The Popecast: A History of the Papacy (The Popecast)
Explore every episode of The Popecast: A History of the Papacy
| Pub. Date | Title | Duration | |
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| 31 Aug 2019 | The Pope of the Counter-Reformation (Paul III) | 00:15:42 | |
On this episode of the Popecast it’s a guy who historian Eamon Duffy listed as one of the 10 Popes Who Shook the World. He was friends with a couple of bad popes, did some shady stuff himself in early life, then had a profound conversion and laid the groundwork for reform of the Church that we’re still feeling over 500 years later. BECOME A PATRON OF THE POPECAST (free stickers to the next two $2 patrons...) – Visit http://bit.ly/popecastpatron | |||
| 04 Sep 2022 | The Other Pope Named John Paul: The BEATIFICATION CUT (Blessed John Paul I) | 00:32:18 | |
Our pope this week was in the Chair of Peter for barely a moment in the great lifespan of Catholic history, but his humble heart and joyful demeanor has influenced each of the three popes that have followed him and put him firmly among the most memorable and beloved pontiffs of the last several centuries. And yes, this is the second time we’ve covered him on the show, but he deserved a refresh – after all, on the day this is being released, our pope will be BEATIFIED by Pope Francis in Rome. PATREON: https://patreon.com/thepopecast | |||
| 20 Sep 2020 | The Other OTHER Saint John (Pope St. John I) | 00:09:08 | |
Our pope this week was the first to hold the most popular papal name in Catholic Church history. A divisive figure in his early days, he repented of his old ways and went on to become so renowned that the emperor himself prostrated himself at this pope’s feet. It just so happens that Episode #53 is on Pope #53. We swear we didn't realize this until after the episode was recorded. SUPPORT THE POPECAST Sponsored By:
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| 19 May 2020 | PART THREE - The Pope Who Destroyed Communism (Pope St. John Paul II) | 00:23:58 | |
The third and final installment of our series on one of the greatest popes in history. He was the first non-Italian pope in almost 500 years and the youngest in over a century, having been elected at the young papal age of 58. He also would have the third-longest reign in history, serving as pope for almost 27 years, and trailing only Pope Pius IX and St. Peter himself in terms of longevity. He’s one of the most traveled world leaders in history and the most visible, after logging over 680,000 miles as pope and being seen in-person by half a billion people. This is the story spanning Pope St. John Paul II's monumental papacy, from his election in 1978 to his death in 2005. SPECIAL THANKS to our friends at Catholic Balm Co. for sponsoring this episode of The Popecast. Check out their beard balms, lotion bars, and ESPECIALLY their brand new Petra Solid Cologne at [catholicbalm.co](catholicbalm.co). Be sure to enter "POPE" at checkout to get 10% off your entire order! OTHER POPECAST LINKS
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| 08 Oct 2021 | The Pope Who Saved Western Civilization (St. Pius V REDUX) | 00:17:02 | |
Today’s episode is a Popecast Redux about a pope who may well have single-handedly kept the known world from a very, very different future. In fact, 2021 marks the 450th anniversary of his masterstroke – a convening of both corporeal and a spiritual armies to lead the Catholic Christian West to victory in one of the greatest sea battles ever fought. PATREON: https://patreon.com/thepopecast LINKS Sponsored By: | |||
| 17 Jan 2021 | Quizzical Papist Crossover w/ Fr. Brad and Grace | 00:33:32 | |
This week is an extra special a CROSSOVER episode with the excellent podcast The Quizzical Papist – Your “extraordinary form” bar trivia with Fr. Brad and Grace. If you’ve ever been to bar trivia – or if you can even remember what that’s like after the long winter of 2020, that’s the exact structure of their show and, as a result, this crossover. Grace and Matt battled it out over two rounds – the first half you’ll find on The Quizzical Papist, so make sure you go over and start there. Our half of the show has the second round and final results of the great papist showdown. FIRST HALF IN THE LINK BELOW! Sponsored By:
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| 03 Sep 2020 | Pope Peter: An Interview w/ Author Joe Heschmeyer | 00:52:18 | |
This week on the Popecast we have a very special guest: Author Joe Heschmeyer. Joe is a fellow pope nerd like you and me who’s just written a great book on the papacy entitled Pope Peter: Defending the Church's Most Distinctive Doctrine in a Time of Crisis. Joe was once a litigator living in Washington DC and then was a seminarian for the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, but he now teaches at the Holy Family School of Faith in Kansas City, Missouri and continues to run the popular blog Shameless Popery. We hope you enjoy this great conversation with Joe Heschmeyer. SUPPORT THE POPECAST Special Guest: Joe Heschmeyer. Sponsored By:
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| 02 Aug 2019 | The Pope and His Enemy, Who Were Martyred Together (Sts. Pontian & Hippolytus) | 00:13:12 | |
This week is a Popecast unlike any other. Our pope this episode was not only the first in history to resign his office, but he did so after being exiled alongside his archrival, a man who had set himself up as the Church’s first antipope. And the craziest part about it? Both of them are now saints. Also, we talk about beards at the end – thanks to a question for Nick, one of our newest patrons! BECOME A PATRON OF THE POPECAST (free stickers to the next 3 patrons...) – Visit http://bit.ly/popecastpatron | |||
| 30 Sep 2020 | The OTHER Saint Paul (Pope St. Paul I) | 00:12:02 | |
Our pope this week faced down an invading king, fought against a nasty heresy in the East, and has something in common with just FIVE other popes in all of Church history. Oh, and he’s not the St. Paul you’re probably thinking of. SUPPORT THE POPECAST
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| 13 Feb 2021 | The Last Pope...Alphabetically (St. Zosimus) | 00:13:40 | |
Our pope this week was only in office a short time, but still managed to leave a mark that’s resounded through the ages in battling one of early Christianity’s most monumental heresies. He’s also one of just three pontiffs in history to have a name that starts with the letter Z. Support The Popecast: A History of the Papacy Links: | |||
| 06 Apr 2024 | The Pope Who Rescued St. Peter's Basilica from Collapse (Interview w/ Author Wayne Kalayjian) | 01:40:59 | |
Wayne Kalayjian is author of the new book Saving Michelangelo’s Dome: How Three Mathematicians and a Pope Sparked an Architectural Revolution, the incredible story of how precarious cracking throughout the dome of St. Peter's Basilica prompted an unprecedented collision of the greatest minds in construction, science, math, and the Catholic Church. GET THE BOOK: Saving Michelangelo's Dome PATREON: https://patreon.com/thepopecast NEWSLETTER: https://popes.substack.com FB / Twitter / Instagram: @thepopecast EMAIL: popecastmc@gmail.com ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Wayne Kalayjian is a civil and structural engineer who has designed buildings, bridges, towers, and tunnels on five continents. He knows how they are built, why they stand up, how to keep them safe, and why—on occasion—they fall down. Wayne also lectures at the University of Southern California and is an engineering expert for the California Department of Consumer Affairs. He holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and art history from Tufts University, a master’s degree in structural and earthquake engineering from Stanford University, and a master’s degree in management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In 1995, Wayne engineered the move of an historic lighthouse on Cape Cod National Seashore. Just as the mathematicians in his book saved Michelangelo’s dome from collapse, he used those same scientific principles to save Highland Light from falling into the sea. Since then, his one-of-a-kind drawings have been on permanent display at the lighthouse museum in North Truro, Massachusetts. Wayne was raised in New England and lives in Southern California. | |||
| 15 Oct 2021 | The Slave Who Became Pope (St. Callistus I) | 00:12:45 | |
This pope is a guy who rose from the lowest rungs of society to become the leader of a burgeoning but still illegal faith. And yet, it wasn’t the Romans who gave him the most grief. It was one of his fellow Christians. PATREON: https://patreon.com/thepopecast Sponsored By: | |||
| 26 Mar 2022 | The Pope Whose Corpse Was Put on Trial (Formosus) | 00:13:56 | |
Our man this episode is altogether unique – and not just because he’s the only Successor of Peter with this particular name. No, he’s actually most famous for something he had no control over at all – because he was dead. PATREON: https://patreon.com/thepopecast Sponsored By: | |||
| 26 Dec 2019 | A Review of Netflix's "The Two Popes" (w/ Taylor Schroll of Forte Catholic) | 00:39:52 | |
Netflix's new film "The Two Popes" is a recently-released biographical drama of the friendship between Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and Pope Francis, when the latter was still Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio. The film has been mostly praised in the wider culture and predominantly criticized inside Catholic circles. In this episode, Matt from The Popecast and Taylor from Forte Catholic review the good and the bad of the new film. Listen to the first half of the review at https://www.fortecatholic.com/radiopodcast/167 (21:20) Become a patron ** of The Popecast at **[bit.ly/popecastpatreon](bit.ly/popecastpatreon) (P.S. I sincerely apogolize for the super crappy audio on my end! With Christmas travels I was without my usual setup, so we made do as best we could in order to get the episode out in time!) Special Guest: Forte Catholic. | |||
| 07 Feb 2020 | The Pope Who Didn't Back Down (St. Sixtus II) | 00:14:02 | |
Our pope this week is one of the greatest heroes of the ancient Church that you’ve never heard of. Well, at least, not until now. He was only pope for a short time, but his witness and heroic martyrdom left a mark that has echoed down through the centuries. Almost 18 centuries, in fact. SPECIAL THANKS to our friends at Catholic Balm Co. for sponsoring this episode of The Popecast. Check out their beard balms, lotion bars, and ESPECIALLY their brand new Petra Solid Cologne at [catholicbalm.co](catholicbalm.co). Be sure to enter "POPE" at checkout to get 10% off your entire order! OTHER POPECAST LINKS
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| 26 Aug 2020 | How are popes elected? (Episode 50 Special) | 00:23:48 | |
This time around we’re doing a little something different – a topic that’s more foundational to the very papacy itself – to celebrate the 50th episode of The Popecast. It's the only truly secret meeting left on the planet. Where all the red hats gather for a Catholic cage match, and the world waits, holding its breath, for that fateful white smoke. IN THIS EPISODE SUPPORT THE POPECAST Sponsored By: | |||
| 12 May 2021 | The Pope Whose Family Was the Literal Worst (Benedict VIII) | 00:08:13 | |
This guy was an able pontiff who brought much-needed respect back to the papacy at its lowest point in history. And on the family front, he was a real diamond in the rough. A lone bright spot amidst a group of relatives that would make the Kardashians blush. PATREON: https://patreon.com/thepopecast Sponsored By: | |||
| 09 Dec 2020 | The Immaculate Conception and the Popes | 00:17:53 | |
This episode is a bit unique. It’s early December, so our Catholic listeners will know that there are two mega huge feast days celebrating Mary in the first half of this month – the Immaculate Conception on December 8 and Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12. So we thought it might be fitting to break from the usual format and talk about the Mother of God under one of those titles, and what two 20th-Century popes have to say about her. Support The Popecast: A History of the Papacy Links:
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| 27 Jun 2019 | The Pope Who Gave Us the Feast of Corpus Christi (Urban IV) | 00:11:56 | |
Our pope today introduced a day of celebration that’s endured for over THREE QUARTERS OF A MILLENNIUM. In addition to, you know, wrestling power away from a rogue dynasty and otherwise trying to keep the Church afloat in troubled waters. All in just 3 years. No big deal. *BECOME A PATRON OF THE POPECAST (free stickers to the next 5 patrons...) at patreon.com/mattsewell LINKS FROM THE EPISODE:
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| 13 Jan 2021 | Scandals, Canon Law, and Freemasonry with The Pillar's JD Flynn and Ed Condon | 00:52:36 | |
Our first episode of 2021 is a very special one indeed. This week we’re joined by JD Flynn & Ed Condon, co-founders of The Pillar, the brand new Catholic media project focused on smart, faithful, and serious journalism, from committed and informed Catholics who love the Church, which you can find and sign up for at pillarcatholic.com. Special Guests: Ed Condon and JD Flynn. Support The Popecast: A History of the Papacy Links: | |||
| 20 Aug 2022 | The Third Pope Ever (St. Cletus) | 00:10:02 | |
First it was Peter. Then it was Linus. And then it was this guy. PATREON: https://patreon.com/thepopecast | |||
| 03 Sep 2021 | The Other Pope Named John Paul (Venerable John Paul I) | 00:23:20 | |
Our pope this week was in the Chair of Peter for barely a moment in the great lifespan of Catholic history, but his humble heart and joyful demeanor has influenced each of the three popes who followed him and put him firmly among the most memorable and beloved pontiffs of the last several centuries. PATREON: https://patreon.com/thepopecast Sponsored By: | |||
| 23 Feb 2020 | PART ONE – The Pope Who Destroyed Communism (Pope St. John Paul II) | 00:19:09 | |
It’s finally here. The episode so many of you have all been waiting for. And this is just part one… Our pope this week is one of the finest men to ever grace the Chair of St. Peter. His life was one of unimaginable suffering, having been under the thumb of both the Nazis and the Communists at different points in his life. A renaissance man, he was equal parts philosopher and poet – exercising the head and the heart with unrivaled passion. Losing his earthly mother at age 9, he’s perhaps best known for his devotion to another Mother – God’s Mother. This is the story of his early life. SPECIAL THANKS to our friends at Catholic Balm Co. for sponsoring this episode of The Popecast. Check out their beard balms, lotion bars, and ESPECIALLY their brand new Petra Solid Cologne at [catholicbalm.co](catholicbalm.co). Be sure to enter "POPE" at checkout to get 10% off your entire order! OTHER POPECAST LINKS
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| 20 Nov 2020 | The Pope Who Baptized the Pantheon (Pope St. Boniface IV) | 00:10:48 | |
Our pope this week you might not know, but odds are you know about something he did. I’m talking about the biggest and oldest unreinforced concrete dome IN THE WORLD. He converted it from a pagan temple into a church, which has been in constant use now for over 1400 years. Sponsored By:
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| 19 May 2022 | The Popecast Origin Story and Other Tales (Matt's Interview on Real Presence Radio) | 00:26:28 | |
Matt had the pleasure of being a guest on Real Presence Radio out in the Midwest, on a show hosted by none other than our most recent special guest Fr. Richard Kunst, to talk about the origins of The Popecast and his own personal favorite popes and papal history stories, among other things. PATREON: https://patreon.com/thepopecast Special Guest: Fr. Richard Kunst. | |||
| 27 May 2020 | Two MORE Papal Difficulties (Interview on the Classical Theism Podcast) | 00:33:12 | |
We were featured once more as a guest on the Classical Theism Podcast (see Episode #37 for our first appearance), this time on two more papal objections – how an ecumenical council called by an emperor can still be legit, and why Pope John XXII wasn't a heretic. If you're enjoying The Popecast, please consider supporting us at patreon.com/thepopecast to get early access to new episodes and ensure we can continue to produce the show! SPECIAL THANKS to our friends at Catholic Balm Co. for sponsoring this episode of The Popecast. Check out their beard balms, lotion bars, and ESPECIALLY their brand new Petra Solid Cologne at [catholicbalm.co](catholicbalm.co). Be sure to enter "POPE" at checkout to get 10% off your entire order! Sponsored By: | |||
| 12 Aug 2021 | A Habsburg Shares the Story of Pope St. Gregory the Great | 00:30:56 | |
Joining the show this week is special guest Eduard Habsburg, the Hungarian Ambassador to the Vatican and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, sharing the incredible story of Pope St. Gregory the Great, the "Pope Who Founded Western Civilization" PATREON: https://patreon.com/thepopecast Find Eduard Habsburg on Twitter: https://twitter.com/EduardHabsburg Special Guest: Eduard Habsburg. | |||
| 23 Feb 2021 | The First Assassinated Pope (John VIII) | 00:12:38 | |
He was one of the last solid pontiffs before perhaps the darkest time in the history of the papacy. He held off the Muslim Army as long as he could, spent way too long looking for new emperors, was a patron of one of the Church’s greatest evangelists, and sadly was the first Bishop of Rome in history to meet a certain kind of sordid end. Sponsored By:
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| 28 Jul 2020 | The Pope Who Canceled Rome (Adrian IV) | 00:12:29 | |
Our pope today, the first and only British pope in history, is a man who came from nothing and was elevated to the papacy. A monk who would’ve rather not been pope, he faced down emperors and kings and shut down the entire Eternal City when a heretic threatened to hold it hostage. Since it's another bearded pope this week, an extra special thanks again to our friends at Catholic Balm Co. for sponsoring this episode of The Popecast. Check out their beard balms and other great stuff at catholicbalm.co and be sure to enter "POPE" at checkout to get 10% off your entire order! BECOME A PATRON of The Popecast at patreon.com/thepopecast to support our mission and get some nice perks Sponsored By: | |||
| 12 Sep 2019 | The (Bad) Pope of the Protestant Reformation (Pope Leo X) | 00:16:45 | |
On this week’s episode, it’s another one of the “Bad Popes”. This guy loved partying so much, and was so bad at managing money, that one contemporary said he spent three pontificates worth of dough – everything from the guy before him, all of his own money, and all of his successor’s. Oh, and Martin Luther was stirring up a rebellion, and this pope didn’t do much to stop it. BECOME A PATRON OF THE POPECAST (free stickers to the next two $2 patrons...) – Visit http://bit.ly/popecastpatron | |||
| 01 Dec 2020 | The Pope Who Called a Crusade (Pope Clement III) | 00:11:50 | |
Our pope this week had the fun job of wrangling a bunch of Alphas and convincing them to work as a team for the sake of Christendom, and in the meantime tried not to lose everything the papacy had accumulated up to that point in history. Oh, and his nephew would later end up being one of the most powerful popes in history. Sponsored By:
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| 29 Oct 2020 | The Last Pope to Write about Witches (Pope Gregory XV) | 00:11:50 | |
This pope was old and sick when he got elected, and wasn’t in office for all that long. But he wasn’t about to let any younger whipper snappers outdo him in energy or productivity. Oh, he also made the founder of the Jesuits a saint, and wrote the last document from a pope about when certain someones could or could not be burned at the stake. Sponsored By:
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| 29 Jan 2020 | Answering Two Papal Objections (Interview on the Classical Theism podcast) | 00:33:15 | |
Our episode this week is an interview we did with John DeRosa of the Classical Theism podcast, a show that’s all about defending Catholic Christian ideas in Conversation with all sorts of excellent guests like Trent Horn, Dr. Ed Feser, Jimmy Akin, Gomer from Catching Foxes and – somehow – yours truly. We chat about the stories of Pope Honorius I and Pope Liberius, along with lots of other great stuff. Check out his show at classicaltheism.com SPECIAL THANKS to our friends at Catholic Balm Co. for sponsoring this episode of The Popecast. Check out their beard balms, lotion bars, and ESPECIALLY their brand new Petra Solid Cologne at [catholicbalm.co](catholicbalm.co). Be sure to enter "POPE" at checkout to get 10% off your entire order! Become a patron of The Popecast at patreon.com/thepopecast | |||
| 01 May 2019 | The Popecast's Guide to Pope Benedict XVI's Letter on the Sex Abuse Scandal | 00:17:02 | |
This episode serves as a brief recap and analysis on Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI's recent letter on the Church's sexual abuse crisis – paired with the audio version of the letter released exclusively by The Popecast – for those who have neither the time nor the interest to wade through the minefield of Catholic Twitter to sort it all out. LINKS MENTIONED ON THE EPISODE
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
CONS (Critics of the letter)
PROS (In favor of the letter, even with light criticism)
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| 10 May 2019 | Another Very Bad Pope (Alexander VI) | 00:16:00 | |
In 1492, something else happened besides Columbus sailing the ocean blue, namely, that the most notorious pope EVER ascended to the Chair of Peter. This week it's the guy who typically tops the list of every rundown of the so-called “Bad Popes”, and who was described by contemporary historian as “more evil and more lucky than perhaps any pope before him”. SUPPORT THE POPECAST: patreon.com/mattsewell LINKS
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| 10 Apr 2021 | The Pope Who Was Ridiculously Good Looking (Conon) | 00:08:24 | |
This pope wasn’t long for this world once he made it to the Chair of St. Peter and was a compromise pick from the beginning, to boot. Apparently it had something to do with being just another pretty face, but history is silent on whether or not he was a ...barbarian. PATREON: https://patreon.com/thepopecast Sponsored By: | |||
| 01 May 2020 | PART TWO – The Pope Who Destroyed Communism (Pope St. John Paul II) | 00:23:58 | |
The series so many listeners to The Popecast have been asking about and waiting for is back for Part Two. Our pope this week, once again, is one of the finest men to ever grace the Chair of St. Peter. Ordained a priest in secret at the start of the Communist occupation of Poland, he was a bishop at 38, an archbishop at 44, and a cardinal at 47. Though he was gifted with a towering intellect and a love for academics, his greatest joy was spending time in the outdoors – canoeing, camping, and praying with his friends. This is the story spanning Pope St. John Paul II's priesthood and tenure as bishop, archbishop, and cardinal in Poland. SPECIAL THANKS to our friends at Catholic Balm Co. for sponsoring this episode of The Popecast. Check out their beard balms, lotion bars, and ESPECIALLY their brand new Petra Solid Cologne at [catholicbalm.co](catholicbalm.co). Be sure to enter "POPE" at checkout to get 10% off your entire order! OTHER POPECAST LINKS
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| 20 Nov 2019 | The (Bad) Pope Caught in Bed With Another Man's Wife (Pope John XII) | 00:17:21 | |
Our pope this week – one of the notorious so-called Bad Popes – was what the kids might call “a player”. A man of loose morals who only got the job because on his deathbed dear old dad made Roman officials pinky swear to elect his kid pope. Oh, and he was killed after being caught in bed with a married woman … at the hands of her jealous husband, no less. [BOOK] Catholic Hipster: The Next Level – https://amzn.to/332yG8O Become a patron of The Popecast and have one of your papal ponderings answered on a future episode: | |||
| 04 Aug 2022 | The "Pope" from Kansas (Pope Michael) | 00:10:32 | |
Now, here at The Popecast we normally cover those men who are considered to be “valid popes” – that is, a legitimate part of the unbroken line of succession in the Roman Catholic Church that began when Jesus gave the keys to Peter and, as is commonly understood, sits now with Pope Francis. And while there have been grandiose antipopes throughout history – men who we may one day talk about in more detail – today’s subject is another case entirely. Few may know about the man from Kansas who claimed to be pope, and unironically so. Recently he died, so today’s episode will tell the story of and serve as a tribute for David Bawden, the man who for the past 32 years had – by his estimation – reigned over the true Catholic Church as Pope Michael. PATREON: https://patreon.com/thepopecast Links from the Episode:
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| 19 Aug 2021 | The Pope Who Hired a Warrior Cardinal (Innocent VI) | 00:11:52 | |
Our pope this week was a pontiff in exile – the whole Roman Curia was in those days – who everyone thought would be near death, but he ended up sticking around for 10 years and set about cleaning up the clerical riff-raff, leaving us with one of the greatest hymns ever written, and hiring a bloodhound in a red hat to prowl around Italy and gain back what was rightfully Peter’s. PATREON: https://patreon.com/thepopecast | |||
| 27 May 2021 | The Greatest Pope You've Never Heard Of (Sixtus V) | 00:24:24 | |
Our pope this week was startlingly good for a Renaissance pontiff – he didn’t use his power to elevate all of his greedy nephews, he began as a monk and never really forgot it, and he worked so hard and so much that he could have coined the phrase “I can sleep when I’m dead.” PATREON: https://patreon.com/thepopecast Sponsored By: | |||
| 18 Nov 2022 | Artificial Intelligence, Demonic Possession, and Visions of Mary (Interview w/ Sci-Fi Author Andrew Gillsmith) | 00:54:18 | |
Today we chat with Andrew Gillsmith, author of the new and critically-acclaimed sci-fi novel, Our Lady of the Artilects. The book is absolutely outstanding (find the link to purchase it below) in its merging together of a plausible ultra-high-tech future and a global landscape that's shifted both geographically and spiritually. GET THE BOOK: https://amzn.to/3E8bFpq Find Andrew on Twitter @andrewgillsmith Other book references from Andrew: --- | |||
| 14 Aug 2020 | The Pope Who Baptized Coffee (Clement VIII) | 00:12:38 | |
Our pope this week had barely been a priest 10 years before being elected at age 55, had one of Catholicism’s great Renaissance saints as his confessor for 3 decades and, oh yeah, he’s the one who brought coffee to the Western World. It’s fitting that our sponsor for this week is Guadalupe Roastery! These guys are the real deal – not only is their coffee excellent, but their mission is to empower farmers to support themselves and their families by bringing you the most directly sourced cup of coffee possible. So head on over to guadaluperoastery.com and get a couple pounds for you and a friend. Be sure to use the promo code POPE at checkout to get 10% off your entire order! Click here to become a patron of The Popecast: patreon.com/thepopecast Sponsored By:
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| 14 Oct 2020 | The Second Dominican Pope (Blessed Benedict XI) | 00:11:18 | |
Our pope this week is in elite company in more ways than one – he was holy when sanctity was severely lacking in the halls of the Vatican, and he’s one of only FIVE men in history from the Order of Preachers to be elevated to the Chair of St. Peter. Sponsored By:
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| 08 Apr 2022 | The World's Largest Papal Artifacts Collection Outside of the Vatican (Interview with Fr. Richard Kunst) | 00:35:30 | |
Today’s episode is one we’ve been very excited to bring you all for a long time. Our guest, Fr. Richard Kunst, is the curator of the world's largest collection of papal memorabilia and artifacts outside of the Vatican. Our conversation covers everything from how Fr. Rich’s collection came to be, some of the coolest and strangest articles he’s seen, his appearances on Pawn Stars, and (in the patron-only bonus section) even some never-before-heard stories about BOTH Popes John Paul. In addition to curating this great collection, Fr. Rich is a priest of the Diocese of Duluth Minnesota, pastor of St. James Parish in Duluth, and believe it or not, was even at one time Fr. Mike Schmitz’s vocation director when the latter was in formation for the priesthood. FR. RICH'S WEBSITE: https://www.papalartifacts.com PATREON: https://patreon.com/thepopecast Special Guest: Fr. Richard Kunst. Sponsored By:
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| 13 Apr 2019 | EXTRA: Audio of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI's Letter on Church Sex Abuse Scandal | 00:36:33 | |
On April 10, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI released a letter addressing the scandal of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church – of which the full audible reading can be found here. The retired pope gave historical background to how the scandal came to be, how it's affected the formation of priests in seminaries, and what the Church ought to do about it. [SUPPORT THE POPECAST](patreon.com/mattsewell) ON PATREON | |||
| 05 Jun 2019 | The Pope Who Saved Western Civilization (St. Pius V) | 00:15:56 | |
Here's a pope who came from nothing, spent his life fighting for the Truth, and ended up practically saving the world. Better to be frail in body and strong in will, than the other way around. SUPPORT THE POPECAST: patreon.com/mattsewell DOCUMENTS MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE
BIOGRAPHIES OF POPE ST. PIUS V
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| 02 Dec 2022 | The First “Pontifex Maximus” (St. Siricius) | 00:11:12 | |
Our pope this week reigned at a time when the historical record wasn’t much, and we don’t know a whole lot about his life as a result. And yet his contributions to the history of the papacy have still resounded for over 1600 years. Read Pope St. Siricius' full letter: https://thepopecast.fm/blog/siricius-decretal PATREON: https://patreon.com/thepopecast | |||
| 22 Jul 2019 | The Pope Who Condemned His Predecessor...Sort Of (St. Leo II) | 00:15:34 | |
He was in office less than a year, but left a mark on the Church that’s still making waves among Catholics and non-Catholics alike to this very day. Well-educated, a lover of sacred music, and great servant of the poor, for better or for worse this pope is known for formally condemning one of his papal predecessors – though not for being a heretic, just for being wishy-washy and neglecting his sacred duty. BECOME A PATRON OF THE POPECAST (free stickers to the next 3 patrons...) – Visit [thepopecast.fm](thepopecast.fm) and click "Become a Patron" | |||
| 13 Jan 2020 | The Pope Who Canceled the Jesuits (Pope Clement XIV) | 00:16:58 | |
Our pontiff this week did one of the most infamous deeds in all of papal history. It was so memorable that no pope since has taken that particular papal name, and he was the butt of a joke at the election of our very own Pope Francis for it. His crime? He suppressed the Society of Jesus. Support The Popecast on Patreon: patreon.com/thepopecast LINKS MENTIONED FROM THIS EPISODE
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| 31 Oct 2021 | Was Pope John Paul I Murdered? (An Interview w/ The Pillar's JD Flynn & Michelle La Rosa) | 00:38:28 | |
This episode we're joined by JD Flynn and Michelle La Rosa from The PIllar to tackle one of the saltiest and most recent papal conspiracy theories – one of the doozies in pretty much the whole history of the Catholic Church. A half-century ago a pope reigned for a mere 33 days. Was it all just a strange coincidence, or was there something more nefarious afoot? PATREON: https://patreon.com/thepopecast Special Guests: JD Flynn and Michelle La Rosa. | |||
| 11 Jun 2020 | The Pope Who Said Putting a Corpse on Trial is Bad (Pope John IX) | 00:11:50 | |
Here we have a pope who condemned a predecessor who had dug up a dead pope and put his body on trial – no big deal. He also reigned longer than most of his immediate predecessors and successors – but was still only in office for 2 years. Times were tough in the late 9th Century. SPECIAL THANKS to our friends at Catholic Balm Co. for sponsoring this episode of The Popecast. Check out their beard balms and other great stuff at [catholicbalm.co](catholicbalm.co) and be sure to enter "POPE" at checkout to get 10% off your entire order! BECOME A PATRON of The Popecast to get sweet benefits and support our work at patreon.com/thepopecast Sponsored By: | |||
| 26 Sep 2019 | The Last Martyred Pope (St. Martin I) | 00:12:36 | |
On this week’s episode, it’s a pope who answered to no one but God. He was fierce in battling the burgeoning heresy of Monothelitism (which claimed Jesus only had one will), didn’t care if the emperor approved his election or not, and would go on to pay the ultimate price for his efforts, all for the sake of the Church. BECOME A PATRON OF THE POPECAST: http://bit.ly/popecastpatron | |||
| 06 Mar 2021 | The Pope Who Wasn't Even a Priest Yet (Nicholas III) | 00:17:40 | |
Our pope this week voted in literally one million papal elections before it was finally his turn. At least it probably seemed like that to him. He was a child of the nobility who served the Church from an early age, but there was just one small thing left to do after he got elected as the new Bishop of Rome... Support the Popecast at patreon.com/thepopecast Support The Popecast: A History of the Papacy Links:
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| 03 Dec 2021 | The Pope Who Renounced the Christian Faith...Or Did He? (St. Marcellinus) | 00:12:42 | |
Today’s episode is about a pope who lived...and died...during the last and worst of Rome’s persecutions of the Christian people, that of the Roman Emperor Diocletian. But just how that living and dying went is still up for discussion. 1700 years later. PATREON: https://patreon.com/thepopecast Sponsored By: | |||
| 01 Apr 2021 | The Pope Who Told Us When to Celebrate Easter (St. Victor I) | 00:12:21 | |
Our pope this week hit a lot of firsts – first Latin-writing pope, first African pope, and the first papal hothead. Good thing he had the humility to match it. PATREON: https://patreon.com/thepopecast | |||
| 20 Dec 2020 | Pope Benedict XVI (An Interview with Fr. Harrison from Clerically Speaking) | 00:49:20 | |
Our special guest this week is Fr. Harrison from Clerically Speaking – not only is Fr. Harrison a huge fan of Pope Benedict XVI, he's writing his doctoral thesis on the guy! But don't worry, this episode isn't super heady or academic as much as it is simply Matt & Fr. Harrison nerding out on their shared love for Pope Benedict XVI and why he's just as important to the average person in the pews as he is to the great Catholic intellectual tradition as a whole. Special Guest: Fr. Harrison Ayre. Sponsored By:
Support The Popecast: A History of the Papacy Links:
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| 29 Jul 2022 | The Last Pope in History to NOT Change His Name (Marcellus II) | 00:17:26 | |
This pope is another one of those best kept secrets of Catholic history – he held some of the most influential post in Renaissance Christendom, presided over Catholicism’s response to the Protestant Reformation, and then cracked the top 10 for shortest papal reigns. But his mom sure would have been proud that he kept the name she gave him. PATREON: https://patreon.com/thepopecast | |||
| 06 Aug 2020 | The Pope Who Wrote a Romance Novel (Pius II) | 00:20:45 | |
Our pope this week is one unlike any other of the 265 successors of St. Peter. Smart and eloquent with a pen though he was, for most of his life he was best known as a smooth-talking womanizer and deadbeat dad whose only goal was elevating his own career, all the way up to being crowned as the emperor’s imperial poet. And then he met the pope (who he hated), and everything changed. -- -- They’ve got Pope Francis & St. John Paul II themed socks along with a ton of other excellent designs that make for awesome birthday presents or honestly just a nice treat-yo-self gift. So head over to sockreligious.com and say The Popecast sent you! Sponsored By:
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| 21 Jun 2020 | The Pope Who Thought He Was Too Old (Pope Clement X) | 00:13:14 | |
This episode is on a pope who was already almost 80 years old by the time he was elected, and he was really hoping to be able to retire in peace before his fellow cardinals got the bright idea to put him in charge. No, this wasn’t 7 years ago, or even 15 years ago. It was the 1600s. To help us continue to produce The Popecast, consider becoming a patron at patreon.com/thepopecast and receive neato benefits to boot. Thanks to our sponsors over at Sock Religious, who help you bring your Catholic faith to your business attire and Sunday best with custom sock designs of all kinds. Visit bit.ly/popesocks to get a pair for you and a friend.* *(Affiliate links. The Popecast receives a small portion of each sale in exchange for promotion.) Sponsored By:
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| 19 Dec 2019 | The Pope Who Made Christmas Official (St. Julius I) | 00:16:58 | |
It’s a Popecast Christmas episode this week. Not only did this guy take his turn at fighting off the heresy that had infected a majority of the world’s bishops, but he stood by one of the Church’s greatest bishops and saints, and he may have even been the one to officially declare the day we celebrate Jesus’ birth. Become a patron of The Popecast and have one of your papal ponderings answered on a future episode: | |||
| 23 Apr 2022 | The First Pope in History to Change His Name (John II) | 00:11:25 | |
Today’s pope is certainly one for the record books. Even though he was only in office a couple short years, he’s memorable for one major papal staple that we take completely for granted these days. PATREON: https://patreon.com/thepopecast Sponsored By: | |||
| 21 Nov 2021 | The Pope Who Got a Bad Rap (John X) | 00:14:53 | |
Here's a pope who kept his head down and worked tirelessly for the good of Christendom. But in an age where secular rulers used the papacy as their plaything, he refused to be anyone’s puppet, and ended up paying the ultimate price. And what’s more, everyone though he was a bad pope until not all that long ago. PATREON: https://patreon.com/thepopecast Sponsored By: | |||
| 19 Feb 2022 | The Pope Who Worked Miracles (St. Leo IX) | 00:28:58 | |
This episode is about another one of those popes who you’ve probably never heard of, but is definitely one to remember. He was saintly from an early age, and despite desiring a life of anonymity in his service to Christendom, was plucked by the emperor from obscurity to become pope and, ultimately, usher in one of the biggest reform movements in Catholicism’s 2,000 year history. PATREON: https://patreon.com/thepopecast TWO RESOURCES MENTIONED AT THE END
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| 09 Sep 2022 | The Pope Who Sent St. Patrick to Ireland (St. Celestine I) | 00:11:12 | |
Our pope this week was your garden variety early Church pontiff – battling heresy, beautifying churches, and being an all around good guy. But one thing set him apart...sending a certain snake-expelling bishop on mission to a little island in the North Atlantic, and changing the face of the world forever. PATREON: https://patreon.com/thepopecast | |||
| 12 Aug 2022 | Keeping a Cool Head While Covering the Pope (An Interview w/ Timothy Nerozzi) | 01:07:16 | |
Today's episode is a great conversation with Timothy Nerozzi, who currently works as a Breaking News Reporter for Fox News. Timothy shares his take in particular on why secular reporting about the pope is quite terrible these days, his approach to journalism, and then of course we go into great detail on the office of the papacy itself – why we should keep a level head about Pope Francis, how the papacy has been changing over the past century, and a ton more. In addition to his work at Fox News Digital, Timothy has written for a large swath of solid publications, including Catholic News Agency, The Lamp Magazine, Washington Examiner, and the Daily Caller. LINKS:
PATREON: https://patreon.com/thepopecast Special Guest: Timothy Nerozzi. | |||
| 17 Dec 2021 | The Papacy & America's Founding (Interview w/ Dr. Michael Breidenbach) | 00:53:18 | |
This week it's a special episode of the show – professor, historian, and author Dr. Michael Breidenbach joins the show to talk about his new book, Our Dear-Bought Liberty: Catholics and Religious Toleration in Early America (https://amzn.to/3e0RDAM) Especially for those in America, the story Dr. Breidenbach tells in his book and on the podcast – how English-turned-American Catholics wrestled between fealty to the king and fealty to the pope, how religious liberty as we know it is directly traced to an appeal from the brother of America's first Catholic bishop, and many other lesser-known historical threads – is truly something you won't want to miss. BOOK by Dr. Michael Breidenbach: https://amzn.to/3e0RDAM Special Guest: Dr. Michael Breidenbach. Sponsored By: | |||
| 11 Sep 2020 | The Pope After Peter (St. Linus) | 00:12:58 | |
The pope we’re talking about today had to follow the Fisherman himself. He’s a man who not only knew the Apostles, but was taught and ordained by them. Not to mention he’s one of only two popes – not counting Peter himself – to be mentioned in Sacred Scripture. SUPPORT THE POPECAST Sponsored By:
Support The Popecast: A History of the Papacy Links:
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| 12 Nov 2020 | The Pope Who Won a Contested Election (Pope St. Cornelius) | 00:12:18 | |
Our pope this week wasn’t around for long, but the time he did spend in office left its mark. He entered the Chair of Peter at a dicey time in Christian history and dealt with an arch nemesis from within the Church right after his election, to boot. He was eventually killed for his faith, and is now the patron saint of things like lovers and earaches. Sponsored By:
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| 30 Oct 2019 | The Lesser-Known Defender of Rome (St. Gelasius I) | 00:13:58 | |
We’re back this week with an episode on a pope who was equal parts lion and lamb. His blunt writing on papal authority was a respectful dunk on the eastern emperor, and served as that teaching’s foundation for centuries, but in the same breath he gave away all his earthly possessions before the end, and willingly died penniless. No. 49 – Pope St. Gelasius Become a patron of The Popecast and have one of your papal ponderings answered on a future episode: | |||
| 30 Jul 2021 | The Pope Who Really REALLY Didn't Want the Job (Blessed Victor III) | 00:15:32 | |
This pope was far more renowned for his life BEFORE the papacy than he was after. And that was a bummer, because he kinda gets a bad rap for it. But it certainly didn’t help that he avoided accepting his election like the plague. PATREON: https://patreon.com/thepopecast Sponsored By:
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| 18 May 2019 | The Brothers Pope (Sisinnius & Constantine) | 00:10:19 | |
It’s a Popecast first, folks. The first time we’re covering two popes in a single episode AND the first of three times in Church history that two brothers each held the Chair of Peter – and interestingly enough, also the first of three times that the brothers reigned back-to-back. Mama must’ve been so proud. SUPPORT THE POPECAST: patreon.com/mattsewell LINKS
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| 10 Dec 2021 | The Obscure Pope Who Did Just Fine (Donus) | 00:09:25 | |
Today’s episode is about a pope who’s probably easy to overlook. He only reigned for a short time, we don’t know all that much about him, and he isn’t remembered as a saint – a canonized one anyway. And yet, he dabbled in plenty of important things and did alright. PATREON: https://patreon.com/thepopecast Sponsored By: | |||
| 15 Jul 2020 | The Eleventh Pope (St. Anicetus) | 00:09:32 | |
Our pope today reigned barely more than a century after Jesus walked the earth, and he’s best known for welcoming a disciple of the Beloved Disciple to Rome for a friendly chat about the date of Easter. Since it's a (likely) bearded pope this episode, an extra special thanks to our friends at Catholic Balm Co. for sponsoring this episode of The Popecast. Check out their beard balms and other great stuff at catholicbalm.co and be sure to enter "POPE" at checkout to get 10% off your entire order! BECOME A PATRON of The Popecast at patreon.com/thepopecast to support our mission and get sweet benefits. Sponsored By: | |||
| 29 Jan 2021 | The Pope Who Died of the Plague (Pope Pelagius II) | 00:11:26 | |
Our man this week was a mentor to one of the greatest popes to ever live, he spent far too much time trying to drum up an army from the emperor to protect Rome from destruction, and met his earthly end as a deadly disease swept brutally through late 6th-Century Rome. Sponsored By:
Support The Popecast: A History of the Papacy Links: | |||
| 03 Jul 2020 | The Pope Who Fought the Destruction of Statues (St. Gregory II) | 00:14:52 | |
Today we have a pope who found himself having to deal with an emperor demanding that Christian images and statues by smashed to bits. And he was having none of it. SPECIAL THANKS to our friends at Catholic Balm Co. for sponsoring this episode of The Popecast. Check out their beard balms and other great stuff at [catholicbalm.co](catholicbalm.co) and be sure to enter "POPE" at checkout to get 10% off your entire order! BECOME A PATRON of The Popecast at patreon.com/thepopecast to support our mission and get sweet benefits. Sponsored By: | |||
| 22 Oct 2021 | The Pope St. John Paul II Supercut | 00:47:16 | |
This week's episode is a very special one indeed. Our pope today needs no introduction, being one of the finest men to ever grace the Chair of St. Peter, but he does need a long episode to tell the whole tale of his long and eventful life. October 22 – the day that this episode is being released – is this man’s feast day and the anniversary of the 1978 inauguration of his papacy, so raise a glass (or a pierogi) for one of the greatest of all pontiffs. PATREON: https://patreon.com/thepopecast Sponsored By: | |||
| 23 Feb 2018 | The Pope Who Confirmed the Canon of Scripture (St. Damasus I) | 00:09:40 | |
Ever wonder where the official list of the books of the Bible came from? Well, this guy you’re about to learn about is who we have to thank. Every single one of those 73 books you find in Catholic Bibles was listed out by this guy, at a meeting in Rome, 16 centuries ago. SUPPORT THE PODCAST: patreon.com/mattsewell | |||
| 02 Jan 2018 | The First Pope (St. Peter) | 00:11:58 | |
This week we’re talking about perhaps the Church’s worst and best pope. The fisherman of little faith, the Apostle with the keys, the preacher who converted 3,000 in a single sermon.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST: patreon.com/mattsewell
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| 09 Jan 2018 | The "About Dang Time" Pope (Bl. Gregory X) | 00:10:08 | |
This week we’ve got a pope who came to power after 1000 days of an empty papal chair, a guy who wasn’t even a priest when he was elected! Our pontiff this week butted heads with ambitious kings, and made revisions to the Church playbook that lasted for nearly 700 years … among other things. Oh, and he’s also one step away from sainthood.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST - patreon.com/mattsewell | |||
| 16 Jan 2018 | The Pope Who Almost Contributed to the Bible (St. Clement I) | 00:10:57 | |
Here's a pope who knew personally more than one of the Apostles -- the ACTUAL APOSTLES -- and wrote a document that was thiiiis close to being included in the canon of the Bible. Batting cleanup for the young church at Pope #4, it’s St. Clement I. SUPPORT THE PODCAST: patreon.com/mattsewell
Mentioned on the Podcast - Clement's First Epistle to the Corinthians: http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/1clement-roberts.html - Joe Heschmeyer on St. Clement I: http://shamelesspopery.com/did-the-papacy-exist-while-john-was-alive/ | |||
| 23 Jan 2018 | The Pope with the Bird on His Head (St. Fabian) | 00:10:46 | |
This week’s pope was elected in the most unusual of ways. A bird landed on his head. That's right, A BIRD. SUPPORT THE PODCAST: patreon.com/mattsewell | |||
| 31 Jan 2018 | The Pope Who Battled Attila the Hun (St. Leo the Great) | 00:12:44 | |
This week we’ve got a pope who was here to chew bubblegum and battle heresy … and he was fresh out of bubblegum. He also once convinced Attila the Hun to hightail it out of Rome. In short, he’s one of the greats. Literally. SUPPORT THE PODCAST: patreon.com/mattsewell LINKS The Tome of Leo - http://bit.ly/tomeofleo Sermons of St. Leo - http://bit.ly/stleosermons | |||
| 08 Feb 2018 | A Very Bad Pope (Benedict IX) | 00:12:36 | |
Our first BAD POPE. Called by the Catholic Encyclopedia a "disgrace to the Chair of Peter" Benedict IX was pope not once, not twice, but THREE separate times, and only because dear ol' dad pulled some strings to get him there in the first place. SUPPORT THE PODCAST: patreon.com/mattsewell | |||
| 14 Feb 2018 | The Pope Who Founded Western Civilization (St. Gregory the Great) | 00:13:52 | |
Lent is upon us, and we have just the pope. It’s the guy who instituted giving out ashes on Ash Wednesday. The former monk. The humble, generous pontiff who basically founded Western Civilization. SUPPORT THE POPECAST: patreon.com/mattsewell | |||
| 22 Dec 2017 | Why Popes? | 00:03:35 | |
Whether you’re Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, an Atheist, or something in between -- the popes of the Roman Catholic Church matter. Sure, there are 1.2 billion of the world’s citizens who pledge their loyalty to the current pontiff, but St. Peter and his successors over the last 20 centuries have been a source of fascination -- be it for their sanctity, intrigue, or mere curiosity -- for just about everyone.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST – patreon.com/mattsewell
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| 22 Mar 2018 | The First Pope to Not Be a Saint (Liberius) - Infallibility Series, Pt. 1 | 00:13:32 | |
How would you like to be the first pope to not be named a saint? First in 350 years and the only non-saint pope in 5 centuries was still pretty holy, but people thought he might be heretic. Also, people use him as an argument against papal infallibility. SUPPORT THE POPECAST: patreon.com/mattsewell
Popecast on Instagram/Twitter/Facebook – @thepopecast [BOOK] Pope Fiction (by Patrick Madrid): bit.ly/popefiction
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| 14 Apr 2018 | Gaudete et Exsultate: Interview w/ Katie Prejean McGrady | 00:45:54 | |
Speaker & author Katie Prejean McGrady joins the Popecast to chat about Pope Francis' new apostolic exhortation, Gaudete et Exsultate (Rejoice & Be Glad), her recent trip to Rome for a pre-Synod gathering of young people, and how Pope Francis knows exactly what he's doing in his mission of evangelization. Support the Podcast: patreon.com/mattsewell LINKS
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| 20 Apr 2018 | The Pope Who Was Once an Antipope (Vigilius) - Infallibility Series, Pt. 2 | 00:13:24 | |
This week's pope was one of the only guys to have been an anti-pope before getting legitimately elected, he pretty much killed his predecessor, and was a bit of a wuss to boot. Yes, even the Bishop of Rome can be a weak-willed flip-flopper, and it followed him around during all 18 years in office. SUPPORT THE POPECAST: patreon.com/mattsewell LINKS- [BOOK] Pope Fiction (by Patrick Madrid): bit.ly/popefiction- Popecast on Twitter: @thepopecast- Matthew on Twitter: @MatthewJSewell
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| 12 May 2018 | The Pope They Called a Heretic (Honorius I) - Infallibility Series, Pt. 3 | 00:12:08 | |
Wait, a pope was actually condemned as a heretic by an ecumenical council of the Church? Sounds like the jig is up – papal infallibility is a false doctrine! Right? Well...we shall see. SUPPORT THE PODCAST: patreon.com/mattsewell LINKS- Letter from Pope Honorius to St. Honorius of Canterbury- Popecast on Instagram/Twitter/Facebook – @thepopecast - [BOOK] Pope Fiction (by Patrick Madrid): bit.ly/popefiction | |||
| 08 Mar 2018 | The Pope who Condemned the Sexual Revolution (St. Paul VI) | 00:14:30 | |
Paul VI was nothing short of a prophet. He called out society’s future ills decades before they actually happened, and reigned as pope through the assassination of an American President, the sexual revolution, and a sweeping reform in the Church. Plus … drumroll … he just became a saint. SUPPORT THE PODCAST: patreon.com/mattsewell HUMANAE VITAE: http://bit.ly/popecastHV | |||
| 22 Feb 2019 | EXTRA: The Feast of the Chair of St. Peter | 00:05:46 | |
Normally the Church celebrates feast days for persons – men and women from every age who the Church has held up as models of holy living – but today is a day that celebrates a chair. Well, at least what the chair represents. BECOME A PATRON: patreon.com/mattsewell
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| 28 Feb 2019 | Interview w/ Trent Horn (Apologist, Speaker, & Author) | 00:42:38 | |
Catholic apologist, speaker, and author Trent Horn joins Matt on The Popecast this week. Topics covered (among others) include:
BECOME A PATRON: patreon.com/mattsewell
LINKS (mentioned in this episode)
Special Guest: Trent Horn. | |||
| 19 Mar 2019 | The Abuse Scandal, Human Nature, & the Altar of the Heart (Interview w/ Dr. Chad Pecknold) | 00:43:13 | |
Dr. Chad Pecknold, associate professor of theology at the Catholic University of America, joins the Popecast this week to talk about the present scandal in the Church, human nature, St. Augustine's two Cities, and the papacy's role in securing the Church as a divine institution. Dr. Pecknold will be speaking at Healing the Breach of Trust on March 26, a day of talks at Catholic University of America and part of a series of planned conferences on the Church's current crisis. Dr. Pecknold's talk and others will be live-streamed here.
BECOME A PATRON - patreon.com/mattsewell
LINKS
Special Guest: Dr. Chad Pecknold. | |||
| 09 Jan 2019 | The Pope Who Built the Wall (St. Leo IV) | 00:18:31 | |
A worker of miracles, a battler of barbarians, and someone described as a man who lived to perfection the saying “pray as if everything depends on God, and work as if everything depends on you.” This week it's Pope #103, St. Leo IV.
FOLLOW & SUPPORT THE PODCAST: patreon.com/mattsewell
LINKS
[BOOK] Church of Spies: The Pope's Secret War Against Hitler – AMAZON
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| 13 Mar 2019 | The Pope Who Didn't Do Anything Funny (Pope St. Hilarius) | 00:13:12 | |
This week’s pope has a bit of an ironic name. During his six years in the Chair of Peter, nothing too exciting happened, and certainly nothing that seemed to live up to, uh, how we currently define "hilarious."
Become a patron and get early access to Popecast episodes, ask a question to be answered on the show, and get special bonus content – patreon.com/mattsewell
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| 19 Jan 2019 | The Pope Who Made the Emperor Kneel in the Snow (St. Gregory VII) | 00:18:31 | |
This week’s pope was once described as the epitome of a Christian gentleman, a man of universally recognized virtue, and a profound scholar. He was never one to back down from a fight, and stopped at nothing to reform a broken Church. 1000 years ago, that is.
PATREON: https://patreon.com/thepopecast
FURTHER READING: The Cluniac Reform (Pope Benedict XVI) | |||
| 30 Jan 2019 | The Pope Who Outsmarted Napoleon (Servant of God, Pope Pius VII) | 00:16:01 | |
The pope we’re talking about today was mild-mannered and monkish on the outside, but tough as nails on the inside. He’s went toe to toe with the tiny tyrant for 10 years, and was imprisoned for 6 of them. Never one to let the Church be bullied, he returned the papacy to the respect it deserved, after decades of being drug through the proverbial mud. One of my personal favorites, Pope Pius VII.
BECOME A PATRON: patreon.com/mattsewell
FURTHER READING:
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| 12 Feb 2019 | The Pope Who Was BFFs With Charlemagne (Pope Adrian I) | 00:17:17 | |
This week’s pope is defined by two words. Charlemagne and iconoclasm. And no, I’m not talking the Trump Twitter kind of iconoclasm. BECOME A PATRON: patreon.com/mattsewell
LINKS
DUBIA LINKS | |||
| 21 Feb 2019 | The Pope Who Had RBF (Servant of God, Pope Benedict XIII) | 00:13:30 | |
This week’s pope didn’t want the job, and lived like he didn’t have the job, which got him in some hot water. But the people who worked closest with him knew him only as the parish priest of Rome, and ultimately his personal virtue carried the day. Plus he had RBF. BECOME A PATRON: patreon.com/mattsewell | |||