Podcast
Jesuitical
Hosted by America Media · EN
Jesuitical is a podcast from America Media for saints and sinners. Tune in every week for honest conversations about the Catholic Church and our world today—sometimes over drinks. Hosted by Ashley McKinless and Zac Davis.
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27episodes
Episodes
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What the Lost Sheep parable says about individuality, tribalism and communion
1w ago01:12:41Tap to summarizeThis week on “Jesuitical,” Zac and Ashley sit down with Luke Burgis, the director of the Cluny Institute at The Catholic University of America and the author of The One and the Ninety-Nine: Forging Identity in the Age of Social Contagion. They discuss why we join and leave tribes, how to form a “solid” self and what healthy group identity looks like. In Signs of the Times, Zac and Ashley discuss Vice President JD Vance’s new memoir on converting to Catholicism, the consecration of the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and new statutes for the Vatican’s commission for the protection of minors. Plus, Pope Leo wraps up his successful trip to Spain on the Canary Islands—but has some trouble getting off them. And in As One Friend Speaks to Another, Zac shares what he’s thinking about going into his very first Father’s Day. 0:00 Intro 3:30 J.D. Vance’s new book “Communion” 9:36 U.S. bishops meet for annual meeting in Orlando 19:44 Pope Leo finishes Spain trip 21:39 Papal plane trouble 24:25 Interview with Luke Burgis 25:52 The parable of the lost sheep 31:16 The age of social contagion 33:56 What Luke learned in seminary 38:05 Is your community good for you? 42:27 People respond to aesthetics 46:30 The importance of distance 48:46 The Catholic Church is unique as a community 57:20 What is the Cluny Institute? 1:02:25 What about AI? 1:05:24 Canonization 1:08:07 As One Friend Speaks to Another Links: The One and the Ninety-Nine: Forging Identity in the Age of Social Contagion Learn more about the Cluny Institute JD Vance writes about his journey to Catholicism in his new book, ‘Communion’ Consecration 101: What the bishops’ upcoming consecration of the US to the Sacred Heart means Pope Leo XIV approves new statutes for child protection commission Pope Leo ends visit to Spain with a call to repent What’s on tap? Sancerre You can follow us on X and on Instagram @jesuiticalshow. You can find us on Facebook at facebook.com/groups/jesuitical. Please consider supporting Jesuitical by becoming a digital subscriber to America magazine at americamagazine.org/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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What is it like to teach a future Pope?
2w ago00:55:58Tap to summarizeThis week on “Jesuitical”, Ashley McKinless and Zac Davis talk to Dianne Bergant, C.S.A., who taught Scripture at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago for 44 years. She also served as America’s Word columnist from 2002 to 2005. During her time at CTU, Sr. Dianne had one very famous student, Robert Prevost—the future Pope Leo XIV. With Sr. Dianne, Zac and Ashley discuss what it’s like to be the teacher of a future pope and how approaches to teaching Scripture have evolved over time. During Signs of the Times, Ashley and Zac unpack Pope Leo’s trip to Spain and a new Sagrada Familia Lego Set, and they talk sports with Catholic perspectives on the World Cup and NBA Finals—featuring some words from O’Hare Fellow Ed Desciak. In “As One Friend Speaks to Another,” Ashley shares an exciting announcement. Links from the show: Pope Leo defends the unborn and migrants in historic speech to Spanish parliament More than one million attend Pope Leo’s Mass and procession in the heart of Madrid Pope Leo meets Bad Bunny in Madrid In Spain, Pope Leo denounces polarization and hails commitment to multilateralism Lego announces new set designed after Spain’s Sagrada Família basilica Oligarchs can’t ruin the World Cup Celebrating faith and FIFA: Italian-American community welcomes soccer legends Your Catholic Guide to the 2026 N.B.A. Finals: Spurs Sisters vs. Villanova Knicks You can follow us on X and on Instagram @jesuiticalshow. You can find us on Facebook at facebook.com/groups/jesuitical. Support Jesuitical by becoming a digital subscriber to America magazine at americamagazine.org/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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The Archdiocese of New York's Good News Strategy
3w ago00:53:26Tap to summarizeThis week on “Jesuitical,” Zac and Ashley speak with Mary Kate Polanin, the executive editor of The Good Newsroom, the digital news outlet of the Archdiocese of New York. They discuss the important and changing role of diocesan communications, Catholics in the digital space and New York’s new archbishop. In Signs of the Times, Zac and Ashley discuss Pope Leo’s surprising and historic choice to lead the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication and dig into the advice “Magnifica Humanitas” offers to each of us when it comes to navigating our relationship with A.I. Plus: Pope Leo heads to Spain on Saturday—and Bad Bunny is hoping they cross paths. Links from the show: Pope Leo appoints president of EWTN News as head of Vatican communications America’s coverage of “Magnifica Humanitas” Bad Bunny wants to meet Pope Leo XIV. In Madrid, a crossover event is in the works. The Good Newsroom You can follow us on X and on Instagram @jesuiticalshow. You can find us on Facebook at facebook.com/groups/jesuitical. Please consider supporting Jesuitical by becoming a digital subscriber to America magazine at americamagazine.org/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Should the church encourage Catholic influencers?
3w ago00:47:00Tap to summarizeOn this bonus episode of “Jesuitical,” Ashley and Zac speak with two digital evangelization experts who helped create the Vatican’s study group report on the digital environment as part of the Synod on Synodality. Kim Daniels directs the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life at Georgetown University, and José Manuel de Urquidi runs the Evangelization Lab. Both were synod delegates, along with then-Cardinal Robert Prevost (the future Pope Leo XIV), at the global sessions of the synod in Rome in 2023 and 2024. They discuss: 00:00 What are the Synod Study Groups? 7:10 How Pope Leo has shaped synodality 15:16 How influencers challenge church jurisdiction 28:30 Accompanying digital evangelizers 33:40 Converting to real communities Links: Study Group 3’s final report on the Digital Environment The Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life Evangelization Lab Coverage of Pope Leo’s encyclical “Magnifica Humanitas” You can follow us on X and on Instagram @jesuiticalshow. You can find us on Facebook at facebook.com/groups/jesuitical. Support Jesuitical by becoming a digital subscriber to America magazine at americamagazine.org/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Pope Leo's A.I. encyclical: Top takeaways from “Magnifica Humanitas”
4w ago00:41:58Tap to summarizeThis week on Jesuitical: A feed drop of this week's special “Inside the Vatican” roundtable, a discussion of “Magnifica Humanitas,” Pope Leo’s groundbreaking first encyclical on protecting the human person in the age of artificial intelligence. Host Colleen Dulle sits down with her co-host and senior Vatican correspondent, Gerard O’Connell, as well as America’s president and editor in chief, Sam Sawyer, S.J. They discuss the document’s key takeaways, how it is being received in Silicon Valley, Pope Leo’s challenge for every Catholic in the A.I. age and much more. Chapters: 0:00 Intro 1:11 Pope Leo present for the launch of his own encyclical 4:21 How the encyclical is being received by the tech community 8:43 Magnifica Humanitas on the growth of Catholic social teaching 13:16 Acknowledging the Church’s role in slavery 15:53 Exploring Pope Leo’s ecclesiology 22:30 Leo’s concrete recommendations for A.I. 32:30 How lay people can deal with A.I. 37:40 Outro Links: Read “Magnifica Humanitas” Pope Leo’s first encyclical tackles A.I., power and human dignity Pope Leo XIV makes historic apology for the Catholic Church’s role in legitimizing slavery Why Pope Leo’s new encyclical quotes Gandalf: Literary images of hope and faith in ‘Magnifica Humanitas’ A capitalist (priest) reads ‘Magnifica Humanitas’ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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How Catholics became obsessed with sex (and rules)
May 2100:47:20Tap to summarizeThis week on the “Jesuitical” podcast, Ashley McKinless and Zac Davis speak to theologian and legal scholar Cathleen Kaveny about why Catholics seem obsessed with questions of sexual morality. They were prompted to dig into the historical development of Catholic sexual ethics after Pope Leo said in a press conference, “We tend to think that when the church is talking about morality, that the only issue of morality is sexual. And in reality, I believe there are much greater, more important issues…” 00:00 Leo's comments on sexual morality 4:08 What Scripture says 6:05 How Catholic teaching developed 9:30 What is "natural law"? 16:37 How Catholics became obsessed with sex 20:26 JPII's "theology of the body" 24:41 Sex and justice 28:50 Sex, confession and salvation 36:35 A healthy approach to sex Links: Pope Leo speaks on same-sex blessings, migration and more on plane back to Rome Heaven and hell in post-Vatican II Catholicism: How to move from fear to love You can follow us on X and on Instagram @jesuiticalshow. You can find us on Facebook at facebook.com/groups/jesuitical. Support Jesuitical by becoming a digital subscriber to America magazine at americamagazine.org/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Catholic? You need to know Father Henri Nouwen
May 1401:08:46Tap to summarizeThis week, Jesuitical co-host Ashley McKinless and producer Sebastian Gomes speak to Michael W. Higgins about the spiritual master, Father Henri Nouwen (1932-1996). They explore Nouwen’s “wounded healer” approach to ministry, his brokenness and vulnerability, and his impact on contemporary Catholic thought. In “Signs of the Times,” Ashley and Zac discuss Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to Pope Leo, plans for a border wall through a pilgrimage site, a cosmetics mogul turned Catholic priest, and when customer service hung up on Pope Leo. 00:00 Who is Henri Nouwen? 2:51 Pope Leo meets Marco Rubio 7:42 A border wall through a pilgrimage site? 10:40 A cosmetics mogul turned Catholic priest 12:39 Customer service hangs up on Pope Leo 15:40 You need to know Henri Nouwen 18:31 Henri Nouwen was an enigma 25:14 Nouwen's writings 31:23 How Nouwen understood priesthood 36:54 Intimacy, celibacy and homosexuality 41:17 Nouwen, the wounded healer 44:52 Good ministry isn't performative 48:39 How Nouwen prayed 58:00 Faith sharing: overcoming performative piety Links: Pope Leo XIV’s First Year Pope Leo meets with Marco Rubio amid Trump’s personal attacks Catholic diocese fights Trump administration plan to seize pilgrimage site for border wall Cosmetics millionaire turned seminarian, he’d give fortune ‘back a million times’ for Jesus Story of customer service agent hanging up on Leo shows pope’s ‘normal’ side "Genius Born of Anguish: The Life and Legacy of Henri Nouwen" 2026 Henri Nouwen Conference: "Longing for Home: The Prophetic Witness of Henri Nouwen in a Wounded World" Henri Nouwen Society Henri Nouwen: How to (actually) pray without ceasing The Monk and The Cripple by Henri Nouwen, 1980 Podcast Deep Dive: The first American pope—how it happened and what it means Performative piety: Why liturgy is not a space for self-expression Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Pope Leo XIV: Is he changing the papacy or restoring order?
May 700:38:11Tap to summarizeJesuitical’s co-host Zac Davis is joined by America's Vatican correspondent, Colleen Dulle, and executive editor Sebastian Gomes to assess the first year of Pope Leo XIV’s ministry as Bishop of Rome. They discuss Leo’s style, priorities and to what degree is continuing Pope Francis’ reforming agenda. 00:00 Pope Leo's first year 1:56 Can Pope Leo be claimed by the left or the right? 5:45 Is Pope Leo continuing Pope Francis' agenda? 13:30 Pope Leo's style 19:42 Women and sexuality 23:18 Is church unity the priority? 27:45 Pope Leo's appeals for peace Links: Pope Leo at year one: The progress of an American pope Pope Leo’s powerful lesson in vulnerable leadership Trump, Pope Leo, William F. Buckley and John XXIII: An overview of Popes and Politics in America Pope Leo remembers ‘the great gift’ of Pope Francis on the first anniversary of his death Pope Leo denounces those who use the name God for military gain You can follow us on X and on Instagram @jesuiticalshow. You can find us on Facebook at facebook.com/groups/jesuitical. Please consider supporting Jesuitical by becoming a digital subscriber to America magazine at americamagazine.org/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Pope Leo on same-sex blessings; and is Easter harder than Lent?
Apr 3000:54:33Tap to summarizeThis week on “Jesuitical,” Ashley and Zac talk to Laura Kelly Fanucci, author of Living Easter: 50 Days to Practice Resurrection. Together, they discuss the tendency among Christians to overlook the 50-day Easter season, as well as Laura’s personal experiences and struggles practicing resurrection. In Signs of the Times, Ashley and Zac speak with James Martin, S.J., editor at large for America, to unpack Pope Leo’s recent comments about blessings for same-sex couples and the church’s teaching on sexual morality. And in As One Friend Speaks to Another, Ashley shares her experience taking on a new role at America and the graces that it has brought her. 00:00 Is Easter harder than Lent? 2:05 German bishops to bless same-sex couples 6:00 How Pope Leo responded 9:20 Church unity and sexual morality 12:43 Is the church at an impasse? 15:20 Is the Easter season too long? 18:34 How to practice Easter-ing 26:29 Resurrection stories to learn from 30:57 Resurrecting Pentecost 34:52 Uniting suffering to Christ 41:13 Grief, scars and resurrection in Minneapolis 48:20 Faith sharing Links Order Laura’s new book, Living Easter: 50 Days to Practice Resurrection Pope Leo speaks on same-sex blessings, migration and more on plane back to Rome Remarks on sexual ethics highlight Pope Leo’s pastoral priorities You can follow us on X and on Instagram @jesuiticalshow. You can find us on Facebook at facebook.com/groups/jesuitical. Please consider supporting Jesuitical by becoming a digital subscriber to America magazine at americamagazine.org/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Is the Gen-Z religious revival real or hype?
Apr 2301:10:20Tap to summarizeThis week on “Jesuitical,” Ashley and Zac speak with Ryan Burge, author of the “Graphs about Religion” Substack and the new book, The Vanishing Church: How the Hollowing Out of Moderate Congregations Is Hurting Democracy, Faith, and Us. They discuss the polarization of U.S. Christianity and the supposed Gen-Z “religious revival.” In Signs of the Times, Ashley and Zac discuss some highlights from Pope Leo’s trip to Africa; what Pope Leo called the not-exactly-accurate media narrative around him and President Trump; and the first anniversary of Pope Francis’ death. 00:00 A Gen-Z religious revival? 3:38 Highlights of Pope Leo's trip to Africa 10:05 VP Vance questions Pope Leo's theology 20:37 Remembering Pope Francis 22:50 Moderate Christianity is vanishing 25:49 U.S. religion is coded "conservative" 34:54 Catholic demographic trends 37:15 Political implications 40:53 Are young people going back to church? 48:18 Winner churches 52:56 Gen-Z religious trads 1:04:08 Faith Sharing: Pope Francis' humble tomb Links: Order Ryan’s book, The Vanishing Church Graphs about Religion Pope Leo walks in the footsteps of St. Augustine in Hippo Pope Leo denounces those who use the name God for military gain Pope Leo named one of Time magazine’s ‘100 Most Influential People of 2026’ Pope Leo remembers ‘the great gift’ of Pope Francis on the first anniversary of his death You can follow us on X and on Instagram @jesuiticalshow. You can find us on Facebook at facebook.com/groups/jesuitical. Please consider supporting Jesuitical by becoming a digital subscriber to America magazine at americamagazine.org/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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