Shows
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyKeeping a Cool Head While Covering the Pope (An Interview w/ Timothy Nerozzi)Today's episode is a great conversation with Timothy Nerozzi, who currently works as a Breaking News Reporter for Fox News. Timothy shares his take in particular on why secular reporting about the pope is quite terrible these days, his approach to journalism, and then of course we go into great detail on the office of the papacy itself – why we should keep a level head about Pope Francis, how the papacy has been changing over the past century, and a ton more.
In addition to his work at Fox News Digital, Timothy has written for a large swa...
2022-08-121h 07
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe "Pope" from Kansas (Pope Michael)Now, here at The Popecast we normally cover those men who are considered to be “valid popes” – that is, a legitimate part of the unbroken line of succession in the Roman Catholic Church that began when Jesus gave the keys to Peter and, as is commonly understood, sits now with Pope Francis.
And while there have been grandiose antipopes throughout history – men who we may one day talk about in more detail – today’s subject is another case entirely. Few may know about the man from Kansas who claimed to be pope, and unironically so.
Recently he...
2022-08-0410 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Last Pope in History to NOT Change His Name (Marcellus II)This pope is another one of those best kept secrets of Catholic history – he held some of the most influential post in Renaissance Christendom, presided over Catholicism’s response to the Protestant Reformation, and then cracked the top 10 for shortest papal reigns. But his mom sure would have been proud that he kept the name she gave him.
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2022-07-2917 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Popecast Origin Story and Other Tales (Matt's Interview on Real Presence Radio)Matt had the pleasure of being a guest on Real Presence Radio out in the Midwest, on a show hosted by none other than our most recent special guest Fr. Richard Kunst, to talk about the origins of The Popecast and his own personal favorite popes and papal history stories, among other things.
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NEWSLETTER: https://popes.substack.comSpecial Guest: Fr. Richard Kunst.Support The Popecast: A History of the Papacy
2022-05-1926 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe First Pope in History to Change His Name (John II)Today’s pope is certainly one for the record books. Even though he was only in office a couple short years, he’s memorable for one major papal staple that we take completely for granted these days.
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NEWSLETTER: https://popes.substack.comSponsored By:Catholic Balm Co.: Fans of The Popecast get 10% off their entire order with the promo code POPE – visit catholicbalm.co to check out their entire supply of beard balms, oils, lotion bars, muscle and skinca...
2022-04-2311 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe World's Largest Papal Artifacts Collection Outside of the Vatican (Interview with Fr. Richard Kunst)Today’s episode is one we’ve been very excited to bring you all for a long time. Our guest, Fr. Richard Kunst, is the curator of the world's largest collection of papal memorabilia and artifacts outside of the Vatican. Our conversation covers everything from how Fr. Rich’s collection came to be, some of the coolest and strangest articles he’s seen, his appearances on Pawn Stars, and (in the patron-only bonus section) even some never-before-heard stories about BOTH Popes John Paul.
In addition to curating this great collection, Fr. Rich is a priest of the Diocese...
2022-04-0835 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Pope Whose Corpse Was Put on Trial (Formosus)Our man this episode is altogether unique – and not just because he’s the only Successor of Peter with this particular name. No, he’s actually most famous for something he had no control over at all – because he was dead.
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NEWSLETTER: https://popes.substack.comSponsored By:Catholic Balm Co.: Fans of The Popecast get 10% off their entire order with the promo code POPE – visit catholicbalm.co to check out their entire supply of beard balms, oils, lotion bar...
2022-03-2613 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Pope Who Worked Miracles (St. Leo IX)This episode is about another one of those popes who you’ve probably never heard of, but is definitely one to remember. He was saintly from an early age, and despite desiring a life of anonymity in his service to Christendom, was plucked by the emperor from obscurity to become pope and, ultimately, usher in one of the biggest reform movements in Catholicism’s 2,000 year history.
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TWO RESOURCES MENTIONED AT THE END
Popes in a...
2022-02-1928 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyChristmas Special: Pope Benedict XVI's 2010 Urbi et Orbi Christmas MessageWe kept trying to find a good Christmas-themed papal bio for this week, and then we ran across this Urbi et Orbi address of Pope Benedict XVI's from 2010. It's an absolutely excellent address (as usual from him), especially with the Choir of King's College singing O Holy Night in the background, as they are at the end of the episode.
Enjoy – and Merry Christmas to you and all of your families!
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NEWSLETTER: https://popes.substack.comSponsored By...
2021-12-2413 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Papacy & America's Founding (Interview w/ Dr. Michael Breidenbach)This week it's a special episode of the show – professor, historian, and author Dr. Michael Breidenbach joins the show to talk about his new book, Our Dear-Bought Liberty: Catholics and Religious Toleration in Early America (https://amzn.to/3e0RDAM)
Especially for those in America, the story Dr. Breidenbach tells in his book and on the podcast – how English-turned-American Catholics wrestled between fealty to the king and fealty to the pope, how religious liberty as we know it is directly traced to an appeal from the brother of America's first Catholic bishop, and many other lesser-known historical thre...
2021-12-1753 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Obscure Pope Who Did Just Fine (Donus)Today’s episode is about a pope who’s probably easy to overlook. He only reigned for a short time, we don’t know all that much about him, and he isn’t remembered as a saint – a canonized one anyway. And yet, he dabbled in plenty of important things and did alright.
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NEWSLETTER: https://popes.substack.comSponsored By:Catholic Balm Co.: Fans of The Popecast get 10% off their entire order with the promo code POPE – visit catholicbalm...
2021-12-1009 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Pope Who Renounced the Christian Faith...Or Did He? (St. Marcellinus)Today’s episode is about a pope who lived...and died...during the last and worst of Rome’s persecutions of the Christian people, that of the Roman Emperor Diocletian. But just how that living and dying went is still up for discussion. 1700 years later.
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NEWSLETTER: https://popes.substack.comSponsored By:Catholic Balm Co.: Fans of The Popecast get 10% off their entire order with the promo code POPE – visit catholicbalm.co to check out their entire supply of bea...
2021-12-0312 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Pope Who Got a Bad Rap (John X)Here's a pope who kept his head down and worked tirelessly for the good of Christendom. But in an age where secular rulers used the papacy as their plaything, he refused to be anyone’s puppet, and ended up paying the ultimate price. And what’s more, everyone though he was a bad pope until not all that long ago.
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NEWSLETTER: https://popes.substack.com Sponsored By:Catholic Balm Co.: Fans of The Popecast get 10% off their entire orde...
2021-11-2114 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyWas Pope John Paul I Murdered? (An Interview w/ The Pillar's JD Flynn & Michelle La Rosa)This episode we're joined by JD Flynn and Michelle La Rosa from The PIllar to tackle one of the saltiest and most recent papal conspiracy theories – one of the doozies in pretty much the whole history of the Catholic Church. A half-century ago a pope reigned for a mere 33 days. Was it all just a strange coincidence, or was there something more nefarious afoot?
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NEWSLETTER: https://popes.substack.com Special Guests: JD Flynn and Michelle La Rosa.Su...
2021-10-3138 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Pope St. John Paul II SupercutThis week's episode is a very special one indeed. Our pope today needs no introduction, being one of the finest men to ever grace the Chair of St. Peter, but he does need a long episode to tell the whole tale of his long and eventful life. October 22 – the day that this episode is being released – is this man’s feast day and the anniversary of the 1978 inauguration of his papacy, so raise a glass (or a pierogi) for one of the greatest of all pontiffs.
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EMAIL...
2021-10-2247 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Slave Who Became Pope (St. Callistus I)This pope is a guy who rose from the lowest rungs of society to become the leader of a burgeoning but still illegal faith. And yet, it wasn’t the Romans who gave him the most grief. It was one of his fellow Christians.
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NEWSLETTER: https://popes.substack.com Sponsored By:Catholic Balm Co.: Fans of The Popecast get 10% off their entire order with the promo code POPE – visit catholicbalm.co to check out their entire supply of bear...
2021-10-1512 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Pope Who Saved Western Civilization (St. Pius V REDUX)Today’s episode is a Popecast Redux about a pope who may well have single-handedly kept the known world from a very, very different future. In fact, 2021 marks the 450th anniversary of his masterstroke – a convening of both corporeal and a spiritual armies to lead the Catholic Christian West to victory in one of the greatest sea battles ever fought.
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LINKS
Lepanto by G.K. Chesterton
"The Banners of Lepanto" by Fr. George Rutl...
2021-10-0817 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Other Pope Named John Paul (Venerable John Paul I)Our pope this week was in the Chair of Peter for barely a moment in the great lifespan of Catholic history, but his humble heart and joyful demeanor has influenced each of the three popes who followed him and put him firmly among the most memorable and beloved pontiffs of the last several centuries.
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NEWSLETTER: https://popes.substack.com Sponsored By:Catholic Balm Co.: Fans of The Popecast get 10% off their entire order with the promo code POPE – vi...
2021-09-0323 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Pope Who Hired a Warrior Cardinal (Innocent VI)Our pope this week was a pontiff in exile – the whole Roman Curia was in those days – who everyone thought would be near death, but he ended up sticking around for 10 years and set about cleaning up the clerical riff-raff, leaving us with one of the greatest hymns ever written, and hiring a bloodhound in a red hat to prowl around Italy and gain back what was rightfully Peter’s.
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2021-08-1911 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyA Habsburg Shares the Story of Pope St. Gregory the GreatJoining the show this week is special guest Eduard Habsburg, the Hungarian Ambassador to the Vatican and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, sharing the incredible story of Pope St. Gregory the Great, the "Pope Who Founded Western Civilization"
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Find Eduard Habsburg on Twitter: https://twitter.com/EduardHabsburg
Read Eduard's children's book, "Dubbie: The Double-Headed Eagle": https://amzn.to/3saENWSSpecial Guest: Eduard Habsburg.Support The Popecast: A History...
2021-08-1230 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Pope Who Really REALLY Didn't Want the Job (Blessed Victor III)This pope was far more renowned for his life BEFORE the papacy than he was after. And that was a bummer, because he kinda gets a bad rap for it. But it certainly didn’t help that he avoided accepting his election like the plague.
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NEWSLETTER: https://popes.substack.com Sponsored By:Guadalupe Roastery: These guys are the real deal – not only is their coffee excellent, but their mission is to empower farmers to support themselves and their fami...
2021-07-3015 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Greatest Pope You've Never Heard Of (Sixtus V)Our pope this week was startlingly good for a Renaissance pontiff – he didn’t use his power to elevate all of his greedy nephews, he began as a monk and never really forgot it, and he worked so hard and so much that he could have coined the phrase “I can sleep when I’m dead.”
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NEWSLETTER: https://popes.substack.com Sponsored By:Catholic Balm Co.: Fans of The Popecast get 10% off their entire order with the promo code POPE...
2021-05-2724 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Pope Whose Family Was the Literal Worst (Benedict VIII)This guy was an able pontiff who brought much-needed respect back to the papacy at its lowest point in history. And on the family front, he was a real diamond in the rough. A lone bright spot amidst a group of relatives that would make the Kardashians blush.
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NEWSLETTER: https://popes.substack.com Sponsored By:Catholic Balm Co.: Fans of The Popecast get 10% off their entire order with the promo code POPE – visit catholicbalm.co to check out th...
2021-05-1208 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Pope Who Was Ridiculously Good Looking (Conon)This pope wasn’t long for this world once he made it to the Chair of St. Peter and was a compromise pick from the beginning, to boot. Apparently it had something to do with being just another pretty face, but history is silent on whether or not he was a ...barbarian.
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NEWSLETTER: https://popes.substack.com Sponsored By:Catholic Balm Co.: Fans of The Popecast get 10% off their entire order with the promo code POPE – visit catholicbalm.co t...
2021-04-1008 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Pope Who Told Us When to Celebrate Easter (St. Victor I)Our pope this week hit a lot of firsts – first Latin-writing pope, first African pope, and the first papal hothead. Good thing he had the humility to match it.
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2021-04-0112 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Pope Who Wasn't Even a Priest Yet (Nicholas III)Our pope this week voted in literally one million papal elections before it was finally his turn. At least it probably seemed like that to him. He was a child of the nobility who served the Church from an early age, but there was just one small thing left to do after he got elected as the new Bishop of Rome...
Support the Popecast at patreon.com/thepopecastSupport The Popecast: A History of the PapacyLinks:Pope Nicholas III - WikipediaPope Nicholas III - Catholic EncyclopediaExiit qui seminat - Pope Nicholas...
2021-03-0617 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe First Assassinated Pope (John VIII)He was one of the last solid pontiffs before perhaps the darkest time in the history of the papacy. He held off the Muslim Army as long as he could, spent way too long looking for new emperors, was a patron of one of the Church’s greatest evangelists, and sadly was the first Bishop of Rome in history to meet a certain kind of sordid end. Sponsored By:Catholic Balm Co.: Fans of The Popecast get 10% off their entire order with the promo code POPE – visit catholicbalm.co to check out their entire supply of bear...
2021-02-2312 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Last Pope...Alphabetically (St. Zosimus)Our pope this week was only in office a short time, but still managed to leave a mark that’s resounded through the ages in battling one of early Christianity’s most monumental heresies. He’s also one of just three pontiffs in history to have a name that starts with the letter Z. Support The Popecast: A History of the PapacyLinks:Become a Patron of The Popecast[NEW] Today in Papal History Daily NewsletterPope Zosimus - WikipediaPope St. Zosimus - Catholic Encyclopedia(Patreon Alternative) Join The Popecast on Locals
2021-02-1313 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Pope Who Died of the Plague (Pope Pelagius II)Our man this week was a mentor to one of the greatest popes to ever live, he spent far too much time trying to drum up an army from the emperor to protect Rome from destruction, and met his earthly end as a deadly disease swept brutally through late 6th-Century Rome.Sponsored By:Catholic Balm Co.: Fans of The Popecast get 10% off their entire order with the promo code POPE – visit catholicbalm.co to check out their entire supply of beard balms, oils, lotion bars, muscle and skincare rubs, and more. Promo Code: POPESupport Th...
2021-01-2911 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyQuizzical Papist Crossover w/ Fr. Brad and GraceThis week is an extra special a CROSSOVER episode with the excellent podcast The Quizzical Papist – Your “extraordinary form” bar trivia with Fr. Brad and Grace. If you’ve ever been to bar trivia – or if you can even remember what that’s like after the long winter of 2020, that’s the exact structure of their show and, as a result, this crossover.
Grace and Matt battled it out over two rounds – the first half you’ll find on The Quizzical Papist, so make sure you go over and start there. Our half of the show has the second round a...
2021-01-1733 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyScandals, Canon Law, and Freemasonry with The Pillar's JD Flynn and Ed CondonOur first episode of 2021 is a very special one indeed. This week we’re joined by JD Flynn & Ed Condon, co-founders of The Pillar, the brand new Catholic media project focused on smart, faithful, and serious journalism, from committed and informed Catholics who love the Church, which you can find and sign up for at pillarcatholic.com. Special Guests: Ed Condon and JD Flynn.Support The Popecast: A History of the PapacyLinks:Sign up for The PillarBecome a Patron of The Popecast(Patreon Alternative) Join The Popecast on Locals[NEW] Today in...
2021-01-1352 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyPope Benedict XVI (An Interview with Fr. Harrison from Clerically Speaking)Our special guest this week is Fr. Harrison from Clerically Speaking – not only is Fr. Harrison a huge fan of Pope Benedict XVI, he's writing his doctoral thesis on the guy!
But don't worry, this episode isn't super heady or academic as much as it is simply Matt & Fr. Harrison nerding out on their shared love for Pope Benedict XVI and why he's just as important to the average person in the pews as he is to the great Catholic intellectual tradition as a whole. Special Guest: Fr. Harrison Ayre.Sponsored By:Cat...
2020-12-2049 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyEXTRA: Pope Francis' New Apostolic Letter on St. JosephAn exclusive audio recording of Patris Corde, the new apostolic letter from Pope Francis on St. Joseph, celebrating the 150th anniversary of Joseph being named Patron of the Universal Church and announcing a "Year of St. Joseph" starting December 8, 2020. Support The Popecast: A History of the PapacyLinks:(Patreon Alternative) Join The Popecast on Locals[FULL TEXT] Apostolic Letter Patris Corde of the Holy Father Francis on Saint Joseph[NEW] Today in Papal History Daily Newsletter
2020-12-1131 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Immaculate Conception and the PopesThis episode is a bit unique. It’s early December, so our Catholic listeners will know that there are two mega huge feast days celebrating Mary in the first half of this month – the Immaculate Conception on December 8 and Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12.
So we thought it might be fitting to break from the usual format and talk about the Mother of God under one of those titles, and what two 20th-Century popes have to say about her. Support The Popecast: A History of the PapacyLinks:[NEW] Today in Papa...
2020-12-0917 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Pope Who Called a Crusade (Pope Clement III)Our pope this week had the fun job of wrangling a bunch of Alphas and convincing them to work as a team for the sake of Christendom, and in the meantime tried not to lose everything the papacy had accumulated up to that point in history. Oh, and his nephew would later end up being one of the most powerful popes in history.Sponsored By:Catholic Balm Co.: Fans of The Popecast get 10% off their entire order with the promo code POPE – visit catholicbalm.co to check out their entire supply of beard balms, oils, lotion ba...
2020-12-0111 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Pope Who Baptized the Pantheon (Pope St. Boniface IV)Our pope this week you might not know, but odds are you know about something he did. I’m talking about the biggest and oldest unreinforced concrete dome IN THE WORLD. He converted it from a pagan temple into a church, which has been in constant use now for over 1400 years. Sponsored By:Catholic Balm Co.: Fans of The Popecast get 10% off their entire order with the promo code POPE – visit catholicbalm.co to check out their entire supply of beard balms, oils, lotion bars, muscle and skincare rubs, and more. Promo Code: POPESupport The...
2020-11-2010 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Pope Who Won a Contested Election (Pope St. Cornelius)Our pope this week wasn’t around for long, but the time he did spend in office left its mark. He entered the Chair of Peter at a dicey time in Christian history and dealt with an arch nemesis from within the Church right after his election, to boot. He was eventually killed for his faith, and is now the patron saint of things like lovers and earaches. Sponsored By:Catholic Balm Co.: Fans of The Popecast get 10% off their entire order with the promo code POPE – visit catholicbalm.co to check out their entire supply of b...
2020-11-1212 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Last Pope to Write about Witches (Pope Gregory XV)This pope was old and sick when he got elected, and wasn’t in office for all that long. But he wasn’t about to let any younger whipper snappers outdo him in energy or productivity. Oh, he also made the founder of the Jesuits a saint, and wrote the last document from a pope about when certain someones could or could not be burned at the stake. Sponsored By:Catholic Balm Co.: Fans of The Popecast get 10% off their entire order with the promo code POPE – visit catholicbalm.co to check out their entire supply of bea...
2020-10-2911 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Second Dominican Pope (Blessed Benedict XI)Our pope this week is in elite company in more ways than one – he was holy when sanctity was severely lacking in the halls of the Vatican, and he’s one of only FIVE men in history from the Order of Preachers to be elevated to the Chair of St. Peter.Sponsored By:Catholic Balm Co.: Fans of The Popecast get 10% off their entire order with the promo code POPE – visit catholicbalm.co to check out their entire supply of beard balms, oils, lotion bars, muscle and skincare rubs, and more. Promo Code: POPESupport The Po...
2020-10-1411 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyPope Francis Apostolic Letter on St. Jerome (For the 1600th anniversary of his death)The exclusive audiobook of Pope Francis' new Apostolic Letter, Lettera Apostolica Scripturae, commemorating the 1600th anniversary of the death of St. Jerome. Chapters included if you'd like to skip around.
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Support The Popecast: A History of the PapacyLinks:Become a Patron of The PopecastBuy The Popecast a Coffe...
2020-10-0737 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe OTHER Saint Paul (Pope St. Paul I)Our pope this week faced down an invading king, fought against a nasty heresy in the East, and has something in common with just FIVE other popes in all of Church history. Oh, and he’s not the St. Paul you’re probably thinking of.
SUPPORT THE POPECAST
Click here to become a regular patron of The Popecast (early access and more): https://patreon.com/thepopecast
OR, if you'd prefer to just leave us a tip – Buy us a Coffee, if you will – check out https://buymeacoffee.com/thepopecast
Sponsored By:Catholic Balm Co.: Fans of T...
2020-09-3012 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Other OTHER Saint John (Pope St. John I)Our pope this week was the first to hold the most popular papal name in Catholic Church history. A divisive figure in his early days, he repented of his old ways and went on to become so renowned that the emperor himself prostrated himself at this pope’s feet.
It just so happens that Episode #53 is on Pope #53. We swear we didn't realize this until after the episode was recorded.
SUPPORT THE POPECAST
Click here to become a patron of The Popecast: patreon.com/thepopecastSponsored By:Catholic Balm Co.: Fans of...
2020-09-2009 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Pope After Peter (St. Linus)The pope we’re talking about today had to follow the Fisherman himself. He’s a man who not only knew the Apostles, but was taught and ordained by them. Not to mention he’s one of only two popes – not counting Peter himself – to be mentioned in Sacred Scripture.
SUPPORT THE POPECAST
Click here to become a patron of The Popecast: patreon.com/thepopecastSponsored By:Guadalupe Roastery: These guys are the real deal – not only is their coffee excellent, but their mission is to empower farmers to support themselves and their families by...
2020-09-1112 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyPope Peter: An Interview w/ Author Joe HeschmeyerThis week on the Popecast we have a very special guest: Author Joe Heschmeyer. Joe is a fellow pope nerd like you and me who’s just written a great book on the papacy entitled Pope Peter: Defending the Church's Most Distinctive Doctrine in a Time of Crisis.
Joe was once a litigator living in Washington DC and then was a seminarian for the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, but he now teaches at the Holy Family School of Faith in Kansas City, Missouri and continues to run the popular blog Shameless Popery. We hope you en...
2020-09-0352 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyHow are popes elected? (Episode 50 Special)This time around we’re doing a little something different – a topic that’s more foundational to the very papacy itself – to celebrate the 50th episode of The Popecast. It's the only truly secret meeting left on the planet. Where all the red hats gather for a Catholic cage match, and the world waits, holding its breath, for that fateful white smoke.
IN THIS EPISODE
00:16 - Catholic Balm Co (Sponsor) – Enter the keyword POPE at catholicbalm.co
03:03 - Defining key terms
06:31 - History of papal elections
11:32 - What happens when the pope dies / resigns?
2020-08-2623 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Pope Who Baptized Coffee (Clement VIII)Our pope this week had barely been a priest 10 years before being elected at age 55, had one of Catholicism’s great Renaissance saints as his confessor for 3 decades and, oh yeah, he’s the one who brought coffee to the Western World.
It’s fitting that our sponsor for this week is Guadalupe Roastery! These guys are the real deal – not only is their coffee excellent, but their mission is to empower farmers to support themselves and their families by bringing you the most directly sourced cup of coffee possible.
So head on over to guadalup...
2020-08-1412 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Pope Who Wrote a Romance Novel (Pius II)Our pope this week is one unlike any other of the 265 successors of St. Peter. Smart and eloquent with a pen though he was, for most of his life he was best known as a smooth-talking womanizer and deadbeat dad whose only goal was elevating his own career, all the way up to being crowned as the emperor’s imperial poet.
And then he met the pope (who he hated), and everything changed.
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2020-08-0620 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Pope Who Canceled Rome (Adrian IV)Our pope today, the first and only British pope in history, is a man who came from nothing and was elevated to the papacy. A monk who would’ve rather not been pope, he faced down emperors and kings and shut down the entire Eternal City when a heretic threatened to hold it hostage.
Since it's another bearded pope this week, an extra special thanks again to our friends at Catholic Balm Co. for sponsoring this episode of The Popecast. Check out their beard balms and other great stuff at catholicbalm.co and be sure to enter "PO...
2020-07-2812 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Eleventh Pope (St. Anicetus)Our pope today reigned barely more than a century after Jesus walked the earth, and he’s best known for welcoming a disciple of the Beloved Disciple to Rome for a friendly chat about the date of Easter.
Since it's a (likely) bearded pope this episode, an extra special thanks to our friends at Catholic Balm Co. for sponsoring this episode of The Popecast. Check out their beard balms and other great stuff at catholicbalm.co and be sure to enter "POPE" at checkout to get 10% off your entire order!
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2020-07-1509 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Pope Who Fought the Destruction of Statues (St. Gregory II)Today we have a pope who found himself having to deal with an emperor demanding that Christian images and statues by smashed to bits. And he was having none of it.
SPECIAL THANKS to our friends at Catholic Balm Co. for sponsoring this episode of The Popecast. Check out their beard balms and other great stuff at [catholicbalm.co](catholicbalm.co) and be sure to enter "POPE" at checkout to get 10% off your entire order!
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2020-07-0314 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Pope Who Thought He Was Too Old (Pope Clement X)This episode is on a pope who was already almost 80 years old by the time he was elected, and he was really hoping to be able to retire in peace before his fellow cardinals got the bright idea to put him in charge.
No, this wasn’t 7 years ago, or even 15 years ago.
It was the 1600s.
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Thanks to our sponsors over at Sock Religious, who help you bring yo...
2020-06-2113 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Pope Who Said Putting a Corpse on Trial is Bad (Pope John IX)Here we have a pope who condemned a predecessor who had dug up a dead pope and put his body on trial – no big deal. He also reigned longer than most of his immediate predecessors and successors – but was still only in office for 2 years. Times were tough in the late 9th Century.
SPECIAL THANKS to our friends at Catholic Balm Co. for sponsoring this episode of The Popecast. Check out their beard balms and other great stuff at [catholicbalm.co](catholicbalm.co) and be sure to enter "POPE" at checkout to get 10% off your entire order!
...
2020-06-1111 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyTwo MORE Papal Difficulties (Interview on the Classical Theism Podcast)We were featured once more as a guest on the Classical Theism Podcast (see Episode #37 for our first appearance), this time on two more papal objections – how an ecumenical council called by an emperor can still be legit, and why Pope John XXII wasn't a heretic.
If you're enjoying The Popecast, please consider supporting us at patreon.com/thepopecast to get early access to new episodes and ensure we can continue to produce the show!
SPECIAL THANKS to our friends at Catholic Balm Co. for sponsoring this episode of The Popecast. Check out their beard bal...
2020-05-2733 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyPART THREE - The Pope Who Destroyed Communism (Pope St. John Paul II)The third and final installment of our series on one of the greatest popes in history.
He was the first non-Italian pope in almost 500 years and the youngest in over a century, having been elected at the young papal age of 58. He also would have the third-longest reign in history, serving as pope for almost 27 years, and trailing only Pope Pius IX and St. Peter himself in terms of longevity. He’s one of the most traveled world leaders in history and the most visible, after logging over 680,000 miles as pope and being seen in-person by half a...
2020-05-1923 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyBONUS: Letter of Pope Benedict XVI for the 100th Birthday of Pope St. John Paul IITo celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Pope St. John Paul II (May 18), Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI wrote a letter to the Polish Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz.
This bonus episode of The Popecast is a free audio reading of that letter.
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Read the full text of the letter here. Support The Popecast: A History of the Papacy
2020-05-1612 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyPART TWO – The Pope Who Destroyed Communism (Pope St. John Paul II)The series so many listeners to The Popecast have been asking about and waiting for is back for Part Two.
Our pope this week, once again, is one of the finest men to ever grace the Chair of St. Peter. Ordained a priest in secret at the start of the Communist occupation of Poland, he was a bishop at 38, an archbishop at 44, and a cardinal at 47. Though he was gifted with a towering intellect and a love for academics, his greatest joy was spending time in the outdoors – canoeing, camping, and praying with his friends.
Th...
2020-05-0123 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyPART ONE – The Pope Who Destroyed Communism (Pope St. John Paul II)It’s finally here. The episode so many of you have all been waiting for. And this is just part one…
Our pope this week is one of the finest men to ever grace the Chair of St. Peter. His life was one of unimaginable suffering, having been under the thumb of both the Nazis and the Communists at different points in his life. A renaissance man, he was equal parts philosopher and poet – exercising the head and the heart with unrivaled passion. Losing his earthly mother at age 9, he’s perhaps best known for his devotion to anoth...
2020-02-2319 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Pope Who Didn't Back Down (St. Sixtus II)Our pope this week is one of the greatest heroes of the ancient Church that you’ve never heard of. Well, at least, not until now. He was only pope for a short time, but his witness and heroic martyrdom left a mark that has echoed down through the centuries. Almost 18 centuries, in fact.
SPECIAL THANKS to our friends at Catholic Balm Co. for sponsoring this episode of The Popecast. Check out their beard balms, lotion bars, and ESPECIALLY their brand new Petra Solid Cologne at [catholicbalm.co](catholicbalm.co).
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2020-02-0714 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyAnswering Two Papal Objections (Interview on the Classical Theism podcast)Our episode this week is an interview we did with John DeRosa of the Classical Theism podcast, a show that’s all about defending Catholic Christian ideas in Conversation with all sorts of excellent guests like Trent Horn, Dr. Ed Feser, Jimmy Akin, Gomer from Catching Foxes and – somehow – yours truly. We chat about the stories of Pope Honorius I and Pope Liberius, along with lots of other great stuff.
Check out his show at classicaltheism.com
SPECIAL THANKS to our friends at Catholic Balm Co. for sponsoring this episode of The Popecast. Check out their...
2020-01-2933 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Pope Who Canceled the Jesuits (Pope Clement XIV)Our pontiff this week did one of the most infamous deeds in all of papal history. It was so memorable that no pope since has taken that particular papal name, and he was the butt of a joke at the election of our very own Pope Francis for it. His crime? He suppressed the Society of Jesus.
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LINKS MENTIONED FROM THIS EPISODE
"The Day the Jesuits Were Suppressed" by Professor Steve Weidenkopf – LINK
BOOK: "Mysteries, Marvels and Miracles" (including the story of St. Alphonsus Liguori bilocating to...
2020-01-1316 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyA Review of Netflix's "The Two Popes" (w/ Taylor Schroll of Forte Catholic)Netflix's new film "The Two Popes" is a recently-released biographical drama of the friendship between Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and Pope Francis, when the latter was still Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio. The film has been mostly praised in the wider culture and predominantly criticized inside Catholic circles. In this episode, Matt from The Popecast and Taylor from Forte Catholic review the good and the bad of the new film.
Listen to the first half of the review at https://www.fortecatholic.com/radiopodcast/167 (21:20)
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2019-12-2639 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Pope Who Made Christmas Official (St. Julius I)It’s a Popecast Christmas episode this week. Not only did this guy take his turn at fighting off the heresy that had infected a majority of the world’s bishops, but he stood by one of the Church’s greatest bishops and saints, and he may have even been the one to officially declare the day we celebrate Jesus’ birth.
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2019-12-1916 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyEXTRA: Pope Francis' Apostolic Letter on the Nativity SceneA free audio version of Pope Francis' Apostolic Letter_ Admirabile Signum _, defending and encouraging the use of the Nativity Scene – or Christmas creche – for families and communities to develop a deeper understanding of the mystery of Jesus Christ's Incarnation.
FULL TEXT: http://bit.ly/francisnativity
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2019-12-0218 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe (Bad) Pope Caught in Bed With Another Man's Wife (Pope John XII)Our pope this week – one of the notorious so-called Bad Popes – was what the kids might call “a player”. A man of loose morals who only got the job because on his deathbed dear old dad made Roman officials pinky swear to elect his kid pope. Oh, and he was killed after being caught in bed with a married woman … at the hands of her jealous husband, no less.
[BOOK] Catholic Hipster: The Next Level – https://amzn.to/332yG8O
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2019-11-2017 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Lesser-Known Defender of Rome (St. Gelasius I)We’re back this week with an episode on a pope who was equal parts lion and lamb. His blunt writing on papal authority was a respectful dunk on the eastern emperor, and served as that teaching’s foundation for centuries, but in the same breath he gave away all his earthly possessions before the end, and willingly died penniless.
No. 49 – Pope St. Gelasius
492-496 A.D
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2019-10-3013 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Last Martyred Pope (St. Martin I)On this week’s episode, it’s a pope who answered to no one but God. He was fierce in battling the burgeoning heresy of Monothelitism (which claimed Jesus only had one will), didn’t care if the emperor approved his election or not, and would go on to pay the ultimate price for his efforts, all for the sake of the Church.
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2019-09-2612 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe (Bad) Pope of the Protestant Reformation (Pope Leo X)On this week’s episode, it’s another one of the “Bad Popes”. This guy loved partying so much, and was so bad at managing money, that one contemporary said he spent three pontificates worth of dough – everything from the guy before him, all of his own money, and all of his successor’s. Oh, and Martin Luther was stirring up a rebellion, and this pope didn’t do much to stop it.
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2019-09-1216 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Pope of the Counter-Reformation (Paul III)On this episode of the Popecast it’s a guy who historian Eamon Duffy listed as one of the 10 Popes Who Shook the World. He was friends with a couple of bad popes, did some shady stuff himself in early life, then had a profound conversion and laid the groundwork for reform of the Church that we’re still feeling over 500 years later.
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2019-08-3115 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyEXTRA: Audio of Pope Francis' Letter to PriestsOn the 160th anniversary of the death of St. John Vianney, patron of parish priests, Pope Francis released a letter addressed to all the priests of the world. In the letter, Francis encourages and thanks his brother priests for their service, especially during such a difficult era in the life of the Church.
FULL TEXT: https://bit.ly/popecastfrancisletter
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2019-08-0628 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Pope and His Enemy, Who Were Martyred Together (Sts. Pontian & Hippolytus)This week is a Popecast unlike any other. Our pope this episode was not only the first in history to resign his office, but he did so after being exiled alongside his archrival, a man who had set himself up as the Church’s first antipope. And the craziest part about it? Both of them are now saints.
Also, we talk about beards at the end – thanks to a question for Nick, one of our newest patrons!
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2019-08-0213 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Pope Who Condemned His Predecessor...Sort Of (St. Leo II)He was in office less than a year, but left a mark on the Church that’s still making waves among Catholics and non-Catholics alike to this very day. Well-educated, a lover of sacred music, and great servant of the poor, for better or for worse this pope is known for formally condemning one of his papal predecessors – though not for being a heretic, just for being wishy-washy and neglecting his sacred duty.
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2019-07-2215 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Pope Who Gave Us the Feast of Corpus Christi (Urban IV)Our pope today introduced a day of celebration that’s endured for over THREE QUARTERS OF A MILLENNIUM. In addition to, you know, wrestling power away from a rogue dynasty and otherwise trying to keep the Church afloat in troubled waters. All in just 3 years. No big deal.
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LINKS FROM THE EPISODE:
Transiturus de Hoc Mundo – Papal Bull introducing the Feast of Corpus Christi
Flocknote's Popes in a Year – Pope Urban IV
The Catholic Encyclopedia – Pope Urban IV
Wikipedi...
2019-06-2711 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Pope Who Saved Western Civilization (St. Pius V)Here's a pope who came from nothing, spent his life fighting for the Truth, and ended up practically saving the world. Better to be frail in body and strong in will, than the other way around.
SUPPORT THE POPECAST: patreon.com/mattsewell
DOCUMENTS MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE
ESSAY: The Banners of Lepanto by Fr. George Rutler
ESSAY: Our Lady of the Rosary and the Battle of Lepanto by Fr. Steve Grunow
POEM: Lepanto by G.K. Chesterton
* Consueverunt Romani by Pope St. Pius V (Call to Prayer)
BIOGRAPHIES OF POPE ST. PIUS V
2019-06-0515 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Brothers Pope (Sisinnius & Constantine)It’s a Popecast first, folks. The first time we’re covering two popes in a single episode AND the first of three times in Church history that two brothers each held the Chair of Peter – and interestingly enough, also the first of three times that the brothers reigned back-to-back. Mama must’ve been so proud.
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LINKS
Pope Sisinnius (Flocknote's Popes in a Year)
Pope Sisinnius (Catholic Encyclopedia)
Pope Sisinnius (Wikipedia)
Pope Constantine (Flocknote's Popes in a Year)
Pope Constantine (Catholic Encyclopedia)
Pope C...
2019-05-1810 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyAnother Very Bad Pope (Alexander VI)In 1492, something else happened besides Columbus sailing the ocean blue, namely, that the most notorious pope EVER ascended to the Chair of Peter. This week it's the guy who typically tops the list of every rundown of the so-called “Bad Popes”, and who was described by contemporary historian as “more evil and more lucky than perhaps any pope before him”.
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LINKS
Letter of Pope Pius II rebuking Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia
Inter Caetara (papal bull granting Spain exclusive rights to colonize and explore the New World)
Pope Alexander VI (Popes in...
2019-05-1016 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Popecast's Guide to Pope Benedict XVI's Letter on the Sex Abuse ScandalThis episode serves as a brief recap and analysis on Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI's recent letter on the Church's sexual abuse crisis – paired with the audio version of the letter released exclusively by The Popecast – for those who have neither the time nor the interest to wade through the minefield of Catholic Twitter to sort it all out.
LINKS MENTIONED ON THE EPISODE
Full Text of Pope Emeritus Benedict's letter: LINK
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
JD Flynn on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jdflynn/status/1116918335793328128
Ed Condon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/canonlawyered/status/1116686902525083648
Fr. Harrison Ayre...
2019-05-0117 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyEXTRA: Audio of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI's Letter on Church Sex Abuse ScandalOn April 10, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI released a letter addressing the scandal of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church – of which the full audible reading can be found here. The retired pope gave historical background to how the scandal came to be, how it's affected the formation of priests in seminaries, and what the Church ought to do about it.
FULL TEXT: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/full-text-of-benedict-xvi-the-church-and-the-scandal-of-sexual-abuse-59639
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2019-04-1336 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Abuse Scandal, Human Nature, & the Altar of the Heart (Interview w/ Dr. Chad Pecknold)Dr. Chad Pecknold, associate professor of theology at the Catholic University of America, joins the Popecast this week to talk about the present scandal in the Church, human nature, St. Augustine's two Cities, and the papacy's role in securing the Church as a divine institution.
Dr. Pecknold will be speaking at Healing the Breach of Trust on March 26, a day of talks at Catholic University of America and part of a series of planned conferences on the Church's current crisis. Dr. Pecknold's talk and others will be live-streamed here.
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2019-03-1943 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Pope Who Didn't Do Anything Funny (Pope St. Hilarius)This week’s pope has a bit of an ironic name. During his six years in the Chair of Peter, nothing too exciting happened, and certainly nothing that seemed to live up to, uh, how we currently define "hilarious."
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LINKS
Pope St. Hilarius (Flocknote's Popes in a Year)
"Four Saints with Laughably Ridiculous Names" (Denver Catholic)
Pope St. Hilarus (Catholic Encyclopedia)
Pope Hilarius (Wikipedia...
2019-03-1313 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyInterview w/ Trent Horn (Apologist, Speaker, & Author)Catholic apologist, speaker, and author Trent Horn joins Matt on The Popecast this week. Topics covered (among others) include:
Biblical basis for the papacy
Papal infallibility
When is it okay to criticize the pope, and how far is too far?
BECOME A PATRON: patreon.com/mattsewell
LINKS (mentioned in this episode)
[BOOK] Bad Shepherds by Rod Bennett (Sophia Institute Press)
Ut Unum Sint (On commitment to Ecumenism) – Encyclical by Pope St. John Paul II, 1995
Donum Veritatis (On the Ecclesial Vocation of the Theologian) – Document by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, wr...
2019-02-2842 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyEXTRA: The Feast of the Chair of St. PeterNormally the Church celebrates feast days for persons – men and women from every age who the Church has held up as models of holy living – but today is a day that celebrates a chair.
Well, at least what the chair represents.
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LINKS
Pope Benedict XVI – General Audience, February 22, 2006
Franciscan Media – Feast of the Chair of St. Peter
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2019-02-2205 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Pope Who Had RBF (Servant of God, Pope Benedict XIII)This week’s pope didn’t want the job, and lived like he didn’t have the job, which got him in some hot water. But the people who worked closest with him knew him only as the parish priest of Rome, and ultimately his personal virtue carried the day. Plus he had RBF.
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2019-02-2113 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Pope Who Was BFFs With Charlemagne (Pope Adrian I)This week’s pope is defined by two words. Charlemagne and iconoclasm. And no, I’m not talking the Trump Twitter kind of iconoclasm.
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LINKS
Pope Adrian I (The Catholic Encyclopedia)
Pope Adrian I (Wikipedia)
Pope Adrian I (Flocknote's Popes in a Year)
Excerpt on Paul Afiarta in Thomas F.X. Noble's The Republic of St. Peter
The History of Charles the Great by J.I. Mombert (1888)
Duodecimum Saeculum by St. John Paul II (On the 1200th anniversary of the Second Council of Nicaea; 1987)
DUBIA LI...
2019-02-1217 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Pope Who Outsmarted Napoleon (Servant of God, Pope Pius VII)The pope we’re talking about today was mild-mannered and monkish on the outside, but tough as nails on the inside. He’s went toe to toe with the tiny tyrant for 10 years, and was imprisoned for 6 of them. Never one to let the Church be bullied, he returned the papacy to the respect it deserved, after decades of being drug through the proverbial mud. One of my personal favorites, Pope Pius VII.
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FURTHER READING:
The Popecast on Instagram/Twitter/Facebook – @thepopecast
Diu Satis (On a Retur...
2019-01-3016 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Pope Who Made the Emperor Kneel in the Snow (St. Gregory VII)This week’s pope was once described as the epitome of a Christian gentleman, a man of universally recognized virtue, and a profound scholar. He was never one to back down from a fight, and stopped at nothing to reform a broken Church. 1000 years ago, that is.
PATREON: https://patreon.com/thepopecast
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EMAIL: popecastmc@gmail.com
NEWSLETTER: https://popes.substack.com
FURTHER READING:
The Cluniac Reform (Pope Benedict XVI)
Letter of Gregory VII to the German Bishops (Yale Law Library)
Pope...
2019-01-1918 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Pope Who Built the Wall (St. Leo IV)A worker of miracles, a battler of barbarians, and someone described as a man who lived to perfection the saying “pray as if everything depends on God, and work as if everything depends on you.” This week it's Pope #103, St. Leo IV.
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LINKS
The Popecast on Instagram/Twitter/Facebook – @thepopecast
[BOOK] Church of Spies: The Pope's Secret War Against Hitler – AMAZON
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2019-01-0918 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Pope They Called a Heretic (Honorius I) - Infallibility Series, Pt. 3Wait, a pope was actually condemned as a heretic by an ecumenical council of the Church? Sounds like the jig is up – papal infallibility is a false doctrine! Right? Well...we shall see.
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LINKS- Letter from Pope Honorius to St. Honorius of Canterbury- Popecast on Instagram/Twitter/Facebook – @thepopecast - [BOOK] Pope Fiction (by Patrick Madrid): bit.ly/popefictionSupport The Popecast: A History of the Papacy
2018-05-1212 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Pope Who Was Once an Antipope (Vigilius) - Infallibility Series, Pt. 2This week's pope was one of the only guys to have been an anti-pope before getting legitimately elected, he pretty much killed his predecessor, and was a bit of a wuss to boot. Yes, even the Bishop of Rome can be a weak-willed flip-flopper, and it followed him around during all 18 years in office.
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LINKS- [BOOK] Pope Fiction (by Patrick Madrid): bit.ly/popefiction- Popecast on Twitter: @thepopecast- Matthew on Twitter: @MatthewJSewell
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2018-04-2013 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyGaudete et Exsultate: Interview w/ Katie Prejean McGradySpeaker & author Katie Prejean McGrady joins the Popecast to chat about Pope Francis' new apostolic exhortation, Gaudete et Exsultate (Rejoice & Be Glad), her recent trip to Rome for a pre-Synod gathering of young people, and how Pope Francis knows exactly what he's doing in his mission of evangelization.
Support the Podcast: patreon.com/mattsewell
LINKS
Gaudete et Exsultate (FULL TEXT)
[BOOK] Follow: Your Lifelong Adventure with Jesus by Katie Prejean McGrady
Speech by Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio (aka Pope Francis) pre-2013 conclave
Address by Pope Francis to Pre-Synod gathering of young people (the one Katie was at...
2018-04-1445 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe First Pope to Not Be a Saint (Liberius) - Infallibility Series, Pt. 1How would you like to be the first pope to not be named a saint? First in 350 years and the only non-saint pope in 5 centuries was still pretty holy, but people thought he might be heretic. Also, people use him as an argument against papal infallibility.
SUPPORT THE POPECAST: patreon.com/mattsewell
Popecast on Instagram/Twitter/Facebook – @thepopecast
[BOOK] Pope Fiction (by Patrick Madrid): bit.ly/popefiction
Support The Popecast: A History of the Papacy
2018-03-2213 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Pope who Condemned the Sexual Revolution (St. Paul VI)Paul VI was nothing short of a prophet. He called out society’s future ills decades before they actually happened, and reigned as pope through the assassination of an American President, the sexual revolution, and a sweeping reform in the Church. Plus … drumroll … he just became a saint.
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HUMANAE VITAE: http://bit.ly/popecastHVSupport The Popecast: A History of the Papacy
2018-03-0814 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Pope Who Confirmed the Canon of Scripture (St. Damasus I)Ever wonder where the official list of the books of the Bible came from? Well, this guy you’re about to learn about is who we have to thank. Every single one of those 73 books you find in Catholic Bibles was listed out by this guy, at a meeting in Rome, 16 centuries ago.
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2018-02-2309 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Pope Who Founded Western Civilization (St. Gregory the Great)Lent is upon us, and we have just the pope. It’s the guy who instituted giving out ashes on Ash Wednesday. The former monk. The humble, generous pontiff who basically founded Western Civilization.
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2018-02-1413 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyA Very Bad Pope (Benedict IX)Our first BAD POPE. Called by the Catholic Encyclopedia a "disgrace to the Chair of Peter" Benedict IX was pope not once, not twice, but THREE separate times, and only because dear ol' dad pulled some strings to get him there in the first place.
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2018-02-0812 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Pope Who Battled Attila the Hun (St. Leo the Great)This week we’ve got a pope who was here to chew bubblegum and battle heresy … and he was fresh out of bubblegum. He also once convinced Attila the Hun to hightail it out of Rome. In short, he’s one of the greats. Literally.
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LINKS
The Tome of Leo - http://bit.ly/tomeofleo
Sermons of St. Leo - http://bit.ly/stleosermonsSupport The Popecast: A History of the Papacy
2018-01-3112 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Pope with the Bird on His Head (St. Fabian)This week’s pope was elected in the most unusual of ways. A bird landed on his head. That's right, A BIRD.
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2018-01-2310 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe Pope Who Almost Contributed to the Bible (St. Clement I)Here's a pope who knew personally more than one of the Apostles -- the ACTUAL APOSTLES -- and wrote a document that was thiiiis close to being included in the canon of the Bible. Batting cleanup for the young church at Pope #4, it’s St. Clement I.
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Mentioned on the Podcast
- Clement's First Epistle to the Corinthians: http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/1clement-roberts.html
- Joe Heschmeyer on St. Clement I: http://shamelesspopery.com/did-the-papacy-exist-while-john-was-alive/Support The Popecast: A Hist...
2018-01-1610 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe "About Dang Time" Pope (Bl. Gregory X)This week we’ve got a pope who came to power after 1000 days of an empty papal chair, a guy who wasn’t even a priest when he was elected! Our pontiff this week butted heads with ambitious kings, and made revisions to the Church playbook that lasted for nearly 700 years … among other things. Oh, and he’s also one step away from sainthood.
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2018-01-0910 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyThe First Pope (St. Peter)This week we’re talking about perhaps the Church’s worst and best pope. The fisherman of little faith, the Apostle with the keys, the preacher who converted 3,000 in a single sermon.
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Support The Popecast: A History of the Papacy
2018-01-0311 min
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyWhy Popes?Whether you’re Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, an Atheist, or something in between -- the popes of the Roman Catholic Church matter. Sure, there are 1.2 billion of the world’s citizens who pledge their loyalty to the current pontiff, but St. Peter and his successors over the last 20 centuries have been a source of fascination -- be it for their sanctity, intrigue, or mere curiosity -- for just about everyone.
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Support The Popecast: A History of the Papacy
2017-12-2203 min