Matters of Soul Importance with Roxane Salonen

About Matters of Soul Importance with Roxane Salonen

You're not supposed to talk about religion and politics…right? "Faith Conversations" writer Roxane Salonen dives right into the discussions we're warned against in the "Matters of Soul Importance" podcast. Through her many years writing about religion and its often-necessary intersection with politics, Roxane has found few topics as impactful and believes that, rather than avoiding them, we need to explore them. She'll be helped along the way by interviews with engaging guests on themes and questions affecting the soul, highlighting people looking to make the world a better, more hospitable place. "I never discuss anything else except politics and religion. There is nothing else to discuss." ― G.K. Chesterton

Publisher

Roxane Salonen

Category

news · religion & spirituality

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

21 Dec 2023

Latest episode

9 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

82 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   9 Oct 2026

   'What is mercy?' | Award-winning episode republished

   REPUBLISHED EPISODE: "What is mercy?" earned a top award at the National Federation of Press Women conference in Ellicott City, Maryland, on Sept. 26, 2026. Original publication date: April 18, 2025. Monsignor Thomas Richter was named a Missionary of Mercy by Pope Francis in 2015. During that year, he traveled to various places throughout the United States to share the Good News of God's mercy for his people. Now, in 2025, a Jubilee Year dedicated to hope, it seems all the more necessary for people of faith to grasp mercy. In this episode, Monsignor Richter, currently serving the Bismarck Diocese as a pastor in Dickinson, North Dakota, will share what he's learned of mercy during his life, and how it connects with the Easter season in which we find ourselves. SHOW NOTES: Missionaries of Mercy website: https://missionariesofmercyusa.org/ "It is mercy I desire" talk from 2016: https://archive.org/details/It_Is_Mercy_That_I_Desire_-_Monsignor_Thomas_Richter_at_OLP_in_Marshfield_WI Presentation on how to receive the mercy of God in five steps, for 2016 Thirst conference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luo5qeJkKfI Prime Matters publication featuring some of Monsignor Richter's speaking: https://primematters.com/contributors/msgr-thomas-j-richter Explanation of the Year of Mercy: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/33084/the-year-of-mercy-whats-it-all-about Sherry A. Weddell's, "Forming Intentional Disciples," as mentioned by Monsignor Richter: https://a.co/d/7l6AlA9 "Do you pray like a pagan?" (Roxane's "Living Faith" column based on a talk by Monsignor Richter): https://roxanesalonen.com/2021/11/12/do-you-pray-like-a-pagan/

2. 

   2 Oct 2026

   Is embryo adoption licit?

   Elizabeth Rex is a Catholic bioethicist and an associate scholar of the Lozier Institute, the prestigious research arm of the pro-life movement. Dr. Rex was a pre-med major who graduated from Columbia University before pursuing a master's degree in philosophy and a doctorate in Thomistic Ethics in Rome through the University of Navarra. She is the author of three books on the morality of embryo adoption and a national speaker who faithfully presents the magisterial teachings of Donum Vitae and Dignitas Personae, as well as on the Catechism of the Catholic Church. SHOW NOTES: Dr. Elizabeth Rex's website: www.DonumVitaeInstitute.org Dr. Elizabeth Rex's email: elizabethrexcff@aol.com (mailto:elizabethrexcff@aol.com) Dr. Elizabeth Rex's phone number: (914) 629-3710 Book: "The Zygote of Christ & the Mystery of Man: Selected Essays," En Route Books & Media, May 2025: https://www.amazon.com/zygote-christ-mystery-man-selected/dp/b0f9phltjg The Angelus Prayer: https://theangelusprayer.com/ Book: "What Should Be Done with 'Orphaned' Frozen Embryos? Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) with Magisterial Answers Quoted Directly from Donum Vitae and Dignitas Personae," co-edited with Dr. Alicia Thompson, DO. MPH, En Route Books & Media, March 2025: https://www.amazon.com/What-Should-Orphaned-Frozen-Embryos/dp/B0DYMLKKN5/ Book: "A Handbook on the Moral Arguments in the Embryo Adoption Debate: What Does the Catholic Church Teach?" co-authored with Dr. Charles Robertson, En Route Books & Media, December 2024: https://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Arguments-Embryo-Adoption-Debate/dp/B0DS219SLF/ Trailer for the forthcoming "Frozen Orphans" documentary: https://frozenorphans.org/ Podcast: "Italy's Embryo Protection Law at 20: A Legacy of John Paul II and Benedict II." Dr. Rafael Gonzalez interviews Dr. Elizabeth Rex on his "My Catholic Two Cents" regarding her recent article published in the National Catholic Register on October 22, 2025. The YouTube interview is titled, "This Law Changed Everything – And Nobody Noticed." November 25, 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=jJk__XhsuTo Podcast: "Is It Licit to Adopt Frozen Embryos? A Catholic Bioethicist on IVF & Embryo Adoption" with Bishop Frank Caggiano of the Diocese of Bridgeport, Connecticut interviewing Dr. Rex on his weekly podcast, "Let Me Be Frank," October 17, 2025: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eo4JoqUI6KE Podcast: "Mercy and Hope for the Millions of Orphaned Frozen Embryos" Virtual Conference Speaker at the 33rd International Week of Prayer and Fasting: "Mercy & Healing for the Jubilee Year of Hope," November 18, 2025: https://iwopf.org/this-years-event/ Podcast: "Embryo Adoption Explained: Moral Questions Every Catholic Must Understand" - Part II of II. Jim Havens interviews Dr. Rex on "The Simple Truth," November 17, 2025: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLDbPclKTwI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eo4JoqUI6KE Podcast: Elizabeth Rex with Francis Etheredge on WCAT TV to discuss their co-authored book, "The Zygote of Christ & The Mystery of Man": https://youtu.be/RvXEoAiexek?si=CPiG5xxGYpi44NoH

3. 

   18 Sept 2026

   What does 'dying to self' look like for a Christian?

   My guest today, Jack Lyrek, is a 24-year-old software developer—though not for much longer. He starts his master's in clinical counseling this fall, hoping to become a Christian counselor. He's also an aspiring author, working "very ploddingly," as he puts it, on a book about suffering. The youngest of four, Jack grew up in a Christian household in the suburbs of Minneapolis-St. Paul.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.3 / 5

11 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

12 ratings

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Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

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