The Popecast: A History of the Papacy
By The Popecast
The Popecast: A History of the PapacyNov 12, 2020
The Pope Who Rescued St. Peter's Basilica from Collapse (Interview w/ Author Wayne Kalayjian)
Wayne Kalayjian is author of the new book Saving Michelangelo’s Dome: How Three Mathematicians and a Pope Sparked an Architectural Revolution, the incredible story of how precarious cracking throughout the dome of St. Peter's Basilica prompted an unprecedented collision of the greatest minds in construction, science, math, and the Catholic Church.
GET THE BOOK: Saving Michelangelo's Dome
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Wayne Kalayjian is a civil and structural engineer who has designed buildings, bridges, towers, and tunnels on five continents. He knows how they are built, why they stand up, how to keep them safe, and why—on occasion—they fall down.
Wayne also lectures at the University of Southern California and is an engineering expert for the California Department of Consumer Affairs. He holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and art history from Tufts University, a master’s degree in structural and earthquake engineering from Stanford University, and a master’s degree in management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
In 1995, Wayne engineered the move of an historic lighthouse on Cape Cod National Seashore. Just as the mathematicians in his book saved Michelangelo’s dome from collapse, he used those same scientific principles to save Highland Light from falling into the sea. Since then, his one-of-a-kind drawings have been on permanent display at the lighthouse museum in North Truro, Massachusetts. Wayne was raised in New England and lives in Southern California.
The First “Pontifex Maximus” (St. Siricius)
Our pope this week reigned at a time when the historical record wasn’t much, and we don’t know a whole lot about his life as a result. And yet his contributions to the history of the papacy have still resounded for over 1600 years.
Read Pope St. Siricius' full letter: https://thepopecast.fm/blog/siricius-decretal
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Artificial Intelligence, Demonic Possession, and Visions of Mary (Interview w/ Sci-Fi Author Andrew Gillsmith)
Today we chat with Andrew Gillsmith, author of the new and critically-acclaimed sci-fi novel, Our Lady of the Artilects. The book is absolutely outstanding (find the link to purchase it below) in its merging together of a plausible ultra-high-tech future and a global landscape that's shifted both geographically and spiritually.
GET THE BOOK: https://amzn.to/3E8bFpq
Find Andrew on Twitter @andrewgillsmith
Other book references from Andrew:
- In the Camps: China's High Tech Penal Colony - https://amzn.to/3TRMKN2
- The Fourth Secret of Fatima - https://amzn.to/3Ai60MD
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SUBSCRIBER EDITION - Artificial Intelligence, Demonic Possession, and Visions of Mary (Interview w/ Sci-Fi Author Andrew Gillsmith)
Today we chat with Andrew Gillsmith, author of the new and critically-acclaimed sci-fi novel, Our Lady of the Artilects. The book is absolutely outstanding (find the link to purchase it below) in its merging together of a plausible ultra-high-tech future and a global landscape that's shifted both geographically and spiritually.
GET THE BOOK: https://amzn.to/3E8bFpq
Find Andrew on Twitter @andrewgillsmith
Other book references from Andrew:
- In the Camps: China's High Tech Penal Colony - https://amzn.to/3TRMKN2
- The Fourth Secret of Fatima - https://amzn.to/3Ai60MD
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The Pope Who Sent St. Patrick to Ireland (St. Celestine I)
Our pope this week was your garden variety early Church pontiff – battling heresy, beautifying churches, and being an all around good guy. But one thing set him apart...sending a certain snake-expelling bishop on mission to a little island in the North Atlantic, and changing the face of the world forever.
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The Other Pope Named John Paul: The BEATIFICATION CUT (Blessed John Paul I)
Our pope this week was in the Chair of Peter for barely a moment in the great lifespan of Catholic history, but his humble heart and joyful demeanor has influenced each of the three popes that have followed him and put him firmly among the most memorable and beloved pontiffs of the last several centuries.
And yes, this is the second time we’ve covered him on the show, but he deserved a refresh – after all, on the day this is being released, our pope will be BEATIFIED by Pope Francis in Rome.
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The Third Pope Ever (St. Cletus)
First it was Peter. Then it was Linus. And then it was this guy.
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Keeping a Cool Head While Covering the Pope (An Interview w/ Timothy Nerozzi)
Today's episode is a great conversation with Timothy Nerozzi, who currently works as a Breaking News Reporter for Fox News. Timothy shares his take in particular on why secular reporting about the pope is quite terrible these days, his approach to journalism, and then of course we go into great detail on the office of the papacy itself – why we should keep a level head about Pope Francis, how the papacy has been changing over the past century, and a ton more.
In addition to his work at Fox News Digital, Timothy has written for a large swath of solid publications, including Catholic News Agency, The Lamp Magazine, Washington Examiner, and the Daily Caller.
LINKS:
- Timothy's website: timothynerozzi.com
- Timothy's popular essay, "If Jesus says 'no,' go ask your Buddha": https://timothynerozzi.com/2021/11/06/if-jesus-says-no-go-ask-your-buddha/
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Special Guest: Timothy Nerozzi.
The "Pope" from Kansas (Pope Michael)
Now, here at The Popecast we normally cover those men who are considered to be “valid popes” – that is, a legitimate part of the unbroken line of succession in the Roman Catholic Church that began when Jesus gave the keys to Peter and, as is commonly understood, sits now with Pope Francis.
And while there have been grandiose antipopes throughout history – men who we may one day talk about in more detail – today’s subject is another case entirely. Few may know about the man from Kansas who claimed to be pope, and unironically so.
Recently he died, so today’s episode will tell the story of and serve as a tribute for David Bawden, the man who for the past 32 years had – by his estimation – reigned over the true Catholic Church as Pope Michael.
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Links from the Episode:
- Documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b96WxyxPfOY
- Obituary for David Bawden: https://bit.ly/3oQoHkv
The Last Pope in History to NOT Change His Name (Marcellus II)
This pope is another one of those best kept secrets of Catholic history – he held some of the most influential post in Renaissance Christendom, presided over Catholicism’s response to the Protestant Reformation, and then cracked the top 10 for shortest papal reigns. But his mom sure would have been proud that he kept the name she gave him.
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The Popecast Origin Story and Other Tales (Matt's Interview on Real Presence Radio)
Matt had the pleasure of being a guest on Real Presence Radio out in the Midwest, on a show hosted by none other than our most recent special guest Fr. Richard Kunst, to talk about the origins of The Popecast and his own personal favorite popes and papal history stories, among other things.
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Special Guest: Fr. Richard Kunst.
The First Pope in History to Change His Name (John II)
Today’s pope is certainly one for the record books. Even though he was only in office a couple short years, he’s memorable for one major papal staple that we take completely for granted these days.
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The World's Largest Papal Artifacts Collection Outside of the Vatican (Interview with Fr. Richard Kunst)
Today’s episode is one we’ve been very excited to bring you all for a long time. Our guest, Fr. Richard Kunst, is the curator of the world's largest collection of papal memorabilia and artifacts outside of the Vatican. Our conversation covers everything from how Fr. Rich’s collection came to be, some of the coolest and strangest articles he’s seen, his appearances on Pawn Stars, and (in the patron-only bonus section) even some never-before-heard stories about BOTH Popes John Paul.
In addition to curating this great collection, Fr. Rich is a priest of the Diocese of Duluth Minnesota, pastor of St. James Parish in Duluth, and believe it or not, was even at one time Fr. Mike Schmitz’s vocation director when the latter was in formation for the priesthood.
FR. RICH'S WEBSITE: https://www.papalartifacts.com
Michelangelo & the Pope's Ceiling [Book recommendation from Patron-Only Bonus section]: https://amzn.to/3KkQqTb
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Special Guest: Fr. Richard Kunst.
Sponsored By:
- Guadalupe Roastery: These guys are the real deal – not only is their coffee excellent, but their mission is to empower farmers to support themselves and their families by bringing you the most directly sourced cup of coffee possible. So head on over to guadaluperoastery.com and get a couple pounds for you and a friend. Listeners to the Popecast can use the promo code POPE at checkout and get 10% off their entire order. Promo Code: POPE
The Pope Whose Corpse Was Put on Trial (Formosus)
Our man this episode is altogether unique – and not just because he’s the only Successor of Peter with this particular name. No, he’s actually most famous for something he had no control over at all – because he was dead.
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The Pope Who Worked Miracles (St. Leo IX)
This episode is about another one of those popes who you’ve probably never heard of, but is definitely one to remember. He was saintly from an early age, and despite desiring a life of anonymity in his service to Christendom, was plucked by the emperor from obscurity to become pope and, ultimately, usher in one of the biggest reform movements in Catholicism’s 2,000 year history.
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TWO RESOURCES MENTIONED AT THE END
- Popes in a Year daily email series: flocknote.com/popes
- Chronological List of Popes & Popecast episodes: https://www.thepopecast.fm/pope-list
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Christmas Special: Pope Benedict XVI's 2010 Urbi et Orbi Christmas Message
We kept trying to find a good Christmas-themed papal bio for this week, and then we ran across this Urbi et Orbi address of Pope Benedict XVI's from 2010. It's an absolutely excellent address (as usual from him), especially with the Choir of King's College singing O Holy Night in the background, as they are at the end of the episode.
Enjoy – and Merry Christmas to you and all of your families!
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The Papacy & America's Founding (Interview w/ Dr. Michael Breidenbach)
This week it's a special episode of the show – professor, historian, and author Dr. Michael Breidenbach joins the show to talk about his new book, Our Dear-Bought Liberty: Catholics and Religious Toleration in Early America (https://amzn.to/3e0RDAM)
Especially for those in America, the story Dr. Breidenbach tells in his book and on the podcast – how English-turned-American Catholics wrestled between fealty to the king and fealty to the pope, how religious liberty as we know it is directly traced to an appeal from the brother of America's first Catholic bishop, and many other lesser-known historical threads – is truly something you won't want to miss.
BOOK by Dr. Michael Breidenbach: https://amzn.to/3e0RDAM
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Special Guest: Dr. Michael Breidenbach.
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The Obscure Pope Who Did Just Fine (Donus)
Today’s episode is about a pope who’s probably easy to overlook. He only reigned for a short time, we don’t know all that much about him, and he isn’t remembered as a saint – a canonized one anyway. And yet, he dabbled in plenty of important things and did alright.
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The Pope Who Renounced the Christian Faith...Or Did He? (St. Marcellinus)
Today’s episode is about a pope who lived...and died...during the last and worst of Rome’s persecutions of the Christian people, that of the Roman Emperor Diocletian. But just how that living and dying went is still up for discussion. 1700 years later.
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The Pope Who Got a Bad Rap (John X)
Here's a pope who kept his head down and worked tirelessly for the good of Christendom. But in an age where secular rulers used the papacy as their plaything, he refused to be anyone’s puppet, and ended up paying the ultimate price. And what’s more, everyone though he was a bad pope until not all that long ago.
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Was Pope John Paul I Murdered? (An Interview w/ The Pillar's JD Flynn & Michelle La Rosa)
This episode we're joined by JD Flynn and Michelle La Rosa from The PIllar to tackle one of the saltiest and most recent papal conspiracy theories – one of the doozies in pretty much the whole history of the Catholic Church. A half-century ago a pope reigned for a mere 33 days. Was it all just a strange coincidence, or was there something more nefarious afoot?
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Special Guests: JD Flynn and Michelle La Rosa.
The Pope St. John Paul II Supercut
This week's episode is a very special one indeed. Our pope today needs no introduction, being one of the finest men to ever grace the Chair of St. Peter, but he does need a long episode to tell the whole tale of his long and eventful life. October 22 – the day that this episode is being released – is this man’s feast day and the anniversary of the 1978 inauguration of his papacy, so raise a glass (or a pierogi) for one of the greatest of all pontiffs.
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The Slave Who Became Pope (St. Callistus I)
This pope is a guy who rose from the lowest rungs of society to become the leader of a burgeoning but still illegal faith. And yet, it wasn’t the Romans who gave him the most grief. It was one of his fellow Christians.
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The Pope Who Saved Western Civilization (St. Pius V REDUX)
Today’s episode is a Popecast Redux about a pope who may well have single-handedly kept the known world from a very, very different future. In fact, 2021 marks the 450th anniversary of his masterstroke – a convening of both corporeal and a spiritual armies to lead the Catholic Christian West to victory in one of the greatest sea battles ever fought.
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LINKS
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The Other Pope Named John Paul (Venerable John Paul I)
Our pope this week was in the Chair of Peter for barely a moment in the great lifespan of Catholic history, but his humble heart and joyful demeanor has influenced each of the three popes who followed him and put him firmly among the most memorable and beloved pontiffs of the last several centuries.
PATREON: https://patreon.com/thepopecast
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The Pope Who Hired a Warrior Cardinal (Innocent VI)
Our pope this week was a pontiff in exile – the whole Roman Curia was in those days – who everyone thought would be near death, but he ended up sticking around for 10 years and set about cleaning up the clerical riff-raff, leaving us with one of the greatest hymns ever written, and hiring a bloodhound in a red hat to prowl around Italy and gain back what was rightfully Peter’s.
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A Habsburg Shares the Story of Pope St. Gregory the Great
Joining the show this week is special guest Eduard Habsburg, the Hungarian Ambassador to the Vatican and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, sharing the incredible story of Pope St. Gregory the Great, the "Pope Who Founded Western Civilization"
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Find Eduard Habsburg on Twitter: https://twitter.com/EduardHabsburg
Read Eduard's children's book, "Dubbie: The Double-Headed Eagle": https://amzn.to/3saENWS
Special Guest: Eduard Habsburg.
The Pope Who Really REALLY Didn't Want the Job (Blessed Victor III)
This pope was far more renowned for his life BEFORE the papacy than he was after. And that was a bummer, because he kinda gets a bad rap for it. But it certainly didn’t help that he avoided accepting his election like the plague.
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Sponsored By:
- Guadalupe Roastery: These guys are the real deal – not only is their coffee excellent, but their mission is to empower farmers to support themselves and their families by bringing you the most directly sourced cup of coffee possible. So head on over to guadaluperoastery.com and get a couple pounds for you and a friend. Listeners to the Popecast can use the promo code POPE at checkout and get 10% off their entire order. Promo Code: POPE
The Greatest Pope You've Never Heard Of (Sixtus V)
Our pope this week was startlingly good for a Renaissance pontiff – he didn’t use his power to elevate all of his greedy nephews, he began as a monk and never really forgot it, and he worked so hard and so much that he could have coined the phrase “I can sleep when I’m dead.”
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The Pope Whose Family Was the Literal Worst (Benedict VIII)
This guy was an able pontiff who brought much-needed respect back to the papacy at its lowest point in history. And on the family front, he was a real diamond in the rough. A lone bright spot amidst a group of relatives that would make the Kardashians blush.
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The Pope Who Was Ridiculously Good Looking (Conon)
This pope wasn’t long for this world once he made it to the Chair of St. Peter and was a compromise pick from the beginning, to boot. Apparently it had something to do with being just another pretty face, but history is silent on whether or not he was a ...barbarian.
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The Pope Who Told Us When to Celebrate Easter (St. Victor I)
Our pope this week hit a lot of firsts – first Latin-writing pope, first African pope, and the first papal hothead. Good thing he had the humility to match it.
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The Pope Who Wasn't Even a Priest Yet (Nicholas III)
Our pope this week voted in literally one million papal elections before it was finally his turn. At least it probably seemed like that to him. He was a child of the nobility who served the Church from an early age, but there was just one small thing left to do after he got elected as the new Bishop of Rome...
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Links:
- Pope Nicholas III - Wikipedia
- Pope Nicholas III - Catholic Encyclopedia
- Exiit qui seminat - Pope Nicholas III on the Franciscans
- Inferno 19 - Digital Dante (Dante depicting Pope Nicholas III in Hell)
- Top 10 Things To Know About the Vatican Gardens
- 1268–1271 papal election - Wikipedia
- (Patreon Alternative) Join The Popecast on Locals
- [NEW] Today in Papal History Daily Newsletter
The First Assassinated Pope (John VIII)
He was one of the last solid pontiffs before perhaps the darkest time in the history of the papacy. He held off the Muslim Army as long as he could, spent way too long looking for new emperors, was a patron of one of the Church’s greatest evangelists, and sadly was the first Bishop of Rome in history to meet a certain kind of sordid end.
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The Last Pope...Alphabetically (St. Zosimus)
Our pope this week was only in office a short time, but still managed to leave a mark that’s resounded through the ages in battling one of early Christianity’s most monumental heresies. He’s also one of just three pontiffs in history to have a name that starts with the letter Z.
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The Pope Who Died of the Plague (Pope Pelagius II)
Our man this week was a mentor to one of the greatest popes to ever live, he spent far too much time trying to drum up an army from the emperor to protect Rome from destruction, and met his earthly end as a deadly disease swept brutally through late 6th-Century Rome.
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Quizzical Papist Crossover w/ Fr. Brad and Grace
This week is an extra special a CROSSOVER episode with the excellent podcast The Quizzical Papist – Your “extraordinary form” bar trivia with Fr. Brad and Grace. If you’ve ever been to bar trivia – or if you can even remember what that’s like after the long winter of 2020, that’s the exact structure of their show and, as a result, this crossover.
Grace and Matt battled it out over two rounds – the first half you’ll find on The Quizzical Papist, so make sure you go over and start there. Our half of the show has the second round and final results of the great papist showdown.
FIRST HALF IN THE LINK BELOW!
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Scandals, Canon Law, and Freemasonry with The Pillar's JD Flynn and Ed Condon
Our first episode of 2021 is a very special one indeed. This week we’re joined by JD Flynn & Ed Condon, co-founders of The Pillar, the brand new Catholic media project focused on smart, faithful, and serious journalism, from committed and informed Catholics who love the Church, which you can find and sign up for at pillarcatholic.com.
Special Guests: Ed Condon and JD Flynn.
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Pope Benedict XVI (An Interview with Fr. Harrison from Clerically Speaking)
Our special guest this week is Fr. Harrison from Clerically Speaking – not only is Fr. Harrison a huge fan of Pope Benedict XVI, he's writing his doctoral thesis on the guy!
But don't worry, this episode isn't super heady or academic as much as it is simply Matt & Fr. Harrison nerding out on their shared love for Pope Benedict XVI and why he's just as important to the average person in the pews as he is to the great Catholic intellectual tradition as a whole.
Special Guest: Fr. Harrison Ayre.
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Links:
- [BOOK] Finding Christ in the Crisis: What the Pandemic Can Teach Us
- [BOOK] School of Prayer by Pope Benedict XVI
- 2008 Address of Pope Benedict XVI on Apostolic Journey to France
- [NEW] Today in Papal History Daily Newsletter
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EXTRA: Pope Francis' New Apostolic Letter on St. Joseph
An exclusive audio recording of Patris Corde, the new apostolic letter from Pope Francis on St. Joseph, celebrating the 150th anniversary of Joseph being named Patron of the Universal Church and announcing a "Year of St. Joseph" starting December 8, 2020.
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The Immaculate Conception and the Popes
This episode is a bit unique. It’s early December, so our Catholic listeners will know that there are two mega huge feast days celebrating Mary in the first half of this month – the Immaculate Conception on December 8 and Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12.
So we thought it might be fitting to break from the usual format and talk about the Mother of God under one of those titles, and what two 20th-Century popes have to say about her.
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Links:
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- Ineffabilis Deus (1854) — Bl. Pope Pius IX's papal bull solemnly proclaiming the dogma of the Immaculate Conception
- [Pope Pius XII] Fulgens Corona — Encyclical on the 100th anniversary of Bl. Pope Pius IX's dogmatic declaration on the Immaculate Conception
- [St. John Paul II] Immaculate Conception Defined by Pius IX
The Pope Who Called a Crusade (Pope Clement III)
Our pope this week had the fun job of wrangling a bunch of Alphas and convincing them to work as a team for the sake of Christendom, and in the meantime tried not to lose everything the papacy had accumulated up to that point in history. Oh, and his nephew would later end up being one of the most powerful popes in history.
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- Pope Clement III (Wikipedia)
- Pope Clement III (The Catholic Encyclopedia)
- Pope Clement III (Flocknote's Popes in a Year)
- [BOOK] The Glory of the Crusades by Steve Weidenkopf
The Pope Who Baptized the Pantheon (Pope St. Boniface IV)
Our pope this week you might not know, but odds are you know about something he did. I’m talking about the biggest and oldest unreinforced concrete dome IN THE WORLD. He converted it from a pagan temple into a church, which has been in constant use now for over 1400 years.
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The Pope Who Won a Contested Election (Pope St. Cornelius)
Our pope this week wasn’t around for long, but the time he did spend in office left its mark. He entered the Chair of Peter at a dicey time in Christian history and dealt with an arch nemesis from within the Church right after his election, to boot. He was eventually killed for his faith, and is now the patron saint of things like lovers and earaches.
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- Pope Cornelius (Catholic Encyclopedia)
- Pope Cornelius (Wikipedia)
- Saint Cornelius (Britannica)
- LETTER: Cornelius to Cyprian, on the Return of the Confessors to Unity
- LETTER: St. Cyprian to Cornelius in Exile, Concerning His Confession.
- [COMING SOON] Today in Papal History — A new daily newsletter on papal history, powered by The Popecast
The Last Pope to Write about Witches (Pope Gregory XV)
This pope was old and sick when he got elected, and wasn’t in office for all that long. But he wasn’t about to let any younger whipper snappers outdo him in energy or productivity. Oh, he also made the founder of the Jesuits a saint, and wrote the last document from a pope about when certain someones could or could not be burned at the stake.
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- Pope Gregory XV - Wikipedia
- Pope Gregory XV - Catholic Encyclopedia
- Pope Gregory XV - Popes in a Year
The Second Dominican Pope (Blessed Benedict XI)
Our pope this week is in elite company in more ways than one – he was holy when sanctity was severely lacking in the halls of the Vatican, and he’s one of only FIVE men in history from the Order of Preachers to be elevated to the Chair of St. Peter.
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- Blessed Pope Benedict XI – Popes in a Year
- Pope Benedict XI - Wikipedia
- Pope Benedict XI – Catholic Encyclopedia
Pope Francis Apostolic Letter on St. Jerome (For the 1600th anniversary of his death)
The exclusive audiobook of Pope Francis' new Apostolic Letter, Lettera Apostolica Scripturae, commemorating the 1600th anniversary of the death of St. Jerome. Chapters included if you'd like to skip around.
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The OTHER Saint Paul (Pope St. Paul I)
Our pope this week faced down an invading king, fought against a nasty heresy in the East, and has something in common with just FIVE other popes in all of Church history. Oh, and he’s not the St. Paul you’re probably thinking of.
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The Other OTHER Saint John (Pope St. John I)
Our pope this week was the first to hold the most popular papal name in Catholic Church history. A divisive figure in his early days, he repented of his old ways and went on to become so renowned that the emperor himself prostrated himself at this pope’s feet.
It just so happens that Episode #53 is on Pope #53. We swear we didn't realize this until after the episode was recorded.
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The Pope After Peter (St. Linus)
The pope we’re talking about today had to follow the Fisherman himself. He’s a man who not only knew the Apostles, but was taught and ordained by them. Not to mention he’s one of only two popes – not counting Peter himself – to be mentioned in Sacred Scripture.
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- Popes in a Year – Pope St. Linus
- Pope Linus - Wikipedia
- CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Pope St. Linus