Catholic Answers LIVE
Catholic Answers Live, hosted by Cy Kellett, is a daily, two-hour radio program dedicated to Catholic apologetics and evangelization. According to listener surveys, it is a runaway favorite on Catholic stations across America.
As a call-in program, Catholic Answers Live connects listeners to prominent leaders in the Church today—including scholars, nuns, priests, bishops, and cardinals—and touches on every aspect of our lives as Christians. You'll hear discussions on just about everything relating to the Church: doctrinal controversies, family concerns, social issues, evangelization, ethics…you name it!
Catholic Answers Live airs every Monday through Friday from 6-8 PM Eastern (3-4 PM Pacific) on over 360 AM and FM stations in the United States, Sirius Satellite Radio channel 130, and through the Internet at catholic.com. If you can't listen live, you can subscribe to our podcast or download individual shows from our MP3 archive.
Call in with your question at 1-888-31-TRUTH!
Most Recent Episodes
Questions covered:
16:25 – How do you answer a trans or gay person who tries to justify their lifestyle by saying “God made me this way”?
37:46 – I want to thank Jason for tweeting about St. Bernadette’s church in Scottsdale years ago. It’s what got me to go back to Mass.
41:44 – Do you think we as Catholics need to separate boys and girls at school more?
44:25 – I became promiscuous because I was Mad at God. How does someone deal with the pain and anger?
49:45 – I’d like to share how I overcame my desires when a priest in the confessional gave me the chastity prayer of St. Augustine.
52:31 – As a father of young girls, how can I tell them that not liking stereotypically feminine things isn’t a sign that they’re actually boys?
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Questions Covered:
01:55 – How could one know what statements are infallible? Why does it not matter that there isn’t a definitive record or list of infallible statements/teachings
06:27 – Is a hot dog a sandwich?
12:48 – Do the eastern churches that used to be eastern orthodox still use the eastern canon, or did they switch to the Catholic list of books. And if it did change their canon, how has that changed their liturgy or practice/their sacraments?
15:46 – One question that I’ve always pondered was, what would it have been like when the Blessed Mother first received the Eucharist? I can’t imagine what it would have been like for her and perhaps I may never be able to understand or imagine that.
17:35 – Dear Jimmy, I have one: Can Catholics believe in an atemporal fall? (Or a pre big-bang fall)? Thank you very much!
21:38 – Hi Jimmy, new Catholic here. Could you help me to understand in The Apostles Creed where it states that Jesus “descended into hell.” Still a little confused as to what that means. I’ve read several interpretations and can’t seem to find a consensus. Thanks! You’ve been a great help in my journey.
24:31 – What makes baptism in tongues different from baptism in water?
29:12 – How should we treat the angels named in ancient extra biblical sources like Enoch and Jubilees? I have been wary of and avoided interest in them after seeing their use in occult and esoteric connections? Is there any standing Catholic teaching on this topic? I have come across references to a 745 synod in Rome?
37:08 – Do atheists who willfully reject the existence of God and Christianity on strict philosophical/evidential grounds have a chance to be saved? If so, on what basis?
41:18 – We know that angels, both holy and fallen can materialize in a form on earth. Jacob, Lot, etc….If fallen angels do materialize as UAPs, why do they choose the form of a flying craft?…a craft can carry multiple individuals. Why materialize as a flying craft?
48:48 – Does reciting the Confiteor during Mass absolve us of venial sins, and if so, is it necessary to say the entire Confiteor for the absolution to be valid? One of our parish priests will sometimes skip over it, jumping straight into “May Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins …” Thank you for all that you do, Jimmy!
51:37 – Bible Question: How does one reconcile 1 John saying “If we say we have no sin, the truth is not in us” and also saying, “Those who are born of God do not sin.”
53:51 – I came across a claim recently that suggests Lazarus could actually be the Beloved Disciple from John’s gospel and the eyewitness source for the gospel. I wonder if you have heard this claim before and if so what are your thoughts on it.
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Questions Covered:
03:19 – How do we understand what Mary is doing for us, and how should this reflect in the language of our prayers? E.g. do we ask Mary directly for graces on the interpretation that God has given her authority to dispense these graces (& if so, how can we be confident this is accurate/appropriate), or do we ask Mary just to pray on our behalf for God to give us those graces? I guess the same question can apply to other saints too, like St. Anthony when we’re searching for lost things. Whether or not we ‘need’ to add extra words to make clear that we’re just asking them to pray for us, should we be mentally holding that concept? Or are there ways in which any saints (particularly Mary) can be known to actually dispense graces so we can just ask that saint for that grace directly without adding qualifiers about how what we’re requesting is for them to pray to God about this?
06:24 – Is bruschetta a valid appetizer?
10:24 – The possible prophet who predicted Trump being shot in the ear 4 months ago. Is this for real?
14:04 – How would you rebut the belief that the early church fell into idolatry immediately, e.g the Eucharist, and is heretical, and because Israel fell into idolatry immediately in the desert there’s a biblical pattern/ example for this
16:05 – I wish to have a more convincing answer for this question ¿What prevents us from believing that Catholicism is but a development of Christianity as understood by St. Paul, thus lacking validation since he was not a direct witness of Christ’s teachings? So far my faith-based answer is that 1) the 12 disciples were around and they would stop Paul if he was teaching false doctrine; 2) Peter acknowledges Paul’s wisdom even if he’s “hard to understand” (2 Pt 3,15-16); and 3) Jesus allowed the development of doctrine guided by the promised Holy Spirit. However, these reasons may not be enough for a non-believer: 1) the 12 might not be always auditing all of Paul’s letters; 2) being hard to understand in fact includes the risk of passing as true something that is not; and 3) teachings that do not contradict those of the Founder do not mean that were meant by the Founder. Thank you Jimmy. I like your apostolate a lot. Greetings from Panama. God bless you.
22:17 – I’m sure you’ve heard this one before, but I don’t know a good answer. If we assume (hopefully) that someone with invincible ignorance of the faith may receive God’s mercy and avoid Hell, is it possible we’re sending people to Hell by trying to evangelize them, knowing that they may in fact reject our attempt? Or, even worse, we are bad witnesses and we actually push them away from the faith? (The example I have heard applied to an Eskimo, but it could apply to anyone who is far removed from any church or believers.) Thanks again Jimmy. Peace be with you.
29:31 – I would love to know where the Tradition of the Assumption comes from. I was just baptized this last Easter, and though I am familiar with the teaching itself, I’m very fuzzy on why Christians believe this. If there is a scriptural basis we can turn to as well, I’d love to know it! Thanks for everything you do, Jimmy!
34:36 – To what degree should we take saints’ teachings and beliefs as Catholic doctrine? Both for topics involving our faith & for non-religious ones (e.g. thoughts on raising children). Thank you!
37:43 – Thanks Jimmy. I know this is a basic tenet of the faith, so I know I’m missing something: How did Jesus ‘save’ us? If he had not been incarnate, how would our lives be different? Or, say he was scheduled to arrive 100 years from now, instead of 2000 years ago? Would we not be able to be ‘saved’?
49:10 – Many religions and religious sects arise from a type of prophet or chosen one who begins to claim that the …
Questions Covered:
05:21 – How does the Church establish the dogma of the Immaculate Conception with so much of the Early Church not clearly defining it and even St. Thomas Aquinas being contrary to it?
14:35 – If a person dies and is cremated, can the remains be held in a sacred space or altar in a home?
18:16 – If the Jews are the chosen people, why not convert to Judaism?
22:44 – Is scripture a higher authority than tradition?
28:54 – I heard that fulfilling the conditions for an indulgence results in someone’s soul going to heaven. Is that true? Do I still need to pray for them?
32:12 – Is it true that once you confess your sins, they won’t be revealed on judgment day
36:00 – Vatican 2 states that anyone baptized validly is Christian and called brothers to those in the Catholic Church. Is this objective or subjective especially when compared to previous documents of the Church?
43:30 – Would a woman have to get a tubal ligation reversed to be in line with the Church?
44:12 – Why does Mary need to be without original sin to be able to say yes or no to God?
46:05 – My question is regarding latria/dulia and the distinction. Specifically the claim that in a religious context they are never separated or approved of for anyone other than God. the claim I heard also mentioned that this is because they come from the same root word in Hebrew.
50:04 – To what extent does the Church say that intrusive thoughts can be sinful?
51:44 – Are they referring to chattel slavery in Deut. 20:10-14?
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Questions Covered:
06:26 – Is belief in the Assumption and Immaculate Conception necessary for salvation?
14:03 – If saints are confirmed to be in heaven, is there any barrier to the Church canonizing non-Catholics who live good holy lives?
17:12 – Was John the Baptist born without original sin?
19:40 – If someone wants to join the Church it seems like they have to do so much unnecessary waiting to go through the RCIA process. Any thoughts on that?
24:21 – How is there room in heaven for us and the angels if God is infinite?
30:02 – Considering how the Orthodox don’t believe in the Immaculate Conception, does that mean they’re not saved?
??:?? – How do we reconcile Purgatory with the last judgment? It seems unfair for people who live till the last judgment and still have sins on their soul to be treated differently than those who died earlier and were purified.
42:25 – Is it hard for us to understand that we can go to hell for things like missing mass because we are not looking at it from God’s perspective?
47:40 – Do I have to believe something that a saint, like St. Thomas Aquinas, said?
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