The Catholic Current

A First Response to the Death of Pope Francis (Fr. Robert McTeigue, S.J.) 4/21/25

In the wake of the death of Pope Francis, Fr. McTeigue seeks three different perspectives: a Jesuit, Fr. Fessio; a pastor, Fr. Casey Jones; and a shepherd, Bishop Olson. He closes with his own thoughts about how we should focus and pray in the coming days and weeks. Show Notes Universi Dominici Gregis (February 22, 1996) | John Paul II Matthew 16:18-20 - Bible Gateway St. Catherine of Siena Novena Bishop Olson Interviewed iCatholic Mobile The Station of the Cross Merchandise - Use Coupon Code 14STATIONS for 10% off | Catholic to the Max Read Fr. McTeigue's Written Works! "Let's Take A Closer Look" with Fr. Robert McTeigue, S.J. | Full Series Playlist Listen to Fr. McTeigue's Preaching! | Herald of the Gospel Sermons Podcast on Spotify Visit Fr. McTeigue's Website | Herald of the Gospel Questions? Comments? Feedback? Ask Father!

Do You Really Believe He Is Risen? | Fr. Robert McTeigue, S.J.

Happy Easter! In this thought-provoking reflection, Fr. McTeigue challenges us to move beyond just saying "He is risen" and to truly examine whether we live as though it's true. Watch on YouTube: Do You Really Believe He Is Risen?

Let’s Take a Closer Look: Have You Seen the Crucified? (Fr. Robert McTeigue, S.J.)

Most people look at a cross, but never see it. Fr. Robert McTeigue, S.J., unpacks why the crucifixion should shock us, what it reveals about our wounds, and how it exposes both the horror of sin and the triumph of divine love. This isn't sentimentality. It's a wake-up call. Watch on YouTube: Have You Seen the Crucified?

The Many Faces of Porn Addiction (Steve Pokorny) 4/15/25

We welcome back Steve Pokorny to talk about the all-too-common struggles with porn addiction and how such media affects people's brains, especially those who are still developing. Father finishes with Timely Thoughts.  Show Notes Freedom Coaching  Hooked: New Science on How Casual Sex is Affecting Our Children A Return to Modesty: Discovering the Lost Virtue The Christian Meaning of Human Sexuality: Expanded Edition A Brief Reader on the Virtues of the Human Heart: Pieper, Josef The Enemies Of Love: Watkin, Aelred iCatholic Mobile The Station of the Cross Merchandise - Use Coupon Code 14STATIONS for 10% off | Catholic to the Max Read Fr. McTeigue's Written Works! "Let's Take A Closer Look" with Fr. Robert McTeigue, S.J. | Full Series Playlist Listen to Fr. McTeigue's Preaching! | Herald of the Gospel Sermons Podcast on Spotify Visit Fr. McTeigue's Website | Herald of the Gospel Questions? Comments? Feedback? Ask Father!

LTACL: Ready for Easter? (Probably Not) | Fr. Robert McTeigue, S.J.

Holy Week isn't just a liturgical shift—it's a call to examine our souls. Are we truly ready for Easter, or just eager for Lent to end? Fr. Robert McTeigue offers four unsettling signs we might not be ready, and what to do before it's too late. Watch on YouTube: Ready for Easter? (Probably Not)

Books Are the New Luxury (Fr. Robert McTeigue, S.J.) 4/11/25

In today's episode of Let's Talk About This, Father looks at the world of reading, and the world that doesn't read. Do we lose more than we realize when we turn away from the written word and towards other mediums? Why has reading become a sign of status? Father finishes with Weekend Readiness to prepare you for the upcoming Sunday Mass. Show Notes Why everyone stopped reading (YouTube)  Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies, 2nd ed: McEntyre, Marilyn Beauty in the Word: Rethinking the Foundations of Education Another Sort of Learning: Schall S.J., Fr. James V. The average college student today (Scriptorium Philosophia Substack) Midnight Maxims: Dalrymple, Theodore The Quotable Chesterton: The Wit and Wisdom of G.K. Chesterton: Belmonte, Kevin The Power of the Word Project  How Romantics and Victorians Organized Information: Commonplace Books, Scrapbooks, and Albums The Real Crisis in Humanities Isn't Happening at College  My unread books remind me I'm running out of time (just in time for Lent) The Bookseller of Florence: The Story of the Manuscripts That Illuminated the Renaissance iCatholic Mobile The Station of the Cross Merchandise - Use Coupon Code 14STATIONS for 10% off | Catholic to the Max Read Fr. McTeigue's Written Works! "Let's Take A Closer Look" with Fr. Robert McTeigue, S.J. | Full Series Playlist Listen to Fr. McTeigue's Preaching! | Herald of the Gospel Sermons Podcast on Spotify Visit Fr. McTeigue's Website | Herald of the Gospel Questions? Comments? Feedback? Ask Father!

It’s Not Too Late for Our Culture, Is It? (Jaspreet Singh Boparai) 4/10/25

We welcome Jaspreet Singh Boparai to the show to discuss recent cultural and religious conferences in London, the decline of meaningful engagement in modern society, and the urgent need for cultivating truly transformative Catholic intellectual and artistic renewal.  Show Notes Prayer and Pikachu in London | Jaspreet Singh Boparai | The Critic Magazine The Lamp Magazine | Cristina Campo A Brief History of Our Annihilation - Crisis Magazine The Unforgivable: And Other Writings by Cristina Campo  Resistance Writer by Robert McTeigue | Touchstone: A Journal of Mere Christianity iCatholic Mobile The Station of the Cross Merchandise - Use Coupon Code 14STATIONS for 10% off | Catholic to the Max Read Fr. McTeigue's Written Works! "Let's Take A Closer Look" with Fr. Robert McTeigue, S.J. | Full Series Playlist Listen to Fr. McTeigue's Preaching! | Herald of the Gospel Sermons Podcast on Spotify Visit Fr. McTeigue's Website | Herald of the Gospel Questions? Comments? Feedback? Ask Father!

Let’s Take a Closer Look: Who Needs the Real World?

Ever felt like philosophy is disconnected from the "real world"? Fr. Robert McTeigue challenges that assumption and reveals how the true, the good, and the beautiful are more real than the chaos we're sold. Watch on YouTube: Who Needs the Real World?  

Blood Libel Against Canadian Catholics (Gary Isbell) 4/8/25

We welcome Gary Isbell to shed light on the supposed mass graves at Canadian Catholic schools, and how it has now been shown that they don't exist. Churches were burned and vandalized without cause, and no apology has been given. Father finishes with Timely Thoughts. Show Notes Four Years, $320 Million and Zero Bodies: The Mystery of the "Graves" at Canada's Kamloops School - The American TFP First indigenous nun at Canadian school contradicts anti-Catholic 'mass grave' narrative Are you guilty of informational littering? Do we need a review of Church teaching on reputation and slander? iCatholic Mobile The Station of the Cross Merchandise - Use Coupon Code 14STATIONS for 10% off | Catholic to the Max Read Fr. McTeigue's Written Works! "Let's Take A Closer Look" with Fr. Robert McTeigue, S.J. | Full Series Playlist Listen to Fr. McTeigue's Preaching! | Herald of the Gospel Sermons Podcast on Spotify Visit Fr. McTeigue's Website | Herald of the Gospel Questions? Comments? Feedback? Ask Father!

Let’s Take a Closer Look: Pray More, Pray Better, Or...?

Fr. Robert McTeigue, S.J. challenges the common question 'How can I pray better?' and invites us to ask something deeper: 'How can I pray always?' Discover the heart of a true prayer life—and why it's not just about set times but living in the presence of God. Watch on YouTube: Pray More, Pray Better, Or...?

The Socially Acceptable Addiction (Fr. Robert McTeigue, S.J.) 4/4/25

In today's episode of Let's Talk About This, Fr. McTeigue explores how our addiction to our phones is affecting our culture, our relationships, and our souls. Father finishes with Weekend Readiness to prepare you for the upcoming Sunday Mass. Show Notes Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains: Carr, Nicholas Redeemed Vision: Setting the Blind Free from the Pornified Culture The Death Of Christian Culture - Angelus Press Restoration Of Christian Culture - Angelus Press The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future(Or, Don 't Trust Anyone Under 30) The Dumbest Generation Grows Up: From Stupefied Youth to Dangerous Adults iCatholic Mobile The Station of the Cross Merchandise - Use Coupon Code 14STATIONS for 10% off | Catholic to the Max Read Fr. McTeigue's Written Works! "Let's Take A Closer Look" with Fr. Robert McTeigue, S.J. | Full Series Playlist Listen to Fr. McTeigue's Preaching! | Herald of the Gospel Sermons Podcast on Spotify Visit Fr. McTeigue's Website | Herald of the Gospel Questions? Comments? Feedback? Ask Father!

Is Catholic Music a Big Scam? (Michael Hichborn) 4/3/25

We welcome back Michael Hichborn of the Lepanto Institute to explain how so many of the hymnals at Catholic parishes are produced by companies that are not Catholic and are opposed to Church doctrine. Are the music choices at your parish undermining worship and funding the Church's enemies? Show Notes The Hymnal Industrial Complex - The Lepanto Institute Sing Like a Catholic (Book) Why Johnny Can't Sing Hymns: How Pop Culture Rewrote the Hymnal (Book) What Many Priests No Longer Believe - Homiletic & Pastoral Review The Problem With "Mary Did You Know" New Liturgical Movement: Fons et Culmen Sacred Liturgy Summit - July 1–4, Menlo Park, California  Elevating Worship: Christendom College Unveils Liturgical Training Program - Adoremus  Centenary of the Motu Proprio Tra Le Sollecitudini | EWTN iCatholic Mobile The Station of the Cross Merchandise - Use Coupon Code 14STATIONS for 10% off | Catholic to the Max Read Fr. McTeigue's Written Works! "Let's Take A Closer Look" with Fr. Robert McTeigue, S.J. | Full Series Playlist Listen to Fr. McTeigue's Preaching! | Herald of the Gospel Sermons Podcast on Spotify Visit Fr. McTeigue's Website | Herald of the Gospel Questions? Comments? Feedback? Ask Father!  

Let’s Take a Closer Look: Are We Christians Stuck on Stupid?

Can we try God's patience with our own stubbornness? Father Robert McTeigue confronts the painful reality of human folly, drawing from Scripture, St. John Chrysostom, and personal reflection. He challenges us to examine our hearts, heed Christ's warnings, and recognize that rejecting divine truth leads to ruin. Watch on YouTube: Are We Christians Stuck on Stupid?  

Are We Running Out of Catholics? (Eric Sammons) 4/1/25

We welcome back Eric Sammons to talk about the demographic crisis that is happening in the Catholic Church, and especially in America. If the numbers show decline, why is our model not changing, and how should we proceed? Father finishes with Timely Thoughts. Show Notes The "New Evangelization" Has Officially Failed. – Padre Peregrino Crossroads -- Religion trends are full of puzzles 12 Proposals For Catholic Renewal In a Post-Institution Age - Catholic Missionary Disciples - College Station, TX  Not Even AI Can Save Us Now - Crisis Magazine No Church for Young Men - Crisis Magazine iCatholic Mobile The Station of the Cross Merchandise - Use Coupon Code 14STATIONS for 10% off | Catholic to the Max Read Fr. McTeigue's Written Works! "Let's Take A Closer Look" with Fr. Robert McTeigue, S.J. | Full Series Playlist Listen to Fr. McTeigue's Preaching! | Herald of the Gospel Sermons Podcast on Spotify Visit Fr. McTeigue's Website | Herald of the Gospel Questions? Comments? Feedback? Ask Father!  

Let’s Take a Closer Look: Scandal - Catholics Getting Mary Wrong

Many Catholics unknowingly misunderstand Mary, even while claiming to honor her. In this episode, Fr. McTeigue breaks down the theological errors in pop culture's portrayal of Mary—especially the song Mary, Did You Know?—and he explores what the Church actually teaches about the Immaculate Conception, Incarnation, and Assumption. Watch on YouTube instead:  Scandal: Catholics Getting Mary Wrong