Pope Francis’ critics are dividing the church. Ep. 148

Anyone who is familiar with “Catholic Twitter” or dives into the
comments section of Catholic publications knows there are some ugly
fights happening between Catholics on the internet—especially about
Pope Francis. But is this just a social media phenomenon? This
week’s guest doesn’t think so. Mike Lewis believes the pope’s most
strident, reactionary critics are not just a fringe to be ignored
or dismissed but an influential faction that is dividing the church
and families. We talk to Mike about witnessing his own mother
become convinced that Pope Francis was a heretic and how that
affected his family and his faith. We ask why this pope has
inspired such fierce opposition and what can bishops and the people
in the pews do to promote unity within the church. In Signs of the
Times, Pope Francis will sign a new encyclical on human fraternity,
titled “Fratelli tutti,” on Oct. 3 at the tomb of St. Francis
Assisi. Zac and Ashley discuss what solidarity means during (and
after) the pandemic and what the document might say to young
Catholics. Next, should your priest tell you how to vote? With the
2020 presidential race kicking into high gear, some Catholic
leaders are publicly endorsing the candidates. We discuss what U.S.
law and church teaching say about political advocacy from the
pulpit.  We are so excited to be back in your feeds and are
ready to dive into the big stories in the church and the world that
are coming this fall. We cannot do this work without your support,
whether that’s becoming a member of our Patreon community, leaving
a review on Apple podcasts or telling your friends and family about
the show.  Links from the show Pope Francis’ critics are
dividing the church and families—including mine Where Peter Is Pope
Francis will sign new encyclical on human fraternity at the tomb of
St. Francis of Assisi Explainer: Can a priest or a member of a
religious order publicly endorse a political candidate? What’s on
tap? Stiegl Radler Learn more about your ad choices. Visit
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