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Avoiding Babylon

Avoiding Babylon Crew
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Avoiding Babylon was started during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. During these difficult and dark days, when most of us were isolated from family, friends, our parishes, and even the Sacraments themselves, this channel was started as a statement of standing against the tyrannical mandates that many of us were living under. Since those early days, this channel has morphed into an amazing community of friends…no…more than friends…Christian brothers and sisters…who have grown in joy and charity.  As we see it, our job here at Avoiding Babylon is to remind ourselves and those who enjoy the channel that being Catholic is a joyful and exciting experience. We seek true Catholic fraternity and eutrapelia with other Catholics who, like us, are doing their best to live out their vocation with the help of God’s Grace.  Above all, we try to bring humor and joy to the craziness of this fallen world, for as Hillaire Belloc has famously said: “Wherever the Catholic sun doth shine, There’s always laughter and good red wine. At least I’ve always found it so. Benedicamus Domino!”

  1. 1 HR AGO

    Rome Has Spoken: Gregory XVI's Prophetic Warning Against Liberalism | Mirari Vos

    Want to reach out to us? Want to leave a comment or review? Want to give us a suggestion or berate Anthony? Send us a text by clicking this link! A pope in 1832 looks out at Europe and sees something most people still refuse to name: ideas can riot. Revolutions do not stay in streets and parliaments. They move into schools, pulpits, newspapers, and finally into the way ordinary people talk about truth, conscience, and God. That’s the world behind Pope Gregory XVI’s Mirari Vos, and it’s why we wanted to start a series that reads encyclicals with real historical context instead of treating them like disconnected quotes. We set the stage with the French Revolution’s de-Christianization, Napoleon’s assault on the papacy, and the postwar attempt to rebuild order at the Congress of Vienna. Then we track the flare-up of revolts in 1830 to 1831 and the strange internal pressure coming from inside the Church: the rise of a famous priest, Lamennais, who argues Catholicism will “thrive under liberty” if it embraces freedom of conscience, freedom of the press, and separation of Church and state. Gregory’s response is blunt, and we read the sections that hit hardest today: religious indifferentism, the claim that any religion can save if you’re “moral,” and the downstream collapse that follows when truth becomes optional. We also talk about publishing, propaganda, and why the Church historically used tools like the imprimatur and even bans on harmful books, plus Gregory’s warning about coordinated attacks on clerical celibacy. If you care about Catholic tradition, Catholic social teaching, and the roots of today’s Church-state arguments, this one will give you a framework that’s bigger than the latest headline. Subscribe, share this with a friend who argues about “religious freedom,” and leave a review. After you listen, drop a comment with the line from Mirari Vos that felt most controversial to you today. Support the show Get 10% off an amazing Black Monk Rosary by going to https://www.blackmonkrosaries.com/?ref=AVOIDINGBABYLON and using code AVOIDINGBABYLON at checkout! Check out our sponsor, Nic Nac, at www.nicnac.com and use code "AB25%" for 25% off of your first order! Please subscribe! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKsxnv80ByFV4OGvt_kImjQ?sub_confirmation=1 https://www.avoidingbabylon.com Merchandise: https://avoiding-babylon-shop.fourthwall.com Locals Community: https://avoidingbabylon.locals.com Full Premium/Locals Shows on Audio Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1987412/subscribe RSS Feed for Podcast Apps: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1987412.rss

    1hr 17min

  2. 2 HR AGO • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    Rome Has Spoken: Gregory XVI's Prophetic Warning Against Liberalism | Mirari Vos (Full LOCALS Show)

    A pope writes in 1832 while his own territory is in revolt, European monarchies are toppling again, and a famous priest in Paris is preaching “God and Liberty” as the future of the Church. That’s the pressure-cooker behind Mirari Vos, and once we lay out the French Revolution, Napoleon, Metternich, and the post-1815 backlash, Pope Gregory XVI stops sounding “harsh” and starts sounding precise. We lean hard on the history so you can hear what he’s actually responding to: not abstract theories, but an organized push to rebuild society on liberal principles while keeping a Catholic label. From there we read the encyclical itself and follow the chain of ideas Gregory thinks will unravel everything: religious indifferentism, liberty of conscience, separation of Church and state, and the belief that unlimited freedom of the press will somehow strengthen religion. We connect his lines to modern Catholic debates about Vatican I, ultramontanism, and why later popes keep returning to the same warnings. If you’ve ever wondered how “pluralism” quietly trains people to think all religions are interchangeable, this is the blueprint and the rebuttal in one place. We also talk practically about formation in a media-saturated world, why “bad books” matter more than we like to admit, and what it takes to rebuild Catholic culture beyond Sunday attendance. Then we pivot to our locals aftershow: UFO disclosure rumors, the AI hype cycle, and why many new converts seem to come from educated white-collar circles while rural and working-class parishes collapse. Subscribe for the rest of the encyclicals series, share this with a friend who thinks these conflicts are “new,” and if you got value from it, leave a review so more people can find the show.

    1hr 58min

  3. 5 DAYS AGO • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    Benedict XVI and the Mystery of Evil in the Church (Full LOCALS Show)

    The Catholic Church crisis can feel like it’s changing by the hour, and the loudest voices usually offer two options: pretend nothing matters or declare the whole thing invalid. We take a different route and dig into an older, stranger, and surprisingly clarifying guide: Ticonius’s reading of Revelation, the “mystery of iniquity,” and the idea that evil can masquerade as holiness from inside the visible Church without the Church ceasing to be the Church.From there we connect dots that Catholics keep tripping over right now: bishops opposing bishops, doctrinal confusion, Vatican scandal fatigue, and the temptation to become a full-time outrage curator online. We bring in Fatima and Akita, plus Christ’s warnings about hypocrisy in Matthew 23, to argue that internal persecution and betrayal are not proof God abandoned the Church. They are a recurring pattern of spiritual warfare, and knowing that pattern can actually steady your faith instead of shaking it.We also talk shop on the debates Catholics can’t stop having: Traditional Latin Mass versus Novus Ordo, the danger of reducing renewal to aesthetics, and why the deeper problem is often colder hearts, weaker discipline, and dulled consciences. We touch the SSPX consecrations and schism rumors, Benedict XVI’s resignation and the “bishop in white” speculation, and the real scandal of pretending invalid orders are something they are not.If you’re tired of hot takes and want a sober, theological way to stay Catholic through the mess, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a friend who’s discouraged, and leave a review with your take: what keeps you grounded when the Church looks like it’s in the Passion?

    1hr 51min

  4. 29 APR

    Benedict XVI and the Mystery of Evil in the Church

    Want to reach out to us? Want to leave a comment or review? Want to give us a suggestion or berate Anthony? Send us a text by clicking this link! The mystery of iniquity is no longer hidden — it's operating in broad daylight. In this full episode, we take the long view on what Scripture, the Church Fathers, and Pope Benedict XVI all warned was coming: the unraveling of the Restrainer, the rise of lawlessness, and the unmasking of evil in our own time. This isn't a book review. This is a discussion about what 2 Thessalonians 2 actually means for us right now — politically, spiritually, ecclesially. Why does evil seem to operate without resistance? What was Benedict XVI pointing to in his final years? And what is being asked of faithful Catholics who can see what's happening but feel powerless to stop it? We get into: • The "mystery of iniquity" — what St. Paul actually meant, and why it matters in 2026 • The Katechon (the Restrainer) — the doctrine almost no one in the modern Church talks about anymore • Benedict XVI's quiet warnings about the end of days and the apostasy from within • Why the Secular Forces feel emboldened — and what that tells us about the spiritual battlefield • What faithful Catholics are called to do when the restraint is lifted Support the show Get 10% off an amazing Black Monk Rosary by going to https://www.blackmonkrosaries.com/?ref=AVOIDINGBABYLON and using code AVOIDINGBABYLON at checkout! Check out our sponsor, Nic Nac, at www.nicnac.com and use code "AB25%" for 25% off of your first order! Please subscribe! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKsxnv80ByFV4OGvt_kImjQ?sub_confirmation=1 https://www.avoidingbabylon.com Merchandise: https://avoiding-babylon-shop.fourthwall.com Locals Community: https://avoidingbabylon.locals.com Full Premium/Locals Shows on Audio Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1987412/subscribe RSS Feed for Podcast Apps: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1987412.rss

    51 min

  5. 27 APR

    Pope Leo Just SHUT DOWN Same-Sex Blessings — "We Do Not Agree"

    Want to reach out to us? Want to leave a comment or review? Want to give us a suggestion or berate Anthony? Send us a text by clicking this link! Pope Leo XIV just shut the door on the German bishops' push to formally bless same-sex couples — and the four-word line everyone is repeating tonight is "We do not agree." Leo's response, aimed squarely at Cardinal Reinhard Marx and the German Synodal Way, didn't stop there. He reframed the entire conversation away from sexual morality and toward "justice, equality, the freedom of men and women, and religious freedom." We're going live tonight to read the full statement in context, unpack what it actually means, and get into the bigger questions it raises about the state of the Church. Plus — biblical scholar Sam Shamoun joins the stream to clarify scriptural passages on the Antichrist, the Great Apostasy, and how the early Church Fathers actually interpreted these prophecies. You don't want to miss this one. 🔴 LIVE TONIGHT: Anthony and Rob break down the Holy Father's full statement, the German bishops standoff, Leo's surprising comments on borders and immigration, and where this leaves Fiducia Supplicans and the Vatican II legacy. Support the show Get 10% off an amazing Black Monk Rosary by going to https://www.blackmonkrosaries.com/?ref=AVOIDINGBABYLON and using code AVOIDINGBABYLON at checkout! Check out our sponsor, Nic Nac, at www.nicnac.com and use code "AB25%" for 25% off of your first order! Please subscribe! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKsxnv80ByFV4OGvt_kImjQ?sub_confirmation=1 https://www.avoidingbabylon.com Merchandise: https://avoiding-babylon-shop.fourthwall.com Locals Community: https://avoidingbabylon.locals.com Full Premium/Locals Shows on Audio Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1987412/subscribe RSS Feed for Podcast Apps: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1987412.rss

    59 min

  6. 22 APR • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    Pelican Plus: Paywalls And Pipe Dreams

    We hit “end stream” by accident, recover on the fly, and end up exactly where our audience likes us most: the messy intersection of Catholic media, online tribalism, and the money that quietly shapes it all. If you’ve ever wondered why some Catholic platforms feel like they appear overnight and disappear just as fast, we walk through the incentives and the mistakes that make that outcome predictable.From there, we give the full story of why we refused to join Pelican Plus. We talk through the pitch meeting, the investor math, the promised salaries, the equity and control split, and the biggest structural problem: pushing creators behind a paywall while starving the public channels that actually drive growth. We also get into why “all Catholic app” marketing can be misleading if the tech, overhead, and incentives are not transparent, and why you should never hand over an audience you spent years building.We zoom out into the Catholic creator economy: why the outrage fueled model worked during the height of controversy, why it’s fading, and what actually has a future. We share ideas for evangelization content that can break out of the echo chamber, and we’re honest about the practical side too: day jobs, pensions, health insurance, and why most creators should treat content as a serious side gig unless the fundamentals are rock solid. Subscribe, share this with a friend who follows Catholic media, and leave a review with your take: what’s the biggest red flag you look for before you trust a new platform?

    1hr 1min

  7. 22 APR

    Trump vs Pope Leo: What Cardinal Manning Warned Us About 150 Years Ago

    Want to reach out to us? Want to leave a comment or review? Want to give us a suggestion or berate Anthony? Send us a text by clicking this link! Cardinal Manning warned that before the Antichrist arrives, Rome would be surrounded — and the Pope, even a weak one, would be the last thing standing between the Church and the secular powers gathering against her. Tonight we read that prophecy through what's unfolding right now between Trump and Pope Leo. Drawing from Cardinal Manning's The Present Crisis of the Holy See and Tychonius's Commentary on the Apocalypse, we walk through why the Catholic Church is hated not as a belief system but as a rival government — an "empire within an empire" — and why the Sedevacantist read of this moment is dangerously premature. We cover: • Why the Pope is the "Restrainer" of 2 Thessalonians • The "anti-church" that grows inside the true Church before the end • What Benedict XVI's resignation looks like through Tychonius's lens • Why Catholic unity terrifies the secular forces — and how the left/right dialectic is engineered to prevent it • Where Trump, Pope Leo, and the current Vatican drama actually fit in salvation history This isn't reaction content. It's a sober reading of the present crisis through the saints, the Doctors, and the prophetic tradition the modern Church has tried to forget. 📖 Referenced in this episode: – Cardinal Manning, The Present Crisis of the Holy See – Cardinal Manning, The Eternal Priesthood – Fr. Charles Arminjon, The End of the Present World – Tychonius, Commentary on the Apocalypse – St. Augustine, City of God 🕊️ Avoiding Babylon exists to give serious Catholics a higher, aspirational vantage point on current events, spiritual warfare, and the times we've actually been given. Subscribe, share, and pray for one another. ⏱️ Chapters 00:00 – Cold open 07:39 – The Antichrist comes — but it's not the end of the world 09:40 – Manning's case: the Pope as the Restrainer 11:06 – Why the Church is hated: a government, not just a religion 14:58 – "The Catholic Church has government over your will" 20:00 – Rome will apostatize before the Antichrist 25:47 – The bishops who serve the devil under the gift of the Church 26:56 – The true Church will have to withdraw 33:04 – The greatest evil is hidden inside her 34:57 – Why we're addicted to imagining triumph 37:51 – Trump vs Pope Leo: even a weak Pope restrains 39:40 – Benedict XVI, Tychonius, and the laying down of authority 50:39 – "I never want to be on the sid Support the show Get 10% off an amazing Black Monk Rosary by going to https://www.blackmonkrosaries.com/?ref=AVOIDINGBABYLON and using code AVOIDINGBABYLON at checkout! Check out our sponsor, Nic Nac, at www.nicnac.com and use code "AB25%" for 25% off of your first order! Please subscribe! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKsxnv80ByFV4OGvt_kImjQ?sub_confirmation=1 https://www.avoidingbabylon.com Merchandise: https://avoiding-babylon-shop.fourthwall.com Locals Community: https://avoidingbabylon.locals.com Full Premium/Locals Shows on Audio Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1987412/subscribe RSS Feed for Podcast Apps: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1987412.rss

    1hr 14min

  8. 17 APR

    Constantinople Fell in 1453, But These Men Refused to Bow

    Want to reach out to us? Want to leave a comment or review? Want to give us a suggestion or berate Anthony? Send us a text by clicking this link! A city that called itself Rome is surrounded, outnumbered, and running out of time. We bring on Ryan Grant to walk us through the fall of Constantinople in 1453, from the long fuse of Byzantine decline to the moment Mehmed II finally gets his prize. You’ll hear why Constantinople mattered so much to the Ottoman Empire, why Europe can’t get its act together, and how the Council of Florence and the attempted union with Rome becomes a pressure point inside the city when every decision is political and personal. Then we get into the siege warfare that makes this story feel modern: the Theodosian Walls under artillery fire, Orban’s massive cannon, trenching and mining, desperate sorties, and the naval chess match around the Golden Horn. We talk about the chain across the harbor, the relief ships that slip through when the wind shifts, and the move that still sounds unreal the Ottoman fleet getting hauled over land to bypass the blockade. At the center is Giovanni Giustiniani holding the defense together and Constantine XI choosing to die with his people instead of becoming a refugee emperor. After the walls fall, the aftermath matters as much as the battle. We follow how Ottoman rule reshapes church politics, why “better the turban than the tiara” becomes a tragic slogan, and how the shockwaves roll straight into the Battle of Belgrade with John Hunyadi and St John Capistrano. We even detour into Vlad the Impaler, medieval weapons, Greek fire, and the uncomfortable reality that history is often held together by men willing to do hard things when institutions fail. If you’re into Byzantine history, Ottoman military strategy, medieval warfare, and the religious politics that shaped Europe, this one is for you. Subscribe, share it with a friend who loves history, and leave us a review with your take: what actually doomed Constantinople, the cannons or the divisions? Support the show Get 10% off an amazing Black Monk Rosary by going to https://www.blackmonkrosaries.com/?ref=AVOIDINGBABYLON and using code AVOIDINGBABYLON at checkout! Check out our sponsor, Nic Nac, at www.nicnac.com and use code "AB25%" for 25% off of your first order! Please subscribe! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKsxnv80ByFV4OGvt_kImjQ?sub_confirmation=1 https://www.avoidingbabylon.com Merchandise: https://avoiding-babylon-shop.fourthwall.com Locals Community: https://avoidingbabylon.locals.com Full Premium/Locals Shows on Audio Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1987412/subscribe RSS Feed for Podcast Apps: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1987412.rss

    2h 28m
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About

Avoiding Babylon was started during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. During these difficult and dark days, when most of us were isolated from family, friends, our parishes, and even the Sacraments themselves, this channel was started as a statement of standing against the tyrannical mandates that many of us were living under. Since those early days, this channel has morphed into an amazing community of friends…no…more than friends…Christian brothers and sisters…who have grown in joy and charity.  As we see it, our job here at Avoiding Babylon is to remind ourselves and those who enjoy the channel that being Catholic is a joyful and exciting experience. We seek true Catholic fraternity and eutrapelia with other Catholics who, like us, are doing their best to live out their vocation with the help of God’s Grace.  Above all, we try to bring humor and joy to the craziness of this fallen world, for as Hillaire Belloc has famously said: “Wherever the Catholic sun doth shine, There’s always laughter and good red wine. At least I’ve always found it so. Benedicamus Domino!”

Information

  • Creator
    Avoiding Babylon Crew
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    649
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Avoiding Babylon
  • Show Website
    Avoiding Babylon
  • Provider
    Robert Blyton

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