Jesuitical

Last weekend Jesuitical took the show on the road for our first live recording at the Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice in my hometown, Arlington, Va. The Teach-In is the country’s largest Catholic social justice gathering, which brings together students from Jesuit high schools and colleges and other members of the Ignatian family for three days of learning, prayer and advocacy. For this week’s interview, the tables were turned and your hosts were in the hot seat. Our audience had some extremely thoughtful questions for us: How has our faith changed since graduating from college? How do you convince teens who say they like God but not religion that the church has something to offer them? And, of course, if we could canonize one person, living or dead, Catholic or not, who would it be? And in Signs of the Times, Pope Francis makes an extra-long distance call to the International Space Station. Next, the “chainsaw nun” now has an IPA named in her honor [...] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we talk with celebrity nun, Sister Simone Campbell. Sister Simone is the leader of the Nuns on the Bus and executive director of the NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice. We talk balancing spirituality with fame, women religious, Catholic feminism, Paul Ryan and more. In Signs of the Times, next week is Halloween, and some women religious warn: sexy nun costumes aren’t funny. Half of U.S. citizens don’t think you need to believe in God to be a good person—what exactly does it mean to be good? Have you heard of the Palmarian Catholic Church? Well, Dan Brown, author of The Da Vinci Code and infamous for getting Catholicism wrong, has a new book out focusing on the creepy, Catholic sect (as a bonus, you guys get to hear about Zac’s schismatic church rabbit hole). Earlier this year, the Vatican released a survey in anticipation of next year’s Synod 2018 on Young People, the Faith, and Vocational Discernment. The three of us took the survey ba [...] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“What does religion have to offer me?” It’s a question more people are asking as affiliation with organized religion continues to fall. Brandon Vogt thinks that Catholics should be ready with answers. “Today, as the world becomes more and more disinterested and disenchanted with religion, we need this positive approach [to being Catholic more] than a negative defense,” he says. Vogt, the guest on this week’s episode of Jesuitical, is the author of Why I am Catholic (And You Should Be Too). In it, Vogt recounts his conversion to Catholicism and the arguments that convinced him to enter the church. He also outlines arguments he thinks will convince those skeptical of what the Catholic Church teaches. Before the interview with Vogt, we summarize and discuss the top [...] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does it mean to be a feminist? I wasn’t raised one—I barely even understood what the word meant growing up. It wasn’t until my 20s that I began to fully engage with feminist ideas and literature, from Betty Friedan to bell hooks to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. For me, feminism is intersectional, incorporating various aspects of my identity: being a woman of color, an immigrant, a writer, and a person of faith. This week, in a women’s only episode—Zac is on a much deserved vacation—Ashley and I discuss our personal relationships with the feminist label, Catholicism and more with this week’s guest, Claire Swinarski. A former FOCUS missionary, Claire is the host of “The Catholic Feminist Podcast.” And, in Signs of the Times, Pope Francis reaches [...] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Even super fans (your hosts included) of Grammy-nominated Christian artist Matt Maher may not know this fun fact: The Canadian musician went to a Jesuit high school in Newfoundland! On this week’s episode, we ask Matt if Ignatian spirituality has influenced his music, how the music industry has changed since he released his first album in 2001 and about the place of protest and suffering in his latest album, “Echoes,” which dropped on Sept. 29. In Signs of the Times, we talk about how we, as individuals and a country, responded to the horrific mass shooting in Las Vegas. Are thoughts and prayers enough? Is this the right time to talk about gun control? Next, a former ESPN employee fired for writing a racist headline and about to become a Catholic priest show the power of second chances. And in other sports news, a Catholic diocese decrees that student athletes and spectators cannot take a knee during the national anthem. Also, they might have found Santa’s gra [...] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tiny homes—you’ve probably heard of them. They’re littered all over Instagram and Pinterest, and HGTV has dedicated a show to hunting them. But what you probably haven’t heard about is how they could be a solution to end chronic homelessness. This week we talk to Andrew Lunetta, a graduate of LeMoyne University, who is the executive director of A Tiny Home for Good. Only 27, Andrew “builds and manages safe, affordable and dignified housing for individuals facing homelessness in Syracuse, New York.” How does he do it? In Signs of the Times, we discuss the first U.S.-born priest to be beatified, funeral Mass-crashing and the controversy around N.F.L. players taking a knee. This week we’re giving away print copies of the latest issue of America if you leave us an iTunes review! To have one personally mailed to you, leave us a review on iTunes and send us [...] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week, we talked about how to pray—this week, we bring you the music for those prayers as we talk with Catholic rockstar Audrey Assad. She is the daughter of a Syrian refugee, an author, speaker and producer who uses her music and her various social media platforms to talk about her Syrian identity and movements like Black Lives Matter. We talk to Audrey about her latest album, “Inheritance,” her conversion to Catholicism and more. We’ve also got an exclusive preview (!) of her next album, “Evergreen,” which debuts next year. Next in Signs of the Times, we pray for Mexico and the lives lost in the latest earthquake to hit the country. In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, we talk about “Siervas,” a rock band from Peru made up of 11 nuns. And an 11- [...] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chances are if you’re Catholic you’ve said it, or at least thought it: I am terrible at praying. I know I have (and am). You’ve tried the rosary. You’ve given the Examen a shot. You even dragged yourself to adoration. Why isn’t God answering?! Especially in this long slog between Pentecost and Advent, it’s easy to get discouraged. Fear not, dear listener. This week, we bring back Father James Martin, who has written a new book on prayer, In All Seasons, For All Reasons: Praying Throughout the Year. We ask him: How to (pumpkin?) spice up your prayer life during plain ol’ Ordinary Time? What’s your favorite way to pray? And what’s the worst prayer advice you’ve ever heard? (You can enter to win a free copy of Father Martin’s book if you leave us a review on iTunes, screenshot the review and then send it to [email protected]!) We also asked listen [...] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rap got religious last year. At least that’s what Zac wrote earlier this year for America. The truth is, while it may have gotten more explicit about religion in 2016, hip-hop has always had a deep religious undercurrent to its bars and beats. This week we’re chatting with Alex Nava, the author of In Search of Soul: Hip-Hop, Literature, and Religion. We talk to Alex about religion’s influence on hip-hop and why people are surprised to find out about it. If you need any convincing before or after listening to us—go listen to Kendrick Lamar’s “How Much a Dollar Cost.” In Signs of the Times, we talk Pope Francis in Colombia, rapping nuns, beer-brewing monks and proposing in front of Pope Francis. Links from the show: Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Whether you connect our episode title to Beyoncé, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs or even Vampire Weekend, maps matter. This week we are talking with Molly Burhans, the founder and executive director of GoodLands, a startup that is mapping the global Catholic Church. Information can change lives and Molly helped us wrap our heads around the amazing work she and h [...] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we talk with Lino Rulli, host of “The Catholic Guy” on Sirius XM’s The Catholic Channel. We talk balancing his Catholicism and comedy, being vulnerable on air, relationships, late-night television and more. Is there anything he hasn’t (or wouldn’t) share with listeners after 10 years on the radio? In Signs of the Times, the “Mother Teresa of Pakistan” gets a state funeral. Iceland claims that it is on its way to eliminating people with Down Syndrome. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan gets grilled by a Dominican nun from Wisconsin on how he reconciles his politics and Catholic beliefs. St. Junipero Serra’s statue gets defaced in California amid national dialogue surrounding Confederate statues. Do statues with offensive history belong in public spaces? And finally, William Aitcheson, a Catholic priest in Virginia, has stepped down after revealing that he was a member of the Ku Klux Klan 40 years ago. Is he irredeemable? This week we also [...] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How could I possibly have kids if I can barely do my taxes without calling my mom in a panic on April 14? It’s a question I must admit that has crossed my mind more than once. I’ve never even owned a dog. Isn’t that a prereq for parenting these days? Our guest this week, Liz Bruenig, wears many hats: Washington Post editor, socialist, Catholic convert, Twitter enthusiast—and “young” mother. She pushes back against the idea that young people need to have their lives figured out before starting a family. In Signs of the Times, with a fun art project to celebrate the 300th anniversary of Our Lady of Czestochowa, the church is trying to reach out to the so-called selfie generation. So why are they asking people to snail mail their selfies? Next, just how far will some parents go to get their kids on the basketball team or honor roll? Two Catholic school parents in New Jersey took their case all the way up to the cardinal and the courts. Finally, we talk [...] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Three years ago this week, on Aug. 9, 2014, police officer Darren Wilson shot and killed Michael Brown, an African-American teen in Ferguson, Mo. Within 24 hours of the shooting the Ferguson uprising began. On this episode, we talk with the Rev. Broderick Greer, an Episcopalian priest in Memphis, Tenn., who boarded a bus and headed to Ferguson following Mr. Brown’s death. He wrote about this experience in an article for America, “How Ferguson helped me understand my baptismal identity.” We ask Rev. Greer about his experience in Ferguson, black Christianity and why he doesn’t call himself an activist. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For millions of women around the world, women’s magazines—from Teen Vogue and Seventeen to Cosmopolitan and Glamour—have played a pivotal role in the way we are taught to view ourselves. These publications condition the way we view our hair, bodies, sexuality and relationships. But what are the damaging effects these publications can have on women? This week, we talk with Kara Eschbach, founder, CEO and editor in chief of Verily Magazine, “a photoshop-free magazine empowering women to be their best selves.” We talk with Kara about Verily’s mission statement, the differences between Catholic and secular media, accepting our flaws and more. And in Signs of the Times, Pope Francis celebrates the Feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus. Sean Spicer and Anthony Scaramucci, both Catholics, are out of the Trump administration. How long will the new chief of staff, Joh [...] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you working out for the body of a god? What about the body of a convict? Meet Coss Marte, our guest this week. After being arrested at 19 for running a multimillion dollar drug trade in New York City, Coss was sent to prison. There, doctors told him that his health problems and weight could kill him within a few years. After dropping 70 pounds in six months, and helping train other convicts to make dramatic changes, Coss also experienced a religious revival in a moment of desperation. Now Coss is the head of ConBody: a gym that offers prison-style bootcamp classes taught by formerly incarcerated trainers. We’ll be talking with Coss about how ConBody was developed, how his faith helped him while incarcerated and his prison reform activism. After, we’ve got consolations and desolations, where we tell you where we did or didn’t find God this week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is it about habits and cassocks that capture the imagination of even secular audiences? Mix those priests and nuns with a murder mystery and you’ve got a ready-made hit. Netflix’s Emmy-nominated documentary series “The Keepers,” begins with the story of Sister Cathy Cesnik, a beloved Catholic high school teacher, who was murdered in 1969 and whose case remains unsolved. But it quickly evolves into something much larger: an excruciating investigation into clerical sex abuse at the school. This week, we talk to Nick Ripatrazone about the series—and ask why it is important for Catholics to watch shows and films that expose the church’s sins. And in Signs of the Times, a message from the Holy Father: Stop complaining! At least to the pope. Save it for the Lord; he’s much more patient. Next, a Catholic priest in [...] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we’re going back to college. That means Natty Light, hook-ups and figuring out “gluten” is. This week our guest is Kerry Cronin, professor of philosophy at Boston College. She teaches her students, among other things, about the pitfalls of hookup culture and the dos and don’ts of Catholic dating. She frequently makes headlines (like this one: Ask Someone on a Date—or Kerry Cronin Will Fail You) because of an unorthodox assignment she includes in her classes: asking someone on a date. Like, a real date. So we discuss with Kerry what it’s like to date in college and beyond; we also break open the perennial debate of Tinder vs. Catholic Match. (Swipe right for Jesus!) In Signs of the Times, we break down the Vatican’s (not-so-new) rules on gluten-free Communion; pasta made to strangle priests; God propping up Stephen Colbert’s ratings; and the Cathol [...] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week the United States celebrated the Fourth of July: a day where people gather with friends and families, drinking Budweisers and eating hot dogs. This week’s episode reflects on the state of the country. Our own Zac Davis wrote “Donald Trump’s sins are our sins, too, and impeachment won’t absolve them,” which we discuss in conversation about American exceptionalism and more. This week we chat about the new survey released by the Vatican in anticipation of next year’s Synod 2018 on Young People, the Faith, and Vocational Discernment. What does it mean to be a “young person” in the church? And how do you minister to the different age ranges within this demographic? We discuss this and more with Danny Gustafson. And finally, in a special consolations-only segment, we tell you where we find hope in the [...] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we talk Latina identity, journalism and more with Juleyka Lantigua-Williams. She is the former senior supervising producer and editor of NPR’s Code Switch and a former staff writer at The Atlantic. She has covered issues ranging from women’s rights at home and abroad, environmental justice, U.S. immigration policy, poverty, maternal health, early childhood development and demographic changes. Lantigua-Williams is also the founder of Lantigua Williams & Co., a production company that seeks to amplify the “voices of organizations, people and projects that have a real sense of social justice.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Talking about mental health isn’t easy. And when you throw faith into the mix it often becomes even harder. Many Catholics mistakenly think that needing mental health treatment amounts to a kind of spiritual failure. This week, we talk with writer Simcha Fisher, author of The Sinner’s Guide to Natural Family Planning, about how she learned to balance her Catholic faith and therapy. And in Signs of the Times, for our listeners who have been anxiously awaiting an update, the stolen relic of St. John Bosco has been found—inside a teapot! In papal news, Pope Francis urges parents to “stop pretending to be adolescents”; and he meets with NFL legends. We also talk about Britanny Hamama, a University of Michigan ju [...] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Father James Martin tells us why he was disappointed with how many church leaders spoke about the Orlando attack (very few uttered the word “gay”)—and what he’s doing to change the conversation within the church between the hierarchy and L.G.B.T. Catholics. (This being the prolific Jim Martin, there is a new book involved.) Zac Davis is in China. Sad! But we have found a Jesuit Zach to take his seat. Zach with an H works in prisons and with the formally incarcerated in New York City and we so enjoyed his company that we invited him to come back next week. In Signs of the Times: Who wore it better, Francis or JPII? According to the tailors and cobblers of Rome, papal fashion is changing under ou [...] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do you keep your sanity while covering the news in the Trump era? This week we’re talking with NPR congressional correspondent, host of the NPR Politics Podcast and proud Fordham alum Scott Detrow. Scott has some great tips for keeping up with the news without drowning in it. Pro-tip: Listen to jesuitical while bike riding. Church can help, too. In this week’s Signs of the Times, our self-described “tone deaf” pope belts out some hymns while at Mass with Charismatic Catholics, and our self-described “evangelical Catholic” vice president says, “American Catholics have an ally in President Trump.” Next, it has been said, “You can take away a relic of Don Bosco, but you can’t take away Don Bosco from the church or the world.” Wel [...] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“I had at least thought there would be nobility in war. I know it exists. There are so many stories, and some of them have to be true. But I see mostly normal men, trying to do good, beaten down by horror, by their inability to quell their own rages, by their masculine posturing and their so-called hardness, their desire to be tougher, and therefore crueler, than their circumstance. And yet, I have this sense that this place is holier than back home. Gluttonous, fat, oversexed, overconsuming, materialist home, where we’re too lazy to see our own faults.” That’s just a sample of the stinging and raw prose found in Phil Klay’s collection of short stories, Redeployment. Klay, a veteran of the Iraq war and recipient of the National Book Award, sat down with us to talk about Memorial Day, why we find it diffi [...] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does the word “rabbi” stand for? Is a priest just the Catholic version of one? If you’ve ever had these questions, this week’s episode is just for you. We talk Judaism 101, “radical hospitality” and more with Rabbi Avram Mlotek. In Signs of the Times, Pope Francis selects five new Cardinals; Haitians in the United States get temporary protected status extensions; and Vice President Mike Pence and Greg Boyle speak at the Notre Dame Commencement. And, in what is slowly becoming the “Zac Davis Wonders Why This Is Interesting” section, we discuss “The Bachelorette.” Finally, the meeting everyone has been excitedly and anxiously awaiting: President Donald J. Trump and Pope Francis meet at the Vatican, or as we like to call it, PRUMP 2017. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Does capitalism not do it for you? Communism a bit much? There’s another way. This week we’re talking with Nathan Schneider (and his adorable baby, Daniel) about co-ops. Now, that word might bring to mind hippies living together and making vegan meals from the community garden (which Nathan did)—but there are hidden cooperative businesses all around you: REI, Dairy Queen, Southwest Airlines. We ask him about the Catholic roots of the co-op movement and why he thinks it’s making a comeback. In Signs of the Times, President Trump is heading to the Vatican. Will Francis be “pope-like” enough for him? And, Simone Biles: great Catholic gymnast or the greatest Catholic gymnast? Next, it’s commencement speech controversy season. Do speakers at Catholic colleges need to agree with church teaching? Does anyone even remember commencement speeches? We discuss. Finally [...] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aside from being fodder for tattoos and Twitter bios, “Finding God in all things,” is a powerful idea that can spark an exploration into realms of pop culture that often are considered… surprising. This week we chat with Professor Tom Beaudoin from Fordham University about his course: “Faith in Music: Sound Theology From the Blues to Beyoncé.” In Signs of the Times, we’ll catch up on the recently unemployed James Comey and the flood of news surrounding President Trump and his visit to Rome. All that and more on this week’s epsiode of Jesuitical. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you a Sorta Catholic? Symptoms include: residual guilt, love for Pope Francis, alternating between church and SoulCycle Sundays. This week’s guest is a Sorta Catholic who wound up having a Very Catholic Wedding. Tracey Wigfield won an Emmy as a writer for “30 Rock” and is a graduate of Boston College (you can decide which is more impressive). In Signs of the Times, we check in on the bros of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Much to our dismay, the Ringling Bros are not a traveling fraternity. May Day, Catholic scientists, Pope Francis in Egypt and a new study on college education and religion, all that and more this week on Jesuitical. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we’re talking with Brother Joseph Hoover, S.J., about the Catholic Church’s fight against the death penalty. Signs of the Times includes a band formed by four Dominican sisters. On the Pope Francis news front, we’ve got his latest donations to an Italian non-profit, his comparison of refugee camps to concentration camps and his surprise TED Talk calling for a “revolution of tenderness.” And finally, we wade into the debate around being a Catholic and a member of the Democratic Party. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

He is risen! And so are our pint glasses, now that Lent is over. This week, we chat with Andy Otto, author of the new book God Moments: Unexpected Encounters in the Ordinary and author of the blog godinallthings.com. Who gets to be an expert on Ignatian spirituality? What are “God moments?” And how can Ignatian discernment help you with making the big and small choices in life? In Signs of the Times, we open up Pope Francis’ annual Easter message, “Urbi et Orbi,” Bill O’Reilly’s up-and-down Wednesday, anti-Catholic Irish slurs, what schism really means and whether you should put down your yoga mat and pick up your cross. Finally, in consolations and desolations, which is quickly devolving to the “we go to church with our significant others” part of the show, we look at where we found God in our [...] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why is the Easter Vigil so long and why should you definitely attend it? We sat down with Fr. James Martin, S.J. (again) to talk about all things Holy Week. This week we also explain where we got the phrase “Signs of the Times,” no we didn’t make it up. All that and more for this, the holiest week of the year, and perhaps the holiest of all Jesuitical episodes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We had so much fun talking Beauty and the Beast last week, that we decided to take a deeper dive into how Disney influenced our upbringings. So we decided to ring up the people best able to assess that: our mothers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we are talking all things “Beauty and the Beast.” Alfonso Pizano, S.J., who spent 14 years working at Disneyland, “where he piloted the monorail, sailed submarines, hawked souvenirs and danced in the Christmas Fantasy Parade,” joins to offer his expertise. He is currently a Jesuit scholastic studying philosophy at Fordham University in New York. This week on jesuitical, we talk with Alfie about some of his favorite Disney moments and what makes the 2017 version of “Beauty” different than its Oscar-nominated original. In Signs of the Times, we discuss Pope Francis landing the third spot on Fortune’s world leaders list, why the pope wants you to stop bullying, zombie Catholics and President Trump’s latest executive order. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our brackets are busted! Back in Episode 4, we talked March Madness with Paddy Gilger, SJ. We decided to give Paddy a call and rub in the fact that Zac predicted the Jesuit Elite Eight matchup between Xavier and Gonzaga. Who are the Jesuits rooting for this round, Xavier or Gonzaga? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Four years ago this month, the Argentine cardinal (and Jesuit) Jorge Bergoglio became Pope Francis. Michael O’Loughlin, America’s national correspondent and author of The Tweetable Pope: A Spiritual Revolution in 140 Characters, has been covering this historic papacy ever since. This week on jesuitical, we ask Mike who has a better Twitter game: Pope Francis or President Trump? And in Signs of the Times, we discuss the wrong ways to use the rosary, the right ways to use technology and a meeting of prominent Catholics at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is your bracket busted? Did you pick an upset, just the wrong one? Take a break from the madness of March and listen in as we talk with Paddy Gilger, S.J., about the top Jesuit moments in the NCAA tournament’s history, the good things sports can do for us and when they become a religion of their own. In our review of this week’s Catholic news, we look at where you can eat corned beef this St. Patrick’s Day Friday, mark Pope Francis’ four years as pope and return to last week’s debate about ouija boards (I get some vindication, here, I’m not proud to admit). And finally, in Consolations and Desolations we fess up to not being experts in Ignatian spirituality. But we believe that God loves us when we try, as do our Jesuit colleagues. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One year ago, on International Women’s Day, Nicole Perone had the opportunity to speak at the Vatican before hundreds of activists and Catholic leaders about the importance of giving young Catholics and women real leadership in the church. This year, she had the opportunity to tell jesuitical all about it…. Upgrade? And in Signs of the Times, we discuss the Catholic high school that made millions off of Snapchat, Pope Francis says, “Get off Snapchat!” and we return to the age old question: Should you give a beggar money, even if “he just spends it on a glass of wine”? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So since we weren’t canceled after one episode, we’re happy to present Episode 2! We speak with Jorgé Corona, a producer at Gizmodo Media Company, about a viral video he made about what it’s like to be an undocumented immigrant in the United States. And in Signs of the Times, we shine some more light on the chaplain to Loyola University Chicago’s basketball team: 97-year-old Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt. And Pope Francis settles the eternal question: Should you give money to homeless people who ask you? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does James Martin, S.J., give up for Lent? And does he cheat on Sundays? On our debut episode of (jesuit)ical, we sit down with America’s editor at large to talk about how he approaches Lent, what living saint he would canonize today and why you might not want to but nevertheless should go to confession. And in this week’s Signs of the Times, we’ve got stories on how people of faith view Donald Trump’s refugee ban and some bad news for purveyors of Pope Francis swag and memes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices