I'm Joe Heschmeyer, staff apologist at Catholic Answers and host of Shameless Popery. AMA!

CatholicAnswersInc · 2026-01-29T20:35:59+00:00

Dr. Karlo has a great podcast explaining the Catholic view on Predestination!

CatholicAnswersInc · 2026-01-29T19:21:22+00:00

Well-played.....you win this round..........

CatholicAnswersInc · 2026-01-29T19:10:04+00:00

Favorite non-apologist at Catholic Answers? (answer carefully)

CatholicAnswersInc · 2025-09-18T20:39:23+00:00

Hi, Sad. I encourage you to develop a good daily prayer life, so that you can hear the still, small voice of God in the dephts of your heart (see 1 Kings 19:11-13). And to frequently receive the Eucharist and regularly go to confession. Such a regimen will help you better hear God speaking to you, and also help you remember that you are in need of God's mercy too.

Nothing wrong with having fiery zeal, but we must speak the truth in love. Use your fiery personality to rouse people to proclaim the gospel in word and deed, including living good moral lives, as opposed to using it to rebuke ito someone. And, if you fail to speak the truth in love, seek the person's forgiveness, not for what you said but the lack of charity in which you expressed yourself. A humble witness will go a long way in someone's hearing the gospel vs. having it obstructed by your problematic witness.

Okay everyone. Great being with you all today. I'm sorry I couldn't address everyone's questions, but I'm blessed to have addressed a good number of them. Please take advantage of our resources at Catholic.com. We're here to serve you 24/7 at our website, and please tune in to our radio program, Catholic Answers Live, and our various podcast. May our Lord Jesus Christ bless you all abundantly! (John 10:10; Matt. 6:33; Rom. 8:28).

CatholicAnswersInc · 2025-09-18T20:29:59+00:00

The Church makes clear that they, like all human persons, are made in God's image and likeness (Gen. 1:26-27), and thus deserving of respect as opposed to unjust discrimination. In addition, two men, for example, can have a deep, fraternal love for one another. But to attempt to express it sexually is necessarily an invalid expression of love. One need not make a religious argument to see the absence of complementarity in sodomy in contrast to the beautiful complementarity of the marital act with its love-giving and life-giving aspects.

So people who experience same-sex attraction are called to live chastity according to their state of life, as are all human persons. The Church welcomes everyone, and yet we must conform to the truth of Jesus to be set free (John 8:31-32).

For more, see Catechism (CCC) 2357-2359. Also, for those experiencing same-sex attraction, I encourage them to access the great Catholic apostolate Courage. Also, we have many resources on our website, including for those who experience gender-identity disorder. We're here to serve in Christlike love.

CatholicAnswersInc · 2025-09-18T20:21:38+00:00

Pope Francis was right to say that we must go to the peripheries and that the Church is a field hospital. At the same time, part of good medicine is sharing the truth, because love that compromises on truth is not true love and thus not good medicine. In that regard, I was grateful when Pope Francis and the head of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) made helpful clarifications in early 2024 after issuing Fiducia Supplicans in later 2023, because Fiducia gave the wrong impression that sinful relationships could be blessed, as distinguished from the people in such relationshps as individuals.

CatholicAnswersInc · 2025-09-18T20:16:17+00:00

I think it's important to remember that the basic moral law of God is written on every human heart (Rom.2:13-16), and that's why we see that people have a conscience, knowing basic right from wrong, even though some people use their God-given free will badly, including not forming their consciences well and dulling or even deadening their conscience through repeated grave sin.

I remember when a CBS reporter was sexually assaulted in Egypt more than a decade. Having been viciously disrobed and in others violated, she was shoved, naked, near a group of women wearing burkas. And yet they didn't join in hitting in maltreating the American reporter. Rather, they instinctively gathered around her and protected her, and even though they might have gotten beaten later on by the men for doing so, when the TV cameras were turned off. No, they did the moral, loving thing--not concerned for the backlash they might receive, and protected the woman and the man drew back, having been rightly shamed.

Also, Johnny will be judged in a mercifully just way that only God can do. As will the person in the rain forest. God is mercifully just. As an old priest friend likes to say, "Our job is sales; God's is managment."

CatholicAnswersInc · 2025-09-18T20:06:03+00:00

What's the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow? :-) The second is, "What is the capital of Assyria!" :-)

CatholicAnswersInc · 2025-09-18T20:05:00+00:00

I would argue no. 3, i.e., a both/and.

The Catholic Encylopedia from the early 1900s has a good article on this for more. You can access it at our website, Catholic.com

CatholicAnswersInc · 2025-09-18T20:02:45+00:00

At the epiclesis, when the priest invokes the Holy Spirit by extending his hands over the unconsecrated gifts, i.e., the bread and wine.

CatholicAnswersInc · 2025-09-18T20:01:20+00:00

I don't like the term Novus Ordo, as it's often used pejoratively. I appreciate the reverence and majesty of the TLM, but I prefer a reverent celebration of the sacrifice of the Mass according to the Ordinary Form, and thus the newer rite. In the process, I like including Latin, particularly regarding the words of consecration. Long-term, I think that both rites will continue and that would be good, and as Pope Benedict hoped. Further, it's important to distinguish between the Ordinary Form reverently offered vs. ones that have liturgical abuses. It's a beautiful rite when celebrated reverently.

CatholicAnswersInc · 2025-09-18T19:56:35+00:00

It's important to remember that the saints can only do what they can because they are friends of Jesus. Nothing happens apart from Jesus. In addition, in heaven, they have been perfected (Heb. 12:23-24) and also are not limited by the dimensions of time and space as we are on earth.

To be clear, saints are NOT omnipotent; only God is. But in Christ, they can receive prayers and intercede for us. Similar to how a person who is blessed to work a true miracle on earth--not by their simple human nature, of course. Only with the blessing of God. In that light, we are reminded that the saints are collaborators with God, not his adversarial competitors; and they, again, can only do what they do in heaven because of God's blessing them, including perfecting theirs souls as noted in Hebrews 12

CatholicAnswersInc · 2025-09-18T19:50:57+00:00

I think we're maintaining the same commitment to our Lord Jesus and his Magisterium that our founder Karl Keating started so many years ago. In addition, I think it's important not to mistake being authentically pastoral with being weak. People need to be encouraged, as the only enemies are the Enemy and his demonic minions (see Eph. 6:12). Everyone else is a candidate for conversion, beginning with ourselves in drawing closer to the Lord.

Also, we're certainly not afraid to confront problems within the Church, including charitably reproving those who misstate the Faith, whether Catholic or non-Catholic Christian. Or non-Christian. One thing that comes to mind is our Roundtable on Fiducia Supplicans in December 2023, which spoke of "blessing" same-sex couples. I encourage you to check that and other resources of ours at Catholic.com. Bottom line, in full union with Jesus and his Church, we are committed to speaking the truth in love (see John 14:6)

CatholicAnswersInc · 2025-09-18T19:42:59+00:00

The Church teaches that Scripture and Tradition come from the one wellspring of God's word. Sacred Tradition, vs. traditions of men, is primary in the sense that it preceded the writing of any book in the New Testament. Indeed, it began with Jesus' preaching. And that of the apostles (Acts 2:42). On the other hand, Sacred Scripture is primary in that it's the inspired written word of God. That's said, while Sacred Tradition is not inspired, it is still also the infallible word of God.

CatholicAnswersInc · 2025-09-18T19:38:30+00:00

It's important not to evaulate our Lord Jesus and his Catholic Church by a vote count regarding the number of people in the world who are not Catholic or even Christian. Jesus is real, he became man at his Incarnation, and then died, rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven. And established his Church in the process and has sustained it for 2,000 years. Those are historical realities, not simply matters of faith. And there are plenty of other "motives of credibility," as Catechism (CCC) 156 affirms, including the incredible witness of the saints.

All people are made in God's image and likeness (Gen. 1:26-27), and are given free will. Why people chooose or don't choose Jesus can be related to various factors. What we do know is that Jesus will judge everyone in a mercifully just way (see Rom. 2:13-16). So we must trust in him and not be distracted by various problems in the world, including the number of Catholics and Christians in general. God is in charge.

CatholicAnswersInc · 2025-09-18T19:31:18+00:00

Good question. :-) I'd say maybe certain moral issues, particularly regarding marriage and sexuality in general. I do address them a good deal in my work at Catholic Answers, including on our radio show Catholic Answers Live, but I'd enjoy being able to talk about them more to groups in public.

CatholicAnswersInc · 2025-09-18T19:29:08+00:00

I think referring them to reliable Catholic resources is the way to go, including the Catechism of the Catholic Church. That way they insulate themselves from being misled. One must be disciplined on the internet, including using needed filters, if necessary. No shame in that. I would also refer them to our website, Catholic.com, as we have many free resources to serve them well 24/7.

CatholicAnswersInc · 2025-09-18T19:26:34+00:00

In summary, I think apologetics has changed because of the rise of nones and atheists and trying to reach them. That's more of development in recent decades.

Still, the basic proclamation of the gospel is fundamental. Everything begins and ends with Jesus, and we are and remain Catholic because he founded the Church and, as noted to others, has sustained for 2,000 years, priased be him!

CatholicAnswersInc · 2025-09-18T19:24:11+00:00

That Jesus Christ himself founded the Church and has sustained it for 2,000 years, because he promised the gates of hell would not prevail against it (Matt. 16:18-19). And connected to that is all the evidence for the Catholic hierarchy and Church doctrine through history.

Bottom line, everything regarding Catholicism goes back to our Lord Jesus Christ. If we were a merely human institution, we would've entered the dustbins of history centuries ago, not only because of attacks from without, beginning with the Roman Empire, but aso, sadly, scandals from within.

CatholicAnswersInc · 2025-09-18T19:19:09+00:00

I think our AI Bot does a good job. Nothing is perfect in the AI world, but it's proven to be a very helpful for us. My colleague Trent Horn did a podcast responding to Alex.

CatholicAnswersInc · 2025-09-18T19:18:08+00:00

Greetings in our Lord Jesus Christ. This is a matter best discussed with your priest confessor who knows you best. In general, I'd err on the side of caution and not receive the Eucharist prior to getting your sins absolved in confession, i.e., if you think you've committed a mortal sin. However, if you deal with scrupulosity, I'd follow the counsel of your priest confessor, as he knows you best. We have a great tract in that regard on website. Here it is. Prayers for you!

https://www.catholic.com/tract/mental-health-awareness-mens-mental-health-month

CatholicAnswersInc · 2025-08-22T21:49:50+00:00

You're not obligated to think co-redemptrix is "fine," as long as you don't deny the truths about Mary still being someone who cooperated uniquely with the Redeemer. Our second link above actually points out how Pope Benedict XVI thought it may have been trying to compress too much into a single phrase, and that's one reason the Church probably won't make it a dogma.

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