Midwest

Catholic bishop and Orthodox artist discuss materialism, scientific arguments for Christ, reunification

Published

1 year ago

August 6, 2024

Catholic bishop and Orthodox artist discuss materialism, scientific arguments for Christ, reunification

A Catholic bishop and an Orthodox artist are asking believers and non-believers of all backgrounds to open their minds to a world more complex than what is visible.

Bishop Robert Barron, the most widely followed Catholic bishop in the world outside the Vatican, hosted his second annual Wonder Conference focusing on the intersection between faith and science.

Fox News Digital sat down with the bishop and his guest speaker, Orthodox liturgical artist Jonathan Pageau, to talk about how human beings should conceive faith and science in their daily lives.

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Jonathan Pageau, left, and Bishop Robert Barron speak via virtual meeting with Fox News Digital. The pair answered questions about logic, faith, their differing denominations, and whether there are scientific arguments for Christianity. (Word on Fire)

“People are victims of indoctrination,” Barron told Fox News Digital about the increasingly atheistic culture in the Western world. “When it comes to materialism, materialism isn’t something the sciences yield. Materialism is a philosophy. It’s a philosophical view, and it’s ultimately incoherent […] You cannot be a scientist and not believe, at least implicitly, in the invisible – that’s to say, in the purely intelligible pattern.”

Pageau feels similarly, telling Fox News Digital that one of the main goals of his work is “trying to kind of shatter some of the presuppositions that people have” about what God is.

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Bishop Barron stands at the podium of his lecture set at Word on Fire Studios. (Word on Fire Ministries)

“What are we talking about when we talk about ‘God’?” he asked during the interview. “There’s still people that think that God is basically a guy – an invisible guy that is just equal to all material reality. And that’s what the ancients talked about when they talked about ‘gods.’”

“Ultimately, the source of all reality is the transcendent God,” Pageau continued, adding that he hoped his artwork and speeches were “helping people see that again.”

The 2024 Wonder Conference, held this year in the Barron’s home Diocese of Winona-Rochester, is focused on the theme of “Nature and the Human Body.”

The conference ran from Aug. 2 to 4 and boasted speakers from a variety of backgrounds, including theoretical physicists, priests, scholars of gender studies, philosophers and computer scientists.

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“The human body is at the core of today’s most controversial topics, including evolution, artificial intelligence and gender ideology,” according to Wonder organizers. “It’s become more important than ever to become confident when talking with friends and family about these topics.”

In addition to the hundreds of Catholics attending the conference in-person, its lectures and keynotes were livestreamed for free online.

Pageau spoke at Wonder on Saturday in a lecture titled “The Body as a Symbol and the Symbol of the Body.”

The Orthodox liturgical artist has become popular through his YouTube series “The Symbolic World” – videos that examine patterns of meaning and symbolism in Scripture with lectures such as “Sacrifice: The Paradox of Salvation” and “Ritualized Behavior from Animals to Church.”

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Bishop Barron administers the sacrament of confirmation to a teenage parishioner while celebrating a Catholic Mass. (Word on Fire)

Barron said he originally met Pageau through mutual academic connections, including behavioral psychologist and lecturer Dr. Jordan Peterson.

Barron and Pageau, despite their denominational differences, preach a similarly complex and intricate conception of God rooted in the earliest theologians of Christianity – from a time when denominational distinction did not yet exist among believers.

It was Pageau’s methodology for explaining the Scriptures that ultimately convinced Barron to collaborate with the Orthodox speaker – a focus on early Christian leaders that Barron also picked up earlier in life after what he described as an unsatisfying catechesis.

“It was [Pageau’s] way of reading the Bible, which is very patristic, based on the Church fathers. And I grew up with a very rationalistic approach to the Scriptures that was kind of a spiritually dead end, actually. And I came upon the fathers eventually,” Barron told Fox News Digital.

He continued, “But when I heard Jonathan speaking about them, I thought, ‘That’s right. That’s the best way to open up the meaning of the Scriptures in a way that honors the Scriptures.’”

Jonathan Pageau and Bishop Robert Barron agreed that while they both would love to see the Orthodox and Catholic churches enter back into communion with one another, an authentic and sustainable reconciliation is unlikely to come in their lifetimes. (Word on Fire)

“The major difference, as far as I’m concerned, would be the papacy. That is the major point of demarcation,” Barron said of their divergent beliefs. “Now there is a theological dimension to it, to be sure, but it’s also a juridical issue.”

And while both would be thrilled to see the Catholic Church and Orthodox Communion reunite after nearly 1,000 years of schism, neither wants such a reunion to be rushed or haphazard.

“I’m sitting here with Bishop Barron and I love him very much, and I appreciate our discussion,” Pageau said. “But I honestly hope, at least in the short term, that [unification] doesn’t happen. And I know that sounds might sound mean at the outset, but I think that we […] have to be careful not to gloss over things.”

He continued, “Like if we are going to have reunification, it has to be a true unification that heals the things that make us different. If we just try to plow over it, and we try to impose it top down, or we try to just make it happen, for kind of political or… ideological reasons. I think that it will cause a lot of chaos down the line.”

A pre-recorded discussion between Barron and Pageau is soon to be published on the bishop’s YouTube channel, in which the two dive deeper into their shared approach to theology and Christian witness.

Timothy Nerozzi is a writer for Fox News Digital. You can follow him on Twitter @timothynerozzi and can email him at timothy.nerozzi@fox.com

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Michigan

Epstein files reveal ties to Michigan

Published

26 minutes ago

December 21, 2025

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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The Justice Department released thousands of pages on the Epstein files including letters, transcripts and images.

Court documents show that a 13-year-old girl was Epstein’s first known victim. The allegations against him trace back to a summer camp at Interlochen in 1994.

A lawsuit filed in New York in May 2020 accuses Epstein and convicted sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell of years of abuse.

The victim, Jane Doe, claims she met the two at Interlochen Arts Camp in 1994, an area about 20 minutes southwest of Traverse City.

The lawsuit outlines Epstein and Maxwell would take her to movies and shopping and eventually started making sexual references.

When she was 14, she visited Mar-a-Lago, where she was introduced to Donald Trump. Records allege Epstein elbowed Trump and asked him in reference to the girl “This is a good one, right?”

Abuse continued to escalate over the next few years. The girl eventually moved to New York. When she was 17, she alleged Epstein raped her and on multiple occasions after that.

Epstein’s ties to Interlochen was highlighted in testimony from the group’s vice president of finance.

A letter from the group to Epstein thanked him for his $200,000 donation. It was money that went towards building a two-bedroom home known as the Green Lake Lodge, formerly known as the Epstein Scholarship Lodge.

An Interlochen spokesperson sent News 8 a statement Saturday.

“Interlochen is committed to ensuring a safe, nurturing environment in which our students can excel. We currently have a wide range of measures in place to ensure a safe, supportive environment for all students,” part of the statement read.

“To learn more about our comprehensive safety protocols, please visit our dedicated webpage, where you’ll find detailed information about our practices and approach. The well-being of our students will always be our highest priority.

“As has been previously publicized, Jeffrey Epstein attended Interlochen in the summer of 1967, and he was a donor to Interlochen Center for the Arts from 1990 to 2003.

“When Interlochen administrators learned of Epstein’s conviction in 2008, Interlochen conducted an internal review and found no record of complaint or concern about Epstein. All donor recognition in his name was removed from campus at that time. Subsequent to Epstein’s second arrest in July 2019, we again reviewed our records and found no report or complaint involving Epstein within our records.

“In keeping with our commitment to child welfare and to candor with our community, we have issued prior public statements about Epstein’s connection to Interlochen and cooperated with prosecutors and several inquiries by the media. And we encourage anyone who may have been impacted by sexual abuse, by Epstein, or any member of the Interlochen community, to report their experience and seek assistance.”

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Minnesota

Minnesota Vikings’ plane turns around after mechanical issues en route to game against Giants

Published

38 minutes ago

December 21, 2025

Press Room

Minnesota Vikings’ plane turns around after mechanical issues en route to game against Giants

Sunday, December 21, 2025 12:31AM

ABC7 New York 24/7 Eyewitness News Stream

The Minnesota Vikings had some travel trouble Saturday getting to northern New Jersey for their game Sunday at the New York Giants.

Their team plane experienced mechanical issues that required turning around shortly after departing Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, according to a team spokesperson. The Vikings were expected to arrive in Newark later Saturday night after boarding a second plane, the spokesperson said.

Minnesota is 6-8 and, like the 2-12 Giants, has been eliminated from playoff contention. The Vikings are coming off beating Dallas, with this game more about young quarterback J.J. McCarthy getting additional NFL experience.

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Missouri

Missouri Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 winning numbers for Dec. 20, 2025

Published

50 minutes ago

December 21, 2025

Press Room

The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Dec. 20, 2025, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Dec. 20 drawing

04-05-28-52-69, Powerball: 20, Power Play: 3

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from Dec. 20 drawing

Midday: 0-1-7

Midday Wild: 7

Evening: 5-2-7

Evening Wild: 8

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from Dec. 20 drawing

Midday: 0-6-6-1

Midday Wild: 9

Evening: 6-8-0-9

Evening Wild: 2

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash4Life numbers from Dec. 20 drawing

14-24-26-42-45, Cash Ball: 04

Check Cash4Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from Dec. 20 drawing

Early Bird: 08

Morning: 05

Matinee: 13

Prime Time: 08

Night Owl: 03

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Show Me Cash numbers from Dec. 20 drawing

02-07-12-25-30

Check Show Me Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from Dec. 20 drawing

05-08-19-23-43, Powerball: 06

Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

All Missouri Lottery retailers can redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners have the option to submit their claim by mail or in person at one of Missouri Lottery’s regional offices, by appointment only.

To claim by mail, complete a Missouri Lottery winner claim form, sign your winning ticket, and include a copy of your government-issued photo ID along with a completed IRS Form W-9. Ensure your name, address, telephone number and signature are on the back of your ticket. Claims should be mailed to:

Ticket Redemption

Missouri Lottery

P.O. Box 7777

Jefferson City, MO 65102-7777

For in-person claims, visit the Missouri Lottery Headquarters in Jefferson City or one of the regional offices in Kansas City, Springfield or St. Louis. Be sure to call ahead to verify hours and check if an appointment is required.

For additional instructions or to download the claim form, visit the Missouri Lottery prize claim page.

When are the Missouri Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
Pick 4: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
Cash4Life: 8 p.m. daily.
Cash Pop: 8 a.m. (Early Bird), 11 a.m. (Late Morning), 3 p.m. (Matinee), 7 p.m. (Prime Time) and 11 p.m. (Night Owl) daily.
Show Me Cash: 8:59 p.m. daily.
Lotto: 8:59 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
Powerball Double Play: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Missouri editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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