Hours after white smoke announced Pope Leo XIV, Greg reflects on Cardinal Robert Prevost’s election as the first American pope. Exploring Leo XIV’s choice of name, traditional regalia, and call to “build bridges,” Greg sees hope for a pope who unites past and future, left and right, in a tumultuous…
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Habemus Papam! Why I’m Loyal to the Church Under Leo XIV (#334)
Dive into the wild Tartaria conspiracy and discover a deeper truth: modernity bulldozed a sacred way of life, but Catholicism holds the key to reclaiming it. Host Greg explores how cathedrals, G.K. Chesterton, and the Mass co...
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Tartaria or Catholicism? Rediscovering a Lost Civilization (#333)
In this episode, Greg Smith dives into Flannery O’Connor’s bold claim: “If it’s only a symbol, to hell with it.” Reflecting on his own conversion and a pivotal moment on Ireland’s Skellig Michael, Greg explores why the realit...
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Cosplay or Catholicism? Are Sacred Things Really Sacred? (#332)
What kind of pope does the Church need today? In this episode, Greg argues against the modern expectation of a charismatic, media-savvy “influencer” pope, reflecting on how John Paul II’s global brand set a new standard that ...
Greg dives into the Vatican politics shaping the 2025 papal conclave, revealing a 60-year fight for the Church’s soul between the Concilium and Communio visions born after Vatican II. While Concilium ’s openness to modern cul...
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Inside the Conclave: The 60-Year Fight Over the Church’s Vision (#330)
When Pope Francis’s funeral drew millions and the world’s eyes turned to Rome, it revealed something unique: only the Catholic Church has a global leader. In this episode, Greg explores why the papacy matters, how it holds Ch...
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One Church, One Leader: Why the Pope’s Funeral Stopped the World (#329)
Pope Francis' funeral will be held on Saturday, April 26, 2025 at St. Peter's Basilica. But he has chosen to be buried in another church, the Basilica of St. Mary Major on the Esquiline Hill in central Rome. This magnificent ...
Pope Francis passed away this morning. He was 88 years old and had served as the Holy Father 12 years. We pray for the repose of his soul and for the transition the Church will undergo in the weeks ahead. Greg shares some tho...
Two years ago, after a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, Greg described what insights into the Holy Week can be gained from visiting Jerusalem. Perhaps he'll lead a Considering Catholicism pilgrimage to Israel someday! (With Greg ...
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Holy Land (and Holy Week) Diary, Part 2: Jerusalem (#326)
Two years ago, after a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, Greg described what insights into the Gospel can be gained from seeing the Sea of Galilee firsthand. Perhaps he'll lead a Considering Catholicism pilgrimage to Israel someda...
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Holy Land Diary, Part 1: The Galilee Region (#325)
This was the 13th episode of Considering Catholicism, way back in 2022. Since then, the challenges to a biblical and Catholic understanding of the human person and the resurrection have grown more dramatic. Just one year ago,...
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From the Vault: Easter in a World Gone Trans? (#324)
What does it mean to be confirmed in the Catholic faith? Greg unpacks the sacrament of Confirmation, exploring its roots, its role in strengthening believers, and why it’s more than just a rite of passage. It's the Holy Spiri...
Is the world overpopulated, or are we facing a demographic free fall? In this episode, Greg and Ed dive into the startling reality of population collapse, debunking the overpopulation myth with hard numbers—like the critical ...
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The 2.3 Tipping Point: the Cost of Chasing Prosperity Over Purpose (#322)
Does the Catholic Church’s stance on contraception doom families to misery?Greg and Ed unpack whether the ban on birth control truly burdens households or if rejecting it has unleashed unexpected struggles in our modern world...
The Good Samaritan: just a call to help the needy? Explore a 2,000-year-old Catholic twist—Christ as rescuer, the Church as refuge. The road from Jerusalem to Jericho might lead to Rome, revealing salvation’s depth beyond mor...
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Road to Rome? A New Twist on a Familiar Tale (#320)
How can heaven be perfect if the things that bring us joy in this life are not there with us? For example, the one creature that God gave us capable of being man's best friend: how can I be happy in heaven without my dog who ...
Last week, those who have prepared to enter the Catholic Church at Easter attended the "Rite of Election" at their local cathedral. The "catechumens," those who will be baptized at Easter signed the "Book of the Elect" along ...
Catholic leaders—priests, bishops, even popes—sometimes share their opinions about various political issues. Some Catholics and those considering Catholicism often wonder, "Do I have to agree with them?" Greg and Ed ask wheth...
The Catholic Church is a universal community, transcending time, space, races, languages, nations. So can you be a faithful Catholic and still be patriotic, loyal to your own place, time, tribe, and nation? Greg and Ed discus...
Lent is a time of self-denial, which is a feature (not a bug) of ancient Christianity. It's a form of "asceticism," which Protestants and Evangelicals abandoned. Greg explains what asceticism is, and why sometimes telling our...
As Lent begins, it's time for the annual Lent-bashing on social media (particularly on X) by some Protestants and fundamentalist Evangelicals. Greg takes on the most common myths they drag out every year. Support this ministr...
Greg and Ed speculate about how the Catholic Church might (or might not) change whenever Pope Francis passes. Support this ministry so more people can consider Catholicism! Website: https://www.consideringcatholicism.com/ Ema...
Pope Francis has been in the hospital for a couple of weeks. We are praying for his recovery, but it raises the question: what happens when a pope passes? Greg and Ed talk about the process of papal transitions. Support this ...
In practice, most Protestants believe that after justification we are called to grow in sanctification through good works, which is the Catholic position. So, what's this whole faith vs. works controversy really about? Greg w...
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Faith or Works? Part 10: Is the Church a Real Thing? (#311)
