In the first part of Mark's Gospel, we hear Jesus sending His Apostles out on Mission. The first thing he tells them is that they have authority over unclean spirits. Is this attitude towards evil old fashioned? Not at all! In this confronting video, Fr. Robert Barron talks about the reality of evil, the devil, and spirits.

There has been some discussion in the media in recent days concerning the Catholic Church's prohibition on its priests revealing anything they hear in the Confessional. This is often referred to as the "seal of Confession". The suggestion has been made that requiring priests to report any admissions of child abuse made in the Confessional to the police will protect children from further abuse.

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Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday praised the intellectual legacy of the 13th century Franciscan St. Bonaventure who popularized St. Paul’s belief in the “centrality of Christ” in human history. “All of history is centered on Christ, who guarantees novelty and renewal in every age,” the Pope said in his Sunday Angelus address July 15.

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This year we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council (Vatican II). In this video, Fr. Robert Barron looks back at some of the original accounts of the Council, and analyses the spirit of Vatican II, the politics involved in making decisions, and talks about some of the key theologians who influenced many of the decisions during this historic moment in Church history.

We fast before Mass in order to prepare a proper dwelling for Jesus when we receive Him in the Eucharist. If the Pope were coming over would you clean your house? Of course you would! You’d even dust the crack in the floor, under the carpet, in the corner of the basement storage room! It’s the same when we open up the door of our body and soul to Jesus. We need to clean up and prepare!

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A couple of weeks ago, some prominent Catholic women in America gave voice to some fundamental misunderstandings about the Catholic Church. In this video, Fr. Robert Barron disputes these misunderstandings, and explains why it is so important to dispute heresies against the Church.

The noted atheist Richard Dawkins has been very active recently in his campaign to discredit religious belief, in particular Christianity, and Roman Catholicism has been a special target. When he speaks of the 'irrationality' of religious belief, Dawkins often invokes Catholic faith in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, telling atheists that they should confront Roman Catholics about transubstantiation, and call us "barking mad" for believing in this teaching.

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This video is in response to the claims of the "New Atheism." One that has been presented by the likes of Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins and the late Christopher Hitchens. One who holds faith is NOT irrational. Science and reason are not incompatible with faith in fact they compliment each other very well because they come from the same source, God.

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In Volume I of Jesus of Nazareth, authored by Pope Benedict XVI before he became pontiff, the three temptations of Christ in the desert before entering public life are considered.

The Eighth Commandment proclaims the splendor and the beauty of the truth. It is not often that we hear of the truth described in this way, but consider how precious and essential a foundation the truth is for our lives. Without the truth there can be no trust, and without trust there can be no relationships with others. Visit this article from the Archdiocese of Washington blog, for a reflection on Eighth Commandment!