In this episode, we speak with Matthew Johnston, Fellow at the Reformanda Initiative, to ask the big question: Is Rome a true church? Together, we explore the historic Reformed answer to this question, trace how the Reformers engaged with Rome in their own day, and discuss how things might look different—or surprisingly similar—after the Council of Trent, Vatican I, the Marian dogmas, and Vatican II.

What would Calvin say if he walked into Rome today? And how should we, standing on the shoulders of the Reformation, faithfully answer in our time?

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In this episode, we examine the implications of Pope Francis's death and openly discuss the future direction of the Roman Catholic Church. As evangelicals committed to biblical clarity, we ask if evangelicals should look for silver linings in a papacy that has distorted gospel truth. Join us as we courageously explore why honest critique matters.

Episode notes:

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/pope-francis-roman-church-legacy/

https://evangelicalfocus.com/europe/30881/francis-the-latin-american-pope-who-sought-the-evangelical-embrace-died

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Is Roman Catholicism simply weighed down by extra layers (accretions)—or has something deeper gone wrong? In this episode, we engage with Leonardo De Chirico’s Vatican File #238, where he challenges the idea that Catholic doctrine merely suffers from removable "accretions." We ask the crucial question: Does stripping away tradition uncover the Gospel, or has the original message been fundamentally altered? Join us as we examine the difference between doctrinal development and deformation—and why it matters.

Episode Resource

https://vaticanfiles.org/en/2025/03/vf238-no-longer-accretio/

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