Romans 8–9 is often cited in support of Calvinist theology—but is that the only way to read it? We explore a Catholic interpretation of these powerful chapters, along with questions about the priesthood, interfaith prayer, and the role of bishops in setting fasting rules. Join The CA Live Club Newsletter: Click Here Questions Covered: 1:00 – Why does the office of the priesthood deserve reverence and respect and how is it beautiful? 08:23 – What kind of authority does a bishop have o...
Apr 03, 2025
Is it really possible for spiritual harm to be passed down through families? We explore the Church’s view on generational curses and demonic influence, along with insights on martyrdom, the Eucharist, and the connection between Revelation and the Gospel of John. Join The CA Live Club Newsletter: Click Here Questions Covered: 03:58 – Is Jesus’ view of election the same as the parable as the wedding feast? 10:20 – I’ve never been able to understand, how is the incarnation n...
Apr 02, 2025
Some Catholics are concerned about recent changes to synod structures and future decisions. We take a closer look at Pope Paul VI’s vision for synods, the Church’s stance on women’s ordination and same-sex unions, and answer more on valid marriage, frozen embryos, and Mary’s sinlessness. Join The CA Live Club Newsletter: Click Here Questions Covered: 14:40 – Why does the pope not follow Pope Paul VI’s understanding of synods only being made up of Cardinals? Will he allow women priests and ...
Apr 02, 2025
Many Protestants ask why Catholics follow papal authority when it’s not explicitly stated in Scripture. We explore the biblical and historical roots of the papacy and also explain why Catholics reject sola scriptura, differences in baptism, and the rules around receiving Communion. Join The CA Live Club Newsletter: Click Here Questions Covered: 07:16 – Why do Catholics follow the doctrines and orders of the pope even if it’s not written in the bible? 19:00 – Why don’t Cat...
Apr 01, 2025
Navigating Mass with an estranged spouse can be difficult, especially when co-parenting. Dr. Ray offers guidance on maintaining peace and setting a good example for children, along with insights on family boundaries, self-compassion, and recognizing spiritual experiences in prayer. Join The CA Live Club Newsletter: Click Here Questions Covered: 21:06 – Navigating Mass with an estranged spouse: How can he foster peace while co-parenting post-divorce? 30:20 – Is it ethical to challenge therapists ...
Apr 01, 2025
Opus Dei often sparks curiosity—and controversy. But what is it really, and how does it function within the wider Catholic Church? We explore this question and also discuss papal resignation and the balance of free will and institutional pressure. Join The CA Live Club Newsletter: Click Here Questions Covered: 33:36 – Does a papal resignation raise concerns about free will vs. pressure within the Vatican? 37:31 – What is Opus Dei, and how does it fit into the larger Catholic faith?...
Mar 31, 2025
If intelligent alien or fictional species like Vulcans or Hobbits existed, could they be ordained as priests? We dive into this speculative theology question and also explore Marian devotion, dowsing, near-death experiences, and papal infallibility. Questions Covered: 02:59 – Would other intelligent creatures (like hobbits or vulcans) become priests? 08:29 – Could a Catholic holding all that the Church teaches on Mary believe that she’s overemphasized? 12:03 – What are the “liv...
Mar 29, 2025
If a gorilla could understand the Gospel through sign language, could it be saved? We explore this unusual but fascinating question, plus why St. Philomena’s feast was removed, the Church’s view on devotionals, and how to approach celibacy in unexpected life situations. Questions Covered: 03:38 – How can I invite my college Newman Center to a seder dinner as part of an interfaith event? 08:32 – Why was St. Philomena’s feast day removed from the Roman Calendar? 12:38 – If a pers...
Mar 28, 2025
Are Marian doctrines like the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption late inventions, or do they have earlier roots? We explore pre-Augustinian thought, why some doctrines develop differently, and how Marian beliefs compare to teachings like eternal security and sola fide. Join The CA Live Club Newsletter: Click Here Questions Covered: 12:41 – I know the Eucharist is the Body, Blood, Soul & Divinity of Jesus. Is it his Resurrected body? 16:30 – Do we have any prior to Augustine...
Mar 28, 2025
Are all Catholics bound by the same beliefs, regardless of rite? We explore the unity and diversity within the Catholic Church, plus discuss attending Byzantine parishes, Marian theology in the East, and inter-rite confessions. Questions Covered: 10:17 – Can a priest of a certain rite celebrate the Eucharist in a different rite? 15:21 – Do the Eastern Catholic Churches believe in Mary the same way the Orthodox? 19:15 – Have any of the Eastern Catholic Churches undergo sw...
Mar 27, 2025
In this episode, the Flannel Panel goes through the biased takes of NPR and offers commentary from a Catholic perspective. Topics Covered: 03:30 – Understanding the context of NPR 05:15 – What are religious people divided on according to NPR
Mar 27, 2025
With so many voices on social media and YouTube, is Catholicism gaining ground in the digital world? We explore the Church’s online presence and also look at trends in adult conversions to the faith. Join The CA Live Club Newsletter: Click Here Topics Covered: 09:00 – Are more adults converting to Catholicism? 33:00 – Are Catholics winning online?
Mar 26, 2025
Is it required belief that St. Joseph remained celibate his whole life? We explore Church teaching on this tradition and also dive into Mary’s sorrowful apparitions, obedience to the pope, and infant baptism debates with Protestants. Join The CA Live Club Newsletter: Click Here Questions Covered: 12:03 – Why does Mary sometimes appear sad, like at appearance la Salette and in the seven sorrows of Mary? 19:20 – Is it necessary for Catholics to believe that St. Joseph was a perpetual virgin?...
Mar 26, 2025
What happens if the priest or pastor doesn’t say the exact words during a baptism? Does it still count? We explore the Church’s teaching on valid baptism, plus questions on receiving Communion before convalidation, judgment after death, and depictions of Jesus in iconography. Join The CA Live Club Newsletter: Click Here Questions Covered: 06:19 – I’m having my marriage convalidated in a couple of weeks. I will go to confession the day before. The next day I will go to Mass at 9am and the convali...
Mar 25, 2025
If the writings of the Church Fathers aren’t part of the Bible, why do they matter? We explore their authority and role in understanding the faith, plus tackle questions about God’s omniscience, Eucharistic miracles, and why Mary doesn’t appear more often in Scripture. Join The CA Live Club Newsletter: Click Here Questions Covered: 04:15 – I constantly hear that God knows everything that’s going to happen, but in the Old Testament He changed His mind. It sounds like a con...
Mar 25, 2025
Many Marian prayers mention having “recourse” to her—but where does that phrase come from, and is it something Catholics are required to believe? We explore its origin and meaning, plus questions on Mary’s titles, Christ’s conception, and the early practice of the sign of the cross. Join The CA Live Club Newsletter: Click Here Questions Covered: 04:44 – Many prayers to Mary say we have recourse to her. What is the origin of that? Is it required to believe that? 08:12 – In...
Mar 24, 2025
Are we responsible for staying silent when others sin? We explore what Scripture says, plus why some parishes don’t offer the chalice, how to pray for a seriously ill loved one, and the meaning of “action follows being” in Thomistic philosophy. Join The CA Live Club Newsletter: Click Here Questions Covered: 02:44 – Where does it say in the bible that we would be culpable if we don’t speak up against someone else’s sin? 10:57 – Do you think the people present at the Tower ...
Mar 22, 2025
What exactly is a Pride Mass, and does it meet the requirements of a valid Catholic Mass? We break it down and also tackle topics like abstaining from meat, Mary’s need for a Savior, and the authority of Scripture in Catholic teaching. Join The CA Live Club Newsletter: Click Here Questions Covered: 05:16 – Do arguments for the resurrection work? 12:59 – Is there a difference in worshipping Jesus and God the Father? 17:20 – I’m a convert from Orthodoxy. Were my confessions as an...
Mar 21, 2025
Some claim Jesus was Muslim, but what does history—and Jesus’ own words—actually show? We break down how to respond to this argument and also explore topics like Halloween costumes, the woman in Revelation 12, sacred art, and purgatory. Join The CA Live Club Newsletter: Click Here Questions Covered: 13:36 – Toddler wants to dress up as a witch for Halloween, is it ok, would like more clarification on what the church teaches? 20:16 – Sheol is hell not Purgatory, could clarify th...
Mar 21, 2025
Is it valid or even permissible to attend a Mass led by an excommunicated priest or bishop? We explore this complex issue and also dive into questions on Mary’s perpetual virginity, altar calls at Pentecostal services, and the meaning behind “baptism for the dead.” Join The CA Live Club Newsletter: Click Here Questions Covered: 04:55 – My wife is Pentecostal and I attend early morning Mass and then Pentecostal service with wife and children I want to know if it is ok to go up to altar call...
Mar 20, 2025
Some claim Catholic practices resemble idol worship—but is that true? Joe Heschmeyer explores the distinction, along with the role of Marian dogmas, the qualifications to be an altar server, and advice for those returning to the Catholic faith. Join The CA Live Club Newsletter: Click Here Questions Covered: 04:51 – I’m in OCIA. What are the qualifications to be a server at the altar? 13:28 – I’m returning to the Catholic Faith. Do I still proceed to return or wait until I clear up my...
Mar 20, 2025
Struggling with scrupulosity and unsure how it fits within the Catholic faith? Joe Heschmeyer explores how to navigate this challenge, along with preparing for OCIA, understanding the Eucharist in John 6, and the biblical basis for praying to saints. Join The CA Live Club Newsletter: Click Here Questions Covered: 10:51 – I’m looking into Catholicism. What should I be doing in preparation for starting OCIA classes? 29:33 – I’ve been told that I have really bad scrupulosity, and I don&...
Mar 19, 2025
If Christ is our sole mediator, why does the Church encourage prayer to saints? We explore the biblical foundation for intercession, along with Catholic teaching on mediums, Purgatory, and receiving glorified bodies in Heaven. Questions Covered: 07:21 – What is the Catholic stand about mediums? 15:29 – Can we speak to people in the past in any other way apart from pagan means? 18:57 – Why do we pray to Saints when Jesus says there is only one intercessor? 37:27 – Did Pope John ...
Mar 19, 2025
Many employers struggle to find skilled and confident young workers—Jacob Imama, Founder of the College of St. Joseph the Worker explores why this is happening. We explore the challenges in hiring today’s workforce, along with advice for carpenters on pricing their work, words of encouragement for tradesmen, and biblical insights on land surveying. Questions Covered: 20:11 – 45-year machinist wants to give Jacob words of encouragement and is thrilled about the College of St. Joseph the Worker. 2...
Mar 18, 2025
Some Protestants argue that Catholicism is a cult—how should you answer? Andrew Petiprin tackles this common objection and discusses misconceptions about the Church, early Christian history, and the differences between Catholicism and other denominations. Questions Covered: 12:25 – I’m Protestant. How would you respond to the claim that the Catholic Church is a cult? 23:04 – Why do people have misconceptions about Catholicism, especially to other Christians faiths? 35:45 – What...
Mar 18, 2025
When should you rely on faith alone, and when is it time to seek professional help? Gary Zimak tackles questions on giving up worrying for Lent and more, including Scripture recommendations, and accepting life’s crosses. Questions Covered: 15:00 – How do we give up worry in a case where one has clinical depression? 18:44 – What good scripture and writing from the Church Fathers do you recommend I read? 23:12 – I’ve used therapy, and it never helped. Now that I follow fait...
Mar 17, 2025
Could a dream about purgatory have spiritual significance, or is it just the mind at work? Jimmy Akin explores how to approach such dreams and answers more on the Eucharist, spiritual warfare, and hyper-charismatic movements. Questions Covered: 01:08 – I’ve had a frightening dream about purgatory. How should I approach or interpret it? 12:43 – Is water witching a form of divination? 22:00 – How would you introduce the truth of the Eucharist to a layperson who doesn’t bel...
Mar 15, 2025
If God created human life on other planets, would original sin apply to them? Jimmy Akin explores this fascinating question and more, including papal authority, Friday fasting rules, and Confession in non-church marriages. Questions Covered: 03:56 – How do I approach my non-ecclesiastical marriage in terms of the martial embrace and Confession? 11:23 – Can you explain why Christians should be subject to the pope? 13:40 – I had collagen mixed with my coffee today. Is that...
Mar 14, 2025
How Do You Defend Papal Primacy Using Scripture? And More What biblical evidence supports the Pope’s authority and the early Church’s foundation in Rome? Joe Heschmeyer explores this question and more from the audience at SEEK 2025, including Sheol’s transformation after Christ, infant baptism, and the Real Presence in Anglican and Orthodox churches. Questions Covered: 05:46 – What did it actually mean to go to Sheol and how did that change with Christ? 07:42 – How do I defend papal ...
Mar 14, 2025
Join Catholic Answers Live as Cy Kellett interviews Fr. David Michael Moses on reaching young people through social media and evangelization in today’s digital age!
Mar 13, 2025
