Year: 2021

The Stones of Venice – The Secrets of Doctor Who

The 8th Doctor is in a future Venice facing a cataclysm. Jimmy, Dom, and Fr. Cory talk about this audio story that bears remarkable resemblance to later TV episodes and how the story has a very fairy tale quality about it.

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Vaulting Ambition (DIS) – The Secrets of Star Trek

In this first season episode, we get our first glimpse of Emperor Georgiou. Jimmy, Dom, and Fr. Cory discuss how this character changed the show, the shocking evil of the Terran Empire, and the big reveal about Lorca.

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Baptizing Baby Yoda? Popes in Space? Sacraments in Space? Time Travel? Giants? (& More Weird Questions!)

It’s a fifth Friday so Cy Kellett of Catholic Answers Live is asking Jimmy Akin more weird questions from listeners, including whether the pope would be Bishop of Rome if humans left Earth; the practicalities of sacraments in space; could Grogu (aka Baby Yoda) be baptized?; what are the giants in the Bible?; and more.

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Questions Covered:

  • 2:50 – If humans had to leave Earth and live on spaceships or other planets, would the Pope still be the bishop of Rome? Would the bishops get new dioceses?
  • 7:22 – Is the dog that saved St. Rocco from starving, by bringing him bread, in Heaven? Could the dog have been an Angel?
  • 10:12 – If a priest were to offer Mass on the International Space Station, would the only one to be able to grant faculties for him to preach, hear confessions or witness marriages be the pope since he is constantly traveling over different dioceses at any given time? The more important question is whether a Mass in space with microgravity could even be offered validly. Would the wine be able to stay in a chalice in a valid manner?
  • 16:22 – Why is St Christopher shown with a dog’s head?
  • 18:15 – Let’s say your adult son from the future travels to present day and informs you that he was 1) conceived out of wedlock, 2) was raised by his single mother because you married another woman, and 3) all of that set him on a path to becoming Pope. Question: how obligated would you be to ensure that timeline remain intact, since any slight alteration could result in your son never being born?
  • 22:02 – Could we (or at least the people responsible for it) allow AI to call us (or consider us) their creator-gods? In a sense, AI would be created ex-nihilo and would be imprinted with our humanity without being human.
  • 25:10 – If human technology ever developed Star Trek level matter teleportation, and that technology was used to transport people, would the transported person be the EXACT same upon rematerialization, down to the God-given soul, or would they be just a near-perfect facsimile with a different soul (given that the person is essentially destroyed at the molecular level when transported)? If the latter, would the transporter operator be in any way culpable for the death of the person who was dematerialized (be that person human, Klingon, or even android)?
  • 27:50 – If God exists outside of time and space as we know it here and now, will his existence be different in heaven for eternity after the Final Judgement? We can only assume heaven too will exist in time and space since we will have our glorified bodies…or will it?
  • 31:11 – What if an animal here on Earth evolved to be clearly rational in the same way humans are, would they need to be baptized? Would they be considered made in the image and likeness God as well? And would they have equal/greater/lesser intrinsic worth than us? (Same goes for aliens)
  • 35:50 – Can Baby Yoda receive baptism if the Child were real?
  • 38:46 – If you baptize the Wicked Witch of the West with water, is it an act of charity or an act of murder?
  • 41:48 – I have heard Heaven described as a banquet feast, if this is true, then my question is who will be at our table? My son was adopted, will he be with my husband and I or his birth mother? Thanks! For some reason it saddens me that he might not be with us in this scenario.
  • 45:00 – Do you think Oswald was the lone gunman?
  • 46:42 – I really want to know what’s up with the “giants” in the Bible.

This Episode is Brought to You By:
Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World is brought to you in part through the generous support of Aaron Vurgason Electric and Automation at AaronV.com. Making Connections for Life for your automation and smart home needs in north and central Florida.

RosaryArmy.com. Have more peace. Visit RosaryArmy.com and get a free all-twine knotted rosary, downloadable audio Rosaries, and more. Make Them. Pray Them. Give Them Away at RosaryArmy.com.

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The Weekly Francis – 28 April 2021

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 15 April 2021 to 28 April 2021.

General Audiences

Messages

Regina Caeli

Speeches

Papal Tweets

  • “We have broken the bonds of our relationship with the Creator, with our fellow human beings, and with the rest of creation. We need to heal the damaged relationships that are essential to supporting us and the entire fabric of life. #EarthDay” @Pontifex 22 April 2021
  • “The fullness of life and of joy is found by giving oneself for the Gospel and for our brothers and sisters, with openness, welcoming and goodness.” @Pontifex 22 April 2021
  • “The Lord of life wants us to be full of life, and he tells us the secret of life: we come to possess it only by giving it away.” @Pontifex 23 April 2021
  • “How do we prevent conflicts? No people, no social group, can single-handedly achieve #peace, prosperity, security and happiness. None. The lesson learned from the recent pandemic is the awareness that we are a global community, all in the same boat. #DiplomacyForPeace” @Pontifex 24 April 2021
  • “The Lord wants to shape the hearts of fathers and mothers to be open, capable of great initiatives, generous, compassionate in comforting anxieties and steadfast in strengthening hopes. The priesthood and consecrated life greatly need these qualities. #Prayer #Vocations” @Pontifex 25 April 2021
  • “St Joseph is an outstanding example of accepting God’s plans. May he help everyone, especially those who are discerning, to make God’s dreams for them come true. May he grant them the courage to say “yes” to the Lord who always surprises and never disappoints. #Prayer #Vocations” @Pontifex 25 April 2021
  • “Do not be afraid: these are words the Lord addresses to you, dear sister and brother, whenever you feel you can no longer delay your desire to give your life to him. It is a refrain accompanying all who say yes to God with their lives, through daily fidelity. #Prayer #Vocations” @Pontifex 25 April 2021
  • “Jesus the #GoodShepherd defends, knows, and above all loves his sheep. This is why He gives His life for them. Love for his sheep, for each one of us, would lead him to die on the cross. For this is the Father’s will: that no one should be lost. #GospelOfTheDay (Jn 10:11–18)” @Pontifex 25 April 2021
  • “As the Good Shepherd, Jesus consoles his shepherds. If you remain close to the Lord, to the bishop, among yourselves, and to the people of God; if you maintain God’s style – nearness, compassion and tenderness – you need not be afraid: everything will go well. #PriestlyOrdination” @Pontifex 25 April 2021
  • “I am extremely sad over the tragedy that has once again taken place in the Mediterranean. 130 migrants died in the sea. They are people. They are human beings. Let us pray for these brothers and sisters, and for all those who continue to die in these tragic crossings.” @Pontifex 25 April 2021
  • “Let’s not wait for our neighbours to be good before we are good to them, for others to respect us before we serve them. Let’s begin with ourselves.” @Pontifex 26 April 2021
  • “In daily life, we can find the Risen One in the faces of our brothers and sisters above all in the poor and those on the fringes. We will be amazed how the greatness of God is revealed in littleness, how his beauty shines forth in the poor and simple.” @Pontifex 27 April 2021
  • “There is no page of the Gospel on which there is no place for us. For us Christians, meditating is a way of coming into contact with Jesus. And in this way, only in this way, can we discover ourselves. #Prayer #GeneralAudience” @Pontifex 28 April 2021

Papal Instagram

The Girl Who Waited – The Secrets of Doctor Who

This time it’s Amy who waits for Rory and the Doctor. Jimmy, Dom, and Fr. Cory talk about another story of doppelgängers and duplicates and alternate time streams; discuss the question of which Amy is the real one; whether it is moral to sacrifice one; and if the Doctor is being cruel.

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Sleeping Dogs (ENT) – The Secrets of Star Trek

The Enterprise comes across a ship of Klingons in distress and come to their aid. Jimmy, Dom, and Fr. Cory discuss the rendering of aid to ungrateful recipients and Archer’s education in Klingon diplomacy. Plus, a bonus discussion of the latest Star Trek TV & movie news.

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Operation Northwoods (Cold War Mystery!) – Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World

In 1962, the Joint Chiefs of Staff sent Operation Northwoods to JFK as a daring, covert plan to stop a potential Soviet invasion. Jimmy Akin and Dom Bettinelli discuss this now declassified plan, the shocking series of secret actions it proposed, and Kennedy’s response.

Help us continue to offer Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World. Won’t you make a pledge at SQPN.com/give today?

Links for this episode:

Mysterious Headlines

This Episode is Brought to You By:
Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World is brought to you in part through the generous support of Aaron Vurgason Electric and Automation at AaronV.com. Making Connections for Life for your automation and smart home needs in north and central Florida.

RosaryArmy.com. Have more peace. Visit RosaryArmy.com and get a free all-twine knotted rosary, downloadable audio Rosaries, and more. Make Them. Pray Them. Give Them Away at RosaryArmy.com.

Want to Sponsor A Show?
Support StarQuest’s mission to explore the intersection of faith and pop culture by becoming a named sponsor of the show of your choice on the StarQuest network. Click to get started or find out more.

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The Weekly Francis – 21 April 2021

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 14 April 2021 to 21 April 2021.

General Audiences

Messages

Regina Caeli

Papal Tweets

  • “Even death trembles when a Christian prays, because it knows that everyone who prays has an ally who is stronger than it: the Risen Lord. #Prayer #Easter” @Pontifex 15 April 2021
  • “Sadly, in this world, with all its highly developed technology, great numbers of children continue to live in inhuman situations, exploited, maltreated, enslaved, refugees. Today, in acknowledging this, we feel shame before God, before God who became a child. #EndChildSlavery” @Pontifex 16 April 2021
  • “Only the love of Jesus can transform our life, heal our deepest hurts and set us free from the vicious circles of disappointment, anger and constant complaint.” @Pontifex 17 April 2021
  • “Being Christian is not first of all a doctrine or a moral ideal; it is a living relationship with the Risen Lord. #GospelOfTheDay” @Pontifex 18 April 2021
  • “I invite you to pray for the population of eastern Ukraine. I truly hope that an escalation of the tensions might be avoided and, instead, that actions capable of promoting reciprocal trust and which foster reconciliation and peace might be undertaken.” @Pontifex 18 April 2021
  • “God does not give up. You are close to His heart, you who do not yet know the beauty of His love, you who have not yet welcomed Jesus as the center of your life, you who cannot overcome your sin.” @Pontifex 19 April 2021
  • “For God, you are that little coin that the Lord seeks without pause. He wants to tell you that you are precious and unique in His eyes. No one can take your place in the heart of God.” @Pontifex 20 April 2021
  • “Let us not abandon the simple prayers we learned in our families as children that we preserve in our memories and hearts. They are sure ways to access the Father’s heart. #Prayer #GeneralAudience” @Pontifex 21 April 2021

Papal Instagram

The Greatest Show in the Galaxy – The Secrets of Doctor Who

The 7th Doctor and Ace go to a demented circus. Jimmy, Dom, and Fr. Cory discuss fear of clowns, hippie circuses, werewolves, and the gods of Ragnarok, plus Sylvester McCoy’s real magic tricks he performs on-screen.

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Scorpion, Part II (VOY) – The Secrets of Star Trek

The premiere of Voyager’s season 4 saw the introduction of Seven of Nine to the cast. Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha discuss why the change happened, whether it was good for the show, and how she changed its trajectory.

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