The Catholic Herald Podcast: Merely Catholic with Gavin Ashenden

The award winning former Catholic Herald editor William Cash joins Dr Gavin Ashenden from Rome to discuss the forthcoming conclave to elect a successor to Pope Francis in this 100th Merely Catholic podcast. They discuss how Francis came to be elected, reflect on the invisible machinations already under way to choose the next pope, and they consider several of those members of the College of Cardinals who are drawing attention from the world’s media because they are “papabile”, or worthy to hold the papal office. Our sponsor: https://thomasmorecollege.edu/ [https://thomasmorecollege.edu/]

Journalist and author Simon Caldwell returns to Merely Catholic to discuss his new thriller, Lady Mabel’s Gold, with Dr Gavin Ashenden in this 99th episode. A standalone sequel to The Beast of Bethulia Park, the author’s 2022 debut, Lady Mabel’s Gold has been praised by former Catholic Herald editor William Cash as a “truly original novel with excellent writing, clever plot twists and a cast of memorable characters which put Caldwell at the front rank of Catholic novelists today”. Dr Ashenden talks to Caldwell about his characters, themes and inspirations and both read from the book for the first time publicly. https://www.gracewing.co.uk/page416.html [https://www.gracewing.co.uk/page416.html]

Tim Dieppe, the head of public policy at Christian Concern, joins Dr Gavin Ashenden for this 97th episode of Merely Catholic, the podcast series for the Catholic Herald, to discuss his new book, The Challenge of Islam. This book discusses the increasing influence of Islam in the UK and how non-Muslims might respond. Chapters include: “Is Islam a Religion of Peace?”, “Is Islam Antisemitic?”, “What's wrong with Multiculturalism?”, and “What’s wrong with Islamic Finance?” The book concludes with some policy proposals that would make a difference. In their conversation, Mr Dieppe and Dr Ashenden also confront the theological question of whether Allah is the same as the God of the Bible.

Conservative Party peer Lord (Nigel) Biggar CBE, the Regius Professor Emeritus of Moral Theology at the University of Oxford and an Anglican priest, joins Dr Gavin Ashenden for this 96th episode of Merely Catholic, the podcast series for the Catholic Herald. Lord Biggar, an Oxford-educated historian and author of the 2023 book Colonialism: A Moral Reckoning, reflects on the plan by the Church of England to pay £100 million in reparations for its role in the transatlantic slave trade following criticism in a new report for Policy Exchange that such policies are based on a defective process which “embedded activism rather than balance”. He gives Dr Ashenden a more nuanced account of the British Empire and its expansion and of the conduct of several of the important figures involved in its creation.

Rod Dreher’s close friendship with U.S. Vice President JD Vance is the subject of this 96th episode of Merely Catholic, the podcast series for the Catholic Herald. He and Dr Gavin Ashenden discuss Mr Vance’s shocking accusation in a landmark speech at the Munich that the greatest threat to European security is not posed by Russia or China but by the European elites, and the extent to which Europe is “changing sides” with its ideological opponents of the Cold War. An American author who now lives in Budapest, Hungary, Mr Dreher is perhaps best known for The Benedict Option, his 2017 book about how Christians might prepare themselves for a new dark age. It was one of three New York Times best-sellers, with Live Not By Lies and The Little Way of Ruthie Leming. His latest book, Living in Wonder: Finding Mystery and Meaning in a Secular Age, was published last year. Our sponsor: thomasmorecollege.edu [http://thomasmorecollege.edu]