Category: Radio Shows

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TIDBIT: The show was very kindly guest hosted by John Martinoni but technical difficulties caused us to lose him after the second break and I had to solo-host the remainder of the show.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Wedding attendance (Fact Pattern: Two Catholics, one divorce, no annulment, getting married in front of a Lutheran pastor on a boat). How to explain non-attendance to husband.
• Is the fact that the Trinity is not expressly stated in Scripture a good argument against sola scriptura? Is there a parallel between the Trinity and our human nature?
• Should a KofC chapter donate money to build a prayer room in a hospital that does some abortion referrals?
• Woman had non-conjoined twins, one of whom did not have a head or a heart. The latter was baptized. Friend doesn’t believe it was a human and wants to know why it was baptizaed.
• Are confirmation names mandatory?
• What are the Immaculate Conception, the Virgin Birth, and the Annunciation?
• How to explain going to confession to son who doesn’t want to go?
• How to deal with a co-worker who is stressing total depravity?
• Could God have made Jesus pure without Mary being sinless?
• How do deal with Fundamentalist brother?
• How do we know if we’re guilty of apostasy?
• Confused about previous answer regarding the humanity or non-humanity of headless, heartless twin.
• Priest said Catholics are not bound regarding contraception because it isn’t ex cathedra. How to respond?

LISTEN TO THE SHOW.

DOWNLOAD THE SHOW.

TIDBIT: The show was very kindly guest hosted by John Martinoni but technical difficulties caused us to lose him after the second break and I had to solo-host the remainder of the show.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Wedding attendance (Fact Pattern: Two Catholics, one divorce, no annulment, getting married in front of a Lutheran pastor on a boat). How to explain non-attendance to husband.
• Is the fact that the Trinity is not expressly stated in Scripture a good argument against sola scriptura? Is there a parallel between the Trinity and our human nature?
• Should a KofC chapter donate money to build a prayer room in a hospital that does some abortion referrals?
• Woman had non-conjoined twins, one of whom did not have a head or a heart. The latter was baptized. Friend doesn’t believe it was a human and wants to know why it was baptizaed.
• Are confirmation names mandatory?
• What are the Immaculate Conception, the Virgin Birth, and the Annunciation?
• How to explain going to confession to son who doesn’t want to go?
• How to deal with a co-worker who is stressing total depravity?
• Could God have made Jesus pure without Mary being sinless?
• How do deal with Fundamentalist brother?
• How do we know if we’re guilty of apostasy?
• Confused about previous answer regarding the humanity or non-humanity of headless, heartless twin.
• Priest said Catholics are not bound regarding contraception because it isn’t ex cathedra. How to respond?

LISTEN TO THE SHOW.

DOWNLOAD THE SHOW.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Is a lot of the Latin Mass always said silently? (NOTE: I slightly mis-hear this question but the correct answer gets out nonetheless.)
• Caller feels he can’t afford more children. Is contraception an option? (NOTE: Significant discussion of the kinds of things we’ve been talking about on the blog re: NFP here.)
• Are there any New Testament passages that say the devil tempts Mary?
• Must one forgive those who have not repented?
• What Scripture passages talk about us praying to saints?
• Does a priest who doesn’t believe in hell invalidate the Mass? Does "Give us this day our daily bread" refer to daily Mass?
• What’s being done to clean up the seminaries?
• Does the Bible say that the devil is a fallen angel?
• Caller got a vasectomy. What should he do?
• How should we understand Christ’s atonement on the Cross?
• May a church use leavened bread for Eucharist? If you’ve had an abortion do you have to petition the pope for absolution?
• How long is Lent?
• How was God created?
• Can the devil hear your thoughts?
• How to dialogue with Unitarians?

LISTEN TO THE SHOW.

DOWNLOAD THE SHOW.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Is a lot of the Latin Mass always said silently? (NOTE: I slightly mis-hear this question but the correct answer gets out nonetheless.)
• Caller feels he can’t afford more children. Is contraception an option? (NOTE: Significant discussion of the kinds of things we’ve been talking about on the blog re: NFP here.)
• Are there any New Testament passages that say the devil tempts Mary?
• Must one forgive those who have not repented?
• What Scripture passages talk about us praying to saints?
• Does a priest who doesn’t believe in hell invalidate the Mass? Does "Give us this day our daily bread" refer to daily Mass?
• What’s being done to clean up the seminaries?
• Does the Bible say that the devil is a fallen angel?
• Caller got a vasectomy. What should he do?
• How should we understand Christ’s atonement on the Cross?
• May a church use leavened bread for Eucharist? If you’ve had an abortion do you have to petition the pope for absolution?
• How long is Lent?
• How was God created?
• Can the devil hear your thoughts?
• How to dialogue with Unitarians?

A reader writes:

I listen to you all the time on the radio Q&A. This is my own fabulous opinion, meaning you don’t have to pay it any attention:

I think you’ll sound better if instead of saying "mmm-hmm" while callers set up their question, you say "yes," or "continue," or some other words. Mmm-hmm is what I say when I don’t really want to be listening to what someone is saying (especially my kids)….I don’t know if listeners take it that way or not.

BTW, I have a question which I can’t phone in since I hear you taped, maybe you could answer it on the air:

In the pre V2 days the Mass was divided into the Mass of the Catechumens and the Mass of the Faithful; today it’s the Liturgy of the Word and Liturgy of the Eucharist.

Any ideas why this changed, and what is the point of the new terminology?

First, in regard to the question: I don’t have a firm answer from an official document explaining why the change was done. A check of the cumulative index of the BCL Newsletter and some leafing around in the 1969 issues didn’t turn anything up (though further digging might); neither did a check of Documents on the Liturgy (a standard collection), but my sense is that the terminological change was due to two things:

First, the custom of the ancient church of dismissing the catechumens at the end of the liturgy of the word had fallen out of use (at least in the Latin rite). Consequently, retaining the terminology was more confusing than not. By calling the rite "the liturgy of the word," it mede it more clear what the true purpose of the rite was.

Second, there was a desire to more greatly stress the unity of the Mass and the relevance to of the word to the Eucharist.

That’s my sense, anyway. If someone else has more specific information (and can quote a source), I hope they’ll add it in the comments box.

Now, regarding the mmmm-hmmm issue: After you’ve worked in radio for a while, you get an inbuilt instinct that dead air must be avoided at all costs, and so I use "mmmm-hmmmm" to fill dead air sometimes. I try to say it supportively, to indicate that I’m listening attentively to what the person says (and, in some cases, to hurry the caller up if he’s rambling), but I don’t know how it comes across to listeners, especially when it goes through the filtering process that causes some of my inflection to drop out.

"Yes" or "continue" would sound impatient to my ears, but I could be wrong.

Whadda y’all think?

LISTEN TO THE SHOW.

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HIGHLIGHTS:

• Update on Terri Schiavo (with Mary Jane Owen)
• Can a single confession suffice for several plenary indulgences?
• What should one be on guard for in listening to non-Catholic Christian radio?
• Can oil lamps be used at Mass instead of wax candles?
• Why does Terri Schiavo’s husband have any kind of ability to speak for her?
• What are the differences between indulgences today and during the Reformation controversy?
• Jonah: Fact or Fiction?
• A non-Catholic asks if she can genuflect and make the sign of the cross with holy water at Mass. What about going up for a blessing at Communion time?
• How to evaluate private revelations?
• When did purgatory begin to be taught?
• Should the priest pour water only into the main chalice and not other cups to be used?
• Does the Gospel of John teach that Mary had a sister also named Mary?
• Must anybody move when the Stations of the Cross are being said?

LISTEN TO THE SHOW.

DOWNLOAD THE SHOW.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Update on Terri Schiavo (with Mary Jane Owen)
• Can a single confession suffice for several plenary indulgences?
• What should one be on guard for in listening to non-Catholic Christian radio?
• Can oil lamps be used at Mass instead of wax candles?
• Why does Terri Schiavo’s husband have any kind of ability to speak for her?
• What are the differences between indulgences today and during the Reformation controversy?
• Jonah: Fact or Fiction?
• A non-Catholic asks if she can genuflect and make the sign of the cross with holy water at Mass. What about going up for a blessing at Communion time?
• How to evaluate private revelations?
• When did purgatory begin to be taught?
• Should the priest pour water only into the main chalice and not other cups to be used?
• Does the Gospel of John teach that Mary had a sister also named Mary?
• Must anybody move when the Stations of the Cross are being said?

LISTEN TO THE SHOW.

DOWNLOAD THE SHOW.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Can the gospel readings during Lent be done in dialogue form?
• Does God love the devil?
• Do diocesan priests have to take vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience?
• Should Gentiles pay more attention to the writings of Paul than other authors?
• Did anybody get into heaven prior to the Resurrection of Christ?
• Religious Ed director said it’s very hard for anyone to commit mortal sin.
• Daughter’s friend killed himself. Can he be saved? (Also: I make a special prayer request for caller’s husband, who is quite sick.)
• A Protestant caller asks why the pope doesn’t resign (and is quite pleased with the answer).
• If medicine can be used to affect the course of nature, why can’t contraception? Why can’t people in the third world use contraception to control overpopulation?
• What does it mean to unite our sufferings with those of Christ?

LISTEN TO THE SHOW.

DOWNLOAD THE SHOW.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Can the gospel readings during Lent be done in dialogue form?
• Does God love the devil?
• Do diocesan priests have to take vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience?
• Should Gentiles pay more attention to the writings of Paul than other authors?
• Did anybody get into heaven prior to the Resurrection of Christ?
• Religious Ed director said it’s very hard for anyone to commit mortal sin.
• Daughter’s friend killed himself. Can he be saved? (Also: I make a special prayer request for caller’s husband, who is quite sick.)
• A Protestant caller asks why the pope doesn’t resign (and is quite pleased with the answer).
• If medicine can be used to affect the course of nature, why can’t contraception? Why can’t people in the third world use contraception to control overpopulation?
• What does it mean to unite our sufferings with those of Christ?

Karl and I did the honors.

LISTEN TO THE SHOW.

DOWNLOAD THE SHOW.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• How to become an apologist.
• Can laity conducting a Communion service self-Communicate? (Answer later in the show.)
• What’s the problem with consubstantiation? Can an priest who leaves the Church consecrate the Eucharist?
• Why can’t women be priests?
• Was Mary a virgin her whole life?
• Answer for can laity self-Communicate if they are leading a Communion service?
• How to correct a dissenting Catholic?
• Can a nun give a pitch for some worthy cause in place of the homily?
• Will the caller be sinning if he has conjugal relations with his wife if she has her tubes tied?