This episode is about the US military intervention in Venezuela that involved the capture of the now-former Venezuelan president, Nicolas Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores, and how this news story looks from the perspective of Catholic Social Teaching.

Here are references and additional resources.

1. Maduro raid killed about 75 in Venezuela, U.S. officials assess January 6, 2026
2. Rubio briefs lawmakers on 'threefold process' for Venezuela January 7, 2026
3. Vatican news release on January 4, 2026, with Pope Leo’s comments at Angelus and (scroll down the page) appeal from Venezuelan Bishops
4. The Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council (CELAM) expresses solidarity with the Church in Venezuela January 6, 2026
5. Venezuela strikes, takeover plans violate international law, says Notre Dame scholar January 4, 2026
6. Unjust War Theory: When Law Enforcement Becomes Moral Insanity – pointed assessment of US intervention in Venezuela by a Catholic commentator and professor of finance at Benedictine College
7. Just War Theory and the Venezuela Invasion – assessment by an Anglican who is a retired professor of systematic theology and ethics
8. Pope Leo’s address to the Vatican diplomatic corps on January 9, 2026. Here is the Vatican news release summarizing the Pope’s comments, and here is the full text of his remarks
9. Quotations from pastoral letters and papal encyclicals from the past century regarding peace and non-violence
10. Podcast website with full transcripts for this episode and all other episodes

This episode is about the death penalty and executions carried out in the United States in 2025, and what Catholic Social Teaching has to say about this news story. Here are references and additional resources.

1. The Death Penalty in 2025 article from the Death Penalty Information Center
2. State By State Death Penalty Map from the Death Penalty Information Center
3. Florida Catholic bishops urge Gov. DeSantis to stay two executions Our Sunday Visitor News article
4. Death Penalty: Catholic Q & A from the US Conference of Catholic Bishops
5. 2018 Revision of the Catechism of the Catholic Church section 2267 bulletin from the Holy See Press Office
6. EVANGELIUM VITAE Pope St. John Paul II 1995 Encyclical on the Value and Inviolability of Human Life – scroll down to section 56
7. Pope St. John Paul II – Additional Statements on the Death Penalty
8. Pope Benedict XVI: End the Death Penalty November 30, 2011 general audience
9. Pope Leo XIV Calls Support for the Death Penalty ​‘Not Really Pro-Life’
10. EWTN News Poll: Majority of US Catholics Support Death Penalty Despite Catechism
11. Catholic Mobilizing Network is a national organization that works with Catholics and all people of goodwill to end the death penalty

This episode is about U.S. military strikes on boats off the coasts of Venezuela and Colombia, and what Catholic Social Teaching has to say about this unfolding news story.

Here are references and additional resources.

1. At least 104 people have been killed in a total of 28 strikes on alleged drug boats, according to the Trump administration. ABC News December 19, 2025
2. U.S. Strikes Three Boats in the Pacific, Raising Legal and Evidentiary Questions About a Militarized Drug War – Article on Military.com 12/17/2025
3. PRESS RELEASE | The Bishops of the AEC express deep concern over the military build-up in the Southern Caribbean 10/25/2025
4. Bishops in Puerto Rico warn of ‘possible escalations’ in a US-Venezuela war Catholic News Agency 12/2/2025
5. Venezuela’s Catholic Church Emerges as Last Moral Authority as Maduro Regime Tightens Grip Gaudium Press 11/17/2025
6. Pope Leo calls for dialogue as US builds up military presence on Venezuelan coast Our Sunday Visitor News 11/5/2025
7. Pope Leo urges against US incursion of Venezuela CNN 12/2/2025
8. Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, J.C.D. Statement on Caribbean Interceptions December 3, 2025
9. Catechism of the Catholic Church – Safeguarding Peace and Avoiding War – Paragraphs 2302 to 2317, with paragraph 2309 spelling out the criteria for a just war
10. Bishop Robert Barron and Just War Theory January 29, 2021 Engaging summary of just war theory in a 12 minute video

How to contact the White House with a message for the President or the Vice President:

– online form with comment section https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

– write a letter to: The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20500

– call: Comments: 202-456-1111

How to contact your U.S. Senator or U.S. Congressperson:

Go to https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member , enter your home address, and it will pull up names and contact information for your senators and congressperson

This episode takes a look at the immigration enforcement story that has filled a lot of headlines in the United States in 2025. Here are references and additional resources.

1. U.S. Bishops Special Message on Immigration Full text of the Bishops’ Special Message
2. “Protecting The American People Against Invasion” White House document that lists Executive Orders and other actions launching the immigration enforcement actions of the Trump Administration
3. A New Era of Immigration Enforcement Describes drop in migrant encounters at the border, increase in migrant detention activities in the interior.
4. DHS Removes More than Half a Million Illegal Aliens From US Release Date: October 27, 2025 Press release from US Department of Homeland Security
5. “No Kings” Protests October 18, 2025 News coverage of the event
6. 5% of People Detained By ICE Have Violent Convictions, 73% No Convictions Analysis of recent ICE data
7. Pope Francis to U.S. bishops: Dignity of migrants comes first “Rightly formed conscience” reference
8. Big Budget Act Creates Deportation Industrial Complex Budget analysis
9. You Are Not Alone Ways for Catholics to support immigrants
10. Immigration Reform and The Church Thoughtful and thorough review of the involvement of the Catholic Church in immigration reform efforts over the past several decades

This episode is about the suspension of the Refugee Admissions Program in the United States. I’m going to outline the news story as it has unfolded in 2025, and then see what Catholic Social Teaching has to say.

Here are references and resources:

1. Executive Order Presidential Suspension of the Refugee Admissions Program - 01/20/2025
2. News Item from Our Sunday Visitor News Trump Administration Terminates U.S. Bishops Refugee Resettlement Contract
3. Web page with news timeline provided by the International Rescue Committee Refugee Assistance Program Suspension Impact on Refugees
4. Solidarity Information from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops website, including references to Scripture and Catholic Social Teaching.
5. Common Good and Community Quotations from Church teaching provided by the Office for Social Justice of the Archdiocese of St Paul and Minneapolis MN
6. Executive Order Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2026 - 10/31/2025
7. Online Interview with Criminologist Regarding Immigrants and Crime Data is clear that immigrants don’t increase crime in the United States, expert says
8. Online Article from the Wilson Center Net Positive: New Government Study Finds Refugees and Asylees Contributed $123.8 Billion to the US Economy From 2005-2019

How to contact the White House with a message for the President or the Vice President:

– online form with comment section https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

– write a letter to:

The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20500

– call: Comments: 202-456-1111

How to contact your U.S. Senator or U.S. Congressperson:

Go to https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member , enter your home address, and it will pull up names and contact information for your senators and congressperson

The purpose of this episode is to introduce the podcast series. I’ll provide an overview of what this podcast is all about and the approach that it will take, to give you an idea of what to expect from upcoming episodes.

Helpful notes and references for this episode (links underlined):

1. US Conference of Catholic Bishops Overview of Catholic Social Teaching Great place to start if you’re new to the idea of Catholic Social Teaching.
2. Key Principles of Catholic Social Teaching This is a very helpful online resource from the Office for Social Justice of the Archdiocese of St Paul and Minneapolis MN. Scroll down the page for an extensive “Frequently Asked Questions” section about Catholic Social Teaching.
3. Catholic Social Teaching 101 is a collaborative 7-part video and discussion guide series presented by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and Catholic Relief Services on Catholic social teaching principles. The videos highlight the core Catholic Values and inspire us to put our faith into action.
4. The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church This is a comprehensive Vatican document published in 2004. It is not light reading. However, if you want a deeper dive into Catholic Social Teaching up to 2004, you’ll find it here. The Church's social doctrine has continued to develop since 2004, and more recent teachings are found in later papal documents and revisions to other foundational documents like the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
5. Tom Mulhern LinkedIn Profile