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E97 - For The Common Good

When we build a responsible, responsive world that follows Christ's teachings, how do we ensure that the people He most sought to lift up - the poor, the prisoner, the stranger - have a place and voice in society?  For those who fall through the cracks or find themselves in difficult situations, it can be hard to feel the presence of God or know where to turn.  We hear messages of charity and consolation at Mass, but how do we bring the light of the Eucharist into the chaos of daily life, especially when daily life is complex or bleak? Following our discussion with Fr. Mark Hoelsken about the foundations of Catholic social teaching, Nicholas sits down with Lisa Davey of Common Good Missoula, who shares the work done by Common Good Missoula and other advocacy groups, and explores the work yet to be done in order to create more equitable and compassionate communities.

E96 - Catholic Social Teaching

As Catholics we trust in our priests, bishops, cardinals, and Holy Father to act as our shepherds.  We look to them for guidance when faced with the questions of the world.  How do we live a life based in the Gospel?  In what ways can we, as the children of God, seek to sanctify our lives?  Many of those answers can be found in Holy Scripture, the words of the saints, and the dictums laid out in our Social Teachings.  Fr. Mark Hoelsken joins Nicholas to discuss some of the foundational ideas that make up this vital subject.

E95 - The Papacy

In these trying times, there is some confusion as to the role of the Pope in the world.  He is both the leader of the Roman Catholic faithful and the ambassador of Christ to the world.  He has the monumental task of teaching the Gospel to people's of all nations.  Although his words have drawn recent criticism in his country of origin, they are often filtered through the lens of individual bias.  In this episode, Fr Hightower sits down with Nicholas to discuss the history of the Papacy and its place in the modern world.

E94 - A Catholic Approach to Artificial Intelligence

Whenever there is a significant change in the world, the Church responds.  It is one of the jobs of our leaders to guide us through uncharted waters.  Today we find ourselves in need of direction when it comes to artificial intelligence.  This tool has the potential to reshape every aspect of life at every level of society.  How do we proceed forward using this tool to better the world?  Joining us for this episode is Fr Ricky Manalo C.S.P., who has been on the cutting edge of this research, participating in the Vatican's effort to understand this world changing tool and its ethical applications.  Nicholas sits down with him to discuss how we, as Catholics, can approach artificial intelligence.

E93 - Catholic Apologetics

All of us are called to be active in our faith when it comes to dealing with the world.  This world we live it can often be hostile to our beliefs and we might find ourselves needing to explain our doctrine.  There are also those who might be curious about the Church and have a desire for a deeper understanding.  In order to better communicate the message of Christ, we must go beyond the surface, seeking to find those pearls that lead to inspiration.  Here we find the concept of apologetics, a philosophical method of grounding our faith in Truth so that we might evangelize more effectively.  Dr. Eric Hall of Carrol College joins Nicholas to discuss our call to engage in apologetics with the world at large, whatever comes our way.