The Word on Fire Show - Catholic Faith and Culture

Bishop Robert Barron
The Word on Fire Show - Catholic Faith and Culture

Join Bishop Robert Barron for a weekly podcast on faith and culture. Find more episodes at http://WordOnFireShow.com and submit your questions at http://AskBishopBarron.com.

  1. 2 DAYS AGO

    WOF 465: Recapping the Synod on Synodality

    After spending nearly a month in Rome, Bishop Barron has just returned from the concluding session of the Synod on Synodality. However, numerous basic questions remain among the faithful: What challenges were discussed during this synod and what solutions, if any, did the attendees reach? What impact, if any, does either the structure or content of the synod have on the Church’s ability to evangelize effectively both in the US and abroad? A listener asks how parishes should adapt to today’s needs. 00:00 | Intro 01:27 | A visit to the Czech Republic 03:10 | What is synodality? 06:58 | The Instrumentum Laboris and its role in the synod 07:56 | Who attended the synod? 09:14 | Relating 2023’s synodal gathering to 2024’s 11:09 | Bishop Barron’s daily routine in Rome 16:20 | Communio theology as represented at the synod 19:27 | The teaching status of the recent synodal document 21:01 | Assessing the synod’s benefit to the Church 22:35 | Limitations of synodality as a ruling principle 25:23 | The question of women’s ordination 28:00 | Concerns for the authority of the local bishops’ conferences 29:41 | Has this synod perennially changed the Church? 31:15 | The possibility of future synods 32:01 | Listener question 34:04 | Join the Word on Fire Institute Link: EWTN article: https://www.ewtnvatican.com/articles/synod-on-synodalitys-final-document-what-you-need-to-know-3645 E&C Online article: https://www.wordonfire.org/articles/barron/some-thoughts-upon-returning-from-the-second-session-of-the-synod/ Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/ NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

    35 min
  2. 14 OCT

    WOF 459: Five Lessons to Learn from the African Church

    Parts of the global Church have a very different kind of challenge on their hands than we do in the West: how to handle explosive growth. In many parts of Africa, the Church is running out of room in their seminaries, convents, and monasteries because of rising vocations, and the laity are collectively practicing their faith in ways that put the Church in the West to shame. In Nigeria, upwards of 94 percent of Catholics go to Mass every week, while the U.S. can’t even reach 30 percent in weekly Mass attendance among Catholics. What explains this wide discrepancy? What are we in the West getting so wrong about evangelization, and what is the Church in Africa getting so right? A listener asks how she and her family can practice Sabbath rest.   00:00 | Intro 01:50 | DOWR Chancery dedication 03:00 | The African church as a robust exemplar 05:35 | Does Africa’s numerical strength translate to ecclesial strength? 07:12 | Lesson 1: Primacy of the supernatural 10:56 | Lesson 2: Hold fast to theological orthodoxy 12:08 | How the Church engages cultures 16:13 | Lesson 3: Commitment to evangelize the culture 17:49 | The rhythm between “hunkering down” and “diving in” 19:50 | Lesson 4: Praise in public, criticize in private 23:13 | Lesson 5: Courage in the face of opposition 25:19 | Counter-claims for Africa’s religious success 28:49 | Listener question 31:28 | Join the Word on Fire Institute   Show Notes: Stats for Nigerian Church attendance: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253488/where-is-mass-attendance-highest-one-country-is-the-clear-leader Stats for American Mass attendance: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/04/12/9-facts-about-us-catholics/ National Catholic Register article: https://www.ncregister.com/news/same-sex-blessings-and-the-catholic-church-in-africa E&C Online article: https://www.wordonfire.org/articles/pope-francis-isnt-actually-visiting-peripheries-hes-leaving-them-behind/ Crux article: https://cruxnow.com/news-analysis/2023/01/running-the-numbers-africa-isnt-the-catholic-future-its-the-present Vatican News article: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2023-04/over-50000-christians-killed-in-nigeria-by-islamist-extremists.html Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/ NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

    32 min

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Join Bishop Robert Barron for a weekly podcast on faith and culture. Find more episodes at http://WordOnFireShow.com and submit your questions at http://AskBishopBarron.com.

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