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Bishop Robert Barron

Join Bishop Robert Barron for a weekly podcast on faith and culture. Find more episodes at http://WordOnFireShow.com and submit your questions at http://AskBishopBarron.com.

The Word on Fire Show - Catholic Faith and Culture

On May 8, 2025, the college of cardinals stunned the world by electing Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, a native of the South Side of Chicago, as our new pope. What kind of papacy should we expect from this American pope? How should we interpret his papal name, Leo XIV, and his background as the former head of the Augustinian religious order? Are there any early signs of what his priorities will be? And how should we think about him in relation to his predecessors, including Pope Francis?
 
A listener asks about contemporary misunderstandings of Catholic theology.
 
00:00 | Introduction
 01:45 | The Religious Liberty Commission
 06:03 | What Rome was like during the conclave
 10:27 | Before the conclave
 13:06 | Defining “liberal” and “conservative” in ecclesial circles
 13:53 | Why Catholic conclaves attract so much interest
 16:14 | Addressing Bishop Barron’s hat
 17:10 | Pope Leo XIV as first American pope
 18:50 | Pope Leo XIV as first English-speaking pope
 20:07 | Pope Leo XIV as first Augustinian pope
 24:00 | Pope Leo XIV’s motto
 25:07 | A return to the supernatural aspects of the Gospel
 26:52 | The significance of Pope Leo XIV’s name
 30:55 | Pope Leo XIV as a bridge
 33:10 | The pressing issues before Pope Leo XIV
 34:42 | Listener question: What is the most misunderstood Catholic teaching?
 37:04 | Join the Word on Fire Institute
 Links: • Article: “
‘Habemus Papam!’ Meet the First Pontiff from the United States • ”
 • Article: “
Pope Leo XIV and the New Social Question of AI • ”
 • Word on Fire Institute: 
https://institute.wordonfire.org/ 
NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

WOF 494: What to Expect from a Pope Leo XIV Papacy

Despite the enduring, progressive narrative that society favors and privileges men, the sociological data reveals men have and continue to experience devastating declines in education, earning power, economic mobility, relationship stability, and physical and mental health. Often vilified by secular culture as “toxic” merely for existing, men are often far sicker, poorer, more addicted, more depressed, more incarcerated, and more likely to commit suicide than women.
 
 
 
However, more men than women now regularly go to church; numerous religious movements have been founded with the aim of helping men to overcome their spiritual, mental, and even physical weaknesses; and a new class of Christian men have been emerging on the political and cultural scene unapologetically calling for a return to traditional biblical values. How should we interpret this apparent masculinization of the faith and its effect on revitalizing the role of men in society? What insights does the Church offer, and what can we all learn from this to better evangelize both men and women? 
 
 
 
A listener asks why—procreation aside—God created a woman for Adam as opposed to another man.
 
 
 
00:00 | Intro
 01:49 | Bishop Barron back from Rome
 02:25 | Assessing grim statistics about men
 04:27 | Contributing cultural movements to masculine discouragement
 11:04 | Channeling masculine aggression
 14:47 | A complementary view of male and female
 17:52 | The return of men to the Church
 22:35 | Resources for recovering masculinity from its shadow side
 25:21 | Holy male exemplars
 27:15 | What the Church offers for masculine vision
 28:49 | Listener question
 30:53 | Join the Word on Fire Institute
 
 
 Links: 
 
 
 • Article on book about issues facing men: 
 https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/books/book-reviews/of-boys-and-men-by-richard-v-reeves-males-face-bigger-issues-than-toxic-masculinity/41990575.html E&C Online • article: 
 https://www.wordonfire.org/articles/richard-v-reeves-and-jocko-willink-take-on-male-malaise/ • NYT article: 
 https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/29/opinion/crisis-men-masculinity.html • Prison Stats: 
 https://www.bop.gov/about/statistics/statistics_inmate_gender.jsp • Word on Fire Institute: 
https://institute.wordonfire.org/ 
 
 
 
 
NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

WOF 467: The Fall—and Rise?—of Men

We bring you the fourth lesson of Bishop Barron’s lecture series on one of the most important and influential Catholic theologians of the twentieth century, Han Urs von Balthasar. We will come to understand his life, his theology, and his ongoing impact on the Church and our work to evangelize the culture. Enjoy!
 Links: • Full lecture series available at the Word on Fire Institute: 
https://institute.wordonfire.org/ • Podcast: 
WOF 149: Who Was Hans Urs von Balthasar? • Article: “
Just a Little Stone in God’s Mosaic • ”
 • More Resources: 
https://www.wordonfire.org/topics/hans-urs-von-balthasar/ 
NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

WOF 468: Bishop Barron on the Theology of Balthasar (4 of 12)

One of the defining features of the Christian moral and spiritual life is the supernatural virtue of hope. What is hope? What makes hope more than a mere superstition? How does hope help us live both individually and in community? Can hope have negative consequences, like motivating people to remain passive in the face of injustice? And what, if any, evangelical significance does hope have? Bishop Barron gives us five reasons why we should be hopeful in the new year.
 
A listener asks how he can find the strength to pray again.
 
00:00 | Intro
 01:14 | Bishop Barron’s 2024 highlights
 02:47 | The Christian concept of hope
 04:15 | Hope’s relationship to reason
 05:12 | Hope’s practical value in life
 06:24 | Distinguishing hope from faith
 08:27 | Distinguishing hope from optimism
 10:21 | Responding to critiques of hope
 15:37 | Reason 1: Bible sales increase while “nones” appear to have peaked
 19:53 | Reason 2: Woke ideology is losing its grip on the culture
 23:27 | Reason 3: Protestants and Catholics have increased cooperation
 25:36 | Reason 4: The public response to the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral
 30:01 | Reason 5: The Church continues to grow
 31:27 | Listener question
 33:53 | Join the Word on Fire Institute
 Links: • Article on Bible sales: 
https://www.foxnews.com/media/bible-sales-surge-thanks-fresh-editions-new-buyers-looking-things-feel-more-solid-report-finds • Word on Fire Institute: 
https://institute.wordonfire.org/ 
NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

WOF 469: 5 Reasons to Be Hopeful in the New Year

Today we share the fifth lesson of Bishop Barron’s lecture series on one of the most important and influential Catholic theologians of the twentieth century, Han Urs von Balthasar. We will come to understand his life, his theology, and his ongoing impact on the Church and our work to evangelize the culture. Enjoy!
 Links: • Full lecture series available at the Word on Fire Institute: 
https://institute.wordonfire.org/ • Podcast: 
WOF 149: Who Was Hans Urs von Balthasar? • More Resources: 
https://www.wordonfire.org/topics/hans-urs-von-balthasar/ 
NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

WOF 470: Bishop Barron on the Theology of Balthasar (5 of 12)

A cultural shift seems to be underway, at least within the United States, that is potentially making society more open—perhaps even more positively disposed—to the wisdom of the Catholic social thought tradition. If there is an opportunity for Catholic teachings to have more cultural and political traction now, how should the Church take advantage of it? What counsel can the Church give on complex policy issues like education, immigration, the economy, and foreign policy? Today we discuss the Catholic understanding of the common good and how it is especially relevant in this moment.
 
 
 
 
 
A listener asks, what is the kingdom of God?
 
 
 
00:00 | Intro
 01:41 | Bishop Barron visits a mentor
 02:52 | Religion: public or private?
 06:56 | Assessing recent shifts in culture
 08:09 | Common good vs. utilitarianism
 10:49 | Dignity vs. autonomy
 14:35 | Common good vs. social justice
 18:37 | Common good vs. generic conservatism
 21:25 | Nonnegotiable moral principles vs. variable prudential judgments
 24:27 | Common good and education
 28:23 | Common good and the economy
 30:30 | Common good and immigration
 33:38 | Common good and foreign policy
 35:38 | Listener question: What is the kingdom of God?
 37:38 | Join the Word on Fire Institute
 
 
 Links: 
 
 
 • Word on Fire Institute: 
https://institute.wordonfire.org/ 
 
 
 
 
NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

WOF 471: How to Reclaim Civil Society for the Common Good

We bring you the sixth lesson of Bishop Barron’s lecture series on one of the most important and influential Catholic theologians of the twentieth century, Han Urs von Balthasar. We will come to understand his life, his theology, and his ongoing impact on the Church and our work to evangelize the culture. Enjoy!
 Links: • Full lecture series available at the Word on Fire Institute: 
https://institute.wordonfire.org/ • Podcast: 
WOF 149: Who Was Hans Urs von Balthasar? • More Resources: 
https://www.wordonfire.org/topics/hans-urs-von-balthasar/ 
NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

WOF 472: Bishop Barron on the Theology of Balthasar (6 of 12)

What is the nature and purpose of prayer? The question may sound simple, but it unearths some complex philosophical and theological issues. If God is omniscient, what is the point of speaking with him, either out loud or in our thoughts if he already knows what we have to say? If God is all good and all powerful, why does it sometimes appear that our prayers go unanswered? More practically, what are we to make of the great diversity of prayers—liturgical prayer, petitionary prayer, worship prayer, the Rosary? Are some forms of prayer more efficacious than others? Here are some tips on how we can understand and grow in our prayer life. 
 
A listener asks why Catholics pray for the dead and if we should pray for the souls of non-Catholics too.
 
00:00 | Intro
 01:34 | Bishop Barron’s holiday season recap
 02:45 | What prompted the publication of An Introduction to Prayer?
 03:37 | What does it mean to pray?
 05:31 | If God knows everything, why do we pray?
 07:38 | If God is unchanging, how does prayer change things?
 15:53 | If God is all-good, why do prayers go unanswered?
 18:40 | How is prayer different for the Christian?
 21:56 | The importance of liturgical prayer
 23:47 | Understanding contemplative prayer
 28:24 | Properly understanding the intercession of the saints
 31:25 | Practical principles for growing in prayer
 33:41 | Forgiveness as a prerequisite for answered prayers
 35:07 | Listener question
 37:31 | Join the Word on Fire Institute
 Links: An Introduction to Prayer • by Bishop Robert Barron: 
https://bookstore.wordonfire.org/products/an-introduction-to-prayer • Word on Fire Institute: 
https://institute.wordonfire.org/ 
NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

WOF 473: Why and How to Pray

Today we present the seventh lesson of Bishop Barron’s lecture series on one of the most important and influential Catholic theologians of the twentieth century, Han Urs von Balthasar. We will come to understand his life, his theology, and his ongoing impact on the Church and our work to evangelize the culture. Enjoy!
 Links: • Full lecture series available at the Word on Fire Institute: 
https://institute.wordonfire.org/ • Podcast: 
WOF 149: Who Was Hans Urs von Balthasar? • More Resources: 
https://www.wordonfire.org/topics/hans-urs-von-balthasar/ 
NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

WOF 474: Bishop Barron on the Theology of Balthasar (7 of 12)

A debate has been raging on social media recently about the role work should play both in our individual and communal lives. One side argues that Americans are not only spending too few hours at work, but at a deeper cultural level, they believe the United States and much of the West has become lazy and prone to immediate gratification that undermines efficiency, personal wealth, and national power and prosperity. The other side maintains that, although work is good and necessary for individual and societal wellbeing, time spent at work also compromises individuals’ creativity and ingenuity. This debate is not only rhetorical; how we conceive of the relationship between work and leisure has very real cultural, economic, and even political consequences. What principles should we appeal to to get the balance right?
 
A listener asks: Does Jesus have a last name?
 
00:00 | Introduction
 01:36 | Word on Fire turns 25!
 02:54 | What is work?
 04:53 | Understanding work within a fallen world
 09:46 | Connecting human dignity and the dignity of work
 12:59 | Prosperity vs. the prosperity gospel
 15:28 | Is intellectual work better than manual, or vice versa?
 17:37 | What if I’m unwilling to work?
 20:50 | What if I’m unable to work?
 21:35 | Understanding leisure
 25:38 | How the Mass relates to play
 29:57 | Relating work to leisure
 32:24 | Listener question: Does Jesus have a last name?
 33:50 | Join the Word on Fire Institute
 Links: • Word on Fire Institute: 
https://institute.wordonfire.org/ 
NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

WOF 475: How to Balance Work and Leisure

Today, we’re excited to share with you Bishop Barron’s recent talk at the 2023 Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC) Conference held in London, England. His talk was titled “What is the True Nature of Freedom?”
 
 As Bishop Barron explains, freedom for excellence is not self-determination. It is the disciplining of desire so as to make the achievement of the good first possible and then effortless. Enjoy!
 
 NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

WOF 424: Freedom and the Disciplining of Desire

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