Catholic Answers Live – Episode #12475

Topic: Do Guardian Angels Influence Non-Believers? Praying to Saints
Guest: Joe Heschmeyer
Date: November 26, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of Catholic Answers Live features apologist Joe Heschmeyer and host Psy Kel in a lively, pre-Thanksgiving “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) format. Topics range from the history of the papacy—specifically the tumultuous time of multiple popes—through apologetics on guardian angels, intercession of saints, and Protestant/Catholic conversations. The tone is light-hearted, playful, and conversational, with historical deep-dives and practical advice for living the faith.

Main Themes & Key Discussion Points

1. Pre-Thanksgiving Banter & Catholic Culture

[00:31–06:00]

• Psy Kel and Joe Heschmeyer exchange jokes about office holiday moods and “living aloha” in holiday traffic.
• Discussion about the word “holiday”:
  • Holiday means “holy day,” and Catholics should reclaim the term from being purely secularized.
  • Notable Quote:
    • Joe Heschmeyer [04:48]:
      "If you're offended by the term holiday sounding too secular, you're objecting to the wrong thing. The problem isn’t that people are saying holiday. The problem is that people have secularized the word holiday and they’re in the process of doing the same thing to the word Christmas."
• Humor about bank holidays, snow maps for callers, and references to Catholic in-jokes.

2. Church History Deep-Dive: The Papal Schism

[07:06–23:05]

• Psy Kel asks Joe to “tell the story” of the Western Schism (1378–1417), when rival claimants (anti-popes) vied for the papacy, leading to confusion within the Church.
• Joe provides an accessible and detailed summary:
  • Urban VI elected in Rome, but disliked; French cardinals elect anti-Pope Clement VII in Avignon.
  • A third claimant is added at Pisa—at one point, “three popes.”
  • Impact of these confusions on apostolic succession and Catholic claims about papal continuity.
  • Key Insight:
    • Despite appearances, there was never more than one true pope at a time; others were “anti-popes.”
    • The schism did not break apostolic succession or invalidate Catholic teaching about the papacy.
  • Notable Quotes:
    • Joe Heschmeyer [12:14]:
      "The easiest answer is we didn’t have three popes… They elected anti-popes. So there’s only ever one pope. But there could be any number of people claiming to be pope."
    • Joe Heschmeyer [17:03]:
      "It’s like if you decided, you know what, I’m going to get remarried…and you’d say, oh, when did your wife die? And you’d say, oh, she didn’t. I just decided it was a good time. It’s like, it doesn’t work like that. That’s bigamy. You can’t do that. That’s a fake wife."
    • Gregory XII’s resignation helped resolve the crisis.
    • The difference between this historical confusion and sedevacantism (the belief there’s currently no valid pope): during the Schism, all believed a true pope had to exist; confusion was about the identity, not the office’s existence.
  • Historical perspective:
    • Ordinary Catholics, even saints, were confused by the competing claims.
    • Modern analogies are discussed, e.g., uncertainty over decades about who the true pope is.

3. Apologetics Questions & Answers

A. LDS Belief: Is John the Apostle Still Alive?

[25:02–34:48]

• Caller Bryce (Utah) asks: How confident can we be that John the Apostle died and didn’t live on as LDS tradition teaches?
• Joe’s Response:
  • The Mormon reading of John 21 (that John would live forever) is mistaken; the Gospel itself rebuts this idea.
  • Early Christian testimony (Irenaeus, Eusebius, Jerome) affirm John died in Ephesus.
  • Quote:
    • Joe Heschmeyer [29:10]:
      "John himself is very clear. Jesus is not promising me immortality. He is just saying, ‘mind your business,’ to Peter. That’s it."

B. Guardian Angels and Non-Believers

[36:14–39:58]

• Caller Sam (North Dakota): Do non-believers have guardian angels, and do angels influence their lives?
• Joe’s Answer:
  • The Catechism (CCC 336) refers primarily to “every believer” and emphasizes the role of guardian angels among the baptized.
  • There is no explicit Church teaching on whether every unbaptized or non-believer is assigned a guardian angel, though God grants spiritual aids to all.
  • Distinction Drawn:
    • Baptized, especially Christians, can be certain of receiving an angelic protector.
    • Non-believers may experience angelic aid, but whether each has a formal “guardian angel” is less clear.
  • Notable Clarification:
    • Joe Heschmeyer [39:24]:
      "There are certainly spiritual aids that God gives…whether they have a guardian angel, but there are certainly angelic forces that are interceding for them."

C. Praying with Reading Material during Adoration

[43:16–47:29]

• Caller Amber (Washington, DC): Is it proper to read, even Scripture, during adoration, or should we focus on silent, contemplative prayer?
• Joe’s Wisdom:
  • It’s not wrong to use reading material or Scripture, especially for meditative prayer (Lectio Divina).
  • The higher form of prayer is contemplation (simple presence with God), and one should avoid using books as a “crutch” to avoid genuine encounter.
  • Quote:
    • Joe Heschmeyer [46:31]:
      "Is the book helping the conversation, or is the book getting in the way of the conversation?...There might be something higher where you could just have a conversation with Him."

D. Was the First Thanksgiving a Catholic Mass? (and More on Holidays)

[47:34–50:30]

• Amber’s Follow-Up: Is the claim that Thanksgiving began as a Catholic mass true? Or is this just “Catholic vs. pagan” holiday mythmaking?
• Joe’s Context:
  • There was a thanksgiving Mass celebrated in St. Augustine, Florida (1565)—before the Pilgrims.
  • The word “Eucharist” itself means “thanksgiving.”
  • The story of Squanto, a Catholic convert who helped the Pilgrims, is highlighted.
  • Quote:
    • Joe Heschmeyer [49:32]:
      "So here they are, trying to... go start their own land. And then they get there, and it’s like, here’s a Catholic already here. It’s like, you just can’t get away from us."

E. Praying to Saints & 1 Timothy 2:5 ("One Mediator")

[52:21–54:52]

• Caller Ava (Ontario): Protestants cite 1 Timothy 2:5 (“one mediator”) to object to praying to saints. How to answer?
• Joe’s Response:
  • Context is crucial: 1 Timothy 2:1 actually commands believers to pray, intercede, give thanks for all people—implying mediated prayer.
  • The “one mediator” refers specifically to Christ’s unique mediatorship in salvation by His death, not to intercessory prayer as such.
  • Quote:
    • Joe Heschmeyer [52:52]:
      "We want to distinguish between the unique mediation of Christ on the cross from intercession, praying for somebody else."

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On Catholic Humor & Office Culture:
  • [04:02, Joe Heschmeyer]: “What days are holy to banks?”
  • [05:49, Joe Heschmeyer]: "The problem that our youth are facing today is too much Christmas spirit. You are actually the problem."
• On the Papal Schism:
  • [12:14, Joe Heschmeyer]: “There could be any number of claimants to the same office and still only one office holder. That’s not a hard principle...”
• On the LDS claim about John the Apostle:
  • [29:10, Joe Heschmeyer]: "John himself is very clear. Jesus is not promising me immortality. He is just saying, 'mind your business,' to Peter."
• On Guardian Angels:
  • [39:24, Joe Heschmeyer]: "There are certainly spiritual aids that God gives…whether they have a guardian angel, but there are certainly angelic forces that are interceding for them."
• On Contemplative Prayer:
  • [46:31, Joe Heschmeyer]: "Is the book helping the conversation, or is the book getting in the way of the conversation?"
• On the Catholic Roots of Thanksgiving:
  • [49:32, Joe Heschmeyer]: "You just can’t get away from us."
• On the Saints and Mediation:
  • [52:52, Joe Heschmeyer]: "We want to distinguish between the unique mediation of Christ on the cross from intercession, praying for somebody else."

Additional Highlights

• References to Relevant Church Documents:
  • Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 336, 2705, 2709) on angels and prayer.
• Analogy to Modern Situations:
  • The Schism compared with today’s sedevacantist controversies.
• Listener Engagement:
  • Preference given to callers from snowy states.
  • Information on Joe Heschmeyer’s upcoming debates and outreach events.

Conclusion

This episode is an engaging example of Catholic apologetics in action. Joe Heschmeyer masterfully combines humor, historical insight, and theological clarity, answering questions ranging from obscure church history to practical spiritual life. For those unsure about complex historical episodes like the papal schism, the distinct role of guardian angels, or the legitimacy of praying to saints, this episode provides accessible, orthodox explanation—always couched in the Church’s original language, a spirit of welcome, and playful camaraderie.

If you’re seeking clarity—and a few laughs—about obscure or controversial aspects of Catholic faith and practice, this is an ideal listen or read.