Podcast Summary: BONUS: How Do We Trust in Church Authority?

Podcast: The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Host: Fr. Mike Schmitz (Ascension)
Guest: Bishop Andrew Cozzens
Date: December 31, 2025

Overview

This special pre-launch episode features a rich conversation between Fr. Mike Schmitz and Bishop Andrew Cozzens about trust in the authority and mission of the Church as the Catechism in a Year podcast begins. Bishop Cozzens shares his personal faith journey, reflects on the Catechism’s place in Church life, addresses common questions about authority, and offers practical encouragement for listeners embarking on this year-long catechetical journey.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Bishop Cozzens’ Background and Love for the Catechism

• Bishop Cozzens recalls his Catholic upbringing, early priestly aspirations, and how his vocation deepened through witnessing vibrant faith in others (02:03).
• “I grew up in a good Catholic family...I wanted to be a priest from a very young age...” (02:06)
• The Catechism’s publication coincided with his time in seminary, where he and his peers “devoured the thing...it was such a great gift when it came out” (04:23).
• His academic journey included a doctorate in sacred theology focusing on sacraments, and extensive teaching on the Eucharist in seminary.
• Bishop Cozzens serves as chair of the USCCB Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis and is involved in the National Eucharistic Revival.

2. The Beauty and Pedagogy of the Catechism

• The Catechism is praised as “a beautifully put together document” that begins by highlighting God’s love and the unity of Church teaching rooted in the Trinity (09:46).
• Quote: “It actually helps my prayer...Dogma is actually putting you in direct contact with God, and that helps you to experience and know God. And you can’t love what you don’t know.” – Bishop Cozzens (10:26)
• The Catechism is recommended for all levels: “Yeah, I have a doctorate degree in theology, but I still use the catechism when I want to teach…” (05:34)

3. Sacred Tradition, Church Authority, and Infallibility

• All Church authority comes from Christ. The Church’s infallibility is necessary to safeguard salvific truth (11:57).
• “God would not give us a truth that we need to get to heaven and not also give us a way to keep that truth safe throughout all of time. And so that’s why he gives us the authority of the Church.” – Bishop Cozzens (13:08)
• Infallibility rests in protecting revelation, enabled by the Holy Spirit—not every statement by a church leader is infallible (13:40).
• Obedience is key: “Authority is a great gift because it allows us to be obedient. And what is it that saved us? It was Jesus' obedience…” (14:20)

4. Approaching the Faith: Trust, Not Skepticism

• The right attitude towards the Catechism is one of openness and trust, not mere skepticism or a “prove it to me” mentality.
• Fr. Mike: “The catechism…requires—you can go a lot further in the catechism when you are saying teach me rather than prove it to me.” (17:15)
• The Catechism represents “the wisdom of the saints,” “the wisdom of all the teachers that go before us” (17:32).
• “One of the gifts of the catechism is…the wisdom of the saints...almost 2000 years that’s coming to us now.” – Bishop Cozzens (20:19)

5. The Catechism as Evangelization

• The mission of the Catechism is inherently evangelizing, serving the broader mission of the Church.
• “The purpose of the catechism is for evangelization because the purpose of the church is for evangelization.” – Bishop Cozzens (20:19)
• Catechism draws on the witness of saints to inspire faith in readers.

6. Defining Faith: A Relationship of Trust

• “Faith…is always a relational act. Actually, I always have faith in a person, not faith in a thing.” – Bishop Cozzens (23:26)
• Faith in Church authority stems from faith in Christ and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
• It’s okay to doubt; living the faith as taught proves its worth, echoing G.K. Chesterton: “Christianity has never been tried and found wanting; it’s been found too difficult and left untried.” (24:56)

7. Reconciling Church Authority with Brokenness in the Church

• The persistent brokenness and sinfulness of the Church’s members do not undermine the Church’s safeguarded truth.
• Quote: “All of the brokenness of the Church can be accredited to fallen, broken human beings...but that’s actually, oddly enough, it’s a proof...the truth has been maintained.” – Bishop Cozzens (26:52)
• Illustrative anecdote: When threatened by Napoleon, a cardinal replied, “We priests have been trying [to destroy the Church] for 1500 years. We can’t do it because the Holy Spirit’s guiding the Church.” (28:00)
• Fr. Mike: “The teaching itself isn’t wanting. It’s us living up to that that is wanting.” (28:36)

8. Final Encouragement for Listeners

• Studying the Catechism will bring “practical help, deeper understanding, deeper inspiration, deeper love…because it’s actually a study of God” (29:32).
• “The more you study baptism, or...the moral life, you’re actually seeing a part of the beauty of God and that’s going to change your life…We will never tire of studying God.” – Bishop Cozzens (30:20)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Bishop Cozzens: “You can’t love what you don’t know” (10:25)
• Bishop Cozzens: “God would not give us a truth that we need to get to heaven and not also give us a way to keep that truth safe throughout all of time.” (13:08)
• Fr. Mike Schmitz: “The catechism…requires—you can go a lot further in the catechism when you are saying teach me rather than prove it to me.” (17:15)
• Bishop Cozzens: “The more you study baptism, or...the moral life, you’re actually seeing a part of the beauty of God and that’s going to change your life.” (30:13)

Important Timestamps

• [02:03] Bishop Cozzens’ faith journey and call to the priesthood
• [04:23] Seminary experiences as Catechism was published
• [09:46] The Catechism as a resource for prayer and formation
• [11:57] The source and importance of Church authority
• [13:40] Explanation of infallibility and levels of authority
• [14:20] Obedience and authority connected to salvation
• [17:15] The right disposition towards the Catechism: Teach me vs. prove it
• [20:19] The Catechism’s purpose in evangelization
• [23:26] Faith as a relational act; trust in the person of Christ
• [26:52] Brokenness in the Church and enduring truth
• [29:32] Final encouragement for listeners: beauty and benefit of the Catechism

Tone and Language

The episode is warmly conversational, accessible, and deeply pastoral. Both speakers blend humility, humor, and theological depth, emphasizing encouragement and inspiration for listeners at every stage of their faith journey.

Conclusion

This episode invites listeners to approach the Catechism—and the authority of the Church—not with skepticism, but with an openness to learn, a willingness to trust, and an expectation of transformation. Bishop Cozzens’ insights make clear that studying the Catechism is both an intellectual and spiritual journey, rooted in the living tradition and guided by Christ’s enduring promise to the Church. The message: Trusting the Church is, at its heart, about trusting Jesus himself.