Father Spitzer’s Universe

Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss the Galileo controversy, whether it was about the veracity of scientific method, proven scientific conclusion, or the disregard for a Vatican warning.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug answer questions about the faith, discussing topics such as the true nature of the Trinity and can a Catholic serve as godparent for a child of another faith.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss how the thousands of reported miracles for a single place provides an objective justification for Lourdes as being a place of authentic miracles.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug answer questions about the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe on the tilma of St Juan Diego, and what happens to the souls of aborted babies.

Father Spitzer and Doug Keck discuss how the scientifically inexplicable cures at Lourdes are well documented using criteria for miracles that are very difficult to meet.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug Keck discuss how sin affects priests and the consecration. They also answer viewer questions about the faith and the concept of a “fine-tuned universe.”

Father Spitzer and Doug Keck discuss the appearance of the Blessed Virgin to St. Bernadette at Lourdes and the many miracles which are now associated with this apparition site.

Father Spitzer and Doug Keck discuss the varied theories explaining the miracle of the sun at Fatima and why they could not stand up to scrutiny without the miraculous component.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss how the way mud in the area dried up and people as far as 10 miles away viewed the event, disproves the miracle of the sun mass hallucination theory.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug Keck discuss how AI can only be as good as the sources it draws upon and the ways in which this can reflect the biases of those providing the sources.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug Keck speak about the Miracle of the Sun at Fatima and some of the widely discussed possible explanations for the event’s occurrence.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss specific depictions on the Shroud of Turin, their ability to be forged by medieval forgers, and how this lends credence to the shroud’s authenticity.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug Keck discuss the Sudarium of Oviedo, often known as the “Other Shroud,” and how this face cloth found rolled up in the tomb connects to the Shroud of Turin.

The Shroud of Turin, Pt. 3

Fr. Spitzer and Dough Keck answer viewer questions about the faith, conferring over the scientific evidence for the Big Bang and discussing how to pray for deceased friends.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug Keck discuss the specific evidence that lend to the authentication of the Shroud of Turin as the burial cloth of Christ.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug Keck discuss the Shroud of Turin and how the wounds on the shroud correspond with the wounds of Jesus as described in the Gospels.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss how the early Church’s proclamation that Jesus is divine led to their expulsion from the synagogue and also Roman persecution.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss the ways in which the Holy Spirit is just as active today in our everyday lives, as He was in Apostolic times.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss the differences between those Jesus raised from the dead to their previous mortal existence and Jesus’ resurrection to a glorified state.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug Keck discuss various questions viewers have about the Lenten Season such as adopting various penance practices or the rules around eating meat on Fridays.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss how Jesus performed miracles on His own authority, unlike the prophets who needed to perform miracles in the name of God.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss why Christ’s empty tomb reinforced the growing authority of early Christians and led to the Jewish leaders claiming the body had been stolen.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss how the desire to remain faithful to Judaism separated early Christians because the concept of a resurrected Messiah conflicted with Jewish teaching.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss how the many movements based on those claiming to be the Messiah did not endure past their deaths. Hear why Christianity did not follow this same path.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss the truth within Paul’s list of witnesses to the Risen Lord, and how all who corroborate with his testimony that Jesus is alive increases its validity.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss how evidence of the Resurrection can be found in the common elements described in the Gospel narratives about Jesus’ risen appearance to the apostles.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss how the use of specific identifiable people or places, like Pontius Pilate or the city of Nain, help prove the historical accuracy of the Gospels.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss how the Gospels maintain the use of first century Palestinian terms, rooting the Gospels in the time of Christ, then authenticating the Bible.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss how the inclusion of embarrassing stories, such as the betrayal of Jesus by Peter, serves as an indication of the Bible’s authenticity.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss why scholars are sure eyewitness accounts of Jesus’ deeds and words in the Gospels were accurately recorded and without modification as time passed.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss how the Shroud of Turin, as an external Biblical source, offers historical evidence of Jesus because of the amount of scientific study it has endured.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss sources outside the Bible that cite the existence of Jesus, and are hostile to Christianity, carry credence as they do not aim to promote Christianity.

Learn about Fr. Spitzer's book, Christ, Science, and Reason: What We Can Know about Jesus, Mary, and Miracles, and how the evangelists emphasized Jesus’ doctrine not His miracles.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss Father’s new book, Christ, Science, and Reason: What We Can Know about Jesus, Mary, and Miracles, and examine the data proving Jesus was a real person.

There are many significant political issues to weigh when voting. Fr. Spitzer and Doug Keck discuss important issues that help Catholics determine what to consider before voting.

As the days tick down closer to the election, Father Spitzer and Doug Keck discuss various issues Catholics should seriously consider when preparing to vote.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug Keck talk through the importance of taking Christian values, such as marriage and the prolife cause, into consideration when voting.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug Keck discuss the importance of voting for prolife candidates and positions in the upcoming election, and the societal consequences if we fail to protect life.

Father Spitzer and Doug Keck discuss how to rank issues in an election and in what way the Catholic voter should strive to select candidates who will promote the public good.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss the guiding forces to set for voting in an election, and why preborn babies possess the God-given right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug answer questions about St. Ignatius as a Doctor of the Church, and if a person raised as an atheist has the same culpability as a person raised in the Church.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug Keck answer questions sent in by viewers. They dive into questions asking if science can prove the existence of God, and what is a spiritual communion.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug Keck answer viewer questions; discussing why exorcisms are harder to perform than in previous times and what we can do to get more out of the Mass.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug Keck closely examine what the absence of a church community can lead to; lack of understanding, direction, mutual support, and fulfillment in our faith.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug Keck discuss God’s subtle and unhurried presence in our lives and how it indicates His desire for us to freely choose Him without overpowering us.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss how in order to continue our personal conversion, we must recognize that God does not stand aloof but is personally and actively involved in our lives.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug Keck discuss how rational evidence alone will not convince an ardent skeptic who refuses to believe in God for personal motives rather than rational ones.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug Keck continue to cover topics from Father’s book as they discuss the scientific evidence that shows our consciousness survives after our physical death.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss how the scientific community is beginning to acknowledge that God and truth cannot only come from the methodological confines of science and logic.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug Keck discuss the moral norms of religion in a secularized society and the importance of restoring religion by properly catechising the youth.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss Father’s book and how the Church can re-evangelize the culture while caring for the poor and the public’s well-being in healthcare and education.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug cover topics from Father’s book, discussing how the decline of religion and objective moral norms in Western society encourages a path to self-destruction.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug Keck look at topics in the news, answer viewer questions and discuss how secular governments that abandon religion cause indentured servitude of its citizens.

In their examination of honesty, charity, and objective moral norms, Fr. Spitzer and Doug Keck discuss how one goal of Enlightenment thinking was to detach religion from morality.

Religion is experiencing an alarming decline worldwide. Our hosts discuss the causes for this rise in secular thinking, and why it will lead to a decline in objective moral norms.

The latest news, viewer questions, our book of the month, plus hosts Father Spitzer and Doug Keck discuss eight common laws that pervade most religions and many moral philosophies.

Why is the secular culture more permissive of sins like adultery and abortion, but less tolerant of cheating, lying and stealing? Fr. Spitzer and Doug Keck offer some theories.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug Keck discuss how the Enlightenment ideal led to a progressively more radical view of freedom, an end in itself and the meaning of life in contemporary culture.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug Keck explain how the loss of objective moral norms within our culture and in some respects in our churches, has led to the decline of love, civility and faith.

Our hosts discuss how human flourishing is impossible without a culture of life. It keeps the powerful, wealthy and influential from controlling the lives of those at the margins.

Viewers pose questions of faith for Fr. Spitzer and Doug Keck, asking why can’t we pray for ourselves in Purgatory and how do we discern if our thoughts are our own or from God?

A discussion on how contrary to popular myth, religion is not an impediment to strong principles and ideals, but rather is one of the greatest motivators of them.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss how all human life is endowed with intrinsic dignity. This prohibits antilife measures such as abortion, birth control or gender affirming therapy.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug Keck explode the myth that religion is an impediment to strong principles and ideals, explaining how it instead is one of the greatest motivators of them.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug Keck answer viewer questions about faith. They discuss topics such as why did God allow Adam to name Eve, and did St Paul really struggle with habitual sin.

Our hosts discuss the best way to deal with the problem of pornography is to resist it at the outset, turning to the Lord and availing ourselves of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Satan works by leading us to an opportunity for sin, enflaming our imagination, providing rationalizations, and gambling that we will freely choose to follow him into temptation.

Our hosts discuss the spiritual effects of pornography, explaining how we tend to rationalize pornography as victimless and “minor among sins” because so many people are doing it.

Our hosts discuss the phenomenon of “social norming.” Expectations of appropriate behavior that society expects have increased dramatically with the internet and social media.

Viewers send in questions of faith for Fr. Spitzer, while Doug initiates a lively discussion on the fallacies of transgenderism and why Catholics do not believe in predestination.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug answer questions about faith sent in by our viewers, discuss the distraction of bad music at the Mass and explain whether we will see our loved ones in Heaven.

Our hosts discuss how secular culture separates sexuality from its intended purpose. The further we move from Church teaching, the closer we come to our culture’s self-destruction.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug Keck discuss how the Church’s view on sexuality differs from that of the popular culture, and why younger people today do not even consider the Church’s view.

Our hosts discuss how social norming has increased promiscuity in a culture that has separated sexuality from filial love, as they continue covering topics from Father’s new book.

Viewer questions are front and center as Fr. Spitzer and Doug Keck address matters of faith chosen by the audience, including the ordination of women and the Wedding Feast at Cana.

Our hosts discuss why evil exists, and the essence of Augustine of Hippo’s statement that an unjust law is no law at all. What’s more important is who determines if a law is just.

A look at how Pope Leo XIII’s social encyclical, Rerum Novarum, issued in 1891, set out guidelines for political and economic justice and rights within complex economic systems.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug Keck discuss topics from Father’s new book, including the impact on society of Jesus’ teaching that the sabbath was made for man and not man for the sabbath.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug Keck answer questions about the faith sent in by our viewers. They also cover topics in the news, discuss the dangers of Ouija boards, and address how people can progress in their moral life.

A special edition from the 13th Annual Napa Summer Conference. Our hosts field questions about the possibility of other life in the universe, and is it okay to enjoy the good things in life when others are suffering.

EWTN viewers have a variety of questions today for Fr. Spitzer and Doug Keck. They ask if free will is an illusion, what is the Christian response to lawlessness, and do we show disrespect by praying directly to God?

Fr. Spitzer and Doug Keck talk about obedience, and how obedience out of love is quite different from obedience out of fear and obedience out of coercion.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss Jesus’ primary mission objective to defeat Satan and his minions, while bringing the Kingdom of God, sharing the good news, and initiating His Church.

Today, Fr. Spitzer and Doug Keck answer a range of viewer questions. They tackle such topics as: Is it sinful not to attend a mother’s funeral, and where can one find secular studies to back up the Church’s teaching?