News

Fr Jeffrey Kirby: Through the Holy Family, Jesus Revolutionised Prayer Within the Human Family

By Fr. Jeffrey Kirby, Catholic Herald – The call to prayer requires teaching and encouragement. While we were made by God and for God, and have a natural desire for union with God, we need help in understanding and realising how to pursue and live this union with our heavenly Father… As we have to learn how to pray, the same is true of the Lord Jesus in his human nature. As he veiled his divine nature while among us, his human nature had to learn as we learn. He was taught how to pray in the intimacy of the Holy Family.

The Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: Go, and Do Not Sin Again

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – John 8:1-11 – but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning he came again to the temple; all the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. ….

Guilty!—But Not Really Guilty? by Victor Davis Hanson

By Victor Davis Hanson, American Greatness – Our criminal justice system no longer treats the accused equally under the law. If the defendant is deemed a conservative, like a Michael Flynn, Peter Navarro, or Donald Trump, then the full force of prosecution falls upon them… But if a Biden, Brennan, Clapper, Clinton, Holder, or Willis, then the state contorts itself to find excuses, exemptions, and mitigating circumstances not to pursue justice… In these high-profile cases in this polarized era, a cynical public now expects any accused prominent leftist to remain unindicted ….

How a Handful of Billionaires Created the Transgender ‘Movement’: An Interview with Jennifer Bilek, by Jonathon Van Maren

By Jonathon Van Maren, The European Conservative – I first came across investigative journalist Jennifer Bilek’s work in 2020, when her essay “The Billionaires Behind the LGBT Movement” was published in First Things. It was a stunning piece … Bilek also runs the Substack Jennifer’s Newsletter and the blog The 11th Hour, where she explains her focus: I write at the intersection of humanity, technology, and runaway capitalism. At this intersection stands transgenderism, what I believe is a glamorous ad campaign generated by elites, invested in tech and pharma, to normalize the changing of human biology. …

LifeSite News: Archbishop Removes Faculties, Seeks to Seize Property of Priest for Publishing Alleged ‘Heavenly Messages’

By LifeSite News, by Staff – A U.S. archbishop has removed the priestly faculties of a priest who went ahead and published what he believes to be “heavenly messages” after being warned not to, asserting that he was urged by God to supercede his bishop’s authority because of the grave current condition of the Catholic Church… Rev. Gustavo García-Siller; MSpS, Archbishop of San Antonio, took action against Fr. John Mary Foster of the “Mission of Divine Mercy” (MDM), after the priest made public what he felt were divine revelations to his religious community. …

Harrison Butker Addresses Family Life, Gun Violence, Taylor Swift and More in Far-Reaching Interview, by Jonah McKeown

By Jonah McKeown, CNA – Super Bowl-winning kicker Harrison Butker shared a simple — but countercultural — message when he delivered a graduation speech at his alma mater, Georgia Tech, last year… “Get married and start a family,” the Kansas City Chiefs NFL star told the new graduates… Outspoken about his Catholic faith for several years, Butker garnered headlines during the 2023 Super Bowl when fans noticed he was wearing a scapular — a brown woolen sacramental from the Carmelite tradition, worn around the neck as a sign of consecration to Mary.

Abp. Leonard Blair: Will You Live in Christ’s Light or Die in the Darkness?

By Archbishop Leonard Blair, EWTN News –
What we are witnessing today is nothing less than a great battle for people’s souls… As a bishop, I have conferred the sacrament of Confirmation many times. As part of their preparation the candidates for this sacrament are expected to attend classes, go on retreats and do service projects… This is all well and good, but I feel the need to tell them at the Confirmation liturgy that ultimately, Confirmation is not about what they have done or are doing — it’s about what God has done and is doing. …

Msgr. Charles Pope: Man Is Not an Intruder in Creation

By Msgr. Charles Pope, Posted on Catholic Education Resource Center, 2019 – It is important to resist accepting the premises of an increasingly radicalized movement. Man is not the enemy. Too many activists propose morally unacceptable solutions such as abortion, sterilization, and euthanasia in the name of “population control.” Other proposals include heavy-handed government intrusion to limit family size, eliminate entire industries, and ban certain fuel sources violate subsidiarity and are likely to have a disproportionate effect on the poor. Creating hysteria about climate change and warning of impending extinction is an old tactic of this movement.

‘For Zeal for Thy House Has Consumed Me’, by Phil Lawler

By Phil Lawler, Catholic Culture – Recounting how Jesus drove the money-changers out of the Temple, the Gospel of St. John [2:17] refers back to Psalm 69: “For zeal for thy house has consumed me.” When that Gospel was read at Sunday Mass two weeks ago, my mind flashed back to the disgraceful behavior of the activists who staged an outrageous mockery of a funeral service at St. Patrick’s cathedral in New York just a two weeks earlier.

Judge Lets Fani Willis Continue Trump Case Despite ‘Cloud Of Impropriety And Potential Untruthfulness’, by Brianna Lyman

By Brianna Lyman, The Federalist – Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee found District Attorney Fani Willis potentially lied, cast “racial aspersions” on a defendant, and had a “tremendous lapse in judgement,” but could nonetheless continue her crusade targeting a former president — so long as special prosecutor Nathan Wade withdraws from the case… McAfee issued a decision Friday saying the defendants “failed to meet their burden of proving that the District Attorney acquired an actual conflict of interest in this case.”

Following the Unfaithful, by Eric Sammons

By Eric Sammons, Crisis Magazine – A well-known tactic in political circles is to release a “survey” that supports a predetermined conclusion. For example, a Republican PAC might send out a survey to its base asking “Do you think Joe Biden is right about the 2nd amendment?” Or the Democrats might ask if Trump is the next Hitler. Then the results will be touted as proof of massive support for the forgone conclusion.

Cardinal McElroy, Homosexuality, and the Repudiation of Doctrine, by Larry Chapp

By Larry Chapp, Catholic World Report – What does Cardinal McElroy mean by “life itself is evolving in critical ways”, as he does not define what he means by “life” here? We can surmise, perhaps, that he means the cultural context in which our lives are now embedded—and that this context has changed in radical ways. If that is all he means, then I am in full agreement. However, also left undefined is whether this “evolution” is, on the whole, a positive or a negative thing when analyzed from within a Catholic theological vision of life. …

Where Is the Laughter? by Carrie Gress

By Carrie Gress, The Catholic Thing – In current culture, Catholic doctrine is frequently mocked as a silly set of rules and regulations, but it turns out to be something much richer, deeper, and healthier than most imagine. It is this overlooked doctrine that has the potential to create the space for our laughter. And when it is abandoned, laughter ends. But if we maintain or recover our own integrity through the sacramental life, trust, vulnerability, and real care have room to grow. Tables can once again become animated by giggles, guffaws, and even snorts as families delight in each other.

Saint of the Day for March 18: St. Cyril of Jerusalem

Franciscan Media – The crises that the Church faces today may seem minor when compared with the threat posed by the Arian heresy, which denied the divinity of Christ and almost overcame Christianity in the fourth century. Cyril was to be caught up in the controversy, accused of Arianism by Saint Jerome, and ultimately vindicated both by the men of his own time and by being declared a Doctor of the Church in 1822.

Wisconsin Supreme Court Says Catholic Charity Group Cannot Claim Religious Tax Exemption, by Daniel Payne

By Daniel Payne, CNA Staff – The Wisconsin Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that (Catholic Charities Bureau’s) activities were not “primarily” religious under state law, stripping the group of a key tax break and ordering it to pay into the state unemployment system… In its divided 4-3 ruling on Thursday, the Supreme Court of Wisconsin agreed with the state, upholding a lower court ruling and ordering that CCB and its subgroups “offer services that would be the same regardless of the motivation of the provider,” which the court called “a strong indication” that the group does not “operate primarily for religious purposes.”

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: Reaction to Jesus’ Words

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – John 7:40-53 – When they heard these words, some of the people said, “This is really the prophet.” Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Is the Christ to come from Galilee? Has not the scripture said that the Christ is descended from David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?” So there was a division among the people over him. …..

The Powerful New ‘Cabrini’ Reminds Us God Isn’t Done With America, by Jason Scott Jones

By Jason Scott Jones, The Stream – I know too many fellow believers and patriots who have swallowed what some call the “black pill.” That is, they’ve let frustration, fear, and indignation consume them, to the point that to protect themselves from further disappointment, they now embrace despair. They dwell on each piece of genuine negative news, and each rumor or ominous warning, with almost a perverse glee. Like Job’s “friends” in the Bible, they advise us to “curse God and die.” ….

Political Grandstanding on IVF Ignores Its Abuse of Human Dignity, by Michael Warsaw

By Michael Warsaw, Publisher’s Note, EWTN News – But there is a bigger issue at stake than winning elections or steering clear of the cancel culture: the truth… That truth begins with basic science. Whether the embryo is created through natural procreation or when sperm and egg are joined in a petri dish, it is a human being in the earliest of stages. This isn’t a religious doctrine or a conservative court’s opinion. It’s a biological fact, one that wouldn’t change even if 100% of Americans said otherwise.

US Supreme Court Denies Request by Group to Host Drag Show at Texas University, by Jack Phillips

By Jack Phillips, The Epoch Times – The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday denied a request by a student group that asked to host a drag show at West Texas A&M University and sought to lift a school ban on the performance… In a one-sentence order, the high court wrote that Justice Samuel Alito denied the emergency request from the LGBT group, Spectrum WT, and two student leaders. There were no dissenting votes issued, and the court did not explain the decision—the usual practice with cases on the Supreme Court’s emergency docket.

Kamala Harris Celebrates Abortion at Planned Parenthood Facility, by Joshua Mercer

By Joshua Mercer, LifeNews – Critics slammed VP Kamala Harris after she visited a Minneapolis Planned Parenthood facility on Thursday, becoming the first sitting administration official to do so in national history… Harris called it a “health care clinic” and said she was there “to uplift the work that is happening in Minnesota as an example of what true leadership looks like.”… “[I]t is only right and fair that people have access to the health care they need …..

On the Sacrifice of Telling the Truth, by Dr. Jeff Mirus 

By Dr. Jeff Mirus, Catholic Culture – Surprisingly, one of the biggest sacrifices we can make nowadays is to tell the truth. I don’t mean to tell the truth about the faults of others, of course, but rather to tell the truth about Catholic faith and morals outside that safe circle of the few family members and acquaintances who share our values. Faithful Catholics rarely find themselves in public situations in which a clear statement of the truth about Christ, the Church or morality is likely to be well-received.

Msgr. Charles Pope: Where the Tree Falls, There It Will Lie – A Meditation on the Finality of Judgment

By Msgr. Charles Pope – Some engage in the wishful thinking that humans can suddenly and dramatically become converted and wholly different. To be sure, there are what are sometimes called “sudden conversions” of individuals. But what this usually means is that the person’s disposition against God and/or the faith is transformed into an openness to the truth and grace of God. …

BOOK REVIEW: Bad Therapy Addresses the Question: “Why Are Our Kids So Messed Up?”, by Kale Zelden 

By Kale Zelden, Catholic World Report – The growing youth mental health crisis… In Bad Therapy: Why the Kids Aren’t Growing Up, Shrier now turns her attention to the mental health establishment itself, asking the simple but obvious question: why are our kids so messed up? This book will likewise make very few friends for Shrier, as she is taking on a behemoth of under-appreciated size and reach, a new Leviathan—the Mental Health machine. But that is to her credit. What she lays out in her new book is important for everyone in the fields of medicine and education. But, most importantly, those of us with skin in the game: parents.

How to Tell Doctrinal Development From Cultural Corruption, by Larry Chapp

By Larry Chapp, EWTN News – There is much talk these days about the concept of the “development of doctrine” in the Church. The topic is a complex one and its various nuances cannot be adequately dealt with in a short essay. Nevertheless, it is also the case, given the importance of doctrinal truth in the life of the Church, that it should be possible for an average Catholic to make some sense of it without the necessity of having advanced theological training.

Hope for Catholic Ireland, by Connie Marshner

By Connie Marshner, Crisis Magazine – Some of my conservative Irish-American friends, who cherish the old romantic myth of The Ould Sod as a place where 1950s culture and Catholicism reigned, in The Quiet Man and Bells of St. Mary’s harmony, ask: How could the Church in Ireland have “allowed” divorce/abortion/same sex marriage? And they assume the Faith is dead in Ireland… “Allowed?” As if the Church could have prevented the secularism, materialism, and self-indulgence of the contemporary West from taking hold in Ireland? As if the Church anywhere has been able to do that?

CatholicVote: Multiple Blue Cities Plead With Residents to House Migrants in Their Homes

CV News Feed – Officials in a pair of heavily Democratic cities reeling from the country’s unprecedented illegal immigration crisis are asking private citizens to host migrants on their properties… the city of Denver “recently emailed [its] rental property owners asking if they would be interested in renting to migrants who need housing.”… FOX News noted that Denver’s recent attempt to house migrants at private residences comes several months after New York City Mayor Eric Adams suggested a similar initiative. …

Saint of the Day for March 16: St. Clement Mary Hofbauer

Franciscan Media – Clement might be called the second founder of the Redemptorists, as it was he who carried the congregation of Saint Alphonsus Liguori to the people north of the Alps… John, the name given him at Baptism, was born in Moravia into a poor family, the ninth of 12 children. Although he longed to be a priest, there was no money for studies, and he was apprenticed to a baker. …

Only Jesus Offers Us a Glorified Body, Not Transhumanism and Visions of a Technological Human Future, by Robert Verrill OP

By Robert Verrill OP, Catholic Herald – The season of Lent in which we find ourselves once more is a time to prepare for Easter, the high point of the liturgical year in which we celebrate the redeeming work of Jesus Christ. The risen Christ has a glorified body, and our great hope is that we too will rise with glorified bodies. Some Christians believe that transhumanism could help humanity fulfil this great hope… Transhumanism is a movement which claims that technological advances will enable us to transcend all the limits of our natural existence so that eventually humans will be transformed into superintelligent beings that will live forever.

Archbishop Viganò: ‘The Globalist Cabal Want to Establish the Kingdom of the Antichrist on Earth’

By Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, LifeSiteNews – What appears today in all its evidence is the subversive plan of a global coup d’état, aimed at the decimation of the world population and the enslavement of the survivors. The pressure for the approval of the WHO Pandemic Treaty and for the health passport – accompanied by the activation of the digital wallet – demonstrate that the authors of this coup have no intention of giving up their criminal intentions, and will not do so unless they are faced with firm and determined opposition from the population and those few of its representatives who are not sold out to the World Economic Forum, by those who courageously do not fail in their duties.

Daily Scripture Readings and Meditation: His Hour Had Not yet Come

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30 – After this Jesus went about in Galilee; he would not go about in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill him. Now the Jews’ feast of Tabernacles was at hand. But after his brothers had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not publicly but in private. .. Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, “Is not this the man whom they seek to kill? …

Dr. Pierre Kory Sounds Alarm Over Gov’t Failure on Excess Deaths in Tucker Carlson Interview, by Stephen Kokx

By Stephen Kokx, LifeSiteNews – Dr. Pierre Kory was attacked during COVID-19 for recommending Ivermectin and other treatments Big Pharma did not approve of. Now, he’s speaking out about the “explosion” of excess deaths in the United States and calling out the government’s inaction in response to it… During his appearance on the Tucker Carlson Encounter on Wednesday, Kory stated that there has been a “skyrocketing” of death tolls of more than 158,000 Americans, primarily among those who are young, healthy, and working. The government won’t admit this ….

Msgr. Charles Pope: Lenten Lesson: The Lord’s Paradoxical Plan

By Msgr. Charles Pope, EWTN News – To the world, the Sunday Gospel is utter madness. Christ in effect declares that dying (to this world) is the only way to true life. While the world’s so-called wisdom holds that the way to life is through power, prestige, possessions and popularity, Jesus says that in order to find true life, one must die to all that. Let’s examine the Lord’s paradoxical plan to save us and bring us to new life.

Donors Giving To Cardinal Dolan Shocked To Learn Where Their Money Went, by Gene Gomulka

By Gene Gomulka, Complicit Clergy – A growing number of Catholics are blasting Cardinal Timothy Dolan for launching a multi-million dollar annual stewardship appeal amid scathing new findings that he is making New York parishioners unknowingly fund actively-ministering accused sex abusers.  Slamming Dolan’s request for more than $21 million as a “shameless money grab,” Catholics are vowing to defund the New York Archdiocese until the Vatican defrocks the scandal-plagued prelate.

Diocese of Buffalo to Sell Headquarters after Bankruptcy, by McKenna Snow

By McKenna Snow, Catholic Vote – The diocese of Buffalo, New York has announced that it will sell its headquarters building, the Catholic Center, for $9.8 million, several years after announcing the diocese’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing… The diocese announced on March 11 that the Catholic Center is for sale, and highlighted information about the buildings’ history, architecture, and renovations.

House Republicans Will Emphasize Pro-Life Stance in Campaign to Expand Majority, by Joshua Mercer

By y Joshua Mercer, LifeNews – House Republican leadership will stress the party’s pro-life platform in the quest to expand its razor-thin majority in the chamber this November… The Wall Street Journal’s Natalie Andrews reported Wednesday that a “memo prepared by House Republicans’ campaign arm … says Republicans have a ‘brand problem, not a policy problem’” when it comes to the issue of abortion… Per Andrews, the memo noted that the party’s past “reluctance to discuss [abortion] left it to Democrats to define where the GOP stood.”

Fr. William Saunders: History of Lent

By Fr. William Saunders, Catholic Education Resource Center – Lent is a special time of prayer, penance, sacrifice and good works in preparation of the celebration of Easter. In the desire to renew the liturgical practices of the Church, The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy of Vatican Council II stated, “The two elements which are especially characteristic of Lent — the recalling of baptism or the preparation for it, and penance — should be given greater emphasis in the liturgy and in liturgical catechesis. It is by means of them that the Church prepares the faithful for the celebration of Easter ….

The Collapse of Cultural Christianity—And the Rise of Cultural Queerness, by Jonathon Van Maren 

By Jonathon Van Maren, The European Conservative – Around 25% of Gen Z in America now identify as LGBT, compared to 3% of the general population… How do nations become post-Christian? To quote Ernest Hemingway: Gradually, and then suddenly… For decades, the United States has been a bastion of religiosity, bucking the trend of secularization, but in recent years, the needle has begun to move. According to a 2019 poll, between 20% and 25% of American adults now identify as ‘nones’ ….

Archbishop Charles J. Chaput: Cardinal Fernández Misleads

By Charles J. Chaput, First Things – Joseph Ratzinger, better known as Pope Benedict XVI, stepped down from the papal ministry in 2013. But before he did, he began drafting an encyclical on the nature of Christian faith. His goal was to finish his ongoing thoughts on the three theological virtues—faith, hope, and charity—and their implications for true human development. For Benedict, faith was the foundation and informing energy of the other two virtues. And to his great credit, a newly elected Pope Francis adopted Benedict’s draft upon his accession.

Haiti Reaches ‘a Sub-Level of Rock Bottom,’ Sparking Fears of Famine

By Matthew McDonald, EWTN News – As conditions in Haiti rapidly deteriorate, the Biden administration has warned that its teetering government could fall any day, while a leading archbishop said he fears that the country is on the verge of civil war… People in Haiti and charity leaders in the United States who have been active in the Caribbean nation told the Register that despite the country’s long history of hardships — including a devastating earthquake in 2010 that killed more than 100,000 people — they have never seen conditions this bad.

A Biblical Path for Lent, by Dr. R. Jared Staudt

By Dr. R. Jared Staudt, Catholic World Report – During Lent, we focus on prayer, fasting and almsgiving in order to repent and turn our lives back to God. The 40 days of this holy season invite us to unite ourselves to Jesus’s own prayer and fasting in the desert, where he battles the enemy in overcoming fundamental temptations of life: lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and pride of life.

State Street Called to End Deception, Give Shareholders Non-ESG Policy Option, by Craig Bannister

By Craig Bannister, CNS News – Financial officials from 16 states are calling on State Street Global Advisors, one of the largest asset management firms, to stop deceptively pushing on shareholders only proposals that advance the ideological ESG agenda, at the expense of their clients’ best financial interests… “Our purpose in this letter is to encourage State Street to promote traditional fiduciary duty (advancing all clients’ objective economic interests), instead of serving the demands of global bodies and a subset of clients whose interests align with anti-fiduciary actions.”

Saint of the Day for March 15: Louise de Marillac

Franciscan Media – Born near Meux, France, Louise lost her mother when she was still a child, her beloved father when she was but 15. Her desire to become a nun was discouraged by her confessor, and a marriage was arranged. One son was born of this union. But Louise soon found herself nursing her beloved husband through a long illness that finally led to his death.

Texas Helps More Than 105,000 of Biden’s ‘Newcomers’ Migrate to Sanctuary Cities, by Craig Bannister

By Craig Bannister, CNS News – “Texas has transported over 105,000 migrants to sanctuary cities,” Republican Governor Greg Abbott announced Tuesday, promising that “Until [President] Biden does his job to secure the border, Texas will continue to hold the line.”… The illegal aliens, or “newcomers,” as Biden now calls them, were transported under Gov. Abbott’s Operation Lone Star, a program designed to secure Texas’ border from the onslaught of illegal immigration caused by the Biden Administration’s open-border policies.

The Bachall Isu—The Crozier of St. Patrick, by Phillip Campbell

By Phillip Campbell, Catholic Exchange – Of all the relics bequeathed to us by Ireland’s catalogue of saints, the greatest was undoubtedly the episcopal crozier used by St. Patrick known as the Bachall Isu. The Irish word Bachall comes from the Latin baculus, a crozier or staff; Isu is a shortened form of the Latin name for our Lord, Iesus. Bachall Isu thus means “Staff of Jesus,” a name reflecting a popular tradition that the staff was given to St. Patrick by Jesus Christ Himself.

Free Speech Depends On SCOTUS Rejecting The Government’s Censorship Excuses In Murthy v. Missouri, by Scott Street

By Scott Street, The Federalist – On July 4, 2023, Louisiana-based federal Judge Terry Doughty issued a historic decision in the censorship case then called Missouri v. Biden (the case was filed by two state attorneys general, including Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, who now sits in the U.S. Senate). The decisions made news not just for the result and the date it was issued, but for the importance Doughty showed to the underlying issue… In fact, Doughty’s opinion echoed the lofty rhetoric of the great federal court decisions issued during the civil rights era. But the political dynamic had flipped.

The Catholic Answer to the Longing for ‘Wellness’, by Rebecca Wilson

By Rebecca Wilson, EWTN News – The concept of “wellness” is ever growing in popularity, with many podcasts, workouts, diets and more trying to address the issue. In the U.S. alone, the wellness industry is valued at close to $1.2 trillion. This raises the question: Why? There must be something about “wellness” that is so attractive, that speaks to a deep human desire. More importantly, if we are created in the image and likeness of God, with a beautiful integration of body and soul, how do we as Catholics respond to the concept of “wellness?”

Say the Word, Mr. President, and Tell the Truth About Abortion, by Susan Ciancio

By Susan Ciancio, Catholic World Report – Euphemisms are often used in polite society to make distasteful words more palatable. But sometimes they are spoken to hide the truth. Nowhere was this more evident than in President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address on March 7th, when he refused to say the word “abortion” and instead repeatedly referred to it as “reproductive freedom”… Biden, who claims to be “a practicing Catholic” who is “not big on abortion”, spent just a handful of minutes discussing abortion. Yet his words were carefully crafted to not only incite anger but to make it seem like those who oppose abortion have waged a war against women.

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: The Father’s Witness to Jesus

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – John 5:31-47 – If I bear witness to myself, my testimony is not true; there is another who bears witness to me, and I know that the testimony which he bears to me is true. You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. Not that the testimony which I receive is from man; but I say this that you may be saved. ….

Fr. Jerry Pokorsky: Nicodemus Survival Tactics

By Fr. Jerry Pokorsky, Catholic Culture – We’ve seen the bumper sticker: “COEXIST.” Like “diversity, equity, and inclusion,” it’s hard to argue with the aspiration. But the slogans are purposely ambiguous and blur the distinction between good and evil. The proponents expect believers to surrender to their Godless secular religion. The survival tactics of Nicodemus help us navigate a politically correct hostile environment… Nicodemus appears several times in the Gospel of St. John. …

Deacon Michael Bickerstaff: Only In Christ Can We Be Cleansed

By Deacon Michael Bickerstaff,  Integrated Catholic Life – CLEANSING THE TEMPLE IN OUR SOULS – By His life, passion, death, and resurrection, Jesus mediated a New and Everlasting Covenant in which He formed the Church – the Family of God. He restored us to new life, a share in the Divine Life, a life of grace through faith in which we can truly live and worship according to the design of God. He provides grace sufficient for an authentic, satisfying life, fully lived.

A Sumptuous Meal During Lent, by Hans Boersma

By Hans Boersma, First Things – The Lord is into feeding his people. He does it time and again. Each time, he tests them with an impossible situation. Each time, there is a realist failing the test in unbelief—Moses, Gehazi, Philip and Andrew. And each time, the Lord performs a feeding miracle, so that people end up being stuffed… These stories may hardly seem appropriate for Lent. When we are in the middle of fasting, we do not need stories of sumptuous meals. Fair enough, except John’s account of the feeding of the five thousand itself reminds us that it is Lent: “And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh.”

How Do You Solve a Problem Like Jesuit Sex Abuse? by Jules Gomes

By Jules Gomes, The Stream – Jesuit Wokeness – The Jesuits finally booted the Slovenian priest (Jesuit, Fr. Marko Ivan Rupnik) from their ranks in June 2023 — not because he had violated his vow of chastity by sexually abusing approximately 25 nuns, or for that matter his vow of poverty (Rupnik was running a million-euro art company) — but because he broke his vow of obedience by infringing upon the travel restrictions his superiors had imposed on him… The sordid details of Rupnik’s bedroom sexcapades with the religious sisters ….

Opinion: Cardinal McElroy Claims Pope’s Climate Vision Not Getting Enough Attention from US Bishops, by Christopher White, National Catholic Reporter

By Christopher White, National Catholic Reporter – Pope Francis’ call for the world to address the coming consequences of global climate change has not garnered enough attention at the U.S. Catholic bishops’ conference, said a leading American cardinal… In an exclusive interview with National Catholic Reporter in late February, San Diego Cardinal Robert McElroy said the pope’s environmental vision “has not gotten the attention of the conference that it should get, and that the pope is calling us to get.”

68 Cities are Now “Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn” That Protect Babies From Abortion, by Susan Berry Ph.D.

By Susan Berry Ph.D., LifeNews – The founder of the Texas-based initiative that urges cities and counties to become “sanctuaries for the unborn” says that while the unborn are protected from abortion in Texas, “it doesn’t mean that the work is finished.”… Mark Lee Dickson, founder of the Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn Initiative and a director with Right To Life of East Texas, told CatholicVote that one of his key focuses is on closing up two significant “loopholes”: abortion trafficking and the treatment of the bodies of aborted babies as “waste.”

Thinking About Holy Thursday, by Michael Pakaluk

By Michael Pakaluk, The Catholic Thing – As Laetare Sunday recedes, Catholics become more focused on approaching Passion Week.   I like to encourage Catholics to embrace their faith as true by thinking about it – because only what is definite is true. So in preparation for Holy Thursday, I’d like to contemplate in advance with you four fascinating questions which Saint Thomas considers about the Last Supper. (ST III, 81)… First, he raises the question most of us have thought about, whether Judas received the sacred mysteries, or did Judas depart before these were distributed?

The Bloody History of Mifepristone, by Anthony Campagna, PharmD

By Anthony Campagna, PharmD, Crisis Magazine – This month marks a critical juncture in the ongoing fight against abortion in the United States. As Walgreens and CVS begin dispensing mifepristone (Mifeprex ®) in many of their retail pharmacy locations—and before the Supreme Court considers reinstating restrictions on the same—we must pause to consider mifepristone’s brutal history and raise awareness of rapidly changing laws and politics governing its use. We must also underscore the need to pray for an end to its bloody reign.

US Government Coerced Faith Leaders to Push COVID-19 Vaccines, by Jim Thorp, Maggie Thorp

By Jim Thorp, Maggie Thorp, America Out Loud News – What if I told you powerful U.S. government officials – such as former NIH Director Francis Collins and U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy – used religion in an attempt to convince faith leaders around the country to push the COVID-19 injections? A deep dive into the organization Faiths4Vaccines –a founding member of the HHS’ vaccine-propaganda machine COVID-19 Community Corps1 –has revealed just that. …

A Person’s a Person No Matter What State, by Russell Shaw

By Russell Shaw, EWTN News – The Alabama IVF case was not directly about abortion, but it has helped set the stage for two new U.S. Supreme Court cases that are… Come right down to it, the argument is simple to the point of being self-evident: A human embryo is either a human person or well along in the process of becoming one. In either case, the embryo enjoys fundamental legal rights of personhood, including the right to life.

Lead Us Not Into Temptation, by Regis Martin

By Regis Martin, Crisis Magazine – When it comes to temptation, we are all experts. It is a subject we’ve all mastered, a class we could all teach. It is also, quite paradoxically, an area of our lives where failure is all too frequent. The teacher is no better than the pupil; indeed, they are two sides of the same coin… I mean, who among us has not felt even the least fleeting guilt awakened by the gap between the virtues he professes and the vices he practices?

Illegal Immigration Myopia, by Jack Devine

By Jack Devine, Patriot Post – What do President Joe Biden and his Democrat supporters really think about our three years of wide-open southern border? Perhaps they’re still happy with it — or maybe as the election season heats up, they think it might have been a political misstep… Either way, they’re not even close. Enabling the tsunami of illegal immigration into the U.S. has been a colossal failure in public policy that will haunt our nation for decades — and we’ve yet to internalize its implications.

Daily Scripture Readings and Meditation: My Father Is Working Still, and I Am Working

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – John 5:17-30 – But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working still, and I am working.” This was why the Jews sought all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the Sabbath but also called God his Father, making himself equal with God. Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever he does, that the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son, and shows him all that he himself is doing …..

Inflation Heats Up in February, as Energy and Shelter Costs Spike, by Craig Bannister

By Craig Bannister, MRC TV – The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.4 percent in February – the largest monthly rise since September 2023 – on a seasonally adjusted basis, after rising 0.3 percent in January, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported Tuesday…The 12-month increase in prices also intensified in February. Compared to the same month in 2023, the all-items index rose 3.2 percent, higher than last month’s 3.1% January-to-January rise.

Fifth Circuit Court Upholds Texas Age-Verification Law Restricting Porn Site Access

By Evan Poellinger, CNS News – The Fifth Circuit Court of appeals has ruled 2-1 in favor of a Texas law requiring pornography websites to use age verification on their websites. The law, which was signed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) last June, and originally scheduled to take effect in December, 2023, mandates such websites “use reasonable age verification methods” in order to “verify that an individual attempting to access the material is 18 years of age or older.”

An Interview With Fr. Gerald E. Murry: Fiducia Supplicans Should Be Revoked

An interview with Fr. Gerald E. Murry by Diane Montagna, First Things – In March 2021, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith published, under its former prefect, Cardinal Luis Ladaria Ferrer, a Responsum that replied in the negative to the question: “Does the Church have the power to give the blessing to unions of persons of the same sex?”.. Just under three years later, under its new prefect, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, the now renamed Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith issued Fiducia Supplicans (FS), which asserts that the blessings referred to in the Responsum are “liturgical blessings” and introduces a new kind of priestly blessing… which it claims can be imparted to “same-sex couples.”

The Anti-Ecumenism of Pope Francis, by Sean Fitzpatrick

By Sean Fitzpatrick, Crisis Magazine – For all his overtures for unity, it is literally beyond belief how divisive this pope has proven—and continues to prove—to be. It is almost as though he harbors some sort of intention to divide the house against itself to the point that at least a part of it will fall. That part would be those who suffer from what the Holy Father has called the disease of nostalgia, those backward conservatives, those custodians of tradition who are unwilling to evolve with the inclusive times and “broaden and enrich” Catholic theology.

The Welcome Message of the Irish Referenda, by Phil Lawler

By Phil Lawler, Catholic Culture – What happened in Ireland last week? The government strongly supported a pair of proposed constitutional amendments. The major political parties supported them. The media, the corporate elite, the liberal intelligentsia all supported them. But the people of Ireland, God bless them, sent both amendments down to decisive defeats in a national referendum.

Msgr. Charles Pope: What are “Lost Sabbaths” and Why Do They Matter Today?

By Msgr. Charles Pope – Of all the things we might think of as a serious matter, so serious as to merit exile, “lost sabbaths” would not occur to most of us in this present age. Other matters such as violence, murder, sexual sin, greed, injustice and so forth would occur first to us. So, how are we to understand these “lost sabbaths” and why was their loss so serious as to require seventy years of exile?

Joe Biden Isn’t “Pro-Choice,” He’s a Cheerleader for Abortions Up to Birth, by Ryan Bomberger

By Ryan Bomberger, LifeNews – These were the exact words President Biden spoke in an interview about the supremely wrong Roe decision that commercialized the killing of America’s Posterity. “I don’t like the Supreme Court decision on abortion,” Senator Biden explained. “I think it went too far. I don’t think that a woman has the sole right to say what should happen to her body.” That was 1974. Fast forward fifty years, and Joe Biden cannot celebrate and promote abortion enough.

Puerto Rico Bishop Removed by Pope Francis: Bishops Must Reject Fiducia Supplicans or Risk God’s Wrath

By Raymond Wolfe, LifeSiteNews – A Puerto Rican bishop removed from his diocese by Pope Francis after opposing COVID “vaccine” mandates strongly denounced Fiducia Supplicans and warned that bishops who fail to speak out against it risk incurring God’s wrath… Bishop Daniel Fernández Torres, who led the Diocese of Arecibo from 2010 until his sudden dismissal two years ago without a canonical trial, said in a new statement that Fiducia Supplicans, a document approved by Pope Francis that endorses “blessings” for homosexual “couples,” violates Catholic teaching

Saint of the Day for March 13: St. Leander of Seville

Franciscan Media – The next time you recite the Nicene Creed at Mass, think of today’s saint. For it was Leander of Seville who, as bishop, introduced the practice in the sixth century. He saw it as a way to help reinforce the faith of his people and as an antidote against the heresy of Arianism, which denied the divinity of Christ. …

Donald Trump Celebrates Unanimous Supreme Court Ruling Keeping Him on Ballot: ‘BIG WIN FOR AMERICA!’, by Nick Gilbertson

By Nick Gilbertson, Breitbart – Former President Donald Trump celebrated the unanimous Supreme Court ruling keeping him on the presidential ballot in Colorado and other states that ruled him ineligible… Minutes after the court released its decision, the 45th president took to Truth Social to call the ruling a “BIG WIN FOR AMERICA!!!”… In a 9-0 decision, the court overturned the Colorado State Supreme Court’s ruling that sought to bar Trump from the ballot. The Colorado court had cited Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment, otherwise known as the “insurrection clause.”

“Cabrini” Secularizes a Saint, by Thomas V. Mirus

By Thomas V. Mirus, Catholic Culture – After I saw Cabrini, the new biopic of the great missionary saint who served the immigrant poor in New York, I perused some other Catholic reviews of the film, and something struck me as odd. The reviewers seemed to admit, tacitly or explicitly, what I observed in my own viewing: the film contains little about God, prayer, or the Catholic faith in general… To be honest, despite the film’s executive producer and director being Catholic, I wasn’t really expecting the Mormon company Angel Studios to distribute an unreservedly Catholic film ….

Finnish Study: Transgender Surgeries for Minors Do Not Solve Mental Health Issues, by Tyler Arnold

By Tyler Arnold, Catholic News Agency – While some lawmakers and transgender activists have claimed that puberty-blocking drugs and transgender surgical procedures are “life-saving medicine,” the study disputes that claim. The research did not find any statistically significant reduction in suicides among adolescents who received “medical gender reassignment” through hormonal or surgical interventions.

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: How Often Shall I Forgive?

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Matthew 18:21-35 – Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven. “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. …..

Acedia and Ennui: The Cousins of Mid-Life Manhood, by Robert Marco

By Robert Marco, Catholic Exchange – I still chuckle at it (uncomfortably) today. We live out our lives as Christians trying to synthesize the meaning of our life in Christ with the reality of suffering, the seeming futility of making meaningful change in the world, and the fact that we are going to die at some point. I’m not a fatalist nor a pessimist, but those moments of questioning what it is all for and what one’s life has amounted to will hit from time to time. I’d like to think I’m not the only one.

CatholicVote: Lawmakers in Three States Consider Requiring Schools to Show Students Fetal Development

By CatholicVote, CV News Feed – Three state legislative bodies recently passed bills that would require all middle and high school students to watch a three-minute video that shows fetal development from the moment of conception as part of their health education curriculum… The West Virginia State Senate, the Iowa State House, and the Kentucky House approved the video, known as the “Baby Olivia” video created by pro-life organization Live Action. ….

The Emergence of the Home Chapel, by John Horvat

By John Horvat, Imaginative Conservative – By building a chapel, the owner is inviting God into the home. By making it the most beautiful room in the house, the person recognizes God’s primary place in one’s life. The chapel builders represent one of those paradoxes where people feel the emptiness of the postmodern world that promises everything and wishes to fill it with the only thing that can satisfy the soul: God.

Eucharistic Revival Tackles a Fearsome Opponent, by Russell Shaw

By Russell Shaw, EWTN News – Responding years ago to the bad news in that New York Times/CBS poll, the distinguished theologian Germain Grisez and I co-authored an article pointing to “the pervasive secularization of Western culture” as a central cause of the drop-off in faith in the real presence. The Eucharistic Revival is tackling a fearsome opponent in seeking to turn things around. One can only hope — and pray — for its success.

Gov. Abbott Announces ‘BREAKING HUGE NEWS’ About Texas’ Immigration Law, by Craig Bannister

By Craig Bannister, MRC TV – “BREAKING HUGE NEWS,” Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced on social media Monday, cheering a federal appeals court ruling on his state’s immigration law that had been blocked by a lower court… “Federal appeals court allows Texas immigration law to take effect,” wrote: “Law enforcement officers in Texas are now authorized to arrest & jail any illegal immigrants crossing the border.” …..

France Becomes First Country in the World to Make Killing Babies in Abortions a Constitutional Right, by Steven Ertelt 

By Steven Ertelt, LifeNews – France made history by becoming the first country to embed a fictitious “right” to abortion in its constitution. Lawmakers from both chambers of parliament convened on Monday and easily passed this horrific amendment… The bill in this liberal nation garnered an overwhelming 780-72 vote in favor, prompting nearly the entire joint session to rise for a prolonged standing ovation. Leading pro-life campaigners were saddened to see politicians clapping for killing babies.

Translation of the Decree on the Heroic Virtues of Venerable Jérôme Lejeune, by J. J. Ziegler

By J. J. Ziegler, Catholic World Report – “One sentence, only one, will form the reckoning of our life: as long as you did it to one of these my least brethren, you did it to me” (Mt. 25:40)… These words of the Servant of God Jérôme Lejeune continually impelled him in his state of life as a layman, spouse, and father of a family, and also in his work as a physician and scholar. Responding generously to the Gospel’s vocation to charity, he ministered to the suffering and gave diligent praise to the Creator for the beauty of human life.

The Reign of the Methuselahs, by Eric Sammons

By Eric Sammons, Crisis Magazine – When it comes to our elderly rulers, however, we should be deeply suspicious of anyone older than 80 who is still grasping for power. A better example is Cincinnatus, the Roman military leader who was thrust into power at an old age due to circumstances, but willingly relinquished that power once the crisis was over… It’s hard to imagine a Biden or a Trump willingly leaving the political spotlight for any reason… And to those men and women over 80 who still want to rule others: look to Cincinnatus, give up your power. Spend your time instead preparing for the next life …

The Eucharist and Catholic Education, by Randall Smith

By Randall Smith, The Catholic Thing – Søren Kierkegaard once compared Socrates and Christ by noting that while Socrates claimed to be a “midwife” of truth, midwifing his students to give birth to the truth inside themselves – which is what we human teachers are supposed to be and do – Christ is “the Truth.” In His teaching, there is a dramatic unity between the teaching and the teacher. Christ is the heart of what is being taught. ……

Father Nicola Bux: ‘Non-Liturgical’ Blessings Do Not Exist

By Father Nicola Bux, EWTN News – On Feb. 27, Vatican News published an article headlined: ‘Fiducia Supplicans,’ Non-liturgical Blessings and Pope Benedict’s Distinction… The aim of the article was to assert that distinguishing between rituals inserted into liturgical books and pastoral or spontaneous prayers is the same criterion now being used to admit the possibility of blessing irregular couples… The article juxtaposes the recent Declaration with some passages from the Vatican instruction Ardens Felicitatis, promulgated by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger ….

Saint of the Day for March 5: St. John Joseph of the Cross

Franciscan Media – Self-denial is never an end in itself but is only a help toward greater charity—as the life of Saint John Joseph shows… John Joseph was very ascetic even as a young man. At 16, he joined the Franciscans in Naples; he was the first Italian to follow the reform movement of Saint Peter Alcantara. John Joseph’s reputation for holiness prompted his superiors to put him in charge of establishing a new friary even before he was ordained.

Msgr. Charles Pope: Cleansed and Protected by the Commandment. A Homily for the Third Sunday in Lent

By Msgr. Charles Pope – The first reading today contains the Ten Commandments and thereby communicates a brief but sweeping summary of the Christian and Biblical moral vision. Now, there is a tendency to reduce the Christian moral vision merely to a set of rules. And it is a sad fact that the Catholic Church is often identified by many more for her rules than anything else. ….

The Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: Jesus’ Power to Heal and Cleanse

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Luke 4:24-30 – And he said, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his own country. But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when there came a great famine over all the land; and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. …

Judie Brown, Now 80, Reflects On Faith and the Pro-Life Movement, by Jim Graves

By Jim Graves, Catholic World Report – Judie Brown is president and co-founder of American Life League (ALL), a pro-life education and advocacy organization which was founded in 1979. She has served three terms on the Pontifical Academy for Life in Rome, has authored 12 books, and has helped launch other pro-life organizations, including Human Life International, Priests for Life and the Pro-Life Action League. She regularly writes columns and has frequently appeared in the broadcast media advocating for life.

Is Your Money ‘Voting’ for Things You Don’t Believe In? Strive Lawyer Sounds Alarm, by Tyler O’Neil

By Tyler O’Neil, Managing Editor, The Daily Signal – Americans with investments in the “Big Three” financial companies—BlackRock, State Street, and Vanguard—may see their money “voting” for things they don’t believe in, warns the top lawyer at Strive Asset Management, the firm founded by former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy… Alexandra Gaiser, the general counsel at Strive, said.. “Many Americans don’t realize that they’re voting every quarter for things they don’t believe in, because the proxy voting system is a duopoly. It’s controlled by ISS and Glass Lewis.”

Texas Border: Biden Slurs Climate Skeptics, Trump Mourns Laken Riley’s Murder, by Craig Bannister

By Craig Bannister, CNSNews – Amidst Texas’ ongoing illegal immigration border crisis, Biden visited a part of the state secured by the very border wire the Biden Administration has ordered the Border Patrol to destroy… There, Biden invoked the specter of man-made climate change and hurled a slur (calling them Neanderthals) at its skeptics… Trump was with Abbott in Eagle Pass – in the heat of the action, where illegal immigrants are surging into the state.

Mother Cabrini’s Secret to Sainthood, by Michael J. Lichens

By Michael J. Lichens, Catholic Exchange – There’s a sort of paradox when discussing the secret to sanctity. Saints are so timeless and unique that we assume that there must be some hidden motivation that makes them radiate with love and holiness. However, when we learn about the saints’s lives and works, we quickly see that their path to sainthood is anything but hidden… God wants us all to be saints. He desires us to know Him and live with Him in loving friendship, taking that love to every person in our hurting world.

Beyond the Gridiron: Nick Saban’s Enduring Influence at the Alabama Catholic Center, by Jack Figge

By Jack Figge, EWTN News – When Fr. Tom Ackerman watched Univ. of Alabama football coach Nick Saban support 2009 Heisman winner Mark Ingram at the televised award ceremony in New York, he assumed that Coach Saban would not be at Sunday Mass the next morning. But much to his surprise, there was Coach Saban and his wife, Terry, sitting in their usual pew at St. Francis of Assisi parish… Saban has helped the school thrive in another area: Catholic evangelization. Saban, a devout Catholic and weekly Massgoer, and wife Terry have been a driving force behind the university’s Catholic ministry, Bama Catholic, and its affiliate parish, St. Francis of Assisi.

University of Florida Terminates All DEI Employees to Comply With Law Signed by DeSantis, by Stephen Kokx

By Stephen Kokx, LifeSiteNews – A memo released by the Univ. of Florida.. announced that it has terminated all of its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) employees, in accordance with state law… The move comes after the Florida Board of Education announced in January that taxpayer dollars would no longer be allowed to fund DEI-related positions… “Higher education must return to its essential foundations of academic integrity and the pursuit of knowledge instead of being corrupted by destructive ideologies,” state education commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. said at the time.

Gearing Up for ‘Biden’ Versus Trump: Not If, But When and How to Replace Biden, by Victor Davis Hanson

By Victor Davis Hanson, American Greatness – President Joe Biden is declining at a geometric, not an arithmetic, rate. His cognitive challenges are multifaceted… His gait is shaky. His daily use of stairs now risks the chance of a tenure-ending fall. Even when he sticks to the teleprompter, he so slurs his speech, mispronounces words, and glides his syntax that at times he becomes as incomprehensible at the podium as he is unsteady in his step.

WATCH! Was Catholic Charities Complicit in the Murder of Laken Riley? by Complicit Clergy

By Staff, Complicit Clergy – The story of the murder of Georgia college student Laken Riley by an illegal alien suspect named Jose Ibarra has dominated national news headlines this past week… Ibarra allegedly entered the US via El Paso, Texas in 2022 and was released from a detention center due to overcrowding… Now we learn that Ibarra was apparently a resident of Covenant House, a New York based charity. Ibarra listed Covenant House’s address as his official release address on his U.S. Customs and Border Patrol documents.

US Catholic Bishops Urge Senate to Reject Radical Democrat Bill on IVF, Cloning, by Louis Knuffke

By Louis Knuffke, LifeSiteNews -The U.S. bishops’ conference has issued a letter to the United States Senate calling on senators to oppose and reject the so-called “Access to Family Building Act” (AFBA). The bill would create a “right” under federal law to in vitro fertilization (IVF), which the bishops condemned as being “built on millions of children who are created to be destroyed or abandoned,” as well as other anti-life practices, such as surrogacy and gene-editing.

Mother Cabrini’s Empire of Hope: The Movie, by Sheryl Collmer

By Sheryl Collmer, Crisis Magazine – We hardly know how to measure strong women anymore; modern feminism has so bent the rules. Feminism, once a virtuous philosophy worthy of St. Edith Stein and St. John Paul II, has become a cesspool that Catholics, women and men, instinctively avoid. So, is the tale of a particularly strong woman, Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini, who set in motion more genuine help for those in need than anyone in this country’s history, a “feminist” tale?

“Eat Less Beef!” Out-of-Touch Pope Faces Mass Apostasy in Europe, by Michael J. Matt

By Michael J. Matt, Editor. Remnant TV – Springtime of Vatican II update: As the Catholic Church in Spain collapses, one Spanish priest is reduced to serving forty-three parishes all by himself. And as the German Bishops prepare for mass blessings of same-sex couples, some German priests are blessing bicycles and calling for radically woke reform. While European farmers physically block Agenda 2030 with tractors and manure, Pope Francis warns against eating too much beef.

WATCH: I’m Embarrassed the Church is Complicit in Human and Sexual Trafficking

By Rachel Campos-Duffy, Twitter – In a recent tweet, Rachel Campos-Duffy stated: I am so embarrassed that the Church is complicit in human & sexual trafficking at the border their NGO, Catholic Charities. Time for the Catholic Church to end it’s addiction to government money!… Rachel’s tweet was referring to her recent visit to the U.S. southern border and her undercover video exposing Bishop Weisenburger’s operation housing illegal aliens in Tuscon.

America’s Flight From Marriage Laid Bare by New Study, by Charles Collins

By Charles Collins, Catholic Herald – A new study claims one-in-three young adults in the United States will never marry… Writing for the Institute for Family Studies (IFS), Lyman Stone said these are close to the lowest levels ever observed for marriage rates… “Many commentators will blame these declines on the increased delay in marriage. While there’s some truth to this, the situation is extreme at higher ages, too,” he wrote…

Saint of the Day for March 4: St. Casimir

By Franciscan Media – Casimir, born of kings and in line to be a king himself, was filled with exceptional values and learning by a great teacher, John Dlugosz. Even his critics could not say that his conscientious objection indicated softness. As a teenager, Casimir lived a highly disciplined, even severe life, sleeping on the ground, spending a great part of the night in prayer and dedicating himself to lifelong celibacy.

New Book Challenges Men to Virtue, Strength, and Staying in the Saddle, by Julian Kwasniewski

By Julian Kwasniewski, Catholic World Report – Wherever you live, Bear Woznick’s new book 12 Rules for Manliness: Where Have All the Cowboys Gone brings some of their wisdom right to you. “The world needs more real men. The world needs more cowboys.”… Woznick’s sentiment is echoed by Catholic men’s guides of various stripes, but few authors have the credentials he has: real time in the saddle, in the waves, on the road… “Men,” Woznick says, “we need to fan into flame the hidden embers in the ashes of traditional virtues to put a fire in our belly that will make us strong and maybe even a little dangerous.”… This book takes an explicitly Catholic and Christian approach to virtue building, acknowledging that building real virtue is impossible without divine assistance.

What is the Catholic Church’s Position on IVF? by Peter Pinedo

By Peter Pinedo, Catholic News Agency – Since the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that embryos created through in vitro fertilization (IVF) are human children, debate over fertility treatment has erupted anew… Here’s everything you need to know… What is IVF?… IVF is a medical procedure that fuses sperm and egg in a lab environment to conceive a child outside of the sexual act. The live embryo is then later implanted into a uterus to continue developing until birth… According to the Mayo Clinic, IVF is typically used as a “treatment for infertility” that “also can be used to prevent passing on genetic problems to a child.”

Pope Francis: Sloganeering Politician, by Henry Sire

By Henry Sire, One Peter Five – Speaking for myself, one of the many doctrines of Pope Francis with which I fully agree is that “the reality is greater than the idea”. In this case, the reality is that Pope Francis is a politician; and, as with all politicians, his pronouncements are slogans in his essential aim of courting power and popularity. Fr Lanzetta, however, has chosen a more painstaking approach, that of analysing the Pope’s words in detail and thereby pointing out the shallowness and incoherence they represent. From both methods the greater reality emerges.

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: Father, I Have Sinned against Heaven and You

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Luke 15:1-3,11-32 – Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable: And he said, “There was a man who had two sons; and the younger of them said to his father, `Father, give me the share of property that falls to me.’ And he divided his living between them. ….

Christians, You Have Been Warned. The States are Coming for Your Children, by Chuck Mason

By Chuck Mason, The Stream – A Catholic couple’s fight with Indiana Child Services to raise their “transgender” son according to their faith provides a shot across the bow to all Christian parents — if a child’s gender preference is not accepted, Child Protective Services (CPS) will take the child away… Fox News reported Indiana CPS removed a child from his Catholic parents because they wouldn’t use his chosen name or pronouns that reflected his chosen gender orientation. CPS relocated the male child, who identifies as female, to a “gender-affirming” foster home after the child reported his parents to the authorities. …

Strange News That Makes You Think Strange Things… by Dr. Jeff Mirus

By Dr. Jeff Mirus, Catholic Culture – Sometimes the news can appear to be just plain strange… Just for fun, I’ve decided to compile ten examples of the strangeness of some very recent Catholic news: … India’s bishops urge voters to keep country secular: This hardly sounds like a recipe for Christian perfection. But then Catholics constitute just 1.5 percent of India’s population, with Christians overall accounting for 2.3 percent. By contrast, India is 80% Hindu—a religion which is grotesquely, violently, and even demonically pagan. In other words, politics remains the art of the possible.

Msgr. Charles Pope: What’s at Stake? Not Much, It Would Seem, in Many Parishes.

By Msgr. Charles Pope – In a recent book, “Why They Follow”, Matthew Warner has some important reflections to help understand the emptying pews… He begins with the modern sense that most people are basically in good shape and will most likely attain heaven: It’s very difficult to break through and communicate with somebody who just doesn’t seem to care. The modern attitude seems to be that everything in [most] humans is basically in order and that all is well. If that’s true, Jesus becomes merely a great spiritual teacher ….

OUTRAGE: San Antonio Archbishop Cancels Catholic Family Business, by John-Henry Westen

By John-Henry Westen, LifeSiteNews – The letter from Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller of San Antonio formally prohibits all clergy, schools, retreat centers, and Catholic groups ‘from contracting with or utilizing Sanctus Ranch for any Catholic-sponsored retreats, meetings, activities, or spiritual endeavors.’… Even where contracts were already signed, the bishop directed them to discuss it with his legal team rather than fulfill their contractual obligations. Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller instructed Catholics against Sanctus Ranch, telling them not “to participate in any of its activities.”

Catholic Ethicists Decry Lax ‘Brain-Death’ Standards [Exclusive]

By Catholic World News – Current medical criteria for diagnosing “brain death” are woefully inadequate, and more than half of organ donors who have been declared “brain dead” are still alive. These are the conclusions of a group of 151 Catholic doctors, ethicists, theologians, and others, in a statement released on February 27.
The statement, entitled Catholics United on Brain Death and Organ Donation: A Call to Action calls for an immediate moratorium on the transplantation of vital organs.

Fr. Gerald E. Murray: Cardinal McElroy Denounces the ‘Haters’

By Fr. Gerald E. Murray, The Catholic Thing – “It is essential to safeguard the deposit of faith,” Cardinal Robert McElroy affirmed in his recent address to the Los Angeles Archdiocesan Religious Education Congress. Yet he next posed this question: But how do the doctrinal tradition and history of the church restrict the church’s ability to refine its teaching when confronted with a world where life itself is evolving in critical ways, and it is becoming clear that on some issues the understanding of human nature and moral reality upon which previous declarations of doctrine were made were in fact limited or defective?

Walgreens and CVS Will Start Selling Abortion Pills That Kill Babies, by Steven Ertelt 

Steven Ertelt, LifeNews – The two largest pharmacies in America will start selling abortion pills this month that end the lives of unborn children by starting them to death… Walgreens and CVS will both sell the abortion pills despite the fact that they kill a developing human being and have killed at least dozens of women and injured tens of thousands more. They plan to initially roll out abortion drug sales in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, California and Illinois — all Democrat states where abortions are legal up to birth.

Saint of the Day for March 2: St. Agnes of Bohemia (1205 – March 6, 1282)

By Franciscan Media- Agnes had no children of her own but was certainly life-giving for all who knew her… Agnes was the daughter of Queen Constance and King Ottokar I of Bohemia. She was betrothed to the Duke of Silesia, who died three years later. As she grew up, she decided she wanted to enter the religious life.

Cardinal Raymond Burke: Confronting the World: A Nine-Month Novena

By Cardinal Raymond Burke, Catholic Exchange – To this end, I am calling on all Catholics, especially those in the Americas, to join me in praying a nine-month novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe, beginning on March 12 of this year, and ending with a consecration to Our Lady of Guadalupe on her feast on December 12… Our Lady of Guadalupe bids us to come to her, so that she may lead us to her Divine Son, the only source of our salvation. The situation in the world today is grave, even as it was at the time of her apparitions in 1531, but we must never give up hope, we must never turn away from the maternal gaze of the Mother of God Who draws us to her Divine Son alive for us in the Church, above all, in the Sacraments of Penance and the Holy Eucharist.

Msgr. Charles Pope: A Study of Fear in the Story of Chicken Little

By Msgr. Charles Pope – Fear is a complex passion. On the one hand, there are things that we ought to fear such as grave physical and spiritual dangers. The fear of being near the edge of a cliff might well save our life. The fear of serious sin and the punishment we might experience or the offense to God (who loves us) is both appropriate and holy. Sadly, more people lack this holy fear rooted in the possible loss of what is most precious to us: our eternal life with God… There are also things we fear that we should not, and things that we fear more than we should. These sorts of fears are usually rooted in our disordered and inordinate affections.

El Salvadoran Pres. Bukele Warns America That It’s Like a Frog in Boiling Water, But There’s Still Time to Jump, by Evan Poellinger

By Evan Poellinger, MRC TV – El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele offered his prediction of the potential future facing the United States, while reassuring Americans that they still have an opportunity to reverse course, in a speech in Washington, DC… President Bukele spoke on the evening of February 22 at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), telling his audience that “they say globalism comes to die at CPAC. I’m here to tell you that, in El Salvador, it’s already dead. But, if you want globalism to die here too, you must be willing to unapologetically fight against everything and everyone that stands for it.”

Trump & Biden: A Tale of Two Visits, by Douglas Andrews

By Douglas Andrews, Patriot Post – While Donald Trump visited an illegal immigration hot spot, Joe Biden steered clear of the chaos and talked about … climate change… Newcomers. Newcomers… That’s the new poll-tested term that Joe Biden is trotting out to describe those who’ve crossed our southern border illegally. We prefer a more descriptive term: illegal immigrants.

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: The Stone Which the Builders Rejected

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Matthew 21:33-46 – “Hear another parable. There was a householder who planted a vineyard, and set a hedge around it, and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and let it out to tenants, and went into another country. When the season of fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants, to get his fruit; and the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. …

Is Catholic Feminism Working? by Carrie Gress

By Carrie Gress, The Catholic Thing – The idea that Catholics must embrace feminism to engage non-Catholic women has been repeated so frequently that it’s simply accepted as a truism. But is it actually working? … Before answering that question, let’s take a close look at the work of St. John Paul II. He is generally invoked as the reason why we must have a Catholic feminism. As pope, John Paul was clearly interested in upholding the dignity of every woman. His 1988 Apostolic Letter, Mulieris Dignitatem ….

Bishop Mutsaerts: “In 2000 Years, We Have Never Seen So Many People Oppose A Roman Declaration”

By Javier Arias, Info Vaticana – I can bless thieves, but not their activities. I can bless homosexuals, but not their union. I do not rule out that Pope Francis takes new steps in the direction he has taken. But we also know that where there is no continuity there is a break with tradition. We haven’t seen that before in 2,000 years. That there is a break with Tradition may be evident by the resistance. In 2000 years, we have never seen so many people – not even an entire continent – oppose a Roman Declaration.

Why Are CALIFORNIA Bishops Blasting Ken Paxton for Trying to Curb Illegal Immigration in TEXAS? by McKenna Snow

By McKenna Snow, Catholic Vote – Might these bishops be concerned about the millions of dollars they receive in taxpayer funds to aid illegal aliens?… The Catholic bishops of California this week released a statement expressing their support of the Texas bishops and the Annunciation House… TX Attorney General Ken Paxton announced on February 20 that he filed a lawsuit… after his office “reviewed significant public record information strongly suggesting” that the House was “facilitating illegal entry to the United States, alien harboring, human smuggling, and operating a stash house.”

Contraception Regret at Red Lobster, by Kennedy Hall

By Kennedy Hall, Crisis Magazine – No amount of money or personal development in education or the business world is worth the pain that comes with the regret of closing yourself to new life… Last weekend we decided to take a trip across the border to Port Huron, Michigan, to do a bit of shopping. Like the majority of Canadians who make the same international trip in search of lower prices and cheap gas, we shopped at Hobby Lobby, Target, and T.J. Maxx. I may have stopped into Wild Bill’s Tobacco Shop to stock up…Who am I kidding?

Renewing the Moral Life While Renouncing the Tyranny of the Banal, by Carl E. Olson

By Carl E. Olson, Catholic World Report – And this brings us back to where we started, with St. John XXIII’s inaugural address. The council rightly saw that we need to take the logic of the Mass and proclaim it with new analogies, images, and fervor, in order to wrest back our imaginations from the increasingly secular world. But we haven’t succeeded. In part because the epistemological categories of the modern West are so powerful, and its lure so seductive, that we’re like the protagonist in La Dolce Vita, half remembering what we once knew through a haze. …

How To Sidewalk Counsel Abortion-Minded Moms Without Going To Prison, by Lauren Muzyka

By Lauren Muzyka, The Federalist – As president and CEO of the nation’s largest sidewalk outreach organization serving outside of abortion facilities, I’m deeply concerned when I hear of someone being arrested for their presence at a facility. Recently, six pro-life activists in Tennessee were convicted for supposedly singing hymns outside an abortion facility. After throwing on my attorney hat and digging into the case, it became clear there was more to the story than many are letting on

Teaching America to Fear Christians, by Phil Lawler

By Phil Lawler, Catholic Culture – In a remarkably piece of alarmist propaganda, responding to the Alabama court decision that ruled a frozen embryo has legal rights, the New York Times columnist lamented that the US today “is awash in religiosity when it comes to human reproduction.” I confess that I hadn’t noticed. The public debate—at least as conducted in outlets like the New York Times tends to begin and end with the invocation of the word “choice.”

Has Google Created an AI Frankenstein? by Michael Brown

By Michael Brown, The Stream – Last week, I posted an article titled “The Programming of AI and the Indoctrination of Our Children,” highlighting the ridiculously obvious, radical leftist biases in both the Google search engine and Google’s new AI bot named Gemini. Since then, we have learned just how extremist Google’s Gemini really is, not to mention how long Google apparently says it will take to fix things. This leads to the question: has Google created an AI Frankenstein?

Fr. Roger Landry: How the Alabama In Vitro Fertilization Case Exposes the Wild West of Assisted Reproductive Technologies

By Father Roger Landry, EWTN News – The Feb. 16 ruling by the Supreme Court of Alabama, which by an 8-1 margin determined that cryogenically frozen human embryos are considered unborn children under Alabama law, has brought a long-awaited spotlight on the practices, lack of regulation and dearth of ethics in the in vitro fertilization (IVF) and assisted reproductive technology (ART) industries… The decision on the consolidated appeal by three families — the official title of which is an unwieldy 98 words — against the Center for Reproductive Medicine and Mobile Infirmary Medical Center allows their lawsuit to go forward.

Saint of the Day for March 1: St. David of Wales (d. March 1, 589)

By Franciscan Media- David is the patron saint of Wales and perhaps the most famous of British saints. Ironically, we have little reliable information about him.
It is known that he became a priest, engaged in missionary work, and founded many monasteries, including his principal abbey in southwestern Wales. ..

For Your Discernment! WATCH! Revelations From Heaven: The Divine Reconquest Over Church’s Infiltration Begins Now, by John-Henry Westen

By John-Henry Westen, LifeSiteNews – I was blessed by a providential encounter with Fr. John Mary Foster of the Mission of Divine Mercy in Texas who had discerned he was to reach out to me regarding the messages from heaven his religious community has received about our times. Most importantly the messages from Our Lord and Our Lady reveal that the heavenly reconquest of the Church which has been infiltrated begins NOW. And they also say that the Church today is without a shepherd. ….

The Truth About Alabama’s Ruling on IVF, by Ryan T. Anderson

By Ryan T. Anderson, First Thing – During the George W. Bush administration, Americans were repeatedly warned about Christian fascists or theocrats threatening to take over America. Now we’re told Christian Nationalists will be running the second Trump administration and imperiling all we hold dear as Americans… Ruth Marcus opened a recent Washington Post column with a “welcome to the theocracy.” She was referring to an opinion by Alabama Chief Justice Tom Parker on a state constitutional amendment regarding “the sanctity of unborn life” as applied to IVF embryos. Justice Parker had cited various sources in the Jewish and Christian traditions to explain the roots of “sanctity.”

Bishop Strickland Pens Open Letter to Pope Francis Pleading for Him to ‘Return to Christ’

By Bishop Joseph E. Strickland, Emeritus of the Diocese of Tyler, LifeSiteNews – I am compelled to speak to all of my brother bishops around the world, including Pope Francis, Bishop of Rome. In many ways, I am the least among you, but I share with you the anointing as a successor of the apostles and the call to guard the Deposit of Faith, and I speak to you in this spirit… I beseech you, let us return to Christ and His Way, and let us be bold like our predecessors from the first, second, and third centuries, many of whom followed the Lord to death, bearing heavy crosses in His name. Let us stand with our brothers, who in the 20th century, were strong enough to speak against despotic rulers even though they were a minority voice in their time. Let us, in the 21st century, be vigorous in knowing and proclaiming Jesus Christ as the Light of the World and the Lord of Truth. ….

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: Lazarus Was Carried to Abraham’s Bosom

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Luke 16:19-31 – “There was a rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, full of sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table; moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried; …..

Fr. Shenan J. Boquet: Alabama’s Court Decision Sparks Debate Over Ethics of IVF

By Fr. Shenan J. Boquet, Human Life International – In the majority ruling, Alabama Supreme Court Justice Jay Mitchell ruled that the Wrongful Death of a Minor Act “applies to all unborn children, regardless of their location.” He added: It applies to all children, born and unborn, without limitation. It is not the role of this Court to craft a new limitation based on our own view of what is or is not wise public policy. That is especially true where, as here, the People of this State have adopted a Constitutional amendment directly aimed at stopping courts from excluding ‘unborn life’ from legal protection.

With Him in the Desert, by Michael Pakaluk

By Michael Pakaluk, The Catholic Thing – I’ve been in the desert with Him these days of Lent, at the suggestion of a priest.  In the way that immigrants have pined for their homeland of Ireland, or Italy; or pilgrims can keep in their hearts those special days in Rome or Jerusalem: Can we, for this season, live not so much among the distractions of the world, but rather be recollected, with Him, in a desert place?  This same priest said that we should also look for the Devil there, who most assuredly will assail us.

Demos II: A Profile of the Next Pope, Writes Cardinal

By Demos II, ECCLESIA, Daily Compass – Pope Francis’ pontificate … Its shortcomings are equally obvious: an autocratic, at times seemingly vindictive, style of governance; a carelessness in matters of law; an intolerance for even respectful disagreement; and – most seriously – a pattern of ambiguity in matters of faith and morals causing confusion among the faithful. Confusion breeds division and conflict. It undermines confidence in the Word of God. It weakens evangelical witness. And the result today is a Church more fractured than at any time in her recent history. …

Bishop  Joseph Strickland – A Letter to Bishops

By Joseph Strickland, Emeritus of the Diocese of Tyler – … I beseech you, let us return to Christ and His Way, and let us be bold like our predecessors from the first, second, and third centuries, many of whom followed the Lord to death, bearing heavy crosses in His name. Let us stand with our brothers, who in the 20th century, were strong enough to speak against despotic rulers even though they were a minority voice in their time. Let us, in the 21st century, be vigorous in knowing and proclaiming Jesus Christ as the Light of the World and the Lord of Truth… We must recognize that we stand at a precipice of devastation, the likes of which the world has never seen. Let us open our eyes to the evil forces that bring division and darkness, even as they claim to offer a new way for humanity.

St. Joseph’s Silence Reminds Us of the Importance of Our Actions, by Susan Ciancio

By Susan Ciancio, Catholic World Report – The Gospel of Matthew tells us that Joseph was a “righteous” man. He was courageous, obedient to God, faithful, loving, and generous. We see how he lived out those virtues in how he led, protected, and served his family. He is a beautiful example of how we should live our lives—both within our homes and within our communities.

Good Riddance To Mitch McConnell: A List Of GOP Senate Chief’s Worst Blunders In Leadership, by Tristan Justice

By Tristan Justice, The Federalist – Rep. Sen. Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky announced Tuesday he would step down from leadership… Federalist CEO Sean Davis reported that Senate insiders see McConnell’s decision as both a concession and a power grab… “Even a growing number of moderates were angry at the chaos he was sowing in the conference”…McConnell, another aide said, is just trying to get ahead of “a possible defenestration.”

Woke Catholicism and the New Reign of Terror, by Michael J. Matt, Editor

By Michael J. Matt, Editor, The Remnant – It was a prostitute on the altar the first time around; today it’s a funeral for a male prostitute, laid out just feet from the Tabernacle and hailed as the “Mother of All Whores”… Congratulations, folks! In terms of sheer diabolical awfulness, you have lived long enough to see the most egregious abominations in history surpassed. On the left (see image above), we have La fête de la Raison (“The Feast of Reason”), an actual event which took place during the French Revolution in the Cathedral of Notre-Dame, November 10, 1793. Note how the woman of ill repute stomps on a Crucifix while seated on an altar in what looks to be a Catholic Church. 

Busted! Democrats Violated Constitution in Order to Spend $1.7 Trillion, Federal Court Rules, by Craig Bannister

By Craig Bannister, CNSNews – House Democrats used an unconstitutional ploy to pass a $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill signed by Pres. Joe Biden in December of 2022, a federal court ruled on Tuesday… Ruling on a lawsuit filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, federal Judge James Hendrix agreed that House Democrats, led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), did not have a constitutional quorum present needed to pass the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 on Dec. 23, 2022.

Greek Bishops Excommunicate Legislators Who Voted for Gay Marriage

By Kythira,  Orthodox Christianity – Members of Greek Parliament who voted to legalize gay marriage and the adoption of children by gay couples earlier this month have been excommunicated in at least two dioceses of the Greek Orthodox Church… OrthoChristian reported yesterday that they are forbidden to commune within the Metropolis of Piraeus, by decision of the diocesan clerical assembly.

A Mass Worth Sacrificing For, by Amanda Farnum

By Amanda Farnum, Crisis Magazine – Our family endured many hardships to attend the traditional Latin Mass. Now it’s being taken away from us… On February 11, 2024, we got the news (from Bishop Joe Vasquez) everyone in the community was holding their breath to hear. In accordance with the motu proprio Traditionis Custodes, and by the instruction of our Holy Father, Pope Francis, the Traditional Latin Mass will no longer be celebrated at St. Mary’s Cathedral as of March 19th.

Dialogue with the Devil: Freemasons & the Vatican, by T. S. Flanders

By T. S. Flanders, OnePeterFive – Now Cardinal Coccopalmerio has presented again publicly to the Freemasons, saying there has been “an evolution in mutual understanding” between the devil’s minions [Freemasonry] and the Catholic Church… “Evolution?” (When you say the word it’s like magic, and it turns black into white and Coke into Pepsi. Try it!) Remember when Fernández said the magic word “development” in order to contradict the ban on blessing sodomy? More on that in a minute.

Saint of the Day for February 29: Saint Oswald (925 – February 29, 992)

By Franciscan Media – Saint Oswald’s Story – The last acts in the life of today’s saint make for an amazing story. In truth, they merely underscore the holiness he exhibited throughout his life…
Born into a military family in 10th-century England, Oswald was a nephew of the archbishop of Canterbury, who raised him and played a crucial role in his early education. Oswald continued his studies abroad in France, where he became a Benedictine monk.

Amazon’s ‘Expats’ Features Pro-Life Scene as Young Mother Sees Her Baby for First Time During Sonogram, by Dawn Slusher

By Dawn Slusher, MRC TV – Something magical appears to have been gifted to us out of the writers’ strike that gripped Hollywood for five months and delayed fall and winter show premieres – we are seeing much less liberal propaganda as these delayed shows finally roll out. Perhaps the writers have been too busy playing catch up to be working in cahoots with leftist groups such as Planned Parenthood, among others, and inserting liberal lectures as they normally do.In the case of Amazon Prime’s hit drama “Expats,”there was actually a very pro-life moment in the season finale ….

Fr. Mike Schmitz: Catholic Teaching on IVF and Contraception Explained

By Father Mike Schmitz, Ascension Presents – For many people, the Catholic Church’s teaching on in vitro fertilization and contraception is a hard one, but it is in concordance with the nature of things. The nature of a thing, as Fr. MIke puts it, is its “what-it’s-for-ness”. Sex is for procreation and the unity of the couple. Equally important is the fact that sex, not in vitro fertilization, is the natural way to bring forth a new life. Contraception and in vitro fertilization violate the nature of not only sex, but also the nature of the person and life itself. …

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation, by Can You Drink Christ’s Cup?

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Matthew 20:17-28 – And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and deliver him to the Gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.” Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him …..

Bishop Strickland: ‘The Church is Called to be a Divine Organization,’ Not a Democracy, by Evan Poellinger

By Evan Poellinger, CNSNews – Catholic Bishop Joseph Strickland has offered his insights into the challenges facing the American Catholic Church and stated that he believed that the problems facing the Church are paralleled by America’s political woes… His Excellency opined that the biggest problem facing the Church was “a lack of clear embracing of the truth that God has revealed to us.”… (he) said that the truths of faith are not simply matters of the world, but are divinely revealed and not subject to changing political whims… “We are a religion based on a revealed truth,” Strickland explained:

The Irreplaceable Role of Fathers, by Philip Martin

By Philip Martin, Crisis Magazine – Nearly 2,000 years later, the reality of God’s Fatherhood is more necessary, perhaps, than it has ever been. Every person has father wounds, no matter how great your father was. If he was imperfect, he left wounds by his words and actions (or lack thereof); if he was, for all intents and purposes, perfect, he set a nearly impossible standard that you probably never felt you could live up to… But if he was there, if he tried, count your blessings; if he worked hard with you in mind, offer up a prayer of thanksgiving.

Speaker Mike Johnson, Trump Champion IVF Along With Other Republicans, by Alex Miller 

By Alex Miller, The Washington Times – House Speaker Mike Johnson on Friday teamed up with former President Donald Trump and dozens of other congressional Republicans in supporting in vitro fertilization following the Alabama Supreme Court’s ruling that spurred a halt in fertility treatments… The aftermath of the bombshell last week left conservatives scrambling to get the message out that while they don’t support abortion, they do support IVF. The National Republican Senatorial Committee urged its candidates to defend IVF amid Democrats’ aim to use it and abortion as huge issues this election year.

Vatican Prelate’s Mixed Messages on Freemasonry are Typical Francis-Era ‘Doublespeak’, by Michael Haynes

By Michael Haynes, LifeSiteNews – Riccardo Cascioli, editor-in-chief of La Nuova Bussola Quotidiana, told LifeSiteNews that ‘this is a case of the consolidated style typical of this pontificate: while doctrine is affirmed, actions deny it.’… A prominent Vatican theologian has been accused of backtracking and practicing “doublespeak” after his recent interventions opening the door to Catholic-Freemason dialogue by accentuating the ideas of “love and mercy.”

What Happened to the Christianity of the Apostles? by Dr. Jeff Mirus 

By Dr. Jeff Mirus, Catholic Culture – Nowhere in Scripture, in fact, will you find a spirit of “dialogue” except with those who had a serious interest in the truth. You will not find study groups set up to probe error for its vestiges of truth; nor will you find joint statements to emphasize where opposing groups agree so that they can disagree in peace. It is as if the Church in the West, as soon as it was clear that she was no longer part of the dominant culture in the West, has decided no longer to preach the truth or denounce error but henceforth to bravely acknowledge that she approves of some contemporary secular insights…while remaining silent about everything else.

Catholic Bishops Complicit in Child Trafficking? by Kim Jarrett

By Kim Jarrett, Just The News – Catholic Bishops bank billions facilitating the illegal invasion of America – so what if a few kids get trafficked as a part of their Cash Bonanza?… Twenty-two state attorneys general said Monday more than 85,000 migrant children could be lost based on a report from the Department of Health and Human Services… The report issued this month shows many of the children could be in the labor market or sex trafficked, they said in a letter… “By law, the DHHS is responsible for keeping these children safe when they arrive”

WATCH: Bishop Joseph Strickland Says Catholics Were Targeted by FBI Because They Are Pro-Life, by Katherine Hamilton

By Katherine Hamilton, Breitbart – The FBI’s targeting of Catholics sounds “much more like Nazi Germany or communist Russia than the United States,” Bishop Joseph Strickland said… Breitbart News’s Matthew Perdie interviewed Strickland on Thursday at CPAC 2024 in National Harbor, Maryland, about the FBI’s investigation into traditional Catholic churches… a leaked memo last year from the FBI’s Richmond office stated that violent extremists’ “interest” in “radical-traditionalist Catholic” ideology was growing ….

Bishop Rhoades Condemns Paxton’s Attempt To Curb Catholic Organizations Enabling Illegal Immigration, by McKenna Snow

By McKenna Snow, Catholic Vote – Bishop Kevin Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana this week issued a statement arguing that faith-driven ministries should be free to “meet the basic human needs of migrants.”… Rhoades’ statement comes shortly after Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso criticized Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s attempt to shut down a Catholic-run nonprofit migrant shelter. Rhoades is the chairman of the United States Council of Catholic Bishops’ Committee for Religious Liberty.

Pro-Lifers to Strategize at Major Retreat in Florida With Fr. Orsi Next Month, by Calvin Freiburger

By Calvin Freiburger, LifeSiteNews – “The Law of Life Summit is a vital opportunity to open people’s eyes to the reality of post-Roe America,” said Nate Robertson, vice president of Sidewalk Advocates for Life. “With a weaponized DOJ, misleading ballot measures in state elections all across the country, and governors of abortion-destination states advertising across state lines, we need people to understand that the movement to save lives and end abortion did not end with the Dobbs decision. We need to work together more than ever before. We need to reach out to women more than ever before.

Is There Still a “Catholic Vote?”, by George J. Marlin

By George J. Marlin, Crisis Magazine – Are there Catholic voting blocs today? Yes and no… Let me explain… For most of the 20th century, there were monolithic blocs of urban Catholic voters who determined the outcomes of many Federal, State and local elections. These Catholics, whom Cardinal Timothy Dolan fondly calls “meat and potato” faithful, went to Mass on Sunday, obeyed the teachings of the Church, sent their children to Catholic schools, and joined Catholic fraternal societies. The parish was often the center of their lives.

Saint of the Day for February 28: Blessed Daniel Brottier (Sept. 7, 1876 – Feb. 28, 1936)

By Franciscan Media – Born in France in 1876, Daniel was ordained in 1899 and began a teaching career. That didn’t satisfy him long. He wanted to use his zeal for the gospel far beyond the classroom. He joined the missionary Congregation of the Holy Spirit, which sent him to Senegal, West Africa. …

Bishop Strickland Changes the Game, by Sheryl Collmer

By Sheryl Collmer, Crisis Magazine – A student of (Bishop Strickland’s) from way back, I recognized his preaching style, the way he tips forward like a drinky bird when he is making an especially essential point, his whole body saying: “listen.” Around three minutes into the event, he unfolded his notes; around five minutes, he began speaking from them. There was apparently nothing Hudson could do to stop him, even if he had wanted to. The bishop had something to say, and once he began to speak from his notes, he rolled like a freight train. Around the 13-minute mark, the bishop got to the IVF issue. At home, we all shouted, “He’s going there!” ….

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: Whoever Humbles Oneself Will Be Exalted

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Matthew 23:1-12 – Then said Jesus to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat; so practice and observe whatever they tell you, but not what they do; for they preach, but do not practice. They bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with their finger. ….

Sacrilege at St. Patrick’s Cathedral: Is Ignorance a Valid Excuse? by Matt Gaspers

By Matt Gaspers, Managing Editor, Catholic Family News – By now, I’m sure that most readers have seen or heard about what transpired on February 15 at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City… For those who haven’t, in short, a notorious transgender “woman” (male), activist, and former prostitute who went by the name “Cecilia Gentili” was given a public Catholic funeral service — professionally live-streamed via a channel called “Trans Equity,” no less! — despite the fact that he identified “as an atheist” in an interview published last November.

Cardinal Burke Announces Novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe for ‘Crises of Our Age’

By Michael Haynes, LifeSiteNews – The novena aims to invoke Our Lady’s protection over the Church and the world ‘against the pressing crises of our age,’ culminating in a consecration on December 12, the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe… Raymond Cardinal Burke has announced the start of a global, nine-month novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe, calling on Catholics to beseech Mary’s intercession on the Church and the world in the face of the “crises of our age.”

Suppression of Free Speech Case! Mamet’s Map and Netchoice V. Paxton, by Philip Hamburger

By Philip Hamburger, First Things – Now, however, government just asks social media platforms to suppress speech, and because they are chokepoints for much public communication, they offer the government the opportunity for highly effective wholesale suppression. The government can thereby suppress speech without going to court—so the suppressed individuals must go to court to escape the censorship, thus leaving them the burdens of proof and persuasion. Never before has suppression been so easy or resisting it so difficult.

Catholic World Report: Dying Well in Today’s World: Medical and Spiritual Perspectives

By Catholic World Report, CWR Staff – “Death is not the end. There is no death in God,” says Deacon Stephen Doran, author of To Die Well: A Catholic Neurosurgeon’s Guide to the End of Life. “While our bodily death is the necessary gateway to heaven, this fulfills our greatest desire: union with God.”… The book splits itself between medicine and religion. Part I deals with medical issues around the end-of-life, from artificially provided nutrition and hydration to extraordinary means, euthanasia, brain death issues, issues that surrounded COVID, and advance directives. Part II deals with the spiritual side of death ….

Vatican Permits First Blessing at ‘Homosexual Wedding’, by Jules Gomes

By Jules Gomes, Church Militant – A celebrity homosexual couple who intends to conceive a child through surrogacy has made history after the Vatican permitted the blessing of the duo at a “religious wedding” held two days after their civil wedding. Father Francisco Gordalina blessed Uruguayan television personality 82-year-old Carlos Perciavalle and his 47-year-old partner Jimmy Castilhos at a party for 400 guests. The couple publicly advertised it as “the first [Catholic] religious wedding in the world” of its kind.

Endgame for a Papacy of Contradictions, by Phil Lawler 

By Phil Lawler, Catholic Culture – Two important pieces appeared online over the past weekend. Each one summarized a major difficulty facing Pope Francis. Taken together these two short essays convey the impression that the contradictions of this pontificate may be reaching a critical mass; the Pope’s credibility is tottering… Dead Synodality, by Father Raymond de Souza, appearing on The Catholic Thing, is a sweeping tour of the horizon, touching on the Religious Education Congress in Los Angeles, the sacrilegious ceremony in St. Patrick’s cathedral, and fitting these episodes into the broader discussion of “synodality.”

Joy Reid Says Pro-Life People Want More Kids So They Can “Have More Slaves”, by Harold Hutchison 

By Harold Hutchison, LifeNews – MSNBC host Joy Reid attacked Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama on social media Monday after the former Auburn coach defended a ruling on in-vitro fertilization (IVF)… Tuberville praised the Alabama Supreme Court’s Feb. 16 ruling while attending the Conservative Political Action Conference(CPAC) last week, saying “we need to have more kids,” according to USA Today… “The United States has a population of north of 327 million people,” Reid said in a video posted on the Chinese-owned social media app TikTok. “Why do we need more kids?” …

Cardinal Sarah: ‘Very proud’ of African Bishops for Rejecting Pope Francis’ Homosexual ‘Blessings’, by Louis Knuffke

By Louis Knuffke, LifeSiteNews – Cardinal Robert Sarah, former prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, said he is “very proud” that the African bishops have “completely” rejected the controversial Vatican document Fiducia Supplicans that proposes the priestly blessing of couples in irregular situations and same-sex couples… “I think Fiducia Supplicans has a response from the African Bishops — very clear… And not only the African bishops but many in Europe, in Kazakhstan, in Poland, refused, because the document has no scriptural basis, no theological basis.”

Alabama Rules That Embryos Are Children, by Emma Waters

By Emma Waters, First Things – Do human embryos deserve the same protections as human beings?… This is the question that drove three sets of parents—whose embryonic children were destroyed at an Alabama hospital’s fertility clinic—to sue the clinic and hospital under the state’s Wrongful Death of a Minor Act. On February 16, the Alabama Supreme Court released a 7-2 landmark decision in favor of protecting embryonic human life from destruction.

Saint of the Day for February 27: Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows

Franciscan Media – Born in Italy into a large family and baptized Francis, Saint Gabriel lost his mother when he was only four years old. He was educated by the Jesuits and, having been cured twice of serious illnesses, came to believe that God was calling him to the religious life. Young Francis wished to join the Jesuits but was turned down, probably because of his age, not yet 17. …

Msgr. Charles Pope: A Consideration of the Facts of In Vitro Fertilization and the Human Tendency to Demand What We Want, No Matter Who Gets Hurt.

By Msgr. Charles Pope – Alabama’s state Supreme Court ruled last week that embryos created by In vitro fertilization, (IVF), are considered children. and this has raised concerns that embryos that are destroyed or damaged could lead to civil liability. So some Alabama fertility clinics are halting operations, and even some, otherwise pro-life advocates are are opposed to the decision… But why should they be opposed. If life begins at conception, a foundational belief of the pro-life movement, should not embryos be protected from deep freezing and frequent discarding once they are no longer “needed?”

Google’s Gemini AI and Anti-White Bias, by Douglas Andrews

By Douglas Andrews, Patriot Post – Ask Google’s brand-new Gemini AI project for an image of a Founding Father, and it spits out a black guy with a powdered wig in a Continental Army uniform. Ask for an image of a Nazi, and it serves up yet another black guy — or maybe an Asian woman in gray Wehrmacht gear. Anything but a blond-haired, blue-eyed master-racer. Ask for an image of the pope, and you might just get the world’s first female pontiff of color.

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: Be Merciful as Your Father Is Merciful

Author Don Schwager , Servants of the Word – Luke 6:36-38 -Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”

An Interview With Eric Metaxas: Should Christians Back Out of Politics and ‘Sing a Little Louder’? by John Zmirak

By  John Zmirak, The Stream – Eric Metaxas: The point of my book and the point of this film is to give Christians a last chance to understand that THIS IS IT. That if they do NOT step up and take action now — including getting political — they will be guilty of precisely what the German Christians were guilty of during the rise of Hitler. I feel so strongly about this that we are making screenings of the film FREE to any church that wants to show it. Not kidding. No strings attached. All folks need to do is go to www.lettertotheamericanchurch.com to sign up.

Marriages That Last, by Genesius

By Genesius, Catholic Stand – Over the past few months, I have attended two funerals. At both of them, elderly widowers were mourning their deceased wives. Both of the couples were married for more than 65 years… Both instances were a tribute to the sacrament of marriage. Both of the deceased were true to their vows made before God to love and honor their spouses “all the days of my life.” How wonderful that their marriages endured in a world actively trying to kill and pervert this sacrament.

Candid Catholicism, by Robert Royal

By Robert Royal, The Catholic Thing – Many people in many nations these days say they “don’t recognize” their country anymore. Between radical changes in sexual morals and social behavior, the inability to state the obvious like “what is a woman,” claims of racism and “hate” over everyday social frictions, massive unregulated immigration, and wholesale dismissals of the past as irretrievably evil, it’s no wonder. But it is a wonder that similar complaints – not exactly the same, but closely related – also arise often enough now about disorienting changes in the Church.

Msgr. Richard C. Antall: What Happened at St. Patrick’s Cathedral?

By Msgr. Richard C. Antall, Crisis Magazine – If the nonsense at St. Patrick’s had happened on my watch, I think I would have stopped the whole carnival, turned off the microphones and lights, and called the cops. This is not a criticism of Cardinal Dolan, whom I personally esteem, nor of his staff, who acted out of Christian charity-cum-New Yorker-tolerance of the weird. This is just a cranky old pastor, not famous for open-mindedness about things ecclesial, drawing a line in the shifting sands of our confused Church.

Pope Francis’s “All-Out Battle” Against Clerical Abuse Has Been a Failure, by Christopher R. Altieri

By Christopher R. Altieri, Catholic World Report – What have we seen in the way of leadership from Pope Francis in the intervening quinquennium?… Five years of failure… Pope Francis has refused to defrock a confessed child molester or even remove him from the College of Cardinals… Pope Francis has protected a favorite Argentinian prelate he himself raised to the episcopate and threatened those who sought justice from the Church… Pope Francis has presided over the appalling miscarriage of justice that has allowed a powerful celebrity artist-cleric not only to escape punishment for the abuse of as many as forty-one victims …

Lent is a Fitting Time to Pray for the Conversion of the Jews to ‘The New Israel,’ the Church of Christ

By Dom Prosper Guéranger, LifeSiteNews – The station is in the church of Saint Clement, pope and martyr. In this, more than in any other church of the city of Rome, there has been preserved the ancient arrangement of the early Christian basilicas… Under its altar there reposes the body of its holy patron, together with the relics of St. Ignatius of Antioch, and of the consul St. Flavius Clemens.

The American Stasi Controls What You Hear And See To Control What You Think And Do, by Sean Davis

By Sean Davis, CEO and co-founder, The Federalist – Russiagate? 100% American Stasi op from beginning to end. Ukraine impeachment? American Stasi op to defend its money-laundering playground in Ukraine, protect Biden, and hurt Trump. It was a psyop trifecta. The Kavanaugh rape hoax? Obvious American Stasi op. Covid? Oh, you better believe it. They brought out all the big guns on that one: it gave them the opportunity to take out Trump and deploy a biomedical surveillance state.

Father Jeffrey Kirby: Looking at the Mass Through the Eyes of Mary

By Father Jeffrey Kirby, EWTN News – The Eucharistic sacrifice is the summit and source of the entire Christian way of life. This truth has been emphasized by the Catholic Church throughout the ages. It was highlighted by the Second Vatican Council, as it called for reforms to the life of the Church… In her book Mary and the Liturgical Year: A Pastoral Resource, author Katharine Harmon explores the beauty of the sacred liturgy from the perspective of Mary. The book triples up as a devotional, theological reflection and a resource to understanding and applying the sacred liturgy to everyday life. …

Reclaiming a Culture of Life in Health Care, by Louis Brown

By Louis Brown, First Things – Tragically, it is not rare for health care entities to refuse patients life-sustaining nutrition. As a result, patients can end up dying not because of an illness but because of starvation. This kind of passive euthanasia is just the tip of the iceberg of the throwaway culture that pervades much of American health care. The United States urgently needs to revitalize its respect for the dignity of patients and protect their human and civil rights. ….

Saint of the Day for February 26: St. Maria Bertilla Boscardin

Franciscan Media, Feb 26, 2021 – If anyone knew rejection, ridicule and disappointment, it was today’s saint. But such trials only brought Maria Bertilla Boscardin closer to God and more determined to serve him… Born in Italy in 1888, the young girl lived in fear of her father, a violent man prone to jealousy and drunkenness. Her schooling was limited so that she could spend more time helping at home and working in the fields. She showed few talents and was often the butt of jokes.

LifeSiteNews: Bishop Strickland Champions Sanctity of Life, Turning America Into ‘One Nation Under God’ at CPAC

By LifeSiteNews staff – Strickland began with the notion that the United States must reform itself to the ideal of being “one nation under God.”… “We need to really pray and reflect on what that means, and return to those values,” Strickland urged. “Because too many, in the political world especially, are encouraging an atheistic approach to leading this nation. That will never last. That will never thrive.”… Strickland emphasized to the audience that the first step to returning America to its proper place under God is “humility.” ….

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: Love and Pray for Your Enemies

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Matthew 5:43-48 – “You have heard that it was said, `You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. ….

Saint Peter Damian and the Wounds of the Church, by Dawn Beutner

By Dawn Beutner, Catholic World Report – Peter Damian’s writings cover a wide range of important topics, and he is often favorably compared to John the Baptist for his courage in speaking out about the need for Church reform and for personal repentance. But sometimes people focus only on Peter’s Letter 31, which was an open letter that examined potential punishments for monks and clergy who participated in homosexual acts. In today’s culture, Peter’s strong language about those with same-sex attraction seems cruel. However, we shouldn’t be afraid to examine this letter, sometimes called the Book of Gomorrah. In this letter, written to the pope himself, Peter lists the kind of sexual sins that are being committed by monks and clergy …..

The ABOMINATION of DESOLATION Standing in New York’s Holy Place, by Michael J. Matt

By Michael J. Matt, Editor, Remnant TV – In this episode of the Remnant Underground, Michael Matt covers the transexual funeral scandal in New York City’s iconic Cathedral of Saint Patrick. How did this happen? Why did it happen? And how on earth can Cardinal Dolan claim that the “Cathedral people” did a great job with the damage control? Yeah, well, after the damage was already done. …

Transgender Funeral At New York Cathedral Was Likely A ‘Vicious’ Anti-Catholic Hate Crime, by Samuel Mangold-Lenett

By Samuel Mangold-Lenett, The Federalist – “The outrageous sacrilege perpetrated at St. Patrick’s Cathedral is indeed a hate crime,” Burch wrote. “Video footage shows that transgender activists intentionally used deception to obtain permission to enter St. Patrick’s and the facts show that access was used to desecrate that sacred space and mock Catholic faith and morals.”

Through Lent with the Stations of the Cross, by Jennifer S. Bryson, PhD

By Jennifer S. Bryson, PhD, OnePeterFive – To guide my Lenten reflections this year, I am using the new book The Stations of the Cross in Slow Motion: A Daily Devotion by Suzan Sammons (Sophia Institute Press, 2023). This book guides the user each day through one Station of the Cross, considering several aspects of each for three to four days at a time, except for one day each for Holy Saturday and the triumph of the Resurrection. …

WATCH! WND News Services: Tucker Carlson: How Many People Died From the COVID Shot?

By WND News Services – Do vaccines actually cause autism? Steve Kirsch looked at the data… Tucker Carlson – @TuckerCarlson – How many people died from the COVID shot? Do vaccines actually cause autism? Steve Kirsch has looked at the data. …

Sunny Side of The Stream: Lawmakers in Four States Consider Laws That Would Show Fetal Development Video in Classrooms

By Aliya Kuykendall, The Stream – “Baby Olivia” is an educational animated video illustrating human development from fertilization until the point that a baby is ready to be born. Live Action, a pro-life advocacy group, made the three-minute video. This video, or ones like it, may soon be shown in classrooms in several states… “The Baby Olivia project provides a medically accurate, animated glimpse of human life from the moment of fertilization. The story details her growth as she progresses from one developmental stage to the next…”

Alabama Supreme Court Justice Tom Parker: “All Human Beings Bear God’s Image From the Moment of Conception”, by Steven Ertelt

By Steven Ertelt, LifeNews – Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Tom Parker issued the following concurring opinion in a case last week that ruled 8-1 that unborn children are human beings and the state’s wrongful death law can include them when it comes to destroying human embryos at an IVF fertility clinic… A good judge follows the Constitution instead of policy, except when the Constitution itself commands the judge to follow a certain policy. In these cases, that means upholding the sanctity of unborn life, including unborn life that exists outside the womb.

‘Cabrini’ Highlights the Saint Whose Trust in Christ Changed New York, by Joseph Pronechen

By Joseph Pronechen, EWTN News – … an article in New York’s The Sun dated June 30, 1889, which also described Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini as a “sympathetic woman with large coal-black eyes and a winning smile. … She is the founder of the order and has done wonderful work in providing refuges for the orphans in Italy.”… The article even quoted the future saint about her work. “Our object,” she said, “is to rescue the Italian orphans of the city from the misery and dangers that threaten them and to make good men and women of them.”

WATCH! Media Matters: CPAC Featured Guest Gives Strong Defense of Alabama Embryo Ruling That Imperils IVF

By Media Matters – Bishop Joseph E. Strickland on in-vitro fertilization: “We must help them understand the intricacies of what science has done in playing God, and having children, embryos, embryonic children frozen and too easily disposed of”… we must guide our great politicians, those who we hope will serve this nation into a brighter future. We must guide them in the ethics of the sanctity of life. We can’t expect those busy people who are doing their best to fight the battle that we must face. We can’t expect them to do it alone. …

Fr. Raymond J. de Souza: Dead Synodality

By Fr. Raymond J. de Souza, The Catholic Thing – For years the annual Religious Education Congress in Los Angeles has been a regular source of liturgical distress as various innovations test the bounds of reverence, not to say sacrilege. This year as the congress unfolded on the West Coast, the genuine sacrilege took place on the East Coast, at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York. The “sacrilegious” – the apposite term of the cathedral rector – funeral for atheist transgender activist Cecilia Gentili was something of an ambush, with the surprised cathedral priests cutting it short and offering a Mass of Reparation for the outrages afterwards. ….

Good News: Fertilized Embryos Are Human Lives, Says Alabama, by Emmy Griffin

By Emmy Griffin, Patriot Post – This humble publication tends to lean more toward the perspective that IVF, for all its promises to help families that are struggling with infertility, is a practice that has more cons than pros. This is particularly true when one considers that fertility doctors often extract and fertilize a plethora of eggs, but couples only use the “most viable” ones, leaving the rest either on ice or to be destroyed. If one believes that life begins at conception/fertilization, then the destruction of these lives is murder.

Opinion: A Liturgy from Hell, by George Kendall

By George Kendall, Chronicles – Fifty-three years ago, in 1969, a terrible act of vandalism was committed against the Catholic Church, an assault, not only on the Catholic faithful but on the very heart of the Church, the Eucharist, hence an attack on Christ himself. That crime consisted in the scrapping, on orders from the pope, of the Traditional Latin Mass, not only getting rid of the Latin language but butchering many of the texts of the liturgy, carving it up into a liturgy different in kind from the traditional one. That crime was the Novus Ordo, and it was perpetrated by a sadly misguided Pope Paul VI and cruelly forced down the throats of all of us who make up the Catholic faithful. …

Against the Woke Heresy, by David Warren

By David Warren, The Catholic Thing – The truth will win, often more quickly than we expected. This is an optimistic view, often maintained by the Catholic Church, such as in those moments when she is put to the test… Hope itself is not an argument for complacency, but rather, an argument against despair. The Christian virtue of Hope – like all the other graceful mysteries – presents difficulties to the narrowly rationalist mind, and to its logical conscience, steeped in naturalism.

Gender Ideologues Stack Deck on WHO Panel on Trans ‘Health’, by Grace Melton

By Grace Melton, Daily Signal – A who’s who of transgender activists was scheduled this week to meet in Geneva at the World Health Organization to develop new guidelines on “the health of trans and gender-diverse people.”… We can presume the meeting took place, even though public notice of it didn’t appear on the U.N. website listing meetings and conferences… Until recently, the international classification system of diseases treated gender confusion as a mental or behavioral disorder. But in 2019 …..

The Remnant: Reminder of How To Build Social Skills in Children

By Anonymous, The Remnant – Witnessing the growing lack of social skills in the youth, it is easy to conclude that the absence of the mother in the home of modern society has become pretty evident and damaging to the family unit and to the world… Let’s then remind everyone what are the basic social skills that kids need to learn because they are the natural pathway to success. Most of those used to be taught by parents to their children and most of them were already acquired by the age of 12 in the past.

Dolan: ‘We Don’t Do FBI Checks on People Who Want to be Buried’

By Matt McDonald, National Catholic Register – Priests at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City were surprised by the “irreverence and disrespect” that occurred during a funeral for a transgender activist last week, Cardinal Timothy Dolan said, in his first public comments on it… “We didn‘t know the background. We don’t do FBI checks on people who want to be buried,” Cardinal Dolan, the archbishop of New York, said during his podcast Tuesday.

AI “Girlfriends” Prove Modern Men Don’t Think Women Are Human, by Julian Kwasniewski

By Julian Kwasniewski, Crisis Magazine – In an era that prides itself on advancing the equality of women, AI girlfriends have erased the question since the question of a woman’s humanity has seemingly been solved in the negative. If this equation of woman and algorithm is allowed to stand, women need never compete again for anything—humanity, love, or dignity… In which case, feminism and every other “pro-woman” movement has failed in convincing tens of millions of men that women are human.

Did Fulton Sheen Prophesy About These Times? by Joseph Pronechen (Feb. 4, 2019)

By Joseph Pronechen, EWTN News – Prophetic then, he was already a visionary and forewarning in the Jan. 26, 1947, radio broadcast.
“Why is it that so few realize the seriousness of our present crisis?… Partly because men do not want to believe their own times are wicked, partly because it involves too much self-accusation, and principally because they have no standards outside of themselves by which to measure their times… Only those who live by faith really know what is happening in the world. The great masses without faith are unconscious of the destructive processes going on.”

Rupnik, Rigidity, and the Deepening Sham in Rome, by Christopher R. Altieri

By Christopher R. Altieri, Catholic World Report – A statement from the Vatican press office on Wednesday said the DDF now needs “to study the documentation acquired [in the Rupnik case] in order to identify which procedures can and should be implemented.”… Basically, what we have here is an outfit that can’t figure out how to stage manage its own sham… Even if Pope Francis were to commission an investigation into the Rupnik business, it would be maudlin and criminal to expect of it better than what we got in the McCarrick Report …..

If Peter Is the Rock, Where is the Pope? by Phil Lawler

By Phil Lawler, Catholic Culture – While we celebrate the certainty and unity that the See of Peter has brought to our faith over the centuries, the past decade has forced Catholics to question the nature of papal authority. When does a Pope teach with magisterial authority? When is he speaking for himself, and when does he represent Peter, the rock on whom the Lord built his Church?… These questions are tackled in a new book: “Super Hanc Petram: The Pope and the Church at a Dramatic Moment in History”, by Father Serafino Lanzetta ….

Is Censorship a National Security Imperative? by Douglas Andrews

By Douglas Andrews, Patriot Post – Here’s The Federalist’s normally sober-minded John Daniel Davidson: “If you didn’t see Tucker Carlson’s interview last week with Mike Benz, you need to take an hour and watch the whole thing. In a mind-bending narrative about the emergence of what Benz calls ‘military rule’ through an online censorship industry in the U.S., he lays out in startling detail just how corrupt and tyrannical the U.S. defense and foreign policy establishment has become.”

Msgr. Charles Pope: From Perfunctory Penitence to Compelling Confession In Four Easy Steps

By Msgr. Charles Pope – For many people the Sacrament of Confession is experienced in a rather perfunctory way. Upon preparing to go to confession many are content to look at some matters pertaining to external behavior: “I got angry with my children….I had lustful thoughts…. I was distracted in prayer, or I didn’t pray as much as I should…. I gossiped….and so forth. While the confession of these sorts of things is good and proper it also remains true that,  for confession to really heal,  it is necessary to go deeper. It is necessary to examine the deeper drives and motives of sin; to examine not only what I have done, by to ponder why.

Texas Attorney General Targets Catholic Nonprofit, Alleges it Facilitates Illegal Immigration, by Tyler Arnold

By Tyler Arnold, CNA – Texas AG Ken Paxton is trying to shut down a Catholic nonprofit organization in El Paso based on allegations that the group may be facilitating illegal immigration, harboring immigrants who entered the country illegally, and engaging in human smuggling… “The chaos at the southern border has created an environment where [nongovernmental organizations] funded with taxpayer money from the Biden administration facilitate astonishing horrors including human smuggling,” Paxton said in a statement. “While the federal government perpetuates the lawlessness destroying this country ….

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: Ask and You Will Receive from Your Father in Heaven

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Matthew 7:7-12 – “Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? ….

Alabama Supreme Court Rules Human Embryos are Human Beings With Human Rights, by Joshua Mercer

By Joshua Mercer, LifeNews – The Supreme Court of Alabama ruled Friday that frozen human embryos conceived in vitro fertilization (IVF) are children, with human rights under state law… In the court’s opinion, Justice Jay Mitchell cited the Wrongful Death of a Minor Act. He wrote that the state law “applies to all children, born and unborn, without limitation” and “regardless of their location.”

LifeSiteNews: Courageous Oregon Bishop Rejects ‘Blessing’ of Homosexual ‘Couples’

By Staff, LifeSite News – Bishop Liam Cary of the Diocese of Baker, Oregon, has firmly rejected any openness to blessing couples in same-sex or otherwise “irregular unions” following the 2023 Vatican Declaration Fiducia Supplicans, instead instructing his priests “not to bless known co-habiting couples, of the same sex or both sexes.”… “Here, as in Africa, if a co-habiting heterosexual couple or a same sex couple were to ask a priest to bless them, they would be seeking an official sign of approval for behavior that the Church teaches is sinful in God’s sight,” Cary warned.

Fr. Nnamdi Moneme: Cultivate the Right Attitude to Sin this Lent

By Fr. Nnamdi Moneme, OMV, Catholic Exchange – Nothing affects our relationship with God more than our attitude towards sin – our own sins and the sins of others against us. When we do not have a good attitude towards sin, our relationship with God is wounded and our faith in Him begins to dwindle… Jesus in Mk 1:12-15 shows us the two attitudes that we must have towards sin if we are going to have a healthy relationship with God – Resist and Repent.

St. Frances Cabrini Planted Roots in This Once-Remote Corner of Manhattan, by Joseph Pronechen

By Joseph Pronechen, EWTN News – In 1899, when Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini discovered the New York City property on which the St. Frances Cabrini Shrine now stands …. “Her story is uplifting to immigrants and established Americans alike, for it is a tale of deep faith, perseverance, bold action, and grace-filled resilience.” … Mother Cabrini purchased this land and the mansion that sat on it after seeing it while on a horse-and-buggy ride through what was then a remote area of northern Manhattan… “The reason she bought it was because she had two schools and two orphanages that she had to support” ….

Our Unhappy Youth, by Anthony Esolen

By Anthony Esolen, Crisis Magazine – For all we have to do is to tweak the question a little, to see what the young are confronting. Instead of asking why they are unhappy, we might ask why they aren’t happy, which might in turn lead us to ask what they have to be happy about. That might reveal to us in all its drabness what appears to be the most antihuman way of life that any civilization has ever settled into: becalmed without rest, somber without sobriety, abstracted without thought, licentious without even the animal vigor of license; ever shouting, but without good cheer. …

RARE: NBC News Actually Airs Personal Regret Over Abortion, by Jorge Bonilla

By Jorge Bonilla, Newsbusters – On the one hand, Amy Brown’s expression of regret is more fully captured in the written piece albeit, as noted by the great Mary Margaret Olohan, buried in its 27th paragraph: “I could tell that Sam understood that this hurt, and that it was a very difficult decision, and that it was one that I regretted,” she said. Amy said she initially thought that having an abortion would bring her “freedom” but she instead was filled with remorse over the decision and wished she would have considered other options. “I could tell that he got it and that he felt my pain.”

Rupnik Victims, Advocates Decry Failures of Vatican Justice, by Christopher R. Altieri

By Christopher R. Altieri, Catholic World Report – Two of Rupnik’s alleged victims held a press conference in Rome to decry the lack of progress in the case. “I found myself in silence for too many years,” said Gloria Branciani, who gave a gruesome pseudonymous account of the abuse she suffered, which was published by Italy’s Domani in 2023… Using “Anna” as her pseudonym, Branciani offered an unspeakably horrific description of Rupnik’s diabolical modus operandi, by which he warped the mind of his naïve mark and exploited her insecurities.

Is Trump A Christian Nationalist Savior Or Faithless Imposter? The Press Can’t Decide, by Tristan Justice

By Tristan Justice, The Federalist – None of the media’s “Christian jihad” hand-wringing came to pass in 2016, and none of it will materialize if Trump wins again in 2024. It’s all hyperbole, and if the lying media claim both of two extremes — that Trump is a disgusting anti-Christian and that he’s a Trojan horse for Christian nationalism — the truth is somewhere in the middle. Trump is a defender of Christians, if not a Christian himself, which is exactly where conservative Trump voters have staked their electoral claim for the past eight years.

Practical Ideas to Help You Surrender to Jesus, by Randy Hain

By Randy Hain, Integrated Catholic Life – Last week we looked at the connection between surrender and strength. There are many obstacles in the way of our trustful surrender to our Lord. But I found that when I put my pride aside and humbly surrender to His will, the Lord gives me strength and a sense of peace… Giving ourselves to Him, letting our old selves go and placing Him first will change everything. We will receive from Christ His grace, guidance and love which in turn will positively affect our relationships with our wives, children, friends and co-workers.

EXCLUSIVE: GOP Civil War Deepens As Senators Claim McConnell Threw Party’s Voters ‘Under The Bus’ On Ukraine, Border, by Henry Rodgers

By Henry Rodgers, The Daily Caller – Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and pro-Ukraine hawks within his conference gave away their leverage by voting to send billions more in aid to Ukraine despite not reaching a border security deal, several Republican senators who are increasingly frustrated with party leadership told the Daily Caller… “I cannot even believe how badly McConnell blew this,” Johnson told the Caller. “McConnell frittered away the leverage we have in the Senate.”

Alabama Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Embryonic Human Life, by Emma Waters

By Emma Waters, Daily Signal – In a landmark decision, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled Friday in favor of protecting embryonic human life from wrongful death… Embryos are created routinely through in vitro fertilization, a process by which ova are fertilized with sperm in a laboratory rather than in a woman’s body… The process of creating and cryopreserving embryos can be dangerous for embryonic children, who often are destroyed intentionally or through neglect…

Saint of the Day for February 22: Chair of Saint Peter

Franciscan Media – This feast commemorates Christ’s choosing Peter to sit in his place as the servant-authority of the whole Church… After the “lost weekend” of pain, doubt, and self-torment, Peter hears the Good News. Angels at the tomb say to Magdalene, “The Lord has risen! Go, tell his disciples and Peter.” John relates that when he and Peter ran to the tomb, the younger outraced the older, then waited for him. Peter entered, saw the wrappings on the ground, the headpiece rolled up in a place by itself.

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: The Sign of Jonah for an Evil Generation

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Luke 11:29-32 – When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, “This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of Jonah. For as Jonah became a sign to the men of Nineveh, so will the Son of man be to this generation. The queen of the South will arise at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. ….

Taking the Grace of God in Vain? Lent can help. by Dr. Jeff Mirus 

By Dr. Jeff Mirus, Catholic Culture – St. Paul makes a heartfelt plea to the Corinthians in his second letter: “We entreat you not to accept the grace of God in vain” (2 Cor 6:1). Per usual, I have generally thought of this admonition as applying to “other people”, especially those who have heard the Gospel but not accepted it, or those Catholics who know what the Church teaches, but refuse to change their own ideas and behavior based on that teaching. But in reality, Paul’s entreaty is directed at all of us—indeed, at all of us all of the time. …

CATHOLIC VOTE: LGBT Activists to Demand Public Apology from St. Patrick’s Cathedral

CV News Feed – The organization Gays & Lesbians Living in a Transgender Society (GLITS) on Tuesday announced that it would hold a press conference Wednesday “to request an explanation from St. Patrick’s Cathedral” for what they described as “cutting short the funeral mass service of Cecilia Gentili.”… In a press release sent via email, GLITS stated that its press conference would be held at noon on Wednesday, February 21, at City Hall Park. The organization said it will demand “a public apology” for the “painfully dismissive and exclusionary language” the Cathedral used in a statement after the scandalous incident.

Putin’s Revenge: Re-Electing the Democrats So the U.S. Collapses Like the USSR, Part I, by Jason Jones & John Zmirak

By Jason Jones & John Zmirak, The Stream – As we observed here last week, the Russian national sport isn’t football. It’s chess. That’s a game where the guy who can think not just two moves but ten moves ahead wins every time. And watching Tucker Carlson interview Vladimir Putin, then traipse around Russian supermarkets and subway stations goofily raving about their cleanliness, brought that truth painfully home… Tucker Carlson is the most important journalist in America. He’s smart, courageous, principled, and he got played by Putin. Carlson didn’t grow up playing chess, as Putin doubtless did — literally and figuratively, when he trained for the KGB.

Cardinal Dolan Praises Priest Who Presided Over Sacrilegious ‘Trans’ Funeral, by Dr. Maike Hickson

By Dr. Maike Hickson, LifeSite News – Cdl. Timothy Dolan of the Arch. of NY told a Catholic laywoman that Fr. Edward Dougherty, who officiated at the scandalous February 15 funeral service of a transgender activist and atheist in St. Patrick’s Cathedral, “is a hero.”… LifeSite spoke with Wendy Stone Long, who had approached Cardinal Dolan on Saturday, February 17 after his vigil Mass at Blessed Sacrament Parish in New Rochelle, New York. Long told LifeSiteNews that she first asked the cardinal when a Mass of Reparation would take place at the cathedral in order to make reparation for the recent sacrilegious funeral. ….

Oliver Twist and the Issue of Annulment, by Mrs. Sheryl Temaat

By Mrs. Sheryl Temaat, The Remnant – What Marriage Was Before Vatican II… A man and woman give valid consent on their wedding day when they agree to take each other in marriage. This means that they agree to exchange the conjugal act exclusively, permanently, and be open to children… Marriage, before Vatican II, was about having children and raising them for heaven.

Pro-Life Group Calls for University of Houston to Remove “Satanic Abortion Idol”, by  Hannah Hiester

By  Hannah Hiester, LifeNews – A Texan pro-life group is calling for the University of Houston to cancel its plans to display a “satanic” statue that honors feminism, abortion, and the late Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg… According to Texas Right to Life, the university plans to publicly display a statue called “Witness,” which the pro-life group described as “an 18-foot tall naked female figure with braids shaped like goat horns and arms like tentacles.” …

Fr. Joachim Heimerl: German Priest: Pope Francis’ Fight Against the Latin Mass is ‘a Fight Against the Church’

By Fr. Joachim Heimerl, LifeSiteNews – Anyone who has wondered why Francis not only rejects the traditional Mass but persecutes it has recently received an answer from his own lips: the Pope is not concerned with beautiful rites or Latin; instead, Francis believes that the Second Vatican Council made the reform of the Church dependent on the reform of the Mass. Anyone who is even slightly informed knows that this is wrong. What’s more, Paul VI’s liturgical reform went far beyond the Council’s proposals and led to a dramatic downfall of the Church.

Half of IRS Agents Work – And Access Taxpayers’ Sensitive Personal Info – from Home, by Craig Bannister

By Craig Bannister, MRC TV – Half of IRS agents still work from home and can use their personal devices to store and transmit taxpayers’ sensitive information, IRS Commission Daniel Werfel admitted Thursday, in testimony to the House Ways and Means Committee… Werfel’s comments raised concerns among Republicans about the security of taxpayers’ personal information. …

Arm Wrestling the World for God, by Kevin Wells

By Kevin Wells, Crisis Magazine – All was forgotten anyway when Fr. Jeff Norfolk stepped down from the altar to move down the line of the quiet men with cracked hands—ranchers, mechanics, deer hunters, cattlemen, hog and grain farmers, linemen, marines, and the like—who had dropped to their knees to receive the Sacrament on their tongue like pheasants shot from the sky. The priest knows he can’t fake it here, these people know reality; so he’s surrendered his priesthood to Mary, where, like de Montfort, he’s become her slave in prisons, on poverty-ravaged Indian reservations, and at snakebitten farms.

Queer Knaves in the Nave, by Elizabeth Yore

By Elizabeth Yore, LifeSite News – Fiducia Supplicans came home to roost in all its rainbow feathers and sequins. No one should have been surprised by the “whore” drag queen show at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. It was entirely predictable as the radical homosexual circus is amped up in America by its ringleader James Martin, S.J. Nor was it a surprise to learn that Martin was invited to speak at the event. It beggars belief that the staff at the Cathedral was unaware of the notoriety of the decedent. ….

Coming Soon to a Parish Near You? by Phil Lawler

By Phil Lawler, Catholic Culture – What happened in St. Patrick’s cathedral last week could happen in your parish soon, if your community is unprepared. Is your parish ready?… Granted, New York, the self-proclaimed “capital of the world,” offered a unique opportunity for the activists of the sexual revolution. The grotesque “funeral service” for Cecilia Gentilli was a carefully planned ploy to use a renowned Catholic church as the stage for an event glorifying sexual perversity. Sadly, it worked—and the cathedral was desecrated in the process. And because it was successful, we can all be sure that other LGBT activists will try it again. And again and again. ….

Saint of the Day for February 21: St. Peter Damian (988 – Feb. 22, 1072)

By Franciscan Media – Maybe because he was orphaned and had been treated shabbily by one of his brothers, Peter Damian was very good to the poor. It was the ordinary thing for him to have a poor person or two with him at table and he liked to minister personally to their needs… Peter escaped poverty and the neglect of his own brother when his other brother, who was archpriest of Ravenna, took him under his wing. His brother sent him to good schools and Peter became a professor.

Christians Must Get Serious if They Hope to Challenge the Leftist Culture, by Albin Sadar

By Albin Sadar, The Stream – I was fortunate enough to see an early screening of a brand-new film based on Eric Metaxas’ best-selling book, Letter to the American Church. The hour-long film, which shares the book’s name, vividly lays out the case that it is high time Christians in this country got seriously involved in the cultural and political arena… The author’s narration is accompanied by rapid-fire images that help convey the urgency of the days in which we live. ….

St. Francisco of Fatima’s Deep Love of the Eucharist, by Philip Kosloski

By Philip Kosloski, Aleteia – St. Francisco, one of the child visionaries at Fatima, had a strong devotion to the Eucharist and spent hours in adoration. Outside of the miraculous visions at Fatima, the three shepherd children did all they could to follow the words of the Blessed Mother and commit themselves to a life of sincere devotion… St. Francisco in particular became deeply devoted to the Eucharist, spending hours in front of the Blessed Sacrament.

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: Your Heavenly Father Knows What You Need

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Matthew 6:7-15 – “And in praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this: Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. ….

The Friendship of Pope John Paul II and President Reagan — Plus More Commanders-in-Chief’s Catholic Connections

By Jay Copp, EWTN News – All these stories of presidents and Catholicism pale in comparison to Reagan’s relationship with Pope John Paul II. There was mutual admiration and respect between the two, and Reagan was eager to meet the Pope after watching footage of his celebratory first visit to his Polish homeland in 1979… (Reagan) and the Pope shared similar goals of ending the rule of the Soviets in Eastern Europe, and the two formed a cooperative geopolitical relationship that helped bring about the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Government-Backed Censors Who Rigged The 2020 Election Are Now Stealing 2024, by John Daniel Davidson

By John Daniel Davidson, The Federalist – If you didn’t see Tucker Carlson’s interview last week with Mike Benz, you need to take an hour and watch the whole thing. In a mind-bending narrative about the emergence of what Benz calls “military rule” through an online censorship industry in the U.S., he lays out in startling detail just how corrupt and tyrannical the U.S. defense and foreign policy establishment has become.

We’re All Africans Now, by Christopher Manion

By Christopher Manion, The Wanderer – The fallout from Fiducia Supplicans, the Declaration of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith made public on December 18, has entered a new phase. As an increasing number of bishops’ conferences, individual prelates, and now the unified bishops of Africa have gone on the record against its implementation, the controversy has gone beyond the realm of theology to the world of culture.

Here We Go Again: Democrat Bill Seeks to Combat Online ‘Misinformation’, by Marya Dunning

By Marya Dunning MRC TV – If passed, Colorado’s Senate Bill 084 would appropriate $150,000 to create a study combating “misinformation” and “disinformation” online… Because the idea of a government-run “Ministry of Truth” just won’t go away… According to Reclaimthenet.org: Sen. Lisa Cutter of Evergreen, spearheading the bill, highlighted the urgent need to investigate “deliberate disinformation” operations allegedly conducted by foreign actors within the US.

Bishops… Grow a Spine, by Regis Martin

By Regis Martin, Crisis Magazine – What is it about our bishops that keeps them so supine? Are there not any around willing to talk back to Rome?… Near the end of a long and fabled career, marked by a great deal of courage and no little success in the public sphere, Margaret Thatche … announced her retirement plans. “When I get out of politics,” she said, “I’m going to open a business and call it ‘Rent a Spine!’”

Cardinal Cupich on Traditiones Custodes: Traditional Latin Mass ‘Impoverishes’ the Church, by Catholic Vote

By Catholic Vote – In a recent column, the Archbishop of Chicago, Cardinal Blase Cupich, insisted that the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass as approved by the late Pope Benedict “impoverishes” the Church… In his op-ed published last week on the Chicago Catholic, Cardinal Cupich tried to summarize the meeting Pope Francis had on February 6 with the Vatican’s Dicastery for Divine Worship, of which Cupich is a member.

Faithful Catholics Urge Bishops to STOP Fiducia Supplicans in Light of St. Patrick’s Cathedral Scandal, Dr. Maike Hickson

By Dr. Maike Hickson, LifeSite News – … a scandalous Catholic funeral service took place at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in NY City. A transgender activist and prostitute, “Cecilia Gentili” (born a man), was celebrated at the Cathedral by hundreds… praising him as “Mother of all Whores” and “Saint Cecilia.”… This event comes only two weeks after clergymen and scholars had issued on February 2 a filial appeal to the bishops in the world asking them to oppose the Vatican document Fiducia Supplicans since its permission of blessings for homosexual and other couples “contradicts traditional doctrine.”

Saint of the Day for February 20: Sts. Jacinta and Francisco Marto

Franciscan Media – Between May 13 and October 13, 1917, three Portuguese shepherd children from Aljustrel, received apparitions of Our Lady at Cova da Iria, near Fátima, a city 110 miles north of Lisbon. At that time, Europe was involved in an extremely bloody war. Portugal itself was in political turmoil, having overthrown its monarchy in 1910; the government disbanded religious organizations soon after.

New Report Shows 89,000 Babies Saved From Abortions Since Roe v. Wade Overturned

By Laura Echevarria, LifeNews – National Right to Life today released The State of Abortion in the United States, 2024. The eleventh annual edition summarizes key legislative developments on the state and federal level in the first year following the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade… “Since the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs, the state of abortion in the United States has changed dramatically ….”

Fr. Jerry Pokorsky: Back-to-Basics Lenten Resolutions

By Fr. Jerry Pokorsky, Catholic Culture – Although the full content of the divine mysteries is beyond the reach of reason alone, we have the privilege of devising tools to organize God’s revelation to enhance our faith. Mother Claudia—the Philadelphia Immaculate Heart of Mary sister who died in 1993—designed the “Catechism Clock” to teach children the Catholic vocabulary. Even a child can grasp the language of faith and enter the sacred mysteries.

OPINION! Biblical Expert: Solar Eclipse to Mark ‘Beginning of Judgment Upon America’, by Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz

By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz, World Net Daily – April’s total darkness will be ‘a uniquely powerful sign from God,’ says author-pastor… An unusual total solar eclipse that will traverse North America in April has some biblical experts pointing to a deeper significance of the event, especially in light of today’s extremely unsettled times… With a deep understanding of classical Jewish and Christian sources, Pastor Mark Biltz of El Shaddai Ministries is sharing his insights into the upcoming solar eclipse that will take place on Monday, April 8, 2024. ….

Msgr. Charles Pope: Wood and Water Work Wonders! A Homily for the First Sunday of Lent

By Msgr. Charles Pope – On the first Sunday of Lent the readings have a baptismal theme. This makes sense, for it is common that on this day the catechumens report to the Bishop for the Rite of Election, who officially recognizes them as the elect of God in these final weeks before their baptism… In today’s readings there are actually many themes; they seem to form the spokes of a wagon wheel, with baptism being the central hub from which they emanate. ….

Jordan Peterson Slams Pope Francis’ Fixation on ‘Climate Change’: ‘He Should Be Saving Souls’, by Clare Marie Merkowsky

By Clare Marie Merkowsky, LifeSiteNews – “There’s no sugar-coating that and that isn’t what people want anyways. Young people want an adventure,” Peterson said… He stated that the desire for adventure is the reason that young people feel called to “save the planet” from “climate change,” which “Pope Francis seems to be on about constantly when you should be saving souls.”… “That’s how you save the planet, not by worshiping Gaia,” Peterson stated, referring to the pagan name for “Mother Earth.”… “I don’t see for the life of me what the Catholic Church has to do with the ‘climate crisis’”

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: Eternal Life Versus Eternal Punishment

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Matthew 25:31-46 – “When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left. Then the King will say to those at his right hand, `Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you …..

Washington And Lincoln Wouldn’t Recognize America Today, by Scott Powell

By Scott Powell, The Federalist – Radical Islamists, communists, and others hostile to constitutional law who reject this foundational view of our civilization have infiltrated our government at all levels, and are using their power against the American people and to subvert our nation’s general belief that history — good, bad, and ugly — should be preserved, passed onto future generations, and used as a learning tool.

Delusions, Alternate Realities, and the Biden Consortium, by Victor Davis Hanson

By Victor Davis Hanson, American Greatness – What explains all these alternate realities? In a word, we are witnessing the meltdown of an entire American presidency. It was born in a 2020 Faustian bargain in which a cognitively challenged, ethically compromised candidate agreed to run by offering a pseudo-moderate veneer in exchange for the support of the far left, which in turn owned his agenda… Since then, the Biden apparat has tried to square the circle of packaging and promoting a far-left menu that the American people did not want, delivered to them by someone who, by any fair standard, would not be able to serve as a teacher, Uber driver, or lawyer. …

Rev. Peter M.J. Stravinskas: An Avoidable Debacle: On the Scandalous Funeral Service at St. Patrick’s

By Peter M.J. Stravinskas, Catholic World Report – By now, unless you live under a rock or gave up all media for Lent, you have heard of the debacle that played out at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York (“America’s parish church”) on February 15 with the obsequies for one Cecilia Gentili. At this moment in the season of introspection and conversion, we can take to heart St. Paul’s admonition, “now is the acceptable time” (2 Cor 6:2), to ask just what happened, how it happened, and what lessons can be learned, so as to obviate a repeat performance. …

Opinion: Six U.S. Prelates in Need of Laicization, by Gene Thomas Gomulka

By Gene Thomas Gomulka, Complicit Clergy – As a sex abuse victims’ advocate, I am often contacted by priests or former seminarians who are unjustly disciplined by bishops, rectors, vocation directors, or pastors for reporting clerical sexual predation or homosexual misconduct. In ​most cases, the ​victims or whistleblower​s ​are heterosexually oriented clerics and seminarians​, while ​the predators,  bishops, and superiors are often closeted homosexual​s.

THE AMERICAN NIGHTMARE: One Nation Under Satan, by Michael J. Matt

By Michael J. Matt, Editor, The Remnant – An embarrassing Ukrainian retreat for Zelensky has even managed to turn Neocon Lindsey into an America firster again… Speaking of which, in a 45-second soundbite Robert Kennedy, Jr., provides the whole truth about NATO’s war in Ukraine that left the Lefties feeling left out… Speaking of Lefties, Taylor Swift and her gal friend go full on Luciferian at the Super Bowl but only after America’s sweetheart had played Satan in a new music video they did together. ….

Fr. Thomas G. Weinandy: The Temptations of Jesus

By Fr. Thomas G. Weinandy, OFM, Cap., The Catholic Thing – The Gospel reading this year on the first Sunday in Lent is Mark’s summary account of Jesus’ temptations in the wilderness. Matthew’s Gospel provides a fuller depiction, and I will theologically examine both here… To grasp the significance of Jesus’ temptations we first need to know what immediately preceded it. John the Baptist was baptizing in the Jordan in preparation for the coming of the Messiah. Jesus came to him to be baptized.

Resolute: Trump Answers NYC Judgment With ‘Never Surrender’ Sneakers, Plus Manchin Nixes Third Party Run, by Al Perrotta

By Al Perrotta, The Stream – On Friday, radical NYC judge Arthur Engeron slapped Donald Trump with what legal scholar Jonathan Turley calls an “obscene” $364 million judgment. Engeron banned Trump from doing business in New York for three years. Fulfilling NY AG Letitia James’s campaign vow to get Trump, the court convicted Trump of defrauding banks that insist Trump didn’t defraud them. …

Five Babies Were Killed in Infanticides or Late-Term Abortions. They Deserve Justice, by Ben Johnson 

By Ben Johnson, LifeNews – Dozens of congressmen and pro-life organizations have demanded the Biden administration stop facilitating lawlessness, and officials in the nation’s capital hold an abortionist accountable for allegedly killing nearly full-term babies through illegal means… In March 2022, members of the Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising (PAAU) uncovered a box containing the remains of 115 aborted babies outside the Washington Surgi-Clinic, an abortion business operated in the District of Columbia …

A FIRST! St. Patrick’s Cathedral Holds Funeral Service for Trans ‘Mother of all the Whores’, by Tierin-Rose Mandelburg

By Tierin-Rose Mandelburg, MRC TV – Gentili, a man who believed himself a woman, came to the United States in 2004 as an illegal immigrant. As Time Magazine wrote, “she turned to sex work and developed a drug addiction before being granted asylum eight years later.” Gentili then advocated for sex workers like himself to get healthcare, because being a prostitute merits free gifts like health coverage…apparently.

‘Conscience Before Conformity’: What the White Rose Students Can Teach Today’s Young Scholars, by Dr. Paul Shrimpton

By Dr. Paul Shrimpton, EWTN News – A great deal of ink has been spilt recently about the culture wars on campus, where progressive ideologies are tolerated and even championed by both faculty and students. By contrast, advice about how to nurture young hearts and minds to withstand the prevailing climate has been in relatively short supply… With the approach of another White Rose anniversary, I can think of no better example worth reflecting on than the lives of Hans and Sophie Scholl. …

Gerhard Cardinal Müller: Does Fiducia Supplicans Affirm Heresy?

By Gerhard Cardinal Müller, First Things – Does the Vatican’s recent declaration Fiducia Supplicans contain teachings contrary to the divine and Catholic faith? The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) addressed this question in a press release issued on January 4, in response to concerns from many bishops and entire Episcopal Conferences. The press release defends the orthodoxy of Fiducia Supplicans by quoting it, arguing that the declaration does not change the Catholic Church’s teaching on marriage and sexuality and does not state anything heretical. It argues that Fiducia Supplicans concerns not doctrine, but practical matters, and that it simply needs to be adapted to different contexts and sensitivities. …

The False Christ of “The Chosen”, by Leila Miller

By Leila Miller, Crisis Magazine – Just when we thought we had blessedly stamped out the cartoon, CCD “Jesus,” a newer, slicker incarnation of this caricature has seeped back into the Catholic Church in the form of “The Chosen”… My generation first met the happy, hippie “Jesus” in our 1970s and ’80s CCD classes. He was a super-nice dude, not scary or stern or particularly demanding. This was a new, enlightened era, after all, and the old paradigms would no longer do. …

Saint of the Day for February 19: St. Conrad of Piacenza

Franciscan Media – Born of a noble family in northern Italy, Conrad as a young man married Euphrosyne, daughter of a nobleman… One day while hunting he ordered attendants to set fire to some brush in order to flush out the game. The fire spread to nearby fields and to a large forest. Conrad fled. …

Our Lady of Guadalupe and Preparing the Americas for Christ

By Dr. Jeff Mirus, Catholic Culture – There has been a great deal of study of the Providential preparation for the Christian message in the Holy Land and in Europe, but not so much in other regions. Obviously, of course, the entire Old Testament is a kind of historical, cultural and spiritual chronicle of God’s preparation for the coming of the Messiah to His chosen people. Despite Christ’s widespread rejection by the Jews, there has been tremendous reflection on and analysis of the long period of preparation.

An Open Border Is an Open Invitation to Terror, by Tony Perkins

By Tony Perkins, Patriot Post – Nineteen people. That’s all it took to completely upend the world. Even now, 23 years after 9/11, America looks dramatically different from that sunny morning when a handful of radical Islamists slammed their planes into the beating heart of our nation’s freedom, its commerce, security, and way of life. We vowed then, never again. But the lessons of the past have been forgotten under this administration, as millions stream across our open border …..

The Coming Clash Between Woke Ideology and Big Science, by Brandon Aldinger

By Brandon Aldinger, The Stream – Unlike psychology, biology, or medicine, the field of chemistry in which I work once seemed relatively unscathed by the “woke” revolution. Aside from perennial calls for more diversity and one-sided views on climate change, the professional organizations that I belong to have merely dabbled in the politically correct… Until now, that is… In October, the American Chemical Society released its “Inclusivity Style Guide” for scientific publications. This extremely long document instructs chemists to examine their results for “what factors contribute to inequities” …

C.S. Lewis and the Development of Doctrine, by Luis E. Lugo

By Luis E. Lugo, The Catholic Thing – In “The Abolition of Man”, Lewis, who I believe can fairly be described as an Anglican with strong Catholic sensibilities in the way he thinks about the world, offers a vigorous defense of natural law, what he calls the Tao, in the face of what in another context he labels the poison of subjectivism.  Having strongly affirmed the objective, universal character of these first principles of practical reason, Lewis poses this question: “Does this mean, then, that no progress in our perceptions of value can ever take place?” On the contrary, he argues ….

Western Civilization Lives, by Austin Ruse

By Austin Ruse, Crisis Magazine – We are the inheritors of the most profound culture the world has ever known, and not even the modern barbarians can destroy it… Western Civilization lives. I saw it peeking through the broken concrete three times last week; four times if you include orchestrated Beatles as Western Civilization, and I do, hey, hey, hey, and I do. ….

Raucous Funeral Service at St. Patrick’s Cathedral For Trans Activist Sparks Outcry

By Jonathan Liedl, Matt McDonald, CNA – Several mainstream media outlets have framed the event as a breakthrough occasion, and a sign of the Catholic Church shifting its teaching — or at least its tone —on sexuality and human anthropology… A raucous funeral liturgy for a high-profile trans-activist and sex-worker advocate was held Thursday in New York City’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral, sparking an outcry on social media that the iconic church was misused to advance an ideological agenda at odds with Catholic teaching.

Cardinal of Vatican Orgy Fame Takes Part in ‘Historic’ Meeting With Italian Freemasons, by Michael Haynes

By Michael Haynes, LifeSiteNews – Leading Catholic prelates and a scandal-plagued Vatican cardinal took part in a conference on Freemasonry and the Catholic Church today, organized by the leading Freemasonic lodge of Italy… Announced some days ago by the Grand Orient of Italy, the nation’s leading Freemasonic lodge, a conference is taking place in Milan, February 16. Entitled “Catholic Church and Masonry,” the event is headlined by Stefano Bisi, who serves as the Grand Master of the Grand Orient, along with notable members of the Catholic hierarchy ….

Fiducia Supplicans and Doctrinal Clarity, by Hans Feichtinger

By Hans Feichtinger, First Things – Not that long ago, Vatican documents that miss the mark would have angered me. Now, I see them more as tragic events. Such is the case with Fiducia Supplicans, a Declaration recently issued by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of Faith. The document’s supposed aim was to clarify contested issues and heal rifts in the Catholic communion. It failed in both regards. How the laity and clergy have received the document around the world is a bad omen for how we handle divisive issues in the Catholic Church, issues that have broken up other churches.

Letter to the American Church, by Sheryl Collmer

By Sheryl Collmer, Crisis Magazine – There was a thin window of opportunity in 1930s Germany to oppose the Nazi regime before it acquired absolute power—and opposition became a death sentence. If Christian pastors had stood as a body united in the Gospel, and countered the Nazi propaganda in time, how many millions of lives might have been preserved?… We have the same narrow window today, before the sash hits the sill. We have already seen pastors and pro-lifers jailed for their resistance to the regime, so we know that the day is far advanced. How much more time do we have?

The CIA Started the Russia Collusion Hoax, by Douglas Andrew

By Douglas Andrew, Patriot Post – When Barack Obama talked about “fundamentally transforming the United States of America,” he wasn’t kidding. Before he came to town, we used to have an intelligence community that focused on foreign threats. But what we have now is a deep state that will rig a presidential election and, failing that, use lawfare and disinformation to hobble the opposition party’s president for his entire term in office… Thanks, Obama.

Watered-Down Gospel Messages Like ‘He Gets Us’ Ultimately Lead To Empty Pews, by Tyler Cochran

By Tyler Cochran, The Federalist – This year, “He Gets Us” spent an estimated $17.5 million on a pair of Super Bowl ads as part of their billion-dollar ad campaign. One commercial showed a series of images of people in various circumstances in answer to the question, “who is my neighbor,” alluding to Jesus’s command to “love thy neighbor” in Matthew 22:39. The second commercial depicts Christians washing the feet of various individuals who many might consider to be the Christians’ ideological opponents.

The Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: Fasting for the Kingdom of God

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Matthew 9:14-15 – Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come, when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.

U.S. Jesuits Bolster LGBTQ+ Outreach, by David Crary

By David Crary, Richmond Times Dispatch – Even as Catholic dogma continues to repudiate same-sex marriage and gender transition, one of the most prominent religious orders in the United States — the Jesuits — is strengthening a unique outreach program for LGBTQ+ Catholics… The initiative — fittingly called Outreach — was founded two years ago by the Rev. James Martin, a Jesuit who is one of the country’s most prominent advocates for greater LGBTQ+ inclusion in the Catholic Church.

Biden: ‘What Makes Me Most Angry Is that Ice Cream Cartons Have Actually Shrunk in Size’, by Craig Bannister

By Craig Bannister, MRC TV – On Sunday, Pres. Joe Biden said he’s angry that ice cream makers have shrunk the size of cartons – which they did to hide the effect of inflation on their costs… “I’ve had enough of what they call ‘Shrinkflation.’ It’s a rip-off,” Biden says in a video posted to social media prior to the Super Bowl, blasting snack companies for keeping prices the same while shrinking their products. …

Women Deacons Again, T. S. Flanders

By T. S. Flanders, OnePeterFive – Effeminate Men Created Feminism… Here we go again. “We already know that the Pope is very much in favor of the female diaconate.” Oh really?… The drive stirred up by the fallen angels continues to attack the heart of the Church, and effeminate men stand by while our sisters in Christ are attacked by this wicked spirit… What is this spirit? It is the spirit of Liberalism – that dark doctrine which holds all hierarchy to be an offense to man’s dignity, positing instead, that man’s dignity is based in power… Liberalism is built on this lie: you’re only as good as what you can do. ….

Screwtape Whispers ‘He Gets Us’ to Lure Us Away from Jesus, by John Zmirak

By John Zmirak, The Stream – It isn’t just a silly video paid for by goofball Christian businessmen with more money than sense. Nor a merely well-meaning failure, intended to reach the lost and scandalized. And we can’t even write off ‘He Gets Us’ as simply one more instance of liberal Christians trying to foist the Social Gospel on us as a replacement for the Creed. It’s all of those things, but more. There’s something deeper going on throughout our culture, a temptation that threatens us all. However conservative or “based” or “red-pilled” we might think we are.

Archbishop Aguer: The Confusion of Francis’ Papacy Has Only Worsened as He’s Gotten Older

+ Héctor Aguer, Archbishop Emeritus of La Plata, LifeSiteNews – Philosophy has coined the following observation about various processes: movement speeds up toward the end. This Aristotelian vision applies to Pope Francis’ papacy, which reveals its harmful condition inasmuch as it drags on as the pontiff gets older… Philosophy has coined the following observation about processes that is particularly valid for change: motus in fine velocior, i.e., movement speeds up toward the end. Beyond the realm of physics, this should be understood as referring to the metaphysical identity and quality of any process near its end, near the fulfillment toward which it is directed. …

Media Malpractice, by Phil Lawler

By Phil Lawler, Catholic Culture – Have you been reading the stories in the mainstream media (MM) about the mass protests by European farmers? Have you been seeing footage of the huge caravans—the hundreds of tractors lined up in demonstrations, in one capital city after another?… You haven’t? Neither have I. The truth is that mainstream media coverage of the farmers’ protests has been hard to find.

Archbishop of Milan to Take Part in ‘Historic’ Closed-Door Seminar With Italy’s Freemasons, by Edward Pentin

By Edward Pentin, EWTN News – The Archbishop of Milan has surprised many Catholics with the news that he plans to take part in a seminar in the northern Italian city on Friday with the grand masters of Italy’s three Freemasonic lodges, despite the Church’s longstanding censure of Freemasonry… Archbishop Mario Delpini, Cardinal Francesco Coccopalmerio, president emeritus of the Dicastery for Legislative Texts, and Bishop Antonio Staglianò, president of the Pontifical Academy of Theology, will be among Church representatives attending the closed-door event to discuss The Catholic Church and Freemasonry.

Saint of the Day for February 16: St. Gilbert of Sempringham

Franciscan Media – Gilbert was born in Sempringham, England, into a wealthy family, but he followed a path quite different from that expected of him as the son of a Norman knight. Sent to France for his higher education, he decided to pursue seminary studies.

TLM CANCELLED! Austin Bishop Affirms Vatican Instructed Diocese to End Latin Mass at Cathedral, by Emily Mangiaracin

By Emily Mangiaracina, LifeSiteNews – “The Latin Mass community at the cathedral succeeded in integrating with the wider cathedral parish. We provided a great counterexample to the ‘standoffish Trad’ stereotype. This effort makes the action even more painful; we lose not only the liturgy we love, but our parish family. Cruelty was not the intention, but cruelty is the effect,” stated the Society… Theologian and liturgist Dr. Peter Kwasniewski slammed the decision in a statement, declaring, “The Catholic Church cannot abolish her most venerable rites without contradicting herself, betraying her solemn obligations, and incurring the wrath of God.”

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: Take up Your Cross Daily and Follow Christ

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Luke 9:22-25 – “The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” And he said to all, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake, he will save it…

Archbishop Aguer: Pope Francis Should Heed His Own Warning Against the Dangers of ‘Ideologies’

By Archbishop Héctor Aguer, Archbishop Emeritus of La Plata, LifeSiteNews – The other ideology that inspires Francis is Peronist populism, which is also found in several Argentine bishops. It is a political and cultural current combined with the dictatorial decisions of the boss. Taken to Rome, this ideology is manifested in a change to the identity of the Church, which no longer appears as a Body or a Communion, but rather with the figure of an inverted pyramid: the people at the top, the hierarchy below. …

Christian Meditation for the Laity: Saint Francis of Sales, by Robert Lazu Kmita

By Robert Lazu Kmita, Remnant Columnist, Romania – Explicitly named and warmly recommended by Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori, Saint Francis de Sales is one of the most important masters of Christian prayer and meditation. What surprises us is the fact that, although he lived in a (still) truly Christian world, he did not expect laypeople to be familiar with “mental prayer” or “meditation.” On the contrary, he assumed that most had not heard of meditation and did not know how to practice it. ….

Cardinal Joseph Zen Speaks: How Will the Synod Continue and End?

By Card. Joseph Zen, 15 February 2024  Day after “the ashes” – There is a doubt to be resolved. They tell us that synodality is a fundamental constitutive element of the life of the Church, but at the same time they emphasize that synodality is what the Lord expects of us today. Participation and communion are obviously permanent characteristics of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. But doesn’t say that synodality is “the thing that the Lord expects of us today” mean that it is something new? …

Was Mar-a-Lago Raided to Find Missing Binder That Proved Obama-Biden CIA Targeted Trump? by Al Perrotta

By Al Perrotta, The Stream – Grab a to-go cup, because we’re heading back to 2016 … and a shocking scandal directly connected to a scandal today. And for that matter, the hot story of Wednesday… You Want to Talk Insurrection? Obama-Biden CIA Tasked Allies With Spying on Trump Associates, Which Lead to Trump-Russia Collusion Hoax… The Obama-Biden CIA requested foreign intelligence sources to spy on 26 Trump associates early in the 2016 campaign, and it’s this request that triggered the Russian Collusion Hoax. ….

Biden Administration Funding AI Tools to Censor Americans’ Speech, by Michael Nevradakis, Ph.D.

By Michael Nevradakis, Ph.D., Children’s Health Defense – “The purpose of these taxpayer-funded projects is to develop AI-powered censorship and propaganda tools that can be used by governments and Big Tech to shape public opinion,” according to a report released this week by the U.S. House Judiciary’s Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government… The Biden administration is funding research on artificial intelligence (AI) tools to identify and censor “misinformation,” “disinformation” and “malinformation” online, according to a U.S. House of Representatives interim report released Monday.

40 Ideas for Your Lent, by Marcellino D’Ambrosio

By Marcellino D’Ambrosio, Ph.D., Integrated Catholic – Lent is supposed to be a season of a successful journey through the desert of penance to a new land and a new, deeper, intimacy with God. But often, we find ourselves going back to the same old Lenten pathways of past years and end up getting nowhere. My aim here is to put into your hands some fresh Lenten ideas to help you approach the season in a new way so Lent can become for you the experience of lasting change that it is intended to be. …

The ‘Threat is Grave’: House Intel Chairman Sparks Panic With Cryptic Warning About a ‘Serious National Security Threat’, by Chris Enloe

By Chris Enloe, Blaze News – House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner (R-Ohio) is warning Americans about a “serious national security threat.”… In a cryptic statement on Wednesday, Turner said he shared sensitive intelligence about the threat with all members of Congress and called on President Joe Biden to declassify information about the threat.

Bozell Commends Speaker Johnson for Impeaching Mayorkas: ‘It Is This Kind of Leadership that Will Save Our Country’, by Craig Bannister

By Craig Bannister, CNS News – In a letter sent Wednesday, Media Research Center Founder and President L. Brent Bozell III commended House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) for his superb leadership resulting in the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas… After a vote failed last week, Speaker Johnson rallied Republicans to vote to impeach Mayorkas for failing to secure America’s borders and making false statements to both Congress and the American people.

Members of Congress Demand Justice for Five Full-Term Babies Killed in Abortions, by Mary Margaret Olohan 

By Mary Margaret Olohan, LifeNews – Republican lawmakers and pro-life activists gathered Wednesday on Capitol Hill to call for transparency and clarity regarding the deaths of “The Five,” preemie-sized aborted babies whose bodies are in the possession of Washington, D.C., officials… Pro-life activist Terrisa Bukovinac, the founder of the Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising and the co-discoverer of “The Five,” spoke out on Wednesday at the House Triangle, as did other pro-life activists …..

WATCH! Cardinal Gregory Says Tradition (TLM) Dies a Slow, Bloody Death

Complicit Clergy, Dec 8, 2023 – During the Q&A portion after a speech given by Cardinal Wilton Gregory at Catholic University (CUA) of America on December 6, 2023, a student asks the Cardinal why CUA students don’t have access to the Traditional Latin Mass on campus. Watch Cardinal Gregory’s finger-wagging response in this video. WATCH

The Ash Wednesday Phenomenon, by Phil Lawler

By Phil Lawler, Catholic Culture – American Catholics—even ordinarily inactive Catholics—flock to their churches (on Ash Wednesday) today to receive their ashes, to display them proudly. Already today (I am writing at 9 am) a half-dozen people I don’t know have sent me selfies, showing how they look with ashes on their foreheads… Why is Ash Wednesday so popular? Why are my social-media accounts clogged with reminders that today is Ash Wednesday? Why are inactive Catholics so anxious to display their allegiance to the faith—on this day of all days, when the message that the Church sends us is so grim?

Fr. Roger Landry: Prepare Yourselves to Live a Eucharistic Lent

By Father Roger Landry, EWTN News – Lent is about going spiritually to the state of the desert, about uniting ourselves to, and imitating, Jesus’ fasting, praying and charity. It’s a time to repent and believe… We’re summoned to render our hearts open to God, to reflect on the meaning and trajectory of our life, as we recall that we are dust and to dust we shall return. It’s a period of mercy and conversion, of grace and holiness that we’re supposed to receive fruitfully and not in vain.

Of “Healing Priests” and Other Strange Intrusions, by Fr. John A. Perricone

By Fr. John A. Perricone, Crisis Magazine With good intentions, they find refuge in a kind of hysterical prayer—put another way, a sort of soothing emotional swoon. Since this refuge is born of genuine spiritual longing, it is hard to hold it to strict theological/ascetical standards. But be held to them they must. Otherwise, added to the doctrinal bedlam there will be spiritual decadence, a salve which soothes but does not sanctify. Some may argue that it is a halfway house to authentic prayer, or better than nothing. But this sentimentality is addictive and can render the soul permanently impaired. Raised on a diet of pretzels and beer, the taste of caviar is unendurable. ….

Saint of the Day for February 15: St. Claude de la Colombière

Franciscan Media – This is a special day for the Jesuits, who claim today’s saint as one of their own. It’s also a special day for people who have a special devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus—a devotion Claude de la Colombière promoted, along with his friend and spiritual companion, Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque. The emphasis on God’s love for all was an antidote to the rigorous moralism of the Jansenists, who were popular at the time.

Ash Wednesday is the Beginning of Forty Days of Spiritual Battle and Penance, by Prosper Guéranger

By Prosper Guéranger, LifeSiteNews – Yesterday, the World was busy in its pleasures, and the very children of God were taking a joyous farewell to mirth: but this morning, all is changed… The solemn announcement, spoken of by the Prophet, has been proclaimed in Sion: (Joel 2) the solemn fast of Lent, the season of expiation, the approach of the great anniversaries of our redemption. Let us, then, rouse ourselves, and prepare for the spiritual combat… But, in this battling of the spirit against the flesh, we need good armor. Our holy Mother the Church knows how much we need it; and therefore does she summon us to enter into the House of God, that she may arm us for the holy contest.

Roots of Far-Left Radical Rhetoric and Tactics, by John J. Arechiga

By John J. Arechiga, The Remnant – It bears repeating.  Same song, second verse – this time a little bit louder.  Why?  Both our religious and secular situations continue their downward spirals… Arguably, today’s American religious and secular far left (i.e., radical) rhetoric and tactics are basically rooted in the teachings of Saul Alinsky (Alinsky) and, to a lesser extent, Mao Tse-tung (Mao)… This is an election year. Arguably, a vote for the political far left is basically a vote for the radical political agendas of Saul Alinsky (Alinsky) ….

RESOURCE: The Lenten Workshop, by Catholic Culture Staff

By Catholic Culture Staff – Welcome to the Lenten Workshop! As we enter this season in the spirit of the Church and of her liturgy we seek to wash away the stains of sin and to rid ourselves of all that prevents us from living a truly Christian life. We offer these instuctions, prayers and activities to help in our attempt to be united to our suffering Savior. The more perfectly we are united with Him in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and in the Eucharist the more we shall share His new life and glorification at Easter.

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: When You Pray, Fast, and Give Alms

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18 – “Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. “Thus, when you give alms, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. ….

Canterbury Cathedral’s ‘Rave in the Nave’ Draws the Ire of Believers and Nonbelievers, by Edward Pentin

By Edward Pentin, EWTN News – Commenting on these events to the Register, La Nuova Bussola Quotidiana Editor-in-Chief Riccardo Cascioli said he believes they are a symptom of a “serious crisis of faith affecting the entire Christian world, including Catholics.”… “People no longer know what churches are and what their purpose is,” he said. “It is a sign of a Christendom that, unable to bring the world to God, is chasing after the world. It is an unconditional surrender to secularization, one that is even accepted as a positive phenomenon.”

Msgr. Charles Pope: Compare and Contrast: The Super Bowl and the Mass, Football and Faith

By Msgr. Charles Pope – I write to you in the midst of a semi-“religious” event: the Super Bowl. People have donned their sacred attire and are shouting praises. I enjoy football, but see it a lot less than most since I’m a priest and tend to be busy on Sundays! Yet I remain quite fascinated at how passionate and dedicated many Americans are to their team and to the game.

“Get Married” Provides an Urgent Imperative Based on Data and Experience, by John M. Grondelsk

By John M. Grondelski, Ph.D., Catholic World Report – There are two unusual things about this book: It’s coming out for Valentine’s Day. And the title is a simple, strong imperative… The release of Get Married was deliberately planned to coincide with the end of National Marriage Week, an annual focus on the importance of marriage that ends on Valentine’s Day, February 14. And the book’s title commands us to do something for which that earlier generations did not seem to need an order.

Corporate America Starting to Shy Away From Woke Business as Backlash Mounts, by Will Kessler

By Will Kessler, Daily Caller News Foundation – American companies are reversing the multiyear trend of hiring more employees in roles related to environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) issues in an effort to increase profitability and address investor pushback… “2023 saw a real cooling in chatter around ESG and in some quarters, quite a pronounced attack on what ESG was about,” Joe Dubbin, managing director at executive search firm Cripps Leadership Advisors, told the WSJ. “It has certainly filtered through into the hiring requirements that we’ve been tasked to go do.” …

Catholic Vote: SCOTUS Sets Date for Abortion Pill Case, Will Hear Oral Arguments In Late March

By Catholic Vote, CV News Feed – The Supreme Court has set March 26 as the date it will hear oral arguments in a highly anticipated case regarding the legality of the abortion-inducing drug mifepristone… “The FDA’s own label for these drugs says that roughly one in 25 women who take them will end up in the emergency room,” said Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) Senior Counsel Erin Hawley, who represents the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine. ….

Pro-Life Advocate Says Fatherlessness is the “Most Ignored Crisis”, by Steven Ertelt

By Steven Ertelt, LifeNews – The absence of fathers is identified as the fundamental cause of many societal issues today, supported by extensive research presenting clear and indisputable evidence: children need good fathers… As per the 2020 U.S. Census, 18.4 million children are growing up without their biological fathers. This accounts for 23% of the total 73 million children in the U.S., marking a significant increase since 1968.

Dating Crisis Fuels Marriage Crisis, by Katrina Trinko

By Katrina Trinko, Daily Signal – If you’re not looking to date this Valentine’s Day, be grateful… It’s a disaster out there… Pair the lingering effects of the sexual revolution, of a world where too often sexual pleasure is prioritized over relationships founded on love and giving, with Big Tech’s noxious dating apps, where algorithms seem far better at perpetuating singledom than finding people soulmates, and you’ve got a hellscape.

Fr. Brian A. Graebe: Love Among the Ashes

By Fr. Brian A. Graebe, First Things – Regardless of their historical accuracy, the life and death of St. Valentine remind us that love is not a feeling or an emotion; nothing of permanence can stand upon such shaky ground. Rather, love is a choice, an act of the will that puts another’s good ahead of our own. Real love always involves sacrifice, dying to oneself so that the other can live and grow and flourish. The greatest symbol of love, then, is not Cupid, but the Cross. There we see the ultimate example of self-sacrificing love, as God himself dies so that we might live. …

Complicit Clergy: Bishop Weisenburger Attempts to Gaslight The Faithful on Illegal Immigration

By Complicit Clergy, Staff – Several days ago we published the story about O’Keefe Media Group infiltrating a secret illegal immigrant compound funded by the dioceses of Tuscon. We encouraged lay Catholics to contact Bishop Edward Weisenburger to express their concerns about this situation… One of our subscribers was kind enough to share with us the message he sent to the bishop along with the bishop’s response. As you will see in the bishop’s message, he’s tries to justify his operation by claiming none of the migrants being served are undocumented. He fails to address the fundamental question of whether these migrants illegally entered the United States. ….

Saint of the Day for February 14: Sts. Cyril and Methodius

By Franciscan Media – By Franciscan Media – Because their father was an officer in a part of Greece inhabited by many Slavs, these two Greek brothers ultimately became missionaries, teachers, and patrons of the Slavic peoples… After a brilliant course of studies, Cyril (called Constantine until he became a monk shortly before his death) refused the governorship of a district such as his brother had accepted among the Slavic-speaking population. …

Kansas City Chiefs Kicker Harrison Butker Condemns Abortion: “All Human Life is Valuable”, by Kimberlyn Schwartz

By Kimberlyn Schwartz, LifeNews – Harrison Butker is a man of many talents, but perhaps his greatest is his unwavering faith in God. The Kansas City Chiefs kicker is not only known for his impressive skills on the field, but also for his deep commitment to his Christian beliefs. Throughout his career, he has been an outspoken advocate for Pro-Life values, and he has used his platform to spread a message of the dignity of human Life… Butker’s faith was put to the test this past season when he suffered an injury to his left ankle during the first game of the year.

Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller: The Poison Paralyzing the Church Is the Opinion that We Should Adapt to the Spirit of the Age and Not the Spirit of God

By Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller, Catholic Culture, January 1, 2020 – We cannot escape the deadly poison of the rattlesnake or other serpents, if we strike friendship with it, but only if we prudently keep our distance and have the antidote ready at hand. The poison paralyzing the Church is the opinion that we should adapt to the Zeitgeist, the spirit of the age, and not the Spirit of God; That we should relativize God’s commandments, and reinterpret the doctrine of faith. Instead, as St Paul says, “The Church of the living God” is “the pillar and foundation of truth,” (1 Timothy 3:15).

Keeping a Holy Lent, A Reflection from Pope St Leo the Great

By Pope St Leo the Great – Sermon 46, Posted by The Catholic Herald – A reflection from Pope St Leo the Great – Sermon 46: The right practise of abstinence is needful not only to the mortification of the flesh but also to the purification of the mind; we desire your observance to be so complete that, as you cut down the pleasures that belong to the lusts of the flesh, so you should banish the errors that proceed from the imaginations of the heart… For he whose heart is polluted with no misbelief prepares himself with true and reasonable purification for the Paschal Feast, in which all the mysteries of our religion meet together. …

Putin’s Propaganda Filibuster of Carlson, by Thomas Gallatin

By Thomas Gallatin, Patriot Post – … part of the criticism of Carlson likely stems from the fact that he, while a well-known name in news media, is now an outsider and one of the biggest faces of the growing online alternative media sphere… Carlson’s interview with Putin is a huge score for alternative media and will give it more credibility — exactly what the mainstream legacy media does not want to see happen… That said, there is the interview itself, which lasted some two hours and at times served to be little other than an opportunity for the old KGB propagandist to drone on about his twisted views of history and to ply his version of it.

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees and Herod

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Mark 8:14-21 – Now they had forgotten to bring bread; and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. And he cautioned them, saying, “Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” And they discussed it with one another, saying, “We have no bread.” And being aware of it, Jesus said to them, “Why do you discuss the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? ….

Archives: The Managed Decline of the Catholic Church, by Eric Sammons

By Eric Sammons, Crisis Magazine – Earlier this month the Archbishop of Cincinnati announced his plan to restructure the archdiocese in light of changing demographics and the declining number of priests. The goal: to reduce the number of parishes by 70% over time… reflect on that: a major US archdiocese plans to shut the doors of 7 out of every 10 existing parishes. If you weren’t convinced the Catholic Church was in a state of crisis, then surely that number should wake you from your slumber.

EXCLUSIVE: Atheist Mariana Mazzucato Defends Pontifical Academy for Life Membership, Downplays Abortion, by Michael Haynes

By Michael Haynes, LifeSiteNews – he Pontifical Academy for Life’s controversial member Mariana Mazzucato (said) she found it “very sad that we go backwards instead of forwards” when asked about her membership of the academy in conjunction with her atheistic beliefs and pro-abortion views… Nominated by Pope Francis as an “ordinary academic” of the PAV in October 2022, Mazzucato’s presence sparked outrage amongst Catholics, who strongly criticized the move as yet more evidence of the PAV’s having “abandoned its purpose.”

The Fall of the Irish Mammy, by John Duggan

By John Duggan, First Things – Ireland is holding a referendum on March 8—International Women’s Day—which, if the governing parties have their way, will mean the word “mother” is removed from Bunreacht na hÉireann, the Irish Constitution… Article 41.2.2 currently says that the State shall “endeavour to ensure that mothers shall not be obliged by economic necessity to engage in labour to the neglect of their duties in the home.”

WATCH! “Letter to the American Church” (Trailer)

YouTube, Letter to the American Church – Eric Metaxas brings his passion for waking up the Church to the big screen! Eric joins us to give us the behind-the-scenes details on his new documentary, in partnership with Charlie Kirk and Turning Point USA. Don’t miss this important conversation! We also look at recent violations of privacy by the FBI and the DOJ, asking banks to reveal private records of purchases or searches of “religious books” and words such as MAGA or Trump… Letter to the American Church Documentary”

Is Ukraine Bill a Pretext for Third Trump Impeachment? by Fred Lucas

By Fred Lucas, Daily Signal – The Ukraine funding bill poised to pass the Senate could be used as a predicate to impeach Donald Trump should he win a second term, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, argued Monday… Vance joined a forum on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, along with Sens. Mike Lee, R-Utah, Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., and others… Over the weekend, with 18 Republicans joining the Democrat majority, the Senate moved to close debate and go to a vote on a $95 billion supplemental spending bill for Ukraine ….

Texas Diocese Reportedly Directed by the Vatican to End Traditional Latin Masses at its Cathedral, by Emily Mangiaracina

By Emily Mangiaracina, LifeSiteNews – The cathedral in the Diocese of Austin, Texas will discontinue its Traditional Latin Mass as of March 19, reportedly due to a decision “directly from the Vatican.”… Theologian Dr. Peter Kwasniewski shared Sunday evening on social media that, according to an “eyewitness,” it was announced at the end of Mass at the St. Mary Cathedral on February 11 that the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) will be canceled there as of March 19. Attendance at these Masses numbers from 500 to 600 people each week… Kwasniewski continued, “The war of Rome against the Roman Rite is driven by false ideology and has no legality whatsoever. It’s not a ‘just war.’ Quite the contrary: it is a war of aggression.”

The SPLC Seeks to Profit from Alleged ‘Hate’, by Jerry Newcombe

By Jerry Newcomber, The Stream – Are parents who are concerned for their children’s education “haters”? Are they bigots? Do they deserve to be treated as “domestic terrorists”? The answer to all of these questions should be, “No.”… But lately, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a group that claims to be the last word in who are haters and hate groups in America, has now added Moms for Liberty to their infamous “map of hate.”

The Power of a Woman’s Voice: Alejandro Monteverde Reflects on Mother Cabrini, by Kathy Schiffer

By Kathy Schiffer, Catholic World Report – Alejandro Monteverde, the award-winning director of Sound of Freedom and Bella, had never heard of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini when he was offered the script for a biographical film about her ministry in the slums of New York… (after reading the script).. Monteverde was inspired, though, after learning about the life of Francesca Cabrini, a poor Italian immigrant nun who fought to overcome disease and poverty in the Five Points district of New York City… “I was shocked.. that I’d never learned anything about her. Her life was cinematic!”

Saint of the Day for February 13: St. Giles Mary of St. Joseph (Nov. 16, 1729-Feb. 7, 1812)

By Franciscan Media – In the same year that a power-hungry Napoleon Bonaparte led his army into Russia, Giles Mary of Saint Joseph ended a life of humble service to his Franciscan community and to the citizens of Naples… Francesco was born in Taranto to very poor parents. His father’s death left the 18-year-old Francesco to care for the family. …

Cloud Computing: The Perils of Redefining God as a Celestial Microchip, by Steven Tucker

By Steven Tucker, Crisis Magazine – It often seems Artificial Intelligence can do anything these days. But is this only because such disembodied electronic mega-minds have been unconsciously modelled by their programmers after the even more omnipotent and algorithmically impressive mind of God? One Christian thinker who thinks deus may indeed lurk somewhere deep within machina is George Franklin Gilder (b.1939), the longtime chairman of George Gilder Fund Management.

Lent and the Divine Life, by Carl E. Olson

By Carl E. Olson, Catholic World Report – “What are you giving up for Lent?” While the question might be common in many Christian circles, it seems that answers to it are, well, increasingly creative. In fact, there are websites and books (with work sheets!) aplenty that offer “creative” suggestions for those trying to discern what needs to be given up, shut down, set aside, reduced, or eliminated altogether. And that’s fine, especially if it helps people take steps in spiritual growth.

The Good News About Fasting, by Michelle Petersen

By Michelle Petersen, Crisis Magazine – Among Catholics, this wave of consternation is about to hit on the eve of Ash Wednesday. Each year, these questions pepper Catholic social media; and each year these Catholics suffer more than necessary because repetition of the rules cannot address the experiential side of their struggles. We give it our best guess and tough it out for the two required days, then feast during Eastertide, and soon our busy lives delay the search for deeper answers until Lent rolls around again. This year, let us prepare in body, mind, and spirit and seek ….

Abortion Doulas Spoke at 2 Catholic Colleges. Here’s How They Responded, by Mary Elise Cosgray

By Mary Elise Cosgray, Daily Signal – The Catholic University of America and the University of Notre Dame both hosted an “abortion doula” on campus, but the two Roman Catholic schools responded to the backlash in starkly different manners… Notre Dame has yet to apologize for hosting a self-identified abortion doula who also identifies as transgender who spoke at an online event in March 2023.

‘Green’ Mandates Force Us to Exploit Child Slaves in Africa, But at Least They Don’t Post Mean Tweets, by Jason Scott Jones

By Jason Scott Jones, The Stream – Team Biden swept into power on a wave of dubious ballot totals and spurious virtue signals… Kamala Harris gave away the real agenda when she admitted that culling the number of humans was in fact a key part of their plan: “When we invest in clean energy and electric vehicles and reduce population, more of our children can breathe clean air and drink clean water” she said at a 2023 event at Baltimore.

Could the Justices Go 9-0 on Colorado? by Douglas Andrews

By Douglas Andrews, Patriot Post – What gives Colorado the right to decide the presidency for the rest of the nation?… That seemed to be the sentiment last Thursday not only of the Supreme Court’s conservatives but also its liberals, as the Court heard oral arguments on whether Colorado could invoke the 14th Amendment’s Civil War-era “disqualification” clause to bar Donald Trump from its presidential primary ballot.

Daily Scripture Readings and Meditation: No Sign Shall Be Given to This Generation

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Mark 8:11-13 – The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven, to test him. And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation.” And he left them, and getting into the boat again he departed to the other side.

Dishonest Language, Truth, and Failed Policies, by James H. McGee

By James H. McGee, The American Spectator – Hard reality looms on every front, and the first step to confronting it — before it is too late — is to aggressively challenge these fantasies. We need to start insisting on “truth,” not “my truth,” or “your truth,” or “Humpty Dumpty’s truth,” but rather an honest and objective representation of things as they are, that is, “the truth,” as once upon a time we understood it. At present, “the” truth isn’t simply ignored, but rather inverted, turned upside down, divested of all legitimate meaning

The Bleak Future of Medicine, by Paul de Lacvivier

By Paul de Lacvivier, The Remnant – What are the characteristics of Christian medicine? … First of all, we know that historically, the greatest devotees of bodily life were essentially the greatest devotees of the salvation of souls: the nuns in particular, and the brothers. They were a kind of beacon for all doctors, who, even if they were atheists or apostates, could do no less well or be no less dedicated than the religious… The disappearance of this healthy competition is hastening the end of Christian medicine.

Viganò: Francis Signals His Intention To Ordain Women, by Emily Mangiaracina

By Emily Mangiaracina, LifeSite News – Abp. Carlo Maria Viganò has declared that Pope Francis’ invitation to a female Anglican prelate to speak to the Council of Cardinals about “gender equality and the role of women in the Church” signals his intention to eventually “ordain” women… In a message posted to X on Tuesday, Abp. Viganò wrote, “Bergoglio intends to fundamentally change the concept of Holy Orders, placing alongside the Priesthood (reserved for men) forms of ‘non-ordained’ ministry for women, with a view to their sacramental ordination.”

Meet The Republican Senators Who Lied About Prioritizing Border Security Over Ukraine Funding, by Samuel Mangold-Lenett

By Samuel Mangold-Lenett, The Federalist – Republicans do not care about the southern border or American sovereignty, but they sure love Ukraine… In a 67-32 vote on Thursday, 17 Republican senators voted alongside their Democrat colleagues to advance a $95 billion “emergency security spending bill” that included $60 billion in aid to Ukraine and, according to The Washington Post, billions of dollars to “Indo-Pacific allies and $10 billion in humanitarian aid for Gaza.”

Memo to Tucho, by Robert Royal

By Robert Royal, The Catholic Thing – In social matters, we would do well to return to the rich developments of modern Catholic Social Doctrine: Subsidiarity – real subsidiarity not the suicidal subsidizing of anti-Christian forces, but the empowerment of civil society institutions like family, schools, local communities, and – yes – even nations… And true solidarity, not the sociological fantasies of postmodern elites, but a care for one another rooted in the fullness of Christian reality about God and man… And in truth. Catholic truth.

Fiducia Supplicans and Doctrinal Clarity, by Hans Feichtinger

By Hans Feichtinger, First Things – Not that long ago, Vatican documents that miss the mark would have angered me. Now, I see them more as tragic events. Such is the case with Fiducia Supplicans, a Declaration recently issued by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of Faith. The document’s supposed aim was to clarify contested issues and heal rifts in the Catholic communion. It failed in both regards. How the laity and clergy have received the document around the world is a bad omen for how we handle divisive issues in the Catholic Church, issues that have broken up other churches.

GASLIGHTING: Bishops Lobby Against Human Trafficking While Simultaneously Making Millions by Enabling It, by John Lavenburg

By John Lavenburg, Crux – Ahead of a House vote on a bipartisan human trafficking prevention bill, American bishops are calling on Catholics to urge their representatives to pass the measure, saying it is “critical for continuing and bolstering our nation’s efforts to eradicate human trafficking.”… Meanwhile, Catholic organizations are receiving millions in taxpayer funds annually enabling the illegal invasion of our nation and fostering problems such as crime, illegal drug smuggling, and human trafficking… Do bishops not realize that it is a federal crime to induce aliens to illegally enter the United States?

Saint of the Day for February 12: St. Apollonia

Franciscan Media – The persecution of Christians began in Alexandria during the reign of the Emperor Philip. The first victim of the pagan mob was an old man named Metrius, who was tortured and then stoned to death. The second person who refused to worship their false idols was a Christian woman named Quinta. Her words infuriated the mob and she was scourged and stoned.

Crisis of Faith, Life Demands Outspoken Shepherds, Not ‘Mute Dogs,’ French Bishop Says, by Louis Knuffke

By Louis Knuffke, LifeSiteNews – A French bishop known for his orthodoxy praised bishops in America as examples of outspokenness in the face of a deep crisis of faith within the Church, a crisis he said calls to mind the great apostasy that will be seen in the age of the Antichrist… Bishop Marc Aillet of the Diocese of Bayonne, Oloron and Lescar in southwest France said that today “truth itself is under threat, and with it the whole of humanity.”

The Emperor Has No Memory, by Nate Jackson

By Nate Jackson, Patriot Post – Everyone knows that Joe Biden is incapable of continuing to serve as president. He and the special counsel just proved it… There were two main themes Thursday for Biden: First, the two-tiered justice and the astounding revelations of Robert Hur’s report. Second, the president’s cognitive incapacitation and the astounding revelations of Robert Hur’s report.

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: Jesus Alone Can Satisfy Our Hunger for God

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Mark 8:1-10 – In those days, when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat, he called his disciples to him, and said to them, “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days, and have nothing to eat; and if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way; and some of them have come a long way.” ….

Fr. Raymond J. de Souza: Reset Saturday at the Vatican

By Father Raymond J. de Souza, EWTN News – First up was Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF), who has had the most bruising month in the recent history of Curial prefects. After his declaration Fiducia Supplicans provoked an unprecedented rejection from many parts of the Catholic world, he was forced to back down by Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo on behalf of the African bishops.

Why I Love AI (It’s Not Why You Think), by Julian Kwasniewski

By Julian Kwasniewski, The Catholic Thing – AI’s image-generating ability is about to separate the sheep from the goats, or the lovers of reality from those who don’t care whether or not anything they sense, love, or reason about is real. For the first time in history, society will need to decide whether or not it values reality. People have debated metaphysics, religion, science, art, and many other things. But there’s always been an assumption that they are arguing over a world of things and people. This world is on the verge of being replaced by a fantasy simulacrum made to deceive.

Trump Has Reason to Rage—But Needs to Stay Calm and Get Even Rather than Mad, by Victor Davis Hanson

By Victor Davis Hanson, American Greatness – Trump must concentrate on the disaster of the Biden administration and reiterate nonstop the agendas of 2025 that will save us from tottering on the brink… Donald Trump gave one of his best and most conciliatory speeches of his political career after his win in the recent Iowa primaries—that might explain why the media would not cover it. Later, to answer an ad hoc ambush reporter’s question whether he would hold grudges, he emphatically said he did not.

Don’t Succumb to Putin Envy, by Jason Jones & John Zmirak

By Jason Jones & John Zmirak, The Stream – We watched the courageous journalist Tucker Carlson do the patriotic thing and interview Vladimir Putin. Yes, you read that right. It does show a love for your country to try to find out what its rivals are thinking. To provide an outside perspective that doesn’t fit the Official Story concocted by our Deep State, then imposed by our heavily censored media. To try defusing a potentially nuclear Third World War, and to seek a negotiated peace instead of the bloody “quagmire” our own Pentagon wants.

No, This Isn’t a Culture War, by Phil Lawler

By Phil Lawler, Catholic Culture – “The biggest mistake we make is in believing that we are in a so-called ‘culture war,’ writes the Irish scholar Mark Dooley, at the opening of an essay for The European Conservative. Do you think you disagree? Maybe you should wait to read his next two sentences: The phrase ‘culture war’ assumes that both sides have rival cultures they are battling to defend and promote. However, the enemies of civilization, of life, and love, have no culture. …

Texas Attorney Given 180 Days in Jail For Attempting To Murder His Preborn Child, by Tierin-Rose Mandelburg

By Tierin-Rose Mandelburg, MRC TV – The Herrings were reportedly going through marital struggles back in 2022 but decided to start working on their relationship more as time went on. In February, Mrs. Herring became pregnant. Then, starting in March, Mr. Herring began slipping the pill Cyrux, an abortion pill sold in Mexico, into his wife’s drinks. (Cyrux is the same as misoprostol, the first of two pills taken to chemically kill a child in utero and force a miscarriage.)

Pro-Life Attorneys Block DC From Destroying Full-Term Aborted Babies Killed in Potentially Illegal Abortions, by Steven Ertelt

By Steven Ertelt, LifeNews – In an 11th-hour victory, leading pro-life attorneys have stopped Washington D.C. from destroying the bodies of five full-term aborted babies who were killed in potentially illegal abortions… Two years ago, pro-life advocates made a horrific discovery when they opened boxes of medical waste from a late-term abortion facility in Washington, D.C… Inside were the bodies of 115 aborted babies, including five who appeared to be nearly full term ….

Saint of the Day for February 10: St. Scholastica

Franciscan Media – Twins often share the same interests and ideas with an equal intensity. Therefore, it is no surprise that Scholastica and her twin brother, Benedict, established religious communities within a few miles from each other… Born in 480 of wealthy parents, Scholastica and Benedict were brought up together until he left central Italy for Rome to continue his studies.

Fr. Wade Menezes: 9 Chief Benefits of Confession

Fr. Wade Menezes, EWTN News – In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Sacrament of Confession is given several other important names that convey its very nature and the benefits received by the person who avails himself of this sacrament. In CCC 1423-1424, Confession is beautifully and rightly referred to as the Sacrament of Conversion, the Sacrament of Penance, the Sacrament of Forgiveness and the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Avoiding the Abortion Pill’s Inconvenient Truths, by Emmy Griffin

By Emmy Griffin, Patriot Post – Sage Publishing, which markets itself as an independent academic journal, retracted three studies regarding the dangers for mothers who use the abortion pill. This likely occurred due to outside political pressure, though Sage denies this particular allegation. For perspective, the three studies have been around since 2019, 2021, and 2022, respectively, and the complaint came only after a couple of key political incidents.

The Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: He Has Done All Things Well

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Mark 7:31-37 – Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, through the region of the Decapolis. And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand upon him. And taking him aside from the multitude privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue …..

Argentine Archbishop Criticizes Cardinals Who Back ‘Fiducia Supplicans’, by Walter Sanchez Silva

By Walter Sanchez Silva, CNA, Aci Prensa – Héctor Aguer, the archbishop emeritus of La Plata, Argentina, criticized two cardinals who have expressed their support for the Vatican declaration Fiducia Supplicans… In an article titled “The Consequences of F.S,” published Feb. 2 in Infovaticana, Aguer referred to “the division pulsating in the Church” that is evident in the reactions to the declaration made last December by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF).

WATCH: Secret Illegal Alien Compound Exposed – Funded By Catholic Community Services of Tuscon

By James O’Keefe, O’Keefe Media Group – O’Keefe Media Group infiltrates SECRET converted illegal immigrant compound CASA ALITAS Ramada Hotel in Tucson… This secret operation is funded by Catholic Community Services of Tucson and enriches groups like, “Las Palmas.”… O’Keefe disguised himself as a homeless drunk vagrant and Mexican illegals wore hidden cameras to gain entrance inside… @nickshirleyy… caught on tape Police confirming refugees are “lying about sponsors.” …

Pope Francis: To Be ‘Scandalized’ by Gay Couple Blessings is ‘Hypocrisy’

By Matthew Santucci, CNA – “No one is scandalized if I give a blessing to an entrepreneur who perhaps exploits people: and this is a very serious sin,” the Holy Father said. “Whereas they are scandalized if I give it to a homosexual … This is hypocrisy! We must all respect each other. Everyone.”… “I don’t bless a ‘homosexual marriage,’” the pope said. “I bless two people who love each other and I also ask them to pray for me.”

EWTN EDITORIAL: Prioritize Marriage, Not Same-Sex Blessings

The Editors, EWTN News – The secular world will fix its attention Sunday on the Super Bowl — an annual sporting spectacle that will be played this year in Las Vegas… On that same Sunday, the Catholic Church’s celebration of World Marriage Day should direct our attention to an institution that’s infinitely more important than a mere football game — yet recent events have left many Catholics concerned about whether the significance of marriage is being sidelined within the Church itself.

Members of Congress Demand Investigation of Abortions of Five Full-Term Babies, by Mary Margaret Olohan

By Mary Margaret Olohan, LifeNews – The chairmen of two House of Representatives subcommittees are calling on D.C. authorities to preserve the remains of “The Five” aborted baby bodies… “Our subcommittees are conducting oversight of the District of Columbia’s and the DOJ enforcement of federal law..” … “On February 5, 2024, The Daily Signal reported that DOJ had advised the Washington, D.C., Medical Examiner to dispose of the remains of five preborn children whose bodies were allegedly recovered from the Washington Surgi-Clinic,” the lawmakers write in the letter ….

Putin Tells Tucker it Would Have Been ‘Culpable Negligence’ for Russia to Not Intervene in Ukraine, by Patrick Delaney

By Patrick Delaney, LifeSiteNew – In a much-anticipated interview with popular commentator Tucker Carlson, Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed his motivations behind invading Ukraine two years ago, the many decisions the United States and their partners made to provoke the war, the CIA’s ability to disregard the policy of U.S. presidents, and the notion that Russia intends to invade Western Europe as obviously “imaginary.”

Fr. Peter Ryan, SJ: Hypocrisy and Same-Sex Blessings

By Fr. Peter Ryan, SJ, Catholic World Report – Blessing couples in irregular situations and same-sex couples is not analogous to blessing an individual businessman who may exploit people… Today I saw the headline, “Pope denounces ‘hypocrisy’ of those who criticise LGBT blessings.” I found that disconcerting, because I have been critical of LGBT blessings. It grieves me to be regarded as a hypocrite by the Holy Father.

Prosecutor: Biden Not Only Kept, But SHARED Classified Documents! by Bob Unruh

By Bob Unruh, World Net Daily – A special prosecutor has determined that Joe Biden did, indeed, take and keep classified government papers to which he was not entitled, and even shared the information with others… Multiple acts violated federal law, but Biden isn’t going to be charged, as least partly because his “age and poor memory would create reasonable doubt for jurors,” according to a report in Just the News.

Saint of the Day for February 9: St. Jerome Emiliani

Franciscan Media – A careless and irreligious soldier for the city-state of Venice, Jerome was captured in a skirmish at an outpost town and chained in a dungeon. In prison Jerome had a lot of time to think, and he gradually learned how to pray. When he escaped, he returned to Venice where he took charge of the education of his nephews—and began his own studies for the priesthood.

Lows and Highs of Good Citizenship, by Stephen P. White

By Stephen P. White, The Catholic Thing – First and foremost, citizenship is about love, that is, about willing and acting for the good of a particular community. A good citizen loves the political community to which he belongs. He loves it well when he acts in a way that places the good of his community – the whole good, the common good – ahead of his own personal or tribal interests… The citizen ought to love his political community because it is his, not merely in exchange for the material benefits it provides. The good citizen must love his home enough to desire to fix what is broken in it and preserve what is good in it. ….

Francis is Gaslighting the World Into Thinking Christianity is a Hate Crime, by Robert Morrison

By Robert Morrison, Remnant Columnist, The Remnant – In his interview published by the Italian magazine Credere on February 8, 2024, Francis scolded those who question Fiducia Supplicans, the December document authorizing the blessing of same-sex unions: “‘The gravest sins,’ the Pope adds, ‘are those that disguise themselves with a more ‘angelic’ appearance. No one is scandalised if I give a blessing to an entrepreneur who perhaps exploits people: and this is a very serious sin. Whereas they are scandalised if I give it to a homosexual . . . This is hypocrisy! We must all respect each other. Everyone! The heart of the document is welcome.” ….

Democrats Have Declared A Spiritual Civil War On America – While Most Bishops Remain Silent, by Richard Viguerie

By Richard Viguerie, Conservative HQ – There is a lot of talk and debate about whether the U.S. is drifting into a civil war: Were the 2020 urban riots acts of civil war, was the January 6, 2021 protest at the U.S. Capitol an “insurrection,” is what’s going on at the Texas-Mexico border the prelude to something bigger?… There’s been a Civil War – a Spiritual Civil War – going on in America since long before 2020, and we conservatives are losing… For most of the second half of the 20th Century, we were in a Cultural War with the Left; however, conservatives didn’t realize it, and certainly didn’t act like it, and therefore we lost the Cultural War.

Catholic Vote: Archbishop Wester Praises “Fake Catholic” John Podesta After Biden Climate Change Meeting

By Staff, Catholic Vote – Archbishop John Wester of Santa Fe, NM recently praised Biden’s newly-appointed climate diplomat John Podesta for “listening” to religious leaders, despite Podesta’s controversial actions in recent years against the U.S. Catholics and their bishops… Podesta, a Catholic, founded the pro-abortion and pro-LGBT organization Center for American Progress in 2003… Wester.. praised Podesta on February 2 in an article featured in Earthbeat, an environment-focused extension of left-wing news outlet National Catholic Reporter. ….

Dems Roll Out Welcome Mat for World’s Criminals, by Betsy McCaughey

By Betsy McCaughey, Patriot Post – In 2022, Immigration and Customs Enforcement launched a crackdown on international retail theft rings. But New York’s Democratic politicians have vowed never to cooperate with ICE. Too bad for the businesses and citizens here… In December, Rep. August Pfluger (R-Texas) told a House hearing that international crime rings are exploiting President Joe Biden’s open borders and heading to blue states with soft-on-crime policies ….

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: Out of the Heart Come Evil Thoughts

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Mark 7:14-23 – And he called the people to him again, and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand: there is nothing outside a man which by going into him can defile him; but the things which come out of a man are what defile him.” And when he had entered the house, and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. ….

Founder’s Quote

Patriot Post – “If it be asked, What is the most sacred duty and the greatest source of our security in a Republic? The answer would be, An inviolable respect for the Constitution and Laws — the first growing out of the last. … A sacred respect for the constitutional law is the vital principle, the sustaining energy of a free government.” —Alexander Hamilton (1794)

African Bishop Schools U.S. Bishops On How To Speak About Illegal Immigration, by João, ACIVissesse Africa

By João Vissesse, ACI Africa – Bishop Belmiro Cuica Chissengueti of Cabinda Diocese Decries Illegal Immigration, Says “A Threat to National Sovereignty”… Illegal immigration in the Southern African nation of Angola has the potentiality of disrupting the ability of the country to govern itself… “The phenomenon of illegal immigration, specifically here in our province of Cabinda is a real threat to Angola’s sovereignty” ….

UT Austin Cuts Program for Illegal Immigrant Students, in Compliance With Anti-DEI Texas Law, by Evan Poellinger

By Evan Poellinger, MRC TV – The Univ. of Texas at Austin has done away with a program that provided support for illegal immigrant students, sparking protests from some members of the student body… The Monarch program, which was created in 2016, provided resources to illegals and their families, as well as a $500 to $1,000 scholarship for annual recipients. However, Senate Bill 17, signed into law last June by Rep. Gov. Greg Abbott, prohibits Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs in Texas ….

Blog: The Bombshell Letter Every American Must Read, by Elizabeth Yore

By Elizabeth Yore, Yore Children – In three very short years, a silent and surreptitious invasion was underway. A war is being organized by enemies from many countries who were invited in by the Biden Administration to destroy us.  These are the times that will test the souls of every American. Pay attention to the final warning from the 10 brave retired FBI patriots: “The threat we call out today is new and unfamiliar. In its modern history the U.S. has never suffered an invasion of the homeland, and, yet, one is unfolding now. Military age men from across the globe, many from countries or regions not friendly to the United States, are landing in waves on our soil by the thousands – not by splashing ashore from a ship or parachuting from a plane but rather by foot across a border, but rather by foot across a border that has been accurately advertised around the world as largely unprotected with ready access granted.”

Fr. Jerry Pokorsky: Compassion and Gratitude

By Fr. Jerry Pokorsky, Catholic Culture – Compassion means to “suffer with.” A compassionate person suffers with another person with attentive and consoling love. Jesus encountered suffering during His ministry and responded with compassion. He healed the sick, raised the dead, and forgave sins. The ministry of Jesus teaches us that gratitude completes compassion.

Female Anglican Bishop Addresses Pope Francis’ Council of Cardinals, by Edward Pentin

By Edward Pentin, EWTN News – A female Anglican bishop who has campaigned for “gender equality” addressed the Council of Cardinals on Monday as part of a session dedicated to deepening a reflection “on the role of women in the Church.”… Rev. Jo Bailey Wells, who is deputy secretary general of the Anglican Communion, was one of the first generation of women to be ordained a vicar in the Church of England in 1995. Married to an Anglican clergyman with two children, she has also served as chaplain to the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The Catholic Herald: Union of Catholic Mothers Sticking Up for Families at Time of ‘Great Unrest’

By The Catholic Herald – The Union of Catholic Mothers was founded in 1913 to unite Catholic married women in the UK. It is a national organisation which promotes the full ideal of marriage, Christian values in family life and Catholic religious education of children… UCM members are made aware of current social, political and medical policies at the national level, and are encouraged to individually lobby MPs as well as join campaigns for the alleviation of hunger, poverty and war, both at home and overseas.

Empathy for the Devil? by Anthony Esolen

By Anthony Esolen, Crisis Magazine – Empathy, I’ve long seen, is often a function of where you happen to be looking. It’s easy for people to feel sorry for someone standing in front of them, begging to be let off from some penalty for their wrongdoing, full of excuses, explanations that don’t explain anything, and suggestions that maybe the wrong they did was right after all. It’s easy, because it costs nothing. You may say your heart goes out to the sinner. Maybe it does, maybe it doesn’t.

Bishop Strickland Signs Document Requesting Pope Francis Repeal Fiducia Supplicans, by Maike Hickson

By Maike Hickson, LifeSiteNews – The beloved former bishop of Tyler, Texas, Joseph Strickland, who was recently removed from his post by Pope Francis, has added his signature to the Filial Appeal published last Friday urging cardinals and bishops of the Catholic Church to take steps against Fiducia Supplicans, the Vatican’s recent document approving the blessing of homosexual “couples.”… The appeal had first been signed by some 90 clergymen, scholars, and authors and was published on February 2, the feast of Candlemas, but more priests and scholars are invited to sign their name by writing to filialappeal@gmail.com. The additional list will be published on February 17, and will now also include the name of Bishop Strickland.

Saint of the Day for February 7: St. Colette (Jan. 13, 1381 – March 6, 1447)

By Franciscan Media – Saint Colette’s Story – Colette did not seek the limelight, but in doing God’s will she certainly attracted a lot of attention. Colette was born in Corbie, France. At 21, she began to follow the Third Order Rule and became an anchoress, a woman walled into a room whose only opening was a window into a church.

Msgr. Charles Pope: A Test for Pridefulness

By Msgr. Charles Pope – the passage from Proverbs above links humility to wisdom and learning.Thus, something we call docility is related to humility. The word docility comes from the Latin word for being teachable. Too often, we can be stubbornly opinionated and resist being taught. It is important to ask the Lord for greater docility. …

Msgr. Charles Pope: When Troubles Rise – A Homily for the 5th Sunday of the Year

By Msgr. Charles Pope – In life we face many difficulties; they challenge us and our faith. Deep struggle can lead us to question God, His love, or even His existence. The readings today speak to us of these sorts of difficulties and prophetically interpret them for us. Let’s take a look at these readings in three stages… I. The Disillusionment of Deep Despair – The reading from the book of Job clearly articulates the feeling we have all experienced at one time or another. Job said, Is not man’s life on earth a drudgery? ….

John Paul II Academy: Tucho Must Go… And Take His Blasphemy With Him, by Christopher Manion

By Christopher Manion, The Wanderer – On January 17th, leaders of the John Paul II Academy for Human Life and the Family formally requested that Pope Francis dismiss Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernandez from his post as Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith… “The sensual-mystical literature for which the cardinal has a particular propensity is one of the worst evils of our time,” wrote Dr. Thomas Ward, Academy president and founder of England’s National Association of Catholic Families. It “does nothing but justify the worst excesses of the sexual revolution that is deeply corrupting our society and leading our youth to the abyss.”

A Wearying Pontificate Nears Its End, by Eric Sammons

By Eric Sammons, Crisis Magazine – We’re no longer angry. We’re just tired. Tired of the weaponized ambiguity, tired of the scandals, tired of the cozying up to the world’s worst people. The shape of this pontificate is clear, and the historical record will not be kind to it. While Francis can still do damage before his particular judgement, most of us are just waiting until we have a new pope who we hope will help clean up the mess. Until then, we’ll keep living our faith with endurance, for “suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope” (Romans 5:3-5).

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: Many Were Made Well

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Mark 6:53-56 – And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret, and moored to the shore. And when they got out of the boat, immediately the people recognized him, and ran about the whole neighborhood and began to bring sick people on their pallets to any place where they heard he was. …

WATCH! THE DEEP FAKE: Globalism’s Plan to Criminalize Free Speech, by Michael J. Matt

By Michael J. Matt, Editor, The Remnant – Farmers of the world unite, as the global elite try to cut the food supply to save the planet. As Catholic priests take to the streets to bless the uprising, the Agenda 2030 crowd say: “You will eat bugs and be happy!”… From Barrack Obama to Bill and Hillary Clinton, to Dr. Ted, they all love (Pope) Francis. Why? Because the global elites need the Catholic pope to dogmatize Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. …

Fr Richard Heilman: DAY 1, UNITE AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS – PERFECTION

By Fr Richard Heilman, Roman Catholic Man – Spiritual progress tends toward ever more intimate union with Christ. This union is called “mystical” because it participates in the mystery of Christ through the sacraments – “the holy mysteries” – and, in him, in the mystery of the Holy Trinity. God calls us all to this intimate union with him, even if the special graces or extraordinary signs of this mystical life are granted only to some for the sake of manifesting the gratuitous gift given to all. (CCC 2014)

Under The Senate’s Atrocious Border Bill, Everybody Gets Asylum, by Margot Cleveland

By Margot Cleveland, The Federalist – The Senate’s emergency appropriations bill released on Sunday won’t address the border crisis, and contrary to the accomplice media’s spin, the spending bill won’t “severely curtail asylum at the US southern border.”… The irony here is that the Biden administration’s reversal of the Trump policies has fortified the funding of cartels, gangs, and traffickers — so much so that those flooding our shores will now be able to honestly say their government cannot protect them.

(Catholic) Bishops Helping Deploy Major Migrant Crime Wave Across America, by Bob Price

By Bob Price, Breitbart – Sanctuary cities and their suburbs are experiencing a crime wave from migrants who are released by the Biden administration after illegally crossing the border between ports of entry. Police, particularly in the Chicago area and New York City, reported significant increases in crime related to migrants relocated to their cities… The police chief of Oak Brook, Illinois, a suburb of the sanctuary city of Chicago, is reporting a series of crimes being committed by migrants who the Biden administration released after they illegally crossed the border ….

Senate Staffer Avoids Punishment With ‘Rainbow Privilege’, by Thomas Gallatin

By Thomas Gallatin, Patriot Post – The reason this story is so shameful — beyond the now-public sexual deviancy of a Senate staffer — is the blatant undermining of the foundational principles of our legal system. Treating any identity group as a privileged group for which the laws of the land are not enforced equally and without prejudice is to do injustice. Furthermore, arguing that because these groups may have suffered past injustices, they now deserve special treatment makes a mockery of the equal application of the law and further erodes confidence in our justice system.

Pastor Found Guilty of Breaking Law By Holding Sign With Bible Verse Outside Abortion Biz, by Steven Ertelt 

By Steven Ertelt, LifeNews – Another pro-life advocate in the UK has been charged with breaking a discriminatory law that prevents pro-life free speech outside abortion businesses… Pastor Stephen Green, 72, from South Wales, was found guilty of breaching a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) for holding a sign with a verse from the Bible on it outside of an abortion clinic.

Fr. Ripperger: The ‘Spiritual Warfare’ of Our Times is an Opportunity for Us to Become Saints, by Andreas Wailzer

By Andreas Wailzer, LifeSiteNews – According to the statistics recorded by Catholic exorcists, Ripperger said, the number of demonic possessions has remained the same over recent decades: about 0.5% of the general population. However, other forms of demonic influence have increased significantly… “The… rates of diabolic obsession are drastically on the rise,” he said.

Is Biden Malicious, Incompetent, or Conniving? by Victor Davis Hanson

By Victor Davis Hanson, American Greatness – Things are becoming so strange, so surreal, so nihilistic in contemporary America that the chaos can only be deliberate. Chance, incompetence, and accident could not alone explain the series of disasters we now daily witness that are nearly destroying the country… When the ailing and non-compos-mentis president now speaks, he rarely becomes excited about Iranian or terrorist provocations. ….

‘Art’ificial Intelligence: AI Can Create Religious Images in Seconds. But Is It Really Sacred Art? by Joseph Pronechen

By Joseph Pronechen, EWTN News – Welcome to a brave new world pitting processors against painters… Adjusting the drape of fabric just so on her artistic model, sacred artist Gwyneth Thompson-Briggs continues painting, with a stroke of oil paint here, a highlight or shadow there, working to depict the latest saint for her artistic portfolio… Elsewhere, using algorithms and data points, a computer scans the internet to “create” new art. ….

‘Pure Evil’: 11-Year-Old Cries In Pain While Getting Puberty Blockers, by Tierin-Rose Manelburg

By Tierin-Rose Manelburg, MRC TV – It’s a heartbreaking (video) clip, and viewers are calling out the transgender ideology for what it really is: “pure evil.”… In it, a mother and her 11-year-old son Joseph, who they refer to as “Josie,” visit a transgender specialist named Dr. Olsen, who insists that “Josie” is at a “perfect place” to begin puberty blockers to stop the young boy’s body from going through male puberty. ….

Fr. Raymond J. de Souza: Fiducia Supplicans’ Geography of Sin

By Fr. Raymond J. de Souza, The Catholic Thing – In the forty-some years since the BBC launched the political satire “Yes, Minister”.. its relevance has only grown. Anyone who watches Sir Humphrey describe the Church of England (“The Bishop’s Gambit”) may think he is watching a historical documentary, not a comedy… “It’s interesting, isn’t it, that nowadays politicians want to talk about moral issues, and bishops want to talk politics,” observes Sir Humphrey, cynically adding that “theology is a device for allowing agnostics to remain with the church.”

The Thought Police Are Here, by Austin Ruse

By Austin Ruse, Crisis Magazine – German courts just prosecuted an American playwright named C.J. Hopkins for thought crimes. He won the case, but that was not the point. The point was to punish for wrong think… Hopkins moved to Germany during the Iraq War years because he saw Germany as freer than the U.S. which at that time did not much allow criticism of George Bush’s war of choice. Yes, I said that: I have been on a journey, as likely you have been.

Complicit Clergy: Could This Be Why Bishops Appear To Hate Trump And Love Biden?

By Staff, Complicit Clergy – During the past two presidential campaigns, many faithful Catholics were perplexed by what appeared to be a consistent campaign to undermine Donald Trump. In 2016, Pope Francis called Trump’s plan to build a wall on the US/Mexico border “disgraceful” and that Donald Trump “is not Christian.” Then compare the reception that Trump received when he visited the Vatican on 2016 to that of Joe Biden in October 2021.

Crisis Magazine: Filial Appeal to All Cardinals and Bishops of the Catholic Church

By Crisis Magazine – Your Eminencies, Your Excellencies: We, the undersigned Catholic priests, scholars, and authors, write to you on the occasion of the latest document published by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, Fiducia Supplicans, which has caused so much scandal in the Church during this last Christmastime… As is widely known, a relevant part of the world episcopate has practically rejected it, due to its evident break with Scripture and the Tradition of the Church. ….

Crusade of 2024, by Bishop Athanasius Schneider, Christopher P. Wendt 

By Bishop Athanasius Schneider, Christopher P. Wendt – The Confraternity of Our Lady of Fatima, together with His Excellency Bishop Athanasius Schneider as spiritual guide, is calling for a worldwide spiritual crusade in honor of the Immaculate Heart of Mary for 2024. This initiative aims to implore Divine Intervention for the current crisis within the Church… In light of the attacks on the Chair of Peter and the Church as a whole by the Pope himself and countless bishops and priests, the Confraternity of Our Lady of Fatima believes that only God, only Christ the King, can save His Church from Her enemies.

NYC Launches $53M Program To Give Illegals Pre-Paid Credit Cards

By Brittany M. Hughes, MRC TV – New York City is launching a $53 million dollar plan to give illegal aliens pre-paid credit cards… the multi-million-dollar, taxpayer-backed project will be similar to the city’s program offering food assistance to low-income residents, and will start with 500 illegal alien families currently staying at the Roosevelt Hotel. The amount handed out per family will depend on their size, but a family of four could get as much as $1,000 a month, the Post reports. The cards will be refilled every 28 days.

On Playing the Game of Common Good With a Crooked Deck, by Dr. Jeff Mirus

By Dr. Jeff Mirus, Catholic Culture – Human solidarity is not defined by some Marxist ideology which puts individual persons at the mercy of the State; nor is subsidiarity defined by some Randian individualist autonomy. Rather, both principles are honored through the dignity of human persons exercising personal authority over their use of goods while participating in the decisions and actions which assist those less fortunate and shape the common good of the community of which they are a part.

Is Jumping on the AI Bandwagon Prudent? by Constance T. Hull

By Constance T. Hull, Catholic Exchange – I recently had to replace my MacBook of 6 years when it started to slowly die. I decided to return to a Windows based operating system, so I ordered a Dell. After setting it up, I was startled to see how much AI technology is available on the computer considering it was the basic model. In fact, new changes and updates seem to be added regularly at a startling pace. ….

Catholic World News: Pope’s Lenten Message: Focus on ‘Integral Ecology’

By Catholic World News – In an indication of the Pope’s focus on social action, the Vatican press conference introducing the papal message was led by Cardinal Michael Czerny, SJ, the prefect of the Dicastery for Integral Human Development. The cardinal observed that the Lenten Message echoes the themes of the Pope’s social encyclicals, Laudato Si’ and Fratelli Tutti. “Here we see the pastoral paradigms of integral ecology, fraternity, and social friendship reshaping evangelization,” he said.

Can the Pope be a Heretic? The Traditional Catholic Answer

By Robert Lazu Kmita, Remnant Columnist, Romania, The Remnant – In a homily on May 7, 2005, Pope Benedict XVI made one of the important statements regarding the authority of the Pope…. “The pope is not an absolute monarch whose thoughts and desires are law. On the contrary: The pope’s ministry is a guarantee of obedience to Christ and to his Word. He must not proclaim his own ideas, but rather constantly bind himself and the Church to obedience to God’s Word, in the face of every attempt to adapt it or water it down, and every form of opportunism.”

Regime Christians Are Sadducees Who Don’t Care if Their Children Live Free, by John Zmirak

By John Zmirak, The Stream – If you have been paying attention since 2016, you’ll have noticed a great sifting of Christians, which sorted the sheep from the goats. Remember those “NeverTrump” Christians who sniffed at Trump’s candidacy disdainfully, and warned that he somehow posed a threat to all the norms and even the rules of democratic politics?… Those same people, mostly, are now either silent or complicit when the Biden administration operates lawlessly to prosecute its opponents. ….

‘Gift of New Life’ Brings Heroic Hope After Newlywed Tragedy

By Patti Maguire Armstrong, EWTN News – It was Nathaniel (Nate) Kuhlman — Gordon and Heather’s only child — who brought them together as a family. He and Mariana met at Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio, in October 2021 and were married on Oct. 28, 2023. Tragically, on the first morning of their honeymoon on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia, Nate, 23, died in a water-skiing accident, a mere three days after their wedding… However, the fruits of their brief sacramental union echo through eternity: Mariana, 22, is joyfully expecting their baby. Her due date is July 17.

A Plea for Parishes, by Joseph Schmiesing

By Joseph Schmiesing, Crisis Magazine – I recently watched a short clip of the demolition of the bell tower of St. Nicholas Church in Ohio. In a short moment, the large excavator pushed on the corner and the edifice collapsed in a pile of rubble and dust. Already stripped of its stained glass and crucifix, the church, until the moment it fell, still maintained a nobleness, as though it knew it was both the product and the representation of Faith for thousands of parishioners and strangers over the decades.

WATCH! Bishop Strickland Calls Out Rome for ‘Weaponized Ambiguity’ on Women, Homosexual Blessings, by John-Henry Westen

By John-Henry Westen, LifeSiteNews – My take on it is that it’s sort of a very slow but very clear movement, the controversy of women’s ordination and everything. We’ve heard things, “Oh, well, that’s not even on the table for discussion.” I think we would both agree we’re in a time of great confusion. I would even say recently, “weaponized confusion.” People speak of virtually anything can be weaponized. But confusion is really not what we need.

French Bishops Express Solidarity With Striking Farmers, by Jonah McKeown

By Jonah McKeown, Catholic World Report – Several of France’s Catholic leaders have expressed solidarity with the country’s agricultural workers amid historic protests that have seen farmers block major roadways near Paris with their tractors to protest environmental regulations, taxes, and competition from cheap imports… Bishop Jean-Marc Micas of the Diocese of Tarbes-et-Lourdes, which is a largely rural diocese that includes the world-famous Marian shrine of Lourdes, said he wants to “express all my support to the farmers of the diocese.” ….

J6 Committee Admits Its Show Trials Were An Election-Year Publicity Stunt, by Tristan Justice

By Tristan Justice, The Federalist – Key members of the since-disbanded Select Committee on January 6th admit in a new PBS documentary that the entire operation was an election-year publicity stunt… On Wednesday, Frontline PBS published a new documentary, “Democracy on Trial,” chronicling the House committee’s work. Pivotal players on the partisan probe conceded in the two-and-half-hour documentary that the panel’s public performances produced for prime-time television were orchestrated as entertainment media.

There’s a Massive Difference Between Pro-Life Donald Trump and Pro-Abortion Joe Biden, by Carol Tobias

By Carol Tobias, LifeNews – Polling shows that Americans are most concerned with the economy, immigration, and foreign policy, yet President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are conducting a nationwide campaign focused on promoting ways to kill more preborn children… The Biden administration is using a “whole of government” approach—using every lever of federal power—to remove any and all limits on abortion and use your tax dollars to pay for them.

The Catholic Church and Anti-Racialism, by Casey Chalk

By Casey Chalk, The Catholic Thing – It is true, as Burke-Sivers writes, that black Catholics, like all black Christians in America, have often faced a “struggle to be recognized, welcomed, and accepted as human persons.” Yet it seems unlikely we will address those struggles in dialogue with those whose Marxist and racialist origins are so decidedly anti-Christian… If the words and behaviors of the leading lights of the anti-racist movement are any indication, we already have ample evidence to predict how such conversations will go.

Fr. John A. Perricone: Rome, We Have a Problem

By Fr. John A. Perricone, Crisis Magazine – If ever there were an emergency message to Rome, this is it. It might have been the SOS a year ago as some bishops witnessed large numbers of other bishops using their pastoral canonical privilege to bypass the iron-fisted prescriptions of Traditionis Custodes. But it is certainly the frightened alert in light of the Extraordinary Form Mass held at the U.S. Capitol last Tuesday… It was a Jericho-Walls-crumbling moment.

Hard to Say What’s Doing in Francis’s Vatican, by Christopher R. Altieri

By Christopher R. Altieri, Catholic World Report – It really is hard to tell what’s going on in Pope Francis’s Vatican, especially these days, but that’s because there’s plenty—too much—to see… Italy’s Domani published a piece detailing new allegations against the disgraced former Jesuit, Marko Rupnik–inexplicably and intolerably styled Fr. Marko Rupnik—extern of Koper diocese in his native Slovenia, currently resident in Rome and reported to be regularly seen at the Centro Aletti he founded in the early 1990s. ….

Cardinal Müller Says ‘Some Bishops’ Behave Childishly by Canceling Latin Mass Priests, by Stephen Kokx

By Stephen Kokx, LifeSiteNews – In regard to a Kentucky bishop’s removal of the priests, the former head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith said some bishops ‘look to Rome and then say to the Holy Father, ‘I suppressed these people, and therefore I look for the reward of being promoted, being named archbishop, or cardinal.’ This [is the] childish behavior of some bishops.’…. It is “more important” that the Mass be celebrated than the form it is offered in, Müller stated. If pastors come down too hard on laity who attend the traditional Mass, they act as if they do “not care” for them and then “the people (will be) angry with the Church and they will leave the Church.”

The Biden Administration Is Treading On Texas’ Sovereignty, Not The Other Way Around, by Margot Cleveland

By Margot Cleveland, The Federalist – Democrat accomplice media have been misrepresenting nearly everything about Texas’ efforts to secure the border. But it’s time to separate fact from fiction… For starters: No, Texas isn’t flouting the Supreme Court. Last week, the court vacated a lower court injunction that prohibited the federal government from removing razor-wire fencing that Texas had erected on the border. Coverage of both the decision and Texas’ response was replete with errors.

‘Blood On Your Hands’: Lawmakers Grill Tech CEOs On Child-Exploitation ‘Crisis’, by Peter Pinedo

By Peter Pinedo, CNA – The hearing, titled “Big Tech and the Online Child Sexual Exploitation Crisis,” was held by the Senate Judiciary Committee… Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., opened the hearing by stating that “online child sexual exploitation is a crisis in America.” Durbin cited the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which reported receiving 100,000 reports of online child sexual-abuse material per day in 2023.

LifeSiteNews: Fr. James Martin Addresses Irish Bishops in Private Meeting at Marian Shrine

By LifeSiteNews staff – The Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference has been addressed today by heterodox Jesuit priest Father James Martin in the Marian Shrine of Knock, Co. Mayo, where Our Lady appeared to villagers in 1879… A trusted source in Ireland told LifeSiteNews that the meeting included discussions on how to implement the blessing of homosexual “couples” and even the desire to implement homosexual “marriage.”

Team Biden Targets Peaceful Pro-Life Activists, by Thomas Gallatin

By Thomas Gallatin, Patriot Post – While the Biden administration pays lip service to “equity” and “justice,” their actions belie the fact that they are motivated by no such altruistic concerns. Rather, it’s all about promoting their political agenda and selectively applying the law when it suits them. A case in point is the Biden administration’s targeting of pro-life advocates and activists with the dubious and likely unconstitutional Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, also known as FACE.

Catholic University Fires Professor Who Brought in ‘Abortion Doula’: ‘Did Not Align With Our Mission’, by Mary Margaret Olohan

By Mary Margaret Olohan, Daily Signal – Catholic University confirmed to The Daily Signal that it has terminated the contract of the professor who invited a self-declared “abortion doula” to speak to students about coaching women through abortions and “pregnant men” through a “seahorse birth.”… Catholic University President Peter Kilpatrick announced to students on Jan. 30 that the university “terminated our contract with the professor who invited the speaker” after obtaining “clear evidence that the content of the class did not align with our mission and identity.”

Saint of the Day for February 1: St. Ansgar

Franciscan Media – The “apostle of the north” (Scandinavia) had enough frustrations to become a saint—and he did. He became a Benedictine at Corbie, France, where he had been educated. Three years later, when the king of Denmark became a convert, Ansgar went to that country for three years of missionary work, without noticeable success…

Empty Hell? Empty Head? Empty Church? by William Kilpatrick

By William Kilpatrick, Turning Point Project – It’s often said that Satan’s greatest achievement is to convince people that he doesn’t exist. If we believe he doesn’t exist, then there is less motivation for us to avoid temptation and more likelihood that we will fall into sin more often—the very thing that Satan seeks… By implication, the belief that Hell is empty will have similar consequences. As Eric Sammons puts it, “[If] you believe everyone is getting to Heaven regardless of how they live here on earth…then the importance of both practicing the Faith and sharing it with others collapses.”

The Office of the Bishop is to Admonish Sinners, by Michael Pakaluk

By Michael Pakaluk, The Catholic Thing – In the Holy Mass, Scripture and homily should play more the role of reproof, while the Eucharist of comforting.  What he means, St. Gregory says, “is well signified by that ark of the tabernacle, in which, together with the tables, there as a rod and manna; because, if with knowledge of sacred Scripture in the good pastor’s breast there is the rod of constraint, there should be also the manna of sweetness.”… Do not be deceived, Gregory says:  Only in the supreme governance of God are justice and mercy so thoroughly intermingled that His mercy simply is His justice.  Subordinate authorities such as bishops must attain to each separately, while combining them.

Biden Sends Millions to Religious Nonprofits Facilitating Mass Illegal Migration, by Todd Bensman

By Todd Bensman, Center for Immigration Studies – A follow-up CIS examination of the more than 30 faith-based nonprofits among those UN NGO partners — representing Jewish, Lutheran, Seventh Day Adventist, Catholic, and nondenominational evangelical organizations — shows that the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) and the USAID have been mainlining taxpayer funds to these groups, which then distribute them to keep hundreds of thousands of migrants comfortably moving toward illegal U.S. southern border crossings. ….

Fr. Nnamdi Moneme, OMV: Beware of Today’s Demonic Mindsets

By Fr. Nnamdi Moneme, OMV, Catholic Exchange – I gave a talk some years ago to a group of faithful on the need to be engaged in spiritual warfare today. After the talk, one of the attendees said to me, “Father, I am certain that I would not be able to sleep this night after listening to your talk on the demons and their activities in our lives.”… Her words reflect the sad attitude we have today regarding the reality of demons and their activities. We think that demons will just leave us in peace if we do not speak or think about them. …

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: Jesus Gave Them Authority over Sickness and Unclean Spirits

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Mark 6:7-13 – And he called to him the twelve, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. …

The Dangerous Vatican Enthusiasm for the WEF, by Phil Lawler 

By Phil Lawler, Catholic Culture – Then in his message to the WEF, the Pope did not suggest that the rich and powerful political figures who gathered at Davos should curb their ambitions. On the contrary he spoke of “an evident need for international political action that, through the adoption of coordinated measures, can effectively pursue the goals of global peace and authentic development.” And while the Pope only sent a video message to Davos, Cardinal Peter Turkson was there in person, encouraging the WEF to promote a new international economic order.

The Space Between Words: An Invention of Monks, by Morgane Afif 

By Morgane Afif, Aleteia – The space between the words of a written text only entered into use in the 7th century, in the silence of Irish monasteries. Who would’ve thought that a space between words had to be invented? The first traces of written language are over 5,000 years old and come to us from the cradle of humanity, in Mesopotamia. However, writing is a form of language born several times over to succeed in transcribing the spoken word onto clay, stone, parchment, or paper. …

Why We Must Pray for the Church, and One Way to Do It, by Dr. Jeff Mirus

By Dr. Jeff Mirus, Catholic Culture – A careful reading of Scripture, therefore, reveals that the People of God under the Old Covenant prefigure not only the citizens of the Heavenly Jerusalem but also the People of God under the New Covenant, that is, the members of the Catholic Church. Just as we can see the intense need the Jews had to both rejoice in and pray for Jerusalem, we can also see the intense need we have to both rejoice in and pray for the Church. Moreover, Sacred Scripture provides the perfect texts to anchor and inspire our prayers, for just as the Jews saw the triumphs, trials and failures of Jerusalem as their own triumphs, trials and failures as a people, so too must Catholics see the Church in exactly the same way.

Catholic Organizations Enabling Global Network of Illegal Immigration, by Chadwick Hagan

By Chadwick Hagan, Epoch Times – The U.S. taxpayer and government—directly and indirectly—provide funding to various organizations in Central and South America that support migrant routes to the United States. Charities, some led by U.S. Catholic organizations, offer shelter and transportation, while local governments in Latin American countries provide shuttle services to migrants, moving them through pressure points and facilitating their journey. …

Abortion After Joe Biden Targets Them, by Steven Ertelt 

By Steven Ertelt, LifeNews – Six pro-life Americans face over a decade in prison for allegedly violating a federal law during their abortion protest. The charges against them stemmed from a massive campaign of political persecution the Biden administration brought against pro-life rescuers for protesting abortion inside abortion centers. ..

“Net-Zero” Misses the Point by Pointing in the Wrong Direction, by Chilton Williamson, Jr. 

By Chilton Williamson, Jr., Catholic World Report – The green movement—the scientific and governmental parts of it, anyway—is not proposing to replace human arrogance vis-à-vis nature with humility, as environmentalists have been urging for a century or more. Rather, it is raising arrogance to a higher level by assuming that humans are capable of dominating and controlling nature even more completely in the future than they did in the past, repairing the damage already done while simultaneously preventing further harm in future centuries by their quasi-divine powers of imagination, invention, manipulation, and control.

Confessions of a Book Hoarder, by Francis X. Maier

By Francis X. Maier, The Catholic Thing – Reading is one of the great joys of life.  By “reading” I mean books.  Printed type on a physical page has stability.  It’s tactile.  In contrast, reading too long on a computer has the same effect as sitting too long in a pink room: First it fatigues, then it agitates, because the electrons on a computer screen allow the eye no rest.  But alas, print has its own awkward problems.  Book lovers (like me) very easily become book hoarders, creatures who buy lots of good books they intend to read but never do ….

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: Jesus Marveled because of Their Unbelief

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Mark 6:1-6 – He went away from there and came to his own country; and his disciples followed him. And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue; and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get all this? What is the wisdom given to him? What mighty works are wrought by his hands! Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?” ….

Pope Claims Everyone Will Gradually Accept Same-Sex Blessings, by Okiki Adeduyite

By Okiki Adeduyite, Punch – Pope Francis has expressed confidence that those who criticise his decision to allow blessings for same-sex couples will come to understand it over time, except for Africans, whom he referred to as a “special case.”… Reuters reports that Pope Francis stated that Africans perceive homosexuality negatively from a cultural perspective in an interview with Italian newspaper, La Stampa, that was published on Monday.

Human Life International: The World Health Organization: On a Mission to End Humanity?

By Human Life International, The Stream – The powerful World Health Organization appears to be working hard to hasten the end of the human race, according to the global life-advocates at Human Life International. As the United Nation’s designated preserver of the world’s health, the new World Health Organization Pandemic Agreement is designed to increase disease and encourage unhealthy behaviors… This recent directive coming out of this international government body demands that all nations follow their lead to “counteract conservative opposition” and “enact progressive laws” ….

Are We Catholic Enough to Make Enemies? by Sean Fitzpatrick

By Sean Fitzpatrick, Crisis Magazine – Today we celebrate the life of a veritable giant of Catholic education, St. John Bosco—a man whose mission to promote the Faith through education was so fearless and outspoken (and successful) that he was a target for assassination. Imagine that! Is it going too far to wonder if Catholics—whether teachers, parents, priests, or what have you—are not living their Faith out fully in a faithless society if they aren’t ruffling feathers or even making enemies?

This Forgotten ’90s Movie Eerily Predicted The Current Immigration Standoff, by Mark Hemingway

By Mark Hemingway, Book Editor, The Federalist – If you want to understand how mass immigration became the biggest flashpoint in American politics, a surprisingly entertaining and unjustly forgotten HBO movie deserves to be watched… Stop me if you’ve heard this one before — a red-state governor, in the midst of a nationwide immigration crisis, defies the president and shuts down the state’s borders to prevent more immigrants from coming in. This leads other states suffering from the effects of mass illegal immigration to rally around the state defying the president ….

The Meaningless Vacuity of Just Being ‘Nice’, by Gavin Ashenden

By Gavin Ashenden, Catholic Herald – Many commentators on hearing about the joint commissioning of bishops wondered if Francis was subverting Catholic teaching on Anglican orders. They should have known better. Why would a pope consider undermining the authority of one his forbears? What effect after all might that have in his own authority at the hands of his successors?… Nonetheless we are left with a triumph of presentation over truth, appearance over reality, feelings over integrity, aspiration over substance and emotion over fidelity. It must say somewhere in the gnostic manuals of ecumenical dialogue that “it’s nice to be nice.”

Omar Pledges Allegiance to Somalia, by Douglas Andrews

By Douglas Andrews, Patriot Post – Omar, a hard-left House Democrat and Squad member who represents Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District, delivered a speech on Saturday at the Hyatt Regency in Minneapolis, but we suspect she wasn’t counting on it being translated from Somali and published in English on the Internet. That was her first mistake… Her second mistake was speaking in a way that can only be described as nakedly anti-American. …

Fr. Kevin M. Cusick: Pagans Worship Sex

By Fr. Kevin M. Cusick, The Wanderer – Pagans worship sex and the body. Christians worship God. Alone. The pornographic cult, which has seized power in Rome, and which centers around the sexual act and the body as it relates to coition, is forbidden as sinful for Christians… Are the agents of disorder and subversion in the Vatican attempting to substitute the idolatry of a sex cult for the true faith? Worship of the body and the sexual function apart from marriage and procreation is pagan.

Saint of the Day for January 31: St. John Bosco (Aug. 16, 1815-Jan. 31, 1888)

By Franciscan Media – John Bosco’s theory of education could well be used in today’s schools. It was a preventive system, rejecting corporal punishment and placing students in surroundings removed from the likelihood of committing sin. He advocated frequent reception of the sacraments of Penance and Holy Communion. He combined catechetical training and fatherly guidance ….

137 Abortion Businesses Have Closed Since Roe v. Wade Overturned, by McKenna Snow

By McKenna Snow, LifeNews – One hundred and thirty-seven abortion clinics have closed down in America since the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, according to a recent report by pro-life organization Operation Rescue… Operation Rescue published its annual report on American abortion facilities on the day of the 51st annual March for Life, January 19. The report reads, “in 2023, 49 abortion clinics closed or halted abortions. Between 2022 and 2023, a total of 136 abortion clinics have stopped killing. Cities that once had abortion mills in full operation are now abortion-free!”

Mystical Passion vs. Love and Responsibility, by Richard A. Spinello

By Richard A. Spinello, Crisis Magazine – John Allen, editor of Crux and longtime Vatican reporter, interprets the rebuke of this book as part of an orchestrated campaign aimed at undermining the authority of Fiducia Supplicans. Allen goes on to claim that we find the same sort of graphic sexual imagery and explicit prose in one of the works of Karol Wojtyla (John Paul II), called Love and Responsibility. He chides conservative Catholics and argues that if they are distraught over the content and tone of Mystical Passion, they should have been equally distraught over Love and Responsibility. …

Small Catholic College Has Produced 104 Priests, by Aidan Mays

By Aidan Mays, The College Fix – A small Catholic college has produced 104 priests, in addition to other religious vocations, during its almost 50-year history… These 104 priests come from Christendom College’s alumni pool of just 4,053 total graduates – and since only men can be ordained, the rate is much higher. About 47 percent of Christendom’s alumni are men, meaning the 104 priests came from a pool of about 2,000 men.

On Distrusting Princes and Worshipping the Lord, by Tod Worner

By Tod Worner, Catholic World Report – How does worldly power, which measures itself in bullying strength and vain influence, reckon with the impossible and unworldly nature of God’s chosen ones? Not very well. If Pontius Pilate offers any guidance, worldly power is utterly befuddled in its encounter with God and his designs. Spending precious moments with the King of the Universe, the Roman Governor of Judea could sputter little more than a query, “What is Truth?” when Truth Incarnate stood before him.

Sen. Kennedy: These Open-Border Terrorist Threat Numbers ‘Will Make You Throw Up’

By Craig Bannister, MRCTV – “The numbers that I’m about to give you will make you throw up,” Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) says in a video documenting the growing threat of terrorism caused by Pres. Biden’s open-border policies… “President Biden’s border policies are not just a human rights disaster, though they certainly are. But his policies have also provided the perfect cover for terrorist sympathizers, child sex offenders, for cartel associates to enter the United States illegally.”

Catholic Herald: Confusion Reigns As Pope Says New Blessings Are For Same-Sex Couples But Not Their Unions

By Staff, Catholic Herald – Pope Francis has attempted to further clarify the Vatican document permitting non-liturgical blessing for couples in same sex or irregular relationships, saying the newly authorised practice is a pastoral gesture directed at the people involved and not their union itself… Speaking to members of the Vatican’s DDF, Francis said the intention of offering “pastoral and spontaneous blessings” to couples in irregular situations, including same-sex couples and divorced and remarried couples, is to express pastoral closeness.

What I’ve Learned by Adding (Imperfectly) Mental Prayer to My Day, by Charles Lewis 

By Charles Lewis, EWTN News – Last year I realized my prayer life needed a boost, that I needed to draw closer to God. A few good priests I know suggested mental prayer… I ran out of patience and gave up… Impatience is not one of my better qualities… It was also suggested I read Time for God by Father Jacques Philippe. On the first page, Father Philippe seemed to address me directly, noting what a shame it was to get discouraged and quit. ….

Pope Francis Attacks Critics of Homosexual Blessings as ‘Small Ideological Groups’, by Andreas Wailzer

By Andreas Wailzer, LifeSiteNews – Pope Francis said that those who oppose Fiducia Supplicans (FS) “belong to small ideological groups” and that the Church in Africa is “a special case” because of its culture… In an interview with the Italian newspaper La Stampa, Francis addressed the criticism of the controversial Vatican declaration on “blessings” for couples in irregular situations, saying that “those who vehemently protest [Fiducia Supplicans] belong to small ideological groups.” ….

Toward a Eucharistic Education, by David G Bonagura, Jr.

By David G Bonagura, Jr., The Catholic Thing – The summum bonum of Catholic education can be expressed in two words: Jesus Christ. Every Catholic school, every subject, every extracurricular activity exists to form students’ minds and characters after the heart of Christ so that they may live in union with Him in this life and the next. Catholic school students, therefore, ought to be immersed in the Eucharist so they can see, taste, and be transformed by Christ, present yet hidden under the veils of bread and wine.

EDITORIAL: Let’s Pray That Texas Doesn’t Blink, by Eric Sammons

By Eric Sammons, Editor-in-chief, Crisis Magazine – The years-long showdown between Texas and the Federal Government over the Texas-Mexico border took a dramatic—and potentially dangerous—turn this week. The Supreme Court (with Amy Coney Barrett as the deciding vote) ruled that Texas could not prevent the Federal Government from taking down the barbed wire fence that Texas installed along part of the border. In turn, Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered the Texas National Guard to defend the barbed wire fence (and thus the border), saying that it was a matter of the state’s self-defense that supersedes the Supreme Court ruling.

Courage: The Sage the Church Needs, by Kevin Wells

By Kevin Wells, Crisis Magazine – For those clergy inclined to dismiss this story of a woman who simply covered sports, read this warning from one of your own: If a pastor remains silent when he sees God insulted and souls going astray, woe to him! If he does not want to be damned, and if there is some disorder in his parish, he must trample upon human respect and the fear of being despised or hated. (St. John Vianney)

Mediocrity Will Convert No One, but Beauty Will: The Purpose of Sacred Art in the Modern World, by Julian Kwasniewski

By Julian Kwasniewski, EWTN News – Award-winning screenwriter Barbara Nicolosi, well known for her work consulting with Mel Gibson on The Passion of the Christ, has brought a much-needed perspective on the need for quality in Christian cinema. There has been far too much low-quality work which undermines the Christian message. Thus, in all the Catholic Art Institute does, there is always a desire for high standards. I don’t believe anyone will be converted by mediocrity.

Fr. Paul D. Scalia: As One Having Authority

By Fr. Paul D. Scalia, The Catholic Thing – Today’s Gospel (Mark 1:21-28) tells us that the people were “astonished” and “amazed.” They were “astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.” They “were amazed and asked one another, ‘What is this? A new teaching with authority. He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.’”

Planned Parenthood Director Admits: We Take Teens to Other States for Secret Abortions “Every Day”, Tabitha Goodling

By Tabitha Goodling, LifeNews – Washington, DC – Parents are not told about their underage daughter’s abortion at Planned Parenthood in some U.S. states, and the abortion giant is also involved in trafficking the minors across state lines according to an investigative journalism group’s recent undercover probe. According to one Planned Parenthood managing director girls as young as 13-years-old “is an adult in our clinics.”

Former FBI Execs Warn the US is Being Invaded by Military-Age Men From ‘Hostile Nations’

By Emily Mangiaracina, LifeSiteNews – Former FBI executives have warned Congress that military-age men from “hostile” nations and regions are invading the U.S. through the southern border, significantly elevating the risk of a terror attack… Cautioning that the threat “may be one of the most pernicious ever to menace the United States,” ten retired FBI senior executives warned congressional leaders in a letter last week that “military aged men” from “hostile” areas around the world are arriving by the thousands from across the southern border.

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: Tell Them How Much the Lord Has Done for You

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Mark 5:1-20 – They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of Gerasenes. And when he had come out of the boat, there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who lived among the tombs; and no one could bind him any more, even with a chain; for he had often been bound with fetters and chains, but the chains he wrenched apart …

Latin Mass Celebrated Inside the Capitol of the United States, by Kennedy Hall

By Kennedy Hall, OnePeterFive – Despite relentless pressure on Traditional Catholic communities by the Commies in Washington, the Traditional Latin Mass was celebrated at the Capitol just in time for Trump’s third run at the Presidency… On Tuesday, Father Z posted a message he received from someone who attended a sung Mass for the Feast of Saint Raymond Peñafort – that wonder-working Dominican who rebuked an evil King – the same day at the United States Capitol in Washington D.C. ….

How Can We Say Hell is Eempty? by Ralph Martin

Pope Francis recently said: “I like to think of hell as empty; I hope it is.”… No one spoke more about Hell than Jesus. If Hell is empty, should we stop teaching that what Jesus and the apostles taught on the purpose of human sexuality and marriage must be obeyed to be saved? … While acknowledging that this is only his personal view, not “a dogma of faith,” the Holy Father speculated that hell may be empty and expressed the hope that it is the case: “What I am going to say is not a dogma of faith, but my own personal view: I like to think of hell as empty; I hope it is.”

Why We Should Celebrate Catholic Schools, by J.C. Miller

By  J.C. Miller, Catholic World Report – Over the next several days, dioceses all across America will be celebrating Catholic Schools Week (January 28-February 3). Catholic schools will be putting their best foot forward and making their case to parishioners and the broader world. While kids showing off their uniforms at Sunday Masses may be cute, the massive personal and parish investment required to support Catholic schools may require some justification. The evidence does show that Catholic schools help to produce Catholic adults.

The Relevance of St. Thomas Aquinas in Today’s World, by Dr. Donald DeMarco

By Dr. Donald DeMarco, Catholic Exchange – St. Thomas is a philosopher in the broadest sense, dealing with everything that stimulates the mind and exercises the intelligence.  His degree of sanctity and humility are rare.  His mind was encyclopedic, having read and digested whatever the intellectual world of his time was available to him.  Moreover, he has been baptized by a number of popes as the Catholic Church’s pre-eminent thinker.  His feast day is January 24, which is an annual occasion for remembering his importance to everyone who seeks wisdom.

Louisiana Attorney General Wins Case Against EPA’s Racist Mandates, by Evan Poellinger

By Evan Poellinger, MRC TV – Rep. La. AG Liz Murrill has secured a victory from a U.S. District Court, preventing the state from being forced to implement a set of racially-discriminatory regulations from the EPA… On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge James Cain issued a ruling, in which he granted the state a preliminary injunction against “imposing or enforcing any disparate impact requirements against the State of Louisiana or any state agency,” along with, “imposing or enforcing any Title VI requirements upon the State of Louisiana or any state agency.”

Msgr. Charles Pope: A Portrait of Jesus the Preacher – A Homily for the 4th Sunday of the Year

By Msgr. Charles Pope – In Sunday’s Gospel Jesus models four aspects of powerful and effective preaching… In using the word “preaching” we ought to be careful not to limit it to what takes place in a church. All Catholic parents should learn from Jesus’ example here for they have the church of their home in which to preach; they have the pulpit of the dining room table, the living room couch, and even the family car. …

How Do Pro-Lifers Keep Influence as Trump Rolls Up Victories? by Jason Jones & John Zmirak

By Jason Jones & John Zmirak, The Stream – John Zmirak: Is it good news for the pro-life cause, what’s happening in the Republican primaries? On the surface, it seems that we ought to be worried. The most solidly principled pro-life candidate, Ron De Santis, dropped out after losing big in heavily evangelical Iowa. So he’s not there to put pressure on Trump from the right. Pro-choice-with-exceptions Nikki Haley continues to campaign, rolling up votes from Democrats who don’t really support her. The media will play that as pressure on Trump from the left, and use it to argue that Trump has to abandon his already squishy pro-life stands, in order to win the votes …..

Saint of the Day for January 29: Servant of God Brother Juniper

Franciscan Media – “Would to God, my brothers, I had a whole forest of such Junipers,” said Francis of this holy friar… We don’t know much about Juniper before he joined the friars in 1210. Francis sent him to establish “places” for the friars in Gualdo Tadino and Viterbo. When Saint Clare was dying, Juniper consoled her. He was devoted to the passion of Jesus and was known for his simplicity.

U.S. Bishops Once Again Advocate for the Illegal Invasion of Our Nation, by  Spencer Brown

By Spencer Brown, Townhall – This month, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) re-issued its memorandum opposing the use of expedited removal for illegal aliens. The very fact that Catholic bishops and charities rake-in millions of dollars each year in taxpayer funds aiding illegal aliens who want to bypass our immigration laws should disqualify them from having any say in this matter.

Texas Is Correct to Defend Its Sovereignty From the Border Invasion, by Josh Hammer

By Josh Hammer, Patriot Post – The mass invasion now transpiring at the U.S. southern border is illegal, immoral and unsustainable. Its scope is truly unprecedented in our history, posing a mortal threat to the nation. God bless Greg Abbott and the great state of Texas, who rightfully cherish their sovereignty and righteously refuse to bend the knee to the most lawless presidential administration in American history.

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: Why Are You Afraid?

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Mark 4:35-41 – On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. And a great storm of wind arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. …

Would Jesus Use Razor Wire at Borders? Would He Gaslight People with Dishonest ‘WWJD’ Arguments? by John Zmirak

By John Zmirak, The Stream – You’re seeing it already: the attempt to snap Christians’ spines and render us invertebrates, to leash us via our heartstrings, to shame us into silence about the Biden regime’s lawlessness at the border… As a Catholic, I’m used to this dreck. I’ve been inundated with open borders agitprop by professional Catholics for decades. Some of that, to be fair, was motivated by a perverse hatred for Western civilization and masochistic white guilt. But most of it was straight up self-interest, a craving for warm bodies in pews, and greed for gold.

Six Pro-Lifers Face FACE Act Charges in Tennessee, Could See 11 Years in Jail, by Joe Bukuras

By Joe Bukuras, CNA – Six pro-life activists are on trial in Nashville, Tennessee, facing federal charges related to a 2021 blockade of a nearby abortion clinic… The blockade, documented in a March 5, 2021, video posted on Facebook, showed a large group of pro-life activists ranging from elderly to young children walking into an abortion clinic and blocking access to the door by sitting in front of it.

The Immigration Crisis Shows Just How Much Contempt America’s Establishment Has For Democracy, by Mark Hemingway

By Mark Hemingway, The Federalist – At a minimum, Biden’s complete disregard for border enforcement is a far bigger threat to America’s security and constitutional order than anything that happened on Trump’s watch, Jan. 6 included, an event the media and Democrats have been bleating about for three years. Yet how much discussion have you seen in The New York Times lately about Biden’s corrupt responsibility for America’s immigration disaster?

Cardinal Müller Calls Fiducia Supplicans a ‘Failed Document’ That Needs to Be ‘Rewritten’

By Andreas Wailzer, LifeSiteNews – Cardinal Gerhard Müller has called the controversial Vatican declaration Fiducia Supplicans a “failed document” that needs to be “rewritten.”.. During his recent appearance on Raymond Arroyo’s show The World Over, the former head of the Congregation (now Dicastery) for the Doctrine of the Faith, commended the African bishops for correcting the errors of Fiducia Supplicans (FS)… He said that “now the African churches, Catholic churches, are the leaders in this way of the correction of a failed document.”

Recovering Our Memory, by Michael Toscano

By Michael Toscano, First Things – At the age of forty-two, even while reading an enchanting adventure by the likes of Stevenson, I was distracted by the emails that I was not replying to, the “discourse” that was chattering away without my knowledge, the news that was breaking, beckoning me to check in. The repose of a mind at ease among books, undergirded by the power of focus, was all but gone. Now, as Jim and his companions were contending with the plots of Long John Silver and his fellow mutineers, I was fighting the allure of electronic networks calling me back.

Catholicism: The Glory of God and the Horror of Sin, by Dr. Jeff Mirus 

By Dr. Jeff Mirus, Catholic Culture – In The best books Catholic Culture staff read in 2023, I recommended Scott Hahn’s and Brandon McGinley’s book Catholics in Exile. Today I remembered that on page 81 the authors included a powerful quotation from St. John Henry Newman on the Catholic view of the seriousness of sin: [The Catholic Church] holds that it were better for sun and moon to drop from heaven, for the earth to fail, and for all the many millions who are upon it to die of starvation in extremest agony ….

Saint of the Day for January 27: St. Saint Angela Merici

Franciscan Media – Angela has the double distinction of founding the first teaching congregation of women in the Church and what is now called a “secular institute” of religious women… As a young woman, she became a member of the Third Order of Saint Francis, and lived a life of great austerity, wishing, like Saint Francis, to own nothing, not even a bed.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Stands Firm Against Federal Lawlessness, Foreign Invasion, by John Zmirak

By John Zmirak, The Stream – Unless you live inside an unlit cave deep below the Ural Mountains, you know about the confrontation now between our lawless federal government and the state of Texas over the border. The federal branch of government under Biden has been simply refusing for three years to enforce our binding, democratically enacted immigration laws. Let that sink in for a moment… Imagine if for four years Donald Trump had simply refused to enforce our civil rights laws. Or declined to prosecute financial fraud. Or arbitrarily suspended the enforcement of any other key federal function, for blatantly political reasons.

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: What the Kingdom of God Is Like

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Mark 4:26-34 – And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed upon the ground, and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he knows not how. The earth produces of itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.” ….

US Bishops’ Pro-Life Chair Skewers Biden for Holding Pro-Abortion Rally, Pledging to Codify Roe, by Ashley Sadler

By Ashley Sadler, LifeSiteNews – Bishop Michael Burbidge of the Catholic Diocese of Arlington, Virginia on Tuesday decried a pro-abortion rally held by the self-professed Catholic President Joe Biden, lamenting Biden’s neglect of his “sacred duty to protect life.”… Bishop Burbidge (chairman USCCBs’ Pro-Life Committee, blasted Biden for his rally in Manassas, Virginia, where the president claimed that a “fundamental right has been stripped away” from women because the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the federal “right” to abortion, and that pregnant mothers are now “being forced to travel across state lines for health care [e.g., abortion].”

Fr. Jeffrey Kirby: There’s No Gray When It Comes To God

By Fr. Jeffrey Kirby, National Catholic Register – In recent moral teaching, it has become clear that the gravity of a person living in sin — of being in a state of sin — has been eclipsed by poor theology, wishful thinking and naïve pastoral practice. Whether we’re discussing Holy Communion for the divorced and remarried, or the blessing of same-sex couples, or the tacit approval of cohabitating couples, we need to retrieve and emphasize the terminal nature of states of sin.

Hellfire is Realer Than Real, by Kennedy Hall

By Kennedy Hall, Crisis Magazine – Given the continual revelations of Cdl. Fernández’ psychosexual pathology and Pope Francis’ hat tip to an empty Hell I thought it might be good to consider the truth of Satan and (hell)… Through the prophet Jeremiah, God spoke these words: “Of old time thou hast broken my yoke, thou hast burst my bands, and thou saidst: I will not serve. For on every high hill, and under every green tree thou didst prostitute thyself” (Jeremiah 2:20). By these words we are told the reason for Satan’s descent into Hell from Paradise.

Debunking Biden’s ‘Billionaire’ Tax Canard, by Douglas Andrews

By Douglas Andrews, Patriot Post – But it’s not just race that Joe Biden uses to divide us; he also uses wealth… “Look, folks,” he said earlier this month in his folksy way, “you know how many billionaires we have in America today? One thousand. You know what their average rate — tax rate — federal tax rate is? Federal tax rate is 8.5%. Raise your hand if you’d trade your tax rate for 8.5%. I’m serious. Think about this. There’d be $40 billion raised if they even pay 25%.”… Only trouble is, it’s not true.

Kentucky Bishop Dismisses Priests Who Derided Novus Ordo Mass as ‘Irrelevant’, by Daniel Payne

By Daniel Payne, CNA – A Kentucky bishop this month announced the dismissal of two priests who he said had repeatedly denigrated the modern form of the holy sacrifice of the Mass in their parish… Covington Bishop John Iffert said in a letter to members of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Park Hills, Kentucky, that he had requested the resignation of parish pastor Father Shannon Collins while ordering the removal of parochial vicar Father Sean Kopczynski.

Personal Catholicism, by David Warren

By David Warren, The Catholic Thing – “Personalism” is just a word, but like many words, it has at least one meaning and can convey truth, or else falsehood. But as elements in doctrine, mere words must be carefully qualified. What can be expressed in language cannot encapsulate the whole, infinite truth. That is why doctrine seems to “evolve” — when in actuality we find more and more judicious ways of expressing it.

Saint of the Day for January 26: Sts. Timothy and Titus

Franciscan Media – What we know from the New Testament of Timothy’s life makes it sound like that of a modern harried bishop. He had the honor of being a fellow apostle with Paul, both sharing the privilege of preaching the gospel and suffering for it. Timothy had a Greek father and a Jewish mother named Eunice. ..

A Vatican Court Ruling Keeps the Lid on Financial Scandals, by Phil Lawler

By Phil Lawler, Catholic Culture – Strictly according to the facts, and strictly according to the organizational chart, the Vatican City court may be right that Secretariat of State cannot be held responsible for Milone’s dismissal. But to the ordinary observer a different reality seems clear: The voice was the voice of Domenico Giani, but the hand was the hand of Angelo Becciu.

Former NFL Player Ben Watson: We Need More Pro-Life Men Standing Up for Women and Unborn Children, by Tierin-Rose Mandelburg

By Tierin-Rose Mandelburg, LifeNews – On Friday, former NFL player Ben Watson spoke at the 51st annual March for Life. The former NFL player has been vocal about his pro-life values and convictions in the past, and on the 19th, provided advice to the audience on how to build a culture of life… March for Life shared a segment of Watson’s speech on Tuesday and pointed out Watson’s four main points on how to “change culture.”

Archbishop of Canterbury Leads ‘Anglican Eucharist’ in Catholic Basilica With Pope’s Approval, by Michael Haynes

By Michael Haynes, LifeSiteNew – The Anglican Abp. of Canterbury celebrated an “Anglican Eucharist” in the Catholic Basilica of St. Bartholomew (Located on Tiber Island, Rome, Italy) this morning, with the explicit permission of Pope Francis… Joined by Catholic and Anglican prelates from across the world, Justin Welby of the Church of England’s primary see, Canterbury, led a ceremony of “Anglican Eucharist,” in one of the Catholic basilicas of Rome. The Basilica of St. Bartholomew was filled with a mixture of Anglican laity along with Anglican and Catholic clergy.

Cardinal Zen: Fiducia Supplicans ‘Creates Confusion’; Suggests Fernández Should Resign, by Edward Pentin

By Edward Pentin, Catholic World Report – Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun said Pope Francis’ recent declaration allowing the blessing of same-sex couples under certain conditions “creates confusion” and suggested that its author, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, should resign or be dismissed… In a statement published Jan. 23 on his blog, Zen said the declaration Fiducia Supplicans contains numerous passages in need of clarification and “leaves many questions unanswered,” according to an unofficial translation.

Here Are All The States Standing With Texas Against Biden’s Border Assault, by Jordan Boyd

By Jordan Boyd, The Federalist – More than two dozen states expressed support for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott after he refused to kowtow to the Biden administration’s bullying about the ongoing border crisis… The Supreme Court ruled on Jan. 22 that the federal border officials could cut razor wire installed by the Texas National Guard along the Rio Grande if they felt it impeded their ability to do their jobs. …

The Church Is Not Ruled by a Plebiscite, by Anthony Esolen

By Anthony Esolen, Crisis Magazine – Sin does not grow sweet by majority practice; truth is not altered by a vote. The Church is not a political party… A few weeks ago, I saw in an article in The New York Times the phrase “Pope Francis’s agenda for the Church.” The author approved of that agenda and was no doubt oblivious to the fact that, unless we are talking about governance, reform of abuses, and missionary work, an agenda for the Church is the last thing a pope should have. …

Cast Off the Weight of Sin, by Randy Hain

By Randy Hain,  Integrated Catholic Life – I have been thinking a great deal about my experience at Reconciliation a few weekends ago.  I felt an intense and unexplainable urge to go and confess my sins when I woke up that Saturday morning. While I try to go every six weeks or so, this was no routine visit to the priest for me. I needed to unburden myself of the numerous venial sins I had committed since I last participated in this sacrament.

Another American Victim of Biden’s Border Negligence, by Thomas Gallatin

By Thomas Gallatin, Patriot Post – The claim of many on the Left who support Joe Biden’s de facto open border is that it is a humane policy of compassion toward the plight of migrants seeking safety and a better life. And to muddy the waters even further, they insist that since America is a nation of immigrants, we have no right to keep other immigrants out. They often follow this by asserting that apprehending illegal aliens is motivated by racism. …

Daily Scripture Readings and Meditation: Living in the Light of God’s Truth and Wisdom

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Mark 4:21-25 – And he said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a bushel, or under a bed, and not on a stand? For there is nothing hid, except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret, except to come to light. If any man has ears to hear, let him hear.” And he said to them, “Take heed what you hear; the measure you give will be the measure you get, and still more will be given you. …

‘I knew Exactly What They Were Doing’: Texas AG Explains How Dems Stole 2020 Election, by Jim Hoft

By WND News Services, Jim Hoft – Texas RINOs, including Bush and Rove allies, wanted Texas AG Ken Paxton gone so they made up some accusations against him without evidence in an attempt to impeach him… AG Ken Paxton is the one man who has stood up against the Democrat-Marxist onslaught in the great state of Texas. Democrats and Secret Sleeper Republicans hate him for this… During the (Tucker Carlson) interview, AG Paxton explained to Tucker Carlson how Democrats cheated and stole the 2020 election. …

Cardinal McElroy Calls for Catholic Universities to Promote Laudato Si’, Climate Change Action, by Emily Mangiaracina

By Emily Mangiaracina, LifeSiteNews – Cardinal Robert McElroy of San Diego called for Catholic universities to “lead on climate change action” as articulated in Pope Francis’ environmental encyclical Laudato Si’ promoting climate alarmism… McElroy claimed, contrary to Church teaching, that “Climate change and the degradation of the earth are the most important global moral challenge… For this reason alone, Laudato Si’ should be a focus for every Catholic university.”

Ohio Bans Transgender Surgeries for Minors, Protects Women’s Sports, by Tierin-Rose Mandelburg

By Tierin-Rose Mandelburg, MRC TV – Ohio Conservatives are jumping for joy today… In a 23-9 vote Wednesday, the Ohio Senate voted to override Republican Governor Mike DeWine’s veto of legislation that would ban transgender surgeries for minors and keep transgender women out of women’s sports. In layman’s terms, the so-called “Republican” governor wanted kids to be able to get their genitals mutilated and didn’t care if women’s sports were unfair or unsafe. …

Abbott: Texas Has A Constitutional Right To Defend Its Sovereignty, by Shawn Fleetwood

By Shawn Fleetwood, The Federalist – Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a statement on Wednesday asserting that the Lone Star State has a constitutional right to defend its sovereignty in the wake of an invasion facilitated by President Biden’s open border policies… “The federal government has broken the compact between the United States and the States. The Executive Branch of the United States has a constitutional duty to enforce federal laws protecting States, including immigration laws on the books right now” ….

Number of Children Living With 2 Parents Increasing, Data Shows, by Dan Hart

By Dan Hart, The Stream – Newly published data from the U.S. Census Bureau indicates that the proportion of American children living in two-parent families increased to 71.1% in 2023, continuing a slight upward trajectory since 2015… The numbers appear to contradict a popular narrative in the mainstream media that American society no longer aspires to establish households with a mother and father to parent children.

Catholic Bishop Slams Biden on Abortion: “Taking the Life of an Innocent Child is Never a Choice”, by Mary Margaret Olohan

By Mary Margaret Olohan, LifeNews – Catholic Bishop Michael Burbidge of Arlington condemned President Joe Biden’s promotion of abortion at a Virginia rally on Tuesday evening… Burbidge spoke out following the president’s rally in Manassas where Biden advocated for codifying Roe v. Wade into law. Both Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris condemned Republican efforts to protect the unborn as they spoke before a massive “RESTORE ROE” banner.

The Ruth Institute: Catholic Abuse Victim Calls Cardinal’s Book ‘Filth’

By The Ruth Institute, The Stream – Catholics all over the world are demanding the resignation of Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, the Vatican’s doctrine chief, for a 1998 book he authored, Mystical Passion, describing union with God using explicit, some say blasphemous, sexual terminology… Niles writes: Its most controversial passage involves the “mystical encounter” of a 16-year-old girl, confiding to Fernández when he was a priest. In this experience, the girl meets Jesus, then proceeds to sensually touch Him all over His body …

The Complexity of Assessing a Pontificate, by Dr. Jeff Mirus 

By Dr. Jeff Mirus, Catholic Culture – Along with the frustrations of the current pontificate for those most deeply committed to Catholic faith and morals, we do well to acknowledge not only the complexity of the papal job description but also the dangers of our own tunnel vision. In saying this, I am not retreating from my own assessment that the current pontificate has directly done more harm than good to the Church, nor from my position that we can still see God’s providence at work in the growing strength and commitment of bishops in many parts of the world who are extremely uncomfortable with the current Pope’s priorities, policies and pastoral vision.

Saint of the Day for January 25: Conversion of Saint Paul

By Franciscan Media – Saint Paul’s entire life can be explained in terms of one experience—his meeting with Jesus on the road to Damascus. In an instant, he saw that all the zeal of his dynamic personality was being wasted, like the strength of a boxer swinging wildly. …

Gerhard Cardinal Müller: One Year Without George Pell

By Gerhard Cardinal Müller, First Things – Just ten days after the death of Pope Benedict XVI on New Year’s Eve 2022, we were shocked by the news that Cardinal Pell, too, had preceded us into the house of the heavenly father. In the midst of the current battle for the “truth of the Gospel” (Gal. 2:14), the pilgrim church has lost two outstanding representatives of its apostolic doctrine. We grieve for them, but for those of us who believe with St. Augustine “that the Church advances safely on her pilgrimage between the persecutions of the world and the consolations of God,” ….

Louisiana: Fullness of Truth Conference: Real Presence, Real Power! Eucharistic Life and the “Science of Sainthood” w/Matthew Leonard, Feb. 23- 25, 2024

Fullness of Truth Catholic Ministries, Alexandria, Louisiana. We are all called to sainthood. Yes, but since we’re fallen, that’s just not going to happen on its own. It requires a process… So, this Lent, on February 23- 25, 2024 at the Randolph Riverfront Center of Alexandria, LA, in the midst of our great national Catholic Eucharistic Revival, Fullness of Truth-LA & the Diocese of Alexandria invite you to a supernaturally powerful event entitled, “Real Presence, Real Power: The Eucharistic Life & the Science of Sainthood”.

The Great Betrayal, by Henry Sire 

By Henry Sire, OnePeterFive – In the past few weeks we have received a great blessing: the demonstration that for a large section of the Catholic Church around the world Pope Francis has gone too far. All the indications until now were that there was no limit to the capacity of the faithful to accept this Pope’s paltering with Catholic truth; but we now see that the limit was there, and that with Fiducia Supplicans it has been overstepped. All the same, against this benefit there is a much greater evil ….

Dr. Robert Malone: ‘Disease X’ is Manufactured by the WHO to Drive Fear and Public Compliance

By Robert Malone M.D., LifeSiteNews – Don’t be fooled by Disease ‘X’ or ‘Y’ or ‘Z.’ These aren’t real diseases. They are being weaponized to gain acceptance of the transfer of both funding and authority to an unelected globalist non-governmental organization – the WHO.

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: Jesus Taught People Using Parables

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Mark 4:1-20 – Again he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about him so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. And he taught them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: “Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. …

What Makes Poland So Special? by Joseph Pearce

By Joseph Pearce, EWTN News – Furthermore, this faithful resilience has been shaped by the resilience of the Faith, the indomitable adherence of the Polish people to the Catholic Church which is the defining attribute of the nation itself. It is this fearless and courageous loyalty to Christ and his Church which has made Poland the heroic heart of Europe.

Texas Gov. Abbott: ‘This Is Not Over’, by Craig Bannister

By Craig Bannister, MRCTV – After the Supreme Court ruled Monday that the Biden Administration can resume cutting the wire fence Texas installed to deter illegal immigrants trying to break into the U.S., Gov. Greg Abbott (R-Texas) declared that his fight to secure the border isn’t over… “This is not over,” Gov. Abbott promised in a social media post, reiterating that Texas’ razor wire is “an effective deterrent to the illegal crossings (President Joe) Biden encourages.

Diaper Company Launches Pro-Life Campaign, Quotes Elon Musk in Times Square Ad, by McKenna Snow

By McKenna Snow, Catholic Vote – A diaper company launched its pro-life campaign this week and quoted billionaire Elon Musk’s statement, “having children is saving the world,” in a large electronic billboard ad for the campaign in Times Square… Musk owns the social media platform “X,” formerly known as Twitter, and has previously expressed concern about the human race’s population decreasing. Musk posted on X in September of 2023, “having children is saving the world”.

Gay Blessings and the Perils of ‘Authenticity’, by John M. Grondelski

By John M. Grondelski, The Catholic Thing – “Authenticity” has been the big thing, on and off, for decades. Being “authentic” meant being non-conforming, “true to yourself” – which usually translated to indulging your base instincts absent reasoning about them.  Christian cultures and “society” were the arch-enemies of “authenticity.”  We were all Rousseaueans now, standing up as individuals, defining our “own concept of existence, of meaning, [and] the universe.” (Justice Kennedy, in Casey) Which mostly meant: sexually.

128 Pregnant Women, 25 Tots Under Age 2 Given Wrong RSV Vaccines, CDC Says, by Suzanne Burdick, Ph.D.

By Suzanne Burdick, Ph.D., Children’s Health Defense – Nearly 130 pregnant women and 25 children under age 2 were given the wrong respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)… The children were mistakenly administered either Pfizer’s Abrysvo or GSK’s (formerly GlaxoSmithKline) Arexvy RSV vaccines. Both are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for adults ages 60 and older — but not for children or babies.

Pope Francis Is the Pope He Was Waiting For, by Anne Hendershott

By Anne Hendershott, Crisis Magazine – This utopian Marxist dream of a “better world” is exactly what the Jesuits have been waiting for since those early days of the Sandinista revolution in Nicaragua. All of this does little to dispel the concerns of faithful Catholics throughout the United States that their Church is now being led by a pope who is hostile to their faith, their traditions, and their practices, and the true meaning of liberty and freedom as envisioned by the founders of their own country.

Javier Milei: A Thorn in the Globalists’ Side, by Scott Ventureyra

By Scott Ventureyra, Crisis Magazine – The president of Argentina, Javier Milei, is at it again. He’s ruffling all the right feathers, at the right time, and in the right place. From January 15 to 19, 2024, the World Economic Forum (WEF) hosted its 54th annual meeting. On day three, January 17, 2024, he delivered his historic speech. But before we discuss some of the highlights of Milei’s speech, it would be important to situate the context of his speech by briefly explaining what the WEF is, who the key players involved are, and its agenda.

When Pope Francis Goes Off Script, by Phil Lawler

By Phil Lawler, Catholic Culture – Back when he was Archbishop of Buenos Aires, then-Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio declined a journalist’s request for an in-depth interview. He explained that he did not feel comfortable expressing himself in an interview format; he suggested anyone who wanted to understand his thinking would be better served by reading his written works… But that was a long time ago. Since his election in 2013, Pope Francis has shown no such aversion to unscripted conversations. He is surely the most-interviewed Pontiff in history, with dozens of in-depth conversations published during his papacy.

Saint of the Day for January 24: St. Francis de Sales (Aug. 21, 1567 – Dec. 28, 1622)

By Franciscan Media – Saint Francis de Sales’ Story – Francis was destined by his father to be a lawyer so that the young man could eventually take his elder’s place as a senator from the province of Savoy in France. For this reason Francis was sent to Padua to study law. After receiving his doctorate, he returned home and, in due time, told his parents he wished to enter the priesthood.

Fr. Roger Landry: Giving Thanks to God for the Gift of Human Life

By Father Roger Landry, EWTN News – The laws in the United States with regard to abortion are considerably better than before Dobbs v. Jackson was decided in June 2022… Not only did the Supreme Court’s decision demolish the claim that abortion is a constitutionally protected right, but it also made possible state laws protecting our youngest brothers and sisters… The Church and all her pro-life collaborators need that fidelity, trustworthiness, reverence, readiness and perseverance in the years ahead as we seek, in this Dobbs era, to form a culture, electorate and civilization of life.

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: Whoever Does the Will of God Is My Brother and Sister

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Mark 3:31-35 – And his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside they sent to him and called him. And a crowd was sitting about him; and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, asking for you.” And he replied, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” And looking around on those who sat about him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother, and sister, and mother.”

Fr. Shenan J. Boquet: March for Life: A Potent Expression of the Pro-Life Movement

By Fr. Shenan J. Boquet, Human Life International – When a group of activist U.S. Supreme Court Justices unilaterally legalized the killing of preborn children nationwide in 1973, they didn’t choose to release their decision in late January, during winter, as a challenge to test the resolve of pro-life activists… Presumably, the Justices thought that their decision (7-2), while likely to be greeted with some controversy, would quickly become the settled law of the land. Likely, they did not expect that dauntless pro-life activists would rise to the challenge, organizing annual protests to mark the day of infamy, January 22.

(Catholic) Joe Biden Announces New Pro-Abortion Measures on Roe v. Wade Anniversary, by Tyler Arnold

By Tyler Arnold, Catholic News Agency – Pres. Joe Biden’s administration on Monday announced new plans to increase access to surgical abortion, chemical abortion, and contraceptives, with the move coming on the 51st anniversary of the Supreme Court’s now-defunct Roe v. Wade ruling… The White House’s push includes new guidance from the HHS to support surgical abortion through a federal law that guarantees “emergency medical treatment.” The plan also moves forward with prior executive actions to provide easier access to chemical abortions through federal regulation. ….

The Whole Point Is the Hidden Point, by Sean Fitzpatrick

By Sean Fitzpatrick, Crisis Magazine – (Eric Sammons) has a point. Why vote if there are only foregone conclusions—and rarely in a way that promotes Catholic life? Why beat a dead horse when it can’t work anymore? Acknowledging the validity of such questions, I believe that there is a point to consider—not one that negates what Mr. Sammons has written but one that is higher than these political concerns and of eminently pious concern. A point that appears pointless, which is the whole reason why it is the point.

The Next America: Getting Closer, by Christopher Manion

By Christopher Manion, The Wanderer – Essential Element of Politics,” was somewhat misleading, because the bishop wasn’t advocating compromise at all. “The best way to fix our broken immigration system… is to examine it holistically, and repair all parts of it…including legalization of the undocumented” (“Never call them illegal,” reads the USCCB’s Eleventh Commandment).

Saint of the Day for January 23: St. Marianne Cope

Franciscan Media – Though leprosy scared off most people in 19th-century Hawaii, that disease sparked great generosity in the woman who came to be known as Mother Marianne of Molokai. Her courage helpd tremendously to improve the lives of its victims in Hawaii, a territory annexed to the United States during her lifetime (1898).

Cardinal Explains How African Rejection of Fiducia Supplicans Was Handled, by Walter Sanchez Silva

By Walter Sanchez Silva for CNA, Catholic World Report – “When on Dec. 18, we received the document Fiducia Supplicans, signed by the prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and co-signed by His Holiness Pope Francis, it caused a shockwave in Africa. We didn’t understand what was happening at the Church level. Furthermore, other churches that called us said: ‘We count on the Catholic Church to oppose this ideology. Now, you are the first to authorize the blessing of homosexual couples.’”

Meet 5 Accused Pedophiles Who Bought Kids Through Surrogacy, by Katy Faust

By Katy Faust, The Federalist – Surrogacy is risky for children. Not just the risk of a primal wound via intentional birth mother separation. Not just the risk of identity struggles if their genetic mother is purchased from a catalog. Not just the risk of mother-hunger if they are raised in a home absent maternal love… Surrogacy puts children at risk for the worst kinds of abuse. …

Eucharistic Faith and the Survey, by Randall Smith

By Randall Smith, The Catholic Thing – A disturbing 2019 Pew survey found that only a third of Catholics believe that the Eucharist is truly the Body and Blood of Christ… The results of such surveys, of course, depend on what questions were asked and to whom. So, for example, if people were asked, “Do you believe in transubstantiation?” some might have had the same reaction I did when I was challenged recently whether I believed in “impanation.”… What the heck is impanation? I looked it up.

44% of Dem Voters Say Biden Has Worked to ‘Systematically Undermine’ U.S. Border Security, by Craig Bannister

By Craig Bannister, CNSNews – More than 4 in 10 Democrat voters say Pres. Joe Biden has “worked to systematically undermine America’s border security” – yet, more than half of them say he’s doing either a “good” or “excellent” job of handling immigration, a new Rasmussen survey reveals… The national survey of U.S. likely voters asked respondents if they agreed or disagreed with the following statement: “Since his first day in office.. Biden has worked to systematically undermine America’s border security. … The result is a humanitarian and national security catastrophe”?

Untimely Reflections on ‘Hate’, by Robert Royal

By Robert Royal,  The Catholic Thing – It’s never easy to bring unwelcome truths into the public realm. And it’s become increasingly difficult, for obvious reasons, since the advent of the Internet – to say nothing of the deep divisions we face at the start of this crazed election year. Or equally deep divisions in the Church. So, what light and steadiness can we possibly find at a moment like this in our untimely, ancient Catholic Faith? …

EWTN: Pope Benedict XVI’s Prayer For The Unborn

EWTN: Pope Benedict XVI – Lord Jesus, You who faithfully visit and fulfill with your Presence the Church and the history of men; You who in the miraculous Sacrament of your Body and Blood render us participants in divine Life and allow us a foretaste of the joy of eternal Life; We adore and bless you… Prostrated before You, source and lover of Life, truly present and alive among us, we beg you. ….

The World Must Be Peopled, by Phil Lawler 

By Phil Lawler, Catholic Culture – The late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, while serving as a Harvard professor, remarked that the most important decision in the realm of social policy is not made by lawmakers in Washington but by married couples: the decision whether or not to have children. The way young couples answer that question speaks volumes about the health of a society. Do we think of life as a gift to be shared with future generations or as a burden to be born grudgingly?

The Ghost of Roe v. Wade, by Mary Frances Myler

By Mary Frances Myler, The Federalist – Fifty-one years later, Roe’s damage continues… Just before his retirement in 1994, Justice Harry Blackmun, author of the majority opinion in Roe v. Wade, had a change of heart. He had previously voted in support of capital punishment but later changed his views on the death penalty. “From this day forward,” he said, “I shall no longer tinker with the machinery of death.” But he had already tinkered with death quite a bit — and not just with the death penalty. His change of heart was too little, too late.

The Wrath of God and the Death Penalty: On Blessings and Prudence, by Matthew A. Tsakanikas

By Matthew A. Tsakanikas, Crisis Magazine – While sexual immorality no longer requires the civil punishment of death, such natural-moral-law violations still bring spiritual death to the souls of those who willingly engage in it… In Romans 1, St. Paul warned about the wrath of God for those who partake in unchastity and condone it. What will God do to his people when they attempt to bless “couples” who base their relationships on unchastity and lewdness [cf. Ezekiel 23:44-49]? Prudence reminds us that it is best to bless an individual seeking repentance rather than bless such “couples” and bring the wrath of God.

Covington Bishop Moves Traditional Latin Mass to New Church After Censuring Priests, by Calvin Freiburger

By Calvin Freiburger, LifeSiteNews – On January 17, the Diocese of Covington explained the punishment by accusing Collins of preaching that the Novus Ordo “is ‘irrelevant,’ preserves ‘literally nothing of the old,’ and that the reform of the liturgy was motivated by hatred toward traditional Catholics and the ancient liturgies of Rome”; and both priests of “maintain[ing] these errors and refus[ing] the opportunity to renounce them,” which “disqualifies them from being granted permission to publicly celebrate” the Latin Mass. The Catholic Lepanto Institute has accused the statement of taking the “cherry picked” quotes “way out of context.”

Msgr. Charles Pope: Working for the Kingdom – A Homily for the Third Sunday of Ordinary Time

By Msgr. Charles Pope – The readings of “Ordinary Time” focus on the call to discipleship and the living of the Christian Faith. The readings for today’s Mass are no exception, as they present us with a number of disciplines for disciples. These disciplines free us to serve Christ and His Kingdom joyfully, energetically, and wholeheartedly. We can group these disciplines into three broad areas; discipleship is undefiant, unfettered, and untiring. Let’s consider each area of discipline as reflected in the readings.

Pope Francis Institutes Female ‘Lectors’ Again at Vatican Continuing ‘Rupture From Catholic Tradition’

By Michael Haynes, LifeSiteNews – Pope Francis instituted men and women in the ministries of lector and catechist in the Vatican Sunday, continuing the practice he began following his 2021 changes to Canon Law which has been described as continuing “the pattern of rupture from Catholic tradition.”… On January 21, Pope Francis instituted two women as lectors, along with seven women and two men as catechists. ….

Ron DeSantis Drops Out of Republican Presidential Race, Endorses Donald Trump, by Steven Ertelt

By Steven Ertelt, LifeNews – Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is dropping out of the presidential race today and will endorse former President Donald Trump, who continues to hold a strong lead in the upcoming states… The pro-life governor’s decision essentially leaves the race to between Trump and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley… “We don’t have a clear path to victory,” DeSantis said in a video posted on X… “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts,” DeSantis said, quoting Winston Churchill.

House Speaker Mike Johnson Tells March for Life: ‘I Am the Product of an Unplanned Pregnancy’, by Doug Mainwaring

By Doug Mainwaring, LifeSiteNew – Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Mike Johnson may have surprised the crowd at the 2024 National March for Life rally when he declared, “I myself am the product of an unplanned pregnancy.”… “In January of 1972, exactly one year before Roe v Wade, my parents—who were just teenagers at the time—chose life. And I am very profoundly grateful that they did,” he confided to the cheering crowd… “We have to build a culture that encourages and assists more and more people to make that same decision,” said Johnson.

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: People Were Saying of Jesus, ‘He Is beside Himself’

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – GOSPEL READING: Mark 3:19b, 20-21 – Then he went home; 20 and the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. 21 And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for people were saying, “He is beside himself.”

A Provocative and Persuasive History of the Catholic Church, by Auguste Meyrat

By Auguste Meyrat, The Catholic Thing – There’s a great line by St. John Henry Newman that Catholic apologists like to quote, particularly in debates with Protestants: “To be deep in history is to cease to be Protestant.” Among the strongest reasons to become Catholic is realizing how the Church continued to exist and thrive over the course of over two millennia, making it the oldest continuous institution on the planet. Surely, a divine force is working through the Church’s members, driving them to spread the Gospel and build up God’s Kingdom.

What Sacrament Means the Most to You? by Dr. Jeff Mirus

By Dr. Jeff Mirus, Catholic Culture – All seven of the Church’s sacraments are extraordinarily powerful occasions of grace for those who receive them, but I suspect we all have our favorites. For example, an adult convert might single out baptism as having a powerful impact on his life, whereas a cradle Catholic might appreciate baptism only somewhat more “theoretically”, since he or she cannot remember receiving the sacrament and may not associate graces received with that blessed foundation.

Tim Ballard Speaks at Pro-Life Event: ‘Children are the Targets of the Devil’, by Tierin-Rose Mandelburg

By Tierin-Rose Mandelburg, MRC TV – On Thursday evening, Vans for Life, an organization that specializes in equipping and launching mobile pregnancy centers held a gala. At the event, where hundreds gathered, anti-child trafficking activist Tim Ballard spoke about the parallels between the tragedy of sex trafficking and abortion… Vans for Life was established in 2017 when president Eddie Perez realized that in order to save babies from abortions, he needed to reach pregnant women before they entered the doors of an abortion facility.

No to Christian-Communist Collaboration, by Daniel J. Mahoney

By Daniel J. Mahoney, The American Mind – All friends of Western civilization, and of the great and enduring causes of liberty and human dignity, cannot remain indifferent to the contemporary fate of the Roman Catholic Church. However imperfect it is at the merely human or institutional level, the Church has ceaselessly reminded human beings of the limits of conceiving of human persons as mere animals, dominated by self-will, vulgar hedonism, and an illusory autonomy that pretends that woefully imperfect men are in fact self-contained gods.

The Good News About Fiducia Supplicans, by Robert B. Greving

By Robert B. Greving, Crisis Magazine – For that reason, Fiducia Supplicans is problematic for those trying to keep this papacy in continuity with the previous two (or two hundred). As with Amoris Laetitia (and other papal pronouncements), there seems a clear break in what the Church has previously taught. The subsequent clarification has only clarified the rupture.

Bill Gates Set Up 20 Shell Companies to Hide Purchase of $113 Million of Nebraska Farmland, by Destiny Herbers

By Destiny Herbers, Flatwater Free Press – The limited liability companies, buried under layers of business names, overlapping employees and addresses in at least three states, form a network more tangled and opaque than the one created by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which is buying a giant amount of Nebraska ranch land… The buyer’s name: Bill Gates… The billionaire who co-founded Microsoft has, in the past six years, spent more than $113 million buying Nebraska farmland …

Saint of the Day for January 20 – St. Sebastian

Franciscan Media – Almost nothing is historically certain about Sebastian except that he was a Roman martyr, was venerated in Milan even in the time of Saint Ambrose and was buried on the Appian Way, probably near the present Basilica of St. Sebastian. Devotion to him spread rapidly, and he is mentioned in several martyrologies as early as 350.

Poll Shows Americans Support Pro-Life Laws, Oppose Taxpayer-Funded Abortions, by Steven Ertelt 

By Steven Ertelt, LifeNews – .. March for Life, the Knights of Columbia have released their annual poll on abortion. This year’s, released this afternoon, is headlined “A Consistent Consensus of Americans Continue to Support Legal Limits on Abortion Poll Also Shows Overwhelming Support for Pregnancy Resource Centers.”… “The 2024 Knights of Columbus-Marist Poll results, released today, reveal that 66% of Americans support placing legal limits on abortion, and that nearly 6 in 10 support limiting abortions to the first three months of pregnancy.”

A Pivotal Year for Pro-Lifers, by Michael Warsaw

By Michael Warsaw, EWTN News – The 2020 presidential election cycle was uniquely challenging for faithfully pro-life Catholics — yet the stakes are even higher this time around in 2024… After Joe Biden’s triumph in November 2020, the U.S. bishops were unable to celebrate the election of the second Catholic president of the U.S. without reservation… they were forced to take immediate steps in an attempt to counter the implementation of the new president’s extremist pro-abortion agenda, which runs completely contrary to what his professed Church teaches about the sanctity of unborn life.

Bishop Schneider Publishes New Prayer Begging God for ‘An Rra of Holy Popes’

By LifeSiteNews staff, LifeSiteNews – Bishop Athanasius Schneider of the Diocese of St. Mary’s in Astana, Kazakhstan, has published a new prayer for God to intercede in His Church for “an era of holy popes.”.. The following is a message from Bishop Schneider along with the full text of the “Prayer for Imploring Holy Popes” …

The Holy Spirit Governs the Church, by Elie Dib

By Elie Dib, Catholic Exchange – Don Dolindo Ruotolo (1882-1970) was an Italian priest who endured persecution and false accusations from church authorities, yet he never rebelled or separated himself from the Catholic Church… (he) defended himself against accusations but never disobeyed or separated from the Church. Like Padre Pio, he endured suspicion and persecution yet remained faithful. His life shows that one can persist in truth while also persisting in obedience.

WATCH! The World Over: “BLESSINGS” CONTROVERSY: The Papal Posse with Raymond Arroyo

By Raymond Arroyo, EWTN – Robert Royal & Fr. Gerald Murray on the latest news from the Vatican including the growing international resistance by bishops’ conferences to the Vatican’s directive on blessings of same sex couples, and the controversy surrounding a salacious book written years ago by the current head of the Vatican’s doctrinal office, Victor Cardinal Fernandez.

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: Jesus Appointed Twelve to Be with Him

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Mark 3:13-19 – And he went up on the mountain, and called to him those whom he desired; and they came to him. And he appointed twelve, to be with him, and to be sent out to preach and have authority to cast out demons: Simon whom he surnamed Peter; James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James ….

Over 500 DEI Jobs at University of Michigan Create $30 Million Boondoggle, by Evan Poellinger

By Evan Poellinger, MRC TV – The Univ. of Michigan is spending in excess of $30 million on more than 500 positions focused on diversity, equity, and inclusions (DEI)… An analysis by The College Fix found 241 jobs devoted exclusively to DEI, and more than 500 overall. It delineates the costs associated with Michigan’s DEI jobs, including $23.24 million set aside for employee salaries with an additional $7.44 million allotted for employee benefits. Yet, even this represents only a fraction of the total positions at Michigan with a focus on DEI, which amounts to over 500 positions

Chaos Deepens as Dutch Bishops Collectively Reject Blessings for Same-Sex Couples, by Simon Caldwell

By Simon Caldwell, Catholic Herald – The Dutch bishops have become the latest conference to collectively reject the new requirement by the Vatican to provide non-liturgical blessings to same-sex couples and those in irregular relationships… A statement issued by the Bishops’ Conference of the Netherlands stopped short of authorising either blessings or prayers for any couples if they could be construed as approving lifestyles at odds with the moral teaching of the Catholic Church.

There’s Some Good in This Church and It’s Worth Fighting For, by Eric Sammons

By Eric Sammons, Editor-in-Chief, Crisis Magazine – The possibility of demoralization and even despair among faithful Catholics today is the reality behind the most common question I receive from readers: How do we live joyfully as Catholics when from all human appearances the Church seems to be self-destructing? How can we remain faithful to God’s promises when we see millions of souls—including the souls of loved ones—being lost every year?

Sr. Ruth Burrows: That the Thoughts of Our Hearts May Be Revealed

By Sister Ruth Burrows, o.c.d., Catholic Education Resource Center – She is God’s most perfect design, the most perfect image of Christ Jesus. She submitted herself without reserve to God’s action, carried out with unswerving fidelity all those things he had prepared beforehand for her life, little or great. From moment to moment Mary looked for God’s guidance and followed one step at a time. She embraced with all her heart whatever he willed or permitted. Her life was a continual fiat to his operations. She sought only to please him, to be docile in his hands, whether what he asked was painful or sweet.

Saint of the Day for January 19 – St. Fabian

Franciscan Media – Fabian was a Roman layman who came into the city from his farm one day as clergy and people were preparing to elect a new pope. Eusebius, a Church historian, says a dove flew in and settled on the head of Fabian. This sign united the votes of clergy and laity, and he was chosen unanimously.

“The Catholic Church is Not the Pope’s Church and Catholics are Therefore Not Papists but Christians”: An Exclusive Interview With Cardinal Gerhard Müller, by Cole DeSantis

By Cole DeSantis, Crisis Magazine – Cardinal Müller addresses the nature of papal infallibility, the limits of papal authority, and the possibility of a heretical pope… I recently sent some questions to Cardinal Gerhard Müller regarding papal infallibility and the Cardinal’s recent words describing Pope Francis as having endorsed material heresy. The Cardinal was gracious enough to answer my questions in the following email exchange.

I Bought A Bible, Slingshot, And Sports Gear. So I’m Probably On A ‘Domestic Terrorist’ Watchlist, by Joy Pullmann

By Joy Pullmann, Executive Editor, The Federalist – Americans who shopped at sporting goods stores and bought religious books “like a Bible” were flagged through their banks as potential domestic terrorists, Rep. Jim Jordan revealed Jan. 17… The federal government also flagged as potential criminals any transactions that involved the terms “MAGA” or “Trump.”… These Americans were tagged as possible “violent extremists” with zero due process or even notification of this criminalization of their constitutional rights to property, free speech, consent to their government’s activities, and religious exercise.

With Every Woman: How Catholic Maternity Homes Are Serving Mothers, by Kate Quiñones

By Kate Quiñones, CNA – This year, the national March for Life will focus on the theme “With Every Woman, for Every Child.”… There are more than 400 maternity homes throughout the U.S. CNA went in-depth into three of the homes that are Catholic in their founding and mission. What unites them all? Laypeople work together with religious monks or sisters to support every expectant mother and every child.

Twin Sisters of Life Share Their Vocation Stories Prior to Life Fest, by Francesca Pollio Fenton

By Francesca Pollio Fenton, CNA – Sister Pia Jude and Sister Luca Benedict are both Sisters of Life who will be speaking at the upcoming Life Fest, a morning of prayer for youth put on by the Knights of Columbus and the Sisters of Life in Washington, D.C., on Friday, Jan. 19, before the March for Life. Not only are the two women religious sisters, but they also happen to be biological twin sisters… Despite spending time in law and medicine, respectively, each of these sisters, through surrendering to God’s will, was led to her true vocation as a Sister of Life. They shared their stories with CNA.

Bishop Joseph Strickland’s Letter to Priests

Bishop Joseph Strickland – My Dear Brother Priests, I am compelled to speak to you with clarity and the force of the Gospel as we approach the Roe v. Wade anniversary once again. The date January 22nd marks a day when the United States ushered in its cultural acceptance of the slaughter of unborn children. The decision of the United States Supreme Court to support a so-called right to abortion has had devastating consequences for the whole world. We must never cease speaking against this diabolical decision while constantly proclaiming the sanctity of life.

Ordinary Time Is an Extraordinary Time to Walk With Christ, by Kathy Schiffer 

By Kathy Schiffer, EWTN News – Ah, we Catholics love a party! And what is the liturgical calendar, if not a great excuse to put on our finery and enjoy a feast, celebrating the hallmarks of our faith with explosions of color and light and song?… During the Christmas season, giddy with the news of the Christ Child’s birth, we decorate our churches and our homes with fragrant greenery, golden baubles, heady red poinsettias, and twinkling lights to rival the stars in the winter sky.

Archbishop Viganò: Bergoglio Supports Davos Elites Efforts to Establish New World Order

By Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, Complicit Clergy – How would Our Lord have spoken to the Sanhedrin of criminal subversives at the World Economic Forum? What would all the Popes from Saint Peter to Pius XII have said to the participants of the Davos Forum? Not what Bergoglio said, surely. And this proves once again that the Argentine Jesuit is a servant of the globalist elite: whether he does it out of self-interest or due to blackmail matters little… Bergoglio explicitly supports the globalist coup and actively cooperates in the establishment of the New World Order. What more is needed to understand that the words of Leo XIII have come true? That the prophecy of Our Lady at La Salette is being fulfilled before our eyes?

Lightning Strikes Twice in An Argentine Diocese, by Phil Lawler

By Phil Lawler, Catholic Culture – Last November, Pope Francis named Bishop José Maria Balina, an auxiliary bishop of Buenos Aires, to become the new Bishop of Mar del Plata. But 22 days later, before he was even installed as head of the diocese, Bishop Balina resigned. That’s very unusual… So the Pope quickly named Bishop Gustavo Larrazabal, an auxiliary in San Juan de Cuyo, to become Bishop of Mar del Plata. Five weeks later— again, before he was installed— Bishop Larrazabal has resigned. That’s not just unusual; it’s astonishing— like being struck by lightning twice.

Multiple Texts Showing Cardinal Fernández’s ‘idée fixe’, by Michael Pakaluk

By Michael Pakaluk, The Catholic Thing – Wikipedia says of a “whiskey priest” that he is “a stock character who shows clear signs of moral weakness while preaching. . .a higher standard.”  Perhaps you are familiar with the original whiskey priest in Graham Greene’s novel, The Power and the Glory.  Many Catholics are troubled by the book.  If it is meant to portray the truth, that the objective work of the sacraments can be accomplished by a priest, in virtue of the “character” impressed upon his soul, even if he has deep flaws – then there is no problem.

Fr. Thomas G. Weinandy: On the Relevance and Reality of the Development of Doctrine Today

By Fr. Thomas G. Weinandy, OFM., Cap., Catholic World Report – Presently, within the Catholic Church, there is much discussion concerning the development of doctrine. Traditionally, doctrinal development was understood to be an authentic growth in the Church’s understanding and articulation of what had always been believed and taught.
John Henry Cardinal Newman was one of the first to offer this understanding of authentic doctrinal development. Within the contemporary discussion on the nature of the development of doctrine, Newman’s teaching is often invoked. However, some theologians and a few bishops proffer, at times, the notion that what was previously considered binding in faith upon all members of the Church is no longer viable and justifiable.

Let’s Call Out Dirty Old Men Again, by Leila Miller

By Leila Miller, Crisis Magazine – I don’t know about you, but I miss the days when we could freely identify and call out dirty old men. When, without reprisal, we could recognize and denounce sexual deviance and not have to pretend that sexual perversion was normal or good… In fact, back then, we were still allowed to use the terms “deviant” and “pervert” in normal parlance. To do so wasn’t “mean”; it was honest, wise, and protective—a warning of physical, moral, and spiritual danger ahead. Intuition was still trusted, and common sense was still common.

Send in the Clowns, by Charles Coulombe

By Charles Coulombe, Crisis Magazine – Indeed, it is healthier for us that we honor their choices and laugh at them at every opportunity, although we should pray for them as hard as we laugh. For unlike the comedians, these men really were meant to be our spiritual fathers, however much they have wasted themselves on becoming ridiculous. Still, when I look at Tucho’s odd-looking visage and think “Send in the Clowns,” I immediately realize there’s no point in bothering. They’re already here.

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: Is It Lawful… to Save Life or to Kill?

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Mark 3:1-6 – Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there who had a withered hand. And they watched him, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. And he said to the man who had the withered hand, “Come here.” …..

God’s Election for Your Fallen Family: Never Too Late! by Dr. Jeff Mirus 

By Dr. Jeff Mirus, Catholic Culture – Perhaps the most concise reminder of God’s Covenant with the Jews is found in chapter 9 of the Book of Nehemiah—which recounts one of several periods in the history of the Chosen People when all that they had forgotten about God’s special election was rediscovered and proposed again, in times of trouble, for a renewed commitment… It is amazing how quickly the remembrance of the exodus from Egypt, the reception of the Law, and the entry into the Promised Land faded from memory among the Jews as time passed.

Bishop Robert Mutsaerts: Dutch Bishop Blasts ‘Cowardly’ Fiducia Supplicans

By Bishop Robert Mutsaerts, LifeSite – Fiducia Supplicans – the controversial Declaration of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith – is above all a cowardly document. It refuses to name homosexual practices as intrinsically evil. It is now clear that Fiducia Supplicans is not about an expansion of the meaning of blessings, but of a deliberate modification of what is sin. Objections from numerous bishops – indeed, bishops’ conferences – and hundreds of priests and faithful are arrogantly dismissed.

Traditional Catholicism Actually Does Have All the Answers to the Most Important Problems, by Robert Morrison

By Robert Morrison, Remnant Columnist, The Remnant – Thus, if we accept the clear meaning of Our Lord’s words, we must logically reject not only Francis’s unholy efforts to destroy the Church but also the entire Vatican II revolution, which has been fueled by the illusory dreams of false ecumenism… all of these conclusions that we can draw from the mission Jesus entrusted to His Church stand in the way of the globalist agenda heralded by Klaus Schwab… This is why Francis and his fellow miscreants accept all religions except Traditional Catholicism, which they despise and persecute.

Pope Francis Hopes Jesus Was Wrong… by Kennedy Hall

By Kennedy Hall,  OnePeterFive – Editor’s note: with the latest scandal against the Faith from the Roman Pontiff himself, we recall how Scalfari reported that the Pope did not believe in the dogma of hell, and the Vatican’s failure to condemn this heresy in a political newspeak non-answer. This latest scandal seems to confirm, in some way, that the Pope does not believe in hell.

Do Christians and Communists Have the Same Goals, as Pope Francis Claims? by John Zmirak

By John Zmirak, The Stream – We must remember that Marx — and like him Marxists — opposed effective reforms that would improve the lives of the needy. Such half-measures, he scoffed, would merely lull the poor into a false sense of hope and slow down the Revolution. Instead, good Marxists must sow division, encourage class hate, and everywhere sharpen the antagonism and resentments in society… Marxism has Christian DNA, the way that tumors have the DNA of the patient whom they are killing. If Pope Francis really isn’t consciously trying to kill the church, he ought to stop dosing the Body of Christ with carcinogens.

Biden Takes Texas To SCOTUS Over Border Dispute, by P. Gardner Goldsmith

By P. Gardner Goldsmith, MRC TV – The increasing heat between state governments and the feds may be reaching a virtual boiling point, as the Biden Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Friday added a supplemental filing to the Administration’s days-old request for the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) to “reinstate” federal control over the southern Texas border with Mexico.

WATCH: Is the Pope a Communist?

By Gavin Ashenden, Katherine Bennett, Mark Lambert, YouTube – In this episode, Katherine Gavin and Mark discuss the question of whether Pope Francis is a communist in the light of his recent meeting with DIALOP – a “dialogue project” between socialists/Marxists, communists, and Christians which he set up in 2014… They explore the connection between Pope Francis and liberation theology, highlighting the concerns about his association with Marxists. The conversation delves into the conflict between communism and Catholicism, emphasizing the differences in views on human nature, collectivism, and the use of power.

LifeSite News: Two Courageous Priests in the Belly of the Beast Say No To Blessing Homosexual ‘Couples’

By Staff, LifeSite News – Fathers Kevin Kennedy and Jerald Geronimo of the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption in San Francisco announced they will not bestow blessings on ‘couples in irregular unions, including same-sex couples.’.. The two priests of the Catholic cathedral in San Francisco have said they will not impart blessings on “couples in irregular unions, including same-sex couples.”

Saint of the Day for January 17: St. Anthony of Egypt (251 – 356)

By Franciscan Media – The life of Anthony will remind many people of Saint Francis of Assisi. At 20, Anthony was so moved by the Gospel message, “Go, sell what you have, and give to [the] poor” (Mark 10:21b), that he actually did just that with his large inheritance. He is different from Francis in that most of Anthony’s life was spent in solitude. He saw the world completely covered with snares, and gave the Church and the world the witness of solitary asceticism, great personal mortification and prayer. But no saint is antisocial, and Anthony drew many people to himself for spiritual healing and guidance.

The Marian Apparition That Saved the Forgotten Ones, by Kevin Wells

By Kevin Wells, EWTN News – … events that unfolded when Our Lady visited a poor girl named Mariette Beco on a moonless winter night in 1933. Mary spoke just 91 words in her eight visits to the backwater of Banneux, Belgium. But it was those words — courteously spoken in a manner suited for a country girl — that spurred one of the greatest accounts in Church history of Our Lady’s intermediary work through a single man — Washington, D.C., native Venerable Aloysius Schwartz.

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: The Son of Man Is Lord of the Sabbath

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Mark 2:23-28 – One Sabbath he was going through the grain fields; and as they made their way his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. And the Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him …

Pope Francis and the Leaven of Ambiguity, by Joe Dallas

By Joe Dallas, The Stream – Pope Francis neither condemned nor affirmed homosexuality itself, so you couldn’t quite say he was “gay affirming,” but neither would you say he opposes it. By refusing to clarify what he meant by “gay” (a practicing homosexual priest or a celibate one?) and “searching for the Lord” (resisting homosexual temptations or yielding to them while claiming to seek God?) he was deliberately ambiguous.

The Brew: United Chooses DEI Over Friendly Skies, by Al Perrotta

By Al Perrotta, The Stream – Yesterday we mentioned how Delta and the FAA have fallen under the DEI/woke spell. Well, here comes United CEO Scott Kirby. “We’ve committed that 50% of the (aviation academy) classes will be women or people of color.” A quota. Right now, only 19% of pilots at United are women or people of color.

Speaker Johnson Cut His Bad Deal Because Republicans Don’t Want To Cut Spending, by Christopher Jacobs

By Christopher Jacobs, The Federalist – As I wrote last week, “Speaker Johnson and Republican ‘leadership’ … bailed the Democrats out of the predicament they put themselves in last May.” To which I should make an important addition: In many ways, Johnson didn’t bail out Democrats from a tough political predicament as much as he did his own Republican members. Because most Republicans don’t want to reduce spending — and they don’t want their constituents to know that either.

Why Would Women Want to Be Catholic Priests When They Can Be Saints Instead, by Thomas Edwards

By Thomas Edwards, Catholic Herald – The leaders of the German Synodal Way decided to make waves in 2023 by leaving Biblical theology and anthropology at the door and endorsing whatever they thought secular society wanted them to endorse. This included female ordination… There are some very compelling reasons why we do not need women priests in the Catholic Church, and they have names: Mary, Maria, Teresa, Mother Teresa, Therese, Teresa Benedicta or Edith, Bernadette, Bakita—to name just a few. …

Focusing on Your Primary Vocation, by Randy Hain

By Randy Hain, Integrated Catholic Life – Remember, so often we tend to make things more complicated than they really are.  When it comes to priorities, many of us have a check list of some kind that includes everything from going to the grocery store for milk to making sure our children get a great education.  We confuse mundane tasks with what is truly important in life.  If everything is important, then nothing is important. When it comes to living a fuller, richer life filled with meaning, what are your priorities?

Trump Shatters Record for Biggest Win in History of Iowa Republican Caucuses, by Nick Gilbertson

By Nick Gilbertson, Breitbart – Former President Donald Trump now owns the record for the largest margin of victory in the history of contested Iowa Republican caucuses, more than doubling the previous mark… Citing the Trump campaign, Reuters reported Friday that late Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole (R-KS) previously held the record in contested Republican Iowa caucuses at 12.8 percent… As of 11:35 p.m. ET, the New York Times reported Trump had garnered 51 percent of the vote, with 95 percent reporting.

BLOG: U.S. Bishops Think We’re Stupid

By Dad29, Complicit Clergy – Several border-area US Catholic Bishops issued a series of demands which–they say–will “fix” the illegal alien problem… That’s consistent with the semantics games the Bishops used following the issuance of ‘Perversia Supplicans‘ which works like this: First, the Bishops underline the only positive: that the document keeps the Church’s definition of marriage intact… Second, they ignore the obvious sacrilege of issuing a blessing to couples (throuples?? quadthrouples?) living in flat-out immoral relationships… They think you’re stupid.

The Church Sows More Confusion About Same-Sex Blessings, by John Finnis, ​Peter Ryan, Robert P. George

By John Finnis, ​Peter Ryan, Robert P. George, First Things – On December 18, the Holy See’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of Faith (DDF) released Fiducia Supplicans. That Declaration stated that priests may spontaneously bless couples in “irregular” situations—e.g., “remarried” or same-sex couples—within certain limits. Those limits were supposed to protect the Church’s witness to her teachings on sexual ethics and marriage, truths knowable by reason and divine revelation. Yet many bishops and episcopal conferences have expressed concern that providing such blessings would impede that witness, undermining the Church’s teachings…

Fr. Jerry Pokorsky: The Nathan and Nathanael Options

By Fr. Jerry Pokorsky, Catholic Culture – Leaders throughout history often have an Achille’s heel of thin-skinned guile. The followers of Jesus are not immune. Jesus calls His Twelve Apostles to assist him with the proclamation of the Gospel and in preparation for their ordination to the priesthood. They stay with Jesus, take instructions from the Master, and validate St. Paul’s observation: “God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong.” (1 Cor. 1:27)

Pope Francis: ‘I Like to Think of Hell as Empty’, by Courtney Mares

By Courtney Mares, Catholic News Agency – When asked by the interviewer, Fabio Fazio, how he “imagines hell,” Pope Francis gave a short response… “What I am going to say is not a dogma of faith but my own personal view: I like to think of hell as empty; I hope it is.” … (However,) The CCC says that Catholic teaching “affirms the existence of hell and its eternity. Immediately after death the souls of those who die in a state of mortal sin descend into hell, where they suffer the punishments of hell, ‘eternal fire.’ The chief punishment of hell is eternal separation from God

The Iowa Caucuses … From a Guy Who’s Been a Candidate in a Couple, by Mike Huckabee (1.15.2024)

By Mike Huckabee, The Stream – We are just hours away from the Iowa Caucuses which will be the first real test of the 2024 Presidential Election. Having won the caucuses in 2008, I do understand some things about them and their importance. You will hear some of the know-it-all news commentators talk about how irrelevant the caucuses are and how that the winner of the caucuses doesn’t often end up being the nominee… The Real Story Out of Iowa ….

Reality Is Greater Than Their Ideas, by Robert Royal

By Robert Royal, The Catholic Thing – Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn said during his Nobel Prize acceptance speech, “Within the philosophical system of Marx and Lenin and at the heart of their psychology, hatred of God is the principal driving force, more fundamental than all their political and economic pretensions.” Which is to say, hate more than love lies at its heart… He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

Saint of the Day for January 16: St. Bernard and Companions

Franciscan Media – Preaching the gospel is often dangerous work. Leaving one’s homeland and adjusting to new cultures, governments and languages is difficult enough; but martyrdom caps all the other sacrifices… In 1219, with the blessing of Saint Francis, Berard left Italy with Peter, Adjute, Accurs, Odo and Vitalis to preach in Morocco. En route in Spain, Vitalis became sick and commanded the other friars to continue their mission without him.

Msgr. Richard C. Antall: The Emperor’s New Theologian

By Msgr. Richard C. Antall, Crisis Magazine – The emperor needed a new theologian to defend the marvelous cloth in which he paraded… In the aftermath of the emperor’s parade in his birthday suit made, supposedly, of the invisible cloth that only the most noble souls could appreciate, there was a great silence in the palace… The emperor had called his chaplain to his chamber and asked him, “Did you see the new suit of clothes that was prepared for me on my birthday?” ….

Pope Francis Knew His Doctrine Chief was an Erotic Author, by T. S. Flanders

By T. S. Flanders, OnePeterFive – The Pope knew. The Vatican knew. They knew that Tucho “Heal Me with Your Mouth” Fernández was also the author of the erotic text Mystical Passion: Spirituality and Sensuality… And then he was appointed to be in charge of the doctrinal purity at the Office Formerly Known as Holy… The new doctrinal chief continues to shoot from the hip with rapid fire, both by means of official responsa and interviews to answer his critics. …

The Conductor: Lessons From Dietrich von Hildebrand’s Battle Against Hitler, by Tod Worner

By Tod Worner, Catholic World Report – The great philosopher was courageous and brilliant. But his greatest strength was his uncanny apprehension of the truth… “Do you know that God has granted you a rare sensus supernaturalis (sense for the supernatural)? And do you realize clearly the responsibility that such a gift entails?”—Fr. Gustave Desbuquois to Dietrich von Hildebrand

Pope Francis’ Top Doctrine Cop Echoes Occultists Aleister Crowley and Margaret Sanger on the ‘Mystical’ Power of Sex (Editor’s Note: This Article Contains Sexual Language. ), by John Zmirak

By John Zmirak, The Stream – In a Stream interview, Catholic philosopher John Gravino explained how Francis and his allies reject the apostolic Jewish-Christian approach to sanctifying and disciplining the human sexual urges, in favor of a Freudian “hydraulic” view of sexuality as a kind of crude steam power that needs to be vented out of some duct or other, lest it explode. Such approach is mechanistic and degrading, but at least it doesn’t traffic in sorcery… Ashenden (a theologian and scholar, former chaplain to Queen Elizabeth II) how what we face today comes from an even darker place than Freud’s pseudo-scientific scribblings. ….

Msgr. Charles Pope: A Picture of a Prophet – A Homily for the Second Sunday of the Year

By Msgr. Charles Pope – By Msgr. Charles Pope – The first reading for Sunday Mass speaks to us of the call of Samuel. In examining it, we can see what it is that makes a great prophet. Put more theologically, we can see the ways in which God’s graces form a great prophet… Samuel was surely one of the most significant prophets of the Old Testament and lived at a critical time, as Israel shifted from the time of the judges to the time of the monarchy. …

Remnant TV: 2020 REMATCH: The Pope, the WHO, and the Next Lockdown

By Michael J. Matt, Editor, Remnant TV – In this episode of The Underground, Michael Matt (discusses)… why did Pope Francis describe those “peaceful protestors” (George Floyd) as “good Samaritans”?… Plus, it’s the World Health Organization’s Pandemic Preparedness Treaty, it comes up for a vote in May, and it should be of deep concern for every patriot in American and beyond. The good news? There is considerable resistance against it, and there may be time to stop it.

Welcome Your Guardian Angel! (He’s stuck with you.) by Dr. Jeff Mirus

By Dr. Jeff Mirus, Catholic Culture – Somewhere along the way I developed a relationship with my own personal guardian angel which goes beyond rattling off the “Angel of God” prayer. I think I first noticed this in my mid-30s, which is about the time I finally realized that I could not simply bull my way through life on my own strength. Some of us are a little slow… Anyway, at a certain point I became convinced that my angel’s name is “Joshua”. I can’t prove it, but I am absolutely certain that he does not object to me calling him by that name.

Why Martyrdom Matters, by Regis Martin

By Regis Martin, Crisis Magazine –
While current scholarship is unclear on the matter of St. Ignatius of Antioch ever having been to Rome before going there to die, there is no doubt whatsoever regarding his great love and esteem for the city. Not the pagan side of the place, of course, that being the reason for his martyrdom, but the Church of Rome herself, for whom he felt profound, even mystic, devotion. K

Destroying Marriage in Order to Save It, by Daniel Frost, Robert P. George

By Daniel Frost and Robert P. George, First Things – A recent article in the New Yorker paints a rosy picture of the many ways that polyamory and non-monogamy are making inroads into American culture. Amid a great deal of wishful thinking, one claim stands out: that opening your marriage to additional sexual partners can make it stronger. The New Yorker article notes that non-monogamy “is increasingly being presented not as a threat to bourgeois marriage but, rather, as a way to save the institution and all that it affords.”

After Desolation, by David Warren

By David Warren, The Catholic Thing – My sense is that we are passing through a difficult time in the Church (for agnosticism is always difficult), and that many Catholics, especially in the Western countries of traditional Christendom, are discouraged… I do not present this as a criticism of the pope, or of any of the “Princes of the Church,” for my sense is that they are as confused as we are, and given to miscalculation. If one is Catholic, he is obliged to pray for them; even to pray for their conversion.

What It Means To Bless Something or Someone, by Russell Shaw

By Russell Shaw, Catholic Exchange – Humpty-Dumpty.. turns up in Lewis Carroll’s fantasy Through the Looking Glass and makes this famous assertion: “When I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean–neither more nor less.”… I thought of that while reading attempts to give a benign interpretation to the new Vatican document on blessings for people in “irregular” relationships, including same-sex couples and Catholics in second marriages whose first marriages haven’t been annulled. The Humpty-Dumpty spin was that to bless same-sex unions does not mean approving them.

Cardinal Muller: Fiducia Supplicans “Blasphemous”, by Fr. Kevin M  Cusick

By Father Kevin M  Cusick, The Wanderer – Let’s talk about blessings… With Fiducia supplicans, the bizarre intervention of Tucho Fernandez and rubber-stamped by Francis, the whole subject of blessings is in the air again. The fork-tongued double-speak of the document employs weaponized ambiguity to get the outcome desired of approving same-sex (read sodomitic) mutual sexual gratification. This while genuflecting to marriage and sacramental teaching just enough to placate those weak bishops who want just enough wiggle room to avoid the discomfort of outright opposition

Saint of the Day for January 13: St. Hilary of Poitiers

Franciscan Media – This staunch defender of the divinity of Christ was a gentle and courteous man, devoted to writing some of the greatest theology on the Trinity, and was like his Master in being labeled a “disturber of the peace.” In a very troubled period in the Church, his holiness was lived out in both scholarship and controversy. He was bis Poitiers in France.

Msgr. Charles Pope: Dumb or Designed?

By Msgr. Charles Pope – It is not as though a few things just happen to work together, it is tens of thousands of things all working in just the right combination so that things are, just as they are. The whole universe shouts, “I was designed and I am magnificently governed! Even just to consider our own bodies and the thousands of things and processes in perfect combination that cause us to exist, be sustained and enable us to  engage is magnificent and manifold activities.  The statistical possibility that all this intricate unity just happened by accident, or by blind chance is simply not tenable to me. God exists and his fingerprints are everywhere.

Founder’s Quote

Patriot Post – “The right of freely examining public characters and measures, and of free communication among the people thereon … has ever been justly deemed the only effectual guardian of every other right.” —James Madison (1798)

Pope Francis Tells Communists: ‘Don’t Back Down, Don’t Give Up’, by Michael Haynes

By Michael Haynes, LifeSiteNews – In his address, the pope urged the Marxist and Christian attendees to “never lose the ability to dream.”… Today, in a world divided by war and polarization, we run the risk of losing the ability to dream. We Argentines say, “no te arrugues,” meaning “don’t back off.” This is my invitation to you as well: Don’t back off, don’t give up, and don’t stop dreaming of a better world.

Were the Early Church Fathers Really the First Catholics? by Kathy Schiffer

By Kathy Schiffer, EWTN News – (former Baptist Steve Ray) and his wife Janet began a study of the Church Fathers in 1993. Despite their ingrained animosity toward Catholicism, they recognized that the Fathers were, in a word, “Catholic.” Steve, Janet and their whole immediate family were received into the Catholic Church on Pentecost Sunday, May 22, 1994 – and he has never looked back. The full version of Steve’s conversion story can be found in his book Crossing the Tiber: Evangelical Protestants Discover the Historic Church (Ignatius Press, 1997).

ORWELLIAN NIGHTMARE: Biden Admin Consulted Anti-Christian Group for ‘Domestic Terrorism’ Strategy, by Tyler O’Neil

By Tyler O’Neil Daily Signal – Law-abiding Americans increasingly are convinced that their government views them as an enemy, perhaps even a “domestic terrorism threat.”… Bureaucrats in numerous federal agencies apparently tag-teamed with the Southern Poverty Law Center, an organization that demonizes conservatives and Christians, including groups such as Alliance Defending Freedom and Moms for Liberty, in order to raise money and silence political opponents.

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: We Never Saw Anything like This!

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Mark 2:1-12 – And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room for them, not even about the door; and he was preaching the word to them. And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. …

Donald Trump: Democrats are “Radicals” on Abortion Because They Support Abortions Up to Birth, by Steven Ertelt 

By Steven Ertelt, LifeNews – Washington, DCDuring a town hall last night with Fox News moderators Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum, former President Donald Trump said Democrats are the real radicals on abortion because they support abortions up to birth… “And remember this, they are the radicals. We are not the radicals. Because they will kill a baby,” Trump said.

Cardinal Ambongo: No Blessings For Homosexual Couples on the African Continent

By Staff, Complicit Clergy – Within the Church family of God in Africa, this Declaration has caused a shockwave, it has sown misconceptions and unrest in the minds of many lay faithful, consecrated persons and even pastors and has aroused strong reactions… The synthesis of the responses of the African Episcopal Conferences highlights a common understanding and approach on their part. It encompasses their views on the unchanged doctrine of marriage within the Church, the pastoral care extended to all members of the Church and their unified position on same-sex unions.

The Homo-Prosperity Gospel, by Kennedy Hall

By Kennedy Hall, Crisis Magazine – I contend that the Prosperity Gospel and the Gospel of Same Sex Blessings are of the same ilk and take their inspiration from the same source—and no, that source isn’t the Holy Trinity—and I hope to show that these two seemingly unrelated heresies are indicative of the general error that grips the veritable whole of organized religion in the Western World.

Vatican Official Says St. Peter’s Basilica Will Bless Homosexual ‘Couples’

By Dorothy Cummings McLean, Complicit Clergy, LifeSite News – According to a report in the Italian newspaperIl Messaggero today, the archpriest of Rome’s most famous church, Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, has stated that blessings of homosexual couples could happen there… “To show the world the maternal face of the Church and along the lines of what [Pope Francis] has asked for.”… he added that as yet nobody has asked the canons of the basilica for such a blessing.

Biden ‘Saves’ Democracy by Destroying It, by Victor Davis Hanson

By Victor Davis Hanson, American Greatness – When faced with the possible return of President Donald Trump, the current agenda of the Democratic Party is summed up simply as “We had to destroy democracy to save it.”… The effort shares a common theme: any means necessary are justified to prevent the people from choosing their own president, given the fear that a majority might vote to elect Donald Trump.

Saint of the Day for January 12: St. Marguerite Bourgeoys

Franciscan Media – “God closes a door and then opens a window,” people sometimes say when dealing with their own disappointment or someone else’s. That was certainly true in Marguerite’s case. Children from European as well as Native American backgrounds in 17th-century Canada benefited from her great zeal and unshakable trust in God’s providence.

As Biden Luxuriates… U.S. Torn Apart By Border Plan To Transform It For Democrats, by Dexter Duggan

By Dexter Duggan, The Wanderer – Senile Democrat Joe Biden lawlessly has thrown open U.S. borders to unauthorized entry potentially by everyone in the entire world, and millions are streaming in, as Marxist-tainted Biden plans to crush U.S. citizens and change the very nature of this nation in order to benefit far-left Democrats electorally… This probably is the most dictatorial, sweeping illegal action ever taken by a U.S. president in history.

Deacon David H. Delaney, Ph.D.: A Crisis of the Human Person: St John Paul II’s Remedy

By Deacon David H. Delaney, Ph.D.  Catholic World Report – St. John Paul II may have been the greatest expert on the human person among those who have graced the chair of St. Peter. His profound interest in the topic of human personhood arose from a confluence of his early experiences, none so formative as the dual nightmares he lived through, which wakened him to the threat posed to civilization by the fetid fruits of mistaken notions about personhood arising from the ivory towers of academia. These two nightmares were German National Socialism and Soviet Universal Socialism, both of which effectively reduced the person to his value to the State. …

Why Is Oil Production Booming Under Biden? by Thomas Gallatin

By Thomas Gallatin, Patriot Post – While it’s true that more oil is being produced now than under Trump, there’s a massive caveat — namely, that oil production in America has increased despite Biden, not because of him. Indeed, Biden has done much to hurt future oil production, and we may not fully feel it for years…. For the foreseeable future, to meet America’s growing energy demands, fossil fuels will have to remain the primary energy source, and Biden’s green vision will remain a pipe dream — albeit an expensive one.

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: The Lord Jesus Can Make Me Clean

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Mark 1:40-45 – And a leper came to him beseeching him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. …..

Some Hopeful, Tentative, New Year Predictions, by Stephen P. White

By Stephen P. White, The Catholic Thing – First, as you may be aware, we are once again in an election year. National elections in the United States, and especially presidential elections, have become mass exercises in fear and loathing. Fear, in that this latest episode of “the most important election ever” has both sides convinced that the stakes are both existentially high and nearly hopeless. Everyone is terrified their side is going to lose and everyone seems convinced that the Republic is doomed if they do. Loathing, in that everyone in both parties seems to dislike their own side only slightly less than they loathe the barbarians across the aisle.

Mary Is the Star that Guides Us to Jesus, by Elie Dib

By Elie Dib, Catholic Exchange – The Wisdom of Don Dolindo and St. Louis de Montfort… The feast of the Epiphany celebrates the revelation of Christ to the Gentiles in the persons of the Magi. In their pilgrimage to find the newborn King, the Magi encounter Jesus together with his mother Mary. As Don Dolindo noted in his commentary on Matthew, “Mary is always inseparable from Jesus. She is like the star that guides us to Him, and she makes Him known to us and gives Him to us.”

Joe Biden Eliminates Trump’s Rules Protecting Conscience Rights for Pro-Life Americans, by Joshua Mercer

By Joshua Mercer, LifeNews – Following an attempt to resurrect the Obama-era HHS contraception mandate last March, Sec. HHS Xavier Becerra issued a revised and final rule this week that preserves some conscience rights for Americans regarding contraception and abortion… In January 2023, HHS published a proposal to rescind the robust conscience protections crafted under the Trump administration… As CatholicVote reported, the “HHS mandate” refers “to the requirement under Obamacare for employers to pay for abortifacients, contraceptives, and sterilization in their health insurance plans.”… “We know now that HHS had to field over 48,000 public comments in reaction to this move,” said CatholicVote Vice President Josh Mercer.

WHO Planning Another COVID ‘Coup’ to Establish ‘Totalitarian Planet,’ Podcaster Tells Tucker, by Stephen Kokx

By Stephen Kokx, LifeSiteNews – Former professor Bret Weinstein explained that the WHO is seeking to strengthen its ability to mandate vaccines, require gene therapy shots, restrict travel, forbid the use of certain treatments, and censor those who push unapproved information and that there is ‘very little hope’ the U.S. will derail those efforts… Weinstein is a former professor of evolutionary biology… (and) A self-described “progressive, left-libertarian,”… (said) “I think it is fair to say that we are in the middle of a coup, that we are actually facing the elimination of our national and our personal sovereignty… I suspect that some powerful set of forces has decided that consent of the governed is too dangerous to tolerate and that it has begun to unhook it.”

The St Gallen ‘Mafia’ Is The ‘Skeleton Key’ Helping To Unlock Many Riddles of Francis’ Pontificate, by Edward Pentin 

By Edward Pentin, Edward Pentin’s Blog – Although the “St Gallen Mafia” is well known to most who follow the papacy and the Vatican, the vast majority of Catholics are unlikely to have ever heard of it… And yet this group’s influence on the direction of the Church and all of the current and recent upheavals of this pontificate cannot be overestimated… Founded in the mid-1990s, the clandestine group of high-ranking churchmen gathered in the Swiss city of St Gallen to oppose a Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger papacy. ….

Pope Claims Marxists and Christians Have Common Mission, by Katholisch

By Staff, Katholisch – Pope Francis encouraged the Marxist-Christian dialogue group Dialop to work together for the disadvantaged and against corruption and abuse of power. Christians as well as socialists, Marxists and communists should build a “better, fraternal future” for a world divided by wars and polarisation, said Francis at a reception in the Vatican on Wednesday. He said it was important to overcome rigid, divisive approaches, conduct disputes with an open heart and listen to one another without excluding anyone on political, social or religious grounds.

What’s the Point? by Eric Sammons

By Eric Sammons, Crisis Magazine – The presidential primary season begins in less than two weeks, and the ridiculousness of this year’s cycle should not be overlooked. First, the primaries are foregone conclusions, met with all the enthusiasm of a parish singing “Be Not Afraid” for the 487th time in the past decade. Both the Democratic and Republican nominations are already locked up, at least on paper, and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who at first promised to shake things up a bit, hasn’t really moved the needle ….

Abp. Cordileone Criticizes Synod on Synodality for Not Focusing on Jesus Enough, by Matt Lamb

By Matt Lamb, LifeSiteNews – San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone criticized the Synod on Synodality for being self-referential and not placing the focus on Jesus… He first explained how this synod is different from synods put on by dioceses or provinces… ‘All the talk is about us as a Church. I’m not hearing the name of Jesus Christ mentioned very often,’ Archbishop Cordileone said. …

America’s ‘Social Justice’ Nightmares Have Only Intensified, by Robert Stacy McCain

By Robert Stacy McCain, The American Spectator – Seattle is in King County, Washington, where Joe Biden got 75 percent of the vote in the 2020 election. King County had more than 1,000 drug overdoses involving fentanyl in 2023. These two facts are almost certainly related, but which is the cause and which the effect?… Beyond sarcastic put-downs, it behooves those interested in public policy to take a look at what’s going on in places like Seattle, where Democrats dominate and “progressive” ideas therefore advance unhindered by any effective opposition. ….

Saint of the Day for January 11:  Blessed William Carter

By Franciscan Media – Born in London, William Carter entered the printing business at an early age. For many years he served as apprentice to well-known Catholic printers, one of whom served a prison sentence for persisting in the Catholic faith. William himself served time in prison following his arrest for “printing lewd [i.e., Catholic] pamphlets” as well as possessing books upholding Catholicism.

Be a Pell, by Sheryl Collmer

By Sheryl Collmer, Crisis Magazine – How the Church needs an apostle with his qualities! His intelligence, fortitude, common sense, plain speaking, and love for Christ’s Church are not often found all in one person. It is up to us to be Pell-ish, to love the Church enough to fight for the reforms Pell envisioned, and to speak boldly of Christ to a world in confusion.

When A Christian Professor Spoke About His Struggle With Homosexuality, The LGBT Mob Came For Him, by J. Robert Renner

By J. Robert Renner, The Federalist – In 2009, Mattson returned to Catholicism and left behind his prior homosexual lifestyle. For several years, he wrote articles and spoke at public events explaining how the church should engage with people who experience same-sex attraction… In 2017, Mattson’s writing culminated in Why I Don’t Call Myself Gay: How I Reclaimed My Sexual Reality and Found Peace — an autobiographical account of his experience with same-sex attraction. He advocated that the church should sympathetically engage people who experience same-sex attraction while offering Catholicism as a better way. …

Thousands of Christians in Nigeria Rally to Demand Action After Christmas Massacres, by Peter Pinedo

By Peter Pinedo, CNA – Thousands of Christians rallied yesterday in front of the governor’s office in Nigeria’s Plateau state to demand action after more than 200 were killed in a series of Christmas massacres… The attacks, which targeted Christian villages beginning Dec. 23 and continuing through Christmas day, left Christian communities in Nigeria’s Plateau state reeling… According to Rev. Dr. Gideon Para-Mallam, an evangelical leader who helped to organize the rally, the attacks also left 15,000 people displaced without homes.

Counterfeited Christianity & the Lie of Fiducia Supplicans, by Robert Lazu Kmita

By Robert Lazu Kmita, Remnant Columnist, The Remnant – To maintain the appearance of the proletariat’s triumphant ascending path to the “multilaterally developed socialist society,” the communists came up with a clever trick after the 1980s: ‘substitute’ foods. All of these were actually surrogate foods. I’ll give you just one example: coffee. It gradually disappeared from the stores in the ‘80s. Instead, a substitute coffee called, ironically, ‘nechezol’ emerged… Here’s how ‘nechezol’ is described: “Nechezol contained only one-fifth coffee, the balance typically consisting of barley, oats, chickpeas and chestnuts. Its pejorative nickname is derived from the verb ‘a necheza’ (to neigh) ….

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: Jesus Healed Many Who Were Sick

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Mark 1:29-39 – And immediately he left the synagogue, and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever, and immediately they told him of her. And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her; and she served them. ….

The Only School Shootings Corporate Media Don’t Hype Are By Gender-Fluid Murderers, by Jordan Boyd

By Jordan Boyd, Staff Writer, The Federalist – Only five days have passed since a 17-year-old shot up his school in Perry, Iowa, killing one and injuring five. Yet anyone looking for updates about the tragedy would be hard-pressed to find it on the front pages of any corporate outlet, unusual given the media’s typical amplification of such tragedies.

A Father Musing on the Marriage of His Daughter, by Regis Martin

By Regis Martin, EWTN News – It isn’t every day that a father gets to give away his own daughter. And tell me, why would he want to do that? Why surrender a beloved child to someone who could not possibly have known or loved her as he has?… Because he has hope. He is hoping that a certain man will not betray the promise made before God to love and cherish her forever. That’s why.

Black, Hispanic and Young Voters are Abandoning Joe Biden, by Dave Andrusko 

By Dave Andrusko, LifeNews – Like most of the legacy media, when they are not suggesting Biden withdraw, CBS News is frantically looking for good news for a Democratic president. That means underplaying the bad new—as CBS News executive director of elections and surveys Anthony Salvanto said people view the uptick in the economy as “less worse.” ….

Needed “Heroic Charity”: Fiducia Supplicans and the Authority of Bishops, by Jayd Henricks

By Jayd Henricks, Public Discourse – This is not an easy time to be a bishop, especially as the DDF fosters confusion, but every bishop is called to lead the faithful into a deeper relationship with Christ through the Church. This requires heroic charity that embraces the sinner while being truthful to the Gospel. Jesus never blessed sin, and neither should the Church. His love for each of us is a love that calls us out of sin, which requires a recognition that some things are incompatible with the blessing of the Church.

The Most Troubling Aspect of Fiducia Supplicans, by Dr. Jeff Mirus

By Dr. Jeff Mirus, Catholic Culture – Upon further reflection, I have concluded that the most troubling thing about the official implementation of Fiducia supplicans is not the insistence on a distinction between liturgical and personal blessings. This may or may not be magisterially new, but I suspect it has been universally understood ever since the idea of blessings developed in Judaism. Obviously, for example, those who are not legitimately marrying cannot receive the blessings that are part of the rite of matrimony, which are specifically ordered to that end. ….

A Sanctity of Human Life Month Like No Other, by Art Ally

By Art Ally, The Stream – For those of us who have been working for years on the pro-life cause, this is a very special and joyous Sanctity of Human Life Month… It’s the first one since the Supreme Court in June 2022 struck down Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling that legalized abortion. Instead of the latest protest against Roe’s cruelty and unconstitutionality, this month-long observance and the annual March for Life on January 20 will be celebrations.

Pope’s Doctrine Chief In Hot Water Over Unearthed Orgasm Book, by Nicole Winfield

By Nicole Winfield, The Independent – The Vatican’s new doctrine chief is raising eyebrows over a book he wrote as a young priest describing orgasms in graphic terms… The out-of-print, Spanish-language book penned by now-Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez, entitled “The Mystical Passion: Spirituality and Sensuality,” is similar in tone to another Fernandez book that sparked scandal soon after he was appointed, “Heal Me With Your Mouth. The Art of Kissing.” ….

Saint of the Day for January 10: St. Gregory of Nyssa (c. 335 – 395)

By Franciscan Media – The son of two saints, Basil and Emmilia, young Gregory was raised by his older brother, Saint Basil the Great, and his sister, Macrina, in modern-day Turkey. Gregory’s success in his studies suggested great things were ahead for him. After becoming a professor of rhetoric, he was persuaded to devote his learning and efforts to the Church. …

BLOG: The BONUS Scandal in Tucho’s Book, by One Mad Mom

By One Mad Mom, Complicit Clergy – Cardinal Fernandez… “Let us remember that God’s grace can coexist with weaknesses and even with sins, when there is a very strong conditioning. In those cases, the person can do things that are objectively sinful, without being guilty, and without losing the grace of God or the experience of his love.”… He quoted the catechism out of context for a reason. This is a common tactic with him and the James Martin, SJ cult and it’s poisoning people.

Cardinal Fernández Responds to Uproar Over Sexually Explicit Book: ‘I Certainly Would Not Write [that] Now’, by Tyler Arnold

By Tyler Arnold, Catholic World Report, (Catholic News Agency) – CARDINAL Víctor Manuel Fernández, one of the most powerful men in the Vatican, responded to criticism about a book he wrote in the 1990s on spirituality and sensuality… “I certainly would not write [that] now”… The 1998 book depicts an imaginary sensual interaction between Christ and a teenager, relates human orgasm to divine intimacy, and speaks about illicit sexual activities done in a way “without being guilty and without losing the grace of God or the experience of his love.”

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: Jesus Taught with Authority

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Mark 1:21-28 – And they went into Capernaum; and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught. And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? ….

Why Do People Hate the Catholic Church? by Dr. Donald DeMarco

By Dr. Donald DeMarco, Catholic Exchange – The Venerable Fulton J. Sheen lamented that “There are not over a hundred people in the United States who hate the Catholic Church; there are millions, however, who hate what they wrongly believe to be the Catholic Church”.  This observation must have been most distressing for the renowned bishop, but it indicates that there is a lot of work to be done.  Sheen, therefore, was most energetic in his support of the missions.

Facing the Whirlwind with a Wiseman, by Kevin Wells

By Kevin Wells, Crisis Magazine – At Christmastime, my older brother and I were remembering Stanley Wells, our grandfather who died in 1985 from Lou Gehrig’s Disease. It was he who was responsible, perhaps more than anyone, for the three generations of seventy or so Catholic family members gathered on Christmas night at our sister’s home.

LISTEN or WATCH: Glenn Beck Interviews Bishop Joseph Strickland

By Glenn Beck – Last November, Bishop Joseph Strickland was removed by Pope Francis from his position as the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Tyler, Texas. The question is, why? In this episode of “The Glenn Beck Podcast,” Glenn and Bishop Strickland discuss why he was removed and how to be first-century Christians in the 21st century. ….

‘Democracy,’ He Cried, by Douglas Andrews

By Douglas Andrews, Patriot Post – The contrast couldn’t have been any more stark. There, during the brutal winter of 1777, General George Washington, leader of the Continental Army, kneeled in prayer in the snow of Valley Forge. And there, this past Friday, decrepit Joe Biden, leader of an out-of-touch political party, disgracefully pitted one group of Americans against another and railed against his predecessor as president.

Cardinal Sarah Speaks Out Against Clergy Blessing Same-Sex Unions. by Kate Quiñones

By Kate Quiñones, CNA – Cardinal Robert Sarah responded to the controversial Vatican declaration that allows clergy to bless same-sex couples in certain scenarios by instructing the faithful to “respond to confusion with the word of God” in a Jan. 6 reflection… “We do not oppose Pope Francis, but we firmly and radically oppose a heresy that seriously undermines the Church, the Body of Christ, because it is contrary to the Catholic faith and Tradition”

More Erotic Musings from Vatican Head of Doctrine, by T. S. Flanders

By T. S. Flanders, OnePeterFive – Diane Montagna said the book is “perverse & pornographic” and called chapters 7, 8, and 9 “too lewd & explicit to post” on Twitter. Lepanto called it “utterly pornographic, blasphemous, and sacrilegious!” Kwasniewski has described it as a “book of blasphemous nearly pornographic interpretations of the mystics and their spiritual experiences of ecstasy.”

Fr. Jerry Pokorsky: Single-Minded Magi

By Fr. Jerry Pokorsky, The Catholic Thing – The three wise men had their priorities right. They followed the star to Bethlehem to worship the newborn King. Representing all nations, they fulfilled the Old Testament prophecy: “May the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts! May all kings fall down before him, all nations serve him!” (Ps. 72:10-11) Their single-mindedness, driven by conscience, teaches us to do the same… The celebration of their visit to Bethlehem is another manifestation (“epiphany”) of the glory of Jesus.

The Best and Brightest? by Randall Smith

By Randall Smith, The Catholic Thing – The term “the best and brightest” often appears lately to refer to the students at elite Ivy League universities. Sometimes it’s used ironically, as when people ask of the students demonstrating for Hamas: “These are America’s best and brightest?” Well, no. But then again, they never were… This isn’t merely a comment on our purportedly “elite” academic institutions.

BE FOREWARNED! Tucho’s Version of 50 Shades of Gray? January 8, 2024 from Complicit Clergy by Staff

By Staff, Complicit Clergy – Catholics who have followed Pope Francis’ appointment of Víctor Manuel “Tucho” Fernández as head of the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) are undoubtedly familiar with the controversy which erupted after it was disclosed that Tucho had authored a book entitled “Heal Me With Your Mouth. The Art of Kissing” in 1995.
But it turns out that “Heal Me” is tame in comparison to a subsequent book Tucho reportedly authored in 1998 entitled “The Mystical Passion.” News of this book recently became public when a copy of the text was uploaded to Internet Archive earlier this month.

Saint of the Day for January 9: St. Adrian of Canterbury

By Franciscan Media – By Franciscan Media – Though Saint Adrian turned down a papal request to become Archbishop of Canterbury, England, Pope Saint Vitalian accepted the rejection on the condition that Adrian serve as the Holy Father’s assistant and adviser. Adrian accepted, but ended up spending most of his life and doing most of his work in Canterbury.

Jump Off the Media’s Fear-and-Panic Bandwagon, by Phil Lawler

By Phil Lawler, Catholic Culture – Here’s today screaming headline from the Boston Herald: “Massachusetts braces for nor’easter, up to a foot of snow, flash freeze, power outages: Will there be space savers in Boston?”… C’mon, folks. It’s New England. It’s January. Snow happens… The actual forecasts say there may be 6 inches of snow in Boston, and up to a foot out here in the exurbs where we live. We can handle it. …

Msgr. Charles Pope: The Journey of Faith – A Homily for Epiphany

By Msgr. Charles Pope – There are so many wonderful details in the Epiphany story: the call of the Gentiles, their enthusiastic response, the significance of the star they seek, the gifts they bring, the dramatic interaction with Herod, and their ultimate rejection of Herod in favor of Christ… In this meditation, I would like to follow these Magi in their journey of faith to become “Wise Men.” ….

Democrats Can’t Admit The Border Crisis Is Spiraling Out Of Control, by John Daniel Davidson

By John Daniel Davidson, Senior Editor, The Federalist – More than 300,000 illegal immigrants were arrested at the border in December, and (Homeland Security secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas) still calls it a ‘challenge.’… blamed the record number of illegal immigrants crossing into the country on climate change and later refused to call the situation a crisis, retreating to his favorite euphemism for the debacle at the border: “It’s a challenge,” he said. …

LifeSiteNews: US Supreme Court to Consider Whether Trump Can Be Kicked Off Colorado Primary Ballot

By LifeSiteNews Staff, LifeSiteNews – The U.S. Supreme Court agreed Friday to consider whether former President Donald Trump ought to be allowed to appear on Colorado’s GOP primary ballot after the state’s Supreme Court banned him from it last month, citing Section 3 of the 14th Amendment… Oral arguments are set to take place February 8, 2024. The Colorado primary is on March 5. Trump is the leading 2024 GOP contender.

Gregory of Nyssa (c. 335 – c. 395): On the Living Water of Baptism

By Gregory of Nyssa (c. 335 – c. 395), Posted on The Catholic Thing – I find that not only do the Gospels, written after the Crucifixion, proclaim the grace of Baptism, but, even before the Incarnation of our Lord, the ancient Scripture everywhere prefigured the likeness of our regeneration; not clearly manifesting its form, but fore-showing, in dark sayings, the love of God to man. And as the Lamb was proclaimed by anticipation, and the Cross was foretold by anticipation, so, too, was Baptism shown forth by action and by word. Let us recall its types to those who love good thoughts — for the festival season of necessity demands their recollection.

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: The Spirit Descends upon the Father’s Beloved Son

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Mark 1:7-11 – And he [John the Baptist] preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. ….

Msgr. Richard C. Antall: Worship for God…or for Us?

By Msgr. Richard C. Antall, Crisis Magazine – In the Catholic Mass, the priest talks to God for and with the people, not to the people for God. The latter would be an appropriate phrase to summarize a typical Protestant approach as seen with the megachurch services. There is a reason that in many Protestant bodies the altar is much less important than the pulpit. It is also significant that the robes the minister wears (if he is not in street wear) are more like academic gowns, thus recalling the professors who first started the Reformation. …

Bishops React to Pope Francis: Traditionis Custodes vs. Fiducia Supplicans, by Allan Ruhl

By Allan Ruhl, OnePeterFive – What is the future of the Church? Is it the Church where sexual sin doesn’t exist and doctrine is ignored? Or is it a Church where doctrine matters and pastoral activity is based on that doctrine? In other words, is it the church of Belgium and Germany, or the church of Cameroon and Poland? ….

A Culture in Collapse, by Victor Davis Hanson

By Victor Davis Hanson, American Greatness – In the last six months, we have borne witness to many iconic moments evidencing the collapse of American culture… The signs are everywhere… Our descent is self-induced; it is not a symptom of a foreign attack or subterfuge. Our erosion is not the result of poverty and want, but of leisure and excess. We are not suffering from existential crises of famine, plague, or the collapse of our grid and fuel sources… What is happening to us is not due to an adherence to a too strict conservative tradition but is almost exclusively the wage of the progressive project.

A Brief Guide to the Basics of Spiritual Warfare, by Aliénor Strentz

By Aliénor Strentz, Aleteia – This battle is waged against “bitter enemies,” in the words of Fr. Lorenzo Scupoli, author of the famous 16th-century work “Spiritual Combat,” which was a classic of Christian literature for several centuries… These enemies are three in number: Satan, the angel who opposed God and still wants to drag all men into suffering and hell; the world (in the sense of a reality organized in a way hostile to God); and finally, “the flesh.”

The Paschal Mystery Proclaimed in Creation, by Matthew J. Ramage, Ph.D.

By Matthew J. Ramage, Ph.D., Catholic World Report – In this reflection, we’ve examined one particularly powerful and often underappreciated way by which creation mirrors the Logos, which is to say through the Paschal Mystery woven into the fabric of the universe. Having drawn wisdom from both of “God’s two books” and highlighted some tangible examples from nature, it is clear that suffering and death not only play a pivotal role in nature but moreover point to something deeper about God’s design by which we may be led to eternal life. ….

Fr. Jeffrey Kirby: In Today’s Church, Who Is Evangelizing Whom?

By Fr. Jeffrey Kirby, The Catholic Thing – The early Christians knew the power of the Gospel and the immense opportunity for eternal life that was being offered to humanity by the Lord Jesus. They wanted to proclaim the liberating message of the Lord to all the world with the hope that all might be saved in Jesus Christ… The early Church knew they had something that was unparalleled, unmatched, unequaled, and unrivaled by anything in our fallen world. They knew the Gospel to be a “pearl of great price,” as the Lord Jesus told them …..

Saint of the Day for January 8: St. Angela of Foligno

Franciscan Media – Some saints show marks of holiness very early. Not Angela! Born of a leading family in Foligno, Italy, she became immersed in the quest for wealth and social position. As a wife and mother, she continued this life of distraction.

A Clarification That Obfuscates, by Peter Kwasniewski

By Peter Kwasniewski, Crisis Magazine – In many ways, the clarification published by Cardinal Fernández on January 4, 2024, is even worse than the original document it purports to clarify, the Declaration Fiducia Supplicans of December 18, 2023… Fernández doubles down on the idea of “non-liturgical blessings,” but this frankly makes no sense. A priest is a minister of God who, when he makes the sign of the cross over someone or something, is doing a religious, ministerial, efficacious, and, yes, ritual act. ….

French Bishops Instruct Priests to Refrain From Blessing Homosexual Couples, by Peter Pinedo

By Peter Pinedo, Catholic World Report, Catholic News Agency – Nine bishops from France have instructed priests in their dioceses that they may bless homosexual individuals but should refrain from blessing same-sex couples… The Archdiocese of Rennes, which is led by Archbishop Pierre d’Ornellas, issued the statement on Jan. 1 on behalf of the bishops from the Ecclesiastical Province of Rennes… “In our society where marriage has been trivialized by becoming a notion of civil law which ignores the founding specificity of sexual difference, we have the mission to affirm in a prophetic way,” the bishops said, “the great beauty of the design of God who created the human being, man and woman.”

Mexican Cartels Make Bank, by Emmy Griffin

By Emmy Griffin, Patriot Post – Immigrants who are choosing to enter the U.S. illegally have to go through the cartels. The Mexican cartels have a monopoly on the various methods of getting into the U.S. through gaps in the border wall. But though the migrants have the freedom to choose to enter the U.S. this way, the cartels are happy to inflict as much misery and extortion as they can and exacerbate the humanitarian crisis created by President Joe Biden’s open border.

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: The Spirit Descends upon the Father’s Beloved Son

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Mark 6:45-52 – And he [John the Baptist] preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. ….

Cardinal Dolan: Illegal Immigration “Helps Our Church”, by Christopher Manion

By Christopher Manion, The Wanderer – Regardless of any motions that the bishops might adopt every four years affirming the “preeminent issue of abortion,” immigration continues to consume most of their energy… One factor is money. Our bishops receive no federal funding to support their opposition to abortion, but for their NGO’s operations facilitating Joe Biden’s immigration policies, they receive millions in taxpayer dollars every year. …

Sister Lucia: “Final Confrontation Between the Lord and Satan Will Be Over Family and Marriage.” by Steve Skojec (2015)

Q: There is a prophecy by Sister Lucia dos Santos, of Fatima, which concerns “the final battle between the Lord and the kingdom of Satan”. The battlefield is the family. Life and the family. We know that you were given charge by John Paul II to plan and establish the Pontifical Institute for the Studies on Marriage and the Family… A: Yes, I was. At the start of this work entrusted to me by the Servant of God John Paul II, I wrote to Sister Lucia of Fatima through her Bishop as I couldn’t do so directly. …

The Association of Mature American Citizens Has Quietly Become A Conservative Powerhouse, by Mark Hemingway

By Mark Hemingway, Book Editor, The Federalist – If there is a silver lining to the corruption of the AARP, it’s that it is no longer the only interest group representing politically influential seniors. In 2007, Dan Weber founded the Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC). Though Weber had himself been a member of the AARP, he was frustrated with the politically liberal direction of the organization, which was far more radical than most members realized. Though initially the organization existed only in Florida and New York, in 2009 AMAC went national and began recruiting members as a conservative alternative to AARP.

The True Meaning of Christmas, by Brad Miner

By Brad Miner, The Catholic Thing – Increasingly, I think there is not just the death we know is coming out there, but, possibly, martyrdom for many of us as well – the “white” kind, especially in refusing to deny the faith when the culture insists we should, even must. Indeed, it may even be harder to live for Jesus than to die for him. Perhaps realizing that may make it easier to live, period… Dying in and for Christ begins in every nativity. The end is in every beginning.

Fr. Raymond J. de Souza: ‘Fiducia Supplicans’ 2.0

By Father Raymond J. de Souza, EWTN News – When Pope Francis appointed Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández to be the prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) in July, he took the unusual step of writing a letter to accompany the appointment… “What I expect from you is certainly something very different,” he wrote… The Holy Father got all that, and then some… No prefect has ever conducted himself quite like Cardinal Fernández now does, frantically trying to contain the fractures opened up by Fiducia Supplicans. …

Saint of the Day for January 6: St. André Bessette (Aug. 9, 1845 – Jan. 6, 1937)

By Franciscan Media – Brother André expressed a saint’s faith by a lifelong devotion to Saint Joseph… Sickness and weakness dogged André from birth. He was the eighth of 12 children born to a French Canadian couple near Montreal. Adopted at 12, when both parents had died, he became a farmhand. Various trades followed: shoemaker, baker, blacksmith—all failures. He was a factory worker in the United States during the boom times of the Civil War.

Vatican Responds to Widespread Backlash On Same-Sex Blessing Directive, by Courtney Mares

By Courtney Mares,  for CNA, Catholic World Report – The Vatican’s doctrine office issued a response on Thursday to “clarify the reception of Fiducia Supplicans” amid widespread international backlash to the Vatican’s recent declaration on same-sex blessings… Cdl. Victor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Vatican’s DDF, published a five-page press release on Jan. 4 that refers to Fiducia Supplicans as “perennial doctrine” and underlines that pastoral blessings of couples in irregular situations should not be “an endorsement of the life led by those who request them.”

Bishop Joseph Strickland: January 4th Letter to Priests

By Bishop Joseph Strickland, January 04, 2024 – If we fail to respond to Christ’s call to holiness and to forsake any sin in our lives, the consequences for us and the people we serve are dire; therefore, we must double down on our efforts and use this time of crisis in the Church as an opportunity to grow even closer to Christ in the Eucharist and to experience a more profound conversion of heart. I believe the only truly effective way for us to respond to our human inclination toward sin is to seek a deeper Eucharistic piety.

In Brief: Massacred Nigerian Christians Deserve Our Outrage, by Peter Heck

By Peter Heck, Patriot Post – The media and public were rightly outraged when Hamas slaughtered Jews. Why don’t Christians get the same sympathy?… I remain both curious and sincerely disappointed, however, that while the horrors of Hamas and the suffering of Israelis has gotten effective media attention, a continuing, gory Christian persecution continues unabated in Nigeria while drawing only the slightest mention in international media, and virtually none this side of the Atlantic.

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: Come and See

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – John 1:43-51 – The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. And he found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael, and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” ….

Archbishop Cordileone Says Priests Can Deny Same-Sex ‘Blessings’, by John Ferrannini

By John Ferrannini, Bay Area Reporter – A document obtained by the Bay Area Reporter reveals that San Francisco’s archbishop issued supplemental instructions to the archdiocese’s Catholic priests stating they can deny blessing same-sex couples under some circumstances… Abp. Cordileone wrote that the Vatican document had been misunderstood “by some reports and analyses,” but did not indicate how, stating “please do not rely on secular media stories, which are easily fueled by ignorance, animosity, and judgmentalism.”

Cardinal Fernández: Bishops Banned From ‘Total or Definitive Denial’ of Fiducia Supplicans, by Michael Haynes

By Michael Haynes, LifeSiteNews – Cardinal Victor Fernández has released a press statement intended to “clarify” his Fiducia Supplicans text which allowed blessings of same-sex couples, in an attempt to limit the widespread opposition from bishops to such blessings. Fernández also warned that there “is no room to distance ourselves doctrinally” from Fiducia Supplicans… Fernández’s press release was an attempt “to help clarify the reception of Fiducia Supplicans, while recommending at the same time a full and calm reading of the Declaration so as to better understand its meaning and purpose.”

Saint of the Day for January 5: St.  John Neumann

Franciscan Media – Perhaps because the United States got a later start in the history of the world, it has relatively few canonized saints, but their number is increasing… John Neumann was born in what is now the Czech Republic. After studying in Prague, he came to New York at 25 and was ordained a priest.

WATCH! Mary: Queen Mother of Heaven with Dr. Brant Pitre

Mary: Queen Mother of Heaven with Dr. Brant Pitre – By Dr. Brant Pitre, The Queen Mother, Catholic Productions – In the Old Testament, the Queen Mother (the Gebirah) was 2nd in command in the Kingdom of David after the King… This Queen was one to whom you would go to to intercede on your behalf to the King… When Jesus, who is the new King of the Kingdom of David, steps on to the scene, who, then, would be the new Queen Mother?

Golden Opportunities Missed, by David Carlin

By David Carlin, The Catholic Thing – When a great revolution takes place, there will be the makings of a counter-revolution. For there will always be many people who dislike the revolution, even hate it with a passion… When the great French Revolution took place, it was hated by many people, e.g., most of the nobility and all ardent Catholics (most French Catholics then, like most American Catholics today, were not awfully ardent). When the Bolshevik Revolution took place, many people living in the immense Russian Empire hated it. When the Nazi Revolution took place in Germany, many Germans hated it.

There is Only One Christian Position on Abortion: Killing Babies is Wrong, by Dave Andrusko

By Dave Andrusko, LifeNews – In a sense it only makes sense to our benighted opposition that they would see access to abortion as “a blessing.” The rationales run the gamut from A-Z but the blanket excuse that undergird this mentality for the person of faith is that why would God give us free will if we can’t exercise it? If in exercising this it happens to snuff out one of His creations, He’s a God of grace, right? Besides it’s a “blessing.”

Spiritual Mapping, in the Church, and Through the Minefield, by Dr. Jeff Mirus

By Dr. Jeff Mirus, Catholic Culture – Let us consider for a moment those of us Catholics who accept all the teachings of the Church. Anyone in that category will be deeply concerned about the need for reform and renewal so that the Church, especially in her primary ministers and ministries but also in the particular charisms and apostolates of her members, will more effectively communicate the truth, grace and very identity of Jesus Christ. But we also need to be aware of our own danger, for we are walking continually through a spiritual minefield. …

The Pornification of American Television, by Austin Ruse

By Austin Ruse, Crisis Magazine – TV shows in the 1960s began pushing the envelope of what was allowed, and now we have full-blown depravity coming over the airwaves… In a recent debate about the success or failure of the Sexual Revolution, moderator Bari Weiss asked the four female debaters to name the feminist they admire the most. Feminist author Louise Perry said without hesitation, “Mary Whitehouse.”

The Courage of the Magi, by Joannie Watson

By Joannie Watson, Integrated Catholic – As I’ve written here many times before, I’ve always been intrigued by the Magi. Their story forms the majority of Matthew’s account of the birth of Jesus Christ, and yet there remain so many questions about these mysterious figures. Where did they come from? How did they know to follow the star? What did they think when they found the Holy Family?

‘Clinton Likes Them Young’: Unsealed Deposition Of Epstein Victim Names 42nd President, by Jordan Boyd

By Jordan Boyd, The Federalist – Key information about the high-profile individuals connected to deceased sex offender and human trafficker Jeffrey Epstein surfaced this week after a judge unsealed documents and transcripts detailing their relationship with the late island owner. One such bombshell admission came from an Epstein victim who claimed her sex ring-running boss told her former President Bill Clinton “likes them young, referring to girls.” …

Leave the World or Embrace It? by James Kalb

By James Kalb, Catholic World Report – Christ was not part of everyday social life. He had no property, no job, no fixed place of residence, no wife or children. “Give all you have to the poor” was not social activism: “you always have the poor with you.” The point was to abandon entanglements and gain the freedom to follow Christ more perfectly. …

Everything Is Racist, Crows Higher Ed, by Emmy Griffin

By Emmy Griffin, Patriot Post – The pinheads who run our institutions of higher education want us to believe that racism is everywhere… Of course, “racism” has become a catch-all phrase for Democrats that typically just means something they don’t like. For academics, there’s an ideological undergirding — a.k.a. Racial Marxism — that’s based on critical race theory and manifests under the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) banner. Under this cornucopia of bad ideas, there is a victimhood hierarchy that ranks people based on race, sex, and sexual orientation. The more “oppressed” boxes one can check off, the less racist one can be.

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: We Have Found the Messiah!

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – John 1:35-42 – The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples; 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. Jesus turned, and saw them following, and said to them, “What do you seek?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” ….

Fr. Bryce Lungren: Contraception: The Cause of All Our Problems

By Fr. Bryce Lungren, Crisis Magazine – Prior to the 1960s, procreation may not have always been welcome, but it was very much understood as the natural purpose of the sexual act. The shift came during this decade when forms of artificial birth control, particularly the birth control pill, became readily available to the general public. Since then, contraception, which literally means against conception, has been the common mentality toward the sexual act.

Texas Doctor Who Used Ivermectin to Treat COVID Targeted by Medical Board Despite Record of Zero Deaths, by Larry Kaifesh

By Larry Kaifesh, LifeSiteNews – Dr. Bowden was targeted after speaking out against prescribed protocols for treating COVID-19 and the experimental COVID vaccine. She has been a target of the Texas Medical Board, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and Houston Methodist Hospital for her early treatment of over 6,000 patients with COVID-19, despite her record including no deaths… Her results highlight the effectiveness of her protocol in direct contrast to the protocols hospitals were using. The hospital protocols are using are connected with countless deaths, hospitalizations, and adverse effects …..

Free Health Insurance for Migrants is Lunacy, by Betsy McCaughey

By Betsy McCaughey, The Stream – Across the globe, millions of people are on the move, defying borders and violating laws to escape poor countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America, and break into rich countries. The United States is their No. 1 destination… The U.S. needs a strategy to limit the burden on Americans and protect our quality of life. Instead, the Democratic Party merely virtue signals, saying, “Welcome, take whatever we have.”… The Left’s Priority: Spend Money on Migrants

Pilgrims Walking Camino de Santiago Broke Record in 2023, by Francesca Pollio Fenton

By Francesca Pollio Fenton, CNA – Pilgrims walking the famous Camino de Santiago have reached a new record. In 2023, nearly half a million people from around the world hiked this historic route… According to the statistics released by the pilgrims office, 446,035 pilgrims arrived at the Spanish pilgrimage site. Nearly 200,000 of the pilgrims were from Spain, primarily from the southern region of Andalucia… In terms of foreigners, pilgrims from the United States ranked highest — with 32,063 …

Appeals Court Unanimously Rejects Joe Biden’s Bid to Turn ER Doctors Into Abortionists, by Kim Schwartz

By Kim Schwartz, LifeNews – A federal appeals court blocked Joe Biden’s attempt to force Texas emergency rooms and hospitals to commit abortions… In 2022 the Biden administration told hospitals that the federal government would withhold Medicare funds unless they performed abortions whenever it is the “necessary stabilizing treatment.”… the directive claimed to only focus on life-threatening circumstances, the language would have actually broadened abortions when the mother’s physical life is not in danger.

Ghosts of Christmas Past, by Michael Pakaluk

By Michael Pakaluk, The Catholic Thing – I heard Catholic parents complain about the perceived assault on their family Christmas preparations, along the lines, “Do I need to shield my children from Vatican teaching now?” “What happened to ‘make straight his paths’ in Advent?” “Wasn’t John the Baptist martyred for not blessing an ‘irregular relationship’?”   While we were embroiled in controversy, surely the Christ Child was neglected.

The Blessing of Babies: Top 7 Pro-Life Stories of 2023

By Alyssa Murphy, EWTN News – Here are the best moments to keep in mind from the last year as we push forward to build a more pro-life, pro-family America… As we rounded out our first full year as a country no longer under the grips of a national abortion law, the pro-life movement is steadfastly working not only to protect sacred life in the womb but also those growing old or infirm amid the rampant uptick in countries and states pushing for euthanasia.

Did Benedict’s Death Lift Restraints on Pope Francis? by Phil Lawler

By Phil Lawler, Catholic Culture – Last week when I compiled my list of the top 20 news stories of 2023, I consciously passed over the death of Pope Benedict XVI, since he died on December 31, the final day of the previous year. But now as I reflect on the past year, I suspect that the death of the “Pope Emeritus” had an enormous impact on Vatican policies in the months that followed.

Saint of the Day for January 4: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (Aug. 28, 1774 – Jan. 4, 1821)

By Franciscan Media – Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton’s Story – Mother Seton is one of the keystones of the American Catholic Church. She founded the first American religious community for women, the Sisters of Charity. She opened the first American parish school and established the first American Catholic orphanage. All this she did in the span of 46 years while raising her five children.

Four Kernels of Wisdom From Pope Benedict XVI’s Last Message to the World, by Isabel Barry

By Isabel Barry, Catholic News Agency – A brilliant thinker and prolific writer, Pope Benedict XVI wrote 66 books in his lifetime. His final work, “What Is Christianity? The Last Writings,” was published in Italian on Jan. 20, just weeks after his death at age 95 on Dec. 31, 2022… In this last book, the pope addressed a number of important issues he had not touched on before. He also clarified and expanded his thoughts about various social and theological questions.

Rev. Donald J. Planty Jr.: The Four Pillars of the Christian Life

By Rev. Donald J. Planty Jr., First Things – Something extraordinary happened at my parish recently. Two hundred young adults gathered with our bishop and several priests to celebrate the tenth anniversary of our weekly “P3” apostolate. “P3” stands for “Prayer, Penance, and Pub”: Every Wednesday evening for the past decade we have offered young adults an hour and a half of eucharistic exposition, during which they can pray and go to confession. A priest or guest speaker then gives a thirty-minute meditation, followed by social time at our own parish “pub.”

Msgr. Charles Pope: Incarnation and the First Letter of John

By Msgr. Charles Pope – In the weekday Masses following the Christmas octave we celebrate the Word becoming flesh. We read from the First Letter of John, which emphasizes the Incarnation of Jesus and demands that we experience the Word becoming Flesh in a practical way in our own lives… Fundamentally, the Incarnation, the Second Person of the Trinity becoming flesh, means that our faith is about things that are real and tangible. As human beings, we have bodies. We have a soul that is spiritual, but it is joined with a body that is physical and material.

It Is Not Good for Some Couples to Be Alone, by Anthony Esolen

By Anthony Esolen, Crisis Magazine – The upshot is that two boys or two girls should not be a couple at all because that exclusivity is not what friendship is for; it is, in fact, an obstacle to the full flourishing of friendship. … Two people, presenting themselves as a couple, approach a priest and ask for a blessing before the congregation in church… Let us think this matter through.

We Should Think About Rome — But Not For Her Glories, by Casey Chalk

By Casey Chalk, The Federalist – There is much we can learn by studing Rome’s descent into oblivion… The year in “a word,” according to a Dec. 22 Financial Times article, is “The Roman [E]mpire.” The Roman Empire also happened to tie into one of the year’s top social media trends, according to The New York Times. That’s pretty impressive, given it was only in September that people the world over were suddenly fascinated, perplexed, and amused by how often men think about it.

Catholic Vote: Harvard Univ. Pres. Claudine Gay Out At Harvard Following Plagiarism Scandal, Blames Racism

CV News Feed – Embattled Harvard University President Claudine Gay announced her resignation Tuesday following a tumultuous six-month tenure plagued by plagiarism allegations and a widely panned response to campus anti-Semitism… “It is with a heavy heart but a deep love for Harvard that I write to share that I will be stepping down as president,” Gay stated in her resignation letter addressed to “Members of the Harvard Community.” …

The Christmas Gift of Hospitality, by Dr. Jeff Mirus

By Dr. Jeff Mirus, Catholic Culture – For people like me (not all that sociable and perennially busy at my desk), it is important to reflect at times on the Christian virtue of hospitality. The Christmas season provides a good opportunity to do just that… There are some startling examples of hospitality even very early in the Old Testament. For example, Abram insisted on offering rest and refreshment to the three “men” (presumably angels representing the Triune God) who visited him to confirm God’s promise that his wife Sarah would conceive and bear a son.

Abortion Was the Leading Cause of Death Worldwide in 2023, Killing 73 Million People, by Steven Ertelt

By Steven Ertelt, LifeNews – More human beings died in abortions than any other cause of death in 2022… A heartbreaking reminder about the prevalence of abortion, statistics compiled by Worldometers indicate that there were over 73 million abortions world-wide in 2022. The independent site collects data from governments and other organizations and then reports the data, along with estimates and projections, based on those numbers.

Leprosy, Polio, Malaria, TB, Measles … and Massive Unscreened Illegal Immigration, by James Varney

By James Varney, The Stream – In 1999 the nation’s last hospital for lepers closed its doors in Louisiana. A global campaign eradicated smallpox, while lethal tuberculosis, the “consumption” that stalked characters in decades of literature, seemed beaten by antibiotics. Measles outbreaks still occur from time to time, but they are small, local, and easily contained… Recently, however, some of these forgotten but still formidable infectious diseases have begun to reappear in the U.S. For two years running, polio has been detected in some New York water samples, and this fall, leprosy re-emerged in Florida, where cases of malaria have also been recorded. ….

This Simple New Year’s Resolution Will Change Your Year, Your Life, Your Eternity, by Patti Maguire Armstrong

By Patti Maguire Armstrong, EWTN News – Even if you’ve already made a resolution, this one is practically effortless to add — a matter of seconds that you won’t miss. And the benefits reach into eternity… What is it? Take the open pockets in your life — waiting for the microwave, a red light, standing in line, waiting for someone to answer the phone, and so forth — and talk with Jesus. It can be just three seconds such as, Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on me, or Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything.

By Their Fruits, by Robert Royal

By Robert Royal, The Catholic Thing – The tsunami of controversy after the publication of the Declaration mostly revolved around whether Fiducia Supplicans (FS) allowed blessings of “same-sex unions” (which it does not) or same-sex “couples” (which it does, Intro, paras 2, 31, 41). Some defenders of the document tried to claim the blessings were for “individuals” – mentioned once (para. 38), but that is not really the thrust of the whole text.

Jimmy Lai Pleads Not Guilty in Hong Kong National Security Trial, by Daniel Payne

By Daniel Payne, CNA – Jimmy Lai, the embattled Hong Kong Catholic democracy activist, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to all charges leveled against him in his national security trial there… Lai, the Chinese-born founder of the anti-government newspaper Apple Daily, entered a not-guilty plea to the charges of conspiring to collude with a foreign power. The 76-year-old Lai was originally arrested in August 2020 under that year’s controversial national security law, which was passed by China’s communist-controlled government.

Abp. Charles J. Chaput: The Cost of “Making a Mess”

By Charles J. Chaput, First Things – One of the standards the Church uses to measure the quality of her leaders is a simple line from Scripture: “God is not the author of confusion but of peace” (1 Cor. 14:33). So it was for Paul. So it is now. So it is for local pastors and bishops, including the bishop of Rome. Confusion among the faithful can often be a matter of innocent individuals who hear but fail to understand the Word. Confused teaching, however, is another matter. It’s never excusable. The transmission of Christian truth requires prudence and patience because humans are not machines. …

Memory and Mass, by Regis Martin

By Regis Martin, Crisis Magazine –
Christianity did not entirely disavow the world it came to replace. What it did was salvage all that was good in it, including the idea of memory, which underwent a kind of baptism thanks to the leaven of the Christian Gospel. It was the poet Pavese who perhaps expressed it best when, in describing the power of memory, he called it “a passion repeated,” the exercise of which effects an actual re-presentation of the event itself, thus repeating the passion first awakened by one’s encounter with it.

The Wonderful Life of ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’

By Jeff Jacoby, Patriot Post – In 2006, The American Film Institute ranked “It’s a Wonderful Life” first on its list of the 100 most inspiring motion pictures ever made. To judge from the enduring popularity of the 1946 movie, which was directed by Frank Capra and stars Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed, what it inspires in most viewers is optimism, gratitude, happiness: the Christmas spirit.

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: Rachel Weeping for Her Children

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Matthew 2:13-18 – Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there till I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” And he rose and took the child and his mother by night, and departed to Egypt ….

Christian Villages in Nigeria Reeling After Christmas Attacks leave Nearly 200 Dead, by Peter Pinedo

By Peter Pinedo, Catholic World Report, Catholic News Agency – Catholic and Nigerian leaders are demanding government action as Christian villages in the central Nigerian state of Plateau are reeling from a series of Christmas weekend attacks that left nearly 200 Christian Nigerians dead… “This indeed has been a gory Christmas for us,” Plateau governor Caleb Mutfwang said in a Tuesday statement that noted the attacks were “well-coordinated” and carried out using “heavy weapons.”

The Holy Innocents, by Stephen P. White

By Stephen P. White, The Catholic Thing – St. Stephen, the protomartyr, whose death by stoning is recorded in Acts, is celebrated on December 26. On December 27, the Church celebrates St. John the Apostle, who, though he did not die a martyr’s death… And today, the 28th of December, the Church marks the Feast of the Holy Innocents, who were martyrs in deed though not, being infants, in will.

Barry Sanders’ Humility Is A Quality Modern Athletes Severely Lack, by Shawn Fleetwood

By Shawn Fleetwood, The Federalist – “Bye Bye Barry” does a terrific job at showcasing Sanders’ legendary career and providing an in-depth look at the man inside the helmet. But above all, it documents a bygone era in which modesty and humility were prioritized over the narcissistic individualism that frequents today’s professional sports.

Msgr. Charles Pope: A Meditation on the Bloody Octave of Christmas

By Msgr. Charles Pope – Many are shocked to walk into daily Mass on December 26 and instead of hearing more of the “Baby Jesus” we are confronted with Martyrdom, “The Feast of Stephen” is ancient on the Church’s calendar. More ancient than the Christmas cycle and hence it was not removed to another time… Bu the martyrdom does not stop there. We are in the midst of the Christmas Octave, an Octave filled with blood as we shall see.

Hungarian Bishop Conference Instructs Priests to ‘Avoid Common Blessing for Couples’

By Madalaine Elhabbal, Catholic Vote – The Hungarian Catholic Bishops’ Conference issued a stern directive in wake of the controversy generated by the Vatican’s latest declaration on blessings for same-sex couples… In the statement, the Hungarian bishops reminded clergy and laypeople that the Vatican’s declaration “does not change the Catholic Church’s belief and perennial teaching on marriage and sexual morality.”

When the Left Can No Longer Dream, by John Horvat

By John Horvat, Imaginative Conservative – In an op-ed in The New York Times, columnist Michelle Goldberg asks some soul-searching questions about what is causing the shift and why it’s important. She cites an extensive report in the well-known leftist publication, In These Times, which tells the stories of turncoats like former environmentalist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Occupy Wall Street activist Matt Taibbi or liberal feminist writer Naomi Wolf.

Good Priests, Good Soldiers, by James A. Hamel

By James A. Hamel, First Things – Young priests, I salute you! Thank you for taking on a harder mission than was required of previous generations of priests. And though you may feel called to stay “in the trenches” of parish life, I further challenge you to consider serving the Lord, and your fellow citizens, as a military chaplain. The need for good priests like yourselves in our military has never been greater. Aim High!

Saint of the Day for December 28: Holy Innocents

By Franciscan Media – The Story of the Holy Innocents – Herod “the Great,” king of Judea, was unpopular with his people because of his connections with the Romans and his religious indifference. Hence he was insecure and fearful of any threat to his throne. He was a master politician and a tyrant capable of extreme brutality. He killed his wife, his brother, and his sister’s two husbands, to name only a few.

WATCH! Bishop Martin Anwel Mtumbuka: Bishop’s Powerful Homily Denouncing Fiducia Supplicans

By Bishop Martin Anwel Mtumbuka, Complicit Clergy, YouTube – Here’s an example of a REAL bishop who shows concern for his flock.  Bishop Martin Anwel Mtumbuka, Bishop of the diocese of Karonga, Malawi, delivered this powerful homily during the Christmas Vigil liturgy on December 24, 2023at St Anne’s Parish (Chiluma). Bishop Mtumbuka responds to the Declaration on the Pastoral Meaning of Blessings (Fiducia Supplicans). The Bishop has since asked the faithful in the Diocese to ignore the document in its entirety.

The Fifth Prophecy of Humanae Vitae, by Patrick O’Hearn

By Patrick O’Hearn, Catholic Exchange – Although not explicitly mentioned in Humanae Vitae, a fifth prophecy has unfolded before our eyes: women abdicating their duties to raise and educate their children in the Catholic Faith, especially as it pertains to homeschooling. Repugnance toward homemaking and educating one’s children is a byproduct of contraception, one of her most pernicious fruits. …

Stop Funding the ‘Rights for Migrants’ Legal Scam, by Betsy McCaughey

By Betsy McCaughey, Patriot Post – As a record number of migrants invade the U.S., wreaking pain on New York City and other communities, one group is winning big-time: the public advocacy lawyers. Their business is to constantly sue to win more so-called rights for migrants. Rights to shelter, rights to meals, rights to health care, even the right to vote in local elections.

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: John Saw the Word of God Made Flesh and Believed

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – John 20:1a, 2-8 – Now on the first day of the week [Mary Magdelan] ran, and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” Peter then came out with the other disciple, and they went toward the tomb. ….

Fr. Dwight Longenecker: The Coming Fiducia Fallout

By Fr. Dwight Longenecker – The recent document Fiducia Supplicans signed off by Pope Francis is probably the most disastrous piece of work in what will be seen as the worst papacy in the 20th-21st centuries… What interests and concerns me is the totally hamfisted, incompetent, naive and blind handling of this topic. What on earth was Cardinal Fernandez thinking? That this would be hailed as a constructive, radical contribution to the debate on the pastoral handling of issues in human sexuality? …..

Gollum and the Spirit of Christmas, by Joseph Pearce

By Joseph Pearce, EWTN News – Like Scrooge, Gollum is possessed by his possessions. In Gollum’s case, having been possessed by his possession of the Ring, he is possessed by his desire for its re-possession after the Ring is taken from him. Like Scrooge, he is a slave to the darkness of sin to which he is addicted. “A slave,” writes the philosopher, Thomas S. Martin, “is a person who cannot restrain himself before the appetites of the body and the excessive desire for external possessions.” Such a person can either be held in scorn and contempt, or he can be pitied.

Christmas and Its Forgotten Message, by Donald DeMarco

By Donald DeMarco, Catholic Exchange – It is only too common for people to view Christmas as a social experience rather than understand it as a historical event. Thus, Christmas is a time for Christmas music, Christmas parties, Christmas trees and Christmas gifts… It is a wonderful time enriched by food, friendship, fellowship and festivities. All this is, indeed, very good, but, unfortunately, it misses the mark. ….

WATCH! Fr. Robert Altier on Obedience of Faith – We Cannot and Will Not Bless Sin

By Fr. Robert Altier, Rumble – Fr. Robert Altier reflects on on St. Paul’s call to obedience and why priests cannot bless irregular unions. Fr. Altier’s can be found on YouTube, Gab, GETTR, Gloria.TV and Rumble.

Saint of the Day for December 27: St. John the Evangelist

Franciscan Media – It is God who calls; human beings answer. The vocation of John and his brother James is stated very simply in the Gospels, along with that of Peter and his brother Andrew: Jesus called them; they followed. The absoluteness of their response is indicated by the account. James and John “were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. …

A Papal Biopsy, by Horace Gates

By Horace Gates, Crisis Magazine – An announcement that Pope Francis wants to be buried in the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore was an inevitable reminder that the flax is burning low in this pontificate. Rather like a flame that burns brightest before it is extinguished, there has been a flurry of papal pronouncements, paving the way for what may be a course entrenched, if not irreversible, for his successor to face.

Fr. Jerry Pokorsky: Christmas Sentiments

By Fr. Jerry Pokorsky, Catholic Culture – We all want to love and be loved. The Christmas season is a sentimental time of God’s love, and it is helpful for us to consider various aspects of love and avoid a common mistake… Love is the desire to be in union with the beloved. The ancient Greeks had several words for love. The love among family and friends is filial. The mutual attraction of men and women, husbands and wives, is a beautiful variant of human love. Sacrificial love is Divine. “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (Jn. 15:13)

FAILED! “Fiducia Supplicans” Appears to Have Failed Spectacularly, by Christopher R. Altieri

By Christopher R. Altieri, Catholic World Report – That the strongest resistance is coming largely from the global south and the developing world only reinforces the already powerful impression that Pope Francis’s solicitude for “the peripheries” is only so much talk… It isn’t every day that the top papal lieutenant goes on the record to discuss something about which he’d just said there would be no further clarification, but that’s what just happened in an interview published by The Pillar with the prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.

Fr. Paul D. Scalia: Mary’s Question

By Fr. Paul D. Scalia, The Catholic Thing – Now here is a curious thing. The Blessed Virgin Mary – the epitome of humility, faith, and obedience – does something that we do not typically associate with those virtues. She asks a question: “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” Of course, the whole point is that she asks the question in all humility, faith, and obedience. In so doing, she teaches us how to question and, thus, how to think properly about our faith.

The Gay Persecution of Pastors Has Begun. It Will Only Get Worse, Thanks to Pope Francis, by John Zmirak

By John Zmirak, The Stream – But we aren’t there yet. That’s the wholesale persecution, which eventually will include criminal charges of violating gay couples’ “civil rights” from the same Justice Department that’s already infiltrating traditional Catholic churches in Virginia… For now, what we’re seeing is retail, volunteer, grassroots persecution by individual homosexuals of priests whom they suspect of holding to biblical morality.

Bishops of the World Resist Francis to His Face, by T. S. Flanders

By T. S. Flanders, OnePeterFive – But when Cephas was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed (Gal. ii. 11)… Brethren in Christ, we are living in the glorious times of the saints! This is an awesome time to be a Catholic. Let us thank Almighty God that He has chosen us to live in this dark time, in order to call us to take up the mantle of all of our forefathers and lay down our lives for the Faith.

Dostoevsky for Catholics (and Everyone Else), Part I, by Darrick Taylor

By Darrick Taylor, Crisis Magazine – Few novelists have been feted with praise as much as the nineteenth-century Russian novelist Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky (1821-1881). Numerous intellectuals regarded him as the prophet of their age, quite literally. Albert Camus proclaimed Dostoevsky, not Karl Marx, the “prophet of the twentieth century.” The German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche despised Christianity but admired the Orthodox Dostoevsky, saying he was “the only psychologist from whom I have anything to learn.”

Fr. Roger Landry: ‘Contemplate Jesus’ This Christmas: A New Bethlehem and the Lessons of Greccio

By Father Roger Landry, EWTN News – We live at a time in which Christmas crèches have become so much a part of Catholic piety that many believe that they must have existed from the first centuries of Christianity… But they are an “invention” of St. Francis of Assisi, who, 800 years ago this December, created a living Nativity in the mountainous Italian village of Greccio, located about halfway between Rome and Assisi. The topography and architecture of Greccio — where Francis would frequently stay to preach and to pray — reminded him of Bethlehem, which he had visited four years before.

Bishops Can Turn the New “Blessings Text” Into a Virtue, by Dr. Jeff Mirus

By Dr. Jeff Mirus, Catholic Culture – After writing my assessment on Monday of the new DDF text on blessings, Fiducia Supplicans, I’ve spent some time following the reactions. Nobody will be surprised that a few bishops have celebrated the DDF statement as, in effect, making the sky the limit, along with other LGBTQ+ advocates. That is not what the text says, but all serious observers expect it to precipitate precisely this sort of result. After all, human understanding is always contextual. One of our intellectual capacities is the ability to read between the lines.

Pope Francis Fixates on ‘First World Problems’ of the Prosperous and Privileged, While the World Is on Fire, by Jason Scott Jones

By Jason Scott Jones, The Stream – That’s why I’m on many levels scandalized by the example of Pope Francis. The latest Vatican action, making room (with some Jesuitical caveats) for blessings of same-sex couples, has stunned and traumatized serious believers around the world. As John Zmirak wrote here, this Vatican action will open up Catholic clergy to legal persecution (like Christian bakers and wedding planners), stripping them of a key First Amendment defense.

Daily Scripture Readings and Meditation: Joyful Expectation of the Messiah

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Luke 1:46-56 – And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is on those who fear him from generation to generation. …..

WATCH: Papal Posse Pulverizes Pope’s Proclamation on Gay Unions, by Raymond Arroyo

By Raymond Arroyo, The World Over – Fr. Gerald Murray and Robert Royal join Raymond Arroyo in a critical analyze the new Vatican “declaration” on blessings of same-sex couples.

Fiducia Supplicans and the Defense of Ritual Purity, by Phil Lawler

By Phil Lawler, Catholic Culture – At my all-boys Catholic high school, one day’s religion class during senior year devolved into a discussion of an issue that was apparently on the mind of at least one student: “How many buttons can I undo on my girlfriend’s blouse before it’s a mortal sin?”… For now I want to focus on the attitude behind the young man’s question—an attitude which is unfortunately widespread. What is the minimum that I have to do in order to avoid damnation? How much can I get away with? How far can I indulge myself without risking my immortal soul? ….

Pope Francis to Roman Curia: ‘Rigid Ideological Positions’ Prevent us From Moving Forward, by Courtney Mares

By Courtney Mares for CNA, Catholic World Report – In his annual Christmas address to the cardinals who work in Vatican offices on Dec. 21, the (Pope Francis) underlined that it is important to “keep faring forward, to keep searching and growing in our understanding of the truth, overcoming the temptation to stand still.”… “Let us remain vigilant against rigid ideological positions that often, under the guise of good intentions, separate us from reality and prevent us from moving forward,” Pope Francis said. ….

Father Jeffrey Kirby: ‘Fiducia Supplicans’: A Pastor’s View

By Father Jeffrey Kirby, EWTN News – The great joy of a parish priest is to be with the people of God, elbow deep in the midst of their joys, sorrows and sufferings. The fatherly vocation of the parish priest is to teach, govern and sanctify his parishioners in Christ’s name. This is done by teaching and shepherding, exhorting and consoling, absolving and admonishing, guiding his parishioners to greater conviction in their discipleship, encouraging them, accompanying them, crying and laughing with them …..

Rainbow is Thy Fame, by Mary Frances Myler

By Mary Frances Myler, First Things – University of Notre Dame president Fr. Theodore Hesburgh, C.S.C., transformed Catholic education. In the 1967 Land O’Lakes Statement, he laid out his vision for the Catholic university in the modern world, calling for autonomy from the Catholic Church’s authority… Fr. John Jenkins, C.S.C. (prepares) to retire after an 18-year tenure, Jenkins has built on Hesburgh’s legacy with the continued growth of fundraising and research facilities. But something far more interesting transpired during his two decades at the helm—the sexual revolution came to that little campus in South Bend, Indiana.

WATCH: Fr. Chris Alar: Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception Refuse to Bless Homosexual Unions

By Fr. Chris Alar, YouTube – The Marians of the Immaculate Conception official statement was issued later the next day, stating that: “blessing individual persons struggling with sin, but striving to do the will of God and conform their lives to Church teaching, are not only allowed, but strongly encouraged. Marian clergy will continue to bless the individual sinner, but we cannot in any way bestow blessings that may infer that we are condoning or blessing the sin of irregular unions.”

Blasphemies Proliferate After Bergoglio’s Declaration on Same-Sex Blessings, by Doug Mainwaring

By Doug Mainwaring, LifeSite News, (Complicit Clergy) – An image has appeared on social media that demonstrates how quickly the demonic realm has sought to boast of its new foothold within the Roman Catholic Church, thanks to Pope Francis’ infelicitous messaging in Fiducia Supplicans… The image, whether intended to by its creator or not, conveys an unsubtle, dark message signifying the ascendency of the power…

What Is a Couple? by Kennedy Hall

By Kennedy Hall, Crisis Magazine – Pope Francis has launched one of the worst bombs at Tradition and common sense in Church history; yes, Cardinal Fernandez has signed off on James Martin’s dream—our nightmare; yes, the papal apologists are manifesting with clear signs of a type of Stockholm syndrome; and yes, there exists a brewing de facto schism between episcopal conferences with some dusting off their rainbow colors while some steely-eyed former soviets and Africans are telling Fernandez where he can respectfully stick his blasted declaration. …

Even Atheists Still Set Up Christmas Trees, by David Carlin

By David Carlin, The Catholic Thing – Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire. And then, as the Empire dissolved, it remained for many centuries the religion of both Western and Eastern Europe. And when Western Christianity in the 16th and 17th centuries split into Catholic and Protestant parts, both parties continued to believe that earthly humans are potential gods/saints – and potential devils as well… in the 21st century. In a highly modernized country like the US, many in our society, including especially those in our culturally elite sections, have repudiated the old religion and its belief in immortality.

Trump Vows to Defend Pro-Life Christians Targeted by FBI, Justice Department, by Joshua Mercer

By Joshua Mercer, LifeNews – In an Iowa speech given Tuesday night, former President Donald Trump vowed to “end the War on Christians” as soon as he is “back in the Oval Office.”… The 45th president called out the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) targeting of Catholic Americans in particular… “Under Crooked Joe Biden, Christians and Americans of faith are being persecuted—and government has been weaponized against religion like never before,” he said.

Saint of the Day for December 22: Blessed Jacopone da Todi (c. 1230 – Dec. 25, 1306)

By Franciscan Media – Jacomo or James, was born a noble member of the Benedetti family in the northern Italian city of Todi. He became a successful lawyer and married a pious, generous lady named Vanna… His young wife took it upon herself to do penance for the worldly excesses of her husband. One day Vanna, at the insistence of Jacomo, attended a public tournament.

Zambia Bishops Forbid ‘Blessings’ of Homosexual Couples, by Louis Knuffke

By Louis Knuffke, LifeSite News – The Catholic bishops of Zambia have instructed their dioceses that they are not to implement the Vatican’s recent document on “blessing” same-sex couples… The bishops noted in a statement issued Wednesday, December 20, that Rome’s new document, Fiducia supplicans, “has raised several questions, confusions and anxieties among the faithful and the people of good will, as it has now become an issue of allowing blessing of same-sex marriages.”

The Prophetic Vision of St. John Bosco: The Two Columns, by Gretchen Filz

By Gretchen Filz, The Catholic Company – St. Don Bosco is also known for his many prophetic dreams which you can read about here.  His most famous dream regards future troubles for the Church and is known as the Prophecy of the Two Columns.  In his words, here is the dream: “Try to picture yourselves with me on the seashore, or, better still, on an outlying cliff with no other land in sight. The vast expanse of water is covered with a formidable array of ships in battle formation, prows fitted with sharp spear-like beaks capable of breaking through any defense. All are heavily armed with cannons, incendiary bombs, and firearms of all sorts – even books – and are heading toward one stately ship, mightier than them all. As they try to close in, they try to ram it, set it afire, and cripple it as much as possible.

Rediscovering the Cave of Bethlehem and the Paradox of Christianity, by Robert Morrison

By Robert Morrison, Remnant Columnist, The Remnant – In his 1936 book studying the human character of Christ, In the Likeness of Christ, Fr. Edward Leen described the way in which the cave of Bethlehem shows us the “paradox of Christianity.” He began with a picture of the inhospitable cave in which the Divine Infant was born: “The cave of Bethlehem is an exact presentation of the paradox of Christianity. It is austere and forbidding. Even in the daylight and under the bright sun the cavern would look miserable and uninviting. In the darkness it is positively repellant. ….

Winter Arrives as Democracy Heads for the Hills, by Al Perrotta

By Al Perrotta, The Stream – Welcome to Winter!.. Today’s the shortest day of the year. The day of most darkness, but come tomorrow … more and more light… The political world is still trying to grasp the shocking, historic decision by the Colorado State Supreme Court Tuesday evening to up and declare former President Trump guilty of insurrection and boot him off the state ballot. It’s Colorado, so perhaps we can shrug it off as “too much weed” and assume the Supreme Court will clean it up. Unfortunately, the decision is much more ominous than that.

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: Joyful Anticipation of the Messiah

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Luke 1:39-45 – In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! ….

Declaration Gives Cover to Blessing “Same-Sex Couples”, But Can it Be Enforced? by Christopher R. Altieri

By Christopher R. Altieri, Catholic World Report – Pope Francis has turned the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith into a personal tool for the unilateral implementation of personal papal agenda items, often without any apparent regard for anyone else in the Church… The declaration, Fiducia supplicans, is a 5,000-word document explaining “the possibility of blessing couples in irregular situations and same-sex couples without officially validating their status or changing in any way the Church’s perennial teaching on marriage.”

On the Public Meaning of Priestly Blessings, by Michael Pakaluk

By Michael Pakaluk, The Catholic Thing – The U.S. Bishops issued a statement earlier this week on the Declaration Fiducia supplicans, reassuring the faithful that “The Church’s teaching on marriage has not changed.” But to say this is to miss the point, wildly. More pertinent is whether the Church’s teaching on non-procreative sex acts has changed; also, whether by the Declaration the Church now wishes to recognize a distinct type of relationship, which it regards as good – call it “spousal friendship between members of the same sex.”

A Road Map for Catholic Families, by Randy Hain

By Randy Hain, Integrated Catholic – When my wife and I came into the Catholic Church with our two sons, we were somewhat overwhelmed by the new life we had begun. We had not only entered into full communion with the Church Christ founded, but we clearly recognized how the expectations for our marriage and how we raised our family had changed considerably as we began to understand our vocation as parents.

Jimmy Lai’s Walk of Faith, by Mark Simon

By Mark Simon, EWTN News – I could see my boss getting agitated. The executive he had just hired for our television business, a former political operative, was intently describing the hit he was about to apply to a couple of old political enemies. A newspaper editor and I exchanged glances, as we knew where this was going… After the lunch, my boss’ assistant called me back to Mr. Lai’s office. I never even sat down… “He’s mean,” Mr. Lai said. “Can you handle it?”.. Meet the Jimmy Lai I know.

The Three Mysteries of Life, by Paul Chaloux

By Paul Chaloux, Catholic Exchange – “Heaven’s Currency: A Study of Love” is the culmination of a trilogy that discusses the great mysteries of life. These mysteries (suffering, death and love) are synergistic and cannot be understood fully in the absence of each other, because they are co-dependent in providence, God’s great plan of Salvation… The first book was “Why all People Suffer” and it was written in the aftermath of my being diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease just after I had uprooted my life, quitting my lucrative job at IBM ….

PAID TO KILL! Planned Parenthood Collected $1,780 in Tax Dollars for Every Baby It Killed in Abortion, by Marie Smith

By Marie Smith, LifeNews – The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a long-awaited report documenting the amount of federal funding received by certain abortion providers requested by 142 congressional Republicans led by Sen. Marsha Blackburn, Rep. Chris Smith, and Rep. Vicky Hartzler in January 2022. GAO reports that the U.S. government used taxpayers’ funds to subsidize the domestic and global abortion industry. …

Saint of the Day for December 21: St. Peter Canisius (May 8, 1521 – Dec. 21, 1597)

By Franciscan Media – The energetic life of Peter Canisius should demolish any stereotypes we may have of the life of a saint as dull or routine. Peter lived his 76 years at a pace which must be considered heroic, even in our time of rapid change. A man blessed with many talents, Peter is an excellent example of the scriptural man who develops his talents for the sake of the Lord’s work.

What Will You Get Jesus for His Birthday? by Katie Łastowiecka

By Katie Łastowiecka, Crisis Magazine – The thought that Christ wanted me at a time when I was so displeased with myself was sobering, relieving, and enough to inspire a few silent tears… Two years ago, about two weeks into Advent, I posed a question to my class of high school sophomores: What will you get Jesus for His birthday? We spend so much time thinking about what we will give our loved ones—we are intentional, searching for the thing that will demonstrate how well we know them and their desires.

The DDF’s “Innovative” Declaration on Blessings is a Disaster, by Larry Chapp 

By Larry Chapp, Catholic World Report – The moral teaching of the Church, especially on matters sexual, is undercut directly in Fiducia Supplicans, and that is not an accident… The latest document from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, titled Fiducia Supplicans (Supplicating Trust), has generated a lot of controversy since its release early Monday. And as has become more and more common these days, you find both staunch conservatives and progressive liberals agreeing that there is more to this text than meets the eye and that it does indeed represent an important shift in magisterial teaching.

The Head of the Serpent, by Marco Tosatti

By Marco Tosatti, Stilum Curiae, (Complicit Clergy) – “With the appointment of Msgr. Victor Manuel “Tucho” Fernandez at the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (now the “Dicastery”) marks the end of a historical era for the Church. The Wojtylian and Ratzingerian one according to some, the Catholic one according to the more malevolent. The fact is that the news represents a real turning point. Unlike what one might think, this is perhaps the first real turning point of the Francis era, the most incisive and representative, the most radical”.

Planned Parenthood’s Trans Hormone Business is Booming as It Mutilates Thousands of Children, by Megan Brock and Kate Anderson

By Megan Brock and Kate Anderson, LifeNews – The number of transgender services performed at Planned Parenthood clinics exploded over the past few years as the transgender medical industry became increasingly lucrative… Planned Parenthood first began providing hormone treatments for transgender patients in 2005, and since then 41 out of 49 regional branches have provided transgender services as of 2022… in just the last three years, Planned Parenthood has become dramatically more involved in the gender hormone industry.

Depending On What the Word ‘Is’ Is, by Joseph Matt

By Joseph Matt, Publisher, The Wanderer – If one did not know any better, one would think former President Bill Clinton schooled Pope Francis with his latest document on the blessing of homosexual unions. This current disaster from Rome is filled with the usual obfuscation and confusion that we have learned to expect from the Vatican, which will only divide faithful Catholics and welcome more attacks on the Catholic faith. One only has to read the words of “Father” Jim Martin’s remarks to tell you all you need to know about this document, “a major step forward in the church’s support for LGBT people.”

Who is the Greatest Eucharistic Saint? by Patrick O’Hearn

By Patrick O’Hearn, Catholic Exchange – The greatest in the kingdom are those who seek to be the lowliest. For this reason, St. Peter Eymard is counted among the greatest Eucharistic saints, perhaps even the greatest, well after Our Lady! He was particularly fond of the title, Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament! It was Our Lady who guided him to love and prefer Jesus above everything… St. Peter Julian Eymard once beautifully wrote, “If we reflected on the love of Jesus Christ for us in the Blessed Sacrament, our whole life would be but one continuous act of love and gratitude.” Yes, a thousand lifetimes would never be enough for one devout reception of Holy Communion.

The Pope and the Black Hole, by Dan Hitchens

By Dan Hitchens, First Things – I have spent what feels like years parsing these much-debated Vatican documents, checking the exact translation of Italian words, badgering learned canonists and theologians for comments, comparing one sentence with another… in the era of Pope Francis, such “controversial” statements are generally less statements than black holes… A black hole, according to NASA, is “a great amount of matter packed into a very small area—think of a star ten times more massive than the Sun squeezed into a sphere approximately the diameter of New York City.”

Francis’s Anti-Christmas Gift to the Globalists: Blessing Same-Sex Unions, by Robert Morrison

By Robert Morrison, Remnant Columnist, The Remnant – … Fiducia Supplicans, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith approved the blessing of same-sex unions. The dicastery’s prefect, Cdl. Víctor Manuel “Tucho” Fernández (says)… “As with the Holy Father’s above-mentioned response to the Dubia of two Cardinals, this Declaration remains firm on the traditional doctrine of the Church about marriage, not allowing any type of liturgical rite or blessing similar to a liturgical rite that can create confusion. The value of this document, however, is that it offers a specific and innovative contribution to the pastoral meaning of blessings…”

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: Hail, O Favored One, the Lord Is with You!

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Luke 1:26-38 – In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Hail, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. ….

Pope Francis Opens Door to Blessings of Same-Sex Couples and Persecution of the Church, by John Zmirak

By John Zmirak, The Stream – Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Nudge-Nudge, Wink-Wink… Does the pope’s maneuver here sound familiar? It’s the same one Bill Clinton used to trash the U.S. military’s sound, historic practice of banning homosexuals. Clinton gave his plan the modest-sounding moniker, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”… In other words, Clinton didn’t yet have the cultural juice to entirely endorse homosexual servicemen … Francis seeks a similar transformation of the Roman Catholic Church.

Saint of the Day for December 20: St. Dominic of Silos (c. 1000 – Dec. 20, 1073)

By Franciscan Media – It’s not the founder of the Dominicans we honor today, but there’s a poignant story that connects both Dominics… Our saint today, Dominic of Silos, was born in Spain around the year 1000 into a peasant family. As a young boy he spent time in the fields, where he welcomed the solitude. …

Finding Christ in the Noise, by David F. Forte

By David F. Forte, The Catholic Thing – “Put Christ back into Christmas,” we are told, often from the pulpit. “Take time out to pray and meditate upon the Advent season.  Don’t be distracted by all the shopping advertisements.”  All well and good.  But I would also argue the contrary.  It’s in the noise of the Christmas season that we find Christ. Mary and Joseph and the Magi sought not to escape from the commotion, the drama, and “noise” surrounding the great moment. They traveled into it.

Blessings for Same-Sex Couples: An Elephant in the Room? by Dr. Jeff Mirus

By Dr. Jeff Mirus, Catholic Culture – The new declaration Fiducia Supplicans: On the Pastoral Meaning of Blessings, from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, is primarily an effort to place the question of blessings for same-sex couples into the larger context of non-liturgical blessings as a whole. … there is an important distinction that is not made in the document, the distinction about the specific purpose of the blessing, which may either be implied or explicitly requested. …

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: Many Will Rejoice at His Birth

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – READING: Luke 1:5-25 – In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years. ….

CV News Feed: Texas Gov. Abbott Signs Bill Making Illegal Immigration a Crime in the State

Rep. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill making illegal immigration a criminal offense in the Lone Star State… “The new law would authorize police to arrest people they suspect crossed the Rio Grande between ports of entry,” The Texas Tribune reported… CNN noted that the soon-to-be-enacted legislation would also grant local judges “the ability to issue orders to remove [migrants] to Mexico.”

Planned Parenthood Just Sells Abortions, But Pro-Life Americans Help Thousands of Pregnant Women Every Day, by Joshua Mercer

By Joshua Mercer, LifeNews – “In 2022, pregnancy centers met with clients over 16 million times, both in person and virtually, with an estimated total service value of at least $358 million annually,” stated the CLI on Friday, the day the report was released… “Pregnancy centers provided services to almost 975,000 new clients,” the CLI continued. These services provided to women at no cost included “pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, parenting education programs, baby diapers, wipes, formula, [and] outfits.”

Normalizing Sodomy: The True Legacy of Francis, by Michael J. Matt

By Michael J. Matt, Editor, The Remnant – This morning, we learn of a new Vatican Declaration on “blessing gay unions”, which Team Francis insists does not change the Church’s “doctrine regarding marriage.” Well, of course it doesn’t! That was never the issue, and they know it wasn’t! That’s just a little thing they do, whereby they drape the front door in an obviously orthodox cover so that they can ramrod the real objective through the backdoor.

Trial Begins for Jimmy Lai, Hong Kong Catholic Activist Imprisoned for 3 Years, by Daniel Payne

By Daniel Payne, CNA – The trial for Jimmy Lai, the Catholic Hong Kong activist and newspaper publisher, opened Monday, launching what is expected to be a protracted legal exhibition capping several years of imprisonment for the embattled pro-democracy advocate… Lai has been an outspoken advocate of human rights and democratic freedoms in Hong Kong for years. He founded the tabloid Apple Daily in 1995, which took a strong pro-democracy stance in the administrative region.

PODCAST: Will the Church Now Bless Same-Sex ‘Couples’? (With Fr. Gerald Murray)

By Robert Royal, The Catholic Thing – Robert Royal and Fr. Gerald Murray discuss a new document — Fiducia supplicans — that came out today from the Dicastery on the Doctrine of the Faith, and approved by Pope Francis, that seeks to “broaden” and “enrich” the concept of “blessing” in the Church. This innovation, its seems, will even permit blessings for “same-sex couples” — just as long as they don’t give the impression of being the equivalent of traditional marriage.

Fr. Thomas G. Weinandy, OFM, Cap.: God’s Blessings and Magisterial Teaching

By Fr. Thomas G. Weinandy, OFM, Cap., The Catholic Thing – the Declaration wants to uphold the doctrinal integrity of the blessing given within the sacrament of marriage, while simultaneously wanting to allow a blessing that is “linked to,” but not similar to, a liturgical blessing given in marriage, thus, not causing confusion between the two.  The Declaration boasts that this provision “implies a real development” that is in keeping with Pope Francis’s “pastoral vision.”

Breaking Down Fiducia Supplicans, by Eric Sammons

By Eric Sammons, Crisis Magazine – The Vatican’s approval of blessings for same-sex couples and couples in “irregular situations” reflects a divorce between morality & pastoral practice, liturgy & life, and orthodoxy & orthopraxy… Yesterday the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith under Cardinal Víctor Fernández, and with the approval of Pope Francis, released Fiducia Supplicans, which gives explicit approval for priests to impart a blessing on same-sex couples and couples in “irregular situations.” This declaration by t

Bishop Strickland Urges Bishops to Say ‘No’ to Francis’ ‘Blessings’ of Homosexual Couples, by Stephen Kokx

By Stephen Kokx, LifeSiteNews – In remarks shared exclusively with LifeSiteNews via video, Bishop Strickland encouraged “my brother bishops that we all join with a voice of strength and joy in the Lord in these last days of Advent and say ‘no’ to this latest document.”… “We really simply need to be a united voice saying, ‘no,’ we will not respond to this,” Strickland stated. “We will not incorporate this into the life of the Church because we simply must say ‘no.’ And it needs to be a united voice.”

Why the Radicals Need to Hide Their Real Agenda, by Michael Brown

By Michael Brown, The Stream – Think for a moment about the trajectory of LGBTQ+ activism… Had national leaders said up front, “We look forward to the day when thirteen-year-old, trans-identified girls can have full mastectomies and young men can compete against young women in sports,” they would have garnered much less support… Had they said, “We look forward to the day when Christians will be jailed if they refuse to grant gay marriage licenses, and we can’t wait to see drag queens reading to toddlers in libraries,” they would have been rejected outright.

A Vatican Document That Undermines Itself, by Phil Lawler 

By Phil Lawler, Catholic Culture – True, today’s declaration from the Vatican does not change Church teaching. Fiducia Supplicans earnestly insists on a distinction between giving a blessing to a homosexual couple and blessing their relationship. Good luck conveying that distinction to the world… Anyone can ask a priest for a blessing; that has never been in question. But when two people ask a priest to confer a blessing on them as a couple, how can the Church avoid the impression that the priest, as representative of the Catholic faith, is blessing their union?

The New Paganism, by Nathaniel Lamansky

By Nathaniel Lamansky, Crisis Magazine – The new paganism is far more complex and subtly dangerous than the old. However, while the devil is clever, he is not infinitely creative. The Church has always emerged victorious against paganism. There is no need to reinvent the wheel; it is simply up to us to consider and apply those principles of evangelization that have proved effective against paganism in the past. Above all, we must seek to embody humility and joy in the public square.

Saint of the Day for December 19: Blessed Pope Urban V

By Franciscan Media – In 1362, the man elected pope declined the office. When the cardinals could not find another person among them for that important office, they turned to a relative stranger: the holy person we honor today… The new Pope Urban V proved a wise choice. A Benedictine monk and canon lawyer, he was deeply spiritual and brilliant. …

WATCH: Cardinal Burke Stresses Personal Holiness, Warns Against Wayward Bishops

By Cardinal Burke, Rumble – Cardinal Raymond Burke has warned against bishops who wish the Church “to change her doctrine, her Sacred Worship, and her discipline, in order to accommodate the culture,” admonishing instead that the answer to the current crisis in the Church is for Catholics to take seriously the life of holiness… The cardinal’s comments came in a sermon on the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, given at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, Wisconsin, founded by Burke when he was Bishop of La Crosse. …..

Choosing Between New and Old, by Sheryl Collmer

By Sheryl Collmer, Crisis Magazine – If I could only pick one or the other, I’d have to say I’m a Novus Ordo Catholic. It’s the Mass I’ve attended for most of my 65 years. My early childhood preceded the Novus Ordo, so I had nine years in the Latin Mass, but it was mostly prior to the age of reason.My family moved from a small town to the big city at the precise moment the new Mass was rolled out in the Dallas diocese. Unconsciously, I suppose I’ve associated the Latin Mass with my innocent, protected, stained-glass childhood, a time of wonder and safety and predictability.

Pro-Life Group Live Action Offers ‘Window To the Womb’ in New Online Experience, by Joseph Bukuras

By Joseph Bukuras, CNA – Have you ever wondered what it’d be like to have a window into the womb?… Well, that’s exactly what the pro-life group Live Action has attempted to provide with its new interactive website windowtothewomb.app… The website launched Dec. 14 walks users through each trimester of pregnancy, day by day, by presenting an animated baby’s development starting from conception.

The Legacy of Benedict XVI, by Roberto Regoli

By Roberto Regoli, First Things – Let us begin with a clear and straightforward question: Was Benedict XVI’s pontificate a success or a failure? What does “success” or “failure” mean when it comes to a pontificate? It’s impossible to give a short, simple answer. I can only go back to an event that took place over a thousand years ago… Gregory VII, a zealous, reforming pope who confronted major crises in the Church in the eleventh century, died in exile in Salerno. His pontificate seemed to end in failure. And yet it was the most important pontificate of the entire second millennium.

Cardinal Becciu, Sentences Him to 5 Years in Jail for Embezzling Funds, by Courtney Mares

By Courtney Mares, CNA – The historic trial centered on what happened in and around the Secretariat of State’s 350 million-euro purchase of an investment property in London between 2014 and 2018… Judges delivered a verdict in the Vatican’s financial corruption trial on Saturday sentencing Cardinal Angelo Becciu to more than five years in prison and convicting five other defendants… Cardinal Becciu, the Pope’s former chief of staff, is the highest ranking Vatican official ever to face a trial in the Vatican’s criminal court. …

The Brew: Sex Scandal Rocks the Senate as White House Rolled for Bizarre Christmas Video, by Al Perrotta

By  Al Perrotta, The Stream – Forgoing the class and elegance and spirit of the season we would expect from the People’s House at Christmas, Dr. Jill chose to display this year’s decorations with the help of garishly-costumed dancers that would not only scare the tots but frighten the Ghost of Christmas Future. Rather than anything remotely close to the meaning of Christmas, the First Lady served up a “playful” take on the Nutcracker Suite.

Supreme Court Justices Quickly Agreed With Alito That There’s No Right to Abortion, by Steven Ertelt

By Steven Ertelt, LifeNews – By Steven Ertelt, LifeNews – A new report in the New York Times confirms that the four other conservative justices on the Supreme Court quickly affirmed the decision Justice Samuel Alito wrote confirming there is no right to abortion in the Constitution… Last year, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, with a 6-3 majority ruling in the Dobbs case that “The Constitution does not confer a right to abortion.”

Msgr. Charles Pope: Sweet, Beautiful, Soul-Saving Joy – A Homily for the Third Sunday of Advent

By Msgr. Charles Pope – This Sunday is traditionally called Gaudete Sunday, based on the Introit for the day: Gaudete in Domino semper, iterum dico, Gaudete (Phil 4:4) (Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say, Rejoice). Today, this theme is developed most fully in the 2nd reading, which is from 1 Thessalonians. It also begins with the salutation and imperative, “Rejoice always.”… Let’s take a closer look at that reading and what is meant by the admonition to “rejoice.”

Are Catholic Colleges Catholic? by Brad Miner

By Brad Miner, The Catholic Thing – Where has the time gone?… In 1990, when I was Literary Editor of National Review, I suggested that we do a college guide. It had the obvious title with a less obvious subtitle, “America’s Top Liberal Arts Schools.” I recruited Charles J. Sykes to help with the project. He’d recently published a fascinating book, ProfScam: Professors and the Demise of Higher Education.

Msgr. Charles Pope: Our Lady of Fatima – Her Prophecies and Warnings Remain as Essential as Ever!

By Msgr. Charles Pope – As a kind of follow-up to Monday’s post on Our Lady of Guadalupe, we do well to recall also her warnings about the need for prayer and fidelity to God. Without these we are afflicted in every way and war and destruction are our lot… Our Lady’s warnings of the consequences if we did not pray and convert have proven to be sadly accurate. …

Fr. Shenan J. Boquet: Kissinger’s Dark Legacy: Weaponizing Population Control

By Fr. Shenan J. Boquet, Human Life International – … for those of us who work to stem the tide of the culture of death, the name of Kissinger immediately serves to call to mind a single document—the so-called “Kissinger Report.”… The technical name of this document is National Security Study Memorandum 200… (also) called the Kissinger Report… in 1974 and was originally highly classified. However, researchers managed to obtain copies of it in the early 1990s. It outlines what Kissinger and the Nixon Administration viewed as the serious national security threats posed by population growth, particularly in the developing nations.

Rev. Peter M.J. Stravinskas: ‘Forty Years I Endured That Generation’

Rev. Peter M.J. Stravinskas, The Catholic Thing – I often hear “Your generation destroyed the Church,” from Catholics under the age of 50 – both clerical and lay.  And I resent it.  I don’t mind owning up to mistakes I have made, but I refuse to be blamed for mistakes I didn’t make.  Let me explain… It was precisely my generation that had our Catholic patrimony ripped from us, and, yes, precisely by the pre-Vatican generation (so extolled by so many young “conservatives”).  The dismantling of the liturgy began when I was a freshman in high school; interestingly, the only time I ever got sent to the principal’s office was because I mocked the singing of “Kumbaya” at a school Mass.

Segue to Sanctity, by Regis Martin

By Regis Martin, Crisis Magazine – If the Office of Unity, symbolized by a sitting bishop, is necessary to the maintenance of faith—such has been the consuming preoccupation of St. Ignatius—holiness of life is the reason for it. And what is holiness? Nothing less than doing God’s will from moment to moment, to the very last breath; an oblation of self so totalizing as to leave nothing left save God and everything else in relation to God.

WATCH! FRANCIS TURNS 87: Catholic World Divided Over Worst Pope in History, by Michael J. Matt

By Michael J. Matt, Editor, The Remnant – Francis is now the oldest reigning pope in 120 years, but some would ask: Is Francis pope, or antipope? Michael takes a deep dive into a new thesis, singed by by nine Italian Catholic intellectuals, which puts an end to that circular firing squad once and for all… Meanwhile, Joe ‘The Catholic’ Biden goes to Mass, as Tony ‘The Catholic’ Fauci explains why a man of his elevated ethical standards doesn’t “need no stinkin’ religion!”

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: Elijah Must First Come 

Author Don Schwager , Servants of the Word – Matthew 17:9a,10-13 – And as they were coming down the mountain the disciples asked him, “Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” He replied, “Elijah does come, and he is to restore all things; but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not know him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of man will suffer at their hands.” …..

Mercy Strikes Again: The Unjust Treatment of Cardinal Burke, by Diane Montagna

By Diane Montagna, Catholic Herald – New York priest and canonist Fr Gerald Murray responded: “A pension is not a privilege; it is deferred compensation which is owed in justice. Vatican subsidised living quarters are provided to cardinals and other curial officials as a form of compensation for their work for the Holy See. It is not a privilege, as in something given as a pure gift… Many believe Pope Francis’s decision to punish Cardinal Burke will have a chilling effect on the College of Cardinals, dissuading them from giving honest advice and counsel to the Pope – but perhaps that’s the idea.

Watch! Time Bomb, by Bill Whittle

By Bill Whittle, Patriot Post – There has been a dramatic and alarming rise in the number of near-catastrophic collisions in what has been for 22 years the single great miracle of the modern age: the US Commercial Air Transport System, which has seen some 40,000 flights per day without a single fatality in twenty-two years among US carriers domestically. But true to form, the government is now insisting on lowering those hard-earned standards in order to promote diversity and inclusion…

Pro-Life Pregnancy Centers Have Helped 1 Million More Women Since Roe Overturned, by Theresa Olohan

By Theresa Olohan, LifeNews – Today Charlotte Lozier Institute (CLI), the research arm of SBA Pro-Life America and America’s premier scientific institute on life issues, released the findings of a robust survey of 2,750 pregnancy centers in the United States to calculate their extraordinary services, material support and health care contributions to women and families across the country since the landmark Supreme Court Dobbs decision that took down Roe v. Wade.

WATCH! Cardinal Gregory and the ‘Dominant’ Rite, by Phil Lawler 

By Phil Lawler, Catholic Culture – “Tradition dies a slow death, sometimes a bloody death,” said Cardinal Wilton Gregory told an audience at Catholic University earlier this month. Well, if tradition dies, so too does the authority of Cardinal Gregory… Think about it: What authority does any bishop have, apart from the fact that he represents the sacred tradition of the Catholic Church, that he is understood to “hold and teach the Catholic faith that comes to us from the apostles,” that in fact he is a successor to the apostles?

Saint of the Day for December 16: Blessed Honoratus Kozminski

By Franciscan Media – Wenceslaus Kozminski was born in Biala Podlaska in 1829. By the age of 11 he had lost his faith. By the age of 16 his father had died. He studied architecture at the School of Fine Arts in Warsaw. Suspected of participating in a rebellious conspiracy against the Czarists in Poland, he was imprisoned from April 1846 until March of 1847.

Cardinal Burke Offers Extensive Reflection on State of World, Church, by Walter Sanchez Silva

By Walter Sanchez Silva, CNA, Aci Prensa – The veteran cardinal observed that ‘some, even among bishops, would tell us that the Church has to change her doctrine, her sacred worship, and her discipline in order to accommodate the culture.’… Cardinal Raymond Burke, who in recent weeks has figured prominently in the news following a report that Pope Francis had taken away his salary and Vatican apartment, offered an extensive reflection on the state of the world and the Church during the Mass he offered to coincide with the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Dec. 12.

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: The Lord Will Lead You in the Way You Should Go

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market places and calling to their playmates, `We piped to you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.’ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, `He has a demon’; the Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, `Behold, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.”

WATCH! The Cardinals SHOULD HAVE KNOWN How Corrupt Francis Was Before The Conclave of 2013, by Anthony Stine

By Anthony Stine, Return to Tradition – Plus the Australian priest who was canceled for not embracing Modernism responds to his cancelation with a public statement.

Americans Must Choose Between Civilization — or Its Destroyers, by Victor Davis Hanson

By Victor Davis Hanson, Patriot Post – Nihilism is the religion of the Left. Anarchy is now at the core of the new Democratic Party… If the Left wished radically to alter the demography of the U.S., it could have expanded legal immigration through legislation or the courts… Instead, it simply erased the border and dynamited federal immigration law… By fiat, nihilists ended the wall, and stopped detaining and deporting illegal aliens altogether.

America’s Rent-A-Womb Industry Lures An Alarming Number Of Chinese Nationals, by Emma Waters

By Emma Waters, The Federalist – China not only owns a disproportionate amount of American debt, but a new report reveals it also rents a disproportionate number of American wombs… In July, researchers using data from the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology Clinic Outcome Reporting System found that Chinese nationals make up the largest percentage of foreign surrogacy contracts in the United States. ….

St. John of the Cross: A Dark Night is a Glad Night, by Martina Moyski, Church Militant, December 14, 2023    

By Martina Moyski, Church Militant – The life of St. John of the Cross can be seen as an embodiment of the words of Jesus recorded in St. Mark’s gospel: “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.”… The saint was born Juan de Yepes in 1542 in Spain, near the town of Ávila, into a poor family descended from Jewish converts to Catholicism. But the saint later chose the name John of the Cross in keeping with Mark’s Scripture and his desire to become one with Jesus and his suffering.

‘A Lightning Bolt’ — Visa Rule Change Upends Placements for Foreign-Born Priests, by Joan Frawley Desmond

By Joan Frawley Desmond, EWTN News – Only nine months ago, Fr. Edgardo Rodriguez, a Salvadoran priest beloved in his California parish, was on a clear path to securing permanent residency in the US… He expected to live out his vocation in the Archdiocese of San Francisco… Instead, to the shock of Fr. Rodriguez, his parish community and the archdiocese, the priest was notified by U.S. immigration authorities last April that he would have to return to his home country for one year and apply for reentry, restarting the entire process …

The Media Complains Abortion Bans are Saving Babies, But I’m Glad They’re Alive, by Kelsey Hazzard

By Kelsey Hazzard, LifeNews – Recently published research shows that anti-abortion laws that went into effect after Dobbs are preventing abortions, saving the lives of approximately 32,000 babies per year. (To understand how this squares with other research suggesting a rise in abortions, see this article.)… The researchers reached this conclusion by examining birth rates in states with and without pro-life protections. This is a commonly accepted method for assessing the impact of pro-life legislation. For instance, it is how we know that over 2.5 million Americans are alive today thanks to the Hyde Amendment.

Climate ‘Experts’ Now Say BREATHING Is Bad For the Planet, by Brittany M. Hughes

By Brittany M. Hughes, MRC TV – Climate “experts” now say breathing – breathing – is bad for the environment, and is contributing to the rapidly accelerating death of the Earth and the fiery doom that’ll surely kill us all… According to the study, which someone in the UK actually took time and resources to conduct, if you can believe it, methane and nitrous oxide in the breath humans exhale contributes up to 0.1 percent of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions. …

Bergoglio’s Election Was Celebrated By The Freemasons And He Continues To Advance Their Agenda, by Elizabeth Yore

By Elizabeth Yore, LifeSite News, (Compliocit Clergy) – I met Jorge Bergoglio in early November 2013, a mere 6 months after his election. I was eager to attend the first pontifical human trafficking conference held inside the Vatican; it was sponsored by the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences… The entire conference left me shaken. My soul was rattled by this very un-Catholic experience in the very heart of the Vatican and in the prolonged presence of Francis… The Holy See suddenly seemed like enemy territory.

Saint of the Day for December 15: Blessed Mary Frances Schervier

By Franciscan Media – his woman who once wanted to become a Trappistine nun was instead led by God to establish a community of sisters who care for the sick and aged in the United States and throughout the world… Born into a distinguished family in Aachen—then ruled by Prussia, but formerly Aix-la-Chapelle, France—Frances ran the household after her mother’s death, and established a reputation for generosity to the poor. In 1844, she became a Secular Franciscan.

The Never Trump Call for Violence, by Austin Ruse

By Austin Ruse, Crisis Magazine – Opponents of Donald Trump are using increasingly dangerous rhetoric in their campaign to keep the former President out of the oval office… The Never-Trumpers are going to get people killed. It is not hard to imagine that this is what they want. In the words of Robert Kagan in The Washington Post, “every conceivable measure” must be taken to stop what the Nevers say will inevitably be the “end of our democracy” and the establishment of a dictatorship of violence and vengeance.

Gaudete Sunday: My Soul Rejoices in God, by Gayle Somers

By Gayle Somers, Catholic Exchange – Today we have another description of the work of John the Baptist before the public appearance of Jesus at the Jordan River.  In addition to calling the people of Judea to repent, John also had to answer questions about himself.  We need to know that expectation of the Messiah’s coming was at fever pitch in first century Judea.  Centuries earlier, the prophet, Daniel, was given a message from the angel, Gabriel, with a numbered calculation of years that would pass between the Exile of Judah in Babylon and the appearance of God’s “anointed one.” …

OUSTED! Nuncio Asks Brazil Bishop Who Criticized Amazon Synod to Leave Prelature, by ACI Digital

By ACI Digital, Catholic News Agency, (Catholic World Report) – The apostolic nuncio in Brazil, Archbishop Giambattista Diquattro, has asked Bishop Emeritus José Luis Azcona Hermoso to no longer live in the territory of the Prelature of Marajó, where he served for almost 30 years… Azcona relayed the news to Father Kazimierz Antoni Skorki, the diocesan administrator of the prelature, who in a Dec. 9 Instagram post said the prelature had not received any notice from the nuncio nor been given any reason for the move.

Bishop Joseph Strickland Writes Letter to Priests: “A Letter to My Brother Priests”

Bishop Joseph E. Strickland – My Dear Priestly Brothers, As we begin a new liturgical year, I am compelled to reach out to as many of you as possible with a simple but profound request – to join me in an important renewal of our priestly lives. I urge you to share this letter with every brother priest you can, even if it means translating it into another language. My hope is that Catholic priests around the world have an opportunity to join me in this renewal.

By Fr. Nnamdi Moneme, OMV: Begin Cultivating Patience this Advent Season

By Fr. Nnamdi Moneme, OMV, Catholic Exchange – God’s patient love is offered to us in each Eucharistic celebration. He is so patient with all of us, even with those who reject His love and deny His Real Presence in the Eucharist. Despite all the graces for repentance and holiness that we have wasted, God continues to pour out His Spirit on us, the patient and ever-acting God who never stops sanctifying and preparing for the return of the glorious Christ… Let each Holy Communion intensify our hunger for Jesus so that we keep our desire for His glorious return alive in us.

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: He Is Elijah Who Is to Come

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Matthew 11:11-15 – Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and men of violence take it by force. ….

Pope Francis: How Much Lower Can We Sink? by Henry Sire 

By Henry Sire, OnePeterFive – When Joseph Shaw proposed this talk to me in early September, I suggested the title “Pope Francis: how much lower can we sink?”, but the fact is that since then we have been overtaken by events. Over the past eleven years we have all seen Pope Francis’s pontificate in a trajectory of accelerating descent into more and more overt betrayal of Catholic doctrine, but I must say I did not foresee the Gadarene rush we have seen just within the last three months. If we want to assess the very grave events that are happening around us, we need to try and understand the man we now have sitting on the throne of Peter.

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu Plans ‘No Whites’ Christmas Party, by Paul Bois

By Paul Bois, Breitbart – Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, a Democrat, has come under fire for planning a “no whites” Christmas Party that specifically sought to exclude white members of the city government… Wu’s aide issued an apology this week after she mistakenly sent an invite for the mayor’s “no whites” Christmas Party to all members of the Boston City Council when only the “Electeds of Color” were meant to receive the invite.

Pope’s Doctrine Czar Stirs Controversy on Cremation, by Jules Gomes

By Jules Gomes, Church Militant – The 2016 decree Ad Resurgendum Cum Christo issued by the then-Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith by the former prefect Cdl. Gerhard Müller prohibits “the conservation of the ashes of the departed in a domestic residence” except in “grave and exceptional cases dependent on cultural conditions of a localized nature.”… “The ashes may not be divided among various family members,” Müller notes. Moreover, when the deceased “notoriously” demanded cremation and scattering of their ashes for reasons contrary to the Christian faith, a Christian funeral must be denied to that person.”

Is the FBI Abetting the Globalist Hate Crimes Against Traditional Catholics? by Robert Morrison

By Robert Morrison, Remnant Columnist – (Recently) Michael Matt highlighted Sen. Josh Hawley’s opposition to the FBI’s targeting of Traditional Catholics… “Now we know that in fact, FBI agents did approach a priest and a choir director to ask them to inform on parishioners . . . Good heavens, Director, this is one of the most outrageous targetings – you have mobilized your division, the most powerful law enforcement division in the world, against traditionalist Catholics . . . your memo labels traditional Catholics as racially, and ethnically, motivated violent extremists in need of investigation.

BREAKING: Supreme Court to Review High-Stakes Abortion Case, by Peter Pinedo

By Peter Pinedo, CNA – The Supreme Court announced on Wednesday that it will once again consider a high-stakes abortion pill case that could impose new national limits on abortion… The Supreme Court will be reviewing a lower court’s August ruling that reimposed restrictions on the abortion drug mifepristone. The Biden Justice Department and the abortion drug manufacturer Danco Laboratories appealed the decision in September.

Repentance and Righteousness in All of Scripture, by Dr. Jeff Mirus 

By Dr. Jeff Mirus, Catholic Culture – We must always recall these two warnings of Our Lord and Savior to the Pharisees: “Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mt 9:13). “And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless” (Mt 12:7-8). This is Jesus Christ quoting the Old Testament `prophet Hosea, who lived eight hundred years earlier: “For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings” (Hos 6:6).

DEI Is Welfare For People Like Claudine Gay Who Couldn’t Get A Job Without Identity Politics, by Tristan Justice

By Tristan Justice, The Federalist – The board of Harvard unanimously voted to retain the university’s president Claudine Gay despite her public refusal to say that calls for genocide of Jewish students would contradict Harvard’s code of conduct — and subsequent allegations of past plagiarism… “Our extensive deliberations affirm our confidence that President Gay is the right leader to help our community heal and to address the very serious societal issues we are facing,” the Harvard Corporation announced in a statement on Tuesday… Gay kept her position despite both credible allegations of plagiarism and an abysmal performance ……

‘Words Matter’, by John M. Grondelski

By John M. Grondelski, The Catholic Thing – But Hitler’s genocide did not start in Auschwitz. It began in the housepainter’s mental ravings over Übermenschen and Untermenschen in Landsberg Prison and was exported in his verbal ravings at the Nuremberg rallies. Would free-speech absolutists… have us believe Hitler only crossed the line when he crossed the Polish border?… Free speech unanchored to a moral substructure leads to a dead end. . .and dead people. That said, in one sense I agree with its proponents: one should be able to say what one thinks, however “vile.” I say that because I want to know what kind of barbarian I am dealing with.

Saint of the Day for December 14: St. John of the Cross

Franciscan Media – John is a saint because his life was a heroic effort to live up to his name: “of the Cross.” The folly of the cross came to full realization in time. “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me” (Mark 8:34b) is the story of John’s life. …

Msgr. Charles Pope: A Mid-Advent Picture of What Our Savior Offers

By Msgr. Charles Pope – The Gospel for last Monday’s Mass (Monday of the Second Week of Advent) is the well-known story of the paralytic. There are many wonderful details that I could discuss (e.g., the four friends who bring him to Jesus—talk about great friends!), but I’d like to focus today on Jesus’ command: “Rise, take up your stretcher, and go home.” It is a small picture of the grace unto salvation offered to us by the Lord. Here is a man who is powerless to help or heal himself, so the Lord helps and heals him. Though “dead in his sins,” he now rises and lays hold of a whole new life.

INTERVIEW: Card. Joseph Zen: The Synod, Germany, Concerns for the Church, by Marco Tosatti

By Marco Tosatti, Stilum Curiae – I experience it with some concern. What is happening in Germany seems to me to be similar to what happened in Holland, where the faith experienced a devastating crisis. I am concerned that some, under the pretext of synodality, may wish to advance a very personal agenda which involves the introduction of ideas which are in direct conflict with the doctrine of the Church, a doctrine which the Church has the duty to cherish and which cannot change. 

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: Come to Me and I Will Give You Rest

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Matthew 11:28-30 – Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Fr. Jerry Pokorsky: The Violence of Peacemaking

By Fr. Jerry Pokorsky, Catholic Culture – Even the Prince of Peace invokes violence to achieve the tranquility of order. Many of the teachings of Jesus are disturbing to the ears of pacifists: I came to cast fire upon the earth; and would that it were already kindled! I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how I am constrained until it is accomplished! Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division; ….

Catholic Survey Shows ‘Shocking’ Impact of Church Closures During COVID Pandemic, by Daniel Payne

By Daniel Payne, CNA Staff – A survey released this month by a British Catholic organization demonstrates what the group says were the “shocking” effects of COVID-19-related church closures in that country… Catholic Union… said that its survey of almost 1,000 is “the first major study of Catholic attitudes towards the closure of churches during the pandemic and the impact this had on people’s well-being.”… In its release this month, the group revealed that more than 60% of respondents “said that their physical or mental health had been affected by church closures.”

Get Beccui! by Dr. Robert Moynihan

By Dr. Robert Moynihan, Inside The Vatican – Two and a half years, and the expenditure of millions and millions of dollars (nobody knows the real total) on legal fees, staff and security to manage the trial, equipment to record all the testimony, and every other cost (including all the time spent by hundreds of journalists over three years to write about this trial month after month), to prove… what?… Becciu has maintained his innocence throughout the trial.

We Must Fight as Hard as Our Enemies, Who Won’t Repent Until They are Beaten, by John Zmirak

By John Zmirak, The Stream – Let’s not fool ourselves. We conservative Christians are fighting for our lives and our freedom in self-defense against richer, more powerful enemies with vastly more institutional resources than we have. What we do have is scruples, which they don’t. In the short term, that’s our handicap… Nor are we nearly as hungry as those who hate us. We seek our Utopia in the next life, not this one, so we don’t crave power as they do.

Texas Supreme Court Explains Why It Protected a Disabled Baby From an Abortion, by Steven Ertelt

By Steven Ertelt, LifeNews – You’ve read Texas Right to Life’s sad outcome of the case of the unborn baby with Trisomy 18: “The pro-abortion group the Center for Reproductive Rights reported Monday that a Dallas woman left Texas to abort her preborn daughter, who is at the center of a legal battle on the state’s Pro-Life laws.”

Priest Fatally Stabbed in Nebraska Church Rectory, by Church Militant

By Church Militant – A Catholic priest was fatally stabbed early Sunday in a church rectory in Fort Calhoun, Nebraska… The Washington County Sheriff’s Office reported an arrest in the case… Deputies responded to a 911 call around 5:05 a.m. about an attempted break-in at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church. They found Fr. Stephen Gutgsell with stab wounds and a suspect, identified as Kierre Williams of Sioux City, Iowa, inside.

‘The Only Truth on Earth’, by Robert Royal

By Robert Royal, The Catholic Thing – Since Last Friday, we’ve had a remarkable string of feasts: the Immaculate Conception, St. Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin, Pope St. Damasus I (who reshaped the Western Church by asking St. Jerome to translate the Bible into Latin and by turning the liturgical language to Latin from Greek), St. Lucy (today), St. John of the Cross (tomorrow, one of the greatest mystics the world has ever seen). But above all, yesterday, Our Lady of Guadalupe. Guadalupe, of course, has great significance for us in the Americas; not least because it had the unprecedented effect of converting, with astounding speed, virtually a whole continent.

The Battle for Counseling Freedom for All: A Small Victory and a Huge Setback For Those With Gender Dysphoria, by Jennifer Roback Morse

By Jennifer Roback Morse, EWTN News – The worldwide battle for counseling freedom for all will have far-reaching consequences for freedom of speech, religion, and association. The ostensible issue at stake is banning “conversion therapy,” which is claimed to be “harmful’ and “ineffective” and even the equivalent of “torture.”… But the ultimate issue at stake is whether sexual revolutionary activists can limit speech inside a counselor’s office, personal prayer and the ability of individual clients to associate with counselors who will assist them in achieving their own therapeutic goals.

Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Eucharist, by Dawn Beutner

By Dawn Beutner, Catholic World Report – God has already given us something far more powerful than a Marian apparition. By His grace, we have divine Revelation. God Himself has come among us to set us free from slavery to sin and death, and the story of His love is not just five hundred or two thousand years old; His steadfast love endures forever (see Ps 136), and His mercies are new every morning (Lam 3:23). His love for us is deeper than the love of our own mothers, it is more powerful than the sun, the moon, and the stars, and, believe it or not, it is as close to us as the nearest Catholic church.

Forgive Them, Father, by Mary Cuff

By Mary Cuff, Crisis Magazine – I have started thinking of Christian forgiveness as a process rather than as a moment. I am trying to keep forgiving, knowing full well that I will probably have to try to forgive again and again. Perhaps those moments when I discover myself continuing to stew over the offense are nudges by someone’s beleaguered guardian angel who has not yet given up on the soul entrusted to his charge. Well, now, do you forgive him? I hope my guardian angel works as hard for me.

Saint of the Day for December 13: Saint Lucy (283 – 304)

By Franciscan Media – .. The single fact survives that a disappointed suitor accused Lucy of being a Christian, and she was executed in Syracuse, Sicily, in the year 304. But it is also true that her name is mentioned in the First Eucharistic Prayer, geographical places are named after her, a popular song has her name as its title, and down through the centuries many thousands of little girls have been proud of the name Lucy.

The REAL Miracle of Our Lady of Guadalupe, by Phil Lawler

By Phil Lawler, Catholic Culture – The roses that spilled out of the tilma of St. Juan Diego, the image that was inexplicably left behind— these are only the first signs of a greater miracle: a miracle of evangelization. Within 10 years after Our Lady’s appearance there were an estimated 9 million Christians in Mexico, a land that had previously resisted the efforts of Franciscan missionaries.

Dr. Fauci Says Practicing Catholicism Is a ‘Thing That I Don’t Really Need to Do’, by Olivia Rondeau

By Olivia Rondeau, Breitbart – “You don’t practice [Catholicism] anymore?” Katty Kay asked him… “No,” Fauci replied. The BBC hostess asked why… “A number of complicated reasons. First of all, I think my own personal ethics on life are I think enough to keep me going on the right path. And I think there are enough negative aspects about the organizational Church..” … “I’m not against it,” he noted. “I identify myself as a Catholic. I was raised, I was baptized, I was confirmed, I was married in the Church. My children were baptized in the Church… But as far as practicing it, it seems almost like a pro forma thing that I don’t really need to do.”

DINKs and Their Gospel of Hedonism, by Emmy Griffin

By Emmy Griffin, Patriot Post – “DINK” (Dual Income, No Kids) is an acronym that describes young couples, generally married, who have made the choice to not have children. They do so for many reasons, such as they want to diminish their environmental footprint or they don’t want to be like their parents and therefore won’t be parents at all. The most common reason, however, is the notion that being a DINK gives them freedom and autonomy that families with children don’t have. They can do what they want whenever they want ….

First Things has Powerful End of Year Message! “A Voice of Sanity” by R. R. Reno

By R. R. Reno, Editor, First Things – But mark this truth: One cannot be too “extreme,” too committed, in one’s love of God. Polarization dramatizes the stakes, not just in political affairs, but in our souls. A growing cohort wants to discern the will of God—and obey it. First Things has no interest in moderating that desire. Our vocation is to encourage, guide, and refine the desire for transcendence.

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: God Carries Us in His Bosom

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Matthew 18:12-14 – What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

Fr. Dwight Longenecker: Meet Peter Sonski — The Unknown Christian Candidate

By Dwight Longenecker, The Stream – As a Catholic Christian, Peter Sonski was aware that his church had a strong tradition of social teaching. That social teaching reflected the values of the gospel onto the contemporary needs of society. The compendium of Catholic social teaching is rooted in the essential God-given value of the family and a concern for both the dignity of the individual and the common good.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church: “Before Christ’s Second Coming”

Catechism of the Catholic Church – The Church will enter the glory of the kingdom only through this final Passover, when she will follow her Lord in his death and Resurrection. The kingdom will be fulfilled, then, not by a historic triumph of the Church through a progressive ascendancy, but only by God’s victory over the final unleashing of evil, which will cause his bride to come down from heaven. God’s triumph over the revolt of evil will take the form of a the Last Judgment after the final cosmic upheaval of this passing world.

What Attracts Homosexuals to the Priesthood? by Francis Magister

By Francis Magister, Crisis Magazine – About a month ago, in Crisis, Kevin Wells suggested that one cause for Bishop Strickland’s dismissal was the ire of other bishops at his raising the issue of homosexuality in the priesthood at the USCCB conference in 2018. Regardless of whether that was a cause for his dismissal, the issue—for some it is not a problem—of homosexuals in the priesthood is divisive… Assuming, as I do, that there is an influential number of homosexuals, or those sympathetic to homosexuality, in the priesthood, I want to ask not so much how this has come to be but, more importantly, why it continues to be so. In other words, why would a young homosexual man today choose the priesthood?

He is Coming, by Randall Smith

By Randall Smith, The Catholic Thing – During Advent, we are preparing for Christmas, but the readings are mostly about the Second Coming of Christ… Some scholars say there is ambiguity in the Scriptures about the Second Coming.  They claim that when St. Paul says that “we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord” in 1 Thessalonians 4:15, he believed he would not die before Christ’s return.  In 2 Corinthians 5, he suggests that he will not live till the Second Coming, but after His death, He will be with Christ in glory.  In either case, Paul says that “the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.”

WATCH! Archbishop Sample: Know What You Believe

By Archbishop Alexander K. Sample, YouTube – Proclaiming the Good News that Jesus IS the peace, joy, love, truth, and eternal life for which you’ve been looking. Jesus doesn’t just change some things – Jesus Changes Everything. Please join me for an exploration of what we believe as Catholics. Let’s learn our Holy Faith together! …

Fr. Joseph Fessio, S.J.: The Mass of Vatican II

By Father Joseph Fessio, S.J., Catholic World Report – What Sacrosanctum Concilium, The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy—issued 60 years ago this week—said (and didn’t say), and the central intent of the Second Vatican Council concerning the liturgy…. Editor’s note: This essay appeared originally in the September/October 2000 issue of Catholic Dossier and is based on a lecture given by Father Fessio in May, 1999. It is reposted to mark the sixtieth anniversary of the issuing of Sacrosanctum Concilium (Dec. 4, 1963), the Second Vatican Council’s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy.

Woman Who Wants to Have Her Disabled Baby Aborted Leaves State After Texas Protects the Baby, by Steven Ertelt

By Steven Ertelt, LifeNews – After the Texas Supreme Court temporarily blocked a lower court’s ruling and is protecting a disabled baby with Trisomy 18 from abortion, the mother of the baby is now heading to another state to have the baby killed… The case has 31-year-old Kate Cox suing the state’s abortion ban to allow her a medically unnecessary abortion just because she doesn’t want to give birth to a child with disabilities or who could die soon after birth.

Archives: They Intend to Destroy America (Using the “Cloward–Piven Strategy”), by Jeff M. Lewis

By Jeff M. Lewis, American Thinker – Richard Andrew Cloward and Francis Fox Piven were the authors of the Cloward-Piven strategy… “Overload the American public welfare system and create a crisis that will bankrupt the nation, leaving no choice but to adopt a socialist/communist system of government.”… In addition: “The ultimate objective of this strategy is to wipe out poverty by establishing a guaranteed annual income.”

Saint of the Day for December 12: Our Lady of Guadalupe

By Franciscan Media – A poor Indian named Cuauhtlatohuac was baptized and given the name Juan Diego. He was a 57-year-old widower, and lived in a small village near Mexico City. On Saturday morning December 9, 1531, he was on his way to a nearby barrio to attend Mass in honor of Our Lady… Juan was walking by a hill called Tepeyac when he heard beautiful music like the warbling of birds. A radiant cloud appeared, and within it stood an Indian maiden dressed like an Aztec princess. The lady spoke to him in his own language and sent him to the bishop of Mexico, a Franciscan named Juan de Zumarraga. The bishop was to build a chapel in the place where the lady appeared.

Msgr. Charles Pope: The Fire Next Time – A Homily for the Second Sunday of Advent

By Msgr. Charles Pope – The second reading for Sunday Mass speaks to us of “the fire next time” and reminds us of the need to be ready for the coming of the Lord. In this homily I will focus on that reading, in which St. Peter reminds us of the passing that will come for us all one day… Because Advent is a time to prepare, through prayer and repentance, we do well to heed this sacred teaching and warning. ….

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: Your God Will Come and Save You

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Luke 5:17-26 – On one of those days, as he was teaching, there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was with him to heal. And behold, men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they sought to bring him in and lay him before Jesus; …..

Deacon Mike Manno: The FBI And The Catholic Investigation

By Deacon Mike Manno, The Wanderer – Last week, the House Judiciary Committee released its interim report on the FBI investigation into “radical-traditionalist Catholics” for being possible domestic terrorists. When a copy of the FBI memo, which outlined the agency’s concerns about certain “right wing” Catholics, was leaked to the press last February the public and political reaction was a fiery backlash against the FBI.

How Detachment from the “Real” Has Impacted the Church, by Julian Kwasniewski

By Julian Kwasniewski, Crisis Magazine – Yes, there is a time to see the admixture of truth in error. And there is a time to return to the sources of truth—not the only sources of truth, but indispensable ones—a time, as I say, to pause in the dawn, fry your fish, straighten your stiff back, kiss your woman’s cheek, and stop your toddler from running into the road. And there is a time to accuse roundly of humbug anyone who tries to teach about or rule over men, women, the world, the Church, or anything else without taking such things into account.

Fathers, Bless Your Wives & Children, by Bryan Gonzalez

By Bryan Gonzalez, The Catholic Gentleman – Children learn about their heavenly Father from their earthly fathers. Fathers should be the head of the family, strong leaders, faithful to their wives, and have a guiding hand in disciplining their children. In the probing words of St. Paul: “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Eph 6:4) and elsewhere “Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged” (Col 3:21). As fathers, let’s help our children be God-fearing and pious children, blessing them, not cursing them.

Archbishop Aguer: Pope Francis Targets Good Bishops Because He Is ‘Uncomfortable With Tradition’

By Archbishop Héctor Agüer, LifeSite News – Rome does not tolerate criticism; it sees its critics as enemies, and the Peronist principle of “no justice for the enemy” is applied against them. This is how (Bishop) Joseph Strickland was removed from his Diocese of Tyler, Texas… We must keep in mind what the Apostle Paul refers to in his Letter to the Galatians. After his conversion, he went to Jerusalem to see Peter (Gal. 2:1). But later, in Antioch, he had to confront Peter face to face (Gal. 2:11-21), reproaching him for his hypocrisy in his dealings with converted pagans.

The O Antiphons: “O Leader of the House of Israel”, by Derek Rotty

By Derek Rotty, Catholic Exchange – “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” is a beautiful hymn that we hear frequently throughout Advent. It has seven verses, each of which come from one of the O Antiphons. These are seven antiphonal prayers specifically used during the Church’s evening prayer from December 17 to 23, leading up to the Nativity of Our Lord. The O Antiphons look back through the history of salvation presented in Sacred Scripture, and they cry out for the long-expected Messiah who is the culmination of that history. Praying with these titles and antiphons has the potential to make Advent deeply memorable. ….

Advent, More Than Ever, by Matt Hadro

By Matt Hadro, The Catholic Thing – It’s no secret that Advent is perhaps the most overlooked liturgical season. Catholics can all admit, to varying degrees, to just being especially busy right now amid any number of mundane tasks. And I’ve noticed an additional trend among well-meaning Catholics that goes something like this: “Given the wretched state of affairs today, we need some Christmas cheer now. So yes, we’re cheating and breaking out the Christmas decor in our house, even though Advent has barely begun, because we’re just so tired and down.”

Preparing Him Room: How Sister Wilhelmina’s Benedictines Prepare for Christmas

By Lindsey Weishar, EWTN News – As the sisters enter in to Advent, theirs is a preparation made in simplicity and silence. They leave off decorating for Christmas or listening to Christmas music during this season. “Even the preparations take on something of a sober joy when it actually does come time to do so,” Mother Abbess Cecilia says. “We do not put up the Nativity scene, for example, until the feast of Our Lady’s Expectation, Dec. 18, in the midst of the ‘Great O Antiphons’ preceding Christmas.”

Sacramento to be the 33rd US Diocese to Declare Bankruptcy, by Brandon Downs

By Brandon Downs, CBS News – The Diocese of Sacramento will seek Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after more than 250 lawsuits claiming sexual abuse by clergy and other staff, Bishop Jaime Soto said on Saturday… Soto said the diocese intends to seek Chapter 11 protection by March 2024… “There are many victim-survivors awaiting compensation for the reprehensible sins committed against them,” Soto said in a statement to his parishioners. …

Advent Memories of Ireland on Retreat, by Kevin Wells

By Kevin Wells, Crisis Magazine – It was the first night of a two-week vacation, where my uncle of fond memory would take us deep into the countryside and cottages of farming families who loved him. These were the days of unannounced visits, where after we’d pulled into a farm and my priest-uncle showed his face, women rushed into small kitchens to arrange for a tea and men were called in from the fields. We’d spend the next several hours in dens, parlors, and back porches overlooking wavy acres of farmland listening to tales of farm life and diaspora.

What Will Happen If We Stop Taking Ourselves for Granted? by Dr. Jeff Mirus

By Dr. Jeff Mirus, Catholic Culture – In a materialistic culture, the question of how anything ever came to exist seems irretrievably lost in the mists of time, and therefore of little practical interest. But this fundamental materialism also obscures a question that really ought to arise far more often that it does. Granted that we cannot go back in time to observe the origin of material life, another question ought still to prey on our minds: Why do we so often ignore or shy away from the nature of our own existence, not just as material beings, but as persons?

Cardinal Gerhard Müller Exposes a Crisis in Church Teaching, by E. Christian Brugger, Fr. Peter Ryan, SJ

By E. Christian Brugger, Fr. Peter Ryan, SJ Analysis, Catholic World Report – On October 13, Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller, former prefect of the DDF (called CDF at the time—Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith) published an open letter to his friend Cardinal Duka criticizing Fernández’s Risposta to the ten dubia. Müller’s reply is sobering and cogent, although not easy reading, and perhaps for that reason it has not garnered much attention. Yet a former prefect’s careful explanation of why he thinks the present prefect is requiring “of the faithful a submission of mind and will to truths contrary to Catholic doctrine” surely deserves our attention.

Saint of the Day for December 11: St. Damasus I (304 – Dec. 11, 384)

By Franciscan Media – Saint Damasus I’s Story – To his secretary Saint Jerome, Damasus was “an incomparable person, learned in the Scriptures, a virgin doctor of the virgin Church, who loved chastity and heard its praises with pleasure.” Damasus seldom heard such unrestrained praise. Internal political struggles, doctrinal heresies, uneasy relations with his fellow bishops and those of the Eastern Church marred the peace of his pontificate.

U.N. Climate Scientists Want Your Government To Answer To Them Instead Of You, by Evita Duffy-Alfonso

By Evita Duffy-Alfonso, The Federalist – During the U.N.’s 2014 climate conference in Paris, U.N. Climate Chief Christina Figueres admitted that the conference aims “to change the economic development model that has been reigning for at least 150 years, since the Industrial Revolution.” But industrialization not only saves lives from climate-related disasters, it lifts people out of poverty and raises the standard of living. …

SHOCKING! WATCH: Cardinal Gregory Says Tradition Dies a Slow, Bloody Death

By Diane Montagna, YouTube, Complicit Clergy – During the Q&A portion after a speech given by Cardinal Wilton Gregory at Catholic University (CUA) of America on December 6, 2023, a student asks the Cardinal why CUA students don’t have access to the Traditional Latin Mass on campus. Watch Cardinal Gregory’s finger-wagging response in this video… The full speech can be viewed here. Hat tip to Diane Montagna.

Ready to Celebrate Christmas? Listen to These Advent Carols First, by Aubrey Gulick

By Aubrey Gulick, American Spectator – There’s a perennial debate that arises at the end of every year when December and the beginning of Advent roll around. It’s one that leaves all of the people who have started humming carols under their breath feeling a little guilty. When is too early to start playing Joy to the World, and is streaming The Manhattan Transfer’s The Christmas Album on Dec. 1 a bit premature? (READ MORE: National Cathedral Slammed for Charging Fees for Christmas Liturgies)

Daily Scripture Readings and Meditation: The Kingdom of Heaven Is at Hand

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Matthew 9:35-10:1,6-8 – And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every infirmity. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few …..

Why We Return to Augustine, by Michael R. Gonzalez

By Michael R. Gonzalez, The Catholic Thing – Perhaps surprisingly, many of the “nones” in my classroom are trying to decide whether it’s religion or technology that’s really the opiate of the masses. They find it refreshing that Augustine challenges them to face the deep longings in their soul rather than feed the delusion that says the life of distraction is a good life.

Bishop Strickland Can Say Mass in Tyler, Though He Says He Was Advised to Leave, by Matthew McDonald

By Matthew McDonald, EWTN News – Bishop Joseph Strickland has been advised to leave his former Diocese of Tyler, Texas, but has not been told he can’t say Mass publicly there, he told the Register… “I have received no such instruction,” Bishop Strickland said by text Thursday night, responding to a report that he has been barred from saying Mass in the diocese… Bishop Strickland, who is on retreat, referred further questions to Bishop Vasquez, saying, “He’s the one in charge.”

Tucker Carlson is Right: America Is An Empire in Free Fall

By Frank Wright, LifeSiteNews – As Tucker Carlson says, “It’s such a humiliating way to end the American Empire.”… Carlson and Massie’s appraisal of the state of U.S. power shows the diabolical consequences of its exercise without responsibility. Their revolutionary act is to tell the truth in a time of near-universal deceit… Carlson is correct to fear a loss of Empire along with a loss of face for the U.S.

The Tradition of the Blessing of the Bambinelli

The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception – The Origin of the Tradition… A beloved annual tradition at the Basilica in preparation for Christmas, the Blessing of the Bambinelli was first instituted by St. John Paul II. On the Third Sunday of Advent, the children of Rome are encouraged to bring the baby Jesus (Bambinelli) from each of their Nativity sets to St. Peter’s Square. Following the Sunday Angelus address, the Pope blesses the figurines.

Our Ticking Ethnic Time Bomb, by Star Parker

By Star Parker, Patriot Post – In 2022, the percentage of the U.S., per the report, that was non-Hispanic white was 59%. In 1980, the U.S. population was 80% white… The report projects the percentage of the nation that is white continuing to shrink, dropping to 45% by 2060, 37 years from now… Aside from concluding that, over time, the American population will be increasingly culturally diverse and colorful, there are profound political implications to this ongoing ethnic shift.

FRANCIS KNOWS BEST: How Blessing Gay Unions is a Done Deal

By Michael J. Matt, Editor, The Remnant Newspaper – By Michael J. Matt, Editor, The Remnant Newspaper – Michael Matt takes a look at the ramifications of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s conclusion that the FBI views pro-life, pro-family traditional Catholics as “possible domestic terrorists.”… Here’s the bigger problem: Pope Francis is carrying water for the FBI. How so? Watch and see… Plus, to bless gay unions or not to bless gay unions. …

Saint of the Day for December 9: St. Juan Diego

By Franciscan Media – First called Cuauhtlatohuac (“The eagle who speaks”), Juan Diego’s name is forever linked with Our Lady of Guadalupe because it was to him that she first appeared at Tepeyac hill on December 9, 1531. The most famous part of his story is told in connection with the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12. After the roses gathered in his tilma were transformed into the miraculous image of Our Lady, however, little more is said about Juan Diego.

A Culture That Needs the Immaculate Conception, by Thomas Griffin

By Thomas Griffin, Crisis Magazine – A correct understanding of the power of the Immaculate Conception can immensely aid Catholics in navigating our tumultuous times. This tremendous solemnity and holy day of obligation can particularly aid us in responding to the moral issues of our time that deal with sexual morality… There is no secret about the culture’s dismay over the Catholic Church’s teachings on morality in general and sexual ethics in particular. For decades, many have heard the cry that the Church should stay out of people’s bedrooms. However …..

Abundance — A Slippery Slope, by Ron Helle

By Ron Helle, Patriot Post – Abundance is a two-edged sword. Scripture and history show us abundance has the potential to bring about our downfall. Too many Americans forget the “God shed His grace on thee” part of the song. The German philosopher Georg Hegel famously said, “The only thing we learn from history is that we learn nothing from history.” Moses cautioned the children of Israel before they entered the Promised Land to be cautious of the abundance that would come.

The Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: Do You Believe?

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Matthew 9:27-31 – And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, “Have mercy on us, Son of David.” When he entered the house, the blind men came to him; and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.” ….

Victims Suffer While Predators Thrive, by Gene Thomas Gomulka

By Gene Thomas Gomulka, Complicit Clergy – A recent public event held in the NY Archdiocese was attended by accused sexual predator Fr. Thomas Devery, a former Director of Priest Personnel who resigned as pastor of a prestigious Staten Island parish and school after facing grave sex abuse allegations in multiple lawsuits… Cdl. Timothy Dolan failed to inform parishioners and school parents about abuse allegations against Devery and rewarded him with very comfortable accommodations after the allegations came to light …. While victims of sexual abuse are left with life-long scars and sometimes commit suicide as a result of the trauma

How Were the Universities Lost? by Victor Davis Hanson

By Victor Davis Hanson, American Greatness – Americans knew previously they were intolerant, leftwing, and increasingly non-meritocratic… But immediately after October 7—and even before the response of the Israeli Defense Forces—the sheer student delight on news of the mass murdering of Israeli victims seemed akin more to 1930s Germany than contemporary America. …

The Wonderful Apparition of the Holy Virgin Mary at Guadalupe (1531) by Robert Lazu Kmita

By Robert Lazu Kmita, Remnant Columnist, Romania – In spite of the missionary zeal of the first Franciscan monks who arrived in Mexico at the beginning of the 16th century of the Christian era, few were those who converted to Christianity. The bloodthirsty Aztec gods, dominated by the legendary “feathered serpent,” Quetzalcoatl, were unwilling to lose their influence over the peoples who offered them approximately twenty thousand (20,000!) victims annually. After Captain Hernando Cortés was forced to leave the province, Bishop Juan de Zumárraga sadly witnessed the deterioration of the situation in the new territories.

FBI Director Grilled After Release of New Report on Targeting of Catholics, by Tyler Arnold, Joe Bukuras

By Tyler Arnold, Joe Bukuras, CNA – The hearing followed the unveiling of the House Judiciary Committee’s report detailing the results of a monthslong investigation into a leaked internal FBI memo that discussed investigating Catholics as potential domestic terrorists… Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., engaged in a tense exchange with FBI Director Christopher Wray on Tuesday after the release of the report that found the agency’s investigation into traditional Catholics may be more expansive than FBI officials have claimed.

Texas Judge Authorizes Killing Disabled Unborn Baby in Medically Unnecessary Abortion, by Kim Schwartz 

By Kim Schwartz, LifeNews – A Texas judge deemed Thursday that a Houston doctor can ignore clear medical standards in state law to abort an unborn child… The Center for Reproductive Rights brought a lawsuit Tuesday on behalf of Dr. Damla Karsan and Kate Cox, a Dallas woman who is 20 weeks pregnant. Baby Cox has Trisomy 18, a chromosomal disorder that could shorten his or her life. …

The Second Sunday of Advent: “One Mightier than I Is Coming after Me”, by Gayle Somers

By Gayle Somers, Catholic Exchange – At the beginning of St. Mark’s Gospel, he announces that Isaiah’s centuries-old prophecy of one who will prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah (spliced together here with Ex. 23:20 and Mal 3:1) has finally been fulfilled.  John the Baptist was the “messenger” God sent to prepare His people for this great event.  Why would the Messiah need someone to “prepare the way of the LORD”?  Why couldn’t He just come and get the work of salvation under way?

The Jesuit Roots of Nicaragua’s War on the Church, by Robert W. Shaffern

By Robert W. Shaffern, The Catholic Thing – To their eternal shame, prominent figures in the Nicaraguan Catholic Church contributed in no small measure to (Sandinista President Daniel Ortega’s) catastrophe, the seeds of which have been germinating since the conclusion in 1979 of the bloody and brutal civil war that had plagued that country for a decade. In that year, the Bolshevik Sandinistas drove the last of the Somoza dynasty of dictators from the country. Many Catholic clergy supported the Sandinistas, especially members of the Jesuit order. …

Saint of the Day for December 8: Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

By Franciscan Media – The Story of the Immaculate Conception of Mary – A feast called the Conception of Mary arose in the Eastern Church in the seventh century. It came to the West in the eighth century. In the 11th century it received its present name, the Immaculate Conception. In the 18th century it became a feast of the universal Church. It is now recognized as a solemnity.

Fr. Dwight Longenecker: Why Catholic Worship Appeals to Men

By Fr. Dwight Longenecker, The Catholic Gentleman – In Catholic worship, a man is more likely to experience the emotions of loyalty and nobility that come with a commitment to a set and objective form of worship. Within traditional Catholic worship, a man is more likely to experience strong emotions of love and admiration for a religion that has withstood the tests of time and persecution. With the high expectations of Catholic liturgy, orthodoxy, and morality, a man is more likely to feel the emotions of solidarity with his brothers and determination to persevere in the face of hardship.

In With the New, by Michael Pakaluk

By Michael Pakaluk, The Catholic Thing – Newness is crucial to Christianity, but what makes something truly “new”? What even does this word mean?… First, that it is crucial: “Behold, I am making all things new.” (Revelation 21:5) It is said by the One Who Was Seated on the Throne. Yes, the words are best rendered with the progressive present. Yes, they seem to have something to do with Creation.

Fr. Shenan J. Boquet: Two Bishops Raise Concerns About Vatican Synod

By Fr. Shenan J. Boquet, Human Life International – Like many Catholic leaders, I have been paying close attention to the ongoing Synod on Synodality at the Vatican… And like many Catholic leaders, I have done so with considerable and growing trepidation… Thus, it was with interest that I recently read statements by two bishops who participated in the recent meetings—Bishop Robert Barron and Archbishop Anthony Fisher—in which the bishops both thoughtfully expressed a number of overlapping concerns about how the Synod is unfolding.

The Child We Wait For, by Francis X. Maier

By Francis X. Maier, The Catholic Thing – What Poland experienced in the years 1939-89 was the crucifixion of an entire nation. It was carried out by two poisonous systems that differed mainly in the social theories they used to justify their inhumanity… In the case of Karol Wojtyla, the hardships he endured in his own life, and the suffering he saw in so many others, served as a kind of acid bath. It dissolved everything non-essential in his character; everything except a hard core of courage and clarity of thought that allowed him to believe in man because he believed in and trusted God ….

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: Who Shall Enter the Kingdom of Heaven?

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Matthew 7:21,24-27 – “Not every one who says to me, `Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. “Every one then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock; and the rain fell, and the floods came …..

The FBI Still Thinks Pro-Life Catholics are Domestic Terrorists, by Tim Graham

By Tim Graham, LifeNews – After 9/11, leftist journalists passionately exposed the New York City Police Department doing surveillance of mosques to try to prevent violent Muslim extremism. By contrast, they largely yawned when it was leaked in February that the FBI’s office in Richmond, Virginia, discussed surveilling local Catholic churches to root out potential violent extremism from the “radical Catholics.”

State Of Texas Joins The Federalist, Daily Wire In Suing The Federal Censorship-Industrial Complex, by Joy Pullmann

By Joy Pullmann, Executive Editor, The Federalist – The U.S. State Department is violating the U.S. Constitution by funding technology to silence Americans who question government claims, says a lawsuit filed Tuesday by The Federalist, The Daily Wire, and the state of Texas… The three are suing to stop “one of the most audacious, manipulative, secretive, and gravest abuses of power and infringements of First Amendment rights by the federal government in American history,” says the lawsuit. It exposes federal censorship activities even beyond the dramatic discoveries in a pending U.S. Supreme Court case …..

Mysterious Creatures of the Bible: Job’s Leviathan and the Interpretation of Saint Thomas Aquinas

By Robert Lazu Kmita, Remnant Columnist, The Remnant – Was it a gigantic crocodile? Or perhaps a whale? But what if it was a dragon? Or, who knows, maybe a gigantic sea serpent? As you probably anticipated, all these questions with uncertain answers refer to another rare creature described in the pages of the Bible: Leviathan… In comparison to other strange beings in the Holy Scripture, this one enjoys a unique privilege. It is extensively described in an entire chapter – 41 – of the Book of Job.

Saint of the Day for December 7: St. Ambrose

Franciscan Media – One of Ambrose’s biographers observed that at the Last Judgment, people would still be divided between those who admired Ambrose and those who heartily disliked him. He emerges as the man of action who cut a furrow through the lives of his contemporaries. Even royal personages were numbered among those who were to suffer crushing divine punishments for standing in Ambrose’s way.

Is Traditionalism an Essence or a Reaction? by Rob Marco

By Rob Marco, Crisis Magazine – From the New York Post to National Geographic, many in the secular world are noticing a similar trend toward traditionalism, with stories starting to surface in popular media about a “new generation of Catholics,” and “devout young Catholics embracing the old ways.” Meanwhile, the old folks over at the National Catholic Reporter are grumbling about the Latin Mass becoming a “cult of toxic tradition.”

Pope Francis to COP28: Climate Has ‘Run Amok,’ Planet ‘Overheating’, by Dr. Thomas Williams

By Dr. Thomas Williams, Breitbart – Pope Francis sent a message Saturday to the COP28 UN climate summit decrying the “unbridled exploitation” of the environment by first world nations… Climate change “greatly endangers all human beings,” the pontiff said in his sternly worded address, and “time is short” to react to the current ecological crisis… “It has now become clear that the climate change presently taking place stems from the overheating of the planet… caused chiefly by the increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere due to human activity, which in recent decades has proved unsustainable for the ecosystem.”

Msgr. Charles Pope: How David Killed Goliath: An Amazing Demonstration of the Sling Shot

By Msgr. Charles Pope – When we read the story of David and Goliath, many of us have rather vague notions of how he used a slingshot to kill Goliath. When I was a kid I had a crude slingshot, a toy really, that didn’t do justice to the actual weapon, which can be very lethal!.. The video below show an expert use of a sling shot and goes a long to showing how David might have so easily taken down Goliath by expert use of a slingshot.

This Advent, Don’t Forget That Satan Hates You, by Jared Noyes

By Jared Noyes, Crisis Magazine – This Advent, don’t forget that Satan hates you; but more importantly, don’t forget that God loves you—so much so, in fact, that He desired to become like you: flesh and bone, born of a woman, hungry, thirsty, tired, and tempted by the enemy. This is your God. This is the depth of His love for you. This is why Satan hates you.

Advent Thoughts About Gaza and Israel, From a Muslim Who Became Catholic, by Zubair Simonson

By Zubair Simonson, EWTN News – I was about 5 years old when I saw the image of an Israeli soldier on the news on television. He was firing a tear-gas canister during the First Intifada (1987-93). It was then explained to me that the Israeli soldiers had tanks and guns with which to fight, whereas all that the Palestinians could do in exchange was to hurl rocks at them. It seemed so unfair. ….

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: This Is the Lord – We Have Waited for Him

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Matthew 15:29-37 – And Jesus went on from there and passed along the Sea of Galilee. And he went up on the mountain, and sat down there. And great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the maimed, the blind, the dumb, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them, so that the throng wondered, when they saw the dumb speaking, the maimed whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; …..

Anglican Complicity in the Sexual Revolution, by Jay Thomas

By Jay Thomas, First Things – Ecclesiastical repentance is scary because it requires admitting that the church, the visible source of authority and truth we look to in this world, has failed. Dying to one’s self, repenting, and seeking forgiveness are the normative patterns of the Christian life, but we often shun this pattern as a church body because of its implications—because of our fear.

The Brew: Taylor Who? 78-Year-Old Brenda Lee Tops the Pop Charts With Christmas Classic She Recorded at Age 13, by Al Perrotta

By Al Perrotta, The Stream – 79-Year-Old Brenda Lee Tops Billboard Hot 100 With “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”?! … Score another one for the grey hairs! A full 65 years after its release and a week before her 79th birthday, Brenda Lee and her classic “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” top the Billboard Hot 100. This makes Brenda Lee the oldest person to ever hit #1. Adding to the “wow” factor, Lee was only 13 years old when she recorded the song.

U.S. Suicides Reached Record High Last Year, by Kayla Bartsch

By Kayla Bartsch, National Review – The National Center for Health Statistics recorded nearly 50,000 suicides last year, up 2.6 percent increase from the prior year… The increase in suicides was largely driven by older Americans taking their own lives. Suicide rates for young people returned to pre-pandemic levels in 2022 after soaring in 2021 amid the social isolation and financial stress caused by the pandemic and resulting lockdowns. Suicide rates for children aged 10-14 declined by 18 percent in 2022, and rates for young people aged 15-24 declined by 9 percent.

A Grocery Chain Brings Back Human Social Interaction, by John Horvat II

By John Horvat II, The American TFP – Shoppers have long been told of the advantages of self-checkout. It is supposed to help them avoid lines and make purchasing faster and more convenient. For decades, retailers have installed scanning machines everywhere to get everyone on board with automation… Now, retailers are feeling the backlash of consumers who have had enough of serving themselves. They want human social interaction back.

Interview: Does the Synod Concluding Document Contains a ‘Blueprint’ for a New Church? by Michael Haynes

By Michael Haynes, American TFP – LifeSite: In the opening lines of the book you co-authored with Mr. José Antonio Ureta, you mentioned how the Synod on Synodality was part of “a plan is afoot to reform Holy Mother Church which, carried to its final consequences, could subvert her very foundations.”… Mr. Julio Loredo: The crisis within the Church is by no means recent, nor is it just a consequence of Vatican Council II. Its roots stretch further back. In the theological field, we can trace its proximate origins from Liberal Catholicism, through Modernism and Nouvelle Théologie, down to the current errors.

House Report: FBI Continues to Consider Issuing a Warning About ‘Radical Traditionalist Catholics’, by Emily Mangiaracina

By Emily Mangiaracina, LifeSiteNews – A House Weaponization Committee report published Monday reveals that FBI employees are still discussing how to disseminate a bureau-wide memo identifying so-called “Radical Traditionalist Catholic Ideology” as a magnet for “violent extremists.”… The House Judiciary Committee yesterday shared the findings of its investigation in a bombshell memo issued by the FBI Richmond, Virginia Field Office earlier this year that targeted Catholics who attend the TLM for surveillance …..

Reclaiming Our Holy Days: Putting Christ Back in Christmas, by Michael J. Matt

By Michael J. Matt, Editor, The Remnant – Returning to the discussion of reclaiming our Catholic Holy Days. In a previous article, we covered the Advent Season which has substantially disappeared since Vatican II, at least in how it is observed in most Catholic homes… Many Catholics today “deck their halls” well before Thanksgiving, which gives us some indication of how much has been lost.

65 Abortion Centers Have Closed Since Dobbs, Saving Thousands of Babies From Abortions, by Steven Ertelt

By Steven Ertelt, LifeNews – A new report from a pro-abortion group provides great news for protecting babies from abortion and supporting pregnant women. The report from the misnamed “Abortion Care Network” indicates dozens of abortion businesses have closed in the last two years… a total of 65 abortion businesses have closed down since the June 2022 Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v. Wade.

Saint of the Day for December 6: St. Nicholas

Franciscan Media – The absence of the “hard facts” of history is not necessarily an obstacle to the popularity of saints, as the devotion to Saint Nicholas shows. Both the Eastern and Western Churches honor him, and it is claimed that after the Blessed Virgin, he is the saint most pictured by Christian artists. ..

EXCLUSIVE: Cardinal Müller Says Mass Migration is Being Used to Destroy National Identities, by Andreas Wailzer, Maike Hickson

By Andreas Wailzer and Maike Hickson, LifeSiteNews – Cardinal Gerhard Müller has said that “self-appointed” globalists are using mass migration to destroy the national identity of countries… “Mass immigration is not about helping people but about destroying national identity,” Müller said. “They say that national identity is nationalism, which has caused all the wars, so they say they are against nationalism, but they are really against the nation.”

By Pretending Surrogacy Is A Right, Adults Deny The Rights Of Children, by Katie Breckenridge

By Katie Breckenridge, The Federalist – When children start to be commodified and viewed as objects to be disposed of in the quest to create families, society creates bills such as HBs 5207-5215, and children lose their natural, fundamental rights to life, to their mothers and fathers, and not to be bought and sold. Laws that trample on the natural rights of children under the guise of “equality” are not rights, but injustices promoting the inequality of the most vulnerable members of society.

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: Blessed Are the Eyes Which See What You See!

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Luke 10:21-24 – In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been delivered to me by my Father; ….

If G.K. Chesterton Were a Doctor Today, by James O. Breen, M.D.

By James O. Breen, M.D., Crisis Magazine – Recently, I came across an article in Becker’s Hospital Review celebrating the newest crop of “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion officers” in health systems across the country… The tenor of the article called to mind a quote from the joyful Catholic apologist and distributist G.K. Chesterton: “[No society can survive the socialist] fallacy that there is an absolutely unlimited number of inspired officials and an absolutely unlimited amount of money to pay them.”

A Catholic Definition of Womanhood From Edith Stein, Defender of Women, by Lorraine V. Murray

By Lorraine V. Murray, EWTN News – In their attempt to level the playing field between men and women, feminists made some big blunders. One was assuming that whatever work women traditionally did was inferior to men’s undertakings. Since men left the home to make a living, feminists concluded women must do the same. As the decades roll on, many women find themselves trying to do everything: take care of the home and family, plus be successful in the workplace. The stress of trying to juggle home and professional life continues to stalk women.

WATCH: Argentina’s New President Calls Pope Francis a Communist

By Tucker Carlson, YouTube – Tucker Carlson traveled to Buenos Aires to speak with Argentina’s now President-elect Javier Milei. Here is what Milei thinks about Pope Francis.

Why Does Pope Francis Target American Catholics? by John Horvat II

By John Horvat II, American TFP – Despite efforts to adjust to the theological rollercoaster of the Francis papacy, the American clergy finds itself the frequent target of his offensive remarks. A new study on priests and seminarians in America gives some insight into the reasons behind the attacks… The liberal Pope Francis has called upon Catholics to embrace controversial positions on moral, ecological and political issues often identified with the left. American Catholics have voiced concerns about many of these progressive positions.

Most Unkindest Cuts: A Review of ‘Journey to Bethlehem’, by Brad Miner

By Brad Miner, The Catholic Thing – Director Adam Anders has made Journey to Bethlehem, a singing-and-dancing version of the Infancy Narrative in Luke’s Gospel, that seems like a remake of Disney’s Aladdin, although less like the 1992 animated version, in which the genie was exuberantly voiced by Robin Williams, and more like the 2019 live-action version with Will Smith as a joyless jinni… Journey to Bethlehem is a wholly non-sectarian re-telling of events culminating in the Incarnation of Jesus Christ, and it includes some questionable interpolations about how that all went down.

German Bishop Says Divisions Within Local Church Are a ‘Disaster for the Faithful’, by Jonathan Liedl

By Jonathan Liedl, Catholic News Agency – A prominent German bishop and steadfast opponent of the controversial Synodal Way has leveled his harshest criticism yet of the state of the Catholic Church in his own country, describing the German episcopacy as deeply “divided”— and warned of potentially catastrophic consequences for Catholic believers… In the latest in a series of high-profile critiques of the German Synodal Way, Bishop Stefan Oster of the Diocese of Passau did not shy away from identifying profound theological disagreements as the source of division within the Catholic Church in Germany.

Fr. Jerry Pokorsky: God’s Supremacy: An Examination of Conscience

By Fr. Jerry Pokorsky, Catholic Culture – Revelation and Church teaching clarify God’s Commandments, which written on every heart (cf. Rom. 2:14-15). Our greatest life challenge is to recognize God’s supremacy as known through the Creed, Ten Commandments, and the sacraments… Pride tempts us to place ourselves above God’s law. Adam and Eve did not commit a sin of weakness when tempted by the Devil. They expected to “be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Gen. 3:5) Pride distorts human nature and wrecks families, communities, and nations.

Cardinal Zen: Reorient Your Lives This Advent! by John Mark Cayer

By John Mark Cayer, Crisis Magazine – The vehemence of the arguments against playing Christmas music before Christmas intrigues me. I don’t disagree with the arguments, but the sheer emotionalism that so often accompanies them makes me wonder. I’ve concluded that the passion that surrounds this issue reveals a certain fear. We know the importance of Advent, but are we afraid that if we don’t do it just right, we won’t be able to enter into it?

Planned Parenthood Gets $670 Million of Our Tax Dollars, But Joe Biden Wants to Defund Pregnancy Centers, by Mary Owens

By Mary Owens, LifeNews – States may no longer be able to utilize TANF dollars to fund pregnancy resource center services (PRCs) for mothers if a proposed HHS rule goes into effect. On Oct. 2, Secretary Xavier Becerra’s agency stealthily posted the rule change that will affect four states which use TANF funds for pregnancy resource centers: Missouri, Pennsylvania, Louisiana and Indiana… The Biden administration’s move goes against recent polling which underscores the popularity of pregnancy resource centers. A Creative Response Concepts poll found 74% are in favor of publicly funding these centers.

Saint of the Day for December 5: St. Sabas

Franciscan Media – Born in Cappadocia, Sabas is one of the most highly regarded patriarchs among the monks of Palestine, and is considered one of the founders of Eastern monasticism… After an unhappy childhood in which he was abused and ran away several times, Sabas finally sought refuge in a monastery. While family members tried to persuade him to return home, the young boy felt drawn to monastic life.

Msgr. Charles Pope: Watch! A Homily for the First Sunday of Advent

By Msgr. Charles Pope – The Sunday Gospel announces a critical Advent theme: While I want to comment primarily on the Reading from Isaiah, the Gospel admonition surely deserves some attention as well… Too many today hold the unbiblical idea that most if not all people are going to Heaven. For weeks now we have been reading parables in the Gospels in which the Lord Jesus warns that many (possibly even most) are not headed for Heaven. There are the wise and the foolish virgins, the industrious and the lazy servants, and the sheep and the goats. Today’s Gospel features those who keep watch and those who do not.

Fascination About Eucharistic Miracles Prompts ‘The New Manna’ Movie, by Sabrina Ferrisi

By Sabrina Ferrisi, EWTN News – It is not often that a Hollywood insider decides to switch gears and make a movie about the Eucharist… But that is exactly what is happening with director Angelo Libutti and his movie The New Manna, a documentary about Eucharistic miracles and the Real Presence of Christ within the Eucharist… Besides a team of Hollywood artists who are working on this movie, Libutti also has the mother of Blessed Carlo Acutis, Antonia Acutis, supporting and promoting his project.

A Colorado Pro-Life Clinic Fights for the Right to Offer Abortion Pill Reversal, by Frank DeVito

By Frank DeVito, First Things – From bakers to website designers, Colorado seems intent on persistently persecuting its religious believers. Bella Health and Wellness v. Weiser, the latest case at the forefront of the fight for life and faith in Colorado, may not be getting as much media attention as Masterpiece Cakeshop or 303 Creative, but it should… Bella Health and Wellness started as an OB-GYN practice founded by a mother and daughter, both practicing Catholics and nurse practitioners, who were inspired to open a pro-life, faith-based medical clinic.

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: Many Will Sit at Table in the Kingdom of God

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Matthew 8:5-11 – As he entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, beseeching him and saying, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, in terrible distress.” And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.” But the centurion answered him, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. …..

Why We Are—Or Are Not—So Often In the Wrong, by Dr. Jeff Mirus

By Dr. Jeff Mirus, Catholic Culture – Now it is clear that a similar sort of moral dilemma arises with respect to our responses to what we regard as errors and sins within the Church, and especially on the part of Church leaders. Many priests and bishops make statements and implement policies which serious Catholics regard as either imperfect or simply wrong. This can also be true of popes. The Church as a whole is always in serious need of reform and renewal, but even people who recognize the problems differ very widely on the solutions.

It’s Now Open Civil War in the Catholic Church, by John Gravino

By John Gravino, Patheos, (Complicit Clergy) – In his motu proprio, Pope Francis called for a “cultural revolution.” From the way he has taken to firing bishops and cardinals, it is clear that he is intent on a reign of terror. And the world has taken notice. My mother just called to say that the pope was on the front page of The Los Angeles Times. According to the bit she read, the story documents the shooting war that has erupted among the Church’s shepherds. Consider the following ….

Pope Asks Theologians to ‘Demasculinize’ the Church, by Claire Giangravè

By Claire Giangravè, Washington Post, Complicit Clergy – Speaking to members of the International Theological Commission at the Vatican on Thursday, Pope Francis asked theologians, in an unscripted remark, to “demasculinize” the church… “There is something I don’t like about you, if you excuse my honesty,” said Pope Francis, pointing out that only five women were among the more than 30 theologians. “We need to move forward on this. Women have a way of reflecting on theology that is different from us men,” he added.

Msgr. Robert J. Batule: The Wisdom of ‘Persona Humana’

By Msgr. Robert J. Batule, The Catholic Thing – In the last few days of 1975, Pope Paul VI approved for publication a document issued by the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Its title is Persona Humana, in English the “Declaration on Certain Questions Concerning Sexual Ethics.” It was two years after Roe and some forty years before Obergefell. It’s the kind of Church document that would not be published by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith today. The mood in Rome is far different now, and rather than oppose the Sexual Revolution, it looks like we are running full stride to embrace it.

Fr. Shenan J. Boquet: 2 Treaties Threaten to Mandate Abortion Internationally

By Fr. Shenan J. Boquet, Human Life International – Pro-life experts are raising the alarm about two major international treaties, which they say could be used to force the United States and many other nations to recognize abortion-on-demand as late as 40 weeks… The first of these documents is a proposed “pandemic treaty,” which is being championed by the stridently pro-abortion World Health Organization… The second problematic treaty is the EU-ACP Agreement (also known as the Samoa Agreement), which is a 20-year treaty between seventy-nine African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, and the European Union. …

Texas Sues Pfizer for ‘False’ and ‘Deceptive’ Marketing of COVID Vaccines, by John-Michael Dumais

By John-Michael Dumais, Children’s Health Defense – Texas AG Ken Paxton on Thursday sued Pfizer alleging the drugmaker misrepresented the effectiveness of its COVID-19 vaccine and attempted to censor public discussion of the product. Experts claim the suit may succeed in sidestepping the PREP (Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness) Act’s liability shield.
Texas AG Ken Paxton on Thursday sued Pfizer alleging the drugmaker made “false, misleading and deceptive claims” about its COVID-19 vaccine and tried to intimidate and censor critics ……

WATCH! Cancelling Cardinal Burke & the Collapse of Team Francis, by Michael J. Matt

By Michael J. Matt, Editor, The Remnant – In this week’s episode of The Remnant Underground: The sacking of Cardinal Burke sparks outrage from news networks all over the world… Jewish economist, Jeffrey Sacks, goes off on Dr. Fauci’s Covid lies, denounces the Democrat Party, and charges Israel with war crimes… Big trouble for Team Francis. Turns out, the pope’s Abu Dhabi dialogue partner is an enthusiastic supporter of … Hamas. Question: What is wrong with these guys, and how did they let this happen? …..

The Pope, the Bishops, and the Church’s Crisis of Trust, by Darrick Taylor

By Darrick Taylor, Crisis Magazine – But when her shepherds refuse to teach the “ancient and unchanging faith of the whole Church” and substitute for it the findings of social scientists, or when they refuse to protect victims of abuse and protect the abusers themselves, it is a violation of right reason to expect unquestioning trust from the People of God. You can call the critics of Pope Francis whatever you like, but you cannot shame them or bully them into trusting authorities who have thoroughly betrayed that trust and who appear so little interested in earning it back.

Saint of the Day for December 4: St. John Damascene

By Franciscan Media – John spent most of his life in the Monastery of Saint Sabas near Jerusalem, and all of his life under Muslim rule, indeed protected by it… He was born in Damascus, received a classical and theological education, and followed his father in a government position under the Arabs. After a few years, he resigned and went to the Monastery of Saint Sabas.

Homosexual Scandals and the “Smoke of Satan”: Understanding the Depth of the Present Crisis, by Luiz Sérgio Solimeo

By Luiz Sérgio Solimeo, Tradition, Family, Property – When man is facing a crisis, his common tendency is to seek an easy, effective and complete solution. Easy solutions often come to mind without trying to understand in depth the real characteristics of the crisis and its possible causes… Thus, instead of solving crises, such solutions only aggravate them by adding new problems that are sometimes more difficult to solve than the previous ones… Our Lord Jesus Christ allows Holy Church to go through crises sometimes so intense that “unless those days had been shortened, no flesh should be saved: but for the sake of the elect those days shall be shortened.” (Matt. 24:22).

First Sunday of Advent: Expectation, Exhortation, Eucharist, Eternal Life, by Carl E. Olson

By Carl E. Olson, Catholic World Report – “Advent” comes from the Latin word adventus, which in turn is a translation of the Greek word, parousia. Both words indicate a coming or arrival and a presence. Advent focuses simultaneously on the first and second comings of Christ, and his presence with us now, especially in the blessed sacrament of the Eucharist.

Fearless in the Face of Heresy, by Regis Martin

By Regis Martin, Crisis Magazine – And that is the matter of heresy, a most wicked and unwelcome thing, which the Church has always seen as a scourge of the soul, fraught with the gravest possible peril to the life of faith. Indeed, from its poisonous fallout Christianity stands in greater danger than even that which the most brutal of imperial persecutions have sought to inflict. For all the outward hostility of the pagan world, it is as nothing compared to the threat from within. …

Funeral Held for “Beautiful Warrior” Indi Gregory, Father Rejoices That She’s in Heaven, by Steven Ertelt

By Steven Ertelt, LifeNews – The parents of little 8-month-old Indi Gregory laid her to rest today in a funeral service with family, friends, and supporters… Last month, Indi died has after a British hospital yanked her life support over her parents’ objections and after a court rejected their plea to let her live… During the ceremony, father Dean Gregory called Indi his “beautiful warrior” and said he finds comfort in knowing that she’s in Heaven.

The Pontificate of Purges: Ten Years of Defenestrations

By Luisella Scrosati, New Daily Compass – It’s not only Strickland. The long series of bishops removed prematurely by Pope Francis has accelerated in the last year and a half: strike one to educate a hundred. Each individual case is perplexing, but the total number is shocking. We are talking about the defenestrations of bishops by Pope Francis, which have marked his entire pontificate… The latest egregious case was that of the Bishop of Tyler (see here), Msgr Joseph Strickland, who, after pressure from the Nuncio for his ‘voluntary’ resignation, was removed from his diocese, without any explanation being given. There is no record of any financial or sexual scandal against him, still less that he was guilty of heresy …….

A Course of Action, by Anthony Esolen

By Anthony Esolen, The Catholic Thing – It’s a hard time to be Catholic, but when have the times ever been easy? Still, I wish to recommend a course of action, or a habit of mind, to those among us who are apt to grow discouraged, hearing the ax laid to the temple door. Consider this verse, which I translate from the Hebrew: “And they were both naked, the man and his woman, and were not ashamed. And the serpent was shrewd, of all the living creatures of the field which the Lord God had made.” (Genesis 2:25-3:1)

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: Lest Your Hearts Be Weighed Down

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Luke 21:34-36 – “But take heed to yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a snare; for it will come upon all who dwell upon the face of the whole earth. But watch at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of man.”

Catholic Culture: Vatican Cardinal Cdl. Peter Turkso Breaks Ranks with Ghana’s Bishops (and Church Teaching) on the Criminalization of Homosexual Acts

By Catholic Culture by Staff, Posted on Complicit Clergy – Cardinal Peter Turkson, the Ghana-born Chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, has broken ranks with the bishops of Ghana, who have praised Parliament for passing legislation that criminalizes homosexual acts… “My position is contrary to what has just been passed, to criminalize anybody, if you are able to identify the crime, LGBT cases are not to be criminalized,” he told the BBC.

America’s Catholics Weigh in On Pope Francis’ Climate Change Priorities, by Jonah McKeown

By Jonah McKeown, CNA – A defining theme of Pope Francis’ papacy has been his urging of humanity to better care for the natural environment, which he has done most prominently in his landmark 2015 encyclical Laudato Si’ and numerous subsequent writings and speeches… The pope’s emphasis on this topic — especially his foray into climate science via his recent encyclical Laudate Deum — has variously drawn both praise and consternation from Catholics in the US, about half of whom do not share Pope Francis’ views on climate change, according to surveys.

Saint of the Day for December 2: Blessed Rafal Chylinski

Franciscan Media – Blessed Rafal Chylinski’s Story – Born near Buk in the Poznan region of Poland, Melchior Chylinski showed early signs of religious devotion; family members nicknamed him “the little monk.” After completing his studies at the Jesuit college in Poznan, Melchior joined the cavalry and was promoted to officer rank within three years.

Msgr. Charles Pope: Rosary of Healing and Deliverance

By Msgr. Charles Pope – The following verses are reminders that the Lord is a healer and deliverer. While it is true that there are sufferings in this world, it also remains true that God delivers his people from destruction and only permits sufferings and evils that something greater may come from them. The verses below are presented in the form of a Scriptural Rosary. They are not keyed to any of the mysteries per se but can be used on any day when one might wish to pray the rosary and meditate on the deliverance of our God and the love of our lady and Lord for us …..

The Secret to Evangelizing the Nones, by H. W. Crocker III

By H. W. Crocker III, Crisis Magazine – At Lisbon’s 2023 World Youth Day, Bishop Robert Barron commented, We’ve dumbed down the faith for way too long. My generation got a dumbed down Catholicism and it’s been a pastoral disaster. And that’s not just my private opinion. You can see that in every survey. When you ask people why they disaffiliated, in the Western world anyway, they’ll often say “I never got my questions answered, religion seemed stupid, it’s out of line with science,” etc., etc. We dumbed down the faith in an attempt to make it relevant and we undermined ourselves. It’s a vibrant, smart, beautiful Catholicism that people find compelling.

How Gen Z Differs From Previous Generations, by John Stonestreet, Jared Eckert

By John Stonestreet, Jared Eckert, The Stream – Gen Z, the generation born between 1997 and 2010, has a distinct reputation different from baby boomers, Gen X, and millennials… One finding is that Gen Z — or Zoomers — are less likely to hold a part-time job, attend religious services, have a romantic relationship, and use drugs. They also spend more time online, are more likely to identify as LGBTQ, and report being more lonely than previous generations.

Once-Catholic Spain Persecuting Rosary Protesters, by Nicholas Wylie

By Nicholas Wylie, Church Militant – The Spanish government is attempting to prevent citizens from publicly praying the Rosary in protest of the country’s socialist government… Spanish officials are targeting Catholics who meet every night in front of the Parish of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Madrid to pray the Rosary in opposition to their corrupt leadership… José Andrés Calderón, the Rosary protest’s organizer, posted Monday after being arrested and fined for praying, “We live in a tyranny where we are not allowed to worship God. But if they think that they are going to silence the Spanish people like this, they are very much mistaken. God with us!”

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: My Words Will Not Pass Away

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Luke 21:29-33 – And he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees; as soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away till all has taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

Media Bias and Religious Tests for Public Office, by Russell Shaw 

By Russell Shaw, Catholic World Report – After Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana was elected Speaker of the House of Representatives, the New York Times pronounced him part of the Christian nationalist movement. Then it hastened to find a sociologist who agreed that Johnson fit the pattern, including “being comfortable with authoritarian social control and doing away with democratic values.”

Beware the Rat Poison, by Austin Ruse

By Austin Ruse, Crisis Magazine – Conservatives accepting sexual revolutionaries into their ranks are inviting their own movement’s demise…. Barry Weiss said she delighted to find common cause with largely conservative lawyers as she is a woman of the left. We have united, she said, to meet a common foe. She said this was all the more remarkable because she is a “married” lesbian. At the end, they gave her a sustained standing ovation.

Saint of the Day for December 1: Saint Charles de Foucauld

By Franciscan Media – Saint Charles de Foucauld’s Story – Born into an aristocratic family in Strasbourg, France, Charles was orphaned at the age of 6, raised by his devout grandfather, rejected the Catholic faith as a teenager, and joined the French army. Inheriting a great deal of money from his grandfather, Charles went to Algeria with his regiment, but not without his mistress, Mimi.

Fool Me Once… by Phil Lawler

By Phil Lawler, Catholic Culture – Last Saturday, when I read the first report on La Nuova Bussola Quotidiana (found in English as the Daily Compass) that Pope Francis planned to strip Cardinal Raymond Burke of his salary and oust him from his Vatican apartment, I did not believe it. Would a Sovereign Pontiff really take such a vindictive action? My editorial instinct—the sensor that Hemingway talked about—warned me to proceed with extreme caution. So CWN did not mention the report in our headlines that day.

Lepanto Institute Exposé Results in USCCB Cutting-Off Funding to Extremism Group, by Kevin Mathewson

By Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye – “[Lori Hawkins] is kind of an extremist… [She’s] 100% in favor of and total acceptance of all of those things, and the person that’s writing all these things is pushing the very things the diocese is rejecting,” said Father Gerry Hessel of St. Mark Catholic Church in Kenosha. “These things” that Father Hessel is talking about are the issues that failed political candidate Hawkins supports. Hawkins, like many democrats, supports abortion until birth for any reason, radical LGBT issues, pediatric genital mutilation, pornography in schools, and anti-gun policies

Are Catholics Catholic? by David Warren

By David Warren, The Catholic Thing – Even before the Batflu lockdowns, which began in 2020, a desolation in the Catholic Church had become apparent… Although statistics must necessarily be inadequate to convey it, we can get a vague glimpse through the surveys. What, we wonder, do Catholics “really” believe?… I say vague because we can’t ask simply who believes and who does not believe what they have been taught. For one thing emerges from the research rather clearly: that “modern” Roman Catholics aren’t taught very well.

Exclusive: Texas AG Ken Paxton Sues Pfizer For ‘False, Deceptive’ Covid Jab Con

By Jordan Boyd, The Federalist – Pfizer debuted the jab in late 2020 with the promise that it was 95 percent effective against Covid-19 infection. The company used this statistic, based on a final efficacy analysis, to bully Americans into getting the shots in the name of protecting their family and friends from the virus… The lawsuit out of Texas, however, alleges that the company “engaged in false, deceptive, and misleading acts and practices by making unsupported claims” about its Covid jab that violated the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act.

Hidden Agenda: Forbes Pushes ‘Guerilla Tactics’ To Keep DEI in Business, by Evan Poellinger

By Evan Poellinger, MRC TV – Businesses should begin utilizing “guerilla tactics”  in order to continue their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts in the aftermath of the Supreme Court decision which struck down affirmative action, according to a recent Forbes article… Writing for Forbes, Joe Santana opined that businesses had an incentive to implement DEI, arguing that “the ability of DEI investments to drive current and future bottom-line results is undeniable.”

St. Andrew: Clarity Amid Confusion, by Sean Fitzpatrick

By Sean Fitzpatrick, Crisis Magazine – While Pope Francis may not hold a candle to the reprobate popes of the Renaissance, he has certainly brought new implications to the cliché, “Is the pope Catholic?” Whether intentional or not, Francis is carving out a peculiar place for himself in papal history as the pontiff who threw the Church on her head—and not as it was in the execution of the first pope. What sort of tumbling act Pope Francis is performing remains to be seen.

Commentary: The Sacking of a Beloved Texas Bishop, by Thom Nickels

By Thom Nickels, Front Page Magazine – The case of Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas is another example of Francis’ ideological mindset… (Reasons) Francis fired Strickland was the bishop’s unwillingness to support the Synod… Strickland’s decision not to enforce Francis’ anti-Latin Mass document, Traditionis Custodes… Strickland also condemned the covid vaccines in the U.S. as being “abortion tainted,”… In firing Bishop Strickland, Francis leveled no formal charges, which tells us that the reason was ideological.

Today’s Church Needs a Renaissance Pope, by Auguste Meyrat

By Auguste Meyrat, Crisis Magazine – After much conferencing, accompanying, and dialoging, the much-anticipated Synod on Synodality eventually concluded. As one Catholic commentator put it, the synod and the commentary surrounding it was an “apostolic nothingburger.”… As if to reinforce this bureaucratic nothingness, Pope Francis penned a new motu proprio soon after the synod that calls for a “paradigm shift” in studying theology. What is this shift exactly? Evidently, theology should move away from stuffy abstractions and move toward the lived experiences of people today—or some such idea.

What Does “Do Penance” (Matthew 3:2; 4:17) Mean? by Robert Lazu Kmita

By Robert Lazu Kmita, Remnant Columnist – … Saint John the Baptist received, according to the words of Saint Jerome, the “honorable privilege” of preaching the Kingdom of God first. Indeed, the Gospel according to Matthew presents this crucial message as being conveyed for the first time by the greatest of the prophets of the Old Testament: “And in those days cometh John the Baptist preaching in the desert of Judea. And saying: Do penance: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Matthew 3: 1-2).”

Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades: Saint Mary’s Compromising its Identity as A Catholic Woman’s College

By Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades, Diocese of Fort Wayne – South Bend – Statement of Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades Regarding Change in Admission Policy at Saint Mary’s College…. I learned last week that the Board of Trustees of Saint Mary’s College, a Catholic women’s college in our diocese, has changed its admission policy and will now consider for admission not only applicants “whose sex is female,” but also applicants “who consistently live and identify as women.”

A Francis (George) Generation? by Stephen P. White

By Stephen P. White, The Catholic Thing – Cardinal George had something to say about that, too, in his homily: The answer is simply Catholicism, in all its fullness and depth, a faith able to distinguish itself from any culture and yet able to engage and transform them all, a faith joyful in all the gifts Christ wants to give us and open to the whole world he died to save. The Catholic faith shapes a church with a lot of room for differences in pastoral approach, for discussion and debate, for initiatives as various as the peoples whom God loves. ….

St. Andrew’s Christmas Novena Begins November 30th! by Gretchen Filz

By Gretchen Filz, Catholic Company Magazine – Advent always begins on the Sunday closest to November 30th, the feast day of St. Andrew the Apostle. Is this just a nice coincidence, or is there deeper significance?… There is indeed a deeper significance. St. Andrew was the very first disciple called by Our Lord—that is why, in the Orthodox tradition, he is known by the name Πρωτóκλητος, which means “First-Called.” Andrew is the one who convinced his brother, Simon, to become Jesus’ disciple. “We have found the Messiah!” Andrew said to him. Now we know Simon as Peter, the first pope.

Father Jesusmary Missigbètò Letter #2: The Pope’s New Clothes

By Father Jesusmary Missigbètò,LifeSite News – May Jesus Christ, Our God and Lord, Supreme Wisdom and King of the Universe, bless you abundantly! My open letter of 18 November 2023 announced today’s letter, which will be a philosophical justification explaining, with humility and respect, why Bishop Joseph Strickland was right to criticize publicly the moral and doctrinal errors of your magisterium.

Pope Reportedly Confirms He Is Taking Away Burke’s Apartment, Denies Calling Him His ‘Enemy’, by Zelda Caldwell

By Zelda Caldwell, Catholic News Agency – The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that Burke said he has not been informed of the pope’s intention to take away his apartment and salary… “People can draw their own conclusions about why the Holy Father told this to Austen Ivereigh and not the person concerned,” Burke said. He told the outlet that he intends to stay in Rome even if he is forced to find somewhere else to live… “It’s my duty as a cardinal to remain in Rome,” he said.

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: The Son of Man Is Coming with Great Glory

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Luke 21:20-28 – “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it; for these are days of vengeance, to fulfil all that is written. Alas for those who are with child and for those who give suck in those days! For great distress shall be upon the earth and wrath upon this people; …..

Priest Shares Advice for Parents Whose Adult Child Has Left the Faith, by McKenna Snow

By McKenna Snow, CatholicVote – A priest shared encouraging advice this week on how parents can respond if their adult child leaves the Catholic Faith… “I always tell parents that you always have to have hope,” said Father Mark Wood from the Diocese of Little Rock, Arkansas, as he discussed the issue with local news outlet Arkansas Catholic on November 27.
Wood has spent 35 years as a priest, and said that he has seen how important it is for parents to live the Faith in the home. …

Msgr. Charles Pope: A Scriptural Litany and Rosary for Our Lady Seat of Wisdom

Msgr. Charles Pope – What follows is a kind of Scriptural Rosary that draws on Wisdom texts from the Old Testament. There, wisdom is often personified as “Lady Wisdom.” While some have thought to attribute these verses to the Holy Spirit there are difficulties in that approach. The Holy Spirit is not a lady or a creature. He is the uncreated Third Person of the Holy Trinity. While in essence God is neither Male nor Female, Jesus consistently refers to the Holy Spirit as “He” and “Him.” Secondly, since some of the texts below speak of Wisdom as being created by God, this cannot be said of the Holy Spirit, who is God, not a creature. Similar problems emerge when one tries to apply these verses to Jesus.

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: Not a Hair of Your Head Will Perish

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Luke 21:12-19 – But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name’s sake. This will be a time for you to bear testimony. Settle it therefore in your minds, not to meditate beforehand how to answer; …..