How will the Catholic Church change after the coronavirus pandemic? Ep. 140

A 25-minute conversation between President Trump and hundreds of bishops and other Catholic leaders sparked an intense debate about the right way for Catholic leaders to engage in politics. While the conference call got a lot of attention, it is just one story among many affecting the church in the United States, and as the national correspondent for Crux, Chris White has to try to cover them all.

We talk to Chris about how he broke the story of the conference call, what the church might look like after the coronavirus pandemic and how he understands the relationship between his identities as a “Catholic” and a “journalist.”

In our weekly survey of Catholic news, we highlight the Franciscan spiritual master Richard Rohr’s cameo on “The Simpsons” and a study examining the efficacy of prayer on patients recovering from Covid-19. We also discuss the disproportionate effect that the coronavirus pandemic is having on black Americans.   

Links from the show:
Richard Rohr on The Simpsons
Clinical Study Considers The Power Of Prayer To Combat COVID-19
U.S. Bishop Chairmen Issue Statement Urging State and National Leaders to Examine African American Communities by COVID-19
Trump says he’s ‘best president in history of the Church’ in call with Catholic leaders
Chris White on Twitter

What’s on tap?
Margaritas (kind of)