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Glad You Asked

U.S. Catholic
Glad You Asked
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  • #77: Luis Campos Ribeiro - Should Catholics consult their horoscopes?
    The belief that the movement of heavenly bodies shapes or predicts events has been around for thousands of years and can be found in many ancient cultures. Even today, some people look to their horoscopes when seeking insight on life decisions. Others read their horoscopes just for fun, without really believing in astrology, or using it to make serious choices. Still others would never dream of reading their horoscopes, viewing this as a form of divination or witchcraft which could open the door to demonic forces. The Catechism of the Catholic Church lists astrology among other divination practices (including conjuring the dead, palm reading, and recourse to mediums) that Catholics should avoid. Pope Francis reminded the faithful to cling to Jesus, not horoscopes or fortunetellers, for security in life. But do these warnings refer to all uses of astrology? What about people who read their horoscopes for fun, or look to the positions of the celestial bodies when planning agricultural practices like planting crops or pruning fruit trees?  On this episode of Glad You Asked, the hosts talk to historian Luis Campos Ribeiro about the origins of astrology, how Christianity has regarded it over the centuries, and what the Catholic Church teaches today about looking to the stars for guidance. Ribeiro is a historian of art and of science, with a focus on astrology, astronomy and their connections to art in the Medieval and Early Modern eras. He has a doctorate degree in History and Philosophy of Sciences from the University of Lisbon, and has written multiple articles, and two books, including Jesuit Astrology: Prognostication and Science in Early Modern Culture (Brill). Learn more about this topic and read some of Campos Ribeiro’s work in these links. “Should Catholics consult their horoscopes?” by Kathleen Manning “Cling to the Lord, not horoscopes, fortunetellers, pope says,” by Junno Arocho “Nautical astrology: a forgotten early modern tradition,” by Luis Campos Ribeiro Jesuit Astrology: Prognostication and Science in Early Modern Culture, by Luis Campos Ribeiro “What are the ancient origins of your zodiac sign?” by Catherine Caruso “The Meaning of Coincidence,” by Edward Tverdek Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries USA, a congregation of Catholic priests and brothers who live and work with the most vulnerable among us. To learn more, visit claretians.org.
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  • #76: Leo Guardado - What happened to the Catholic tradition of sanctuary?
    The tradition of churches as places of refuge for those in fear of the law goes back centuries. It figures in several popular stories set in the Middle Ages, including The Hunchback of Notre Dame (both the novel and the Disney film), and the legend of the outlaw Robin Hood. In the nineteenth century, in the United States, enslaved people sometimes took refuge in churches. Later, in the twentieth century, people escaping the draft occasionally did so as well. The tradition has endured into the twentieth century, with immigrants and refugees in the United States turning to churches for sanctuary.  In fact, in 2011, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) sent their officers a memo, telling them to avoid arresting people in "sensitive locations" such as churches, schools, and hospitals. Now, however, the role of churches as sanctuaries has become uncertain, as the current administration has stripped churches and schools of those immigration enforcement protections.  On this episode of Glad You Asked, the hosts talk with theologian Leo Guardado about the origin and significance of the sanctuary church tradition, the legal status of sanctuary churches, and whether the magisterium of the Catholic Church officially supports this longstanding tradition. Guardado has a personal connection to this topic, as he escaped the civil war in El Salvador as a child. He has worked ecumenically in the borderlands in defense of migrant communities, and is the author of numerous articles and two books, including Church as Sanctuary: Reconstructing Refuge in an Age of Forced Displacement (Orbis Books) You can learn more about this topic, and read some of Guarddado’s work, in these links. The Sanctuary Movement Church as Sanctuary: Reconstructing Refuge in an Age of Forced Displacement, by Leo Guardado (Orbis Books) “Churches have a long history of being safe havens — for immigrants and others,” by BIll Chappell “4 steps to becoming a Catholic sanctuary church,” by Melissa Walker “What the Birth of the Sanctuary Movement Teaches Us Today,” by Kyle Paoletta “Social Justice — Catholic Churches and Hospitals as Sanctuaries and Places of Refuge,” by Brian Kane, PhD Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries USA, a congregation of Catholic priests and brothers who live and work with the most vulnerable among us. To learn more, visit claretians.org.
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  • #75: Jack Downey - Does the church support civil disobedience?
    Catholics have frequently taken a stand against civil authorities, even breaking the law, to remain true to their faith.  The early martyrs refused to worship the Roman gods and were murdered for it. Saints have stood up against oppressive authorities, helped the innocent escape unjust laws, and held onto their faith even when it was illegal. Catholics were murdered for opposing the Nazi regime, and persecuted for their work in civil rights. Many Catholics who grew up with stories of these heroes of faith and justice took away the implicit lesson: Sometimes being a follower of Jesus means breaking the law.  If these stories count as instances of civil disobedience, does that mean civil disobedience has a place in the Catholic tradition? Does the official magisterium of the church have any teachings supporting–or critiquing–civil disobedience? What is civil disobedience, anyway?  To answer these questions, the Glad You Asked hosts talked to Jack Downey, a scholar of civil disobedience who is also the John Henry Newman Professor of Roman Catholic Studies and a professor of religion and classics at the University of Rochester.  Downey’s scholarship focuses on contemporary justice movements, liberation theology, religious history, and contemplative traditions. He is the author of The Bread of the Strong, a study of contemplative influences on Dorothy Day and the Catholic Worker movement. You can learn more about this topic, and read some of Downey’s work, in these links. “We are all called to protest, says this civil rights lawyer,” A U.S. Catholic interview “Holy disobedience,” by Jim Forest “Traditional Disobedience: Renewing the Legacy of Catholic Activism,” by John Gehring “The Unlikely Catholic Activist Who Believed in Civil Disobedience ‘Animated by Love’,” by John Loughery “A Metaphor for the Planet,” by Jack Downey The Bread of the Strong: Lacouturisme and the Folly of the Cross, 1910-1985, by Jack Downey (Fordham University Press, 2015) Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries USA, a congregation of Catholic priests and brothers who live and work with the most vulnerable among us. To learn more, visit claretians.org.
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  • Coming Soon: Season 7 of Glad You Asked
    Over the past 75 episodes, the Glad You Asked podcast has addressed dozens of your top questions about Catholic history, scripture, and theology. The hosts have posed questions like: Do dogs go to heaven? Was Jesus a refugee? And should Catholics use AI? And dozens of teachers, theologians, activists, and scholars have joined the show to share their expertise on these and other most-searched queries about Catholicism.  On October 3, 2025, Glad You Asked is coming back with even more answers to all your burning questions. Questions to look forward to in the upcoming season include: Should Catholics read their horoscopes? Can Catholics be anarchists? And what does the church teach about civil disobedience? And the season will close with a special three-part season finale about Mary, the Mother of God. Sign up for updates at USCatholic.org/gyapodcast. Or subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Glad You Asked is sponsored by the USA-Canada province of the Claretian Missionaries, a congregation that tends to the religious and pastoral needs of vulnerable communities. To find out more and get involved please visit www.claretians.org.   
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  • #74: Dean Dettloff – What is a Jubilee Year?
    In February of 1300, Pope Boniface VIII, in the papal bull Antiquorum Habet Fida Relatio, declared the first-ever Catholic Jubilee Year. Anyone who made a pilgrimage to the tombs of the Apostles Peter and Paul in Rome, and who repented and confessed, would receive “the fullest and broadest pardon for all sins committed,” Boniface proclaimed. One of the thousands of pilgrims who journeyed to Rome that year was the painter Giotto, who created a fresco commemorating the event. Another was the poet Dante Alighieri, who references the Jubilee in his Divine Comedy—ironically, this appears in Canto 18 of Inferno, where he compares the movement of the damned along the eighth circle of hell to the Roman method of traffic control during the Jubilee.  The jubilee tradition goes back far further, however, originating in Judaism, before Christianity had even begun. In the Israelite tradition, the jubilee was associated with things like forgiving debts, freeing enslaved people, and other concrete gestures of material justice. In the Catholic tradition, however, the Jubilee focuses not on debt forgiveness but on forgiveness of sins.  On this episode of Glad You Asked, the hosts talk with scholar Dean Dettloff about the origins of the Jubilee Year, its significance in the Catholic tradition, and whether there is any likelihood that the Catholic Jubilee will recover its ancient tradition of concrete liberation. Dettloff is the Research and Advocacy Officer for Development and Peace–Caritas Canada. He holds a PhD in philosophy from the Institute for Christian Studies in Toronto and the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, where he also teaches as sessional faculty. You can learn more about this topic, and read some of Dettloff’s work, in these links.  What Is a Holy Year? HISTORY “This Jubilee year, be open to the gift of hope,” by Alice Camille This Jubilee year, be open to the gift of hope - U.S. Catholic “Take action against mass incarceration this Jubilee year,” by Alessandra Harris Take action against mass incarceration this Jubilee year - U.S. Catholic “Canada must lead global debt cancellation, like it did 25 years ago,” by Dean Detloff Canada must lead global debt cancellation, like it did 25 years ago - The Hill Times “Mourning a Pope We Often Ignored,” by Dean Detloff Mourning a Pope We Often Ignored | Sojourners “A May Day Saint,” by Dean Detloff A May Day Saint | Commonweal Magazine Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries.  
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About Glad You Asked

Have you ever had a question about Catholicism that you couldn’t find an easy answer to? Or a question about a teaching or tradition that seemed to have five different answers, none of them satisfactory? Or maybe you even had a question you felt you weren’t allowed to ask. The new podcast from U.S. Catholic, Glad You Asked, may be just what you are looking for. Join U.S. Catholic editors Emily Sanna and Rebecca Bratten Weiss as they explore the questions about Catholicism that don't have easy answers.
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