Came to listen to informed news and smart commentary, what I got was 20 minutes of mindless banter about Halloween candy.

I’ve just started following your podcast and writings. Though I’m not a fan of a lot of personal bloviating before getting to the news I decided to give you guys an honest and charitable try. I’ve read and listened faithfully for several months now before deciding to jump in with my credit card….i do believe in and support Catholics putting everything on the line for Christ the King. However I am sad to say that the recent comments/support of the ridiculous anime art of the Catholic pilgrim completely turned me off. We are inundated with so much ugliness in our fallen world and we all seek and intuitively need the beauty that only the Catholic Church offers. The character of Luce only adds to the visual insult that both the young and the elderly must endure. You lost me on this one, gentlemen. Tho I admire greatly your devotion to Christ’s Church, your glowing admiration and support of banal digital art representing all of us, the faithful, is beyond redemption. Once again, you’ve lost me on this one.

It is good that you report for/on the church in a evidentiary grounded basis. It is even better that you report against the parties that you are inclined to root for.

This podcast contains some excellent nuggets of news and commentary but also comes with a whole lot of arrogant windbaggery. Unfortunately, the arrogant windbaggery is interspersed throughout, so you can’t easily fast forward past the insufferable bits to get to the interesting bits. Overall it’s not worth the effort, unless it’s your Lenten penance. For news and canon law commentary without the arrogant windbaggery, check out Fr. Gerald Murray or Ed Peters.

This is my favorite podcast! These guys are interesting, down to earth, and hilarious!

I enjoy these two so much that it is with great sorrow that I read Mr. Condon make excuses for practicing another religion, Yoga. I pray he learns it is not the Yoga language nor the person’s intentions and beliefs nor the money that finds it way around Yoga that makes it offensive. It is the fact that Yoga is the religion of another country and incompatible with the Catholic Church. It is the physical position of the human body that invites a foreign spirit into the human body. One only needs to take the intended Yoga position for the invitation to occur. It doesn’t require money or the saying of specific words or personal belief; IT IS THE YOGA POSITION ITSELF THAT PROVIDES THE INVITATION TO THE god OF THAT POSITION INTO THE HUMAN BODY. The pointing out of how other Yoga practitioners use language and make money and are all-in on Yoga is smoke and mirrors and you are only fooling yourself; especially while you, yourself, are doing Yoga. A cleaning of your bathroom mirror may required . God help us and our canon lawyers. I pray Mr. Condon finds a stretching and or physical therapy routine that helps him feel better, just not Yoga. Don’t tell J.D. , but you used to be my favorite. You may be again when you quit the Yoga. My rosary and extra Lenten prayers today with be prayed for you. Peace be with you.

In another life, Ed and JD could have been a duo to rival Rhett and Link. The synergy and banter is incredible. Oh yeah, the commentary is pretty good too.

“I would like to remain a good guy, and I would like to outsource ‘bad guy’ to the schools.” - J.D. Flynn

But mostly boring judgmental banter.

Too much rambling on self talk among the two hosts about their preferences of trivial things - their clothes, etc

I never thought I would take an interest in canon law, but these two apply it brilliantly to a range of issues affecting the life of the Church. It’s curious that they’ve never discussed what would happen if they were to approach a cleric, in a spontaneous and non liturgical context, requesting a blessing.

This podcast is a must for Catholics in the modern world. From dogged investigations into scandals, to their knowledge of canon law and the internal mechanisms of the institutional church it is outstanding. It has broadened my understanding of the institutional church which has in turn deepened my love for Her. To expose the wounds of the Mystical Body is powerful indeed. May you be guided by Our Mother of Good Counsel ⳩

I listen to many podcasts, news related and not news related, Catholic and non-Catholic. In terms of podcasts and news shows that feature actual thoughtful discussion, reasonable and defensible disagreement, and occasional hilarious antics, no other show comes close. Ed and JD are excellent, and have been since the CNA Newsroom days. I hope they’ll continue on with this show for years to come, I’ll be listening.

Great podcast.

I am missing podcasts with more news and less personal stories. Some opinions are welcome

Love the well balanced news. Especially appreciate that it is not about advancing an agenda but conveying the news how it is. Keep up the good work!

Initially I found the banter annoying, but eventually I realized that the relationship between the interlocutors enables them to keep each other on the logical straight-and-narrow without distracting clashes. And they’re so genuine—both in the sense that they really know their canon law and current events in the Church, and in the sense that they are relatable. To my mind, a high point was their sputtering incomprehension over Bishop McElroy’s incomprehensible contention that the Church regards contraception but not child abandonment as objectively disordered. I understand what they’re thinking, know how they feel, and shall now subscribe to The Pillar.

Mental acrobatics to justify medieval bigotry. Don't get distracted by the civilized veneer.

First, they alienate every Christian with a conscience by supporting every jackboot-wearing regressive policy the church occasionally spouts regarding “traditional marriage”, the right to choose, etc. THEN they alienate every Christian with a backbone by reporting on conservative priests who (“allegedly”? Did I do that right?) engage in sexual grooming behavior! But they’ve finally gone too far. That closet limey Ed Condon took a number of shots at my beloved Philadelphia Eagles in a recent newsletter, and at football in general. Can someone please tell that tea-sucking, powdered-wig-wearing Benedict Arnold that we have no need for him in the land of the free and the home of the brave? He won’t know this because he’s a marginal American, but in Philly we threw snowballs at Santa for no other reason than we’re violent and tribalistic. Imagine what we’d do to him… Just kidding—love the Pillar and the pod. It really seems like you’re the only spot where you can get this kind of deep, but not polemicist, analysis. Keep it up! That being said, it’s a tough life when the likes of JD have the represent the alpha dog USA mentality, but here we are. Praying for you both and the Pillar in general!

Weekly pod complements Pillar’s fine reportage on Substack of important developments in the Catholic Church from the perspective of a couple of young canon lawyers. But it doesn’t stop there. There is crucial investigative reporting on Vatican finance and other ongoing scandals, episcopal appointments and stuff that’s hard to find elsewhere. The discussion of new developments in doctrine and faith are handled carefully and intelligently. But the inside-baseball stuff (e.g., Synod on Synodality) is never dull. Getting a little tired of the banter. Also, any insight on defrocked Father Frank Pavone?

Are only the Russians capable of planting evidence in a rectory or monastery?? Is the Ukrainian government a bastion of truth, transparency and honesty? Could we have a news outlet that doesn’t conflate the poor civilians caught in the crossfire with the rotten governments on both sides that put them there? Ed’s bias in favor of a manifestly rotten government, even as it prepares to trample of the rights of a church, is disgusting. He automatically assumed the Ukrainian government was telling the truth about what it found in the UOC-MP raids while simultaneously assuming the Russians are liars, which can only be done if you ignore that BOTH Ukrainian and Russian intelligence networks are staffed with the heirs of the KGB. This was the first time I was glad I’m too poor to subscribe. I’ve been listening from the start and this is just so disappointing

It is truly a delight to tune in each week and share in your conversations and the good humor in which you do it. Carry on!

Ed and JD help make clear the news of the Church. Thanks for trying to shed light where there is darkness.

You are not writ, Ed. I agree with all your concerns - especially about the “discernment of the Holy Spirit”. Keep up the good work. We need to hear the truth.

A clever and enlghtening conversation between two Canon Lawyers, said noboby ever, and yet it is exactly the case here.Ed Condon and JD Flynn are entertaining as well as insightful and broadly knowledgable about Church events. By the way, By the way, their substack site, PillarCatholic.com, is a wonderful resource for up to date and highly reliable journalism on the state of the Catholic Church worldwide. There is no comparable resource anywhere, and it's well worth the very reasonable subscription price.

I really appreciate this voice in the Church and the work the Pillar is doing. I enjoy listening and learning from the podcast and even (mostly) enjoy the banter and games. I would absolutely love if the podcast hit more news without some of the lengthy deep dives into minutiae. My preference would be hitting 6-8 stories in briefer segments that give us more of the news of the week. Some episodes cover only one or two stories of the week and don’t even touch much more glaring ones that are happening or ones that feel a bit more pressing or impactful on everyday lives of the listeners. Going back it was odd there was almost no significant coverage of the shutdowns and millions of people literally being denied saving sacraments. I admit, it made me skeptical that the Pillar would be willing to engage in or investigate topics that would be criticized, be it by bishops or millenial Catholic Twittersphere. I’d also like to charitably suggest that repeating the same thought several times just in different words gets a bit tiresome and even a bit condescending. Perhaps it’s the lawyer in you compelled to overly clarify but I imagine most of us usually understand the nuance and connotation the first time you make a point ;) I do hope the Pillar keeps growing and digging into the topics that other agencies are afraid to touch. I do believe it’s a necessary service to the Church and pray for its success in that mission.

Love the show and look forward to it every week. I feel better knowing these two are out there working to make the Church and our world a better place. JD and Ed give you a little bit of the four loves every week. Affection (Storge) - JD likes to create games, Ed plays along well. Friendship (Philia) - they are two friends who are comfortable with each other and help one another to improve. Romantic (Eros) - wife’s and growing families for each of them.(smallest part of what you get but still there) Charity (agape) - they willingly make sacrifices to bring to light the sinful aspects of the Church in order to heal and improve it.

The only podcast I listen to regularly AND consistently enjoy—JD and Ed. are entertaining, generally charitable, honest, informative, and creative, and it’s always a joy when I see a new episode’s been dropped.

This podcast does a good job of reporting Catholic news in a way that is faithful to what we as Catholics believe.

Your argument about “combustible” v. “combustious” eventually had me lunging for my phone to fast forward. You two have so much of value to report on, and you do so so smartly and with so much insight etc.— so why oh why do you indulge in such annoying banter? I listen to many other podcasts and to lots of banter and am no banter-hater. Not a fan of yours, however

Awesome content, but their Bickerson schtick gets really old really fast.

I appreciate your journalism. Y’all are living well your vocation to be the pestering conscience of the Church. With that said, I would like to point out to JD that when you are explaining a certain phenomenon, THE REASON IS NEVER “BECAUSE” IT IS ALWAYS “THAT” THE REASON IS THAT THE REASON IS NEVER BECAUSE. Thank you

This is the best Catholic news podcast out there. You get excellent journalism, from people who understand and live their Catholic faith

Not a long time listener, but I have heard enough to write this comment. Squeaky wheel gets the grease, and so I will apply some “grease” with some charity. Thank God that our Lord selected tradesmen and not pharisaical canon lawyers and uninquisitive journalists. The two of you tap danced around the “flags” controversy and equivocated in your weak responses to them. You’ve each had years to research and investigate both groups represented by those flags and their relationship to the teachings of the Gospels, the Church, and almost all of human history, and what happens to those who disagree with them, yet you chose to not do so. Likewise, both groups knew those teachings before their own formation, so the controversy comes from the autonomy of our age: if you don’t like The Truth, then create your own; and if the other doesn’t like it, then too bad. I have enjoyed a fair amount of your commentary, but this episode was the one bad apple. Too bad.

It usually takes these guys half the show to get through their irrelevant, personal chatter before they get to the posted topics. I keep coming back to this podcast hoping that the things they promise to discuss are going to come up early in their show.. But it's like Charlie Brown and Lucy. Time and again I am disappointed that the first half of the show seems always to be mindless chatter that no one cares about.

Been listening since the beginning in January 2021, and thoroughly enjoy both the podcast and newsletter. I sincerely appreciate the faithful, Christ-centered reporting you two do and also am usually cracking up by the end of the episode. Even if I may be in the minority, don’t drop the games and silliness! You guys are hilarious

I'm so grateful for the Pillar and I've been listening the Ed and JD since before they started the Pillar. They keep me informed and their fraternal repartee is always welcome in my opinion.

This is the only podcast that my husband and I always listen to together each week. We look forward to driving places on the weekend and listening to Ed and JD!

The Pillar brightens my day. Thank you all

These guys are the real deal. Thank you for your ministry.

The sign of a good host is the ability to let others speak. A bad host does all of the talking. Enough said.

Always a great, Catholic conversation each week.

Worth every penny of a subscription. Ed and JD are faithful to the Church but willing to talk honestly about what is going on in the Church (the good and bad). They are entertaining, qualified, and provide excellent insight. Love the show!!

I love this podcast and the Pillar website. These guys are doing good for the Church!

If you are looking for non-political, non-polemic Catholic content, this is the podcast and outlet you need.

Not too negative but also realistic concerning the shortcomings of the institutional Church today. Ed and JD’s back and forth is also fantastic and another major positive of the podcast. 10/10 would recommend.

Podcasts should be short stories, not novels. The important content here is contradicted by time it takes to get to it. I am not retired yet and a podcast veteran, and play them at 150%, but this one needs severe editing.

So grateful for the balanced, intelligent, and faithfully Catholic perspective on things in the Church which these guys present. May our Lord richly bless them and their families!

This is one of my favorite podcasts! I always learn something new whenever I listen and find that a lot of Ed and JD’s conversations lead me into living out my faith more fully day by day. They clearly love the Church and her people and bring a profound sense of charity and hope into their reporting of Catholic news, especially some of the more contentious issues. Plus they are just fun to listen to! Keep up the great work!

Someone once told me a prophet is “someone who proclaims truth”. In this sense, prophetic describes JD and Ed. To tell the truth with love is a gift (“one without the other is a lie”-Edith Stein) and we are privileged to hear it. Their conversation brings a certain kind of relief. I don’t think just anyone can muster up the ability to be a prophet; at some point it becomes evident it’s a gift that’s out of their control. It’s a gift from the Holy Spirit. So I’m grateful they started the Pillar, and the podcast. I can’t believe it’s been less than a year. Journal on, in audio and the written word!