CTS Audio - Catholic Audiobooks (Catholic Truth Society)

In December 1916, deep in the Sahara, an unknown French hermit was shot through the head and dumped in a ditch. He was 58.

An accomplished geographer, linguist and explorer, in youth he had been a disillusioned soldier and aristocratic playboy.

Why at 30 did he abandon family, career, everything, to search for 'the last place', close to the poor and suffering?

This audiobook describes his epic pilgrimage from misery to love and of silent witness to Christ among the Tuareg of the Sahara, including his writings and prayers, and the work being done today by Little Brothers and Sisters of Jesus.

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This now out-of-print title offered by the Catholic Truth Society (CTS) was written by the late J. Fawley in 1999 and published a year later. But, fear not, this excellent book has not been lost. You can listen to this audiobook version for free. Read by Monica Nash.

The extraordinary life of a man who went from being a successful engineer to the priesthood and a ministry spent at the centre of some of the most momentous Church events of the twentieth century. He was present at Vatican II as a theological expert and on the death of St Josemaría Escrivá became the prelate of Opus Dei. This audiobook, based on the book published by the Catholic Truth Society, reveals the wonderful example of faithfulness to the Church set by Bl Alvaro, which he combined with openness and humility.

Listen to this audiobook for free. Read by Luis Soto.

Also available as a physical book and an ebook here.

Throughout history Christians have suffered martyrdom and torture as a result of ‘hatred of the faith’ (odium fidei). Archbishop Oscar Romero, gunned down while saying Mass, was declared to be such a martyr by Pope Francis, thus opening the way for his beatification and subsequent canonisation. Romero paid the ultimate price for his faithfulness to Christ and his Church, rather than is often misrepresented, for his political activism. Romero’s impressive body of teaching, personal holiness and sufferings illustrate what an impressive witness to the faith he truly was. Listen to this audiobook for free. Read by Luis Soto and ⁠⁠⁠based on the Catholic Truth Society booklet by Fr Ashley Beck⁠⁠.

The Inquisition has become a byword for persecution and intolerance and is often given as a reason for distrusting the Catholic Church. Intending to separate fact from fiction, this helpful and informative audiobook explores what led to this most controversial chapter in the Church's history. What really happened during the time of the Inquisition? And what changes of perspective led to Pope John Paul's famous apology in 1997? In this audiobook, discover the historical context of the delicate topic of the history of the Inquisition.

Listen to this audiobook for free. Read by Luis Soto and ⁠based on the Catholic Truth Society booklet by Fernando Cervantes.

Also available as an ebook here.

A young man who spent his short life caring for the sick and infirm. A handsome and active young man from an influential family in Turin who dedicated his short life to the care of the poor and the sick and working for social and political reforms. Pier Giorgio Frassati's generosity was legendary. He often gave the clothes he was wearing to poor people he met who were in need. An open anti-fascist, a keen sportsman and mountaineer, an enthusiast of the theatre and literature, and a young man with a great devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, he stands as a great example of Christianity in action. His life was cut short by polio at the age of 24 and thousands of the Italian industrial city's poor lined the streets at his funeral. He was beatified in 1990 by Pope St John Paul II.

Listen to this audiobook for free. Read by Luis Soto and ⁠⁠based on the Catholic Truth Society booklet by Glynn MacNiven-Johnston⁠.

On 21st April, 2025, The Holy Father, Pope Francis, died. After nine days of official mourning in the Church, the Cardinals will meet in Conclave to elect a new successor of Peter.

Bound by oaths of secrecy, they can never reveal what is said behind the closed doors of the Sistine Chapel, but what can be told about the Conclave – how it is conducted, who fills the many important offices needed to facilitate the process, and what actions are taken behind closed doors – Mgr Charles Burns, OBE explains.

Revised and updated by Mgr Denis Carlin following the death of Pope Francis, this fascinating guide will take you step by step through the interregnum period, from the moment the Camerlengo (the papal household chamberlain) declares ‘Sede Vacante’ (the Holy See is vacant) until white smoke billows from the chimney above St Peter’s Square, signalling the election of a new pope.

Listen to this free audiobook for the truth about the election of a new Pope.

Also available as a free PDF download here:

St Josephine Bakhita was a trafficked child: abducted from her home and family by slave raiders, sold and re-sold, and horribly abused. To a succession of cruel owners she was a thing, not a person, and even her name was taken from her. Yet her discovery of Jesus Christ, her true master, gave meaning to her appalling suffering.

Based on the ⁠Catholic Truth Society⁠ book by Jean Olwen Maynard, this audiobook tells the incredible story of a saint whose story is sadly very relevant for society today.

“Human trafficking is an open wound on the body of contemporary society, a scourge upon the body of Christ. It is a crime against humanity.” (Pope Francis)

Listen to this audiobook for free. Part 1 available here.

Also available as an ebook here.

In 1902 in an Italian village a young girl, Maria Goretti, was murdered during a sexual attack. Her killer, Alessandro Serenelli, himself a teenager, was a close neighbour well-known to her and her family. He had been threatening her for some time.

What does it mean, how can it help, to say that she is a virgin and martyr? This is an often misunderstood and sentimentalised story. When many parents and teenagers strive for a balanced view of sexuality, of personal integrity, of Christian family life, and forgiveness to those who do irreparable harm, Maria's story speaks powerfully and authentically. It echoes Pope St John Paul II's cry to young people – 'Do not be afraid to be saints!'

Based on the Catholic Truth Society book written by Glynn MacNiven-Johnston. ⁠⁠Available as an ebook here⁠. Listen to this audiobook for free. Produced in partnership with the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales⁠.

St Titus Brandsma was a Dutch Carmelite who was killed for his heroic resistance to Nazi pressure on Catholic media outlets to betray their principles. A brilliant writer and philosopher as well as a man of great pastoral compassion to students, the elderly and novices alike – Fr Titus’s successful Catholic journalism put him on a collision course with the occupying forces in Holland. 

In this free audiobook, you can hear an updated edition of Hugh Clarke’s CTS biography of the heroic martyr, read by our CEO Pierpaolo Finaldi and produced in partnership with the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales.

Brandsma was canonised on 15th May 2022 by Pope Francis.

Help CTS to fund more projects like this audiobook by making a donation.

St Josephine Bakhita was a trafficked child: abducted from her home and family by slave raiders, sold and re-sold, and horribly abused. To a succession of cruel owners she was a thing, not a person, and even her name was taken from her. Yet her discovery of Jesus Christ, her true master, gave meaning to her appalling suffering.

Based on the ⁠Catholic Truth Society⁠ book by Jean Olwen Maynard, this audiobook tells the incredible story of a saint whose story is sadly very relevant for society today.

“Human trafficking is an open wound on the body of contemporary society, a scourge upon the body of Christ. It is a crime against humanity.” (Pope Francis)

Listen to this audiobook for free.

Also available as an ebook here.

Born sixty years before the Second Vatican Council, St. Josemaria Escriva grew up in a politically volatile Spain, where the Church struggled to dialogue in a fast-changing world. This audiobook, based on the Catholic Truth Society booklet by Ethel Tolansky & Helena Scott, traces St. Josemaria Escriva’s journey from childhood and family tragedy, vocational struggle and civil war to the personal discovery of his own, fairly revolutionary task of teaching people, ordinary lay people, how to find God in their work.

This refreshing account offers moving evidence of St. Josemaria Escriva’s courage, goodness and originality, and his prophetic contribution towards uncovering the fullness of the apostolate shared by all the baptised, which itself helped prepare the ground for the Council.

Listen to this audiobook for free. Read by Luis Soto and produced in partnership with the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales.

Also available as an ebook here

Both secularism and superstition have popularised some very distorted ideas about exorcism. This audiobook, based on the booklet by an experienced exorcist, looks at its origin in the Gospels and its practice in the Church today. Different kinds of demonic influence are discussed, including their relation to conversion and sin and mental illness. Above all, this audiobook gives the good news that in Christ the Devil is already defeated and that the Church carries this victory to those in need.

After working as a doctor in England and in Mission Hospitals abroad, Father Jeremy Davies was ordained in 1974 and appointed a diocesan exorcist in 1986. He later co-founded the International Association of Exorcists, alongside Fr Gabriele Armorth. He died in 2022 at the age of 87.

Listen to this audiobook for free.

Click here for more publications by the Catholic Truth Society.

What is the point of suffering? Why would a good God allow it? The Christian response to these questions is one of the underlying messages from Our Lady's apparitions at Lourdes in 1858, not least through the life of Bernadette Soubirous, the seer of Lourdes, who endured so much suffering in her short life.

This audiobook, adapted from the classic text by Mgr Vernon Johnson which itself was updated by Donal Foley, will encourage you to meditate deeply on the cross and the meaning and value of illness and suffering. 

Listen to this audiobook for free. Read by Pierpaolo Finaldi.

Based on the booklet Message of Bernadette - available from the Catholic Truth Society here.

Edith Stein was a German Jewess who descended to the intellectual heights of atheism, was converted to Roman Catholicism and as a Discalced Carmelite nun ascended to Mount Carmel to the crystal peaks of mysticism. Her life on earth ended in the gas chambers of a Nazi concentration camp – which she entered unresisting as an oblation for her race. Spiritually a giant, in body she was small and frail and insignificant: at first meeting she often disappointed those who had known her only by her fame as a major contemporary philosopher. She will also be known as a very great Discalced Carmelite, but most of all, perhaps, she will be known as a Saint for converts.

Listen to this audiobook for free. Read by Monica Nash.

Based on the booklet Edith Stein, Marcel Callo, and Titus Brandsma - available from the Catholic Truth Society here.