Ave Maria In The Afternoon

Daniel Ortega has told Nicaragua to forget about elections. Nobody who has watched his regime work should be surprised. What should alarm Americans more is what Ortega and his wife, co-president Rosario Murillo, have already done to the one institution in Nicaragua they cannot fully control: the Catholic Church. His crackdown on Catholics shows why religious freedom is not a gift from the state — and why Americans should never take it for granted. Andrea Picciotti-Bayer has more.

In today’s First Reading, St Paul instructs the Thessalonians to ”stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours.” Marcus unpacks today’s readings.

The Sacrament of Baptism saves us on an individual level. But it also goes beyond that – it is a vehicle to union with those who need God’s love. Mike Schramm joins us.

Rob Corzine unpacks the Sunday readings and David Bonagura asks why reading is on the decline.

Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller of San Antonio has announced that John Mary Foster, a priest of the archdiocese, has been found guilty of schism and has been dismissed from the clerical state. Matthew Bunson has more on this and other Church news.

Newly released texts show that Dr. Anthony Fauci privately told colleagues that a reaction some people had after their second COVID-19 vaccine dose “theoretically could be associated with miscarriage in the 1st trimester.” Days later, he told the public that 10,000 pregnant women had received COVID-19 vaccines without any concerning safety signals being detected. “No red flags,” as he put it. Granted, the texts don’t prove the vaccines caused harm. But they do show a gap between what officials knew and worried about privately and what they told the public. All of this makes a court order out of Virginia worth attention. Andrea Picciotti Bayer has more.

A new survey by CatholicTV suggests widespread emotional distress among US Catholics, raising questions about how mental health may shape parish life and Mass attendance. Dr. Greg Popcak joins us.

On August 16, 1896, gold was discovered in the Yukon Territory of Canada, and the Klondike Gold Rush was on. More than 100,000 prospectors migrated north with dreams of striking it rich, but only a few thousand succeeded. It’s a warning for all of us today – where does your treasure lie? Marcus has more.

In 1974, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen stated that he intended to write a book about the demonic. But such a book never came to fruition. Now, some fifty years later, Sheen’s intended book has finally been compiled, all in his own words.’ Fr. Dave Tomaszycki joins us.

Today we celebrate the Feast of Blessed Michael McGivney, the founder of the Knights of Columbus. His feast is today because it falls directly between the anniversaries of his birth and death. We talk more about his life and canonization cause with Brian Caulfield.

For the last several years, the Church has been focusing on “synodality.” But many Catholics are still unsure of what the term even means, as many Church documents on the topic tend to be bogged down by bureaucratic jargon. Carl Olson turns to the clear writings of St Paul to help cut through the mess.

Today is the anniversary of the death of Robin Williams, who died by suicide in 2014. Starring in films like Aladdin, Dead Poets Society, Mrs. Doubtfire, and Good Morning Vietnam, his voice was woven into the cultural memory for millions. Tragically, the man who brought laughter to so many could not overcome his own tears. Marcus has more.

Deaths from opioid overdoses hit record highs in 2021 and 2022, and are now on the decline. But there is still much work to be done. Mike Vasquez has devoted his life to confronting the opioid crisis on a mental, physical, and spiritual front and he joins us with more.

How did Roman Catholics shift from being perceived as un-American to emerging as the standard-bearers for political liberty and economic prosperity? We look at the rise of the American Church during the Cold War with D.G. Hart.

An investor in Germany is offering families 500 euros for every child they have baptized. The local diocese has acknowledged the donorʼs intentions but stressed that, from the Churchʼs point of view, there is no financial barrier to baptism in the first place. We talk more about this and other Church news with Matthew Bunson.