On this episode, Chris is joined by Dan Denis, a Catholic father and farmer from the Saskatchewan prairie. Inspired by the social teaching of the Church, including Laudato Si’, several years ago Dan felt a call to go “back to the land,” as he puts it, and began farming the land on which he was raised. Dan shares his family’s story of love for God and the created order, and how this love inspired them to adopt certain stewardship practices that might be described as ‘organic’ in their grain, beef, and poultry operation. (Bonus: Dan recommended a book called The Church and Farming, by Fr. DenisFahey, C.S.Sp., from Loreto Publications. We didn’t get to a discussion of this book in this episode, but perhaps in a future conversation. Also, Dan and his wife Sara share their story together in this video, Faith on the Farm.)
Faith & Politics
F&P Episode 111: Sex, gender, and surgery: a Catholic doctor’s perspective
Host Michael Pauley is joined by Dr. Alfonso Oliva, a physician specializing in plastic and reconstructive surgery, and a member of the Executive Board of the Catholic Medical Association. Dr. Oliva and Michael discuss the various controversies surrounding the use of drugs and surgeries as “treatment” for persons experiencing gender dysphoria. What are the purported benefits of such procedures, and what are the known complications? Dr. Oliva shares his thoughts concerning the rapid rise in cases of reported gender dysphoria among adolescent females, and the growing trend of administering drugs and performing so-called “gender reassignment” surgeries upon minors in the United States.