Considering Catholicism

In recent years, a number of dioceses have moved to remove or ban altar rails, even as some younger priests have begun reinstalling them. These disputes often follow a familiar pattern: one side appeals to history and theology, while the actual arguments on the ground tend to revolve around how a practice makes people feel. This episode steps back from the usual arguments to examine why the language of feelings so often dominates discussions about the liturgy — and why that creates problems on more than one side. Drawing a parallel to the common Bible study question “What does this passage mean to you?”, it argues that both Scripture and the Mass are better approached as a search for what is actually true rather than what feels meaningful in the moment. The result is a call to move beyond generational instincts and cultural assumptions toward a deeper, more consistent engagement with the Church’s tradition. SUPPORT THIS SHOW Considering Catholicism is 100% listener-supported. If this podcast has helped you on your journey, please become a patron today! For as little as $5/month you get: • Every regular episode ad-free and organized into topical playlists • Exclusive bonus content (extra Q&As, Deep-Dive courses, live streams, and more) • My deepest gratitude and a growing community of like-minded listeners ➡️ Join now: https://patreon.com/consideringcatholicism (or tap the Patreon link in your podcast app) One-time gift: Donate with PayPal! CONNECT WITH US • Website & contact form: https://consideringcatholicism.com • Email: [email protected] • Leave a comment on Patreon (I read every one!) RATE & REVIEW If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating (and even better, a review) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen — it really helps new listeners find us. SHARE THE SHOW Know someone who’s curious about Catholicism? Send them a link or share an episode on social media. Thank you! Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.

In the wake of the Pentagon’s recent effort to simplify its religious affiliation codes — and the resulting controversy when The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was initially listed separately from other Christian groups — Utah senators Mike Lee and John Curtis publicly pushed back, insisting that Latter-day Saints are unequivocally Christian. The online debate that followed highlighted a much larger and older question: In a culture where anyone can claim any label, what does the word “Christian” actually mean? What are the historical and theological criteria, and who has the authority to define them? Building on our previous episode about the visible criterion for orthodoxy, we trace how the early Church clarified the boundaries of authentic faith amid heresies, through the creeds, councils, and the role of Peter’s successor in safeguarding unity. We examine why self-identification, while sincere, has never been sufficient on its own — and why the same logic that leads some to say “anyone who feels like a Christian is a Christian” creates the same problems we see when words like “woman” are detached from objective reality. Along the way we look honestly at specific groups: mainline and evangelical Protestants (real but imperfect communion), Mormons (self-identified Christians with a fundamentally different understanding of God and the Trinity), Jehovah’s Witnesses, Unitarians, and various progressive re-interpretations that retain the label while redefining core doctrines. We also address the common pushback that “Mormons are some of the nicest, most moral people you’ll meet” — and why that, while true and praiseworthy, doesn’t settle the theological question (just as being baptized and confirmed Catholic doesn’t automatically make someone a good or moral person). If you’ve ever wondered how the Church distinguishes between orthodoxy and heresy, or why the Catholic Church doesn’t simply accept every sincere group’s self-definition, this episode offers clear, historically grounded answers with pastoral warmth. The goal isn’t exclusion for its own sake, but clarity — so that the faith Christ actually revealed can be known, guarded, and handed on intact. SUPPORT THIS SHOW Considering Catholicism is 100% listener-supported. If this podcast has helped you on your journey, please become a patron today! For as little as $5/month you get: • Every regular episode ad-free and organized into topical playlists • Exclusive bonus content (extra Q&As, Deep-Dive courses, live streams, and more) • My deepest gratitude and a growing community of like-minded listeners ➡️ Join now: https://patreon.com/consideringcatholicism (or tap the Patreon link in your podcast app) One-time gift: Donate with PayPal! CONNECT WITH US • Website & contact form: https://consideringcatholicism.com • Email: [email protected] • Leave a comment on Patreon (I read every one!) RATE & REVIEW If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating (and even better, a review) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen — it really helps new listeners find us. SHARE THE SHOW Know someone who’s curious about Catholicism? Send them a link or share an episode on social media. Thank you! Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.

In a world flooded with thousands of competing voices — each claiming to represent “biblical Christianity” with their favorite proof texts — how do you actually tell authentic, orthodox Christianity from heresy? From the Gnostics and Arians of the early centuries to today’s endless online teachers and influencers, the problem is as old as the Church itself. In this episode we explore one of the clearest and most reliable answers the Church has ever had: the ancient principle captured by St. Ambrose — “Where Peter is, there is the Church.” We unpack Jesus’ own words to Peter in Matthew 16, the witness of the Church Fathers, and the crucial distinction between the individual pope and the papacy itself. Along the way we address how this visible criterion for orthodoxy played out in history — from anti-popes to the East-West split — and why it still matters in our age of doctrinal noise and personal brands. Popes fall on a bell curve like the rest of us, but the office Christ established remains the living anchor that keeps the faith one. If the question of authority and the pope has been the final hurdle in your journey toward the Catholic Church, this conversation offers honest clarity and genuine encouragement. The same Peter who denied Christ three times was still entrusted with the keys — a reminder that the Church has always been God’s mercy at work through imperfect instruments. SUPPORT THIS SHOW Considering Catholicism is 100% listener-supported. If this podcast has helped you on your journey, please become a patron today! For as little as $5/month you get: • Every regular episode ad-free and organized into topical playlists • Exclusive bonus content (extra Q&As, Deep-Dive courses, live streams, and more) • My deepest gratitude and a growing community of like-minded listeners ➡️ Join now: https://patreon.com/consideringcatholicism (or tap the Patreon link in your podcast app) One-time gift: Donate with PayPal! CONNECT WITH US • Website & contact form: https://consideringcatholicism.com • Email: [email protected] • Leave a comment on Patreon (I read every one!) RATE & REVIEW If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating (and even better, a review) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen — it really helps new listeners find us. SHARE THE SHOW Know someone who’s curious about Catholicism? Send them a link or share an episode on social media. Thank you! Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.

In Episode 5 of the series Mary in the Dock: Ordinary or Extraordinary?, Greg Smith puts the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception on trial. Protestants often object that it has no clear biblical basis, appears to contradict “all have sinned” in Romans 3:23, and was a late invention that elevates Mary in ways that compete with Christ. Greg gives these objections a full and fair hearing before delivering a sharp, in-depth Catholic defense centered on the angel’s greeting to Mary in Luke 1:28 with the Greek word kecharitomene (perfect passive participle meaning “you who have been and remain fully graced”), paired with the total enmity of Genesis 3:15. Far from diminishing Christ, this teaching reveals the extraordinary power of His redemption: a preventive grace that preserved His mother from original sin from the first moment of her conception in view of the merits of the Cross. It flows naturally from Mary as the New Eve and New Ark, showing her as the first and most perfect fruit of Christ’s victory over sin. Listeners serve as the jury in this engaging courtroom discussion. Perfect for curious non-Catholics, Protestant pastors on the journey, and cradle Catholics rediscovering the depths of the faith. SUPPORT THIS SHOW Considering Catholicism is 100% listener-supported. If this podcast has helped you on your journey, please become a patron today! For as little as $5/month you get: • Every regular episode ad-free and organized into topical playlists • Exclusive bonus content (extra Q&As, Deep-Dive courses, live streams, and more) • My deepest gratitude and a growing community of like-minded listeners ➡️ Join now: https://patreon.com/consideringcatholicism (or tap the Patreon link in your podcast app) One-time gift: Donate with PayPal! CONNECT WITH US • Website & contact form: https://consideringcatholicism.com • Email: [email protected] • Leave a comment on Patreon (I read every one!) RATE & REVIEW If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating (and even better, a review) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen — it really helps new listeners find us. SHARE THE SHOW Know someone who’s curious about Catholicism? Send them a link or share an episode on social media. Thank you! Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.

In Episode 4 of the series Mary in the Dock: Ordinary or Extraordinary?, host Greg Smith puts the Catholic doctrine of Mary as the New Ark of the Covenant on trial. Protestants often charge that this is fabricated typology with no explicit New Testament warrant, that it’s eisegesis used to justify later Marian dogmas, and that it risks over-elevating Mary in ways that compete with Christ. Greg gives these objections a full, fair hearing before delivering a robust Catholic defense rooted in rich biblical typology, including a detailed “constellation” of parallels between the Old Testament Ark and Mary: the Word of God, the manna, Aaron’s rod, the overshadowing by the Holy Spirit (using the exact same Greek verb ἐπισκιάζω in both Exodus 40 and Luke 1:35), the three-month stay, David’s dance vs. John the Baptist’s leap, and more. Early Church Fathers like Hippolytus, Athanasius, and Ephraim the Syrian affirmed this long before Constantine, and the teaching is thoroughly Christocentric—Mary as the pure vessel who brings God’s presence to his people. Listeners serve as the jury in this engaging courtroom discussion that builds directly on the New Eve episode. Whether you’re a curious non-Catholic, a Protestant pastor investigating the faith, or a cradle Catholic rediscovering these treasures, this episode will challenge you to decide: is Mary simply an ordinary woman, or the extraordinary New Ark the Church has always proclaimed? SUPPORT THIS SHOW Considering Catholicism is 100% listener-supported. If this podcast has helped you on your journey, please become a patron today! For as little as $5/month you get: • Every regular episode ad-free and organized into topical playlists • Exclusive bonus content (extra Q&As, Deep-Dive courses, live streams, and more) • My deepest gratitude and a growing community of like-minded listeners ➡️ Join now: https://patreon.com/consideringcatholicism (or tap the Patreon link in your podcast app) One-time gift: Donate with PayPal! CONNECT WITH US • Website & contact form: https://consideringcatholicism.com • Email: [email protected] • Leave a comment on Patreon (I read every one!) RATE & REVIEW If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating (and even better, a review) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen — it really helps new listeners find us. SHARE THE SHOW Know someone who’s curious about Catholicism? Send them a link or share an episode on social media. Thank you! Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.

The Acorn and the Oak: Development of Doctrine, Part 2 Picking up right where Part 1 left off, Greg and Cory apply the principles of authentic development to some of today’s most contested questions. They examine recent papal teaching on capital punishment and just war as examples still unfolding in the life of the Church, then look at three proposals (female ordination, Communion for those in irregular marriages, and same-sex unions) that the Church has consistently resisted. Along the way they show why these do not meet Newman’s criteria for genuine development and how the Magisterium, guided by the Holy Spirit, discerns growth from corruption. Honest, hopeful, and pastorally grounded—this episode models how faithful Catholics can engage difficult topics without anxiety or compromise. SUPPORT THIS SHOW Considering Catholicism is 100% listener-supported. If this podcast has helped you on your journey, please become a patron today! For as little as $5/month you get: • Every regular episode ad-free and organized into topical playlists • Exclusive bonus content (extra Q&As, Deep-Dive courses, live streams, and more) • My deepest gratitude and a growing community of like-minded listeners ➡️ Join now: https://patreon.com/consideringcatholicism (or tap the Patreon link in your podcast app) One-time gift: Donate with PayPal! CONNECT WITH US • Website & contact form: https://consideringcatholicism.com • Email: [email protected] • Leave a comment on Patreon (I read every one!) RATE & REVIEW If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating (and even better, a review) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen — it really helps new listeners find us. SHARE THE SHOW Know someone who’s curious about Catholicism? Send them a link or share an episode on social media. Thank you! Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.

The Acorn and the Oak: Development of Doctrine, Part 1. In this first part of our conversation with Cory, we explore the beautiful Catholic understanding of how doctrine develops. Far from “making things up” or changing with the culture, the Church deepens her grasp of the unchanging deposit of faith handed on by the apostles. Greg and Cory unpack Saint John Henry Newman’s classic idea, trace its roots to the early Church, and walk through clear, non-controversial examples like the Trinity, Christ’s two natures, sacramental theology, and the Marian dogmas. Using the acorn-to-oak image and Newman’s seven notes, they show how the faith stays the same while growing richer and more articulate over time. Perfect for Protestants wondering about “Catholic additions” and anyone wanting to understand how the Church avoids both fundamentalism and fluidity. SUPPORT THIS SHOW Considering Catholicism is 100% listener-supported. If this podcast has helped you on your journey, please become a patron today! For as little as $5/month you get: • Every regular episode ad-free and organized into topical playlists • Exclusive bonus content (extra Q&As, Deep-Dive courses, live streams, and more) • My deepest gratitude and a growing community of like-minded listeners ➡️ Join now: https://patreon.com/consideringcatholicism (or tap the Patreon link in your podcast app) One-time gift: Donate with PayPal! CONNECT WITH US • Website & contact form: https://consideringcatholicism.com • Email: [email protected] • Leave a comment on Patreon (I read every one!) RATE & REVIEW If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating (and even better, a review) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen — it really helps new listeners find us. SHARE THE SHOW Know someone who’s curious about Catholicism? Send them a link or share an episode on social media. Thank you! Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.

In Episode 3 of the series Mary in the Dock: Ordinary or Extraordinary?, host Greg Smith puts the Catholic doctrine of Mary as the New Eve on trial. Protestants often object that it’s typology overreach with no explicit New Testament warrant, risks elevating Mary at Christ’s expense, and developed too late under possible pagan influence. Greg gives the strongest objections a full, fair hearing, then delivers a robust Catholic defense rooted in Genesis 3:15 (the protoevangelium of total enmity between the woman and the serpent), the Annunciation in Luke 1 (Mary’s fiat of obedience undoing Eve’s disobedience), and the clear teaching of the early Church Fathers like Justin Martyr and Irenaeus writing already in the second century. Far from competing with Christ, the New Eve doctrine is thoroughly Christocentric—it magnifies the redemption won by the New Adam and sets the stage for every other Marian teaching. Listeners serve as the jury in this conversational courtroom discussion that asks the key question: is Mary simply an ordinary woman God used for a moment, or the extraordinary New Eve the Church has proclaimed since the apostolic age? Perfect for curious non-Catholics, Protestant pastors investigating Catholicism, and cradle Catholics deepening their faith. SUPPORT THIS SHOW Considering Catholicism is 100% listener-supported. If this podcast has helped you on your journey, please become a patron today! For as little as $5/month you get: • Every regular episode ad-free and organized into topical playlists • Exclusive bonus content (extra Q&As, Deep-Dive courses, live streams, and more) • My deepest gratitude and a growing community of like-minded listeners ➡️ Join now: https://patreon.com/consideringcatholicism (or tap the Patreon link in your podcast app) One-time gift: Donate with PayPal! CONNECT WITH US • Website & contact form: https://consideringcatholicism.com • Email: [email protected] • Leave a comment on Patreon (I read every one!) RATE & REVIEW If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating (and even better, a review) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen — it really helps new listeners find us. SHARE THE SHOW Know someone who’s curious about Catholicism? Send them a link or share an episode on social media. Thank you! Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.

In Episode 2 of the series Mary in the Dock: Ordinary or Extraordinary?, host Greg Smith puts the Catholic doctrine of Mary as Mother of God (Theotokos) on trial. Many modern evangelicals recoil at the title, calling it blasphemous or idolatrous and unknowingly echoing the ancient Nestorian heresy that split Christ in two. Greg gives the strongest Protestant objections a full, fair hearing — the lack of an explicit Bible verse, the risk of deifying Mary, and the historical cautions from Calvin — then delivers a robust Catholic defense rooted in Luke 1:43 (“mother of my Lord”), the Council of Ephesus (431 AD), and the affirmations of classical Reformers like Luther (“she is rightly called… the Mother of God”), Zwingli, and the Anglican Articles. Far from Marian excess, the doctrine safeguards the full reality of the Incarnation and the infinite value of Christ’s atonement. Listeners serve as the jury in this conversational yet intellectually sharp courtroom discussion that asks the key question: is Mary simply an ordinary woman God used for a moment, or the extraordinary God-bearer the Church has proclaimed for two thousand years? Perfect for curious non-Catholics, Protestant pastors investigating Catholicism, and cradle Catholics deepening their faith. SUPPORT THIS SHOW Considering Catholicism is 100% listener-supported. If this podcast has helped you on your journey, please become a patron today! For as little as $5/month you get: • Every regular episode ad-free and organized into topical playlists • Exclusive bonus content (extra Q&As, Deep-Dive courses, live streams, and more) • My deepest gratitude and a growing community of like-minded listeners ➡️ Join now: https://patreon.com/consideringcatholicism (or tap the Patreon link in your podcast app) One-time gift: Donate with PayPal! CONNECT WITH US • Website & contact form: https://consideringcatholicism.com • Email: [email protected] • Leave a comment on Patreon (I read every one!) RATE & REVIEW If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating (and even better, a review) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen — it really helps new listeners find us. SHARE THE SHOW Know someone who’s curious about Catholicism? Send them a link or share an episode on social media. Thank you! Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.

In the powerful opening episode of the new series Mary in the Dock: Ordinary or Extraordinary?, host Greg Smith puts the Catholic practice of Marian devotion on trial. Are prayers like the Hail Mary and the Rosary, asking for Mary’s intercession, and venerating her images really idolatry — or are they biblical, Christ-centered honor for the Mother of our Lord? Greg gives the strongest Protestant objections a full, fair hearing (sola scriptura, the one-mediator objection, and claims of late pagan corruption), then delivers a robust Catholic defense rooted in Scripture, the Greek of the New Testament, and the earliest Church Fathers — including evidence of Marian prayers from the third century, long before Constantine. Listeners serve as the jury in this conversational yet intellectually sharp courtroom-style discussion that tackles one of the most common stumbling blocks for Protestants investigating Catholicism. Whether you’re a curious non-Catholic, a Protestant pastor wrestling with these issues, or a cradle Catholic wanting to explain the faith more clearly, this episode will challenge you to decide: is Mary simply an ordinary woman, or the extraordinary New Eve the Church has always proclaimed? SUPPORT THIS SHOW Considering Catholicism is 100% listener-supported. If this podcast has helped you on your journey, please become a patron today! For as little as $5/month you get: • Every regular episode ad-free and organized into topical playlists • Exclusive bonus content (extra Q&As, Deep-Dive courses, live streams, and more) • My deepest gratitude and a growing community of like-minded listeners ➡️ Join now: https://patreon.com/consideringcatholicism (or tap the Patreon link in your podcast app) One-time gift: Donate with PayPal! CONNECT WITH US • Website & contact form: https://consideringcatholicism.com • Email: [email protected] • Leave a comment on Patreon (I read every one!) RATE & REVIEW If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating (and even better, a review) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen — it really helps new listeners find us. SHARE THE SHOW Know someone who’s curious about Catholicism? Send them a link or share an episode on social media. Thank you! Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.

In this unscripted, freewheeling conversation recorded at the secret compound, Ed shares the profound shift happening in his heart as he prepares to enter OCIA and come into full communion with the Catholic Church. He reflects on how years of Protestant experience left him with a flattened faith — where baptism, communion, and even basic Christian practices became optional or merely symbolic — and how rediscovering mystery has brought wonder, weight, and meaning back into his life. Greg and Ed explore the difference between modern “mystery” as unsolved puzzle and the New Testament mysterion — the transcendent, supernatural realities that point to realities beyond what we can measure or fully explain. They discuss the enchanted universe of medieval Catholicism, the flattening effect of the Enlightenment, and how stripping away divine mystery leaves a void that gets filled with everything from simulation theory to razor blades under pyramids. Along the way they touch on cathedrals, real presence in the Eucharist, marriage as sacrament, C.S. Lewis, Owen Barfield, Chesterton, and why so many today are hungry for a Christianity that is big, bold, substantial, and deeply rooted in the supernatural. If you’ve ever felt that modern life (and modern Christianity) has lost its magic, this episode will speak to that ache and point toward the ancient answer. SUPPORT THIS SHOW Considering Catholicism is 100% listener-supported. If this podcast has helped you on your journey, please become a patron today! For as little as $5/month you get: • Every regular episode ad-free and organized into topical playlists • Exclusive bonus content (extra Q&As, Deep-Dive courses, live streams, and more) • My deepest gratitude and a growing community of like-minded listeners ➡️ Join now: https://patreon.com/consideringcatholicism (or tap the Patreon link in your podcast app) One-time gift: Donate with PayPal! CONNECT WITH US • Website & contact form: https://consideringcatholicism.com • Email: [email protected] • Leave a comment on Patreon (I read every one!) RATE & REVIEW If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating (and even better, a review) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen — it really helps new listeners find us. SHARE THE SHOW Know someone who’s curious about Catholicism? Send them a link or share an episode on social media. Thank you! Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.

Pope Leo XIV released his first encyclical today — Magnifica Humanitas — addressing the dignity of the human person in the age of artificial intelligence, transhumanism, and rapid technological change. In this short update episode, Greg reflects on the long anticipation for this document (echoing Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum), shares what we’ve already covered on the podcast and in our adult education academy, and explains why he’s choosing to read, mark up, and prayerfully reflect on the full 42,000-word text before offering in-depth thoughts in a couple of weeks. He also gives important show updates: switching to interactive Zoom webinars for supporters, plans to resume regular Patreon content, and a sneak peek at the upcoming new podcast The History of Christendom. If you want to join the live webinars walking through the encyclical together, become a Patreon or PayPal supporter today — links below. Thanks for your patience and support during a busy season! SUPPORT THIS SHOW Considering Catholicism is 100% listener-supported. If this podcast has helped you on your journey, please become a patron today! For as little as $5/month you get: • Every regular episode ad-free and organized into topical playlists • Exclusive bonus content (extra Q&As, Deep-Dive courses, live streams, and more) • My deepest gratitude and a growing community of like-minded listeners ➡️ Join now: https://patreon.com/consideringcatholicism (or tap the Patreon link in your podcast app) One-time gift: Donate with PayPal! CONNECT WITH US • Website & contact form: https://consideringcatholicism.com • Email: [email protected] • Leave a comment on Patreon (I read every one!) RATE & REVIEW If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating (and even better, a review) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen — it really helps new listeners find us. SHARE THE SHOW Know someone who’s curious about Catholicism? Send them a link or share an episode on social media. Thank you! Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.  

Greg dives into a surprising pattern that keeps surfacing in Catholic-Protestant conversations: why so many objections to Catholicism quickly circle back to sex, sexuality, and gender. From the intense pushback on Mary’s perpetual virginity and clerical celibacy, to contraception, the male-only priesthood, divorce, and the endless cultural tropes about “sexy nuns,” repressed priests, and naughty Catholic schoolgirls, these issues generate unusually visceral reactions. Greg asks the provocative question: Does this fixation tell us more about certain Protestant assumptions about the human body than it does about Catholic teaching? He traces how a quiet but seismic shift during the Reformation—and the cultural currents that followed—created two genuinely different visions of what it means to be embodied, sexual, male-and-female creatures made for communion. The result is a fascinating, charitable look at why these flashpoints keep dominating the conversation and what the Catholic vision of the body actually offers in a world that’s more confused than ever about sex, marriage, and human flourishing. SUPPORT THIS SHOW Considering Catholicism is 100% listener-supported. If this podcast has helped you on your journey, please become a patron today! For as little as $5/month you get: • Every regular episode ad-free and organized into topical playlists • Exclusive bonus content (extra Q&As, Deep-Dive courses, live streams, and more) • My deepest gratitude and a growing community of like-minded listeners ➡️ Join now: https://patreon.com/consideringcatholicism (or tap the Patreon link in your podcast app) One-time gift: Donate with PayPal! CONNECT WITH US • Website & contact form: https://consideringcatholicism.com • Email: [email protected] • Leave a comment on Patreon (I read every one!) RATE & REVIEW If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating (and even better, a review) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen — it really helps new listeners find us. SHARE THE SHOW Know someone who’s curious about Catholicism? Send them a link or share an episode on social media. Thank you! Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.

In the final part of this three-part series, Greg takes the philosophical foundation from Episode 1 and the moral schematics from Episode 2 and applies them directly to four very ordinary, everyday situations: money lending and usury, lying versus legitimate deception, disciplining children (including spanking), and gambling. Using the categories of intrinsically evil acts, prudential judgment, and authentic development of doctrine, he walks through concrete examples—medieval usury versus modern payday loans, the Nazis-at-the-door dilemma and broad mental reservation, parental decisions about spanking, and state-sponsored gambling—so you can see exactly how the object of the act, the privation of the good, and the virtue of prudence work in real life. You’ll come away with clear, practical tools for reasoning through complex moral questions with the mind of the Church instead of slogans or partisan talking points. Whether you’re a Protestant pastor sorting through moral theology, a curious investigator exploring Catholicism, or a Catholic wanting to think more precisely about everyday decisions, this episode shows how the Church’s two-thousand-year habit of careful moral reasoning equips us to love God and neighbor with both clarity and charity. SUPPORT THIS SHOW Considering Catholicism is 100% listener-supported. If this podcast has helped you on your journey, please become a patron today! For as little as $5/month you get: • Every regular episode ad-free and organized into topical playlists • Exclusive bonus content (extra Q&As, Deep-Dive courses, live streams, and more) • My deepest gratitude and a growing community of like-minded listeners ➡️ Join now: https://patreon.com/consideringcatholicism (or tap the Patreon link in your podcast app) One-time gift: Donate with PayPal! CONNECT WITH US • Website & contact form: https://consideringcatholicism.com • Email: [email protected] • Leave a comment on Patreon (I read every one!) RATE & REVIEW If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating (and even better, a review) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen — it really helps new listeners find us. SHARE THE SHOW Know someone who’s curious about Catholicism? Send them a link or share an episode on social media. Thank you! Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.

In the second part of this three-part series, Greg builds directly on the foundation laid in “The Anatomy of Evil” and moves into the practical schematics the Church has spent two thousand years refining. He walks through the key categories of Catholic moral reasoning: universal, unchanging principles rooted in human dignity and the natural law; intrinsically evil acts whose object is always disordered; positive obligations that call us to active love and justice; the virtue of prudence that guides real-world application; and the legitimate space for prudential judgment where faithful Catholics of good will can disagree in good faith. You’ll also explore the idea of authentic development of doctrine—Newman-style organic growth that deepens without reversing—and what it means when the Magisterium declares something “inadmissible” in light of the Gospel. SUPPORT THIS SHOW Considering Catholicism is 100% listener-supported. If this podcast has helped you on your journey, please become a patron today! For as little as $5/month you get: • Every regular episode ad-free and organized into topical playlists • Exclusive bonus content (extra Q&As, Deep-Dive courses, live streams, and more) • My deepest gratitude and a growing community of like-minded listeners ➡️ Join now: https://patreon.com/consideringcatholicism (or tap the Patreon link in your podcast app) One-time gift: Donate with PayPal! CONNECT WITH US • Website & contact form: https://consideringcatholicism.com • Email: [email protected] • Leave a comment on Patreon (I read every one!) RATE & REVIEW If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating (and even better, a review) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen — it really helps new listeners find us. SHARE THE SHOW Know someone who’s curious about Catholicism? Send them a link or share an episode on social media. Thank you! Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.

In a world of loud moral arguments and social-media slogans, real precision often gets lost. In this three-part series, Greg unpacks one of the most attractive features of Catholic moral theology: its remarkable clarity around evil as a privation (not a substance), intrinsically evil acts, prudential judgment, and authentic development of doctrine. Episode 1, “The Anatomy of Evil,” explores how human actions are good in their being yet can be morally disordered in their object—drawing on Aquinas, C.S. Lewis’s “bent” imagery, and concrete examples like homosexual activity and direct abortion. Episode 2 lays out the practical schematics the Church has refined for two thousand years: universal principles, absolute norms, positive obligations, prudence, and Newman-style development (including the language of “inadmissible”). Episode 3 applies those tools to four relatable everyday cases—money lending and usury, lying versus legitimate deception, disciplining children (spanking), and gambling—showing exactly how Catholics can reason faithfully through complex situations with both intellectual honesty and pastoral charity. SUPPORT THIS SHOW Considering Catholicism is 100% listener-supported. If this podcast has helped you on your journey, please become a patron today! For as little as $5/month you get: • Every regular episode ad-free and organized into topical playlists • Exclusive bonus content (extra Q&As, Deep-Dive courses, live streams, and more) • My deepest gratitude and a growing community of like-minded listeners ➡️ Join now: https://patreon.com/consideringcatholicism (or tap the Patreon link in your podcast app) One-time gift: Donate with PayPal! CONNECT WITH US • Website & contact form: https://consideringcatholicism.com • Email: [email protected] • Leave a comment on Patreon (I read every one!) RATE & REVIEW If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating (and even better, a review) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen — it really helps new listeners find us. SHARE THE SHOW Know someone who’s curious about Catholicism? Send them a link or share an episode on social media. Thank you! Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.

In this special conversation episode, Greg sits down with his friend and longtime collaborator Cory to mark the 10th anniversary of the night they both entered the Catholic Church together at the Easter Vigil in 2016. They share what they’re most grateful for after a decade—everything from the life-shaping rhythm of the sacraments and liturgical year, the communion of saints, the beauty that feeds the soul, and the simple joy of feeling truly “at home” in any Catholic parish on earth, to the doctrinal clarity and sense of vocation that have steadied their families. Greg also offers candid thoughts from his unique vantage point as a former Protestant pastor: the things that turned out even richer than he expected (deeper prayer and devotion, the dedication of our priests, the Church’s surprising integrity and resilience) and a few honest challenges he’s seen along the way. With warmth, gratitude, and zero sugar-coating, this episode is an encouraging look at what it really means to live the Catholic faith over the long haul. Whether you’re still investigating the Church or you’ve been in it your whole life, you’ll walk away refreshed and reminded why the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church is worth everything. SUPPORT THIS SHOW Considering Catholicism is 100% listener-supported. If this podcast has helped you on your journey, please become a patron today! For as little as $5/month you get: • Every regular episode ad-free and organized into topical playlists • Exclusive bonus content (extra Q&As, Deep-Dive courses, live streams, and more) • My deepest gratitude and a growing community of like-minded listeners ➡️ Join now: https://patreon.com/consideringcatholicism (or tap the Patreon link in your podcast app) One-time gift: Donate with PayPal! CONNECT WITH US • Website & contact form: https://consideringcatholicism.com • Email: [email protected] • Leave a comment on Patreon (I read every one!) RATE & REVIEW If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating (and even better, a review) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen — it really helps new listeners find us. SHARE THE SHOW Know someone who’s curious about Catholicism? Send them a link or share an episode on social media. Thank you! Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.

In this candid monologue, Greg retraces his own path from campus-ministry apologetics at a liberal university into the tight, intellectually satisfying world of Calvinism—training in a Calvinist seminary, embracing TULIP, and finding real comfort in the doctrine of Total Depravity. He walks through what made that system feel so compelling at the time: its logical clarity, its honest reckoning with human sin, and its God-centered awe. But as he circled back to the medieval Catholic thinkers he’d first glimpsed years earlier, and then encountered the big, colorful, sacramental fullness of Catholicism, that earlier framework began to feel incomplete. Greg contrasts the Calvinist view of a totally corrupted human nature with the Catholic teaching—rooted in Scripture and two millennia of tradition—that original sin wounds us profoundly but does not destroy the image of God within us. The result is a far more hopeful vision of grace that heals, elevates, and invites real cooperation in the lifelong work of sanctification. SUPPORT THIS SHOW Considering Catholicism is 100% listener-supported. If this podcast has helped you on your journey, please become a patron today! For as little as $5/month you get: • Every regular episode ad-free and organized into topical playlists • Exclusive bonus content (extra Q&As, Deep-Dive courses, live streams, and more) • My deepest gratitude and a growing community of like-minded listeners ➡️ Join now: https://patreon.com/consideringcatholicism (or tap the Patreon link in your podcast app) One-time gift: Donate with PayPal! CONNECT WITH US • Website & contact form: https://consideringcatholicism.com • Email: [email protected] • Leave a comment on Patreon (I read every one!) RATE & REVIEW If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating (and even better, a review) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen — it really helps new listeners find us. SHARE THE SHOW Know someone who’s curious about Catholicism? Send them a link or share an episode on social media. Thank you! Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.

What if the way we’ve been taught to read the Bible is actually creating the very divisions we see today? In this episode of Considering Catholicism, host Greg Smith shares his experience from classical Calvinist seminary training 40 years ago — investing in 22 volumes of Calvin’s commentaries and the massive Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew-English lexicon because exegesis was required to stay within the guardrails of historic Christian interpretation. He then contrasts that with today’s evangelical reality: small groups asking “What does this verse mean to you?”, pastors mixing and matching translations to fit their message, YouTube and social media teachers offering personal takes, and even AI being asked to interpret Scripture. The result is interpretive chaos. The same Bible produces wildly different — and often contradictory — doctrines on core issues. To drive the point home, Greg uses one viral seven-word sentence: “I never said you stole his money.” By simply stressing a different word each time, the meaning shifts dramatically — proving how easily even plain English can be misunderstood without context. If that happens with modern English, how much more caution do we need with ancient biblical texts? Greg examines real examples from John 6, James and Paul, baptism, the nature of the Church, and more — showing how sincere readers reach opposite conclusions from the same passages. He then explains the Catholic solution: Scripture must be read within the living apostolic Tradition and under the authoritative guidance of the Magisterium that Christ established to guard and interpret the deposit of faith. If you love the Bible but are weary of the endless disagreements and fragmentation, this episode offers a fresh and hopeful way forward. SUPPORT THIS SHOW Considering Catholicism is 100% listener-supported. If this podcast has helped you on your journey, please become a patron today! For as little as $5/month you get: • Every regular episode ad-free and organized into topical playlists • Exclusive bonus content (extra Q&As, Deep-Dive courses, live streams, and more) • My deepest gratitude and a growing community of like-minded listeners ➡️ Join now: https://patreon.com/consideringcatholicism (or tap the Patreon link in your podcast app) One-time gift: Donate with PayPal! CONNECT WITH US • Website & contact form: https://consideringcatholicism.com • Email: [email protected] • Leave a comment on Patreon (I read every one!) RATE & REVIEW If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating (and even better, a review) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen — it really helps new listeners find us. SHARE THE SHOW Know someone who’s curious about Catholicism? Send them a link or share an episode on social media. Thank you! Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.

This is Part 4 of our four-episode series “What Is Man That You Are Mindful of Him? Imago Dei in the Age of AI.” As artificial super-intelligence seems ready to out-perform us on every measurable scale, the Catholic Church gives us a breathtaking final answer: our destiny is not obsolescence or a hive-mind upload. We are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, destined one day to judge angels and inherit the New Jerusalem. Drawing from 1 Corinthians 6:3, Revelation 21–22, Dante’s vision of the communion of saints, and the Church’s teaching on the beatific vision, Greg contrasts the cold collective of silicon with the personal, embodied, eternal communion of real persons in glory. He offers practical guardrails for today—treat machines as servants, guard the body, guard marriage and family, and guard the sacraments—so we can live this hope right now. This closing episode lands the entire series with steady confidence and joyful hope: lower than the angels yet crowned with glory, we face the future not with fear, but with the quiet assurance that the God who became one of us has already prepared our place in the new creation. SUPPORT THIS SHOW Considering Catholicism is 100% listener-supported. If this podcast has helped you on your journey, please become a patron today! For as little as $5/month you get: • Every regular episode ad-free and organized into topical playlists • Exclusive bonus content (extra Q&As, Deep-Dive courses, live streams, and more) • My deepest gratitude and a growing community of like-minded listeners ➡️ Join now: https://patreon.com/consideringcatholicism (or tap the Patreon link in your podcast app) One-time gift: Donate with PayPal! CONNECT WITH US • Website & contact form: https://consideringcatholicism.com • Email: [email protected] • Leave a comment on Patreon (I read every one!) RATE & REVIEW If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating (and even better, a review) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen — it really helps new listeners find us. SHARE THE SHOW Know someone who’s curious about Catholicism? Send them a link or share an episode on social media. Thank you! Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.

This is Part 3 of our four-episode series “What Is Man That You Are Mindful of Him? Imago Dei in the Age of AI.” Everyone says AI is going to completely remake human civilization. Greg agrees it will change many things — work, education, medicine, daily routines — just as farming, the Industrial Revolution, and the internet did before it. But here’s the deeper question: Will AI really change the world in the ways that matter most? From the Garden of Eden to Rome under the Caesars to your phone screen right now, the deepest realities of life — pride and humility, lust and love, greed and generosity, sin and virtue — have stayed remarkably the same. Technology reshapes our circumstances, but it never rewires the human heart. Drawing from Hebrews 2, the Cross, and 1 Corinthians 15, Greg shows how the eternal Son became man — not angel — entering our flesh, suffering, and death to redeem what no algorithm can touch. The Incarnation remains God’s definitive answer in flesh and blood. If the AI headlines leave you wondering whether anything truly changes the human condition, this episode brings steady, hopeful clarity: the owner’s manual for navigating the 21st century is still the one written in the first century. SUPPORT THIS SHOW Considering Catholicism is 100% listener-supported. If this podcast has helped you on your journey, please become a patron today! For as little as $5/month you get: • Every regular episode ad-free and organized into topical playlists • Exclusive bonus content (extra Q&As, Deep-Dive courses, live streams, and more) • My deepest gratitude and a growing community of like-minded listeners ➡️ Join now: https://patreon.com/consideringcatholicism (or tap the Patreon link in your podcast app) One-time gift: Donate with PayPal! CONNECT WITH US • Website & contact form: https://consideringcatholicism.com • Email: [email protected] • Leave a comment on Patreon (I read every one!) RATE & REVIEW If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating (and even better, a review) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen — it really helps new listeners find us. SHARE THE SHOW Know someone who’s curious about Catholicism? Send them a link or share an episode on social media. Thank you! Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.

This is Part 2 of our four-episode series “What Is Man That You Are Mindful of Him? Imago Dei in the Age of AI.” In a world that increasingly measures human worth by output, efficiency, and market utility, the Catholic Church insists our dignity is ontological—not something we earn or lose when technology changes. Greg examines the curious paradox of the lesser crown: we are made a little lower than the angels yet crowned with glory and honor. Drawing from Pope Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum, Jesus’ words about the sparrows in Matthew 10, the stories of John Henry and Mike Mulligan, and the Church’s teaching on the sacraments, he offers a clear-eyed look at what even the most advanced AI can never fix—and why our embodied humanity remains irreplaceable. Whether the headlines leave you uneasy about job displacement or simply wondering what it really means to be human anymore, this episode steadies the heart with the ancient truth that our value was never grounded in tasks. It is received as a gift from the God who chose to become one of us. SUPPORT THIS SHOW Considering Catholicism is 100% listener-supported. If this podcast has helped you on your journey, please become a patron today! For as little as $5/month you get: • Every regular episode ad-free and organized into topical playlists • Exclusive bonus content (extra Q&As, Deep-Dive courses, live streams, and more) • My deepest gratitude and a growing community of like-minded listeners ➡️ Join now: https://patreon.com/consideringcatholicism (or tap the Patreon link in your podcast app) One-time gift: Donate with PayPal! CONNECT WITH US • Website & contact form: https://consideringcatholicism.com • Email: [email protected] • Leave a comment on Patreon (I read every one!) RATE & REVIEW If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating (and even better, a review) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen — it really helps new listeners find us. SHARE THE SHOW Know someone who’s curious about Catholicism? Send them a link or share an episode on social media. Thank you! Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.

This is Part 1 of our four-episode series “What Is Man That You Are Mindful of Him? Imago Dei in the Age of AI.” In a world racing toward artificial super-intelligence that threatens to out-think and out-perform us at almost every task, the Catholic Church points us back to an older drama: super-intelligences were here first — and the brightest of them burned with envy when God crowned ordinary flesh-and-blood humans with glory and honor. Drawing from Milton’s Paradise Lost, Psalm 8, Genesis 1, and the insights of Aquinas and Suárez on the angelic fall, Greg explores why our worth has never been grounded in tasks or productivity. Even if machines surpass us on every measurable metric, our dignity remains untouched — because it is ontological, rooted in the Imago Dei and God’s unchanging call to be fruitful, multiply, and steward creation as His beloved sons and daughters. Whether you’re a Protestant pastor quietly investigating Catholicism, a curious seeker drawn to the beauty of the faith, or a cradle Catholic rediscovering its depths, this episode will steady your heart with the ancient answer to the question that still echoes today: “What is man that You are mindful of him?” SUPPORT THIS SHOW Considering Catholicism is 100% listener-supported. If this podcast has helped you on your journey, please become a patron today! For as little as $5/month you get: • Every regular episode ad-free and organized into topical playlists • Exclusive bonus content (extra Q&As, Deep-Dive courses, live streams, and more) • My deepest gratitude and a growing community of like-minded listeners ➡️ Join now: https://patreon.com/consideringcatholicism (or tap the Patreon link in your podcast app) One-time gift: Donate with PayPal! CONNECT WITH US • Website & contact form: https://consideringcatholicism.com • Email: [email protected] • Leave a comment on Patreon (I read every one!) RATE & REVIEW If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating (and even better, a review) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen — it really helps new listeners find us. SHARE THE SHOW Know someone who’s curious about Catholicism? Send them a link or share an episode on social media. Thank you! Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.  

In this episode Greg unpacks one of the most emotionally charged questions on the road to Rome: why does the Catholic Church ordain only men to the priesthood? Drawing from his own painful experience in the Christian Reformed Church’s ordination battles of the 1990s, he shows how the debate shifts dramatically once you realize priestly authority is not about qualifications but about Christ acting in persona Christi as Bridegroom to His Bride. With clear teaching from Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, the Catechism, Pope Francis, and Pope Leo XIV’s recent catechesis on Lumen Gentium, plus a deep dive into John Paul II’s Theology of the Body, Greg explains the beauty of complementarity and how this teaching actually honors and elevates women. Listeners from Protestant backgrounds will find honest answers to common objections (Galatians 3:28, Phoebe, Junia) while everyone discovers the peace that comes from receiving Christ’s design instead of redesigning it. SUPPORT THIS SHOW Considering Catholicism is 100% listener-supported. If this podcast has helped you on your journey, please become a patron today! For as little as $5/month you get: • Every regular episode ad-free and organized into topical playlists • Exclusive bonus content (extra Q&As, Deep-Dive courses, live streams, and more) • My deepest gratitude and a growing community of like-minded listeners ➡️ Join now: https://patreon.com/consideringcatholicism (or tap the Patreon link in your podcast app) One-time gift: Donate with PayPal! CONNECT WITH US • Website & contact form: https://consideringcatholicism.com • Email: [email protected] • Leave a comment on Patreon (I read every one!) RATE & REVIEW If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating (and even better, a review) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen — it really helps new listeners find us. SHARE THE SHOW Know someone who’s curious about Catholicism? Send them a link or share an episode on social media. Thank you! Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.

In the New Testament, Paul gives clear qualifications for presbyteroi—elders—who must be the husband of one wife, manage their household well, and hold fast to sound doctrine. When Greg was a Protestant pastor, that seemed to describe exactly what church leadership should look like under sola scriptura. So where do Catholic priests come from? In this first part of a two-episode series, Greg tackles that question head-on with honesty and charity, drawing from Scripture, the early Church Fathers, and Graham Greene’s unforgettable “whiskey priest” in The Power and the Glory. He explains the crucial difference: Protestant leadership tends to be earned by personal qualifications, while Catholic priestly authority is entrusted by Christ through apostolic succession—so that even a flawed priest can still give us Christ Himself acting in persona Christi. If you’ve ever wondered why the priesthood looks so different from what you grew up with, this episode will give you fresh eyes, real hope, and a deeper love for the Church. (Part 2 drops next: Why Only Men?) SUPPORT THIS SHOW Considering Catholicism is 100% listener-supported. If this podcast has helped you on your journey, please become a patron today! For as little as $5/month you get: • Every regular episode ad-free and organized into topical playlists • Exclusive bonus content (extra Q&As, Deep-Dive courses, live streams, and more) • My deepest gratitude and a growing community of like-minded listeners ➡️ Join now: https://patreon.com/consideringcatholicism (or tap the Patreon link in your podcast app) One-time gift: Donate with PayPal! CONNECT WITH US • Website & contact form: https://consideringcatholicism.com • Email: [email protected] • Leave a comment on Patreon (I read every one!) RATE & REVIEW If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating (and even better, a review) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen — it really helps new listeners find us. SHARE THE SHOW Know someone who’s curious about Catholicism? Send them a link or share an episode on social media. Thank you! Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.

On Holy Thursday, Greg sits down with a warm, personal message for listeners as the Church begins the Sacred Triduum. He explains the meaning, etymology, and profound significance of these three holy days that form the very heart of our Catholic faith—the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ lived out as one great mystery. Along the way he offers gratitude to supporters, apologizes for slower email replies as the show grows, and gives a hopeful look at what’s coming: more Questions & Coffee, deeper dives, livestreams, possible virtual Theology on Tap sessions, the launch of his new podcast The History of Christendom this summer (with Patreon previews), and the approaching 500th episode. Whether you’re just considering Catholicism, on the Road to Rome, or a cradle Catholic going deeper, this short video is an encouraging invitation to walk the Triduum with open hearts. SUPPORT THIS SHOW Considering Catholicism is 100% listener-supported. If this podcast has helped you on your journey, please become a patron today! For as little as $5/month you get: • Every regular episode ad-free and organized into topical playlists • Exclusive bonus content (extra Q&As, Deep-Dive courses, live streams, and more) • My deepest gratitude and a growing community of like-minded listeners ➡️ Join now: https://patreon.com/consideringcatholicism (or tap the Patreon link in your podcast app) One-time gift: Donate with PayPal! CONNECT WITH US • Website & contact form: https://consideringcatholicism.com • Email: [email protected] • Leave a comment on Patreon (I read every one!) RATE & REVIEW If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating (and even better, a review) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen — it really helps new listeners find us. SHARE THE SHOW Know someone who’s curious about Catholicism? Send them a link or share an episode on social media. Thank you! Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.  

In this re-released classic from the vault, Greg shares fresh impressions and profound insights from his recent pilgrimage to Jerusalem and its surroundings, timed perfectly for Holy Week. Walking the Via Dolorosa, kneeling in Gethsemane, touching the stone of the crucifixion and the slab in the empty tomb, he explores how experiencing these historic sites makes Christianity's central claims inescapably real and public—not abstract feelings or private spirituality. Drawing on St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 15 and the idea of the Holy Land as a "Fifth Gospel," this episode grounds the Passion, death, and resurrection in geography, history, and topography, showing how the intimate scale of Jerusalem's events underscores God's sovereign script for salvation. Whether you're a curious non-Catholic, a Protestant investigating the faith, or a cradle Catholic rediscovering its depth, this reflection invites you to confront the question: Did these things really happen here—and if so, what does that mean for you? SUPPORT THIS SHOW Considering Catholicism is 100% listener-supported. If this podcast has helped you on your journey, please become a patron today! For as little as $5/month you get: • Every regular episode ad-free and organized into topical playlists • Exclusive bonus content (extra Q&As, Deep-Dive courses, live streams, and more) • My deepest gratitude and a growing community of like-minded listeners ➡️ Join now: https://patreon.com/consideringcatholicism (or tap the Patreon link in your podcast app) One-time gift: Donate with PayPal! CONNECT WITH US • Website & contact form: https://consideringcatholicism.com • Email: [email protected] • Leave a comment on Patreon (I read every one!) RATE & REVIEW If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating (and even better, a review) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen — it really helps new listeners find us. SHARE THE SHOW Know someone who’s curious about Catholicism? Send them a link or share an episode on social media. Thank you! Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.

This Easter, millions are posting from Jerusalem’s peaceful Garden Tomb saying “This feels like the real one.” But just down the street sits the Church of the Holy Sepulchre—venerated for 1,700 years—and 2025 archaeology just uncovered 2,000-year-old olive trees and grapevines exactly where John 19:41 said the garden would be. In this solo monologue, we unpack the history, the biases, and what this quiet debate reveals about how we approach Scripture, tradition, and the living Christ. Whether you’re a Protestant pastor wrestling with history or a cradle Catholic rediscovering the power of continuity, this episode will leave you with fresh confidence that the Church still knows where the empty tomb is—because she never forgot. Perfect for Holy Week listening. SUPPORT THIS SHOW Considering Catholicism is 100% listener-supported. If this podcast has helped you on your journey, please become a patron today! For as little as $5/month you get: • Every regular episode ad-free and organized into topical playlists • Exclusive bonus content (extra Q&As, Deep-Dive courses, live streams, and more) • My deepest gratitude and a growing community of like-minded listeners ➡️ Join now: https://patreon.com/consideringcatholicism (or tap the Patreon link in your podcast app) One-time gift: Donate with PayPal! CONNECT WITH US • Website & contact form: https://consideringcatholicism.com • Email: [email protected] • Leave a comment on Patreon (I read every one!) RATE & REVIEW If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating (and even better, a review) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen — it really helps new listeners find us. SHARE THE SHOW Know someone who’s curious about Catholicism? Send them a link or share an episode on social media. Thank you! Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.

Why do some Catholics want more Latin even in the regular Sunday Mass? In this episode, Greg explores how praying familiar parts like the Pater Noster or Sanctus in the Church’s historic tongue undoes a bit of the Tower of Babel’s confusion and brings us closer to the unity Pentecost began. Drawing on Scripture, saints, and even a funny Tolkien family story (yes, he loudly answered in Latin when everyone else switched to English), you’ll see why a common language fosters true catholicity—across centuries, time zones, and hemispheres. Practical tips make it doable for any parish, and the cultural parallels (Jews in Hebrew, Muslims in Arabic, even “Namaste”) show why shared sacred words matter. Warm, hopeful, and full of insight—perfect whether you’re investigating Catholicism or rediscovering your own faith. SUPPORT THIS SHOW Considering Catholicism is 100% listener-supported. If this podcast has helped you on your journey, please become a patron today! For as little as $5/month you get: • Every regular episode ad-free and organized into topical playlists • Exclusive bonus content (extra Q&As, Deep-Dive courses, live streams, and more) • My deepest gratitude and a growing community of like-minded listeners ➡️ Join now: https://patreon.com/consideringcatholicism (or tap the Patreon link in your podcast app) One-time gift: Donate with PayPal! CONNECT WITH US • Website & contact form: https://consideringcatholicism.com • Email: [email protected] • Leave a comment on Patreon (I read every one!) RATE & REVIEW If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating (and even better, a review) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen — it really helps new listeners find us. SHARE THE SHOW Know someone who’s curious about Catholicism? Send them a link or share an episode on social media. Thank you! Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.

Greg revisits the famous (but legendary) story of Martin Luther hurling an inkwell at the devil to prove his sins were "forgiven and forgotten," a tale he once preached as a Protestant pastor. He contrasts Luther's extreme swing—from crushing monastic guilt to the infamous "sin boldly" advice—with the goofy online quip about "Irish guilt" vs. "Italian joy" in Catholicism. The episode unpacks how the Church avoids both ditches: honest examination of conscience, sacramental absolution that restores real joy, and the transformative work of grace that actually changes us (drawing from Trent, the Catechism, and saints like Francis de Sales and the Curé d'Ars). Ideal for anyone wrestling with assurance, scrupulosity, cheap grace, or passing faith to the next generation—showing why Catholic mercy is neither guilt nor license, but freedom. SUPPORT THIS SHOW Considering Catholicism is 100% listener-supported. If this podcast has helped you on your journey, please become a patron today! For as little as $5/month you get: • Every regular episode ad-free and organized into topical playlists • Exclusive bonus content (extra Q&As, Deep-Dive courses, live streams, and more) • My deepest gratitude and a growing community of like-minded listeners ➡️ Join now: https://patreon.com/consideringcatholicism (or tap the Patreon link in your podcast app) One-time gift: Donate with PayPal! CONNECT WITH US • Website & contact form: https://consideringcatholicism.com • Email: [email protected] • Leave a comment on Patreon (I read every one!) RATE & REVIEW If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating (and even better, a review) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen — it really helps new listeners find us. SHARE THE SHOW Know someone who’s curious about Catholicism? Send them a link or share an episode on social media. Thank you! Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.

Two weeks before Easter we’re doing something special. Join Greg for a livestream webinar. He’ll open the Gospels and Google Earth  and walk the actual route Jesus took Palm Sunday through Resurrection Sunday — gate by gate, hill by hill, garden by garden. You’ll see exactly where He slept in Bethany, which path He took down the Mount of Olives, where the Upper Room almost certainly was, and why the geography makes every moment more powerful. This is available for Patreon members (you can join on a 7-day trial to check it out). Follow this link: 

Ever wondered what actually happens at the Easter Vigil—the "Super Bowl of the Catholic liturgy" where catechumens are baptized, confirmed, and receive their first Eucharist? In this second part of our OCIA: The Bridge to Rome series, Greg and Cory walk you through the whole nighttime journey: the dramatic Service of Light with the new fire and Paschal candle procession, the breathtaking Exsultet ("This is the night!"), the extended Liturgy of the Word tracing salvation history, the renewal of baptismal promises for everyone, and the climactic sacraments of initiation that bring new members fully into the Church. Whether you're in OCIA wondering what you're stepping into, a Protestant curious about the ancient beauty of Catholic worship, or a longtime Catholic wanting to fall in love with the Vigil all over again, this episode demystifies the holiest night of the year and shows why so many describe it as life-changing. Pull up a chair—we'll geek out on the symbolism, the timing, and the sheer awe of it all. SUPPORT THIS SHOW Considering Catholicism is 100% listener-supported. If this podcast has helped you on your journey, please become a patron today! For as little as $5/month you get: • Every regular episode ad-free and organized into topical playlists • Exclusive bonus content (extra Q&As, Deep-Dive courses, live streams, and more) • My deepest gratitude and a growing community of like-minded listeners ➡️ Join now: https://patreon.com/consideringcatholicism (or tap the Patreon link in your podcast app) One-time gift: Donate with PayPal! CONNECT WITH US • Website & contact form: https://consideringcatholicism.com • Email: [email protected] • Leave a comment on Patreon (I read every one!) RATE & REVIEW If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating (and even better, a review) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen — it really helps new listeners find us. SHARE THE SHOW Know someone who’s curious about Catholicism? Send them a link or share an episode on social media. Thank you! Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.  

In this episode of the OCIA: The Bridge to Rome series, Greg and Cory dive into the heart of what OCIA is ultimately aiming for: the Sacraments of Initiation—Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist. They explain how these three sacraments bring a person into full communion with the Catholic Church, marking the gateway to the Christian life as a death-and-rebirth in Christ, a strengthening by the Holy Spirit, and intimate union with Jesus in His Body and Blood. The conversation covers key distinctions between catechumens (unbaptized) and candidates (validly baptized in other Christian traditions), the biblical foundations (especially the Great Commission and Pentecost), why Catholic baptism is regenerative rather than merely symbolic, how validity is determined (Trinitarian formula and intent), and the typical order of reception at the Easter Vigil. They also touch on practical questions inquirers often have—like documentation, Protestant "confirmation" practices, and why the Church recognizes some baptisms but not others—while keeping everything clear, charitable, and rooted in Scripture, tradition, and the Catechism. Perfect as a preview for those considering OCIA, a supplement for current participants, or a refreshing reminder for lifelong Catholics rediscovering the power of these foundational sacraments on the road to the Easter Vigil. SUPPORT THIS SHOW Considering Catholicism is 100% listener-supported. If this podcast has helped you on your journey, please become a patron today! For as little as $5/month you get: • Every regular episode ad-free and organized into topical playlists • Exclusive bonus content (extra Q&As, Deep-Dive courses, live streams, and more) • My deepest gratitude and a growing community of like-minded listeners ➡️ Join now: https://patreon.com/consideringcatholicism (or tap the Patreon link in your podcast app) One-time gift: Donate with PayPal! CONNECT WITH US • Website & contact form: https://consideringcatholicism.com • Email: [email protected] • Leave a comment on Patreon (I read every one!) RATE & REVIEW If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating (and even better, a review) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen — it really helps new listeners find us. SHARE THE SHOW Know someone who’s curious about Catholicism? Send them a link or share an episode on social media. Thank you! Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.

After four years of raw, honest conversations, Ed the Protestant returns with big news that longtime listeners have been praying for and waiting to hear. What started as burnout on modern church life in episode #8 has led to a profound shift—one that changes everything for Ed and challenges all of us to count the cost of following Christ fully. Greg and Ed unpack the weight of real commitment, the ontological reality of the sacraments, why Catholicism feels “more real” than anything else, and the bittersweet beauty of saying yes to the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. If you’ve cheered Ed on, wrestled with similar questions, or wondered what happens when curiosity turns into conviction, this is the episode you’ve been waiting for. SUPPORT THIS SHOW Considering Catholicism is 100% listener-supported. If this podcast has helped you on your journey, please become a patron today! For as little as $5/month you get: • Every regular episode ad-free and organized into topical playlists • Exclusive bonus content (extra Q&As, Deep-Dive courses, live streams, and more) • My deepest gratitude and a growing community of like-minded listeners ➡️ Join now: https://patreon.com/consideringcatholicism (or tap the Patreon link in your podcast app) One-time gift: Donate with PayPal! CONNECT WITH US • Website & contact form: https://consideringcatholicism.com • Email: [email protected] • Leave a comment on Patreon (I read every one!) RATE & REVIEW If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating (and even better, a review) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen — it really helps new listeners find us. SHARE THE SHOW Know someone who’s curious about Catholicism? Send them a link or share an episode on social media. Thank you! Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.

Ever feel completely done with church—burnt out, over it, ready to sleep in on Sundays and call it quits on the whole evangelical scene? You're not alone. In this raw, honest conversation, Greg and his longtime Protestant friend Ed open up about hitting that wall after decades in the contemporary American church world: the constant cultural chasing, overstimulation, theological flip-flops, leadership chaos, and guilt-driven busyness that left them both exhausted and questioning if church was even worth it anymore. They reflect on how that valley of despair actually cracked open curiosity about something deeper and more ancient—Catholicism—and Greg points to where it all began for Ed four years ago in episode #8, “A Conversation with My Protestant Friend.” If you're in that "done" place or know someone who is, this one's for you: real talk about burnout, why the seeker-church model backfired, and the surprising path that led two guys back to wanting to show up again—this time in the fullness of the historic Church. SUPPORT THIS SHOW Considering Catholicism is 100% listener-supported. If this podcast has helped you on your journey, please become a patron today! For as little as $5/month you get: • Every regular episode ad-free and organized into topical playlists • Exclusive bonus content (extra Q&As, Deep-Dive courses, live streams, and more) • My deepest gratitude and a growing community of like-minded listeners ➡️ Join now: https://patreon.com/consideringcatholicism (or tap the Patreon link in your podcast app) One-time gift: Donate with PayPal! CONNECT WITH US • Website & contact form: https://consideringcatholicism.com • Email: [email protected] • Leave a comment on Patreon (I read every one!) RATE & REVIEW If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating (and even better, a review) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen — it really helps new listeners find us. SHARE THE SHOW Know someone who’s curious about Catholicism? Send them a link or share an episode on social media. Thank you! Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.

Greg unpacks the often-misunderstood practice of asceticism—the spiritual training of saying "no" to ourselves so we can say a bigger "yes" to God. Far from misery or earning salvation, Lent's self-denial (fasting, giving things up) is biblical discipline, modeled by Jesus in the desert and echoed throughout Scripture, that builds freedom, self-mastery, and deeper union with Christ. Greg contrasts this ancient Christian heartbeat—alive in Catholicism, Orthodoxy, and early traditions—with its near-absence in much of modern evangelicalism, addressing common pushback like "Jesus already suffered for us" with grace and Scripture. Perfect for anyone in Lent wondering "why bother?" or curious why the early Church took spiritual training so seriously. SUPPORT THIS SHOW Considering Catholicism is 100% listener-supported. If this podcast has helped you on your journey, please become a patron today! For as little as $5/month you get: • Every regular episode ad-free and organized into topical playlists • Exclusive bonus content (extra Q&As, Deep-Dive courses, live streams, and more) • My deepest gratitude and a growing community of like-minded listeners ➡️ Join now: https://patreon.com/consideringcatholicism (or tap the Patreon link in your podcast app) One-time gift: Donate with PayPal! CONNECT WITH US • Website & contact form: https://consideringcatholicism.com • Email: [email protected] • Leave a comment on Patreon (I read every one!) RATE & REVIEW If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating (and even better, a review) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen — it really helps new listeners find us. SHARE THE SHOW Know someone who’s curious about Catholicism? Send them a link or share an episode on social media. Thank you! Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.

Greg sits down with his longtime Protestant friend Ed to tackle one of the biggest hurdles for many coming from evangelical backgrounds: the Sacrament of Confession (or Penance and Reconciliation). Ed shares his lifelong comfort—and unease—with keeping sins "just between me and God," while Greg explains how the priest acts in persona Christi (in the person or place of Christ) with the authority Christ gave to Peter and the Church to bind and loose, offering not just advice but true absolution. They unpack why saying sins aloud breaks their secrecy (shoutout to Chesterton's insight), why accountability partners or counseling can't pronounce forgiveness, and how this sacrament brings real freedom, a clean slate, and ongoing conversion without earning salvation. Perfect for Protestants wondering "Why a priest?" or Catholics wanting to appreciate the gift anew. SUPPORT THIS SHOW Considering Catholicism is 100% listener-supported. If this podcast has helped you on your journey, please become a patron today! For as little as $5/month you get: • Every regular episode ad-free and organized into topical playlists • Exclusive bonus content (extra Q&As, Deep-Dive courses, live streams, and more) • My deepest gratitude and a growing community of like-minded listeners ➡️ Join now: https://patreon.com/consideringcatholicism (or tap the Patreon link in your podcast app) One-time gift: Donate with PayPal! CONNECT WITH US • Website & contact form: https://consideringcatholicism.com • Email: [email protected] • Leave a comment on Patreon (I read every one!) RATE & REVIEW If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating (and even better, a review) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen — it really helps new listeners find us. SHARE THE SHOW Know someone who’s curious about Catholicism? Send them a link or share an episode on social media. Thank you! Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.

In this follow-up conversation with Cory, we unpack why you can walk into one Catholic parish and experience a reverent, chant-filled Mass with Latin elements, then go to another and hear contemporary music or a more conversational style—yet both are fully valid Catholic Masses. We explain the Roman Missal (the "script" of the Mass), the difference between the unchanging Ordinary and the variable Propers, the legitimate options priests have (like different forms of the Penitential Rite or Eucharistic Prayers), and how music, language, priestly orientation, and posture for receiving Communion all create stylistic variety. Whether you're in OCIA, investigating Catholicism, or a longtime Catholic rediscovering the richness of the liturgy, you'll see how these differences reflect legitimate diversity in the one, universal Church—without changing the substance of the Eucharist. We also touch on the recovery of traditional elements like Gregorian chant and ad orientem celebration, all while keeping things practical and encouraging you to experience the beauty of the Mass in different settings. Twenty centuries. Twenty-four time zones. Two hemispheres. One Church—and one Mass with many beautiful expressions. SUPPORT THIS SHOW Considering Catholicism is 100% listener-supported. If this podcast has helped you on your journey, please become a patron today! For as little as $5/month you get: • Every regular episode ad-free and organized into topical playlists • Exclusive bonus content (extra Q&As, Deep-Dive courses, live streams, and more) • My deepest gratitude and a growing community of like-minded listeners ➡️ Join now: https://patreon.com/consideringcatholicism (or tap the Patreon link in your podcast app) One-time gift: Donate with PayPal! CONNECT WITH US • Website & contact form: https://consideringcatholicism.com • Email: [email protected] • Leave a comment on Patreon (I read every one!) RATE & REVIEW If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating (and even better, a review) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen — it really helps new listeners find us. SHARE THE SHOW Know someone who’s curious about Catholicism? Send them a link or share an episode on social media. Thank you! Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.

In this conversation with Cory, we dive into the practical side of Catholic life: where you can actually go to attend Mass. We start with the basics—your local territorial parish—and then explore all the other valid options, from oratories at monasteries and religious houses, to campus chapels, military chapels, mission churches in rural or underserved areas, and even parishes that serve specific ethnic or cultural communities. Whether you're in OCIA, a curious non-Catholic, or a cradle Catholic rediscovering the faith, you'll learn why the Mass is the Mass no matter where you go, but the community and "flavor" can vary in beautiful ways. We also touch on the freedom (and responsibility) Catholics have in choosing where to worship, while encouraging a connection to the broader Church. Perfect for anyone wondering, "Okay, but where do I start?" SUPPORT THIS SHOW Considering Catholicism is 100% listener-supported. If this podcast has helped you on your journey, please become a patron today! For as little as $5/month you get: • Every regular episode ad-free and organized into topical playlists • Exclusive bonus content (extra Q&As, Deep-Dive courses, live streams, and more) • My deepest gratitude and a growing community of like-minded listeners ➡️ Join now: https://patreon.com/consideringcatholicism (or tap the Patreon link in your podcast app) One-time gift: Donate with PayPal! CONNECT WITH US • Website & contact form: https://consideringcatholicism.com • Email: [email protected] • Leave a comment on Patreon (I read every one!) RATE & REVIEW If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating (and even better, a review) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen — it really helps new listeners find us. SHARE THE SHOW Know someone who’s curious about Catholicism? Send them a link or share an episode on social media. Thank you! Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.

Ever heard someone shrug off a clear Church teaching by saying, “Well, Jesus never said that”? It’s a line that’s been used for centuries to challenge Catholic doctrines, practices, and now even basic moral truths. In this snapshot episode, Greg takes on the argument head-on—whether it’s Protestants questioning sacraments, liturgy, or the priesthood, or (more alarmingly) some Catholics and clergy using it to defend things like homosexual acts or gay marriage. Jesus didn’t give an exhaustive rulebook for every modern issue, but that doesn’t mean “silence equals permission.” Greg walks through why this tactic echoes the serpent in Genesis, why the Gospels weren’t meant to be a complete moral encyclopedia, and how apostolic authority and the living Church fill in what the four Gospels don’t spell out. If you’ve ever felt that smug “Jesus never said…” line coming your way—or if you’re tempted to use it yourself—this quick, straight-talking episode will equip you to see through it and stay anchored in the fullness of the faith.  

In the second part of this two-episode series, Greg moves from the initial Profession of Faith to the lifelong Catholic posture of religious submission of intellect and will to the Church’s authentic magisterium on matters of faith and morals. Drawing from forty years of ministry experience, he contrasts the deepening crisis of trust and doctrinal fragmentation in Protestantism with the stability offered by a divinely protected Church that demands—and deserves—trust. Using G.K. Chesterton’s insights and Catechism passages, Greg explains why this submission is liberating humility rather than blind obedience, and he strongly clarifies what it does not require: trusting every priest, parish council, or Catholic organization in every practical matter. This episode speaks directly to Protestant pastors and investigators who struggle with institutional authority, while reassuring all listeners that the Church’s guidance is Christ’s own protection against the spirit of the age. If you’ve ever asked whether it’s possible to trust the Church without losing your mind or integrity, this is the episode for you. SUPPORT THIS SHOW Considering Catholicism is 100% listener-supported. If this podcast has helped you on your journey, please become a patron today! For as little as $5/month you get: • Every regular episode ad-free and organized into topical playlists • Exclusive bonus content (extra Q&As, Deep-Dive courses, live streams, and more) • My deepest gratitude and a growing community of like-minded listeners ➡️ Join now: https://patreon.com/consideringcatholicism (or tap the Patreon link in your podcast app) One-time gift: Donate with PayPal! CONNECT WITH US • Website & contact form: https://consideringcatholicism.com • Email: [email protected] • Leave a comment on Patreon (I read every one!) RATE & REVIEW If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating (and even better, a review) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen — it really helps new listeners find us. SHARE THE SHOW Know someone who’s curious about Catholicism? Send them a link or share an episode on social media. Thank you! Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.

In the first part of this two-episode series on trusting the Church, Greg walks listeners through the solemn Profession of Faith that candidates make when entering full communion with the Catholic Church—usually right before Confirmation at the Easter Vigil or a regular Mass. He explains the exact words spoken (“I believe and profess all that the holy Catholic Church believes, teaches, and proclaims to be revealed by God”) and why this public, sacramental vow carries the weight of a marriage promise. Using a four-level hierarchy of Church teaching drawn from the Catechism and magisterial documents, Greg shows what requires full, irrevocable assent and where there is room for honest questions and growth during OCIA formation. This episode is especially for those in OCIA, those considering the step, or anyone wondering how a convert can truthfully say “yes” to the fullness of Catholic doctrine. Perfect for Protestant investigators wrestling with authority and for cradle Catholics wanting to renew their own understanding of the faith they profess. SUPPORT THIS SHOW Considering Catholicism is 100% listener-supported. If this podcast has helped you on your journey, please become a patron today! For as little as $5/month you get: • Every regular episode ad-free and organized into topical playlists • Exclusive bonus content (extra Q&As, Deep-Dive courses, live streams, and more) • My deepest gratitude and a growing community of like-minded listeners ➡️ Join now: https://patreon.com/consideringcatholicism (or tap the Patreon link in your podcast app) One-time gift: Donate with PayPal! CONNECT WITH US • Website & contact form: https://consideringcatholicism.com • Email: [email protected] • Leave a comment on Patreon (I read every one!) RATE & REVIEW If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating (and even better, a review) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen — it really helps new listeners find us. SHARE THE SHOW Know someone who’s curious about Catholicism? Send them a link or share an episode on social media. Thank you! Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.

In this episode of our “OCIA: The Bridge to Rome” series, Greg takes listeners on a journey through the Stations of the Cross, sharing his unforgettable experience praying them on Jerusalem's Via Dolorosa at dawn amid echoing Muslim calls to prayer. He explores the devotion's rich history from early Christian pilgrimages and St. Helena's discoveries to Franciscan popularization and St. John Paul II's biblical alternative, detailing each of the fourteen traditional stations with their scriptural roots and traditional elements. Greg explains how they're arranged and prayed in churches worldwide, the challenges of the actual Holy Land path, and why this Lenten practice fosters deep empathy and conversion. Drawing contrasts with Protestant views and tying in films like "The Passion of the Christ," this monologue highlights the Stations as a bridge to Easter's glory, ideal for OCIA participants and faith seekers. SUPPORT THIS SHOW Considering Catholicism is 100% listener-supported. If this podcast has helped you on your journey, please become a patron today! For as little as $5/month you get: • Every regular episode ad-free and organized into topical playlists • Exclusive bonus content (extra Q&As, Deep-Dive courses, live streams, and more) • My deepest gratitude and a growing community of like-minded listeners ➡️ Join now: https://patreon.com/consideringcatholicism (or tap the Patreon link in your podcast app) One-time gift: Donate with PayPal! CONNECT WITH US • Website & contact form: https://consideringcatholicism.com • Email: [email protected] • Leave a comment on Patreon (I read every one!) RATE & REVIEW If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating (and even better, a review) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen — it really helps new listeners find us. SHARE THE SHOW Know someone who’s curious about Catholicism? Send them a link or share an episode on social media. Thank you! Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.

Get ready for something brand new on the Considering Catholicism Podcast! On Sunday, February 15 at 7:00 PM Eastern, we’re launching our first-ever live livestream webinar — and you’re invited. Here's the link: https://www.patreon.com/ConsideringCatholicism/events/150105481 In this exclusive Patron-only event, we’ll follow Egeria, the incredible 4th-century Spanish woman who crossed empires to pray at Mount Sinai, the burning bush site, and Holy Week in Jerusalem. Her diary reveals a hierarchical, sacramental, fully Catholic Church — long before anyone claims it “changed.” 45 minutes of maps, photos, history, and apologetic fire + 15 minutes of live Q&A with your questions. This livestream is exclusive to Partner and Provider tier patrons. Join now and secure your spot: 👉 patreon.com/ConsideringCatholicism Mark your calendar: Feb 15, 7 PM EST — see you live!

This “OCIA: The Bridge to Rome episode,” explains the Lenten practices of scrutinies and dismissals for those preparing for Catholic initiation. Drawing from the OCIA ritual and early Church tradition, he explores how dismissals restore ancient discipline for reflecting on God's Word, and scrutinies (with their minor exorcism prayers) offer healing deliverance from sin's influence for the unbaptized elect, tied to transformative Gospels. Reassuring and reflective, this monologue addresses common misconceptions while highlighting communal grace in the Period of Purification and Enlightenment. Ideal for OCIA participants, investigators, or anyone rediscovering how these rites unite believers across twenty centuries, twenty-four timezones, and two hemispheres in one Church. SUPPORT THIS SHOW Considering Catholicism is 100% listener-supported. If this podcast has helped you on your journey, please become a patron today! For as little as $5/month you get: • Every regular episode ad-free and organized into topical playlists • Exclusive bonus content (extra Q&As, Deep-Dive courses, live streams, and more) • My deepest gratitude and a growing community of like-minded listeners ➡️ Join now: https://patreon.com/consideringcatholicism (or tap the Patreon link in your podcast app) One-time gift: Donate with PayPal! CONNECT WITH US • Website & contact form: https://consideringcatholicism.com • Email: [email protected] • Leave a comment on Patreon (I read every one!) RATE & REVIEW If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating (and even better, a review) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen — it really helps new listeners find us. SHARE THE SHOW Know someone who’s curious about Catholicism? Send them a link or share an episode on social media. Thank you! Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.

In this installment of our "OCIA: The Bridge to Rome" series, we look at Lent—the Catholic Church's 40-day season of preparation for Easter. Drawing from Scripture, the Catechism, and early Church history (from pre-Nicene fasts to Nicaea's formalization), Greg explores its biblical foundations in Christ's desert temptation, distinctive practices like Ash Wednesday, Stations of the Cross, liturgical shifts to penance, Friday fish fries, and Mardi Gras origins. He addresses "giving things up" as detachment for grace, varied Protestant perspectives, and Lent's timeless role in spiritual renewal. Perfect for curious non-Catholics, investigators, or cradle Catholics rediscovering the faith—this episode reveals how Lent unites the one Church across twenty centuries, twenty-four timezones, and two hemispheres. SUPPORT THIS SHOW Considering Catholicism is 100% listener-supported. If this podcast has helped you on your journey, please become a patron today! For as little as $5/month you get: • Every regular episode ad-free and organized into topical playlists • Exclusive bonus content (extra Q&As, Deep-Dive courses, live streams, and more) • My deepest gratitude and a growing community of like-minded listeners ➡️ Join now: https://patreon.com/consideringcatholicism (or tap the Patreon link in your podcast app) One-time gift: Donate with PayPal! CONNECT WITH US • Website & contact form: https://consideringcatholicism.com • Email: [email protected] • Leave a comment on Patreon (I read every one!) RATE & REVIEW If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating (and even better, a review) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen — it really helps new listeners find us. SHARE THE SHOW Know someone who’s curious about Catholicism? Send them a link or share an episode on social media. Thank you! Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.

The Hundred Years’ War split Catholic Europe, with popes and bishops backing different sides in a brutal conflict between England and France. A teenage peasant girl named Joan followed voices she believed were from God telling her to fight for her occupied homeland — even when that put her at odds with churchmen allied with the English. Tried and burned by an ecclesiastical court, she appealed to the pope and died clutching a crucifix. Twenty-five years later the Church declared the trial invalid; five hundred years later she was canonized. Part 3 of our series on Catholic conscience when love of Church and love of country seem to collide. SUPPORT THIS SHOW Considering Catholicism is 100% listener-supported. If this podcast has helped you on your journey, please become a patron today! For as little as $5/month you get: • Every regular episode ad-free and organized into topical playlists • Exclusive bonus content (extra Q&As, Deep-Dive courses, live streams, and more) • My deepest gratitude and a growing community of like-minded listeners ➡️ Join now: https://patreon.com/consideringcatholicism (or tap the Patreon link in your podcast app) One-time gift: Donate with PayPal! CONNECT WITH US • Website & contact form: https://consideringcatholicism.com • Email: [email protected] • Leave a comment on Patreon (I read every one!) RATE & REVIEW If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating (and even better, a review) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen — it really helps new listeners find us. SHARE THE SHOW Know someone who’s curious about Catholicism? Send them a link or share an episode on social media. Thank you! Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.

In 1302 a devout lay Catholic was sentenced to death by a papal legate for refusing to surrender his city’s freedom to foreign control. He spent his life in exile, wrote the Divine Comedy, placed popes in Hell for political corruption — and died in full communion, now praised by recent popes as a gift to the Church. Part 2 shows how Dante distinguished the divine office of Peter from fallible political decisions, defended patriotism as a Christian virtue, and gives today’s Catholics clear permission — straight from Aquinas, Bellarmine, and the Catechism — to love the Church deeply while protecting their homeland when the two loyalties seem to collide. SUPPORT THIS SHOW Considering Catholicism is 100% listener-supported. If this podcast has helped you on your journey, please become a patron today! For as little as $5/month you get: • Every regular episode ad-free and organized into topical playlists • Exclusive bonus content (extra Q&As, Deep-Dive courses, live streams, and more) • My deepest gratitude and a growing community of like-minded listeners ➡️ Join now: https://patreon.com/consideringcatholicism (or tap the Patreon link in your podcast app) One-time gift: Donate with PayPal! CONNECT WITH US • Website & contact form: https://consideringcatholicism.com • Email: [email protected] • Leave a comment on Patreon (I read every one!) RATE & REVIEW If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating (and even better, a review) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen — it really helps new listeners find us. SHARE THE SHOW Know someone who’s curious about Catholicism? Send them a link or share an episode on social media. Thank you! Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.

What do faithful Catholics do when the Vatican’s diplomatic choices seem to conflict with love of country or local sovereignty? It’s not a new question. For 150 years the popes formed a strategic alliance with the rising superpower France, invited French armies into Italy, and branded resisting Catholic cities as disobedient. Even the young St. Francis rode out on the pro-papal side. Part 1 of a calm, historical look at one of the longest tensions in Catholic life. SUPPORT THIS SHOW Considering Catholicism is 100% listener-supported. If this podcast has helped you on your journey, please become a patron today! For as little as $5/month you get: • Every regular episode ad-free and organized into topical playlists • Exclusive bonus content (extra Q&As, Deep-Dive courses, live streams, and more) • My deepest gratitude and a growing community of like-minded listeners ➡️ Join now: https://patreon.com/consideringcatholicism (or tap the Patreon link in your podcast app) One-time gift: Donate with PayPal! CONNECT WITH US • Website & contact form: https://consideringcatholicism.com • Email: [email protected] • Leave a comment on Patreon (I read every one!) RATE & REVIEW If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating (and even better, a review) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen — it really helps new listeners find us. SHARE THE SHOW Know someone who’s curious about Catholicism? Send them a link or share an episode on social media. Thank you! Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.

Greg and Ed the Protestant explore a tension many feel today—does belonging to the truly universal ("catholic") Church mean we have to downplay or even apologize for loving our particular homeland, culture, and people? Drawing on St. Thomas Aquinas's teaching about patria (fatherland) and the virtue of piety, the Incarnation of Christ in a specific time and place, and their own experiences traveling the world, they argue that authentic Catholicism doesn't erase our rootedness in a particular place and people—it actually embraces and elevates it. Far from being in conflict, healthy patriotism and Catholic universality belong together: we bring the gifts of our homeland into the one Church that spans twenty centuries, twenty-four timezones, and two hemispheres. A thoughtful episode for anyone wrestling with identity, culture, and faith in a polarized age. SUPPORT THIS SHOW Considering Catholicism is 100% listener-supported. If this podcast has helped you on your journey, please become a patron today! For as little as $5/month you get: • Every regular episode ad-free and organized into topical playlists • Exclusive bonus content (extra Q&As, Deep-Dive courses, live streams, and more) • My deepest gratitude and a growing community of like-minded listeners ➡️ Join now: https://patreon.com/consideringcatholicism (or tap the Patreon link in your podcast app) One-time gift: Donate with PayPal! CONNECT WITH US • Website & contact form: https://consideringcatholicism.com • Email: [email protected] • Leave a comment on Patreon (I read every one!) RATE & REVIEW If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating (and even better, a review) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen — it really helps new listeners find us. SHARE THE SHOW Know someone who’s curious about Catholicism? Send them a link or share an episode on social media. Thank you! Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.