Meet the evangelical pastor who spoke with Pope Francis (twice). Ep 97

“Walk together, work together, love each other.” That is
how Pope Francis described the journey of building
Christian unity in the 21st century. Michael Rudzena is walking
that path as part of the John 17 Movement, an ecumenical group
dedicated to responding to the prayer of Jesus that “all who
believe in me be one.” Michael was born into a Catholic family that
eventually found a new spiritual home in the Baptist church. Today,
he is the founding pastor of Trinity Grace Church, a
non-denominational church in New York City, and is part of a group
of evangelical and Pentecostal faith leaders that has met with Pope
Francis to advance “a communion of friendship and love.”
We asked Michael about his encounter with the pope, the internal
diversity of the evangelical Christian community and the
misconceptions Catholics have about evangelicals (and vice versa).
In Signs of the Times, we say a prayer for Cardinal Daniel DiNardo,
the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, who
recently suffered a stroke, and discuss the cases of two bishops
removed from ministry over the handling of or involvement in sexual
misconduct. Next, we explore what the Catholic Church says about
vaccinating your children, break down which Catholic and Jesuit
schools will compete in this year’s NCAA men’s basketball
tournament and talk about the ways sacred spaces can be opened up
to the wider community. As always, we want to hear from you!
Joining our Facebook group is a great way to connect with
other listeners, discuss the Catholic news of the day and share
your own consolations and desolations. Also: If you can make it to
New York City on April 24, we are going to be celebrating our 100th
episode with a fantastic live event featuring Kirsten
Powers and James Martin, S.J. More details here. Links
from the show Cardinal DiNardo, USCCB president, ‘resting
comfortably’ after suffering mild stroke Two bishops removed from
ministry over allegations of sexual harassment Unvaccinated Student
in Kentucky Sues After Being Barred From Playing Basketball
Acoustics make Utah Catholic churches top venues for community
concerts March Madness 2019: Catholic Schools Look To Maintain
Winning Tradition What’s on tap? Lenten sacrifice. Learn more about
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