JD and Ed share the persons or stories they think will dominate the 2025 news cycle.

JD’s picks

* Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk

* Diocesan bankruptcy

* American cardinalatial sees

Ed’s picks

* The Church in Syria

* Cardinal Domenico Battaglia

* Euthanasia

This episode of The Pillar Podcast is brought to you by Norman’s Nursery in Southern California.

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Ed and JD map out their dream orchards.

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JD and Ed talk about effective parish evangelization. Then, Nancy Pelosi made a recourse to the Apostolic See and JD and Ed have a few questions.

This episode of The Pillar Podcast is brought to you by Norman’s Nursery in Southern California.

Norman’s Nursery is California’s premier grower of trees and shrubs, serving homeowners, landscapers, and developers.

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Tell them JD and Ed sent you for 30% off!

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Ed has questions. Then, JD and Ed talk about the Archdiocese of St. Louis’ confusing approach to a day of precept.

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JD and Ed talk about a new policy in the Diocese of Salt Lake City regulating sacraments of initiation for children baptized at or after the age of 7. Ed explains to JD the situation of the Australian Catholic University.

JD plays a round of “People I should trust” Greater or Lesser.

This episode of The Pillar Podcast is brought to you by Norman’s Nursery in Southern California.

Norman’s Nursery is California’s premier grower of trees and shrubs, serving homeowners, landscapers, and developers.

Call (805) 398-0011 to plan your dream landscape today, or visit NormansNursery.com

Tell them JD and Ed sent you for 30% off!

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Pillar reader Mel Gibson has made a boatload of films. JD and Ed each rank the best five and worst five of those films.

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Please pray for the repose of the soul of Pillar reader (in a good way) Fr. Dennis Conway.

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Ed expands on his suggestion the Apostolic See hire a chief financial officer. He and JD debate the tenability of a papal tax on U.S. Catholics.

Then, JD talks about a big change at the USCCB.

This episode of The Pillar Podcast is brought to you by the Secular Institute of the Priests of the Heart of Jesus.

We are diocesan priests seeking to support one another in ministry through the profession of the evangelical counsels and ongoing priestly fraternity.

Learn more at www.uspcj.org

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Someone please invite us to polo. 

JD and Ed debate the merits of revised papal funeral rites. They also react to sweeping changes to the Vatican’s pension fund.

This episode of The Pillar Podcast is brought to you by the Secular Institute of the Priests of the Heart of Jesus. 

We are diocesan priests seeking to support one another in ministry through the profession of the evangelical counsels and ongoing priestly fraternity. 

Learn more at www.uspcj.org

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.pillarcatholic.com/subscribe

Ed and JD host a fight song contest for the sponsor of this week’s episode of The Pillar Podcast, the University of Mary.

The University of Mary’s online MBA program is now offering a scholarship for Pillar readers. Learn more at Pillar.umary.edu

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.pillarcatholic.com/subscribe

JD and Ed break down the U.S. bishops’ fall plenary assembly in this live taping of The Pillar Podcast— including Ed’s interview with Cardinal Sean O’Malley, the bishops’ interest in artificial intelligence, and Bishop Daniel Flores’ speech about synodality. 

Then, the audience joins in for a few rounds of ‘CLP or GPT’, ‘Episcopal motto— True or False?’ and Washington, D.C. ‘Yes or No?’

This episode of The Pillar Podcast is brought to you by the University of Mary’s online MBA program and its new scholarship for Pillar readers.

Learn more at Pillar.umary.edu

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.pillarcatholic.com/subscribe