Vatican ViewPoint: Recent Episodes
Radio Vaticana - Vatican News
Each week we explore a topic that cuts to the heart of the Church’s life in the world. Guests take us through themes that range from current events viewed from a Catholic perspective to the Pope’s ministry and high points in the liturgical year. Listen to our podcasts here: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/podcast.html - Podcast - Radio Vaticana - Vatican News
As Pope Francis departs on his Apostolic Journey to Mongolia, we get a glimpse of the tiny Catholic Church in the Asian nation and explore what the Pope could achieve with his presence. Listen to our podcasts here: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/podcast.html
As Russia’s war in Ukraine drags on causing widespread suffering, we explore the psychological trauma inflicted upon the country’s children and the hope and help that volunteers and charities are providing. Listen to our podcasts here: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/podcast.html
In the wake of the 37th World Youth Day, we get a taste of the joy and Christian fellowship that flowed from the international event in Lisbon and look ahead to WYD 2027 in South Korea. Listen to our podcasts here: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/podcast.html
As young pilgrims descend upon Lisbon for World Youth Day 2023, we explore how youthful excitement can deepen into a spiritual encounter with Christ, the Pope, and each other. Listen to our podcasts here: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/podcast.html
As young pilgrims begin their journey toward Lisbon for World Youth Day 2023, we explore the meaning of Christian pilgrimage and how people can take part from home. Listen to our podcasts here: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/podcast.html
As the Synod General Assembly inches closer, we explore the Instrumentum Laboris, or “working document”, with a Cardinal, an Undersecretary and a delegate from Switzerland, and link the Synod to the upcoming World Youth Day in Lisbon. Listen to our podcasts here: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/podcast.html
As challenges to good communication multiply along with technological advances, we explore the mission of Catholics to spread the Good News of Christ using every means at our disposal. Listen to our podcasts here: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/podcast.html
Canadian artist Timothy Schmalz shares the inspiration that led to his most-recent massive bronze sculpture—entitled “Let the Oppressed Go Free”—a project Pope Francis has blessed to fight the scourge of human trafficking. Listen to our podcasts here: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/podcast.html
Following the release of the WUCWO-sponsored documentary “In-Visibles”, we hear the voices and witness the strength of African women who have forged a life for themselves with the help of other women. Listen to our podcasts here: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/podcast.html
With Pope Francis urging people to “speak with the heart”, we delve into the mystery of communicating the Catholic faith with the help of a comedian and a media expert. Listen to our podcasts here: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/podcast.html
The Vatican Dicastery for Communication (that’s us) receives a papal invitation to listen and not just broadcast, and several consultors offer thoughts on how best to bend the ear. Listen to our podcasts here: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/podcast.html
After Pope Francis’ 4-day visit to Bahrain, we delve into the meaning of interreligious dialogue with two Cardinals and two non-Catholics, and explore how the country offers a model of peaceful coexistence. Listen to our podcasts here: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/podcast.html
As the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences wraps up its first region-wide meeting, three Cardinals from the Philippines, India, and Myanmar talk about how the Catholic Bishops of Asia are setting out together on a path toward solidarity and peace. Listen to our podcasts here: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/podcast.html
Families are the building-blocks of both society and the Church, but we often take our own family for granted. Dr. Gregory and Lisa Popcak offer a simple way to let God shine in our ‘domestic church’, with a little help from Pope Francis. Listen to our podcasts here: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/podcast.html
As the academic year in Rome gets into full swing, we sit down with the new Rector of the Pontifical Gregorian University to learn about its nearly five centuries of theological service to future ministers at the heart of the Church. Listen to our podcasts here: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/podcast.html
As the Oblates of Mary Immaculate pick a new leadership team, we sit down with three OMI Generals to get an overview of the path forward for this Catholic missionary order spread across the globe. Listen to our podcasts here: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/podcast.html
Even good news on the battlefield means suffering and loss of life for real people, as Pope Francis, Fr. Pavlo Vyshkovskyi, and Msgr. Robert Vitillo recall amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. Listen to our podcasts here: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/podcast.html
After the Economy of Francesco event in Assisi, young economists and entrepreneurs share how they hope the event can turn back the tide of rising inequalities in various corners of the globe.
The 7th Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional religions wrapped up with a 35-point final common Declaration. In it, the leaders from over 60 countries and representing Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Shintoism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism and Hinduism, pledged to continue to walk the path of interreligious dialogue to do everything in their power to promote peace in a broken world.
Pope Francis’ presence in Kazakhstan provides an opportunity to get some non-Catholic perspectives on his power to encourage religions to work for peace. Listen to our podcasts here: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/podcast.html
As religious leaders including Pope Francis prepare to set off next week for Kazakhstan, we explore the tiny Catholic community of the Great (Eurasian) Steppe and how interreligious dialogue can drive efforts for peace across the world. Listen to our podcasts here: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/podcast.html
Nearly 200 Cardinals from across the globe meet with the Pope to talk about reforming the Roman Curia and how synodality can help keep Vatican offices focused on evangelizing rather than navel-gazing. Listen to our podcasts here: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/podcast.html
As Ukraine marks its Independence Day and six months of devastating war, Pope Francis again joins other Church and world leaders in calling for peace, especially for innocent civilians who suffer the most. Listen to our podcasts here: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/podcast.html
As the Church in Nigeria prepares to receive a fourth red hat from the Pope, Cardinal-designate Peter Okpaleke looks back over the rocky road that led him to the College of Cardinals and ahead to the future of his nation. Listen to our podcasts here: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/podcast.html
As the Consistory for the creation of new Cardinals approaches in late August, Cardinal-elect Arthur Roche tells how he learned Pope Francis would create him a Cardinal while performing a little domestic maintenance. Listen to our podcasts here: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/podcast.html
Following Pope Francis’ Apostolic Journey to Canada and apology to indigenous peoples regarding residential schools, the local Church faces the lengthy process of walking together along the road toward reconciliation and healing. Listen to our podcasts here: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/podcast.html
Pope Francis has traveled to Canada and apologized for the role of many Christians and local Church institutions in running residential schools, which caused untold suffering to indigenous children and families for over a century. Several survivors of those boarding schools share their thoughts on the path forward in healing and reconciliation. Listen to our podcasts here: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/podcast.html
St. Teresa of Calcutta spent her life in service to the poor and abandoned, yet some criticized her for not doing enough to address the root causes of poverty. Jim Towey, a confidant of Mother Teresa, offers his take on the woman known as “the saint of the gutters”. Listen to our podcasts here: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/podcast.html
The Catholic Church is talking about synodality in the run-up to the 2023 Synod of Bishops, so we jump on the bandwagon with a bishop and 3 lay people to figure out what that cryptic word might mean. Listen to our podcasts here: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/podcast.html
Despite having to postpone his visit to South Sudan, Pope Francis sent his Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin to share his closeness and concern, as the African nation seeks to walk the path of peace after years of civil strife. Listen to our podcasts here: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/podcast.html
In the wake of the US Supreme Court decided to strike down Roe v. Wade and return authority to elected legislators to pass laws on abortion, several Catholic leaders—Archbishop William Lori, Elizabeth Kirk, Margaret Hartshorn, and Julie Dumalet—sit down to discuss the Catholic Church’s next moves for promoting a culture of life in America. Listen to our podcasts here: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/podcast.html
As the Eternal City holds the 10th World Meeting of Families, Cardinal Kevin Farrell and Vincenzo Bassi offer an in-depth look at the Church’s special care for the smallest unit of society. Listen to our podcasts here: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/podcast.html
Timothy Schmalz, a Canadian artist, describes his new Life Monument sculpture and the power of beauty to help people consider other viewpoints, even if they don’t agree with them. Listen to our podcasts here: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/podcast.html
As Pope Francis’ Apostolic Constitution ‘Praedicate Evangelium’ takes effect, Dr. Donald Prudlo explains the history and purpose of the Roman Curia, the Catholic Church’s central administrative body. Listen to our podcasts here: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/podcast.html
As Catholics in Germany meet up for the first ‘Katholikentag’ in 4 years, Marc Frings and Oliver Putz discuss how German Catholic Conventions celebrate the faith and advocate for justice in related issues like climate change. Listen to our podcasts here: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/podcast.html
As a Vatican delegation wraps up an official visit to war-torn Ukraine, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher is joined by the president of Caritas Ukraine to highlight the Church’s work to apply the balm of hope to the wounds of people suffering from Russia’s grinding invasion. Listen to our podcasts here: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/podcast.html
Saint Charles de Foucauld dreamed of founding a Catholic religious community to help in his mission to bring Jesus to the Tuareg people in Algeria. But he was murdered in 1916 before anyone joined him. Sister Claire Nicole explores whether the French saint’s life really was a failure, or if his radical desire to follow Christ left a mark on others. Listen to other Vatican Radio podcasts here: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/podcast.html
Catholic journalism—and journalism in general—is under threat from authoritarian regimes across the globe which try to put out their own version of the facts. St. Titus Brandsma offers a shining example of the duty of reporters to speak truth to power, even when facing the threat of death. Caroline Weijers, the Dutch Ambassador to the Holy See, explores her compatriot’s martyrdom in a Nazi death camp as a model of Catholic journalism, even for our own time. Listen to other Vatican Radio podcasts here: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/podcast.html
The Ukrainian town of Berehove on the border with Hungary is where families say farewell: the mothers and children driving to safety in Europe, the men of conscription age turning back to fight the Russian invasion. Barbara Piazza-Georgi sits down with Linda Bordoni to discuss how the Sovereign Order of Malta Hungary is present in Berehove offering solidarity, help and hope. Listen to other Vatican Radio podcasts here: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/podcast.html
During this past weekend, over 300 Missionaries of Mercy from around the world gathered in Rome to pray and reflect with Pope Francis on their ministry and celebrate together Divine Mercy Sunday in St. Peter's Basilica. The Pope then met with the Missionaries of Mercy the following morning to offer them his support and encouragement, saying their ministry is the one closest to his heart. Pope Francis created the role of the Missionaries of Mercy during the 2016 Jubilee of Mercy, a service that has continued since then and has been institutionalized in the new Apostolic Constitution on the Roman Curia, "Praedicate evangelium", under the section focusing on evangelization. Three Missionaries of Mercy from the US tell us about their unique ministry and the experience they've had over almost seven years now: Dominican Fr. David Caron, Director of Spiritual Outreach for the charitable organization Cross Catholic Outreach, together with Msgr. Ted Bertagni and Fr. Bernard Olszewski, who also serve at Cross Catholic Outreach. Listen to other Vatican Radio podcasts here: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/podcast.html
Most media coverage of war overlooks an important aspect of military service: the spiritual needs of soldiers. Father Andriy Zelinskyy, SJ, the chief military chaplain of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, sits down with Benedict Mayaki to discuss how Catholic priests are ministering to Ukraine’s troops, some of whom seen their lives change from being electricians to facing down bullets and rockets. Listen to other Vatican Radio podcasts here: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/podcast.html
After Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine forced millions from their homes, refugees are seeking shelter in neighboring nations and western Ukrainian regions. Győri-Dani Lajos, the CEO and Executive Vice President for the Sovereign Order of Malta in Hungary, talks to Devin Watkins about why many Ukrainians don’t want to wander too far from home and how humanitarian agencies are helping them. Listen to other Vatican Radio podcasts here: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/podcast.html