Daniel P. Horan

In Lenten practices, I hadn't yet done much in terms of what might be called "digital fasting." And I was unsure what to expect when Ash Wednesday rolled around this year and I logged off the social media apps.

Listen: Heidi, Father Daniel and David take it a little easy for Holy Week, and catch up on shows and music that they've been enjoying. They also nerd out about liturgy at the beginning of the conversation.

Fr. Daniel Horan: Just as racism is a white problem, sexual abuse in the church is a clergy problem. White people need to name and confront "white fragility," and we clergy need to name and confront "clerical fragility."

Listen: Heidi, David and Father Daniel discuss recent reforms allowing more lay leadership, allegations connecting Ginni Thomas to the Jan. 6 insurrection, and the confirmation hearings for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson

Adjusting to this return of regular in-person activities and more-frequent travel has given me reason to step back and reflect on what is needed in order to cope better with the world as it changes. 

Gen Z's search for truth in the midst of a world saturated by "alternative facts" leads them to forge their own paths toward what they see as a more just, equitable and sustainable future. That gives me hope. 

Listen: In this episode, David, Father Daniel and Heidi talk about Russia's attack on Ukraine; Pope Francis' recent virtual dialogue with students from North, Central and South America; and plans for Lent 2022.

Fr. Daniel Horan: Far from a celebration of human athletic excellence and peaceful international sportsmanship, the Olympics have snowballed into a phenomenon that often distracts from the sporting events themselves.

Listen: Heidi, David and Father Daniel discuss student journalists and the CatholicVote lawsuit against organizations on the border, and they interview guest Fr. Bryan Massingale on book bans.

Fr. Daniel Horan: Over time we have come to recognize some of the church's behaviors as indefensible. In time, history will judge the church's discrimination against and treatment of LGBTQ persons as similarly reprehensible.

Listen: Heidi, David and Father Daniel discuss what they did during winter break; the life of Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh; and the impact of state bills and diocesan policies on the dignity of transgender persons.

Fr. Daniel Horan: Many well-intentioned white people struggle with or outright reject the concept of "white privilege." But here's a different metaphor that may illustrate the undeniable truth behind white privilege.

How often do we step back to think about the twisted social and economic systems at work that allow some to obtain unthinkable wealth while others are condemned to struggle to survive?

As people of faith preparing to celebrate Christmas, remember that not all members of the Body of Christ are coping with personal and collective challenges equally. The moral obligation is to call to mind that suffering exists in many forms and recognize that we can all do something to support one another and ourselves.

Listen: In this episode, hosts Father Daniel, Heidi and David talk about Dorothy Day's canonization process; developments with Pope Francis, New Ways Ministry and the Vatican; and the best and worst of 2021.

Listen: In this episode, hosts Father Daniel, Heidi and David discuss the takeaways from the recent U.S. bishops' meeting, the continuing dangers of COVID-19, and verdicts in killings in Wisconsin and Georgia.

Franciscan Fr. Daniel P. Horan: Regina Shands Stoltzfus and Tobin Miller Shearer highlight how anti-racism work is fraught with tensions and challenges, but as people of faith we are called to evaluate our motivations and commitments, even in the face of discomfort and fear.

Listen: Heidi, Father Daniel and David about the U.S. bishops on the Eucharist, comments by Los Angeles' archbishop about social justice, and the Madison Diocese forbidding parishes to be used as vaccination sites.

Daniel P. Horan: One thread linking a number of the scandalous and insensitive statements and actions of U.S. bishops is an apparent anti-intellectualism that is, sadly, not uncommon in other sectors of society.

Listen: Heidi, Father Daniel and David discuss the start of COP26, President Joe Biden's audience with Pope Francis, and the slow steps toward approving a COVID-19 vaccine for 5- to 11-year-olds.