Faith on the Couch - with Dr. Greg Popcak

Bishops Fail At Being Human; Seek “Small Laws” to Guide Them

November 14, 2018 By Dr. Greg

As the US bishops gather in Baltimore this week, I have to admit that I’m so weary of people saying that “the bishops can’t police each other. They have no authority over each other.” Of course this is true, but it completely misses the point. Why in God’s name (literally) do you need a formal canonical/juridical structure to act like a basically decent, functional human being? Let’s be honest. If any other minimally sentient carbon-based life-form saw a colleague doing… Read more

Dealing With Hurtful People

October 16, 2018 By Dr. Greg

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We all know the world isn’t what it was meant to be. People say hurtful things and it is often difficult to know how to handle it. Similarly, it is difficult to not take what they say to heart. What’s important to keep is mind is that we can’t control what others do, but we CAN control how we react. Theology of The Body reminds us that we are all works in progress but the best way to see that… Read more

Popcaks to Discuss Paths to Healing with Diocese of Pittsburgh

September 25, 2018 By Dr. Greg

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Lisa and I will serve as the keynote speakers for an event hosted by the Diocese of Pittsburgh intended to help clergy, catechists, parish ministers, and other church personnel minister more effectively to those whose faith has been shaken by the scandal of clerical abuse. Our talk, titled, Dealing with Desecrations: Pathways of Healing for Spiritual Trauma, will explore healthy ways to respond to the spiritual wounds caused by the scandal in the church due to clerical abuse. We’ll explore research… Read more

The Gift of Gratitude

September 19, 2018 By Dr. Greg

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We often think that expressing gratitude is something we do for another person. However, new research shows that we actually get more out of showing gratitude than we might think. A new study published by the journal of Psychological Science reveals that, although people typically believe that expressing gratitude—such as in the form of “Thank you” notes—will be perceived as “awkward,” both the giver and the receiver of the “Thank you” notes reported positive feelings after the exchange. As this… Read more

Finding Peace Amid The Storm

September 5, 2018 By Dr. Greg

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Some days it can feel as though stress is coming at us from every direction. From family life, to work life, to the ongoing influx of news and social media, it can seem very difficult to find peace among the storm of stress. Thankfully, increasing the peace in our lives can be easier than we tend to think! Here are three More2Life Hacks for increasing peace in your daily life: Don’t Confuse Quiet & Peace–When things are going badly, we… Read more

Vigano, Pope Francis, McCarrick and the Glamour of Evil

August 29, 2018 By Dr. Greg

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Many Catholics will be familiar with the question, “Do you reject the glamour of evil?” It was part of the older form of the renewal of baptismal promises. The “glamour of evil” is a curious expression that I think speaks to the reaction many Catholics are having in the face of the ongoing clerical scandals in the Church. Wilde Times I think most people interpret that phrase, “the glamour of evil” to mean that evil can seem superficially attractive. If… Read more

Spiritual Trauma and the Catholic Church: How Do We Heal Our Broken Hearts?

August 15, 2018 By Dr. Greg

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Horrifying. Devastating. Apocalyptic. The sad fact is, none of these words are adequate to describe the events described in the recently released grand jury report on multigenerational clerical abuse in Pennsylvania and the PA bishop’s response (or lack thereof). In light of all that has come out about “Uncle” Ted McCarrick, as well as all the news from Chile, Peru, Argentina, and before that, Australia, the PA report is just the latest sign that our church leadership has failed. Miserably. Catastrophically. Globally. Sadly,… Read more

Prayer Power – A New Study Reveals The True Meaning Of “The family That Prays Together, Stays Together.”

August 14, 2018 By Dr. Greg

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We’ve often heard the phrase “The family that prays together, stays together.” While this adage—originally coined by the Venerable Fr. Patrick Peyton—has rapidly grown in popularity, the Journal of Family Psychology recently conducted a study to evaluate the true effects of couple and family prayer. The researchers conducted a national study evaluating 198 diverse families in a manner which viewed family prayer as a ritual within religious families. The results of this study demonstrated seven related themes between couple and… Read more

Overcoming The Resentment Overload

August 8, 2018 By Dr. Greg

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We all know the feeling of resentment. It can grow slowly and then quickly feel overwhelming, or it can hit us all at once. No matter how resentment sneaks up on us, it can be extremely difficult to let go of. We often feel guilty about resentment and, of course, resentment isn’t something we want to hold on to. But the Theology of the Body teaches that God designed our bodies to work for our good and the good of… Read more

Healing From Old Hurts

July 30, 2018 By Dr. Greg

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Forgiveness is a common subject. We frequently hear “inspirational” quotes about forgiveness and letting go. But what does forgiveness and letting go really mean and what steps do we need to take to truly be able to heal from past hurts? Forgive–Forgiving doesn’t mean pretending “everything’s OK” or acting as if more healing doesn’t need to take place. St Augustine said that forgiveness simply requires us to surrender our natural desire for revenge. To forgive someone just means that you… Read more