Today on Kresta in the Afternoon - December 6, 2011

Talking about the "things that matter most" on Dec. 6

The "Best of Kresta in the Afternoon" as we conduct a 3-day urgent membership drive at Ave Maria Radio

4:00 – The World as It Could Be: Catholic Social Thought for a New Generation
Providing insight and into the world's most pressing concerns--those of human dignity and rights, globalization, religious liberty and world peace--bestselling author and priest Fr. Thomas D. Williams adds his reassuring voice to the panoply of issues that engage Christians in the public sphere. Fr. Williams helps Catholics step back from today's controversies and understand Catholic teachings in a deeper way. Addressing the most heated debates ripped from national headlines and fervently discussed among Catholics--from abortion and capital punishment to global governance to the economy--Father Williams draws upon his years of teaching and research in this sophisticated yet accessible analysis of the moral dilemmas and political challenges that Catholics face every day.

5:00 – New In Paperback - The End and the Beginning: Pope John Paul II--The Victory of Freedom, the Last Years, the Legacy
“As March gave way to April in the spring of 2005 and the world kept vigil outside the apostolic palace in Rome, the pontificate of Pope John Paul II, then drawing to a poignant end, was already being described as one of the most consequential in two millennia of Christian history.” With these words, world-renowned author and NBC Vatican analyst George Weigel begins his long-awaited sequel to the international bestseller Witness to Hope: The Biography of Pope John Paul II. Now out in paperback, Weigel tells the dramatic story of the Pope’s battle with communism in light of new and recently disclosed information and brings to a close the landmark portrait of a man who not only left an indelible mark on the Catholic Church, but also changed the course of world history. George is here.

5:30 – Vatican Calls for Universal Monetary Bank and Regulations?
A Vatican document released this morning called for the gradual creation of a world political authority with broad powers to regulate financial markets and rein in the "inequalities and distortions of capitalist development." The 41-page text titled "Toward Reforming the International Financial and Monetary Systems in the Context of Global Public Authority" was prepared by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. It said the current global financial crisis has revealed "selfishness, collective greed and the hoarding of goods on a great scale." It called for the establishment of “a supranational authority” with worldwide scope and “universal jurisdiction” to guide economic policies and decisions. We hear from the Sam Gregg to interpret the document.