Explore every episode of the podcast This turbulent priest
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Why the Anglican "Save the parish" movement resonates with Catholics too. | 08 sept. 2026 | 00:59:05 | |
In this week's episode I ponder how the insights of Rev Marcus Walker's "Save the parish" movement in the Church of England resonate on this side of the Tiber as well... You can now support me on patreon. Just follow this link | |||
| Are Catholic schools Catholic anymore? | 01 sept. 2026 | 00:52:53 | |
In this week's episode I ask the uncomfortable but important questions about Catholic education. Is there an impossible tension in the current culture when we try to run Catholic schools within a secular curriculum? What does it mean for a school to be Catholic if only a minority of staff and pupils practice the faith? Should we close Catholic schools or reform them? Why are some parents opting for home education? You can now support me on patreon. Just follow this link | |||
| Is judgement to be avoided or embraced? | 25 août 2026 | 01:02:29 | |
In this week's episode I ponder why modern culture abhors the notion of "judging others", acting as if personal choices have no moral value, even as it itself judges others harshly and shows no mercy whatsoever within a cancel culture. Is judgement something to be avoided or embraced? You can now support me on patreon. Just follow this link | |||
| Jason Arday; symptom not cause of Cambridge's crisis | 12 août 2026 | 00:50:54 | |
In this episode I show how Jason Arday is the most boring aspect of the tumult surrounding his appointment at Cambridge University. The real villain is an intransigent modernist ideology that demands blind obedience and therefore destroys the very framework of adversarial thinking that enabled historic academia to flourish. Cambridge University must return to its historic philosophy or be destroyed; a process that will require sacrificial levels of honesty, repentance and open mindedness. Does Cambridge have the humility and intellectual ability to learn from its obvious mistakes? Or will it arrogantly double down on the unthinking ideology that now directs our metropolitan elites at terrible cost to itself? You can now support me on patreon. Just follow this link | |||
| Adopted faith; an interview with seminarian Iwan Williams | 28 juil. 2026 | 00:49:26 | |
In this week's episode I speak with Iwan Williams, the Seminarian on placement in Pembury from Allen Hall in London, who speaks openly about being adopted as a child and how re-connecting with his birth mother encouraged a return to his Heavenly Father. You can now support me on patreon. Just follow this link | |||
| Is Andy Burnham a Catholic or not? | 22 juil. 2026 | 00:44:41 | |
In this episode I explore what is meant when people state that Andy Burnham is a Catholic. What do we make of the fact he publicly supports euthanasia and abortion even as people label him a member of Christ's Church? Is his baptism enough to grant inclusion? Is his undoubtedly Catholic background sufficient to make him one of our own? Does his public stance prohibit the label of Catholic now being applied to him? You can now support me on patreon. Just follow this link | |||
| What can the death of Ann Widdecombe teach us? | 14 juil. 2026 | 00:35:21 | |
In this week's episode I pay homage to the murdered politician Ann Widdecombe. I contemplate her life and the witness of her Christian faith and I ask what legacy she leaves us. May she rest in peace. You can now support me on patreon. Just follow this link | |||
| Unity versus Truth: reflecting on the SSPX schism | 07 juil. 2026 | 00:49:52 | |
In this week's episode I reflect on the schism that occurred when the SSPX took themselves out of communion with the Catholic Church when they consecrated new bishops without a papal mandate. Are they victims or aggressors? Do they merit our sympathy or criticism? Here is my take... You can now support me on patreon. Just follow this link | |||
| Against the machine: C R Ashbee and the fight for beauty! | 30 juin 2026 | 00:41:34 | |
In this week's episode I reflect on the beautiful reredos located in the sacred heard chapel at St Anselm's in Pembury which was created by C R Ashbee a prominent member of the Arts and Crafts movement. This reflection leads me to ponder the role of beauty in the world and in the faith and to consider how important the quest for beauty might be... You can now support me on patreon. Just follow this link | |||
| Should Christians believe in progress? | 23 juin 2026 | 00:42:44 | |
In this week's episode I try and distinguish between technological advance in society and genuine progress. I challenge the common assumption that humanity is evolving as time goes on... You can now support me on patreon. Just follow this link | |||
| Do religions really cause war? | 16 juin 2026 | 00:44:21 | |
In this week's episode I ponder the accusation, so often hurled at Christians, that religion causes war. Is it true? Does this claim stand up to scrutiny? What does the church have to say about this? You can now support me on patreon. Just follow this link | |||
| Is modern parenting too safe? | 10 juin 2026 | 00:50:09 | |
In this week's episode I pick up on the education secretary's claim that modern children are too risk averse and cosseted and ask if we need to re-asses parenting especially in light of our faith as Catholics. You can now support me on patreon. Just follow this link | |||
| A Catholic reflects on the murder of Henry Nowak | 02 juin 2026 | 00:35:37 | |
In this week's episode I try and give a Catholic response to the senseless murder of University student Henry Nowak. I suggest that a loss of Christian anthropology is leading to struggles in our society to deal with matters of justice and truth. You can now support me on patreon. Just follow this link | |||
| Magnifica Humanitas: first impressions of Pope Leo's first encyclical | 26 mai 2026 | 00:38:52 | |
In this week's episode I give my first impressions on the first encyclical of Pope Leo which centres on anthropological questioning- what does it mean to be human in a fast evolving world with Ai? You can now support me on patreon. Just follow this link | |||
| The death of the local community | 19 mai 2026 | 00:54:05 | |
In this week's episode I ponder the breakdown of the parish system and of local community in recent years and its impact on the faith and life of England. You can now support me on patreon. Just follow this link | |||
| Catholicism didn't abandon the left, the left has abandoned Catholicism | 12 mai 2026 | 00:51:32 | |
In this week's episode I ponder why Christianity has been largely abandoned by all political parties but especially the left, which once had a strong alliance with Catholicism in working class areas of Britain. I ask how Christians should engage with modern politics and end with a hopeful observation that the worm might, at last, be turning... You can now support me on patreon. Just follow this link | |||
| Does the world need a new 'just war' theory? | 05 mai 2026 | 00:32:41 | |
In this week's episode I share my concerns that global conflict is in the air and ask if the complexities of modern warfare make a traditional understanding of just war theory somewhat obsolete and difficult to discern. Is it time for the church to update its teaching in this regard? You can now support me on patreon. Just follow this link | |||
| A blessing too far: when ecumenism forgets truth | 28 avr. 2026 | 00:37:43 | |
In this week's episode I ponder the scandal that was caused when the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mullaly, gave an apparent blessing in the basilica of St Peter in Rome and, more alarmingly, when a Catholic prelate appeared to accept it. Has ecumenism gone too far? Are we in danger of putting carts before horses? Do we cause confusion when we pretend to be more united than we actually are? You can now support me on patreon. Just follow this link | |||
| When Popes and Presidents clash! | 21 avr. 2026 | 00:41:06 | |
In this week's episode I ponder the recent spat between Pope Leo and President Trump and try to ponder not only what caused it but also what the solution to such conflict might be... You can now support me on patreon. Just follow this link | |||
| Vatican backs the Ordinariate | 14 avr. 2026 | 00:38:05 | |
In this week's episode I ponder a wonderful document, produced by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of Faith, which explores the patrimony of the Ordinariate and examines how it is working on the ground. It is essentially a huge boost to those of us in the Ordinariate as it represents indisputable backing from Rome as regards the work we are doing. You can now support me on patreon. Just follow this link | |||
| Passiontide reflection | 24 mars 2026 | 00:22:23 | |
In this episode I ponder how we can fully enter into passion tide as we prepare for a good Holy Week You can now support me on patreon. Just follow this link | |||
| The crisis of masculinity in the world and the church | 10 mars 2026 | 00:47:06 | |
In this week's episode I highlight how a serious crisis of masculinity in both the world and the church is deeply damaging both. You can now support me on patreon. Just follow this link | |||
| On the edge of the abyss: pondering the situation in Iran | 03 mars 2026 | 00:43:18 | |
In this week's episode I attempt to sidestep the politics of the situation in Iran and ask instead what we should make of it all as Catholics? You can now support me on patreon. Just follow this link | |||
| Hunger for God: a deep dive on fasting | 24 févr. 2026 | 00:46:27 | |
In this Lenten episode I deep dive on the subject of fasting. It is a practice that was once entirely normative for Christians but which has fallen out of us for many. Is it time to re-evaluate our need for it? You can now support me on patreon. Just follow this link | |||
| Altar serving: a school of reverence | 17 févr. 2026 | 00:49:36 | |
In this week's episode I ponder the role of altar serving, noting what aspects of this vital work has been lost in the modern era and asking how it might be reformed to help us in our future. You can now support me on patreon. Just follow this link | |||
| Epstein & the grooming gangs of England; a Catholic response. | 10 févr. 2026 | 00:46:07 | |
In this week's episode I contemplate the grotesque scandals of Epstein in America and the Muslim grooming gangs in the North of England. And I ask what they have in common and what this reveals, from a Catholic perspective, about the loss of an authentic moral framework within modern secular Western culture. You can now support me on patreon. Just follow this link | |||
| Before the fast begins: the lost wisdom of pre-Lent | 02 févr. 2026 | 00:33:32 | |
In this week's episode I ponder the ancient season of Pre-Lent which was lost to most modern Catholics at the Second Vatican council. You can now support me on patreon. Just follow this link | |||
| Indulgences: corruption or compassion? | 20 janv. 2026 | 00:33:27 | |
In this week's episode I look into one of the most misunderstood and neglected aspect of Catholic teaching- the use of indulgences! You can now support me on patreon. Just follow this link | |||
| The bare bones of belief | 13 janv. 2026 | 00:27:05 | |
In this episode I explore the theme of relics. What are they? Are they biblical? What does the church teach us about them? You can now support me on patreon. Just follow this link | |||
| A review of 2025 through the lens of faith | 29 déc. 2025 | 00:38:18 | |
In this episode I look back on 2025 with a special emphasis on the life of faith. You can now support me on patreon. Just follow this link | |||
| Mary's womb reveals the true message of Advent | 16 déc. 2025 | 00:30:40 | |
In this week's episode I ponder the expectant Virgin Mary. What does her pregnancy tell us about God and ourselves? What lessons can we learn from the fact that God entered this world as an embryo? You can now support me on patreon. Just follow this link | |||
| From darkness to light: unlikely conversion stories | 09 déc. 2025 | 00:34:38 | |
In this episode I delve into some of the more surprising conversion stories in history to show how there is no place too dark for the light of Christ to penetrate. A good reminder in this season of Advent that God's grace and mercy is always more powerful than your puny sins- so take them to confession. You can now support me on patreon. Just follow this link | |||
| An Advent to die for | 02 déc. 2025 | 00:46:33 | |
In this week's episode I focus on the four last things especially honing in on the subject of death. What does it mean to have a good death? What happens when we die? How do we best care for the dying? All this and more... You can now support me on patreon. Just follow this link | |||
| A Catholic budget special | 25 nov. 2025 | 00:40:28 | |
In this week's episode, recorded on the eve of the UK budget, I ponder how that budget might look if it was influenced by Catholic teaching. You can now support me on patreon. Just follow this link | |||
| The Dark Night of the Soul: How to overcome doubt by faith | 18 nov. 2025 | 00:31:39 | |
In this week's episode I explore the notion of the Dark Night of the Soul, made famous by the mystic St John of the Cross. I ask what we should do when we find ourselves doubting God and struggling to pray. I ask where God might be and what he might be up to. You can now support me on patreon. Just follow this link | |||
| Blind guides: how the BBC and Britain's ruling class became the new Pharisees | 11 nov. 2025 | 00:31:33 | |
In this week's episode I ponder the recent crisis for the BBC and note that the true cause is a rise in hubristic moral certainty on the part of those who govern us. You can now support me on patreon. Just follow this link | |||
| Faith amidst the mud and blood: Catholicism in the trenches | 04 nov. 2025 | 00:31:38 | |
In this week's episode I anticipate Remembrance Sunday by contemplating the role of faith in the trenches of the First World War. You can now support me on patreon. Just follow this link | |||
| Broken but blessed: what the disabled teach the Church | 28 oct. 2025 | 00:28:22 | |
In this episode I consider what the disabled can teach us about the life of faith. You can now support me on patreon. Just follow this link | |||
| Marriage: God's antidote to selfishness | 19 oct. 2025 | 00:29:08 | |
This week we have a wedding at St Anselm's which inspired me to reflect on holy matrimony! You can now support me on patreon. Just follow this link | |||
| Faithful, feisty & fearless; strong Catholic women in history | 07 oct. 2025 | 00:37:50 | |
In the week that the Church of England appointed its first female Archbishop of Canterbury I demonstrate that whilst the Catholic Church cannot ordain women for sound theological reasons she is far from being misogynistic. In fact the Catholic Church in history has done more than any other institution on the face of the earth to uphold the dignity and worth of women...enjoy! You can now support me on patreon. Just follow this link | |||
| The sins of the Saints | 01 oct. 2025 | 00:32:22 | |
In this week's episode I expose the sins of the saints to help us combat the danger of romanticising the faith and to help us understand that the path to holiness comes not from digging deep within but seeking God's help from without... You can now support me on patreon. Just follow this link | |||
| The hidden victims; Christian persecution today | 24 sept. 2025 | 00:27:54 | |
In this week's episode I highlight how Christian persecution is getting worse and not better in the world today. I reflect on the fact that too often the Western mainstream Media downplays or ignores the Christian component in violence perpetrated around the world. And I ask what we can do to help the situation. You can now support me on patreon. Just follow this link | |||
| Blessed are the peacemakers; reflecting on Charlie Kirk, London marches and more! | 16 sept. 2025 | 00:37:37 | |
In this week's episode I ponder the brutal killing of Charlie Kirk, the large working class protests in London and I ask what our response as Christians should be in a world that is increasingly becoming more violent and intolerant. You can now support me on patreon. Just follow this link | |||
| The Saint who proved God's existence | 09 sept. 2025 | 00:31:09 | |
In this week's episode I delve into the life our patron here in Pembury, St Anselm. I show how his fascinating life is far from dusty and academic but still contains much that can inspire and guide us in our own day. You can now support me on patreon. Just follow this link | |||
| Cross & Cutlass: the strange life of Catholic pirates | 02 sept. 2025 | 00:28:46 | |
In this episode I go down a rabbit hole and explore the paradoxical faith of some notorious pirates. Does the battle that rages in our own souls mirror something of their lived reality? You can now support me on patreon. Just follow this link | |||
| God won't be mocked; the future belongs to the faithful not the fuzzy | 27 août 2025 | 00:40:04 | |
In this episode I use data to show how church growth and renewal is occurring where you find the faith taught without compromise. You can now support me on patreon. Just follow this link | |||
| The Price of Silence: Freedom Under Threat in the UK | 05 août 2025 | 00:54:06 | |
In today's episode I examine how freedom is being eroded in Britain at great cost to Christian orthodoxy. I also ponder how as Christians we ought to respond. You can now support me on patreon. Just follow this link | |||
| Sword & Sacrament: the Catholic allegory in Arthurian legend | 29 juil. 2025 | 00:31:00 | |
It is the week of the children's summer holiday club here in Pembury and we have been diving into the Catholic allegory contained in some of England's finest literature. I share with you our exploration of Catholic themes that pop up in the very ancient stories of King Arthur and the Knights of Camelot. You can now support me on patreon. Just follow this link | |||
| What the world has forgotten; the power of forgiveness | 15 juil. 2025 | 00:38:42 | |
In this week's episode I reflect on God's mercy and how the secular world is becoming harsher and less unforgiving as it forgets the fruits of Christian faith. You can now support me on patreon. Just follow this link | |||
| As Britain bends the knee to Moloch; reflecting on euthanasia & abortion | 24 juin 2025 | 00:58:45 | |
In this week's episode I reflect on the worst week in British history since the Reformation as two vile laws are passed which trash a Christian belief in the dignity of life and usher in a pagan culture of death. May God have mercy on our souls. You can now support me on patreon. Just follow this link | |||