Catholic Answers Live

Can human reason alone lead us to the conclusion that God is personal, even without divine revelation? In this episode of Catholic Answers Live, Catholic Answers apologists tackle deep philosophical and theological questions about God, authority, and the Church. The discussion explores whether Eastern Orthodoxy has a singular teaching authority comparable to the papacy, why Catholics often receive only the host and not the chalice at Communion, and whether extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion are sometimes overused. Additional topics include whether Adam was a single historical person or a group, how to evangelize someone immersed in New Age spirituality, and whether the early Church taught any doctrines no longer held today. A thoughtful conversation on Catholic theology, Church practice, and apologetics.

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Questions Covered:

12:36 – Is there a way to arrive at the conclusion of the personhood of God without resorting to revelation?  

21:46 – Does Eastern Orthodoxy have a singular authority like we do? 

29:07 – How come everyone takes the host for communion but not everyone gets the chalice? 

32:07 – Are extraordinary ministers of holy communion only to be used in emergency situations? My priest doesn’t always give communion at mass. He lets the EMs do it. Is that an abuse? 

39:35 – Was Adam one man or a group of men? 

43:00 – How do you start a conversation with someone who’s kind of a “new age junkie?” Like they’re always looking for a spiritual high or buying the next big self-help book, but can’t be bothered to open the Gospels? 

48:54 – Is there something that the early church believed in terms of doctrine that isn’t taught today?

Why did the Pharisees and Sadducees fiercely disagree about the resurrection, and why is the resurrection so central to Catholic belief? In this episode of Catholic Answers Live, Catholic Answers apologists explain the theological importance of bodily resurrection before tackling questions about the Protestant and Jewish biblical canons, including why Maccabees is missing despite its connection to Hanukkah. The discussion also explores common misunderstandings about Catholic teaching on salvation, including accusations of “works-based salvation,” how justification can grow even while Christians still commit venial sins, and the connection between the Bread of Life discourse and Christ’s Passion. The episode concludes with pastoral advice for someone in OCIA facing family conflict about becoming Catholic and attending Mass.

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Questions Covered:

04:22 – Why was there a dispute between the Pharisees and Sadducees on resurrection, and why is it so central to Catholic teaching? 

11:14 – Is the protestant bible based off of the Jewish translation of the bible? Why doesn’t the Jewish bible have  Maccabees, since those books contain the origin of Hanukkah? 

20:10 – How would we respond to someone who pushes back when we say don’t believe in a works-based salvation? They say that we would claim someone loses their salvation if they miss Mass. 

30:20 – How do we reconcile a justification that progresses and still commit venial sin? 

37:01 – How close in time was the bread of life discourse to the Passion of Christ? 

51:30 – I’m in OCIA and my husband doesn’t agree with my decision. If I were to become Catholic and I can’t make it to mass because of issues at home, will I be in mortal sin?

“How is the Eucharist not cannibalism?” This question opens a discussion on the nature of the Eucharist, addressing misconceptions while also touching on the movement of the Holy Spirit in communities, the need for an infallible interpreter of scripture, and the concept of mortal sin in Catholic teaching.

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Questions Covered:

04:24 – How is the Eucharist not cannibalism?

15:30 – I think the Pentecostal belief in the real movement of the Holy Spirit within the community was pretty convincing. What is the best response to this?

22:31 – How do I answer the following: The Catholic argument that we need an infallible interpreter for scripture would not work because then you would need an infallible interpreter of the infallible interpreter and so on.

37:08 – For Catholics almost anything can be a mortal sin but for Jesus there is one mortal sin.

43:00 – What was lacking in Jesus that made the Jews reject Jesus as the Messiah in the early church?

52:15 – How do we interpret the magisterium? How do we know when we are interpreting the magisterium correctly?

“How do we know Mary is a perpetual virgin?” This question leads to a discussion on the implications of Luke 1:34 and the differing views between Catholics and Protestants. Other topics include whether Jesus fulfilled all Mosaic sacrificial offerings and the nature of baptism, specifically if it refers to the baptism of the Holy Spirit rather than water.

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Questions Covered:

06:40 – In support of the belief that Mary was a Perpetual virgin, Catholics appeal to Luke 1:34 where Mary asks Gabriel how she’s going to conceive a child since she doesn’t “know man,” the implication being she hasn’t had sexual relations with Joseph. But some Protestants counter that Mary asked this because she wasn’t yet married to Joseph. How do we respond?

13:29 – Regarding Jesus’ sacrifice, did he fulfill all Mosaic sacrificial offerings? Or just specific offerings?

21:19 – Is baptism actually the baptism of the holy spirit, not that of water, and is the evidence speaking in tongues?

29:49 – Were Mary and Joseph actually married but just hadn’t consummated it?

41:35 – Mark 9:38-41 is the best argument for Protestantism.

51:15 – What is the connection between the coronation and the bodily assumption?

Did Vatican II introduce harmful changes to the Catholic Church, and does Catholic theology go too far in defining mysteries like the Eucharist? In this episode of Catholic Answers Live, Catholic Answers apologists respond to major Orthodox objections to Catholicism, covering theology, Church history, and doctrine. The discussion examines Catholic teaching on remarriage and original sin, the necessity of the Immaculate Conception, and the Christological differences between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches. Additional topics include whether transubstantiation “overdefines” the Eucharist, why Orthodox and Catholic biblical canons differ, and whether Catholic theology lacks the Orthodox essence–energies distinction. A thoughtful and charitable look at some of the deepest divisions between East and West.

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Objections Covered:

02:12 – Vatican II introduced harmful theological and liturgical changes. 

05:51 – Catholic teaching on remarriage is too rigid. 

13:36 – Catholic original sin wrongly teaches inherited guilt. 

17:14 – The Immaculate Conception is unnecessary and unfounded. 

28:52 – What does one say about the Christological differences between the Oriental Orthodox Churches and the Catholic. They claim they hold to the early definitions of Ephesus that we have abandoned. 

36:14 – Transubstantiation overdefines the Eucharistic mystery. 

39:57 – Why do Orthodox Churches differ with us on the canon of Scriptura? 

47:57 – Catholicism lacks the essence–energies distinction.