Glad You Asked

For Catholics seeking accurate information about the church's teachings on sex ethics, the internet can be a perilous place. One might get plenty of opinions from influencers, and far more personal information about people's sex lives than one bargained for—but not so much accurate source-based content on Catholic teaching. Some influencers have even told women that the church says they have to have sex with their husbands whenever their husbands want it, regardless of their own feelings. Clearly, this is a coercive and dangerous approach to sex and relationships. 
 
Yet the Catholic Church does view sex as important in marriage. Canon law even states that a marriage isn't valid without consummation. But does that mean sex is, in some sense, obligatory? What about if one partner doesn't want it? What do we make of the marriage of Mary and Joseph? And what makes sex so important anyway?
 
On this episode of Glad You Asked, guest Kate Ott talks about the role of sex in a Catholic marriage, and what goes into a healthy sex ethic. Ott is a professor of Christian Ethics at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary outside of Chicago, as well as an author and religious education curriculum designer. Her books include Sex + Faith: Talking with your Child from Birth to Adolescence (Westminster John Knox Press) and Sex, Tech and Faith: Ethics for a Digital Age (Eerdmanns).
 
Learn more about this topic using these links.
 
Sex + Faith: Talking with Your Child from Birth to Adolescence, by Kate Ott
 
"Does Catholic rhetoric about sex line up with reality?" by Don Clemmer
 
"It's time to wrestle with church teaching on sex. Here's how." by Don Clemmer
 
"The harmful myth of the 'marriage debt'," by Mindy Robinson
 
"Marriage prep programs are failing some Catholic couples," by Jenn Morson
 
"Canon law on marriage and annulments needs updating," by H. L. Norwich

On October 7, 2023, militant pro-Palestinian groups carried out a series of attacks on Jewish Israelis, during the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah. In response, Israel launched a large-scale military operation in Gaza, which has escalated into a humanitarian disaster that the United Nations and other organizations are terming a genocide. 
Almost three years later, as violence continues in Palestine and Israel, many people want to understand the conflict but aren't sure where to begin. Some Catholics worry they'll say the wrong thing or don't know enough to contribute meaningfully. Others wonder what responsibility they have to pay attention to a conflict happening half a world away.
This episode of Glad You Asked offers historical context and explores why Catholics have a moral stake in what is happening. The hosts speak with scholars Jordan Denari Duffner and Julie Schumacher Cohen about the history of Israel-Palestine, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and how Catholics can approach this moment understanding both the historical context and the demands of Catholic social teaching.
Denari Duffner is a Catholic theologian, author, and professor whose work centers on Muslim-Christian relations, interreligious dialogue, Islamophobia, and Israel-Palestine. Schumacher Cohen is a doctoral PhD candidate in political science at Temple University, who focuses on religion and politics, and has long been involved in Israel-Palestine peacebuilding and advocacy. They are co-authors of the book, Palestine, Israel, and Catholic Social Teaching, forthcoming from Orbis Books in fall 2026.
Learn more about this topic in these links. 
"Our Catholic faith demands that we confront Islamophobia," a U.S. Catholic interview
"Christian antisemitism is not a thing of the past," by Megan Clark
"Reflections on human dignity in Israel and Palestine," by Joseph Antoniello
"The Voice of Hind Rajab calls us to confront reality in Gaza," by Julie Schumacher Cohen
"The fate of a soccer field points to the reality of life on the West Bank," by Kevin Clarke
 
This episode is sponsored by Catholic Relief Services. In Gaza and beyond, Catholic Relief Services works with the local Church and trusted partners—serving communities of all faiths with compassion and care. Learn more at crs.org.

History and literature are full of dramatic stories involving deathbed conversions and the administering of what is often called last rites. So perhaps it's understandable that many people, when they think of the sacrament of anointing the sick, assume it is something reserved for those who are gravely ill or injured, or on the brink of death. Alternatively, they might imagine that the purpose of the sacrament is to pray for a miraculous healing. 
 
The sacrament of anointing the sick is called a sacrament of healing—but so is the sacrament of reconciliation. So what Is anointing the sick primarily about? Is it intended to cure people? Is it only for those in danger of imminent death?
 
On this episode of Glad You Asked, theologian LaRyssa D. Herrington talks to the hosts about the significance and purpose of this widely-misunderstood sacrament. Herrington recently completed her doctoral studies in Systematic Theology and Liturgical Studies at the University of Notre Dame. She is the author and co-author of several peer-reviewed articles and has written popular articles for the National Catholic Reporter and here at U.S. Catholic. 
 
Learn more about the topic using these links. 



"Why do Catholics anoint the sick?" by Anne McGowan
 
"The church must listen to disability justice advocates," by Allison Connelly-Vetter
 
"Disabled Catholics deserve more than parish accessibility," by Madison Chastain
 
"Should we celebrate more sacraments at Mass?" by John Kyler
 
"Why did God choose Mary?" by LaRyssa Herrington

Recent polls indicate that feelings of patriotism are at an all-time low in the United States. This is especially the case for younger Americans, who are less likely than their older counterparts to describe themselves as patriotic, and less inclined to participate in displays of patriotism. On one hand this is nothing new: According to a Pew Research Center study, the generational divide has played a role in whether a person identifies as patriotic since at least 2003. And, as Sara Pequeño pointed out in an article for USA Today, boomers who call themselves patriots today were once "protesting the Vietnam War by marching in the streets and burning American flags."
 
This also comes at a time when religious affiliation is on the wane. And the discussion around patriotism in the United States is tangled up in ideas about faith, God, and divine will. For instance, one PRRI poll found that 44% of people surveyed think God has granted the United States a special role in human history. 
 
But is this what patriotism means? How should people of faith think about their obligations to their country? 
 
On this episode of Glad You Asked, the hosts talk to religion scholar and public intellectual Dr. Lewis Brogdon, who was recently appointed executive director of JustFaith Ministries. Brogdon has also served in leadership and teaching roles in various academic institutions, and is a regular contributor to a number of publications and the author of several books, most recently The Gospel Beyond the Grave: Toward a Black Theology of Hope (Wipf and Stock Publishers).
 
You can learn more about this topic, and read some of Brogdon's work, in these links.  



"True patriotism is about building bridges, not walls," by Mark Shea
 
"Teach kids the complicated truth about American heroes," by Kathleen Bonnette
 
"Any religion allied with nationalism is dangerous," by Stephen Schneck
 
"Christians Can Be Bad Neighbors? Reflections on Luke 10:25-37 and My Visit to the United Nations," by Lewis Brogdon
 
"Can justice movements lose their soul?" by Lewis Brogdon
 
"Why most bow," by Lewis Brogdon

According to the USCCB's voting guide, Catholics are called to "stand with newcomers, authorized and unauthorized, including unaccompanied immigrant children, refugees and asylum-seekers, those unnecessarily detained, and victims of human trafficking." This directive is in line with the church's longstanding emphasis on immigrant rights, and the ancient mandate to "welcome the stranger," a core value for Christianity and a sacred obligation in many pre-Christian societies.
 
What this means when it comes to the nuts and bolts of policy, however, is a matter many Catholics debate. At a time when the federal government has been removing protections for immigrant groups, barring immigrants from entering the nation, and promising to deport immigrants en masse, the debate is pressingly relevant. 
 
What does the church have to say about deportation? Is there an official Catholic stance on the matter?
 
On this episode of Glad You Asked, the hosts talk with moral theologian Therese Cory about whether the Catholic Church condemns deportation. Cory is a professor of Thomistic Studies at Notre Dame as well as director of the Jacques Maritain Center and its associated History of Philosophy Forum. Her scholarship focuses on medieval theories of mind, cognition, and personhood, with special focus on the thought of Thomas Aquinas. 
 
Learn more about this topic, and read some of Cory's writing, in these links.
 
"7 things the Catholic Church teaches about immigration," by Rebecca Bratten Weiss
 
"Migration should be a choice, not a necessity," by Antônio Lemos
 
"U.S. bishops unite to defend migrants—laypeople should, too," by Kevin Clarke
 
"Wyoming bishop's immigration letter puts faces to mass deportations," by Cassidy Klein
 
"How to Reason Prudentially about Immigration: A Reply to Feser," by Therese Cory
 
"Migrants and the Unborn: A Culture of Life Versus a Culture of Deterrence," by Therese Cory