2025

Theme: “Reasons for the Hope That Is in Us” (cf. 1 Peter 3:15)

2025 Panel Discussion MP3

Joining us for this year’s panel discussion were: Charles Coulombe, Commander John Sharpe, Chris de Vos, Mike Church, Br. André Marie, Sr. Maria Philomena, and Sr. Marie Gabrielle. In one short hour they addressed the following topics raised by 2025 conference attendees:

1) Bells as symbols of various themes in Romanticism.

2) The cause behind fifteen million Catholics leaving the Church since 2000.

3) The necessity of grace for naturally good works.

4) The degree to which Hans Christian Anderson’s Protestantism appears in his fairy tales.

5) Whether the axiom “God helps those who helps themselves,” contradicts the idea of helplessness being a “blessed” state.

6) Gwynne’s claim that Pope Alexander VI was the most calumniated man in history.

7) The problematic effects of parents never getting angry with their children.

8) What motivated Gary Potter to become Catholic; if Gary Potter had any position on Peter Kreeft’s approach to apologetics.

9) Whether Catholics should be concerned when freemasons praise Pope Leo XIV; whether it is sinful for a Catholic not to be in union with Pope Leo XIV.

10) Current examples of great Catholic art (literature, music, visual arts, etc.).

11) The cause behind the increasingly ugly Church architecture prior to 1962.

- The role of spiritual communion in the possible scenario of losing access to Sacramental Communion;

- The principles and limitations of asking God and Our Lady for “little signs” in order to discern Their will in any given situation;

- How the title of Our Lady as “Star of the Sea” could be related to the talks titles of the various speakers;

- To what degree can we imitate Our Lady in Her sublime relationships with the Persons of the Trinity, i.e., as daughter of God the Father, Mother of God the Son, and Spouse of God the Holy Ghost;

- St. Maximilian’s Kolbe missionary work in Japan;

- The difference between high culture and low culture;

- Whether achieving of the state of being “a thousand times happy” depends upon actually making a Total Consecration to Our Lady;

- Whether the “fear” alluded to by Sr. Marie Gabrielle in her talk is analogous to the fear that is one of the Seven Gifts of the Holy Ghost;

- How handing over our freedom to Our Lady by Total Consecration is not a renouncement of our faculty of free will, but rather an elevation of it;

- Whether we have lost something precious in losing, in the general culture, an appreciation and taste for good Catholic fiction.

File Size: 55 MB