Author: Joe Heschmeyer

Walking the Fine Line on Indulgences

The “spark” of the Reformation was the selling of indulgences. So how did the Catholics of the 16th century fall into that spiritual trap, and how do we Catholics (and Protestants!) risk falling into a modern-version of it today?

St. Irenaeus, Church Doctor!

Pope Francis has announced that St. Irenaeus will be named the newest Doctor of the Church. So who’s St. Irenaeus, what’s a Doctor of the Church, and does Irenaeus deserve this honor?

Letting God in to the Broken Parts of Our Lives

Fotos de Don José Prieto para Catedrales e Iglesias

In the aftermath of certain types of sins, we can be tempted to close off parts of ourselves: for instance, you sin sexually, and you start to think that your masculinity/femininity (or your body more broadly) is evil. But that’s not what Christianity teaches. We need to remember that sin is a perversion of something good, and our hatred of sin shouldn’t lead us into a hatred of the underlying good, and that God doesn’t just want to heal you when you fall, He wants to heal you where you fall.

What Do We Make of the Biblical Accounts of Demonic Possessions and Exorcisms?

Are the demonic possessions in the Bible just misdiagnosed mental illness? Did the idea of Satan come from Zoroastrianism? And is it possible to still believe in the demonic, in possessions, and in exorcisms in an age of modern science? I was motivated to write this article for Catholic Answers Magazine for three reasons: On… Continue reading What Do We Make of the Biblical Accounts of Demonic Possessions and Exorcisms?

Sneakered Saints?

What do you think of this stained glass window of Bl. Carlo Acutis (1991-2006)? It’s been controversial on “Catholic Twitter,” and the controversy gives me an excuse to explore what the Catholic Church teaches about sacred art. For instance… Is this “iconography”? Should sacred art strive to be photo-realistic? What is the purpose of sacred… Continue reading Sneakered Saints?