In February 2025, Bishop Barron returned to the Palace of Westminster in London, UK, to address religious leaders and members of Parliament. The focus of his talk was the rhythm of divine mercy—the abounding love that arises within us when we accept the grace of Christ. Today we bring you the first half of that talk. Link: Word on Fire Institute: h…

Pope Francis passed away at the age of eighty-eight on Easter Monday. He was the first pope from Latin America, the first Jesuit pope, and the first pope to take the name “Francis,” after St. Francis of Assisi. What stood out in his twelve-year pontificate? How does his papacy compare with those of his immediate predecessors, Pope Benedict XVI and …

Today we conclude Bishop Barron’s lecture at Charles University in Prague. During the talk, he focuses on St. Thomas Aquinas’ distinctive notion of God as “ipsum esse” and its connection with some of the principal themes of Catholic social teaching. Enjoy! Link: Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/ NOTE: Do you like this podcas…

Word on Fire is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. That’s twenty-five years of proclaiming the Gospel, evangelizing the culture, and working hard to bring people to—or back to—Christ and his Church. It’s worth pausing to look back to remember where it all began and how the ministry has grown along the way. What is Word on Fire’s origin sto…

Today we bring you the first half of Bishop Barron’s lecture at Charles University in Prague. In this talk, Bishop focuses on St. Thomas Aquinas’ distinctive notion of God as “ipsum esse” and its connection with some of the principal themes of Catholic social teaching. Enjoy! Link: Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/ NOTE: Do …

Today we’re bringing you the second half of a conversation between Bishop Barron and Brenden Thompson during a trip to London. Brenden is Programme Manager of the Word On Fire Institute in the United Kingdom where he works to promote the faith in a deeply secularized culture. In this conversation, they explore Bishop Barron’s unique methods for pub…

Today we conclude Bishop Barron’s lecture series on one of the most important and influential Catholic theologians of the twentieth century, Han Urs von Balthasar. Throughout these lectures, we came to understand his life, his theology, and his ongoing impact on the Church and our work to evangelize the culture. Enjoy the final lesson! Links: Full …

Today we’re bringing you the first half of a conversation that Bishop Barron had with Brenden Thompson during a trip to London. Brenden is Programme Manager of the Word On Fire Institute in the United Kingdom where he works to promote the faith in a deeply secularized culture. In this conversation, they explore Bishop Barron’s unique methods for pu…

Here is the eleventh 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. As we journey through these lectures, we will come to understand his life, his theology, and his ongoing impact on the Church and our work to evangelize the culture. Enjoy! …

Are Christians required to love everyone equally? This question has recently become a matter of public and even political debate. So how should we answer? It seems necessary to ask what “loving thy neighbor” means in practice; for example is the love between friends, the love between spouses, the love within a family, the love among compatriots, an…

We bring you the tenth 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…

Today we continue with lesson nine on our walk through 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 le…

Depression and anxiety have exploded in the past decade in the United States, especially, though not exclusively, among young people. Tragically, anxiety and depression frequently contribute to suicide and suicide attempts, with young men in particular taking much of the brunt of this epidemic of self-harm. Many suffer in silence, with neither fami…

We continue our walk through Bishop Barron’s lecture series with lesson eight 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 se…

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 undermi…

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 ava…

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 o…

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…

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 …

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 availab…

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 an…

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 availabl…

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 o…

Today we bring you the third 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 ava…

After spending nearly a month in Rome, Bishop Barron has just returned from the concluding session of the Synod on Synodality. However, numerous basic questions remain among the faithful: What challenges were discussed during this synod and what solutions, if any, did the attendees reach? What impact, if any, does either the structure or content of…