La Civiltà Cattolica English

Welcome to La Civiltà Cattolica’s podcast. We live in the Information Age, an age that is – more than ever - full of information. This is due in large part to the Internet and Social Media platforms that have changed the way people everywhere communicate news and information. It allows anyone and everyone to become news makers if they wish. This is especially important to the Catholic Church because it is a conduit of information, which we believers hold to be eternally significant for our redemption. That’s what Fr Michael Kelly, publisher of La Civiltà Cattolica, English edition, and Fr. Paul Soukup, professor at the Jesuits’ Santa Clara University in California USA, explore in this podcast. Fr. Soukup has been observing and commenting on these changes to the media ecology: the technologies, the people in a historical context. Of special interest to him is the way these new media have altered the playing field for the Church and that, among other things, is what he focuses on in this interview. Michael Kelly, SJ is the publisher of the English language edition of the 171-year-old Jesuit periodical La Civiltà Cattolica, published in English since 2017 and available in Italian, French, Russian, Spanish, Japanese, Korean and Chinese apart from English. Background Music by Andre Louis, Anchored by Robert Barber and produced by Binu Alex for La Civiltà Cattolica

Welcome to La Civiltà Cattolica’s podcast. In this episode, Michael Kelly, SJ interviews Fr Brian O’Leary, Emeritus Professor of Spiritual Theology at the Milltown Institute in Dublin. The 16th century in Spain was a turning point for the whole world. The New World was gradually being discovered by European explorers and traders, the Renaissance reached its peak, and it gave us three of the greatest mystics of the Christian tradition, people whose writings on the spiritual life have for centuries guided those seeking a greater union with God. St Theresa of Avila and St John of the Cross were both Carmelites. The third was St Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits and a person of exceptional mystical experiences. The difference between Ignatius and the Carmelites is that Ignatius’ spirituality is transferable to ordinary, daily living. How do we find in our lives the intimacy of the engagement with God, in the ordinary and every day that is the hallmark of Ignatian spirituality? A spirituality that is just as Trinitarian, as it is mystical, just as wonderful as it is also down-to-earth. That’s what Fr Michael Kelly, publisher of La Civiltà Cattolica, English edition, and Fr Brian O’Leary, Emeritus Professor of Spiritual Theology at the Milltown Institute in Dublin, explore in this podcast. Michael Kelly, SJ is the publisher of the English language edition of the 171-year-old Jesuit periodical La Civiltà Cattolica, published in English since 2017 and available in Italian, French, Russian, Spanish, Japanese, Korean and Chinese apart from English. Anchored by Robert Barber and produced by Binu Alex for La Civiltà Cattolica

In our world Church today, there are two conversations at a national level about how a national Synod should occur. One is in Germany and one is in Australia. We want to address developments in both Churches. Firstly, to update you on the one in Australia - which of course has a local flavor but echoes issues and concerns that are universal – we have invited some key participants in the preparation for this “Plenary Council” to share experiences thus far: Lana Turvey-Collins offers her view from the perspective as a key facilitator of discussions leading to and then conducted during the Plenary Council. Patty Fawkner, leader of an Australian founded but now multinational religious congregation – the Benedictine inspired Sisters of the Good Samaritan, She is an adult educator, with tertiary qualifications in arts, education, theology and spirituality. Frank Brennan is a Jesuit priest and Rector of Newman College in Melbourne and a leading commentator on Church and social and political issues. Michael Kelly is the publisher of the English language edition of the Jesuit periodical La Civiltà Cattolica There seems little doubt that these conversations are only the first two of what will become dozens and dozens of conversations seeking to clarify what the Spirit is saying to the Churches. The conversation in Germany has become quite complicated since Cardinal Reinhard Marx of Munich announced that he had submitted his resignation to the Pope on May 21. Of course, Pope Francis can decline the offer of the resignation. Cardinal Marx has been one of Pope Francis’ most forceful supporters and an advocate of the Synodal approach proposed by Pope Francis. The declared reason for the resignation of Cardinal Marx is that his own position in Germany is untenable because of his membership of a leadership of the Church in his country that has badly mismanaged cases of sex abuse by the clergy. How that all plays out and what impact it will have on the national Synod are matters of speculation at this point. But what it clearly underlines is that Synods, Church governance and the Church’s mission and purpose are about a lot more than its leaders, however accomplished and distinguished. It is not as though this is the first time the Church has ever had to manage such an invitation. Church Councils are the most obvious examples of moments in the Church’s life when the community of believers is invited to fall silent and listen to what God might be asking of it. But there can be various realities that discourage Catholics from participating in processes and conversations about these matters that could be transformative for the Church.

Welcome to La Civiltà Cattolica’s podcast. In this episode, Michael Kelly, SJ interviews American public health specialist Fr. Michel Rozier, a Jesuit from St. Louis Mo. The COVID pandemic is a global phenomenon so flexible and inventive that it easily gets a long way ahead of attempts to contain and suppress it. Add to the dexterity and versatility of the virus all the variety of places it reaches and all the mutations that can happen across the world, then it won’t come as a surprise that developing a comprehensive understanding and approach to this virus is not a one-dimensional process. This discussion covers Covid-19 virus, particularly in its Delta variant - what we need to do about it - where it will take us and how we can expect to end up after it has had its way with us - also some of the lessons learned such as government responses, both high tech (contact tracing) low-tech (masking and distancing) - communicating with diverse groups in a single population to create a shared purpose and common goals – and discover some of the more successful governments.   Michael Kelly, SJ is the publisher of the English language edition of the 171-year-old Jesuit periodical La Civiltà Cattolica, published in English since 2017 and available in Italian, French, Russian, Spanish, Japanese, Korean and Chinese apart from English. Anchored by Robert Barber and produced by Binu Alex for La Civiltà Cattolica

Welcome to La Civiltà Cattolica’s podcast. In this episode, Michael Kelly, SJ interviews Archbishop Dr Felix Machado of Vasai. It does not take us very long in our human journey to discover something very simple: most people aren’t like us. And, of course, that also that realization occurs us  when it comes to our basic beliefs and convictions about what is important, what is valuable. We don’t have a lot of consensus about that. So, often what we do is cover over the areas of difference and never really investigate them. The same is true when it comes to religion. We can  be presented with people who have a completely different sense of God, life, the world, religion. And often, because we feel overwhelmed by it, we don’t want to go into it in any great detail. It has become a major pre-occupation for the Catholic Church, to work out how we are different, how we carry on with our differences with other human beings. So we have a whole enterprise called inter-religious dialogue and  inter-religious relations. It is a big thing for the Catholic Church in Asia, and in many other parts of the world. But most especially in Asia because Asia is the home of all the great religions. Here Archbishop Felix Machado who is head of the committee responsible for fostering intelligent, effective and significant engagement between religions for the Federation of Asian Bishops Conferences talks to Michael Kelly, SJ. Archbishop Dr Felix Machado of Vasai is  Secretary General of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India and has served as Chairperson of the Office of Interreligious Dialogue and the Desk for Ecumenism (CBCI), as well as Chairperson of the Office of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs (OEIA) of Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC). He is currently a bishop member of the Pontifical Council for Inter Religious Dialogue and previously served as under-secretary of the PCID Michael Kelly, SJ is the publisher of the English language edition of the 171-year-old Jesuit periodical La Civiltà Cattolica, published in English since 2017 and available in Italian, French, Russian, Spanish, Japanese, Korean and Chinese apart from English. Image Courtesy: Archdiocese of Vasai Anchored by Robert Barber and produced by Binu Alex for La Civiltà Cattolica

Welcome to La Civiltà Cattolica’s podcast.  In this episode, Michael Kelly, SJ interviews Pedro Walpole SJ to discover the beauty of Laudato Si’ and understand key issues we must attend to for the preservation of the environment. “Laudato Si',” or “Praise Be to You” is the ground-breaking encyclical of Pope Francis that addresses the ecological crisis facing the world in the 21st Century. It has put the Pope and the Catholic Church’s tradition of social teachings at the center of the international debate on climate change.  Pedro Walpole SJ is Irishman who came to the Philippines as a forester, joined the Jesuits working on environmental programs and issues in the Philippines, elsewhere in Asia and across the world since the 1980s. Michael Kelly, SJ is the publisher of the English language edition of the 171 year old Jesuit periodical La Civiltà Cattolica, published in English since 2017 and also available in Italian, French, Russian, Spanish, Japanese, Korean and Chinese. Image Courtesy: Jesuits Global Anchored by Robert Barber and produced by Binu Alex for La Civiltà Cattolica

Welcome to La Civiltà Cattolica’s podcast series on synodality, presented by Father Michael Kelly, SJ. Michael interviews Cardinal Michael F. Czerny SJ, a Czech-born Canadian who served as one of two Special Secretaries for the Synod of Bishops on the Pan-Amazon region, held in Rome October 2019. Cardinal Czerny describes just what a Synod is, how it works, what the Pope means by it as a system of governance, and discusses just where synodality might take the Church. Cardinal Czerny has served as Under-secretary of the Migrants and Refugees Section of the Holy See's Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development since 2017 Michael Kelly, SJ is the publisher of the English language edition of the 171 year old Jesuit periodical La Civiltà Cattolica, published in English since 2017 and also available in Italian, French, Russian, Spanish, Japanese, Korean and Chinese.

In this interview Father Michael Kelly, SJ, the publisher of the English language edition of the Jesuit periodical La Civiltà Cattolica interviews Tony Abbott, 28th Prime Minister of Australia. He has been in public life in Australia for over 25 years and is now member of British Board of Trade. This interview highlights its role post Britain's withdrawal from EU.

What will be the challenges that Joe Biden faces as he takes on one of the most coveted jobs in the world. In this interview Father Michael Kelly, SJ, the publisher of the English language edition of the Jesuit periodical La Civiltà Cattolica interviews Fr. Drew Christiansen, SJ, former editor of America, Distinguished Professor of Ethics and Human Development at Georgetown University and a senior scholar with the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs. Fr Drew is also an international correspondent for this journal. You can read Fr. Drew's article here: https://www.laciviltacattolica.com

The American myth today faces existential challenges that no longer only come from the fringes. Rage consumes many in America. At the heart of it all, like the magma at the center of the Earth, lies a not entirely genuine sense of moral righteousness, a fruit of America’s Puritan past that is present in the ideas and mindsets of some groups that are politically or economically influential. In this interview Father Michael Kelly, SJ, the publisher of the English language edition of the Jesuit periodical La Civiltà Cattolica interviews Fr. Drew Christiansen, SJ, former editor of America, Distinguished Professor of Ethics and Human Development at Georgetown University and a senior scholar with the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs. Fr Drew is also an international correspondent for this journal. You can read Fr. Drew's article here: https://www.laciviltacattolica.com/the-crisis-of-american-democracy/