Jesuitical America Media

Ryan Burge set out to learn how many Catholics agree with church teachings on three key pro-life issues: abortion, euthanasia and the death penalty. The answer? Fewer than 1 percent. This week on “Jesuitical,” Zac and Ashley are joined by Ryan, an associate professor of political science at Eastern Illinois University and the author of the “Graphs about Religion” Substack, to discuss his findings on the beliefs of American Catholics today.
They discuss:
Trends in Catholic opinion on pro-life issues.
How faith-based beliefs and secular politics interact in our polarized society.
The role of data in understanding religious trends and effectively communicating church teaching.
In Signs of the Times, Zac and Ashley discuss the eucharistic pilgrimages taking place ahead of July’s National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis. They also cover the controversial commencement speech given by Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker at Benedictine College.
Links from the show:
Cafeteria Catholicism?
Planning to join up with the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage? Here’s what you need to know.
Harrison Butker’s commencement speech and the danger of a Catholic ‘dead traditionalism’
Young U.S. Catholics want more orthodoxy. That doesn’t mean they reject Vatican II.
Podcast: When Catholic doctrine can change—and when it can’t
What’s on tap?
Carajillos (2 parts cold brew, 2 parts Licor 43)


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This week on Jesuitical, Zac and Ashley are joined by Andrea Von Kampen, a singer-songwriter and friend of the show. Hailing from Lincoln, Neb., Andrea discusses her new album, “Sister Moon.” (For those keeping track at home, yes, that is a St. Francis of Assisi reference.) Recorded at Union Pool in Brooklyn, N.Y., they share a wide-ranging conversation touching on spirituality, live music, the environment and more.
They discuss:
The spiritual and environmental influences on “Sister Moon”
How Andrea writes about important issues without being preachy
The joys and challenges of touring as a singer-songwriter, especially post-Covid
In Signs of the Times, Zac and Ashley cover the ins and outs of the recent synod meeting of parish priests at the Vatican. They also discuss a “home blessing challenge” in Cincinnati, then close out by talking about the Catholics who recently received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from a fellow Catholic, President Joe Biden.
Links from the Show
Sister Moon
Andrea Von Kampen's website
Parish priests had a synod meeting with the Vatican. But will they be included in October’s assembly?
Cincinnati priests compete to meet parishioners in home blessing challenge
Jesuit Father Gregory Boyle and Nancy Pelosi to be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Francesco: A Pope Francis Documentary
What’s on tap?
Nine Pin Hard Cider
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This week on Jesuitical, Zac and Ashley share their conversation with Cardinal Wilton Gregory on the role of a church in a polarized society. As the Archbishop of Washington, D.C., “the epicenter of division,” Cardinal Gregory has devoted himself to bringing people together across vast political and faith-based differences, lending profound insight (and humor!) to this live conversation, which was hosted by Georgetown University’s Catholic Social Thought and Public Life and Leadership Roundtable.

They discuss:

Cardinal Gregory’s conversion as a boy and life as a priest

Watching people come together through the synod, from diocesan meetings to the universal session in Rome

The cardinal’s advice for young people who feel disengaged from politics


During Signs of the Times, Zac and Ashley are joined by one of Jesuitical’s assistant producers, Delaney Coyne, to break down a recent debacle surrounding an A.I. priest. They cover the laicization of Catholic Answers’ “Father Justin” and discuss the kind of insights this technology can—and can’t—provide.

Want to advertise your school, ministry program, book or anything else on Jesuitical? Send us an email at jesuitical@americamedia.org 

Links from the show
The real lesson behind the ‘Father Justin’ AI priest debacle.
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Few events inspire a media spectacle quite like the election of a pope. The white smoke, cardinals locked in the Sistine Chapel, secret ballots and ancient rules—it’s catnip for secular and Catholic journalists alike. But how did these customs evolve—and how might they change in the future?
To find out, Zac and Ashley talk with Miles Pattenden, a historian, expert in the history of papal conclaves and the author of Electing the Pope in Early Modern Italy, 1450-1700.
They discuss:
How the election of popes evolved from St. Peter to today
The role of the Holy Spirit—and politicking—inside conclaves
And whether the secrecy of conclaves can survive in a modern world that prizes transparency
In Signs of the Times, Zac and Ashley discuss a new Justice Department investigation into last year’s leaked F.B.I. memo about the potential domestic threat posed by “traditional Catholics.” Plus, in a talk about forgiveness, a Michigan bishop called on Catholics not to “hate” politicians like Joe Biden—and then called the president stupid. 
Want to advertise your school, ministry program, book or anything else on Jesuitical? Send us an email at jesuitical@americamedia.org 
Links from the show:
No Bias Found in F.B.I. Report on Catholic Extremists
Biden ‘doesn't understand the Catholic faith,’ bishop says: ‘I’m not angry at him, he’s just stupid’
Electing the Pope in Early Modern Italy, 1450-1700, by Miles Pattenden 
MilesPattenden.com
What’s on tap?
Amaro Spritz

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This week on “Jesuitical,” Zac and Ashley are joined by Megan Nix, the author of Remedies for Sorrow: An Extraordinary Child, a Secret Kept from Pregnant Women, and a Mother's Pursuit of the Truth. The memoir details Megan’s journey after her daughter, Anna, contracted a little-known but relatively common congenital disease, cytomegalovirus, or CMV, during Megan’s pregnancy.
They discuss: 
Megan’s experience of her daughter’s diagnosis and the lack of awareness and support surrounding CMV
The tension of loving Anna as she is and wanting to improve her quality of life
How St. Thomas Aquinas’s five remedies for sorrow helped Megan understand the joys and sorrows of raising a child with disabilities
In Signs of the Times, Zac and Ashley talk about a recent proposal out of Baltimore that would cut the number of parishes from 61 to 21. They also cover an imposter priest wreaking havoc throughout the New York area and Pope Francis’ plans to reinstate Pope Benedict XVI’s former secretary, Archbishop Georg Gänswein, as an apostolic nuncio.
What’s on tap?
A mojito (with fresh mint!)
Links from the show:
Baltimore archdiocese proposes cutting 61 parishes to 21 in the city
Imposter Priest Who Robbed Catholic Churches Nationwide Arrested in California
After public rift, Francis restores Benedict XVI’s former secretary to Vatican service
Remedies for Sorrow: An Extraordinary Child, a Secret Kept from Pregnant Women, and a Mother's Pursuit of the Truth

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This week on “Jesuitical,” Zac and Ashley are joined by Amir Hussain, a theology professor at Loyola Marymount University. Amir shares his insights about navigating life as a Muslim teaching theology at a Catholic university, prompting a conversation ranging from the imperative and blessings of interfaith dialogue to life without a cell phone.
They also cover:
Amir’s experience completing the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius
The history and diversity of Muslims in the United States
Finding common ground and sharing experiences with people of different faiths
In Signs of the Times, Jesuitical’s producer, Sebastian Gomes, and “Inside the Vatican” host Colleen Dulle join Ashley to break down “Dignitas Infinita,” the recent declaration from the Vatican covering issues surrounding human dignity like gender theory, human trafficking, surrogacy and more.
What’s on tap?
Boulevardier
Links from the show:
New Vatican doc ‘Dignitas Infinita’: What it says on gender theory, surrogacy, poverty and more
Colleen Dulle and Gerard O’Connell discuss Dignitas Infinita on “Inside the Vatican”
What meeting John Wooden taught a Muslim theologian about Jesuit education
Muslims and the Making of America
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