization? 6:37 St. John Paul II's 1984 address at the Martyr's Shrine in Huronia 7:35 What were the missionaries impressed with in native American cultures? What aspects of native cultures resonated with the Gospel? In the Great Lakes region: family-based societies, devotion to the Creator 11:29 The lay missionary power couple of the Huron: Joseph Chiwatenhwa (a convert of St. Jean de Brebeuf) and his wife Marie Aonetta 13:51 Native American societies were set up almost more like the United States than like Europe, so the old European model of "convert the king and the people will follow" was and is obsolete 16:16 More on Joseph and Marie. Women have a lot of authority in Native societies in this region, so Marie's active involvement in evangelization is essential 20:35 Hostility from some natives because Jesuits inadvertently brought disease, leading to Chiwatenhwa's martyrdom 32:02 Joseph Chiwatenhwa was the first lay parish administrator in Canada; Native converts' devotion to the Eucharist, the Liturgy of the Hours, and the Rosary 34:18 Not everything in Huron culture was compatible with the Catholic faith. What would it have meant to be a Huron warrior who was also a Christian? Example: Eustace Ahasistari 40:00 Funny—well, it's interesting—it's not hilarious—story about Eustace Ahasistari's and St. Isaac Jogue's very different responses to torture 44:35 Reasons why these native Catholics have not been canonized; their continuing relevance 47:30 Ritual adoption and how it helped transmit the Gospel between tribes and nations—all the way to St. Kateri Tekakwitha; the importance of preserving the languages which spread the faith 52:38 The hundreds of martyrs of the La Florida missions 59:04 The lead martyr, Antonio Cuipa 1:11:18 The lessons of inculturation in native American nations are increasingly relevant at a time when more and more American Catholic thinkers are questioning the foundations of our country and proposing various alternatives 1:12:14 This week's excerpt: Mary Shelley, Frankenstein