Ave Maria in the Afternoon – September 16, 2025 – Hour 2
Pope Leo has created a new Catholic diocese in China. Ben Rogers has the details on what this means for Vatican-Beijing relations and Christians in China. We also explore the nature of belief with Dr. Christopher Kaczor.
Pope Leo XIV creates ‘new’ China diocese
Pope Leo XIV has created a new Catholic diocese in northern China with the same name as one established decades ago by Beijing without Vatican approval. China expert Ben Rogers joins us with the details and what this means for Vatican-Beijing relations and the persecuted Christians in China.
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Pope Leo XIV creates ‘new’ China diocese amid diocesan border dispute with Beijing

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Is Belief Believable?
One of the great falsehoods that is ingrained in our culture is that faith and reason are incompatible, when just the opposite is true – they are intertwined by their very nature. We do not have to choose between a spiritual or an intellectual life – we can live a life of reasonable faith and faithful reason. Dr. Christopher Kaczor has more.
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