St. Pope John Paul the II memorably observed that the Catholic Church comes from the eucharist and that the eucharist, in turn, comes from priests. As Bishop Barron noted in a recent letter to his diocese, “by an inescapable logic [therefore] no priests, no Church.” We should add, however, that priests come from bishops, which expands the ecclesial logic to this: no bishops, no priests; no priests, no eucharist; no eucharist, no church. In other words, bishops not only hold an important administrative position within the Church; tracing their authority back to the apostles and, ultimately, to Jesus Christ himself, they constitute the very sacramental and liturgical foundation of Catholicism itself. That, to say the least, is a weighty responsibility. So what is it like to be a bishop? How does one come to hold this office? What, specifically, do bishops have authority over–and what don’t they have authority over? What kind of relationship do they have with each other and with the Holy Father, the pope? What are their day-to-day obligations and activities? And what are some challenges they face that both clergy and laity may not be aware of?
A listener asks what made Bishop Barron want to be a priest.
01:38 | Bishop Barron’s Thanksgiving in Chicago
02:45 | The origins of the office of bishop
04:51 | The theological dimension of the bishop’s role
06:41 | The liturgical symbols of the office
10:45 | Bishop Barron’s coat of arms
12:12 | How does one become a bishop?
16:10 | How are dioceses formed?
17:20 | Relating bishop to archbishop
18:51 | Understanding the bishop’s authority
20:03 | What is a chancery?
21:03 | Essential tasks of the bishop
29:38 | Bishop Barron’s approach to his official duties
33:01 | The meaning and authority of a conference of bishops
37:19 | Myths about Catholic bishops
40:06 | Listener question: What made you become a priest?
41:41 | Join the Word on Fire Institute
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Newman believed that a liberal arts education would instill a philosophical habit of mind in students, helping students reason to the foundational principles of every discipline and see how everything fits together. The philosophical habit of mind distinguishes between significance and triviality, helping society and individuals order everything to the Good.
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Religious freedom, especially for Christians, is under attack across the globe, including in the West–including right here in the United States. Whether insidiously in the form of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs that block Christians from employment and advancement opportunities, or, overtly, like vandalism against churches, or, in some parts of the world, murderous violence against Christians themselves, in terms of sheer numbers–and this fact is often ignored–Christians are, by far, the most persecuted religious group in the world. While defending religious freedom is important for people of all faiths, or no faith at all, it is thus especially urgent for believers in Christ. How, then, can we work together as a church and as a society to make progress on this front? Taking a step back, what, specifically, is religious freedom and why is it a universal human right? What is the relationship between the free exercise of religion and freedom of speech? And how can we respond to the secular charge that religious freedom is merely a backdoor means for the faithful to impose their beliefs on others?
A listener asks how we can grow in confidence that Catholicism is the one true religion.
00:00 | Introduction
01:36 | Concluding Winona-Rochester’s diocesan synod
03:24 | The work of the Religious Liberty Commission
07:33 | Responding to Religious Liberty Commission criticism
09:11 | The inherent priority of religious liberty
12:32 | Distinguishing the freedoms of religion, conscience, and speech
14:26 | Is religious liberty necessary for worship?
16:33 | Understanding “due limits” to religious liberty
19:33 | Proposition or imposition?
20:24 | Civil authority and religious authority
22:40 | Truth and relativism
27:25 | How poor conceptions of religion undermine religious liberty
28:27 | Advocating for religious liberty
30:06 | Religious freedom in society
31:36 | Why religious liberty matters for evangelization
32:48 | Listener question: How can we know Catholicism is true?
36:01 | Join the Word on Fire Institute
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Theology is the queen of the sciences. It is not just one science among many but the principal organizing science. If it is taken out of this central organizing place, something else will take its place. In this lesson, Bishop Barron helps us understand why Newman thought theology was of crucial importance in education.
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A listener asks advice on how God being in a non-competitive relationship with human beings applies to his mission as an evangelist.
00:00 | Introduction
01:53 | Bishop Barron at the annual meeting of US bishops
03:39 | The three essential tasks of the Church
07:48 | The necessity of charity in true worship
09:04 | Understanding and identifying poverty
10:58 | The margins, the marginalized, and Catholic social teaching
16:08 | Understanding institutional sin
18:40 | The salvific dimension of poverty
21:17 | The voluntary poverty of the Church
22:57 | What about spending money on cathedrals?
26:03 | Beauty as service to the poor
27:11 | Defining “preferential option for the poor”
31:16 | The Church, policy, and the poor
35:18 | Right to private property or universal distribution of goods?
37:42 | The evangelical dimension of caring for the poor|
40:06 | Listener question: If God exists noncompetitively, does my mission matter?
41:45 | Join the Word on Fire Institute
NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.