Glad You Asked – Détails, épisodes et analyse

Catholics are accustomed to thinking of the term apostle as referring exclusively to men: the Twelve who followed Jesus and were with him at the Last Supper, as well as the Apostle Paul. But the church also considers Mary Magdalene an apostle—the "apostle to the apostles," to be precise. So clearly, being an apostle isn't something only men can do.

If women can be apostles, this opens a fascinating question: What about Mary, Jesus' mother? Mary of Nazareth might not have preached Jesus' teachings to crowds, or spread the news of his resurrection, but we see her proclaiming the glory of the Lord in the Magnificat, guiding Jesus to perform his first miracle, and sticking with him by the cross. We know she was an important part of the early church. Aside from that, she birthed Jesus, body and blood, into the world.

In this third and final installment of Glad You Asked's three-part season finale on Mary, the hosts talk with theologian Natalia Imperatori-Lee about whether Mary the Mother of Jesus was an apostle. 

Imperatori-Lee's scholarship focuses on ecclesiology, feminist theologies, and Latino/a theologies. She has written in both academic and popular publications, on topics ranging from the church's mistreatment of women scholars, to the perils of complementarity, to Mariology. Her most recent book, Women and the Church: From Devil's Gateway to Discipleship (Paulist Press), is an overview of feminist theology, for the undergraduate classroom.

You can learn more about this topic, and read some of Imperatori-Lee's work, in these links.

Women and the Church: From Devil's Gateway to Discipleship, by Natalia Imperatori-Lee

Bearers of an "Idle Tale": Women's Authority in a Creditability Economy, by Natalia Imperatori-Lee

"Mary, Mary, quite contrary," by Elizabeth Johnson

"Mary Magdalene knew she was an apostle. Why don't we?" by Alice Camille

"Two historians track down Jesus' women disciples," a U.S. Catholic interview

"Finding leadership roles for women in the church," by Bryan Cones

The Beginnings of the Church, by F. J. Cwiekowski

Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries USA, a congregation of Catholic priests and brothers who live and work with the most vulnerable among us. To learn more, visit claretians.org.

Mary's "Magnificat" is pretty revolutionary. It isn't praising God for abstract blessings, but for real material events, all of which have to do with radical social justice. And this makes sense, given the world Mary lived in. She was a young Jewish woman, likely from a poor family, in a nation that was occupied by the Roman Empire. Since she was not a citizen, she lacked various protections and rights. Her son Jesus would eventually be executed by that Empire, on suspicion of revolution—and his execution would be in the brutal form of crucifixion, since he didn't enjoy the protection of citizenship. 

We know there were revolutionary groups in first-century Roman-occupied Palestine. And we know Jesus was executed because the imperial regime viewed him as a revolutionary. What would Mary have thought about those groups? Does her Magnificat indicate that she favored them? Can we call Mary a revolutionary?

On this episode of Glad You Asked, the second in a three-part season finale looking at Mary as a figure of liberation, the hosts talk with theologian Kat Armas about Marian devotion in relation to movements of revolution and reform. 

Armas has a dual Master of Divinity and Master of Arts in Teaching degree from Fuller Theological Seminary, where she was awarded the Frederick Buechner Award for Excellence in Writing. She is the author of Liturgies for Resisting Empire:

Seeking Community, Belonging, and Peace in a Dehumanizing World (Brazos Press, and Abuelita Faith: What Women on the Margins Teach Us About Wisdom, Persistence and Strength (Brazos Press), as well as numerous articles, including in the National Catholic Reporter, Plough Magazine, The Christian Century, Christianity Today, and Sojornours.

Learn more about this topic, and read some of Armas' work, in these links: 

Liturgies for Resisting Empire: Seeking Community, Belonging, and Peace in a Dehumanizing World, by Kat Armas

Abuelita Faith: What Women on the Margins Teach Us About Wisdom, Persistence and Strength, by Kat Armas

"In Scripture and Trump's America, some people mistakenly want a king," by Kat Armas

"Mary, Mary, quite contrary," by Elizabeth Johnson

"How Liberation Theology Illuminates Advent in the Bible," a U.S. Catholic interview

Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries USA, a congregation of Catholic priests and brothers who live and work with the most vulnerable among us. To learn more, visit claretians.org.

"Divine revelation leads to revolution," by Alice Camille

The tradition of churches as places of refuge for those in fear of the law goes back centuries. It figures in several popular stories set in the Middle Ages, including The Hunchback of Notre Dame (both the novel and the Disney film), and the legend of the outlaw Robin Hood. In the nineteenth century, in the United States, enslaved people sometimes took refuge in churches. Later, in the twentieth century, people escaping the draft occasionally did so as well. The tradition has endured into the twentieth century, with immigrants and refugees in the United States turning to churches for sanctuary. 

In fact, in 2011, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) sent their officers a memo, telling them to avoid arresting people in "sensitive locations" such as churches, schools, and hospitals.

Now, however, the role of churches as sanctuaries has become uncertain, as the current administration has stripped churches and schools of those immigration enforcement protections. 

On this episode of Glad You Asked, the hosts talk with theologian Leo Guardado about the origin and significance of the sanctuary church tradition, the legal status of sanctuary churches, and whether the magisterium of the Catholic Church officially supports this longstanding tradition. Guardado has a personal connection to this topic, as he escaped the civil war in El Salvador as a child. He has worked ecumenically in the borderlands in defense of migrant communities, and is the author of numerous articles and two books, including Church as Sanctuary: Reconstructing Refuge in an Age of Forced Displacement (Orbis Books)

You can learn more about this topic, and read some of Guarddado's work, in these links.

The Sanctuary Movement

Church as Sanctuary: Reconstructing Refuge in an Age of Forced Displacement, by Leo Guardado (Orbis Books)

"Churches have a long history of being safe havens — for immigrants and others," by BIll Chappell

"4 steps to becoming a Catholic sanctuary church," by Melissa Walker

"What the Birth of the Sanctuary Movement Teaches Us Today," by Kyle Paoletta

"Social Justice — Catholic Churches and Hospitals as Sanctuaries and Places of Refuge," by Brian Kane, PhD

Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries USA, a congregation of Catholic priests and brothers who live and work with the most vulnerable among us. To learn more, visit claretians.org.

Catholics have frequently taken a stand against civil authorities, even breaking the law, to remain true to their faith. 

The early martyrs refused to worship the Roman gods and were murdered for it. Saints have stood up against oppressive authorities, helped the innocent escape unjust laws, and held onto their faith even when it was illegal. Catholics were murdered for opposing the Nazi regime, and persecuted for their work in civil rights. Many Catholics who grew up with stories of these heroes of faith and justice took away the implicit lesson: Sometimes being a follower of Jesus means breaking the law. 

If these stories count as instances of civil disobedience, does that mean civil disobedience has a place in the Catholic tradition? Does the official magisterium of the church have any teachings supporting–or critiquing–civil disobedience? What is civil disobedience, anyway? 

To answer these questions, the Glad You Asked hosts talked to Jack Downey, a scholar of civil disobedience who is also the John Henry Newman Professor of Roman Catholic Studies and a professor of religion and classics at the University of Rochester. 

Downey's scholarship focuses on contemporary justice movements, liberation theology, religious history, and contemplative traditions. He is the author of The Bread of the Strong, a study of contemplative influences on Dorothy Day and the Catholic Worker movement.

You can learn more about this topic, and read some of Downey's work, in these links.

"We are all called to protest, says this civil rights lawyer," A U.S. Catholic interview

"Holy disobedience," by Jim Forest

"Traditional Disobedience: Renewing the Legacy of Catholic Activism," by John Gehring

"The Unlikely Catholic Activist Who Believed in Civil Disobedience 'Animated by Love'," by John Loughery

"A Metaphor for the Planet," by Jack Downey

The Bread of the Strong: Lacouturisme and the Folly of the Cross, 1910-1985, by Jack Downey (Fordham University Press, 2015)

Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries USA, a congregation of Catholic priests and brothers who live and work with the most vulnerable among us. To learn more, visit claretians.org.

Over the past 75 episodes, the Glad You Asked podcast has addressed dozens of your top questions about Catholic history, scripture, and theology. The hosts have posed questions like: Do dogs go to heaven? Was Jesus a refugee? And should Catholics use AI? And dozens of teachers, theologians, activists, and scholars have joined the show to share their expertise on these and other most-searched queries about Catholicism. 

On October 3, 2025, Glad You Asked is coming back with even more answers to all your burning questions. Questions to look forward to in the upcoming season include: Should Catholics read their horoscopes? Can Catholics be anarchists? And what does the church teach about civil disobedience? And the season will close with a special three-part season finale about Mary, the Mother of God.

Sign up for updates at USCatholic.org/gyapodcast. Or subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Glad You Asked is sponsored by the USA-Canada province of the Claretian Missionaries, a congregation that tends to the religious and pastoral needs of vulnerable communities. To find out more and get involved please visit www.claretians.org. 

In February of 1300, Pope Boniface VIII, in the papal bull Antiquorum Habet Fida Relatio, declared the first-ever Catholic Jubilee Year. Anyone who made a pilgrimage to the tombs of the Apostles Peter and Paul in Rome, and who repented and confessed, would receive "the fullest and broadest pardon for all sins committed," Boniface proclaimed. One of the thousands of pilgrims who journeyed to Rome that year was the painter Giotto, who created a fresco commemorating the event. Another was the poet Dante Alighieri, who references the Jubilee in his Divine Comedy—ironically, this appears in Canto 18 of Inferno, where he compares the movement of the damned along the eighth circle of hell to the Roman method of traffic control during the Jubilee. 

The jubilee tradition goes back far further, however, originating in Judaism, before Christianity had even begun. In the Israelite tradition, the jubilee was associated with things like forgiving debts, freeing enslaved people, and other concrete gestures of material justice. In the Catholic tradition, however, the Jubilee focuses not on debt forgiveness but on forgiveness of sins. 

On this episode of Glad You Asked, the hosts talk with scholar Dean Dettloff about the origins of the Jubilee Year, its significance in the Catholic tradition, and whether there is any likelihood that the Catholic Jubilee will recover its ancient tradition of concrete liberation. Dettloff is the Research and Advocacy Officer for Development and Peace–Caritas Canada. He holds a PhD in philosophy from the Institute for Christian Studies in Toronto and the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, where he also teaches as sessional faculty.

You can learn more about this topic, and read some of Dettloff's work, in these links. 

What Is a Holy Year?
HISTORY

"This Jubilee year, be open to the gift of hope," by Alice Camille
This Jubilee year, be open to the gift of hope - U.S. Catholic

"Take action against mass incarceration this Jubilee year," by Alessandra Harris
Take action against mass incarceration this Jubilee year - U.S. Catholic

"Canada must lead global debt cancellation, like it did 25 years ago," by Dean Detloff
Canada must lead global debt cancellation, like it did 25 years ago - The Hill Times

"Mourning a Pope We Often Ignored," by Dean Detloff
Mourning a Pope We Often Ignored | Sojourners

"A May Day Saint," by Dean Detloff
A May Day Saint | Commonweal Magazine

Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries.

The earliest documented use of the term pro-life was in a book on parenting and child education. The book, Summerhill: A Radical Approach to Child Rearing, by A.S. Neil, was published in 1960 and contained the statement that "no pro-life parent or teacher would ever strike a child. No pro-life citizen would tolerate our penal code, our hangings, our punishment of homosexuals." 

However, that's not how the term is typically used today. In the early 1970s, following Roe v. Wade, anti-abortion activists began using the term pro-life in reference to their opposition to legalized abortion. Even then, many activists thought being pro-life ought to entail a holistic approach to life issues: that people should oppose not only abortion, but also war, the death penalty, income inequality, and racism. 

This idea that pro-life ought to refer to all life really began to pick up steam in 2016, partially as a response to the mainstream pro-life movement's alliance with far right political leaders. Today, many people who used to identify as pro-life no longer do so. They feel the term has been tarnished. 

Should "pro-life" mean opposition to abortion, or should it be more inclusive? Has the term been compromised by its association with various political agendas? And how should Catholics respond to this debate? 

On this episode of Glad You Asked, the hosts talk to Bishop John Stowe about what it means to be a pro-life Catholic. Stowe is bishop of the diocese of Lexington, Kentucky and a priest in the Order of Friars Minor Conventual. In keeping with the Franciscan tradition, Stowe has long been a pastoral voice for justice for the poor and for environmental justice. He's also spoken repeatedly for immigrant rights and LGBTQ+ inclusion. 

Learn more about this topic in these links.

"U.S. Catholic readers critique the pro-life movement," by Kathleen Bonnette
U.S. Catholic readers critique the pro-life movement - U.S. Catholic

"As election nears, Catholics reflect on abortion politics," by Cassidy Klein
As election nears, Catholics reflect on abortion politics - U.S. Catholic

"4 ways progressive pro-lifers can reengage with Democratic leaders," by Rebecca Bratten Weiss
4 ways progressive pro-lifers can reengage with Democratic leaders | National Catholic Reporter

"Will the synod listen to women on reproductive issues?" by Ashley Wilson
Will the synod listen to women on reproductive issues? - U.S. Catholic 

"In debates about reproductive health, listen to Black women," a U.S. Catholic interview
In debates about reproductive health, listen to Black women - U.S. Catholic

"A new way to think about the 'consistent ethic of life'," by Steven P. Millies
A new way to think about the 'consistent ethic of life'

"It's Time to Move Past the Pro-Life / Pro-Choice Dividing Line," by Rebecca Bratten Weiss
It's Time To Move Past The Pro-Life / Pro-Choice Dividing Line | Rebecca Bratten Weiss

"Do restrictive abortion laws actually reduce abortion? A global map offers insights," by Michaeleen Doucleff
MAP: Click to see abortion laws — and rates of abortion — around the world : Goats and Soda : NPR

"The movement against abortion rights is nearing its apex. But it began way before Roe," by Deepa Shivaram
The history of the anti-abortion movement in the U.S. : NPR

Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries.

Catholic history is full of famous excommunications involving court intrigue and geopolitical conflicts. Henry VIII of England was excommunicated twice: first in a "provisional excommunication," by Pope Clement, then again by Pope Paul III, in 1538. An earlier English monarch, Henry II, also clashed with the church—specifically, with Thomas Becket, archbishop of Canterbury. Though Becket never excommunicated Henry, he did excommunicate a number of his supporters. Further back in history, yet another Henry, the Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV, was famously excommunicated by Pope Gregory VII. The emperor ended up walking on foot to Canossa Castle in 1077, and kneeling in the snow doing penance for three days, begging for his excommunication to be lifted. 

Stories like this might suggest that excommunication was a tool for political leverage, or a weighty and dramatic event that only happened when the Catholic Church wielded massive political power. But excommunications still happen today, and most of them do not involve state leaders. 

On this episode of the podcast, the hosts talk with canon lawyer Dawn Eden Goldstein about the canonical and theological significance of excommunication. Goldstein is one of the few laywomen in the world to hold both a theology doctorate licensed by the Holy See and a licentiate in canon law.

She is also the first woman to earn a doctorate in sacred theology from the University of St. Mary of the Lake. She is also the author of several books, including The Sacred Heart: A Love for All Times (Loyola Press) and Father Ed: The Story of Bill W.'s Spiritual Sponsor (Orbis Books).

You can find more information about this topic and read some of Dawn's work in these links. 

"What is excommunication?" by Michelle Arnold
What is excommunication?

"Excommunication is not the church's equivalent of capital punishment," by Thomas Reese
Excommunication is not the church's equivalent of capital punishment | National Catholic Reporter

"Vatican excommunicates former nuncio to the US, found guilty of schism," by Carol Glatz
Vatican excommunicates former nuncio to the US, found guilty of schism | USCCB

"What is canon law?" by Dawn Eden Goldstein
What is canon law? - U.S. Catholic

The Dawn Patrol
The Dawn Patrol

Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries.

St. Augustine of Hippo, the fourth century theologian, philosopher, and doctor of the church, shaped Christian theology in myriad ways. Multiple Christian denominations draw heavily on Augustine's ideas about grace, original sin, free will, and the trinity. And now, with the election of Pope Leo XIV, an Augustinian priest is steering the entire global Catholic Church. 

But one area of Augustine's thought doesn't get addressed as often: his beliefs about slavery. Did Augustine support the institution of slavery? How did he reconcile his beliefs with the gospel's commitment to radical equality? And why, if we want to understand racism in the United States, do we need to go all the way back to a fourth century theologian's theses about politics, society, and the relation of humanity to God? 

On this episode of Glad You Asked, the hosts talk to Toni Alimi about Augustine's ideas about slavery. Alimi is assistant professor in the Sage School of Philosophy at Cornell University. His research and teaching span ancient Roman philosophy, intellectual history, contemporary ethics and politics, and philosophy of religion. His book, Slaves of God, explores Augustine's arguments slavery and argues that slavery is a central theme in his broader ethics and politics.

Learn more about this topic and Alimi's scholarship in these links. 

Slaves of God: Augustine and Other Romans on Religion and Politics, by Toni Alimi
Slaves of God | Princeton University Press

"Augustine was 'wrong about slavery': Book reexamines key figure," by Kate Blackwood
Augustine was 'wrong about slavery': Book reexamines key figure | Sage School of Philosophy

"When did the church condemn slavery?" by Jacob Kohlhaas
When did the church condemn slavery? - U.S. Catholic

"How the U.S. Catholic Church profited from slavery," A U.S. Catholic interview
How the U.S. Catholic Church profited from slavery - U.S. Catholic 

"What did St. Augustine say about original sin?" by Kathleen Bonnette
What did St. Augustine say about original sin? - U.S. Catholic

Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries.

Conversations among Catholics about trans people and the church often center on questions of inclusion and belonging in relation to church life and teachings. Can trans people be baptized into the church or partake in other sacraments? Should trans Catholics be allowed to join religious orders? The conversations often proceed as though trans Catholics are fundamentally a problem to be solved. 

Even when the intention is to be welcoming, making this the primary discussion among Catholics fails to recognize that trans Catholics are already part of our families, communities, workplaces, and parishes. Trans Catholics are already a part of the church. 

Some theologians and pastoral leaders suggest that shifting the focus of these discussions could lead to a broader understanding of church life. As well as considering what we owe to trans people, we should also consider how trans people enrich the church—how their active participation in church communities might help us deepen our theology and pastoral witness. 

On this episode of Glad You Asked, the hosts talk to guest Kori Pacyniak about what the church can learn from trans Catholics. Pacyniak is a queer, nonbinary, and trans Catholic who is a doctoral candidate at the University of California Riverside. They studied religion and Portuguese at Smith College and have a master of divinity from Harvard and a master's degree in theology and trauma from Boston University. Ordained as a priest through Roman Catholic Womenpriests, Pacyniak focuses on creating sacred space and liturgy by and for queer and trans Catholics.

Learn more about this topic and read some of Pacyniak's writing in these links.

"Gender diversity has always been part of the church," by Emma Cieslik
Gender diversity has always been part of the church - U.S. Catholic

"As a transgender Catholic, I don't see gender diversity as a threat to our faith," by Maxwell Kuzma
As a transgender Catholic, I don't see gender diversity as a threat to our faith - Outreach

"Trans and Catholic: A parent's perspective," by Deacon Ray Dever
Trans and Catholic: A parent's perspective - U.S. Catholic

"We cannot abandon trans Catholics," by Father Bryan Massingale
We cannot abandon trans Catholics - U.S. Catholic

"Pope Francis Calls for the Inclusion of Trans People in Catholic Church Practices," by Dallas Knox
Pope Francis Calls for the Inclusion of Trans People in Catholic Church Practices | GLAAD

"God Doesn't Want You to Be Miserable," by Kori Pacyniak
"God Doesn't Want You to Be Miserable." - New Ways Ministry

"The Women Who Want to Be Priests," by Margaret Talbot
The Women Who Want to Be Priests | The New Yorker

Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries.