#12088 AMA: Catholicism - Tim Staples
Questions Covered:
Feb 28, 2025
Catholic Answers Live
Catholic Answers LIVE is a daily, call-in radio program of Catholic apologetics and evangelization airing live from 6-8 pm ET.
Episodes
#12087 Is IVF an Option for Couples Struggling with Infertility? - Fr. Tad Pacholczyk
Fr. Tad Pacholozcyk dives into complex ethical and moral questions surrounding IVF, infertility, and bioethics. He discusses how to approach conversations about IVF with struggling couples, the Church’s stance on embryo adoption, and the moral implications of CRISPR technology. Tim also examines the influence of Catholic politicians on these issues and guides those who have undergone IVF and are seeking healing. Plus, discover resources to help infertile couples understand the Church’s teachings...
Feb 27, 2025
#12086 What Did the Most Recent Popes Actually Do? And More Topics - Christopher Check
The Flannel Panel takes on the news from the Catholic perspective including NPR’s take on previous popes and their accomplishments. Topics Covered: 01:30 – Movies 06:00 – National Geographic 14:10 – NPR 30:00 – What did Pope John XXIII do? 42:20 – What did Pope Paul VI do? 47:03 – What did Pope John Paul II & Benedict XVI do?
Feb 27, 2025
#12085 The Steps to Pulling Off Sainthood and More from the Flannel Panel - Joe Heschmeyer
The Flannel Panel takes on the news from the Catholic perspective, including the current state of Pope Francis, The upcoming Academy Awards and the process of sainthood. Topics Covered: 02:00 – Pope Francis 09:10 – Academy Award Best Picture Nominations 18:15 – Indigenous Man 28:30 – How to Pull off Sainthood 34:00 – Mailbag 43:45 – Jesus Christ Superstar
Feb 26, 2025
#12084 When Should Catholics Stop Debating with Protestants? - Jim Blackburn
Why don’t we witness miracles like burning bushes or pillars of fire today? Jim Blackburn of Catholic Questions explains the Catholic perspective on divine manifestations and why they seem less frequent. He also answers questions on living a celibate life when a spouse has Alzheimer’s, why bishops prefer standing over kneeling for Communion, and when to stop debating with Protestants. Questions Covered: 04:02 – Why do we not see or hear of burning bushes, rocks being split in two or pillar...
Feb 26, 2025
#12083 Is Killing Always Intrinsically Evil? And More Questions - Fr. Paul Keller O.P.
Is killing always intrinsically evil? Fr. Paul Keller, OP, explores the Catholic Church’s teaching on the morality of killing and when, if ever, it can be justified. He also answers pressing faith questions, including whether Catholics can date a divorced non-Catholic and many more. Questions Covered: 05:50 – Is killing an intrinsically evil act? 16:43 – Can a Catholic date a divorced person that was not married in the Catholic Church? 20:54 – I’m Catholic and was just married ...
Feb 25, 2025
#12082 Was Judas Forgiven? Could He Be in Heaven? And More Questions - Karlo Broussard
Dr. Karlo Broussard takes calls about Catholicism from Non-Catholics, including how to explain conversion to Protestant friends, why some people reject God despite knowing the proofs, and whether Judas was forgiven. He also discusses the restoration of souls for politicians who promote sinful laws, the reliability of saint stories, and whether purgatory acts as a second chance for salvation. Tune in for deep insights into Catholic faith and theology! Questions Covered: 04:01 – I’m a Protes...
Feb 25, 2025
#12081 Is the Eucharist a Full Meal? the Eucharist, Marriage, and Biblical Salvation Explained - Karlo Broussard
This episode tackles common Protestant objections, including John 6, the nature of the Eucharistic meal, and how non-Catholics can be saved. Questions Covered: 05:40 – Where can I learn more about St. Stephen, the proto-martyr? 19:37 – How does devotion to Mary’s Immaculate Heart not take away from Jesus? 29:26 – Does John 6:37 contradict the Catholic view of Salvation? 40:53 – Why are Catholics allowed to marry non-Catholics including non-Christians with a dispensation? ...
Feb 24, 2025
#12080 How Should Catholics Respond to Wesley Huff’s Teachings on the Canon? - Tim Staples
Questions Covered: 04:57 – How do I get my OCIA students more interested in the topics we discuss? 13:55 – What do we make of Jesus, Mary and Joseph getting expensive gifts from the magi but still only making the poor persons’ offering at the temple? Wouldn’t they have been rich? 22:16 – How do Catholics respond to people who are interested in Wesley Huff and what he teaches about the canon of scripture? 36:33 – What does the Catechism mean when it says that togeth...
Feb 22, 2025
#12079 How to Evangelize Gen Z - Fr. Agustino Torres, CFR
Live from the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress. Fr. Agustino Torres, CFR, joins us to talk about evangelization and Gen Z. Questions Covered: 12:50 – How can I expand the youth group I lead? I am a youth coordinator, how can I get kids to live what they learn out in the world? 18:30 – How do we evangelize to someone who is at peace with their life in their own religion? 46:54 – How do we use social media to move young people to person-to-person communication and the Euc...
Feb 21, 2025
#12078 Is Catholicism Too Focused on Rules? A Catholic Response - Karlo Broussard
Dr. Karlo Broussard answers common objections and questions about Catholicism, including whether the Church is too focused on rules, how to explain to Protestants that they also rely on tradition, and whether Catholics interpret “until” inconsistently in Scripture. He also discusses reconciling Catholic and Protestant views of Jesus and clarifies what tradition means in the Catholic faith. Questions Covered: 06:05 – Catholicism seems to be rules obsessed. 17:52 – How do I explain to ...
Feb 21, 2025
#12077 How to Refute the Claim That Jesus Have Brothers? - Karlo Broussard
Dr. Karlo Broussard answers key questions on Catholicism, including how to refute the claim that Jesus had brothers, why marriage is indissoluble while salvation can be lost, and what the Catholic mysteries are. He also discusses whether Protestants misuse the term “altar,” their culpability regarding mortal sin, how to handle anti-Catholic rants at Protestant funerals, and what the Syllabus of Errors controversy is about. Questions Covered: 05:54 – Help me respond to Protestan...
Feb 20, 2025
#12076 How to Refute the Accusations of Catholic Cannibalism and More - Joe Heschmeyer
Joe Heschmeyer answers key Catholic questions, including why Catholics don’t baptize by full submersion, how to defend the Pope against Orthodox objections, and whether the Filioque was a corruption or development. He also refutes accusations of cannibalism, explains early Church views on the papacy, and discusses if Catholics can disagree with the pope without being excommunicated. Questions Covered: 03:07 – Why do Catholics not do full submersion baptism? 12:40 – How does the Churc...
Feb 20, 2025
#12075 How Long Does Purgatory Last? Catholic Teaching Explained - Joe Heschmeyer
Joe Heschmeyer tackles thought-provoking questions from non-Catholics about key Catholic teachings. How long does purgatory last? Can we prove the Church’s claims about itself? Does the Catholic Church actually teach Sola Scriptura ? And is Catholicism truly compatible with the Bible? Joe provides clear, well-reasoned answers rooted in Scripture, history, and Church teaching. Tune in for a compelling discussion that clarifies common misconceptions and deepens your understanding of the faith. Que...
Feb 19, 2025
#12074 Did First-Century Jews Expect the Messiah to Be Divine? - Jimmy Akin
In this episode, Jimmy Akin answers a variety of thought-provoking questions about Catholicism. How should Catholics respond when someone says, “We can agree to disagree” in an apologetics conversation? What’s the difference between consulting mediums and engaging in prophetic prayer? Did first-century Jews expect the Messiah to be divine? Why doesn’t the Church intervene to help practicing Catholic couples avoid divorce? Other key topics include whether animal predation is a consequence of orig...
Feb 19, 2025
#12073 Was the Power of Binding and Loosing Meant to Continue? and More - Jimmy Akin
In this episode, Jimmy Akin tackles a wide range of thought-provoking questions on Catholicism, from biblical authority to moral theology. He explains whether the power of binding and loosing was meant to continue indefinitely, how the Church supports veterans burdened by war, and whether suffering requires consciousness. He also addresses apologetics strategies, the rationale behind infant baptism, and why we call Jesus’ return the “Second Coming.” Other key topics include attending ecumenical ...
Feb 18, 2025
#12072 Why Is Missing Mass a Mortal Sin? & Other Catholic Questions - Fr. Matthew Spencer
This episode tackles deep theological and moral questions, including God’s will vs. free will, Mary’s perpetual virginity and birth pains, missing Mass as a mortal sin, and offering suffering to God. Plus, insights on cheating, birth control in medical cases, and why God allows the devil power. Don’t miss this engaging discussion! Questions Covered: 04:48 – How is it fair that God imposes his will on us. 17:13 – Is cheating on college exams and quizzes immoral? 21:01 – Where in...
Feb 18, 2025
#12071 The Holy Family and the Boyhood of Jesus - Steve Ray
Steve Ray answers key questions about Jesus, from His meeting with John the Baptist and being called Rabbi to His time in the Temple and the differences in the Nativity accounts. Plus, is February dedicated to the Holy Family or the Passion of the Lord? Find out in this deep dive into Scripture and tradition! Questions Covered: 22:58 – Is February the month of the holy family, or the Passion of the Lord? 33:34 – When did Jesus meet John the Baptist? 36:23 – How did Jesus get t...
Feb 17, 2025
#12070 Why Do Catholics Believe Tradition Is Divinely Inspired? Plus More - Jimmy Akin
Jimmy Akin dives into big questions on Cain’s fear of others in Genesis, praying to deceased loved ones, Mary’s perpetual virginity in Ezekiel 44:2, and Catholic tradition vs. Sola Scriptura—plus a weird question on killer whales and human flesh! Questions Covered: 01:38 – Gen 4:14 Who is Cain referring to when saying others will kill him? Weren’t they the only other humans alive? 04:51 – Do our prayers directly affect and change what happens in heaven? 12:56 – Could you ...
Feb 15, 2025
#12069 Does Attending a Chaldean or Melkite Liturgy Fulfill My Sunday Obligation? - Jimmy Akin
Jimmy Akin tackles fascinating Catholic questions, from Sunday obligation at Eastern liturgies to Eucharistic reverence, transubstantiation, Adam & Eve, public schools, and the best Bible translation. Don’t miss this deep dive into faith and theology! Questions Covered: 04:09 – Could there be apostolic traditions that are passed on by other means than written word or speech? 12:07 – I think I got a piece of the Eucharist in my hair. How would I go about disposing of and cleaning ...
Feb 14, 2025
#12068 Why Can’t Non-Catholics Receive Communion in the Catholic Church? - Tim Staples
Tim Staples tackles tough questions from non-Catholics, covering topics like bad popes, saints answering prayers, salvation in Ephesians 2:9, baptism without records, and why non-Catholics can’t receive Communion. Get clear, Catholic answers to common objections in this insightful discussion! Questions Covered: 01:00 – how do you know when you’ve had a bad pope? 12:09 – I understand that saints pray for you if you ask but what happens if you request something that’s...
Feb 14, 2025
#12067 Why Confess to a Priest Instead of Going Straight to God? - Tim Staples
Tim Staples answers questions from non-Catholics, tackling key topics like why Catholics confess to a priest instead of going straight to God, whether Martin Luther removed books from the Bible, and how to recognize a bad pope. Questions Covered: 11:50 – Why can’t Catholics just go to God for forgiveness of sins instead of going to a priest? 30:56 – Why did Martin Luther deprive the bible of a bunch of books? 47:59 – My Protestant friend has objections to Catholicism. If a Pope...
Feb 13, 2025
#12066 Is Marijuana Addictive? What to Do When a Loved One Refuses to Quit - Scott Weeman
Scott Weeman discusses Catholic in Recovery (CIR), the 12-step model, and support for those battling addiction. Topics include marijuana’s impact, family struggles, local recovery groups, and helping loved ones in crisis. Find hope and guidance in this powerful conversation. Questions Covered: 10:46 – My wife died earlier this year and fell back into drinking. Does CIR offer a 12-step model? 14:43 – Thank you, Scott. I’ve been attending the pilot programs for CIR in my diocese....
Feb 13, 2025
#12065 Who Decided the Bible? Trusting the Canon, and Church Councils - William Albrecht
William Albrecht tackles key canon debates—John 8, Nicaea, apocryphal books, and translation changes. Can we trust the Church’s authority on Scripture? Find out now! Questions Covered: 06:35 – Considering scholarship on Jn 8. How do we justify it being in the bible since it’s not in the earliest manuscripts? 13:21 – How does the Church rectify other churches’ canons when they enter into communion? 16:34 – Can you talk about Cyril Lucaris and the canon conflict 19:03...
Feb 12, 2025
#12064 Do Jews Receive Forgiveness Without the Temple? And More Questions - Jimmy Akin
Jimmy Akin answers key Catholic questions on Jewish forgiveness without the Temple, King Solomon’s salvation, Jacob’s name change, Revelation’s link to cosmology, Jesus’ identity, demons recognizing Christ, and the Apocrypha’s role in reading and study. Questions Covered: 01:21 – How do the Jews have their sins forgiven if there’s no Temple or sacrifices being offered? 05:47 – Did King Solomon from the Book of Kings lose his soul? 10:50 – In Mark 5, when the possessed man recog...
Feb 12, 2025
#12063 Should the Church Baptize Immediately? And More Bible Questions - Jimmy Akin
Jimmy Akin answers key Catholic questions on biblical texts, St. Michael’s role, surviving biblical churches, the Ethiopian eunuch’s baptism, differences in Catholic and Orthodox canons, and biblical apparitions beyond Jesus and Mary.” Questions Covered: 02:37 – How do which parts of Esther are original Hebrew if we don’t have all the original Hebrew texts? 12:00 – Why did God pick St. Michael the Archangel to defeat Satan? 15:17 – From the Churches mentioned in the Bible...
Feb 11, 2025
#12062 How Can the Saints Hear Us? A Catholic Explanation, And More - Karlo Broussard
Dr Karlo Broussard tackles key Catholic questions on Sola Scriptura, the papacy in Isaiah, how saints hear prayers, differences in the Ten Commandments, trusting the early Church Fathers, and the biblical case for relics. Questions Covered: 04:00 – How would the Catholic Church respond to “The Church must make a subjective claim that it’s the objective interpreter of Scripture?” 14:06 – 2 Tim 3:16 proves Sola Scriptura. What is your response? 20:54 – Who is the peg that is refe...
Feb 11, 2025
#12061 Are the Deuterocanonical Books as Authoritative as the Gospels? - John Martignoni
John Martignoni takes questions on scriptural apologetics defending prophecy with Scripture, the authority of the deuterocanonical books, the role of priests in the Bible, and why Catholic apologetics approaches Scripture the way it does.” Questions Covered: 19:57 – How can we as Catholics rebuke Protestants using scripture to back up public prophecy? 29:06 – What is the Catholic understanding of the Deuterocanonical books? Why do we have them versus not? Are they on the same l...
Feb 10, 2025
#12060 Are All Religions Paths to God? And More Questions - Jimmy Akin
Jimmy Akin tackles deep Catholic questions on mysterious warnings, biblical oaths, the deuterocanonical books, forgiveness, interfaith views, and navigating faith with anti-Catholic family—offering thoughtful and theologically sound insights. Questions Covered: 00:54 – I heard the words “Be aware” just prior to witnessing an attempted kidnapping; how should I interpret this? 09:34 – Is there significance in everything? 12:07 – In Gen 24, Abraham asks his servant to place his ha...
Feb 08, 2025
#12059 Can the Church Infallibly Declare Saints? And More - Jimmy Akin
Jimmy Akin answers key Catholic questions on Jesus’ promise of paradise, the Church’s stance on creation, sainthood, Marian apparitions, marriage, and more—offering deep insights rooted in theology and tradition. Questions Covered: 05:12 – There was a 1909 Pontifical Conference on Genesis that determined how to interpret creation. How and why has the Church’s stance changed on this since then? 13:37 – What did Jesus mean “today you’ll be with me in paradise” to the good thief w...
Feb 07, 2025