Ethan Hawke on exploring religious questions through art and his new film, “Wildcat,” about the Catholic writer Flannery O’Connor.
Podcasts
America offers a number of podcasts. To learn more about each individual podcast series and subscribe for free, please visit http://americamagazine.org/podcasts
Pope Francis welcomes 50,000 children to the Vatican for first World Children’s Day
With the event, the pope hoped to raise awareness about children’s plight in war, promote global peace, care for the environment and empower the younger generation.
Podcast: Pope Francis used a homophobic slur. How should Catholics respond?
The context of the incident, the Vatican’s response, and the implications for L.G.B.T.Q. Catholics.
Pope Francis’ homophobic slur, and the Vatican apology that followed
Pope Francis’ use of a homophobic slur has raised questions about the limits of his welcoming and inclusive stance towards L.G.B.T.Q. persons, despite a swift apology from the Vatican.
Try writing your next homily in a coffee shop
Scott VanDerveer writes his homilies in a coffee shop, where he is surrounded by strangers. “Would what I have to say speak to their life at all,” he asks himself. “Or would they say, ‘Ugh, that’s so churchy?’”
Podcast: Using Jesuit spirituality (and community) to make big life decisions
This week on “Jesuitical,” Zac and Ashley are live at Xavier University in Cincinnati with their spiritual director, Eric Sundrup, S.J., sharing their own experiences discerning their paths as young adults and offering insights from Jesuit spirituality to young people navigating big life questions.
Pope Francis on women deacons and his U.S. critics: Highlights from his ‘60 Minutes’ interview
In this episode of “Inside the Vatican,” Colleen Dulle Gerard O’Connell unpack the pope’s comments and broader highlights of the interview.
Never start a homily with these 4 words
A surefire way to lose your congregation is to start a homily with “In today’s Gospel reading,” says Thomas Groome. “The purpose of good preaching,” he says, “is to bring our lives to God and God to our lives.” A homilist’s job, then, is to facilitate a meaningful conversation between the two.
We’re all Cafeteria Catholics
Statistician 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.
Jubilee Year 2025: What you need to know
This week on “Inside the Vatican,” hosts Colleen and Gerry discuss Pope Francis’ proclamation of Jubilee Year 2025 and also review a global synod meeting of 200 parish priests held outside Rome earlier this month.
