Colleen and Gerry analyze a letter Pope Francis sent to Israeli Jews. Why did the pope choose to address a religious group within Israel, rather than the entire nation?

When asked by host Ricardo da Silva, S.J., why he chose the message of “Welcome Home” and not to preach “in a heavier way,” to emphasize the penitential nature of the season, Cardinal Arthur Roche replies: “Well, because I think, really, that’s what Lent is all about.

This week on “Jesuitical,” Zac and Ashley are joined by Matthew Cressler, creator of “Bad Catholics, Good Trouble,” a webcomic series about anti-racism and struggles for justice across U.S. Catholic history.

Colleen and Gerry explore the appointment of three new bishops and the approval of a new diocese in China, actions that indicate rapid developments in the Vatican’s complex relationship with China.

New Testament scholar Amy-Jill Levine joins the “Jesuitical” podcast to explain why Christians must understand Jesus within his Jewish context.

Colleen and Gerry also parse the pope’s comments on declining birth rates in Italy and address the politicization of the issue and the pope’s call for global economic reforms that promote and support the well-being of young families.