Episodios

  • 101: Into the reign of Pope Leo, with Edward Pentin

    101: Into the reign of Pope Leo, with Edward Pentin
    May 30 2025
    Edward Pentin, the distinguished English Catholic journalist and veteran Rome correspondent, returns to Merely Catholic to discuss the conclusion of the pontificate of Pope Francis and the new reign of Pope Leo XIV.
    An acknowledged media expert on the workings of the papacy and of the Vatican in general, in 2015 he authored The Rigging of a Vatican Synod? An Investigation into Alleged Manipulation at the Extraordinary Synod on the Family, which was published by Ignatius Press, and five years later brought out The Next Pope — The Leading Cardinal Candidates, thanks to Sophia Institute Press.
    Mr Pentin serves today as a senior correspondent for the National Catholic Register and is also a regular contributor to EWTN, the Catholic television network.


    https://thomasmorecollege.edu/
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    35 m
  • 100: Podcast 100: Choosing the next Pope, with William Cash

    100: Podcast 100: Choosing the next Pope, with William Cash
    May 5 2025
    The award winning former Catholic Herald editor William Cash joins Dr Gavin Ashenden from Rome to discuss the forthcoming conclave to elect a successor to Pope Francis in this 100th Merely Catholic podcast.
    They discuss how Francis came to be elected, reflect on the invisible machinations already under way to choose the next pope, and they consider several of those members of the College of Cardinals who are drawing attention from the world’s media because they are “papabile”, or worthy to hold the papal office.

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    40 m
  • 99: Lady Mabel’s Gold, with SP Caldwell

    99: Lady Mabel’s Gold, with SP Caldwell
    Apr 24 2025
    Journalist and author Simon Caldwell returns to Merely Catholic to discuss his new thriller, Lady Mabel’s Gold, with Dr Gavin Ashenden in this 99th episode.
    A standalone sequel to The Beast of Bethulia Park, the author’s 2022 debut, Lady Mabel’s Gold has been praised by former Catholic Herald editor William Cash as a “truly original novel with excellent writing, clever plot twists and a cast of memorable characters which put Caldwell at the front rank of Catholic novelists today”.
    Dr Ashenden talks to Caldwell about his characters, themes and inspirations and both read from the book for the first time publicly.
    https://www.gracewing.co.uk/page416.html
    Más Menos
    48 m
  • 98: The challenge of Islam, with Tim Dieppe

    98: The challenge of Islam, with Tim Dieppe
    Apr 11 2025
    Tim Dieppe, the head of public policy at Christian Concern, joins Dr Gavin Ashenden for this 97th episode of Merely Catholic, the podcast series for the Catholic Herald, to discuss his new book, The Challenge of Islam. This book discusses the increasing influence of Islam in the UK and how non-Muslims might respond. Chapters include: “Is Islam a Religion of Peace?”, “Is Islam Antisemitic?”, “What's wrong with Multiculturalism?”, and “What’s wrong with Islamic Finance?” The book concludes with some policy proposals that would make a difference. In their conversation, Mr Dieppe and Dr Ashenden also confront the theological question of whether Allah is the same as the God of the Bible.
    Más Menos
    1 h y 2 m
  • 97: The truth of Britain’s colonial record, with Lord Biggar

    97: The truth of Britain’s colonial record, with Lord Biggar
    Mar 14 2025
    Conservative Party peer Lord (Nigel) Biggar CBE, the Regius Professor Emeritus of Moral Theology at the University of Oxford and an Anglican priest, joins Dr Gavin Ashenden for this 96th episode of Merely Catholic, the podcast series for the Catholic Herald.
    Lord Biggar, an Oxford-educated historian and author of the 2023 book Colonialism: A Moral Reckoning, reflects on the plan by the Church of England to pay £100 million in reparations for its role in the transatlantic slave trade following criticism in a new report for Policy Exchange that such policies are based on a defective process which “embedded activism rather than balance”. He gives Dr Ashenden a more nuanced account of the British Empire and its expansion and of the conduct of several of the important figures involved in its creation.
    Más Menos
    55 m
  • 96: My best friend JD Vance, with Rod Dreher

    96: My best friend JD Vance, with Rod Dreher
    Feb 24 2025
    Rod Dreher’s close friendship with U.S. Vice President JD Vance is the subject of this 96th episode of Merely Catholic, the podcast series for the Catholic Herald.
    He and Dr Gavin Ashenden discuss Mr Vance’s shocking accusation in a landmark speech at the Munich that the greatest threat to European security is not posed by Russia or China but by the European elites, and the extent to which Europe is “changing sides” with its ideological opponents of the Cold War.
    An American author who now lives in Budapest, Hungary, Mr Dreher is perhaps best known for The Benedict Option, his 2017 book about how Christians might prepare themselves for a new dark age. It was one of three New York Times best-sellers, with Live Not By Lies and The Little Way of Ruthie Leming. His latest book, Living in Wonder: Finding Mystery and Meaning in a Secular Age, was published last year.


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    24 m
  • 95: The strange elevation of Cardinal McElroy

    95: The strange elevation of Cardinal McElroy
    Jan 28 2025
    The rapid promotion by Pope Francis of Cardinal Robert McElroy as the new Archbishop of Washington DC has astonished many within the Catholic Church.

    Mark Lambert, the author of a popular blog called De Omnibus Dubitandum Est and a regular on the Catholic Unscripted YouTube channel, joins Dr Gavin Ashenden for this 95th episode of Merely Catholic to analyse what might lie behind the motivations of the Holy See in choosing Cardinal McElroy to lead such an important see, placing the appointment in the context of the crises currently afflicting the Catholic Church and western civilisation more generally.
    Más Menos
    43 m
  • 94: In defence of pro-life medicine, with Dr Calum Miller

    94: In defence of pro-life medicine, with Dr Calum Miller
    Jan 21 2025
    Dr Calum Miller, a medical doctor working within the NHS, joins Dr Gavin Ashenden for this 93rd episode of Merely Catholic, the podcast series for the Catholic Herald.

    Dr Miller graduated from the University of Oxford Medical School in 2015. As a researcher at the University of Oxford, he has published more than 30 academic papers in medicine, law, philosophy and ethics – examining such complex subjects as examined include foetal sentience, and abortion and mental health - and has won prizes for his work in bioethics from the University of Oxford and the Royal Psychiatry of Medicine

    In this podcast, Dr Miller describes his journey of discovery and discusses how his concern for the vulnerable and belief in true equality led him to a robust, enduring and defensible pro-life position in the face of moves to further liberalise abortion and legalise euthanasia.
    Más Menos
    48 m
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