Today on "Kresta in the Afternoon" - Feb. 6, 2014

Talking About the “Things That Matter Most” on February 6

Live from the Legatus Summit in Orlando, FL

4:00 – Kresta Comments

5:00 – UN says Vatican 'systematically' allowed sexual abuse of children

Yesterday a U.N. human rights committee said that the Vatican "systematically" adopted policies that allowed priests to rape and molest tens of thousands of children over decades. The U.N. committee severely criticized the Holy See for its attitudes toward homosexuality, contraception and abortion and said it should change its own canon law. The Vatican promptly objected and its U.N. ambassador accused the committee of having betrayed the international body's own objectives by allowing itself to be swayed by pro-gay ideologues. He said it appeared the committee simply hadn't listened when the Holy See outlined all the measures it has taken to protect children. We talk to Matthew Bunson, author of Pope Benedict XVI and the Sexual Abuse Crisis: Working for Reform and Renewal

5:20 – The Romance of Religion: Fighting for Goodness, Truth, and Beauty

C. S. Lewis said that Christianity works on us like every other myth, except it is a myth that really happened. Fr. Dwight Longenecker grabs this idea and runs with it, showing that the Christian story is the greatest story ever told because it gathers up what is true in all the fantasy stories of the world and makes them as solid, true, and real as a tribe of dusty nomads in the desert or the death of a carpenter-king. Fr. Longenecker calls for the return of the romantic hero—the hero who knows his frailty and can fight the good fight with panache, humor, and courage. Conflict and romance are everywhere in the story of Christ, and our response is to dust off our armor, don our broad-brimmed hats, pick up our swords, and do battle for Christ with confidence, wonder, and joy. Is religion no more than a fairy tale? No, it is more than a fairy tale—much more: it is all the fairy tales and fantastic stories come true here and now. We talk to Fr. Dwight.