All Episodes:

Why the Church Needs Laws; and When They Don’t Bind – Questions with Father #59

Today on Questions with Father, we step into a topic many Catholics hear about but rarely understand: the law of the Church. Why does the Church have laws at all? How are those laws made, interpreted, and applied—and what role do they play in the life of the faithful? Fr. Ian Andrew Palko explains the foundations of Canon Law, the difference between doctrine and discipline, and why the Church—like any visible society—must be governed by clear rules. Along the way, we’ll explore key principles from St. Thomas Aquinas, the purpose of penalties and mercy, and why the ultimate goal of every law in the Church remains the same: the salvation of souls.

Did the Church Ban Books? A Catholic Explanation – Questions with Father #58

Today on Questions with Father, we tackle a topic that may sound shocking to modern ears: the Index of Forbidden Books. Did the Catholic Church really ban books? Does the Church reject “freedom of speech”? And what does any of that mean for Catholics today living in an age of unlimited media and instant access to everything? Fr. Ian Andrew Palko walks us through the history of the Index, the natural law principles behind censorship, and why the Church once considered certain books more dangerous than many visible sins. This episode offers clarity, historical context, and practical guidance for guarding the Catholic Faith in a world saturated with false ideas.

Is Space Exploration Moral? A Catholic Perspective – Questions with Father #57

Today on Questions with Father, we look upward—quite literally. What does the Catholic Church say about space travel? Is exploring the cosmos a noble pursuit, or does it risk becoming a modern Tower of Babel? We reflect on Pope Pius XII’s encouragement of scientific exploration, the real medical and scientific benefits gained from space missions, and the moral principles that help us judge the risks involved. We also examine the modern push toward space tourism, lunar colonization, and even reshaping human identity through technology. Where does legitimate discovery end and hubris begin? This episode offers a Catholic framework for thinking about humanity’s future beyond Earth.

Restoring St. Isidore’s in Denver, Watkins CO – Sacred Restorations

In this episode, we visit St. Isidore’s in Watkins, Colorado, just east of Denver where a rural plot of farmland became a beautiful Romanesque church. Fr. Paul Robinson walks us through the rich history of the priory, from its origins in a strip mall chapel to the donation of 18 acres and the building of one of the Society’s most beautiful churches. Now, that same community is answering a new call: to restore the church’s aging structure, to pave the lot after more than two decades of use, and to build a proper school so their children no longer have to study in the basement. With a multi-year capital campaign underway and incredible momentum already, the prospects are bright for St. Isidore’s. Now, let’s join Father Robinson for this episode of Sacred Restorations here on the SSPX Podcast.

Pompeii Rising in Jacksonville, FL – Sacred Restorations

In this episode, we travel to Jacksonville, Florida, where the faithful of St. Michael’s have taken on a monumental task: the restoration of a once-abandoned historic church in the city’s Springfield neighborhood. Originally built in 1920 as a Catholic parish and later sold to the Seventh-day Adventists, the church is now being reclaimed as a house of God and rededicated to Our Lady of Pompeii. With stunning Romanesque architecture, a historic altar from the Bronx, and a vibrant fundraising campaign already more than two-thirds complete, this project is uniting the community—and even bringing new souls to the Faith. We’ll hear the remarkable story of how this church was discovered, the spiritual symbolism behind the Pompeii connection, and the vision for making it a shrine of devotion in America. Now, let’s join Father Thomas for this episode of Sacred Restorations here on the SSPX Podcast.

Fr. Pagliarani Sermon Announcing New Bishops for the SSPX

The sermon you are about to hear was preached by Don Davide Pagliarani on the feast of the Purification, February 2, 2026, a feast that reveals Christ as the Light of the nations and Our Lady as inseparably united to His work of redemption. From Simeon’s prophecy to the sword that pierces the Heart of Mary, this sermon moves steadily toward the central truth that Redemption is never abstract, never painless, and never indifferent to the human heart. With clarity and urgency, he explains the role of Our Lady as Co-Redemptrix, and the responsibility placed upon every Christian to choose Christ without compromise. This next section marks a decisive and solemn moment in the sermon, where Fr. Pagliarani turns from doctrine to responsibility. He speaks openly about the future of the Society of Saint Pius X, the care of souls, and the grave question of episcopal consecrations, not as an act of defiance, but as a matter of conscience before God. What follows is a candid appeal grounded in one principle above all others: that in the Church, the supreme law is, and must always remain, the salvation of souls.

I Am the Light of the World: A Sermon for the Purification by Abp. Lefebvre

The sermon you are about to hear was preached by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre on the feast of the Purification, a day when the Church contemplates Christ as the Light revealed to the nations and received in faith by Simeon. Speaking to seminarians receiving clerical investiture and Minor Orders, Archbishop Lefebvre uses this liturgical moment to reflect on separation from the world, the dignity of the soul, and the light of eternal truth given by Our Lord Jesus Christ. His words are not limited to those preparing for the priesthood. They speak to every Christian called to live in the light of Christ rather than the blindness of the world. With clarity and fatherly gravity, he presents the cassock, the minor orders, and the discipline of the seminary as signs of an interior calling: to belong wholly to God, to know Christ above all else, and to become a light for others. Rooted in Scripture, the Church’s prayers, and devotion to Our Lady, this sermon reminds us that only those who receive the light of Christ can truly give it to the world.

From the Legion of Decency to Netflix: Catholics and Movies – Questions with Father #56

Today on Questions with Father, we take up a timely and challenging question: how should Catholics judge movies and modern media? We walk through the Church’s traditional teaching on cinema by revisiting Pope Pius XI’s 1936 encyclical Vigilanti Cura. Why did the Church once take movies so seriously? What makes cinema uniquely powerful—for good or for evil? And what lessons can Catholics today draw from the Legion of Decency, the Hays Code, and the collapse of moral standards in film after Vatican II? This episode offers clear principles to help Catholics navigate movies wisely in a culture saturated with screens.

Reading the Psalms with the Fathers: Saint Hilary Speaks

The sermon you are about to hear comes from Saint Hilary of Poitiers, one of the great bishops and doctors of the early Church, often called the “Athanasian of the West” for his fearless defense of the divinity of Christ. Saint Hilary was a careful reader of Scripture and a master at drawing out its deeper meaning without losing its clarity. In this reflection on the first Psalm, he teaches us how to read the Psalms rightly, not hastily or sentimentally, but with attention to who is speaking, and why. What begins as a meditation on happiness becomes a profound catechesis on the Incarnation, judgment, and the destiny of the righteous and the ungodly. Saint Hilary shows that true happiness is not found in avoidance alone, but in a will shaped by God’s law and a life rooted in Christ Himself, the true Tree of Life. His words invite us to examine not only what we believe, but how we live, and where our lives are truly planted.

As Christ Loved the Church: Saint John Chrysostom on Marriage

The sermon you are about to hear comes from Saint John Chrysostom, one of the great Fathers of the Church and a preacher renowned for his clarity, courage, and pastoral realism. Speaking on marriage and family life, he draws directly from Saint Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians to present a vision that is demanding, countercultural, and deeply humane. Chrysostom does not offer sentimentality or abstraction. He speaks about husbands and wives as they truly are, with their weaknesses, fears, sacrifices, and daily struggles, and he places all of it under the model of Christ and His Church. In an age that often misunderstands authority, love, freedom, and sacrifice, his words remain strikingly fresh. What you will hear is not a theory of marriage, but a call to holiness lived out in ordinary life, where love is proved through patience, self-giving, and fidelity to God.

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