Show Notes
His Beatitude Mar Paulos III Nona is now leading the Chaldean Church, and it feels like we’re stepping into a genuinely hopeful new chapter. In this episode we talk about the direction he’s already setting for our Church, what it really means to have a patriarch, and how our ancient structure is meant to carry us forward. We walk through the patriarch’s role as father of the Church, how the synod actually governs, and how we live in full communion with Rome while staying true to our own tradition. We also get real about life in the diaspora — where the vast majority of Chaldeans and Assyrians now live — and what it’s going to take to keep our liturgy, the ancient Anaphora of Addai and Mari, our language, music, and entire patrimony alive far from our historical homeland. One of the most exciting parts of the conversation is the real hope for deeper unity and eventual reintegration with the Assyrian Church of the East — returning together to our shared roots in the historic Church of the East. We also talk about the Sons of the Covenant Monastery and how communities like this are living out our consecrated life and identity right here in the diaspora. This is an honest, hopeful conversation about where our Church is headed. The installation of Patriarch Mar Apolos III Nona is May 29th — please keep him and the entire Chaldean Church in your prayers. Featuring: Fr. Simon Esshaki, Fr. Daniel Shaba, Abbot Ankido Sipo, Fr. Fadi Auro ––– 00:00 Meet the New Patriarch 03:04 What Makes a Patriarch 05:13 Patriarchs vs Major Archbishops 06:04 Synods East and West 07:50 Patriarchal See and Origins 18:45 Preserving Tradition in Exile 22:04 Ecumenism and Reintegration Vision 26:59 Language Loss and Identity 32:42 Reviving Chaldean Monasticism 43:03 Diaspora Distinctions46:52 'Hot Takes' Game –––
More from Feeding Fathers
Some of us got back from Rome, and the Chaldean Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica still feels unreal. That experience is a great segue into the question of whether Eastern Catholics sold out the second we entered union with Rome? Have Chaldean Catholics stopped being the Church of the East? We also critique fear-based claims that horror is sinful, and briefly discuss Fr. Ripperger’s one-year media “fast” agreed upon with his bishop. Featuring: Fr. Andrew Younan, Fr. Simon Esshaki, Fr. Tristan Farida, Fr. Christopher Somo ––– 00:00 Eastern Catholics And Rome 03:06 Chaldean Mass at St Peter's Basilica 05:35 Italian Food & McDonald's 07:35 Coffee Break 09:24 Orthodox Churches Overview 11:18 "Sellout" Accusations 13:48 Vatican II And Tradition 16:04 Authority And Papacy Debate 19:20 How Synods Choose Bishops 25:15 Online Toxicity And Common Ground 28:46 Union Without Losing Identity 33:01 Chaldean vs Latinization 37:15 Devotions Like the Rosary 42:03 A New Sin Just Dropped 49:25 Ripperger Silence –––
As you can see, this is a very special and unique episode of "Feeding Fathers" where Andrew Hermiz, executive director of Qurbana Media, sits down with Fr. Daniel Shaba to answer the questions a lot of us actually have: what even is a synod, and why does this upcoming Chaldean one matter so much? It’s been a historic week for the Chaldean Church. The Patriarch celebrated an ecclesial Communion Mass with Cardinal Tagle (representing Pope Leo), and the Chaldean liturgy was offered inside St. Peter’s Basilica with nearly every Chaldean bishop, many priests, and faithful from around the world present. With the bishops gathered at the Vatican, the synod now begins. This synod is Patriarch Paulus Nona III's first and it will help set the direction for a Church where most of us now live outside Iraq. We talk about how bishops actually get elected, what the synod can and can’t decide on liturgy and language, the age-limit rule that changed under Pope Francis, and why lots of rumors and gossip, unfortunately, surround synods. If you’ve been hearing names and theories in the group chat, hopefully we can prepare you for what to realistically expect. Pray for God’s will, for the Patriarch, and for the whole Chaldean Church. ––– 00:00 Intro 03:04 What Is a Synod 05:47 Synod Powers and Scope 10:01 Patriarch's Election 12:23 Rome Synod Significance 18:15 Bishops and Vatican Role 21:09 Who Gets a Vote 22:59 Italian Food and Liturgical Caps 25:22 Pray and Avoid Gossip –––
Every October the same clips show up on your feed: - Halloween is the highest day on the Satanic calendar. - Dressing up is drinking from the cup of demons. - Trick or treating is a pagan practice. - A kid in a Spider-Man costume is practically witchcraft. We watched a few of those and tried to answer the actual question they skip: is it wrong, or are we just assuming it is and then preaching at the assumption? All Hallows' Eve is the vigil of All Saints' Day. We distinguish innocent kids dressing as superheroes and getting candy from genuinely sinful or tempting environments like immodest Halloween parties, and emphasize that spiritual warfare is primarily resisting everyday sins (lust, pride, envy), not fearing costumes. We discuss how Catholics can “Christianize” cultural practices (like carving pumpkins with saint images), and note American culture tends to overshadow the saints. The episode includes S-tier Halloween candy rankings, favorite costumes, haunted houses, and a request for prayers for the upcoming Chaldean Synod. Featuring: Fr. Simon Esshaki, Fr. Andy Younan, Fr. Augustine Joseph, Fr. Daniel Shaba ––– 00:00 Halloween Christian Debate 01:04 Safety and Clickbait 03:28 Anti-Halloween Claims 09:19 Superheroes and Moral Imagination 12:08 "Spiritual Battle" Is Misunderstood 15:59 Immodesty Parties vs Kids 17:01 Freedom Not Fear 20:07 Costumes and Witchcraft 21:17 Christianizing Culture 23:54 Candy Tier List 28:18 Our Best Halloween Costumes 31:57 Pray for Chaldean Synod –––
Somebody online says they’re Catholic, then tells you this is a sin, this is the tradition, and this is what the Church has always done. How are you supposed to know if that’s actually true? We get into the part most Catholic content skips: what the Magisterium actually is, why an encyclical isn’t automatically dogma, and why “the Church teaches” is a much smaller category than your feed makes it. Using examples like receiving Communion in the hand vs. on the tongue and prayer after Communion, we critique absolutist online claims and highlight how customs, rubrics, intention, and circumstances matter when evaluating whether something is sinful. We also address AI and impersonation scams, including fake priest accounts and AI-generated content, urging discernment about whether content draws viewers toward Christ or fuels anger and attachment to influencers. Featuring: Fr. Simon Esshaki, Abbot Ankido Sipo, Fr. Chris Somo, Fr. Tristan Farida ––– 00:00 Who Speaks for the Church 00:27 Coffee and Milk Debate 04:03 What Makes Catholic Content Trustworthy 06:21 Ordinary vs Extraordinary Teaching 08:24 Hand or Tongue for Communion? 10:35 Prayer After Communion Controversy 13:15 "Our Father" Gestures 17:28 Custom Tradition and Innovations 21:52 "Is This a Sin?" Culture 27:13 Church Teaching vs Opinion 31:00 Impersonators and AI Scams 36:48 Discernment for Catholic Media 37:42 Faith in Sports –––
A Catholic bishop used to own Friday night television. 30 million people watched every week tuned in to watch Fulton Sheen crack jokes, write on his chalkboard, and preach the truth. Today, he is beatified in St. Louis. On the day of Fulton Sheen’s beatification, we reflect on his primetime media impact (30 million weekly viewers on "Life Is Worth Living") and what made him effective: lived faith, storytelling, humor, a compelling voice, and devotion to daily Holy Hour. We compare today’s “culture of convenience” and short-form media to Sheen’s call for effort and meditation and link it to Catholic media today, stressing fidelity to Church teaching while engaging the wider culture through outlets like ours, EWTN, Catholic Answers, Word on Fire, and Bishop Barron’s appearance on Theo Von’s podcast. Naturally, we react to Catholic influencer clips, answer listener questions, and invite locals to the upcoming Chaldean American Festival. Featuring: Fr. Simon Esshaki, Abbot Ankido Sipo, Fr. Chris Somo, Fr. Tristan Farida –––