Shows
Third Space Podcast1: Dominic de Souza - Endings and BeginningsIn this first episode of Third Space, I talked with my friend and Pope Francis Generation podcast co-host, Dominic de Souza. Throughout the PFG podcast, Dominic would drop bits and pieces of his own experiences growing up in a radically traditionalist cult, but I didn’t ever get a chance to hear his whole story. Until today.Dominic de Souza is cradle-Catholic passionate about how Faith, history, and science meet in today’s world. Born in New Zealand, studied in Fiji and France, raised in Australia, and now living in the USA. Dominic is riveted by the Cath...2024-09-021h 11
Pope Francis GenerationEndings and BeginningsIn this episode, Dominic and Paul reflect on Pope Francis Generation and share more in-depth about why Paul is making the change to Third Space.
We are so grateful for this podcast and for you, our listeners. We’ve had some incredible interviews with guests the past two years and so many conversations with listeners who have reached out after hearing something on the podcast that resonated with them. We are grateful for all the relationships that have grown from this podcast. Thank you.
The episode today is both the final episode of...2024-08-301h 38Pope Francis GenerationDignitas InfinitaDominic and Paul wrap up this season with a conversation about the new document from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF), Dignitas Infinita, about the infinite dignity of the human person. We discuss the main themes of the document before moving on to sharing our positive and negative reactions to it.
“Every human person possesses an infinite dignity, inalienably grounded in his or her very being, which prevails in and beyond every circumstance, state, or situation the person may ever encounter. This principle, which is fully recognizable even by reason alone, und...2024-04-221h 10Pope Francis GenerationThrowback Episode - The Dignity of the Human PersonIn this throwback episode (from Season Two) Paul and Dominic discuss the first of the four principles of Catholic Social Teaching, the dignity of the human person. We are all tempted to reduce the value of others, to, as Pope Francis puts it, “despise the limit that another’s value imposes.” Since Vatican II, the Church has emphasized the infinite dignity of every human being and has explained the implications of that belief.
Faith has untold power to inspire and sustain our respect for others, for believers come to know that God loves every man and wom...2024-04-151h 01Pope Francis GenerationCathy Melesky Dante - Power Dynamics in ChurchThis week, Paul spoke with Cathy Melesky Dante, a social worker and scholar who recently published an article titled, "Power Literacy in Abuse Prevention Education: Lessons from the Field in the Catholic Safeguarding Response." This conversation is about how power dynamics, gender roles, structures of sin, and undermining the consciences of children play a role in perpetuating clerical abuse in the Church.
Cathy Melesky Dante is a PhD candidate at Marquette University writing a lay ethic toward solidarity with those sexually abused by Catholic leaders. A recent keynote speaker at the annual conference for...2024-04-081h 04Pope Francis GenerationWhat is Abuse of Conscience?This week, Paul and Dominic dive into a specific type of spiritual abuse, the abuse of conscience. An individual’s conscience is their innermost sanctuary where they are alone with God. However, that sanctuary can be invaded and violated by the malicious and the careless. Paul and Dominic give examples of what this kind of abuse looks like and how common it is. So common that, at times, the abuse of conscience is presumed to be the orthodox way of practicing the faith.
“We also find it hard to make room for the consciences of th...2024-04-011h 03Pope Francis GenerationThrowback Episode - Brad Jersak - Faith after DeconstructionWe have a Throwback Episode for you this week, all the way from Season Three. Paul and Dominic interviewed the Orthodox theologian Brad Jersak about new book, “Out of the Embers: Faith After the Great Deconstruction.” They talked about what it looks like to follow Jesus in the midst of suffering and trauma, even when the harm is coming from the Church.
Brad Jersak is the Dean of Theology & Culture at St. Stephen's University in New Brunswick, Canada, and editor in chief of Clarion-Journal.com. He is also the author or coauthor of a number of nonfiction and fiction books, inclu...2024-03-251h 04Pope Francis GenerationEve Tushnet - Blessing Same-Sex CouplesThis week, Paul has a conversation with Eve Tushnet about Fiducia Supplicans, the new document from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith permitting priests to bless same-sex couples. Eve has written a couple of recent articles about this document and, in the course of that, interviewed several LGBTQ Catholics and pastors. She shares some of those experiences with us. Eve was on the podcast last year and we had a wonderful conversation about her book, Tenderness: A Gay Christian's Guide to Unlearning Rejection and Experiencing God's Extravagant Love. It was really great having her back on!...2024-03-181h 01Pope Francis GenerationJoseph Stuart - Engaging with Secular CultureThis week, Dr. Joseph Stuart joins us on the podcast to talk about the ways that Christians responded to the Enlightenment in the 18th century. He dispels the myth that the Enlightenment was at war with religion. We then go on to discuss ways that Catholics can engage with the contemporary secular culture that grew from the Enlightenment. Specifically, we talked about the very real consequences of Christians engaging the culture using power and coercion rather than with credibility and faithfulness.
Joseph T. Stuart, Ph.D., is Full Professor of History and Fellow of...2024-03-111h 05Pope Francis GenerationMatthew Shadle - Francis’s Theological Paradigm ShiftThis week, Dr. Matthew Shadle joins the podcast to discuss the theology of Pope Francis in the context of Vatican II. Specifically—responding to some of the critics Pope Francis’s recent apostolic letter, Ad Theologiam Promovendam—we talk about how the pope’s theology fits in terms of the Ressourcement theology that dominated at the Second Vatican Council and its development since then.
After more than sixteen years of teaching theology at Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa and Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia, Dr. Matthew Shadle is the Academic Assessment Coordinator for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the Un...2024-03-041h 12Pope Francis GenerationSara Larson - Waking up to Abuse in the ChurchOn this episode, Paul speaks with Sara Larson, the executive director of Awake, a Catholic nonprofit that supports and advocates for survivors of abuse in the Church. Sara talks about the history and mission of Awake and the great work it does in and for the heart of the Church. Sara also shares how working with survivors of abuse has changed her own faith life and relationship with the Church.
Sara Larson is the executive director of Awake, an independent Catholic nonprofit organization working for awakening, transformation, and healing from the wounds of sexual abuse in the C...2024-02-261h 14Pope Francis GenerationBernard Prusak - Institutional ViceThis week, Paul and Dominic talk with Dr. Bernard Prusak. They discuss an up-and-coming article (being published later this year by Liturgical Press) that Bernard wrote about Institutional Vice and the coverup of clerical sexual abuse in the Catholic Church. Using the story of the disgraced former cardinal Theodore McCarrick as an example, Bernard’s article attempts to explain how otherwise good people can act differently, sometimes dramatically different, as a part of the organization vs. when they are acting in their personal lives.
Dr. Bernard Prusak holds the Raymond and Eleanor Smiley Chair in Business Ethics at John
Ca...2024-02-191h 13Pope Francis GenerationColleen Dulle - Synodality and Spiritual CrisesThis week, Colleen Dulle is back on the podcast for another great conversation. They talk about the ongoing Synod on Synodality and the likelihood that it will actually provoke real reform in the Church. They also spend time discussing Colleen’s upcoming book, “Struck Down, Not Destroyed”, about the spiritual crises that result from reporting on the endemic problems of the Catholic Church. Throughout the conversation, they reflect on how the continued scandals in the Church affect their faith and trust in the Church.
Colleen Dulle is an associate editor at America Media, where she co...2024-02-121h 04Pope Francis GenerationWrestling with FrancisPaul and Dominic start Season Five by going back and doing a reexamination of our name: Pope Francis Generation. Our name was originally inspired by a talk from Bishop Barron, and a play on the term “John Paul II Generation.” It represented a kind of Catholicism shaped by the kerygma with an emphasis on God’s desire to save all people, grace, human dignity, and prioritizing the marginalized. But more recently, as it appears like Francis is failing to live up to his own teachings when it comes to addressing clerical sexual abuse, the meaning of that name has starte...2024-02-051h 01Pope Francis GenerationSeason 4 Wrap UpThis week, Paul and Dominic wrap up the season by reflecting back on some of the interviews and discussions this summer that have stuck with them. They specifically bring up the interview with Dr. Marcus Mescher and his proposal that there needs to be a new way of doing Church in order to address all the harm caused by the culture of institutional self-protection in the Church. They discuss if synodality is that new way of doing Church.
“In effect, doctrine, or better, our understanding and expression of it, is not a closed system, de...2023-09-111h 03Pope Francis GenerationMarcus Mescher - Moral Injury and Clerical Sexual AbuseThis week, Paul interviews Dr. Marcus Mescher, an associate professor of Christian ethics at Xavier University. They discuss a new research about moral injury and clerical sexual abuse that Marcus published. First Marcus explains what moral injury is and the way that it impacts a person’s psychological health as well as their conscience. Marcus then talks about the implications of this research and how we can better understand the impact of clerical sexual abuse on individual people and the wider Church.
Dr. Marcus Mescher is associate professor of Christian ethics. He holds a Ph.D. fr...2023-09-041h 16Pope Francis GenerationDawn Eden Goldstein - Antisemitism in the ChurchThis week, Dominic and Paul talk with author and theologian, Dawn Eden Goldstein. They discuss the presence, both historical and ongoing, of antisemitism in the Catholic Church. Specifically, Dawn speaks about a talk she gave two years ago for the Society of G.K. Chesterton concerning Chesterton’s antisemitic writings. Dawn talks about how Catholics today need to honestly acknowledge and wrestle with the sins of their heroes.
Dawn Eden Goldstein is the author of “Father Ed: The Story of Bill W.'s Spiritual Sponsor” and several other books, including “The Thrill of the Chaste” and “My Peace I Give...2023-08-281h 02Pope Francis GenerationBrian Armbrustmacher - Vocation and DiscernmentThis week, Paul talks with his good friend, Brian Armbrustmacher, about discernment and vocations. In a PFG first, this conversation was recorded in person. Brian was a seminarian for the Diocese of Lansing, Michigan, and this fall he is beginning formation with the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal (CFRs) in New York. Brian shares his personal vocation story as well as some of the things he has learned about prayer, discernment, and what it means to discover your vocation.
“To discern our personal vocation, we have to realize that it is a calling from a friend, who is...2023-08-211h 14Pope Francis GenerationJessica Keating - St. Maximilian Kolbe and Christ’s Harrowing of HellThis week, to celebrate the feast of St. Maximilian Kolbe, Paul talks with Jessica Keating about the life and witness of this martyr of Auschwitz. They first share his story and their own personal relationships with St. Maximilian. Then they unpack some of Fr. Kolbe’s theology of Mary before moving into a discussion about how we can say, in a real but mysterious way, that Fr. Kolbe’s time in Auschwitz was like Christ’s harrowing of hell.
Jessica Keating is the director of the Notre Dame Office of Human Dignity and Life Initiatives, where she engages...2023-08-1455 minPope Francis GenerationDeacon Steven Greydanus - Watching Decent FilmsThis week, Paul talks with the Catholic film critic, Deacon Steven Greydanus. Steven explains how movies can change people for the good and help make the world a better place. They also discuss how to critically engage with movies without falling into fear or moralism, and how to pass those values onto our children. Finally, Steven shares what he thinks are the best movies of the past year.
Deacon Steven D. Greydanus has been writing about film since 2000, when he created Decent Films. Since then, he’s written regularly for a number of outlets including the National Ca...2023-08-071h 14Pope Francis GenerationWhen NFP isn’t Good Enough - OG EpisodeThis week, we have an OG Episode from our first season. We’re releasing it again because last week was NFP Awareness Week in the US Church. We talk about NFP in light of the Church’s teaching about the individual consciences and the law of gradualism. Paul also shares some of his personal experience with NFP and being a part of the NFP subculture.
A content warning, this episode will include discussion about sexuality.
“We have long thought that simply by stressing doctrinal, bioethical and moral issues, without encouraging openness to grace, we were providing sufficient support to famili...2023-07-291h 08Pope Francis GenerationColleen Dulle - Fr. Rupnik and Trusting the PopeThis week, Paul and Dominic have a conversation with Colleen Dulle, co-host of the Inside the Vatican podcast. We first discuss the disgraced former Jesuit, Fr. Marko Rupnik and his history of sexual and spiritual abuse. Colleen summarizes the accusations against him and the Vatican's response. The second story is about Archbishop Fernández's appointment to the head of the Dicastery of the Doctrine of the Faith, specifically his controversial kissing book and his handling of clerical sexual abuse in his diocese. Finally, we have a personal discussion about how these continued scandals affect our faith, our trust in t...2023-07-231h 13Pope Francis GenerationLiz Hansen - Feeling Unsafe in the ChurchThis week, Paul and Dominic talk with Liz Hansen about feeling unsafe in the Church. We had a great conversation with her a few months ago to talk about sexual and spiritual abuse and cover up at Franciscan University. This time, we wanted to talk with her about a new article she wrote for Dappled Things magazine titled, “Desire of the Everlasting Hills.” In it she recounted a family vacation she made two years ago that turned into a pilgrimage as she processed her experiences of scandal in the Church. The article was beautiful and deeply resonated with some of m...2023-07-171h 00Pope Francis GenerationBrett Salkeld - Conspiratorial ThinkingThis week, Paul and Dominic talk with Brett Salkeld and conspiracy theories. Specifically, we discuss the components of conspiratorial thinking and compare and contrast those to the Catholic way of understanding and investigating reality. We then talk about how to avoid conspiratorial thinking in ourselves before ending the conversation discussing how to best engage with people, with friends and family, who have fallen into conspiratorial thinking.
Brett Salkeld is Archdiocesan Theologian for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Regina and the author of several books, most recently, Educating For Eternity: A Teacher's Companion for Making E...2023-07-101h 12Pope Francis GenerationShaun Blanchard - A Hermeneutic of ReformPaul and Dominic have a conversation with Shaun Blanchard about Vatican II and the development of doctrine. Shaun offers a brief history of the Church’s understanding about how doctrine develops over the past few centuries and how that culminated at Vatican II. Then we discuss how the Church's teaching is not rigid or static but that the Church is always in a process of reform. As Dei Verbum says, “For as the centuries succeed one another, the Church constantly moves forward toward the fullness of divine truth until the words of God reach their complete fulfillment in her.”Sha...2023-07-031h 22Pope Francis GenerationFeeling Alienated in the ChurchWelcome to the first episode of season four! To kick the season off, we revisit the vision and pillars of Pope Francis Generation. At the core of our mission is the desire to present the goodness, tenderness, and love of God to folks “who feel like they might not belong in the Church anymore.” Paul and Dominic share about their experience of the times when they felt alienated in Catholic circles where they once felt at home. They then talk about the kerygma, theosis, and the teachings of Pope Francis as experiences of God’s love and goodness that have s...2023-06-261h 11Pope Francis GenerationJordan Daniel Wood - Hell and UniversalismIn their third discussion with Jordan Daniel Wood, Dominic and Paul discuss Hell and Universalism. Using Pope Francis’s distinction between the role of the catechist and the role of the theologian, they put what the Church teaches about Hell into dialogue with Jordan’s theological studies. They talk about how holding the tension between the solid teaching and the theological proposals that venture further, without letting go of the teaching, can create a space for contemplation and for God to work.
Jordan Daniel Wood is a stay-at-home dad of four young daughters. He enter...2023-05-021h 01Pope Francis GenerationSeason Three SurveyTwo quick things!
The first is that we ended up having to reschedule our third conversation with Jordan Daniel Wood, so that episode won't be released until tomorrow. Sorry for the delay!
Second, is that that's the final episode of Season 3!
We've started making plans for Season 4, and we would love to hear your feedback and ideas as we do! If you have an extra five minutes, please check it out! We'd love to hear from you.
https://forms.gle/Q7ipDxXX6uRR7FWi7
This podcast started almost exactly a year ago. I have loved the conversations I've been...2023-04-2801 minPope Francis GenerationMonica Pope - The Kerygma and the EucharistThis week, Paul had a conversation with his friend and ministry partner, Monica Pope, about kerygmatic catechesis. They recently wrote a new retreat about the kerygma and the Eucharistic Liturgy called, “Destined.” They begin the episode discussing the kerygma, that is, the proclamation of God’s goodness and desire to give us all a share in his divine life. They talk about what makes kerygmatic catechesis different from the catechesis so many Catholics have experienced. They also talk specifically about how to understand and experience the Eucharistic Liturgy in light of the kerygma.
Monica Pope h...2023-04-241h 08Pope Francis GenerationJordan Daniel Wood - Grace, Theosis, and VirtuesDominic and Paul had another great conversation with Jordan Daniel Wood. He's the first guest we have had on a second time! We were originally going to talk about grace and universalism. But we had such a great conversation about grace, theosis, and the virtues that we ran out of time for universalism. So there will be a third interview with him soon! Also, we were chatting before we began the podcast, and that content was so good (and followed up so well from our episode last week about the development of doctrine) that we decided to include it...2023-04-171h 00Pope Francis GenerationHas Church Teaching Changed?This week, Paul and Dominic discuss the development of doctrine. Has Church teaching changed? If so, how does it change? We draw deeply from Pope Francis, Pope Benedict, Pope Paul VI, and Dei Verbum to answer these questions. We also discuss what Paul calls the Hermeneutic of Traditionalism. This is the false understanding of tradition and authority that proposes that Catholics can use past teachings to critique, or even denounce, current teachings.
“The Church is not only Denzinger, that is, the collection of dogmatic passages, of historical things. This is true, but the Church develops on her jo...2023-04-101h 05Pope Francis GenerationEve Tushnet - Helping gay Christians experience God’s extravagant loveThis week, Paul and Dominic interview Eve Tushnet about her wonderful book, “Tenderness: A Gay Christian’s Guide to Unlearning Rejection and Experiencing God's Extravagant Love.” Our discussion had two key themes. The first is that gay men and women are, in fact, relentlessly and tenderly loved by God and have a place in the Church. The second is that gay folks often experience harm in the Church ranging from outright discrimination and bullying to casual spiritual abuse. And, as Eve points out, those experiences are an “anti-catechesis” that proclaims that God is more like an abusive boyfriend than a loving f...2023-04-031h 13Pope Francis GenerationIs Celibacy Better than Marriage?In this episode, Dominic and Paul talk about what the universal call to holiness can look like in the married vocation. Both of us grew up being taught that the celibate vocations are better than the married vocation. This idea can give the impression that holiness is for the “professionals” and lay people are exempted from living the radical life Jesus invites all of us to. However, since Vatican II, the Church has developed her teaching in this area.
“Those who have deep spiritual aspirations should not feel that the family detracts from their growth in the life of...2023-03-271h 11Pope Francis GenerationLiz Hansen - Abuse and cover up at Franciscan University*A heads up that this episode will include discussion about sexual assault and spiritual abuse.
This week, Paul and Dominic talk with Liz Hansen. A couple of years ago she wrote an article titled, “Franciscan University and Its Friars Face a Reckoning” about Fr. Dave Morrier, a former campus minister at Franciscan University of Steubenville who pled guilty to rape and sexual battery. Liz was a student at Franciscan while Morrier was director of household life. This story felt like a microcosm of the abuse and cover up that plagues the Catholic Church as a whole, so we t...2023-03-2052 minPope Francis GenerationMike Lewis - Opposition to Pope FrancisThis week, Paul and Dominic are joined by Mike Lewis from Where Peter Is. We initially planned on discussing papal authority, but we ended up talking about Mike’s recent-near death experience before looking back on the past ten years of Pope Francis’ pontificate. Specifically, we discussed the toxic and bizarre opposition towards Pope Francis that has emerged in the past decade.
Mike Lewis is the founding managing editor of Where Peter Is. He and Jeannie Gaffigan co-host Field Hospital, a U.S. Catholic podcast. Mike lives in Maryland with his wife Stephanie and their four kids.
...2023-03-061h 05Pope Francis GenerationRachel Amiri - Toxic NFP CultureThis week, Paul and Dominic talk with Rachel Amiri about toxic NFP culture. Rachel was a FertilityCare Practitioner in the Creighton model of natural family planning. For the past several years, Rachel and Paul have had many discussions about how many of the ways that Catholics talk about NFP can be spiritually abusive or manipulative and how Catholic NFP discourse overlaps with purity culture. We wanted to share some of those conversations with listeners, so we invited Rachel on!
*A general disclaimer that we will be talking about sexuality and child loss in this episode.
...2023-02-271h 06Pope Francis GenerationDr. Robert Fastiggi - Can Catholics disagree with Church Teaching?Paul and Dominic talk with Dr. Robert Fastiggi about the Magisterium. We discuss what the Magisterium is and how it works. More specifically, we talk about if Catholics can ever disagree with Church teaching and, if Catholic teaching has been wrong in the past, then can’t it be wrong now? ABOUT ROBERT FASTIGGI Robert Fastiggi (A.B. Dartmouth; M.A. Ph.D. Fordham) holds the Bishop M. Kevin Britt Chair of Dogmatic Theology and Christology at Sacred Heart Major Seminary, Detroit, MI where he has taught since 1999. He previously taught at St. Edward’s University in Austin, TX (1985–1999). He was t...2023-02-201h 16Pope Francis GenerationJordan Daniel Wood - The Vocation of the Theologian and St. Maximus the ConfessorPaul and Dominic talk with Jordan Daniel Wood. We initially wanted to talk more about what St. Maximus has to say about things like theosis, grace, and universalism but our conversation went in a different direction and we ended up talking about what it means to be a theologian who ventures out into the mystery of God without fear. It was a great conversation! So great that we are going to have Jordan on again.
Jordan Daniel Wood is a stay-at-home dad of four young daughters. He entered the Catholic Church about eight years ago. He holds...2023-02-131h 09Pope Francis GenerationBrad Jersak - Faith after DeconstructionPaul and Dominic kick off Season 3 by speaking with the Orthodox theologian Brad Jersak about his new book, “Out of the Embers: Faith After the Great Deconstruction.” They talk about what it looks like to follow Jesus in the midst of suffering and trauma, even when the harm is coming from the Church.
Brad Jersak is the Dean of Theology & Culture at St. Stephen's University in New Brunswick, Canada, and editor in chief of Clarion-Journal.com. He is also the author or coauthor of a number of nonfiction and fiction books, including the More Christlike series.
Book...2023-02-061h 04Pope Francis GenerationAnnouncing Season Three!Season three begins next week!
ABOUT POPE FRANCIS GENERATION Pope Francis Generation is the show for Catholics struggling with the Church’s teaching, who feel like they might not belong in the Church anymore, and who still hunger for a God of love and goodness. Hosted by Paul Fahey, a professional catechist, and Dominic de Souza, someone who needs catechesis. Together, we’re taking our own look at the Catholic Church– her teachings and practices- from 3 views that changed our world: the Kerygma, the forgotten doctrine of theosis, and the teachings of Pope Francis. Together, with you, we’re...2023-01-3001 minPope Francis GenerationGloria Purvis - Can a Catholic be Woke?In this final episode of season two, Dominic and Paul speak with Gloria Purvis. The conversation begins with Gloria sharing about her recent experience meeting and interviewing Pope Francis. Then we move into a discussion about racism, critical race theory, and what it means to be woke. It was an honor and privilege to talk with Gloria, and we hope you appreciate it as much as we did.
Gloria Purvis is an author, commentator and the host and executive producer of The Gloria Purvis Podcast. Through her media presence, she has been a strong Catholic voice for l...2022-12-231h 04Pope Francis GenerationSolidarityPaul and Dominic discuss the fourth principle of Catholic Social Teaching: solidarity. In this conversation, they explore what the Church teaches about structural sin, the preferential option for the poor, racism, immigration, and care for the environment. These are challenging teachings that call us to envision a world that is healed and transformed by Jesus Christ.
Solidarity must be seen above all in its value as a moral virtue that determines the order of institutions. On the basis of this principle the “structures of sin” that dominate relationships between individuals and peoples must be overcome. They must be p...2022-12-191h 05Pope Francis GenerationJohn Médaille - A Catholic Critique of CapitalismDominic and Paul interview John Médaille about his book, Toward a Truly Free Market, and discuss a Catholic critique of Capitalism. John dives into some of the history of Capitalism and also offers some ideas for what a more just economy–an economy that places family and the common good at the center–looks like.
John teaches Catholic Social Teaching to business students at the University of Dallas and has forty years of business experience. He is the author of The Vocation of Business: Social Justice in the Marketplace; Toward a Truly Free Market: A Distributist Perspec...2022-12-121h 04Pope Francis GenerationSubsidiarityPaul and Dominic talk about the third principle of Catholic Social Teaching: subsidiarity. This principle is rooted in human freedom and participation, it is concerned with empowering people to be agents in the healing and development of their own communities. Related to this principle is the right to a just wage, because it is through the fruits of our labor that we are empowered to participate in our community and in the world.
"The principle of subsidiarity allows everyone to assume his or her own role in the healing and destiny of society. Implementing it, implementing the pr...2022-12-051h 05Pope Francis GenerationTony Annett - A More Just EconomyPaul and Dominic talk with the economist, Tony Annett about how Catholic Social Teaching gives us the tools to create a just economy. We discuss wealth inequality and the universal destination of goods before getting into what CST has to say about Libertarianism and Neoliberalism. We also dive into a Catholic perspective on usury and student loan forgiveness.
Tony is a senior advisor at the Sustainable Development Solutions Network and an adjunct professor at Fordham University. He spent two decades at the International Monetary Fund, including as speechwriter to two Managing Directors. He holds a PhD. in...2022-11-2156 minPope Francis GenerationPeter van Kampen - Live Simply: So That Others Might Simply LiveDominic and Paul talk with Peter van Kampen, a youth minister and author who has written about Catholic teaching on wealth and simplicity. More important than that though, he has taken steps to live out this teaching. In fact, it was through first following the teaching that he eventually came to understand it. Peter’s story is prophetic, that is, it challenges and inspires others to embrace “a way of life marked by the flavor of the Gospel” (Fratelli Tutti 1).
Peter van Kampen is a Youth Ministry Coordinator who lives with his wife and 5 kids in Rocky Mounta...2022-11-141h 02Pope Francis GenerationThe Common GoodDominic and Paul walk through the second of the four principles of Catholic Social Teaching: the Common Good. The Church teaches that every single human person is owed the material means they need to flourish, namely: food, clothing, shelter, medical care, education, employment, rest, etc. This is both a challenging teaching and wonderfully good news.
"Man has the right to live. He has the right to bodily integrity and to the means necessary for the proper development of life, particularly food, clothing, shelter, medical care, rest, and, finally, the necessary social services. In consequence, he has the...2022-11-071h 02Pope Francis GenerationAimee Murphy - A Consistent Life EthicPaul and Dominic talk with Aimee Murphy about her work advocating for a consistent life ethic. They talk about what it means to have solidarity with the unborn as well as those on death row. They also discuss their experiences of feeling politically homeless and alienated in the wider pro-life movement precisely because of their belief in the dignity of every human person.
NOTE: this episode does include discussion about sexual assault.
Aimee Murphy is the founder of Rehumanize International, a non-partisan, secular organization dedicated to bringing an end to all aggressive violence against human bein...2022-10-3158 minPope Francis GenerationThe Infinite Dignity of Every Human PersonPaul and Dominic discuss the first of the four principles of Catholic Social Teaching: the dignity of the human person. We are all tempted to reduce the value of others, to, as Pope Francis puts it, “despise the limit that another’s value imposes.” Since Vatican II, the Church has emphasized the infinite dignity of every human being and has explained the implications of that belief.
"Faith has untold power to inspire and sustain our respect for others, for believers come to know that God loves every man and woman with infinite love and 'thereby confers infinite dignity...2022-10-241h 00Pope Francis GenerationMark Shea - The Church’s Best-Kept SecretPaul and Dominic talk with Mark Shea about his book, The Church’s Best-Kept Secret: A Primer on Catholic Social Teaching. They discuss the four pillars of Catholic Social Teaching. They also talk about the temptation to let partisan or ideological preferences shape our perspective on the Church’s teaching rather than letting the Church’s teaching shape our political values.
Mark P. Shea is a popular Catholic writer and speaker. He is the author of numerous books including By What Authority? An Evangelical Discovers Catholic Tradition. His articles have appeared in numerous magazines and he is known...2022-10-171h 05Pope Francis GenerationWhat is Catholic Social Teaching?Paul and Dominic kick off Season Two by asking, what is Catholic Social Teaching? They share stories about how they first came across this “best-kept secret” of the Church’s tradition before Paul launches into the history and development of the Church’s social doctrines. Catholic Social Teaching challenges every political ideology and calls for Christians to embrace the “upside down” thinking of Jesus.
“Certainly, all this calls for an alternative way of thinking. Without an attempt to enter into that way of thinking, what I am saying here will sound wildly unrealistic. On the other hand, if we accept t...2022-10-1047 minPope Francis GenerationBonus episode! The Magisterium and the Development of DoctrineEarlier this week, Dustin Quick invited me onto his podcast, "Holy Smokes: Cigars, Catholicism, and Conversation" to talk about the Magisterium and the development of doctrine!
I encounter a lot of hesitancy in the Church with the idea that Church teaching changes. I used to believe the idea that the Church’s teaching has stayed the same for 2,000 years and that saying anything otherwise undermines the authority of the Magisterium and even the authenticity of Catholicism itself. However, when I looked at the Church’s own teaching I found out something different.
Enjoy this bonus episo...2022-09-231h 36Pope Francis GenerationPastoral care for LGBTQ CatholicsPaul and Dominic walk through what the Catechism says about homosexuality in order explain what the Church teaches, what the church does not teach, and how Catholics need to live up to what our own faith calls us to.
“The centrality of the kerygma calls for stressing those elements which are most needed today: it has to express God’s saving love which precedes any moral and religious obligation on our part; it should not impose the truth but appeal to freedom; it should be marked by joy, encouragement, liveliness and a harmonious balance which will not reduce preaching to a fe...2022-09-221h 06Pope Francis GenerationAnnouncing Season Two!Season Two is coming in October!
ABOUT POPE FRANCIS GENERATION Pope Francis Generation is the show for Catholics struggling with the Church’s teaching, who feel like they might not belong in the Church anymore, and who still hunger for a God of love and goodness. Hosted by Paul Fahey, a professional catechist, and Dominic de Souza, someone who needs catechesis. Together, we’re taking our own look at the Catholic Church– her teachings and practices- from 3 views that changed our world: the Kerygma, the forgotten doctrine of theosis, and the teachings of Pope Franci...2022-09-2201 minPope Francis GenerationHell: what we weren't taught in Sunday SchoolThis week, Dominic and Paul take a look at the Church’s teaching about hell. They navigate questions like: Are all people saved? Should we hope that everyone is saved? Can someone really commit an action worthy of an eternal punishment? How can we reconcile eternal torment with a loving God?
"With death, our life-choice becomes definitive—our life stands before the judge. Our choice, which in the course of an entire life takes on a certain shape, can have a variety of forms. There can be people who have totally destroyed their desire for truth and readi...2022-08-011h 09Pope Francis GenerationBonus episode! Becoming God!? Salvation in CatholicismLast week, Dustin Quick invited me onto his podcast, "Holy Smokes: Cigars, Catholicism, and Conversation" to talk about one of my most favorite things: Theosis. We talked for almost two hours and could have gone on longer. It was a blast. He's graciously letting me share the conversation in the Pope Francis Generation feed as well. Enjoy this bonus episode and be sure to check out Dustin's Youtube channel: www.youtube.com/etruth1
ABOUT DUSTIN QUICK In 2020, Dustin Quick, a convert from Protestantism and Islam, started a podcast called Holy Smokes: Cigars, Catholicism, and Conversation on YouTube...2022-07-281h 41Pope Francis GenerationNFP and my Conscience?It’s Natural Family Planning (NFP) Awareness Week in the US, so Dominic and Paul talk about NFP in light of the Church’s teaching about the individual consciences and the law of gradualism. Paul also shares some of his personal experience with NFP and being a part of the NFP subculture.
“We have long thought that simply by stressing doctrinal, bioethical and moral issues, without encouraging openness to grace, we were providing sufficient support to families, strengthening the marriage bond and giving meaning to marital life. We find it difficult to present marriage more as a dynami...2022-07-251h 07Pope Francis GenerationSpiritual Abuse: What is it & how to respond to itThis week, Paul shares some of the research he has been doing about spiritual abuse and the abuse of conscience in the Catholic Church. He and Dominic discuss what spiritual abuse looks like, how we can prevent it, and how we can respond to those who have been wounded in a way that promotes healing without causing more harm.
“Abuse exists in various forms: the abuse of power, the abuse of conscience, sexual and financial abuse. Clearly, the ways of exercising authority that make all this possible have to be eradicated, and the irresponsibility and lack of tra...2022-07-181h 04Pope Francis GenerationDesiderio Desideravi: Pope Francis and the Liturgical ReformDominic and Paul discuss Pope Francis’s new Apostolic Letter, Desiderio Desideravi. This document, while a follow up on the regulations that the Holy Father put on the old Latin Mass last summer, is primarily a catechesis about God’s desire for each one of us and how we can encounter him. The pope teaches that we really and truly encounter God—mediated through material symbols—in the liturgy, and through that encounter with him, he makes us divine.
“‘I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.’ (Lk 22:15) These words of Jesus, with which the a...2022-07-111h 08
Pope Francis GenerationWhat does it mean to be pro-life?Paul and Dominic walk through the recent Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe vs. Wade. Paul goes through some of the history and details of the ruling, and then shifts: they talk about why he personally has a difficult time celebrating this decision. They discuss Catholic Social Teaching and what the Church says about what it means to be pro-life and how the mainstream pro-life movement hasn’t met those expectations. They end with some practical suggestions on how we can move forward with consistency and integrity in our support for human dignity.
“Our sin lies in fail...2022-07-041h 01Pope Francis GenerationRethinking Chastity? Why it means more than what most thinkDominic and Paul reflect on how they have previously understood chastity and how so often this virtue has been reduced to just mechanistic sexual morality. Drawing from the teaching of Pope Francis, they discuss how chastity is meant to govern all of our relationships. They explore what it means to chastely love our children, our friends, and our business partners. Dominic and Paul also touch on how religious communities and leaders can love unchastely by manipulating others through fear and shame.
"Chastity is freedom from possessiveness in every sphere of one’s life. Only when love is ch...2022-06-271h 00Pope Francis GenerationShould Catholics be culture warriors?Dominic and Paul chat about authentic Catholic engagement in the culture and the world. They share their own experiences of being culture warriors and go on to discuss how this type of engagement is not what Christ asks of us. Turning to Scripture and the examples of the saints, they propose an idea of what a Christian’s mission is in the world that’s distinct from culture wars and partisan politics.
“The great scandal of the age is that those without the sacraments are so often superior in charity, courage, even laying down their lives for their br...2022-06-2057 minPope Francis GenerationYour conscience: how you can follow it & Christ (& why you should!)In this episode, Paul and Dominic dive into a discussion about conscience and disagreeing with the Church. They talk about some of the faulty beliefs they have had about conscience and then turn to what the Church actually teaches about it. Finally, they end with some ideas on how to navigate disagreement with the Church.
Part of this episode was based on Paul’s article on Where Peter Is, Disagreeing with the Church: https://wherepeteris.com/disagreeing-with-the-church
“We can wonder if God is demanding too much of us, asking for a decision which we are not...2022-06-1351 minPope Francis GenerationWhy people leave Catholicism... and why they should come back?In this episode, Paul and Dominic jump into a discussion about the reality of young people disaffiliating from Catholicism and they raise the question, “why should people return?” Paul and Dominic challenge the common ideas that young people leave because of bad catechesis or because of the allure of the secular culture. Instead, they focus on how the scandal of Church leaders choosing a “preferential option for the institution” drives people away from identifying as Catholics or Christians.
“Believers can have more than a little to do with the rise of atheism. To the extent that they are carele...2022-06-061h 16Pope Francis GenerationWho can receive Communion?Recent news about Archbishop Cordileone preventing Nancy Pelosi from receiving Communion ignited debate among faithful Catholics. Paul and Dominic chat about the deeper concerns: how some of the discussion we’ve seen online distorts the Church’s teaching on the Eucharist and sin. More importantly, what could an appropriate response from faithful Catholics look like?
We talk through the various aspects: personal responsibility, the Eucharist, scandal, competent authority, confusion, and the danger of knee-jerk opinions.
“The Eucharist, although it is the fullness of sacramental life, is not a prize for the perfect but a powerf...2022-05-301h 06Pope Francis GenerationWelcome: The 3 Pillars of the Pope Francis GenerationWelcome to the launch episode and interview for Pope Francis Generation! Paul and Dominic kick off with quick introductions, and dive into their reasons for starting this show. They explore the idea of religious deconstruction and then explain the three pillars of the Pope Francis Generation: The Kerygma, Theosis, and the teachings of Pope Francis.
“The centrality of the kerygma calls for stressing those elements which are most needed today: it has to express God’s saving love which precedes any moral and religious obligation on our part; it should not impose the truth but appeal to free...2022-05-241h 11