Creepy spiders! Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha discuss the latest episode of Doctor Who, including the caricature of a political figure, what humane treatment for spiders looks like, and how Graham’s grief proceeds realistically.

The second pilot of Star Trek the Original Series was the one that sold it. Was it less cerebral? More action? Were the characters more likeable? Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, Fr. Cory Sticha discuss what made Star Trek's second chance at network TV work.

During the Cold War, the Soviet Union considered and even built doomsday systems that could launch nuclear strikes even if their leaders were dead. Jimmy Akin and Dom Bettinelli discuss the theoretical and actual doomsday devices as well as their practicality and morality.

Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha discuss the very first pilot of Star Trek, The Cage, which featured a different crew, a different ship, and a different kind of Spock, yet still recognizably Star Trek.

Doctor Who brings us a classic historical story, traveling back to protect Rosa Parks and her world-changing act of bravery from meddling, while addressing the sensitive topic of racism. Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha discuss the episode, how deftly it handles the topic, and what they liked about this outing by the Doctor and friends. 

What or who is the Antichrist? Is he alive today, was he an historical figure, or perhaps he's yet to be born? Does he signal the end of the world? Jimmy Akin and Dom Bettinelli tackle the mystery of the Antichrist, what the Bible says, and what the Church says.

Enterprise is often the overlooked Star Trek series, with fans often having strong feelings about. Listen to what Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha think about the show, what it got right, and what it missed.

Since the start of this year, SQPN has been growing by leaps and bounds, adding a bunch of new shows that have been building audiences. In order to continue, we need your help. Fr. Cory Sticha, Dom Bettinelli, and Jimmy Akin talk about how you can help and get some cool stuff at the same time.

The Doctor needs her Tardis back and needs to survive a race through a deadly planet to get it. Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha discuss whether the fun is back in Dr. Who, the introduction of some new ideas and beats, and what is the Timeless Child.

Across billions of stars and billions of years, logic says there'd be at least one alien species advanced enough to be noticed. Hence Enrico Fermi's famous paradox: Where are the aliens? Jimmy Akin and Dom Bettinelli discuss the mystery of a universe in which we're seemingly alone.

Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha give their overall impressions of Star Trek: Voyager, its strengths and weaknesses, including the breakout character of Seven of Nine, as well as those limitless torpedoes and shuttlecraft.

It's finally here. With a new Doctor, a new season, and a new showrunner, Jimmmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha are back to discuss everything about The Woman Who Fell to Earth and to assess all the big changes that have taken place.

Where do the Dead Sea Scrolls come from and do they contain secret knowledge about Jesus? Jimmy Akin and Dom Bettinelli discuss the claims about the ancient scrolls and what we know about them, as well as their personal experiences.

Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha talk about Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in an overview, about the darker tone, the use of religion, and how it ended up being their favorite Trek series.

Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha talk about the 6th Doctor story Attack of the Cybermen, a real throwback to the mid-80s with its reference to Halley's Comet, as well as connection to the very first 1st Doctor story.

Jimmy Akin and Dom Bettinelli discuss the mystery surrounding the 1908 Tunguska incident in Siberia. What flattened 770 square miles of forest without leaving a crater? Aliens, meteor, a mini-black hole?

Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha give their overall thoughts on Star Trek: The Next Generation, its place within Trek lore, and some of the background on how it came to be.

Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha wrap up their preparation for the new season of Doctor Who with their much sought-after advice to new showrunner Chris Chibnall on how to make the show a success.

Jimmy Akin and Dom Bettinelli tackle the political mystery of Watergate, including the first question: What did Nixon know and when did he know it? Also, who was really behind the break-in and what were they after and did Woodward and Bernstein really bring down the president?

Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha continue their overview of the various Trek series, including the Animated Series. Is it canon? What caused it to be made? And why are the Klingons in pink?

As they prepare for the new season of Doctor Who, Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha review the track record of new showrunner Chris Chibnall in the six episodes of the show he's written as well as his work on Broadchurch. Does it show us what we can expect?

Jimmy Akin and Dom Bettinelli explore the mysteries of the Pyramids of Egypt, including the claims of mystical energies, extraterrestrial building help, and prophecies encoded in them. But what do history, reason, and faith have to say?

Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha start their exploration of Star Trek with the show that started it all, giving their overall impressions of The Original Series featuring Kirk, Spock, and McCoy.

As we close out the era of Peter Capaldi's Doctor, Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha review the 12th Doctor's 40 episodes over 3 seasons to find the best, the worst, and our overall assessment.

Jimmy Akin and Dom Bettinelli discuss the claims and counter-claims about the so-called Lost Gospels from both the faith and reason perspectives. Do they tell a suppressed or untold story about Jesus Christ, are they the ravings of lunatics, or something in between?

Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha reboot the Secrets of Star Trek podcast after 6 years by looking at how they became Star Trek fans and what Trek fandom means to them.

Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha discuss the first appearance of the 10th Doctor's companion, Martha Jones. Is she just another girlfriend for the Doctor or does she have something unique to contribute? Plus, what's with the Doctor's fascination with hospital lobby shops?

Jimmy Akin and Dom Bettinelli explore the mystery surrounding Area 51, the claims that the government is hiding alien spacecraft there, the earthly secret programs to develop specialized aircraft, and the secrecy surrounding the existence of the facility itself.

Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha discuss the 5th Doctor story, Four to Doomsday, which features frog-men, Australian aborigines, ancient Greeks, and the Pink Panther's Kato.

Jimmy Akin and Dom Bettinelli explore the claims and counter-claims about Bigfoot, the mysterious tall, hairy biped supposedly indigenous to North America. Could there be an undiscovered species of primate out in the woods?

Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha talk about the 2006 Christmas special, The Runaway Bride, featuring once and future companion Donna Noble and the change of atmosphere she brings to Doctor Who.

Jimmy Akin and Dom Bettinelli discuss the mysteries of Transhumanism, both its promises and dangers, including what the Church says about this effort to perfect humanity through science.

Fr. Cory Sticha welcomes Dom Bettinelli and Jimmy Akin to talk about what's new with the Starquest Production Network, including new shows now and in the near future and possible opportunities for the community to gather.

Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha consider this 4th Doctor (Tom Baker) adventure that brings them to a future space station where cryogenic humans are confronted by their own extinction at the hands of those they caused to die off.

Every week, Jimmy Akin and Dom Bettinelli explore the weird, the strange, and the unusual from the perspectives of faith and reason. In this first episode, Jimmy and Dom talk about ghosts, what they could be, how they fit in a Catholic understanding of the world, and what a rational mind says about them.

Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha discuss the 2nd season finale of New Who and the departure of Rose Tyler. Does it live up to the hype or it is just emotional manipulation of the audience?

Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha delve into the 3rd Doctor story, Doctor Who and the Silurians, the first appearance of the underground dwelling dinosaur descendants who present some unique moral quandaries.

In a special episode, Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha react to the Series 11 trailer released for the San Diego Comic-con, including the emphasis on all that's new: faces, places, and times, and what's not emphasized.

Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli and Fr. Cory Sticha discuss Fear Her, in which the Doctor and Rose save the 2012 London Olympics from a little girls whose angry drawings can come to life. Many fans voted it their least favorite episode. Hear how our panel came down on that question.

Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha discuss the 2nd Doctor story, The Tomb of the Cybermen, that once again finds that megalomaniacal scientists bent on world domination get hoist on their own petard.

Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha discuss this very different episode of Doctor Who that has very little of the Doctor. We agreed that the ELO music was the best part and if we could get rid of the last 20 minutes....

Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha dig into The Aztecs, a great historical story from the First Doctor and confront some deep issues including the morality of a time traveler not ending the practice of human sacrifice when given the chance.

Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha discuss this two-part 10th Doctor story that asks the big question: Is the Devil real and is hell really a planet orbiting a black hole? They also discuss whether the Ood really are a slave race, the Doctor’s religion, and Rose wanting to set up house with the Doctor.

Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha join the First Doctor’s quest for the keys of Marinus, a classic hunt for the McGuffins in four different worlds: a deadly island, a beautiful trap, a screaming jungle, a snowbound mountain, and city of justice without mercy. Plus they discuss the morality of enforced consciences.

Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha discuss this 10th Doctor (David Tennant) story that combines post-WWII optimism, the pitfalls of new technology, and shades of Cold War intrigue with an alien and a coronation.

In this episode of Catholic Answers Live (July 11, 2017, 1st hour), Jimmy answers the following questions:

0:15 What are some of Cy's favorite books?

2:30 What's significant about John Paul II's book "Crossing the Threshold of Hope"? (Hint: One thing is that he basically revealed the Third Secret of Fatima in it!)

4:50 Did Joseph Ratzinger ghostwrite many of John Paul II's writings?

6:35 How to find hidden treasures in John Paul II's and Benedict XVI's Wednesday audiences.

11:50 How to respond to the challenge that Catholicism is false because it bases its teachings on things other than the Bible--the word of God.

16:00 What is the new path that Pope Francis has instituted for people becoming saints?

25:17 - What are some early church sources about the immaculate conception?

31:26 - Can a pope be a heretic personally?

33:40 - What is the earliest evidence for Purgatory?

37:50 - In Acts 11, St. Paul says his proof for the Gentiles in the Church is that the Holy Spirit falls on them. Is this analogous to the Holy Spirit working in other churches today?

44:06 - What are we supposed to be doing in the afterlife?

46:30 - How do we define grace? Someone told me we merit grace, but we also receive initial grace free of merit. So what are the different kinds of grace, where are some places we can find them in the Bible?

54:55 - Can a non-baptized person, who’s married to a Catholic, receive a Catholic funeral and burial?

57:50 - Do dogs go to Heaven?

Resources Mentioned:

The Salvation Controversy by Jimmy Akin

In this episode of Catholic Answers Live (July 13, 2017, 2nd hour), Jimmy answers the following questions:

4:25 How to responding to the challenge that Acts isn't reliable history because it was written long after the events it describes.

12:11 - How can we use the internet for evangelism?

20:40 - In Revelation what does it mean at the end when it gives a curse to people who add or subtract?

29:39 - I’m wondering if there’s a definitive description of Heaven and Purgatory.

34:45 - Why is it that God can strike someone dead with no warning?

44:50 - Do you believe that Catholics and Protestants can be reconciled? And what form might it take?

51:32 - I’m marrying a non-Catholic and he has some weird history questions, why is the Vatican surrounded with walls? Where did all the treasure from the Crusades go?

 

Jimmy Akin, Fr. Cory Sticha, and Dom Bettinelli discuss the announcement of Jodi Whittaker as the 13th Doctor. What does it mean for the Doctor to be a woman now?

How will it change the show? Is there any precedent in Doctor Who history?

And what does the mysterious word "pre-pleblican" mean?

And next time, we’ll be discussing the Big Finish audio play, “Spare Parts”.

If you want to listen before our next episode, you can purchase and download the audio play for just three dollars.

Here's the reveal video:

https://youtu.be/_-_bSdWEYK8

Jimmy Akin, Fr. Cory Sticha, and Dom Bettinelli discuss and analyze the 12th episode of the 10th Season of Doctor Who entitled “The Doctor Falls.”

Cybermen attack! Regenerations amok! Teary goodbyes.

This episode has it all as it brings to a conclusion this season of Doctor Who with only the Christmas special left with Peter Capaldi and Steven Moffat. We discuss it all!

But you don’t have to wait until Christmas for more Secrets of Doctor Who.

Next time, we’ll be discussing the Big Finish audio play, “Spare Parts.”

If you want to listen before our next episode, you can purchase and download the audio play for just $0.99.

Dom Bettinelli, Jimmy Akin, and Fr. Cory Sticha discuss and analyze the 11th and penultimate episode of the 10th Season of Doctor Who entitled “World Enough and Time.”

Regenerations, two Masters, Mondasian cybermen, beloved characters in peril with a black hole and time dilation to boot.

Showrunner Stephen Moffat pulls out all the stops as he races to the finish of his tenure at Doctor Who.

Also leave us feedback on what Doctor Who topics you’d like us to discuss on the podcast in between seasons of Doctor Who: reviews of Big Finish audio productions; themed episodes about individual Doctors or recurring monsters; reviewing episodes of Classic Who; something else?

Leave us a comment below or send us an email to doctorwho@sqpn.com.

Dom Bettinelli, Jimmy Akin, and Fr. Cory Sticha discuss and analyze the tenth episode of the 10th Season of Doctor Who entitled “The Eaters of Light.”

Hear about the real life mystery surrounding the Ninth Legion of the Roman Army, the special distinction held by the writer of this episode and our recounting of all the great Scottish jokes.

After all, as you can see below, it featured Jimmy Akin wearing Pictish face paint!

What did you think of this episode?

Also leave us feedback on what Doctor Who topics you’d like us to discuss on the podcast in between seasons of Doctor Who: reviews of Big Finish audio productions; themed episodes about individual Doctors or recurring monsters; reviewing episodes of Classic Who; something else?

Leave us a comment below or send us an email to doctorwho@sqpn.com.

Dom Bettinelli, Jimmy Akin, and Fr. Cory Sticha discuss and analyze the ninth episode of the 10th Season of Doctor Who entitled “The Empress of Mars.”

It’s a rip-roaring adventure on Mars straight out of Edgar Rice Burroughs and featuring the classic Doctor Who villains, the Ice Warriors.

Our panel examines the episode within the context of the season, but also in the context of their classic appearances on the show. What did you think of this episode?

Dom Bettinelli, Jimmy Akin, and Fr. Cory Sticha discuss and analyze the eighth episode of the 10th Season of Doctor Who entitled “The Lie of the Land”.

The final episode of the “monk trilogy” begins with the monks in control of the world and, apparently of the Doctor.

Our panel looks at the episode in itself, in context of the previous two, and of the whole season–spoilers–find it coming up short.

Listen to find out why. What do you think? Do you agree?

Fr. Cory Sticha, Dom Bettinelli, and Jimmy Akin discuss and analyze the seventh episode of the 10th Season of Doctor Who entitled “The Pyramid at the End of the World”. The corpse-like monks are real this time as is the threat they pose to earth. Can the Doctor figure out the real threat to earth in time to save it?

Jimmy Akin, Fr. Cory Sticha, and Dom Bettinelli discuss and analyze the sixth episode of the 10th Season of Doctor Who entitled “Extremis”.

Zombie monks, the Pope, Missy, and a deadly book all bring the blinded Doctor, Nardole, and Bill together to begin their battle against a new foe.

And with major Catholic elements in this episode, you know that this Doctor Who podcast with a panel of professional Catholics at the helm would have all the hot takes, secrets, and insights into this one.

Dom Bettinelli, Jimmy Akin, and Fr. Cory Sticha discuss and analyze the fifth episode of the 10th Season of Doctor Who entitled “Oxygen”. As the 70s ban Sweet sang, “Your love is like oxygen.” We discuss space zombies, a nagging Nardole, Bill’s first true jeopardy, and a call back by the Doctor all the way to the very First Doctor’s time. Also, we look ahead to the Pope, Missy, and the reveal of what’s in the vault.

Fr. Cory Sticha, Dom Bettinelli, and Jimmy Akin discuss and analyze the fourth episode of the 10th Season of Doctor Who entitled “Knock, Knock”. Knock, Knock. Who’s there? Yes, he is. Our panel discusses this haunted house story and come up with insights and little-known facts that not only bear on this episode, but start to put together the broader picture of the rest of the season.

Jimmy Akin, Fr. Cory Sticha, and Dom Bettinelli discuss and analyze the third episode of the 10th Season of Doctor Who entitled “Thin Ice”. Regency England, giant man-eating sea creatures, and a mustache-twirling villain–not to mention antics on the ice–leave the discussion skating on “thin ice”. We’ve also got some great tidbits from the history of Doctor Who that relate to this episode and some speculation on “who’s” behind the locked vault.

Fr. Cory Sticha, Dom Bettinelli, and Jimmy Akin discuss and analyze the second episode of the 10 Season of Doctor Who entitled “Smile”. Emojibots, Scots in space, and callbacks to old Doctor Who episodes are all part of the discussion.

Jimmy Akin, Fr. Cory Sticha, and Dom Bettinelli discuss and analyze the first episode of the 10th season of Doctor Who entitled “The Pilot”. They also talk about the new companion, Bill Potts; the imminent departure of showrunner Steven Moffatt and the 10th Doctor, Peter Capaldi; the incoming showrunner Chris Chibnall; and the upcoming season.

We discuss the second part of the Doctor Who finale of series 8, “Death in Heaven”. Love, Life, Death and the survival of the human soul: big themes in this epic finale of this season of Doctor Who. How well did the writers wrap up this year’s story line? Hear our thoughts in this episode of ‘Secrets of Doctor Who’.

Join Jimmy Akin, Fr. Cory Sticha, Dom Bettinelli and Fr. Roderick for discussion, analysis and speculation!

Links for this episode:

• Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/secretsofdoctorwho
• Leave us a review on iTunes!

Check out Jimmy Akin’s blog Let’s Watch Doctor Who and Dom Bettinelli & Fr. Roderick’s podcast Secrets of Star Wars! Subscribe to the Feed | Subscribe with iTunes

We discuss the first part of the Doctor Who finale of series 8, “Dark Water”. What did we think of the revelation of the nethersphere that was hinted at during the entire season? And what to think of the true identity of ‘Missy’? Hear our thoughts in this episode of ‘Secrets of Doctor Who’.

Join Jimmy Akin, Stephanie Zimmer, Fr. Cory Sticha, Dom Bettinelli and Fr. Roderick for discussion, analysis and speculation!

Links for this episode:

• Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/secretsofdoctorwho
• Leave us a review on iTunes!

Check out Jimmy Akin’s blog Let’s Watch Doctor Who and Dom Bettinelli & Fr. Roderick’s podcast Secrets of Star Wars! Subscribe to the Feed | Subscribe with iTunes

In this podcast episode we review and analyze episode 10 of season 8, entitled ‘In the Forest of the Night’ and discuss the underlying themes, inside jokes and hidden gems.

Join Jimmy Akin, Stephanie Zimmer, Dom Bettinelli and Fr. Roderick for discussion, analysis and speculation!

Links for this episode:

• Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/secretsofdoctorwho
• Leave us a review on iTunes!

Check out Jimmy Akin’s blog Let’s Watch Doctor Who and Dom Bettinelli & Fr. Roderick’s podcast Secrets of Star Wars! Subscribe to the Feed | Subscribe with iTunes

NOTE: I've gotten a bit behind in posting podcast episodes, so I'm going to try to catch up by posting a number of my appearances on other shows over a fairly short period. I'm also looking to resume completely new podcasts in the near future.

In this podcast episode of Secrets of Doctor Who, we review and analyse episode 9 of season 8, entitled ‘Flatline’ and highlight all the themes, inside jokes and easter eggs.

Join Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli and Fr. Roderick for discussion, analysis and speculation!

Links for this episode:

• Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/secretsofdoctorwho
• Leave us a review on iTunes!

Check out Jimmy Akin’s blog Let’s Watch Doctor Who and Dom Bettinelli & Fr. Roderick’s podcast Secrets of Star Wars! Subscribe to the Feed | Subscribe with iTunes

In this episode of Catholic Answers Live (hour 2 of 1/13/15), Jimmy answers the following questions:

• My father-in-law started a lay movement in the church and was killed about 35 years ago. Some documentation has been sent to the Vatican regarding possible sainthood. Because his work was secretive, my mother-in-law was not aware of the work he did for the Church. Is there a possibility of her ever gaining access to those documents to learn more about her husband’s life?
• What is the Church teaching regarding the requirement of marriage prep for a couple already civilly married?
• Were the polygamist marriages in the Old Testament valid? When it comes to polygamist marriages in Africa with converts to Catholicism, are those marriages considered valid?
• Can I determine what the ten horns of the beast are from the Book of Revelation?
• Why are the laws of the Church changing from pope to pope?
• Are the different parishes allowed to rewrite the Gloria, Sanctus (Holy, Holy), and the Agnus Dei (Lamb of God) for Mass?
• When it comes to NT Apocrypha, are these books still valid reading material even though they didn’t make it into the bible?
• What is the difference between how angels intercede for us and how Mary intercedes for us?
• As a Mormon, we believe in Apostasy/Restoration. But, I find this in every church (faith belief). What is the Catholic belief?
• How is the Just War Doctrine applied in today’s society?

In this episode of Catholic Answers Live (hour 1 of 1/13/15), Jimmy answers the following questions:

• How do we account for the problem of evil prior to humanity?
• Where is the evidence of the Real Presence in the Eucharist in the Bible?
• Can you explain to me what was ironed out with the Lutheran Church in terms of justification during the papacy of Pope JP II?
• Is there any set rule about a non-Catholic or a Catholic who is not in a state of grace receiving a blessing during Communion? If I consider taking a job that limits my ability to attend weekly Mass, would that be considered a sin?
• Was God’s original plan for the world that there be no suffering?  
• How do I respond to my Protestant father-in-law about baptism and faith alone?
• Is it morally wrong to do favors for my son like cleaning his house knowing he is cohabitating?
• Regarding blessings at Mass, I see this as a golden opportunity for me to find out why the person did not receive Holy Communion. Then I can try to help them correct the situation in a pastoral way.

In this episode of Catholic Answers Live (1/8/15), Jimmy answers the following questions:

• Can you reconcile Natural Family Planning with Leviticus 18 about intimacy and the times and restrictions on intimacy?
• Is it okay to listen to protestant preachers and go to their church to listen to them preach?
• Why does the Catholic Church not refer to marriage as Holy Matrimony?
• About purgatory, my friend is planning to leave the Catholic Church and purgatory is an issue for her. How can I help her understand that purgatory is biblical and a reasonable belief?
• How can you explain how Mary can hear and answer so many prayers all at the same time? Does it have to do with God being infinite and Mary being outside of time with God?
• About confession and the frequency: I have had priests discourage me from coming to the sacrament, and they say “That is not a sin” and I feel discouraged. What do you suggest?
• About Mary being at the foot of the cross. I have heard some priests say that she was not at the foot of cross and I thought the Bible says that she is. Why would a priest say that she was not?
• About the star of Bethlehem and the documentary “Bethlehem Star”, can Jimmy comment on how accurate is the film?
• The book of Sirach: is that in the KJV? Is it in another book in the KJV that I can refer to my friend?

In this episode of Catholic Answers Live (1/6/15), Jimmy answers the following questions:

• I don’t feel that receiving communion in the hand is appropriate. If indeed, this is the Real Presence and every particle is fully Jesus, why was it approved to receive communion in the hand in the first place given the ability to unintentionally desecrate the consecrated host?
• If the Blessed Virgin Mary was conceived without original sin, did she experience a natural death?
• How can I effectively talk to people about the Faith without being abrasive?
• Wasn’t the original intent for receiving Holy Communion on the tongue to avoid spillage of the particles of the consecrated host rather than for reverence?
• Does the Church teach that Mary directly helps us or is her assistance via her intercession for us to God
• How can someone be tempted to do something that’s impossible for them to do?
• In the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, I have a problem with the statement, “Eternal Father, I offer You the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ…”   Can you explain the meaning of this line in the Chaplet?
• Since John the Baptist’s mother recognized the Savior in Mary’s womb, why didn’t John himself recognize Him?
• If Catholics receive grace through the sacraments, how do non-Catholics receive the sanctifying grace to be saved?
• What is the Church’s stand on pornography from a pro-life perspective?
• How can you speak with adult children who are leaning toward New Age thinking, expressing that love is the most important thing, finding that the riches of the Vatican are a problem, etc.?

In this episode of Catholic Answers Live (12/23/14), Jimmy answers the following questions:

• What did Jesus mean when he said not to judge others?
• Can divorced and civilly remarried people receive Communion?
• Is it true that “Once a deacon, always a deacon”?
• How to argue for the intercession of the saints?
• What does “the fear of the Lord” mean?
• Why are Catholic obliged to believe what the Church teaches?
• How to help a neo-pagan son?
• Can deacons a dispensation to get married?
• If Jesus is omnipresent, why is his presence in the Eucharist important?
• Was Jesus in his incarnation created?

Doctor Who as an exorcist, redeemer and detective on the Orient Express? In this podcast episode we review and analyse episode 8 of season 8, entitled ‘Mummy on the Orient Express’ and highlight all the themes, inside jokes and easter eggs.

Join Jimmy Akin, Fr. Cory Sticha, Stephanie Zimmer, Dom Bettinelli and Fr. Roderick for discussion, analysis and speculation!

Links for this episode:

• Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/secretsofdoctorwho
• Leave us a review on iTunes!

Check out Jimmy Akin’s blog Let’s Watch Doctor Who, Stephanie’s podcast TV Rewind and Dom Bettinelli & Fr. Roderick’s podcast Secrets of Star Wars! Subscribe to the Feed | Subscribe withiTunes

In this episode we review and analyse episode 7 of season 8, entitled ‘Kill The Moon’.

Join Jimmy Akin, Fr. Cory Sticha, Stephanie Zimmer, Dom Bettinelli and Fr. Roderick for discussion, analysis and speculation!

Links for this episode:

• Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/secretsofdoctorwho
• Leave us a review on iTunes!

Check out Jimmy Akin’s blog Let’s Watch Doctor Who, Stephanie’s podcast TV Rewind and Dom Bettinelli & Fr. Roderick’s podcast Secrets of Star Wars! Subscribe to the Feed | Subscribe withiTunes

In this episode we review and analyse episode 6 of season 8, entitled ‘The Caretaker’.  Does Clara lead multiple lives? What is Missy’s relation to the Doctor? How will the relationship between the Doctor and Danny evolve?

Join Jimmy Akin, Fr. Cory Sticha, Stephanie Zimmer, Dom Bettinelli and Fr. Roderick for discussion, analysis and speculation!

In this episode of Catholic Answers Live (9/25/14), Jimmy takes on the following questions:

 

• How is the landowner in the parable of the workers in the vineyard “fair”?
• How to deal with nephew getting married tomorrow in a non-Catholic ceremony?
• How to understand Romans 9 when it talks about the “vessels of wrath”?
• Who are “the elect”? What are the different ways this word is used?
• Technically speaking, what is a shrine?
• Can people with dementia receive the sacraments?
• If salvation is a gift then why do we need to go to confession?
• How to help a godchild who has a health problem and whose parents are in a destructive relationship?
• What obligations do we have regarding attending weddings that are known up-front to be invalid?
• How to respond to people who say that we must abstain from eating meat?

 

In this episode we review and analyse episode 5 of season 8, entitled ‘Time Heist’.  Is life less valuable when we lose our memories? Plus, What do all the Greek references mean?

Join Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli and Fr. Roderick for discussion, analysis and speculation!

Links for this episode:

• Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/secretsofdoctorwho
• Leave us a review on iTunes!

Check out Jimmy Akin’s blog Let’s Watch Doctor Who and Dom Bettinelli & Fr. Roderick’s podcast Secrets of Star Wars!

Subscribe to the Feed | Subscribe with iTunes

In this episode we review and analyse episode 4 of season 8, entitled ‘Listen’.  The overarching theme in this episode was overcoming fear. We also get some rare glimpses of the Doctor’s past! Join Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli and Fr. Roderick for discussion, analysis and informed speculation!

Links for this episode:

• Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/secretsofdoctorwho
• Leave us a review on iTunes!

Check out Stephanie Zimmer’s podcast TV Rewind, Jimmy Akin’s blog Let’s Watch Doctor Who and Dom Bettinelli & Fr. Roderick’s podcast Secrets of Star Wars!

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In this episode of Catholic Answers Live (9/16/14), Jimmy answers the following questions:

• How to describe the relationship between faith and reason?
• Did the priest used to break the host during the words of institution?
• How do Protestants defend divorce and remarriage in light of what Scripture says?
• Can priests “reach down into hell” and save souls? Can we pray for the damned?
• Was Judas in mortal sin? Did Jesus offer Communion to Judas? If so, why did he do so when the Church today doesn’t offer Communion to those in mortal sin?
• A Lutheran caller asks why he couldn’t receive Communion from an extraordinary minister when he was in the hospital?
• Who is going to be resurrected—and why?
• What is the Church’s teaching on predestination? What is Jimmy’s personal opinion?
• What translations are approved by the Catholic Church? What makes them approved? Can I read translations that aren’t approved?
• If the gates of heaven were closed before Jesus’ death and Resurrection, where did Moses and Elijah go?
• What happens to those who never knew about Christ and who were never baptized?

In this episode we review and analyse episode 3 of season 8, entitled ‘Robot of Sherwood’. The Doctor and Clara travel to 1190 to meet Robin Hood. Why is the Doctor so cynical? What are the robots up to? And why are the references to the ‘Promised Land’ so disturbing to the Doctor? Join Jimmy Akin, Fr. Cory Sticha, Dom Bettinelli and Fr. Roderick for discussion, analysis and informed speculation!

Links for this episode:

• Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/secretsofdoctorwho
• Leave us a review on iTunes!

Check out Stephanie Zimmer’s podcast TV Rewind, Jimmy Akin’s blog Let’s Watch Doctor Who and Dom Bettinelli & Fr. Roderick’s podcast Secrets of Star Wars!

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In this episode of Catholic Answers Live, Jimmy takes on the following questions:

• What did Pope Francis mean when he said that he would like “a poor church for the poor”?
• How can anybody be a saint if we are all sinful?
• Can a priest say the ordinary form of the Mass facing East or facing the altar rather than the people?
• Where did the idea that either the man born blind or his parents had sinned?
• How to obtain an annulment?
• What happened to the people who rose from the dead at the time of the Crucifixion?
• What does it mean when the Apostles’ Creed says that Jesus descended into hell?
• What does it mean when Hebrews says that Jesus learned obedience through suffering?
• How to respond to “None is righteous, no not one”?
• How to respond to the claim that humans are equal to all other species?
• What does St. Paul mean in 1 Corinthians 8 when he talks about us using our knowledge to tear down our brethren rather than build them up?
• Why is there a difference between documentary process and formal process annulments?

 

In this episode we review and analyse episode 2 of season 8, entitled ‘Into the Dalek’. The Doctor enters the innards of his arch enemy in an attempt to save its life… and its soul. But what about the soul of the Doctor himself? Join Jimmy Akin, Stephanie Zimmer, Fr. Cory Sticha, Dom Bettinelli and Fr. Roderick for discussion, analysis and informed speculation!

Links for this episode:

• Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/secretsofdoctorwho
• Leave us a review on iTunes!

Check out Stephanie Zimmer’s podcast TV Rewind, Jimmy Akin’s blog Let’s Watch Doctor Who and Dom Bettinelli & Fr. Roderick’s podcast Secrets of Star Wars!

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In this episode of Catholic Answers Live, Jimmy takes on the following questions:

• Can we “interpret Scripture with Scripture”?
• What does the word “desuetude” mean and how does it relate to women’s head coverings?
• Can we wear pictures of people other than saints?
• Is leaving candy before a statue of Baby Jesus okay or is that idolatry?
• Is the Church contradicting Scripture with its teaching that the use of force in legitimate defense is okay?
• Do we grow in our relationship with God in heaven?
• Can Latin Catholics attend the Melkite rite?
• Is the ice bucket challenge a Satanic ritual? Do you have to mean for a ritual to be Satanic for it to actually be Satanic?
• What does a former Catholic who has been attending a non-Catholic church need to do to return to the Faith?
• Thomas Aquinas’s arguments may prove the existence of a God, but how do you prove the existence of the God of the Bible?
• How does it work when a person has enough evidence for the existence of God but they choose not to convert?
• How to deal with religious compulsions? Are they sinful?

 

In this episode Jimmy joins Fr. Roderick Vonhögen, Stephanie Zimmer, Fr. Cory Sticha and Dom Bettinelli to review the first story of the new season of Doctor Who, "Deep Breath."

This is part of the SQPN podcast series The Secrets of Doctor Who, which will be reviewing all 12 episodes of this year's season of Doctor Who.

To learn more about the series, visit doctorwho.sqpn.com.

Jimmy will also be adding new theological podcasts, in and among the 12 episodes of Secrets of Doctor Who.

Jimmy appears on Catholic Answers Live in this episode of the podcast and answers these questions:

• Why does the book of Baruch not appear in some early lists of the Old Testament canon?
• Are we sinning if we don’t have a different disposition when praying to Mary and the saints than when praying to God?
• Did St. Jerome write anything concerning Tobit being inspired, given the question of the Sadducees in Matthew?
• Would it be appropriate or even mandatory for the Blessed Sacrament to be removed from the Tabernacle if someone is going to speak in a church?
• How has the Church changed its evaluation of the writings of St. Faustina Kowalska?
• Is it better to serve the poor by giving them money or making sandwiches and passing them out?
• How to explain to an ex-Catholic (now Protestant) why they shouldn’t receive Communion in the Catholic Church? Also, how to explain why Transubstantiation does not occur in Protestant services?
• What is the official Church teaching regarding the idea that Mark was the first Gospel written and that Matthew and Luke used Mark and a lost source known as Q?
• Is the Church the New Israel?

(Original Airdate: December 9, 2013)

Pope Francis recently released a major new document on evangelization—how to share the gospel of Jesus with others.

In this episode of Catholic Answers Live, Jimmy discusses the document and the implications it has.

In this episode, Jimmy discusses the issues:

• Is Pope Francis the most misunderstood pope in recent history?
• Is the press malicious or just incompetent?
• Does the Pope hate capitalism?
• How should we understand Pope Francis’s treatment of Islam?
• What level of authority does an apostolic exhortation have?
• How did Pope Francis write this document?
• Are there translation problems in this document?
• What is the major thrust of the document? Should we evangelize “without words”?
• Does Pope Francis understand his pontificate as being “to the world” in addition to “to Catholics”?
• What are the priorities of Pope Francis’s pontificate?
• What to make of the interview with an atheist journalist that was taken down from the Vatican web site?
• What level of authority do press interviews with the pope have?
• Should the Vatican web site publish papal press interviews?
• What is the Acta Apostolicae Sedis?
• Will Pope Francis do major specific things in his pontificate? Is he an innovator or an implementer?
• What to make of Pope Francis washing the feet of a Muslim girl on Holy Thursday?
• Does Pope Francis hate the Traditional Latin Mass?
• Why shouldn’t we read our own preferences into what the pope says and does?
• Will the rule on women’s foot washing be changed? Should we be upset about this?
• What gravity should we attribute to rubrics in the liturgy, and how does it relate to the doctrines in the hierarchy of truths?
• How to understand John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis in relation to each other?

(Original Airdate: December 9, 2013)

Then, a few verses later, he appears to the Virgin Mary to tell her that she will be the mother of Jesus Christ.

Both Zechariah and Mary ask questions of the angel--but with very different results.

Zechariah is rendered mute and unable to speak until John the Baptist is circumcised!

Mary . . . isn't.

So, what's the difference? 

They both asked questions about the seemingly impossible pregnancies that Gabriel had come to announce?

Why is Zechariah treated so differently?

Is God just playing favorites with Mary?

Or is there a subtle difference between their questions and the attitudes which the questions reveal?

That's what I take a look at in this podcast.

Jimmy appears on Catholic Answers Live in this episode of the podcast and answers these questions:

·      Why don’t we call bishops “apostles” if they’re the successors to the apostles? When did we start having bishops? (2:30)

·      Why did the Catholic Church support the “bad guys” in the Spanish Civil War? (5:00)

·      What can Jimmy recommend to a searching Protestant for understanding the pope and Mary? (12:15)

·      Are there apostles living today? (20:35)

·      Are all churches the same? (22:25)

·      Does the fact that Paul was sent to the Gentiles and Rome disprove the authority of Peter? (30:00)

·      Why do Catholics pray to saints if Jesus is the only Mediator? Can we pray for those who have passed on, and if so, do they have to be canonized saints? (34:35)

·      Does Jesus’ answer to the Sadducees imply sola scriptura? Where do Catholics and Protestants differ on sola scriptura? (44:40)

(Original Airdate: December 5, 2013)

Jimmy appears on Catholic Answers Live in this episode of the podcast and answers these questions:

•          What does Jimmy think of the pope’s new apostolic exhortation? (2:35)

•          Why do the early Church Fathers know best? Why are they authoritative? (6:15)

•          Is there evidence that the apostolic Fathers carried over the deposit of faith? (9:00)

•          Did the Reformers educate the people, whereas the Catholic Church deprived people of knowledge? (14:45)

•          Is it okay to lie the way Rahab did? (22:05)

•          Does the existence of non-canonical Gospels diminish the authority of the ones in the Bible? (27:35)

•          Were the four canonical gospels established at the Council of Carthage? (32:40)

•          What resources review Catholic books and movies in light of Catholic teaching? (34:30)

•          Can people do things pleasing to God before they know Jesus? (40:05)

•          Do conceptions have to occur through a sexual act? (48:40)

•          Is it morally permissible to contribute to a fund that your job requires you to permit to if it’s pro-abotion? (51:45)

 

(Original Airdate: November 26, 2013)

Jimmy appears on Catholic Answers Live in this episode of the podcast and answers these questions:

• Do our souls go to sleep when we die? (3:00-8:25)
• How to deal with an anti-Catholic husband? (11:45-19:35)
• How to interpret 1 John 3:9? (19:40-24:53)
• What does Scripture have to say about Tradition? (27:50-33:45)
• Are the differences in the Gospels due to the audiences they are written for? (33:45-38:40)
• Is it moral to sell your organs? (42:23-49:40)
• Was Adam more culpable for the Fall than Eve? (49:45-53:00)

(Original Airdate: November 19, 2013)

The Catholic Church associates the image of fire with the final purification known as purgatory.

Why does it do this?

Is there a scriptural basis for this image?

Also, what kind of fire is this?

In past centuries, many theologians have speculated that it might be a form of material fire.

Although that has been a common opinion historically, there's a difficult question that the idea raises: How could material fire affect the holy souls in purgatory? They don't have their bodies, so how could material fire affect them? And why would it accomplish a spiritual effect on them?

More recently, some theologians have suggested that the fire is something else entirely.

In fact, they have suggested that the fire of purgatory is an intense, transforming encounter with Jesus Christ.

You might be surprised to find out just who has been proposing this idea.

Why did the Virgin Mary remain a virgin even after the birth of Jesus?

It is an interesting question, and it can be answered on both a divine and a human level.

In this video, Jimmy Akin explores both aspects of the question, showing why, on a human level, Mary would have chosen to remain a virgin and why, on a divine level, God would find it fitting to have his Son born of a woman who remained a virgin for her whole life.

In the process, Jimmy quotes from from a little-known document from the A.D. 100s that sheds some light on the question.

It’s an interesting question.

Today most scholars date the book of Revelation to late in the first century, during the reign of the Emperor Domitian.

According to this view, it was written around A.D. 96.

But there is very good reason to think that the book was written earlier than this—quite a bit earlier.

Here’s why. 

WATCH A VIDEO VERSION HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x27mjKaRQ4A

Some people claim that, a long time ago, there was a god.

This god was born of a virgin on December 25th.

He was baptized.

He had twelve disciples.

He healed the sick and raised the dead.

But he was betrayed and crucified, and on the third day he was raised from the dead.

And according to the people who claim this, this god was not Jesus Christ.

Instead, he was the god Horus.

And, since Horus was worshipped before Jesus Christ, they claim that Jesus Christ is just a rip off of the god Horus.

Are they right?

That’s what we look at in this episode of the Jimmy Akin Podcast.

St. Paul tells us:

 

"For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive" (1 Cor. 15:21-22).

 

Does this mean that there was no death--of any kind--before the Fall of Man?

 

Would that mean that no animals, plants, or microbes died?

 

What about animals that are carnivores?

 

Were lions vegetarians? How about alligators? Or sharks?

How about carnivores like Tyrannosaurus Rex?

 

Let's take a look at the subject . . .

It has been widely reported that, when he was still the cardinal archbishop of Buenos Aires, the future Pope Francis washed the feet of women during the Mass of the Lord's Supper.

Now he has done so as pope.

Did he break the Church's law?

What does this event mean, and how can we understand what he was trying to do?

CLICK HERE TO READ WHAT I'VE WRITTEN ABOUT THAT.

 

Popes Who Thought About Resigning . . . But Didn't

Benedict XVI's resignation may have been the first papal resignation in hundreds of years, but it didn't come completely out of the blue.

He'd already indicated that he had been thinking about the subject of resignation.

What is less well known is that other recent popes had been thinking about it, too.

A lot of recent popes.

CLICK HERE TO READ WHAT I'VE WRITTEN ABOUT THAT.

 

Two Interviews

This special, extra episode of the Jimmy Akin Podcast contains two interviews I recently did on these two subjects on Al Kresta's and Drew Mariani's radio shows.

I thought they were very interesting, productive discussions, and so I thought I'd share them with you.

In this episode, Al Kresta interviews Jimmy about the St. Malachy prophecy and how reliable it is (or isn't).

They also discuss the history of pope names and what name the new pope is likely to choose.

To get Jimmy's new ebook "Pope Names," visit . . . 

http://www.PopeNamesBook.com

Jimmy and historian Dr. Andrew Jones discuss the history of papal resignations.

In this episode they cover the most recent papal resignations, including that of St. Celestine V, who is the most direct parallel to Pope Benedict XVI's resignation.

They comment on how Pope Benedict is modeling his resignation after that of Celestine V and what light this sheds on Pope Benedict's thinking.

They also discuss what this means for the future and why Pope Benedict XVI's resignation may be as momentous an event in the history of the Church as the development of the conclave.

Jimmy is joined by the historian Dr. Andrew Jones to discuss the fascinating history of papal resignations.

Before Pope Benedict XVI, which popes have resigned, why have they done so, and how did their resignations shape Catholic history?

Part 1 of 2.

Wouldn’t it be nice is the devil and his angels all repented, stopped doing evil in the world, and turned back to God so that they could be saved?

But can something like this really happen? What is the biblical evidence and how does the Church understand this question?

In this episode of the show, we tackle the following issues . . .

1) Was St. Peter the greatest of Jesus' original Twelve disciples?

St. Peter is certainly the most commonly mentioned of the original Twelve. He always stands at the head of the list whenever the names of the Twelve apostles are listed in the Bible. And he was clearly part of Jesus' inner circle, even within the Twelve. He is, unquestionably, the most prominent of the Twelve.

But did Jesus give him a special role among the Twelve, a special position, or was he just more active than the others?

Jesus gives us an answer to this question, and in an unexpected place . . .

2) The Number of the Beast vs. the Number of Jesus

We've all heard that, in the book of Revelation, the number of the Beast is 666.

Whatever does this mean?

And if the Beast has a number, do others?

Does the name of Jesus have a number?

Does the name of God have a number? . . . 

3) Did the Gospel Writers Feel Free to Make Stuff Up?

Some people hold the view that the writers of the four gospels felt free to basically make stuff up, to freely shape the narratives they were writing about Jesus' life by either manufacturing stories about his deeds or making up teachings and putting them on his lips.

The idea is that they used the figure of Jesus as a vehicle for their own ideas, and they made up material to serve the perceived needs of their local Christian communities.

It's easy to show that by the second century there were a lot of people identifying themselves as Christians who did exactly this. That's why there were so many Gnostic gospels dating from the second to the fourth century.

But what about the first century, canonical gospels? . . .

4) Are Scary Halloween Costumes Okay?

Many people of conscience view Halloween with some suspicion, and the way it is often celebrated today, that’s understandable.

Some have chosen not to celebrate Halloween at all, and that’s a respectable choice.

Others have chosen to invert the popular celebration by dressing up–or having their children dress up–as entirely wholesome figures, like doctors, nurses, and firemen or even has historical figures, like saints.

But what about scary Halloween costumes? Are those okay? . . .

You sometimes encounter the charge that the Catholic Church wrongly "changed the sabbath" from Saturday to Sunday.

This claim is often made by Seventh-Day Adventists, for example.

But even if one isn't accusing the Church of wrongdoing, the question can still arise: Why do Catholics worship on Sunday rather than Saturday?

Here's the story . . .

First, let's clear away a potential source of confusion. While it's true that people sometimes speak of Sunday as "the Christian sabbath," this is a loose way of speaking.

Strictly speaking, the sabbath is the day it always was--Saturday--though it should be noted that traditionally Jewish people have celebrated the sabbath from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday.

Sunday is a distinct day, which follows the sabbath. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains:

Sunday is expressly distinguished from the sabbath which it follows chronologically every week; for Christians its ceremonial observance replaces that of the sabbath. In Christ's Passover, Sunday fulfills the spiritual truth of the Jewish sabbath and announces man's eternal rest in God. For worship under the Law prepared for the mystery of Christ, and what was done there prefigured some aspects of Christ.

That same paragraph explains why we celebrate on Sunday. For Christians the ceremonial observance of Sunday replaces that of the sabbath. Properly speaking, we're not celebrating the sabbath on Sunday. We're celebrating something else, but it's something that the sabbath points toward.

What we are celebrating instead of the sabbath is "the Lord's day."

That's something Christians have celebrated since the first century. In fact, in the very first chapter of Revelation, we read that John experienced the inaugural vision of the book on "the Lord's day." He writes:

I John, your brother, who share with you in Jesus the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet [Revelation 1:9-10].

And he goes on to describe the vision of Jesus Christ he received.

For our purposes, the important thing to note is that he speaks of the Lord's day as an already-established thing. He expects his readers to know what it is.

So, when is it?

The first Christians commonly spoke of Jesus Christ as "the Lord," and the Lord's day is Jesus Christ's day--the day he rose from the dead and his tomb was found empty. That's the day after the sabbath, or Sunday.

In Matthew's gospel we read:

Now after the sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Mag'dalene and the other Mary went to see the sepulcher.

But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay [Matthew 28:1, 5-6].

The fact that Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week is something stressed by all four gospels:

And that's why Christians celebrate the Lord's day. The Catechism explains:

Jesus rose from the dead "on the first day of the week." Because it is the "first day," the day of Christ's Resurrection recalls the first creation. . . . For Christians it has become the first of all days, the first of all feasts, the Lord's day (he kuriake hemera, dies dominica), Sunday.

We can confirm that the early Christians were meeting on the first day of the week from the letters of St. Paul, because he tells the Corinthians to take up a collection on that day of the week so that they won't have to take up a collection when he arrives. He says:

Now concerning the contribution for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do.

On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that contributions need not be made when I come [1 Corinthians 16:1-2].

He expects the collection to already be taken up by the time he arrives so that they don't have to get people to give at that point. This indicates that the early Christians were meeting on the first day of the week, celebrating the Lord's day.

Does that mean that no Christians in the first century ever celebrated the sabbath?

No. Many Jewish Christians celebrated both the sabbath and Sunday in the first century, just as many also practiced the Jewish dietary laws and ritual circumcision and offered sacrifices in the Temple.

St. Paul himself went to synagogue services on the sabbath so that he could preach the message of Jesus to his Jewish countrymen, for that is where and when they would gather together.

But Paul is clear that sabbath observance is not binding on Christians.

He addresses this very directly in the letter to the Colossians, where he writes:

And you, who were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, having canceled the bond which stood against us with its legal demands; this he set aside, nailing it to the cross. . . .

Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a sabbath.

These are only a shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ [Colossians 2:13-17].

When St. Paul refers to the bond which stood against us with its legal demands, he is referring to the Law of Moses. Christ cancelled this bond. That is why he says not to let anyone pass judgment on us in questions of food and drink--what is kosher and what isn't.

And he says not to let anyone judge us with regard to keeping a festival or a new moon or a sabbath. Those are the three types of days on the Jewish liturgical calendar: the annual feasts (like Yom Kippur), the monthly new moon, and the weekly sabbath.

All of these things had a symbolic value, which pointed forward to Christ, but now that the substance which cast the shadow has come--Christ himself--the things pointing forward to him are no longer needed.

The Church Fathers agree. Thus in the early A.D. 100s, we find St. Ignatius of Antioch writing:

Those who lived according to the old order of things have come to a new hope, no longer keeping the sabbath, but the Lord's day, in which our life is blessed by him and by his death [Ignatius of Antioch, Letter to the Magnesians 9:1].

So let's loop back to our original question of whether the Catholic Church "changed the sabbath." From what we've seen, it didn't.

There was no Medieval pope or council who said, "We're now going to celebrate the sabbath on Sunday."

The weekly sabbath is the day it always was--Saturday--the day before the Lord's day.

What's different is that Jewish Christians are no longer obligated to celebrate the sabbath, because Jesus Christ himself fulfilled it and all the other Old Testament ceremonies and instituted the New Covenant.

And he had the authority to do that, for as he himself told us:

The Son of man is lord of the sabbath [Matthew 12:8].

Of course, Gentile Christians were never obligated to celebrate the sabbath in the first place, because the Law of Moses was given to the Jewish people and was only binding on them (in contrast to God's eternal, moral law, which is binding on everyone).

What we are obliged to celebrate is the Lord's day, which fulfills the principles that were contained within the sabbath, including the need to set aside adequate time for rest and worship.

But there wasn't a Medieval pope or council who instituted that, either. As we've, seen, it's something that dates from the New Testament age itself. Thus the Catechism states:

This practice of the Christian assembly dates from the beginnings of the apostolic age. The Letter to the Hebrews reminds the faithful "not to neglect to meet together, as is the habit of some, but to encourage one another" [Hebrews 10:25].