Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Friends, despite its disastrous track record, Marxism is resurfacing in the United States.
In this week’s episode of the Word on Fire Show, Matthew Petrusek and I trace the dark history of Marxism, examine its contemporary forms, and explain why the Catholic Church has always—and will always—stand against it.
In addition, a listener asks: How do we respond to “my truth”?
00:00 | Introduction
01:48 | Winona-Rochester’s record catechumen year
02:53 | A brief overview of Karl Marx
04:55 | What is dialectical materialism?
06:40 | Class conflicts in Marx’s day
08:01 | Marx’s early critique of capitalism
10:55 | Marx’s critique of religion
17:12 | Marxism’s pursuit of Utopia
20:06 | Rerum Novarum: Pope Leo XIII responds
23:08 | Reducing history to an economic substructure
24:20 | The legacy of Marxism
26:16 | Shared views between Marxism and contemporary identity politics
28:52 | Why harmful ideas take fair guises
31:23 | Critiquing collectivism
33:08 | US politicians and Marxist ideas
36:03 | Weren’t early Christians fundamentally communist?
38:08 | Shouldn’t we just try Marxism?
39:26 | Thomas Merton responds to Marxism
41:07 | Is it partisan to critique Marxism?
42:51 | Listener question: How do we respond to “my truth”?
45:12 | Join the Word on Fire Institute
———WATCH———
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Friends, despite its disastrous track record, Marxism is resurfacing in the United States.
In this week’s episode of the Word on Fire Show, Matthew Petrusek and I trace the dark history of Marxism, examine its contemporary forms, and explain why the Catholic Church has always—and will always—stand against it.
In addition, a listener asks: How do we respond to “my truth”?
00:00 | Introduction
01:48 | Winona-Rochester’s record catechumen year
02:53 | A brief overview of Karl Marx
04:55 | What is dialectical materialism?
06:40 | Class conflicts in Marx’s day
08:01 | Marx’s early critique of capitalism
10:55 | Marx’s critique of religion
17:12 | Marxism’s pursuit of Utopia
20:06 | Rerum Novarum: Pope Leo XIII responds
23:08 | Reducing history to an economic substructure
24:20 | The legacy of Marxism
26:16 | Shared views between Marxism and contemporary identity politics
28:52 | Why harmful ideas take fair guises
31:23 | Critiquing collectivism
33:08 | US politicians and Marxist ideas
36:03 | Weren’t early Christians fundamentally communist?
38:08 | Shouldn’t we just try Marxism?
39:26 | Thomas Merton responds to Marxism
41:07 | Is it partisan to critique Marxism?
42:51 | Listener question: How do we respond to “my truth”?
45:12 | Join the Word on Fire Institute
———WATCH———
Subscribe to this Channel: bit.ly/3nL6bMU
Word on Fire Institute Channel: bit.ly/43jgnga
Word on Fire en Español Channel: bit.ly/2uFowjl
———SOCIAL MEDIA———
Bishop Barron Instagram: bit.ly/2Sn2XgD
Bishop Barron Facebook: bit.ly/2Sltef5
Bishop Barron Twitter: bit.ly/2Hkz6yQ
Word on Fire Instagram: bit.ly/39sGNyZ
Word on Fire Facebook: bit.ly/2HmpPpW
Word on Fire Twitter: bit.ly/2UKO49h
Word on Fire en Español Instagram: bit.ly/38mqofD
Word on Fire en Español Facebook: bit.ly/2SlthaL
Word on Fire en Español Twitter: bit.ly/38n3VPt
