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Release the Kraken, John Zmirak joins us to discuss his latest articles  The Eric Metaxas Show John Zmirak  May 22 2025   Other Episodes Release the Kraken, John Zmirak joins us to discuss his latest articles  John Zmirak is a senior editor at The Stream and author or coauthor of 14 books, including The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism. His newest book is No Second Amendment, No First.   -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  John Zmirak makes his weekly appearance and covers current events and shares recent articles available at-   https://stream.org/author/johnzmirak/ Watch Eric Metaxas on Rumble-  https://rumble.com/c/TheEricMetaxasRadioShow  The Eric Metaxas Show- https://metaxastalk.com/podcasts/ Eric Metaxas Show on Apple Podcasts-    https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-eric-metaxas-show/id991156680 Check out- Socrates in the City   Find All of John Zmirak Articles at- https://stream.org/author/johnzmirak/   John Zmirak is a Senior Editor of The Stream. He received his B.A. from Yale University in 1986, then his M.F.A. in screenwriting and fiction and his Ph.D. in English in 1996 from Louisiana State University. He has been Press Secretary to pro-life Louisiana Governor Mike Foster, and a reporter and editor at Success magazine and Investor's Business Daily, among other publications. His essays, poems, and other works have appeared in First Things, The Weekly Standard, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, USA Today, FrontPage Magazine, The American Conservative, The South Carolina Review, Modern Age, The Intercollegiate Review, Commonweal, and The National Catholic Register, among other venues. He has contributed to American Conservatism: An Encyclopedia and The Encyclopedia of Catholic Social Thought. From 2000-2004 he served as Senior Editor of Faith & Family magazine and a reporter at The National Catholic Register. During 2012 he was editor of Crisis. He is author, co-author, or editor of twelve books, including Wilhelm Ropke: Swiss Localist, Global Economist, The Grand Inquisitor and The Race to Save Our Century. His newest book is No Second Amendment, No First. Zmirak can be found at https://stream.org/author/johnzmirak/   John Zmirak is a senior editor at The Stream and author or co-author of ten books, including The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism. He is co-author with Jason Jones of “God, Guns, & the Government.”   John Zmirak's new book: No Second Amendment, No First  by John Zmirak  Available March 19, 2024 Today's Left endlessly preaches the evils of “gun violence." It is a message increasingly echoed from the nation's pulpits, presented as common-sense decency and virtue. Calls for “radical non-violence” are routinely endowed with the imprimatur of religious doctrine.   But what if such teachings were misguided, even damaging? What if the potential of a citizenry to exercise force against violent criminals and tyrannical governments is not just compatible with church teaching, but flows from the very heart of Biblical faith and reason? What if the freedoms we treasure are intimately tied to the power to resist violent coercion?  This is the long-overdue case John Zmirak makes with stunning clarity and conviction in No Second Amendment, No First. A Yale-educated journalist and former college professor, Zmirak shows how the right of self-defense against authoritarian government was affirmed in both the Old and New Testaments, is implied in Natural Law, and has been part of Church tradition over the centuries.   --------------------------------------------------------------------      --------------------------------------------------------------------  Check out our ACU Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/ACUPodcast   HELP ACU SPREAD THE WORD!  Please go to Apple Podcasts and give ACU a 5 star rating. Apple canceled us and now we are clawing our way back to the top. Don't let the Leftist win. Do it now! Thanks. Also Rate us on any platform you follow us on. It helps a lot. Forward this show to friends. Ways to subscribe to the American Conservative University Podcast Click here to subscribe via Apple Podcasts Click here to subscribe via RSS You can also subscribe via Stitcher FM Player Podcast Addict Tune-in Podcasts Pandora Look us up on Amazon Prime …And Many Other Podcast Aggregators and sites ACU on Twitter- https://twitter.com/AmerConU . Warning- Explicit and Violent video content.   Please help ACU by submitting your Show ideas. Email us at americanconservativeuniversity@americanconservativeuniversity.com   Endorsed Charities -------------------------------------------------------- Pre-Born! Saving babies and Souls. https://preborn.org/ OUR MISSION To glorify Jesus Christ by leading and equipping pregnancy clinics to save more babies and souls. WHAT WE DO Pre-Born! partners with life-affirming pregnancy clinics all across the nation. We are designed to strategically impact the abortion industry through the following initiatives:… -------------------------------------------------------- Help CSI Stamp Out Slavery In Sudan Join us in our effort to free over 350 slaves. Listeners to the Eric Metaxas Show will remember our annual effort to free Christians who have been enslaved for simply acknowledging Jesus Christ as their Savior. As we celebrate the birth of Christ this Christmas, join us in giving new life to brothers and sisters in Sudan who have enslaved as a result of their faith. https://csi-usa.org/metaxas   https://csi-usa.org/slavery/   Typical Aid for the Enslaved A ration of sorghum, a local nutrient-rich staple food A dairy goat A “Sack of Hope,” a survival kit containing essential items such as tarp for shelter, a cooking pan, a water canister, a mosquito net, a blanket, a handheld sickle, and fishing hooks. Release celebrations include prayer and gathering for a meal, and medical care for those in need. The CSI team provides comfort, encouragement, and a shoulder to lean on while they tell their stories and begin their new lives. Thank you for your compassion  Giving the Gift of Freedom and Hope to the Enslaved South Sudanese -------------------------------------------------------- Food For the Poor https://foodforthepoor.org/ Help us serve the poorest of the poor Food For The Poor began in 1982 in Jamaica. Today, our interdenominational Christian ministry serves the poor in primarily 17 countries throughout the Caribbean and Latin America. Thanks to our faithful donors, we are able to provide food, housing, healthcare, education, fresh water, emergency relief, micro-enterprise solutions and much more. We are proud to have fed millions of people and provided more than 15.7 billion dollars in aid. Our faith inspires us to be an organization built on compassion, and motivated by love. Our mission is to bring relief to the poorest of the poor in the countries where we serve. We strive to reflect God's unconditional love. It's a sacrificial love that embraces all people regardless of race or religion. We believe that we can show His love by serving the “least of these” on this earth as Christ challenged us to do in Matthew 25. We pray that by God's grace, and with your support, we can continue to bring relief to the suffering and hope to the hopeless.   Report on Food For the Poor by Charity Navigator https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/592174510   -------------------------------------------------------- Disclaimer from ACU. We try to bring to our students and alumni the World's best Conservative thinkers. All views expressed belong solely to the author and not necessarily to ACU. In all issues and relations, we hope to follow the admonitions of Jesus Christ. While striving to expose, warn and contend with evil, we extend the love of God to all of his children. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Article- Lawless Judges Going to Jail as Trump Team Fights Lawfare Crippling the Executive Branch. Pope Elections. John Zmirak The Eric Metaxas Show John Zmirak  May 01 2025   Other Episodes More at stream.org Article mentioned- Lawless Judges Going to Jail as Trump Team Fights Lawfare Crippling the Executive Branch By John Zmirak Published on April 28, 2025 Read this article at- https://stream.org/the-brew-lawless-judges-going-to-jail-as-trump-team-fights-lawfare-crippling-the-executive-branch/ John Zmirak- You knew it was coming, didn't you? A full-on showdown between the Trump administration and the out-of-control federal courts.   It has gotten clearer by the day that a conspiracy of biased federal judges and left-wing nonprofits with teams of white-shoe lawyers has been operating to cripple the executive branch of government. The unprecedented use of judicial orders to hamstring and micromanage President Donald Trump's exercise of presidential power has created a constitutional crisis — amounting to a coup d'etat by unelected judges. Try to imagine if GOP-appointed judges had conspired to kneecap Barack Obama while he was in office. The nation would have been treated to earsplitting banshee cries of “racism,” judicial impeachment hearings, and well-funded riots in blue cities.   Don't believe me?   Remember the threats by members of Congress against Supreme Court justices when the decision overturning Roe v. Wade got leaked? (By whom, we'll never know). Think of the protests outside conservative justices' homes, and the near-miss assassination attempt on Justice Brett Kavanaugh. The Democrats tried to pack the court with new, preprogrammed leftist justices and talked about imposing term limits on SCOTUS. None on the left were warbling about the sanctity of “judicial independence” and “the rule of law” then. They only believe in the System when they can game it, like some bratty child demanding “do-overs” whenever he strikes out at bat.   No One's Above the Law Democrats were chanting “No one's above the law” when they invented fake crimes to try to imprison Donald Trump in New York, an effort led by Chief Justice John Roberts' crony Norm Eisen. The same Democrats are now suffering conniption fits as Attorney General Pam Bondi takes action against judges who committed genuine offenses. Let's look at the first two arrests, and pray that more follow wherever judges are flouting the law and undermining our democracy. CNBC reports:   Federal authorities have arrested a Wisconsin judge and a former New Mexico judge in two separate cases, accusing them of interfering with Trump administration immigration enforcement efforts.   Milwaukee Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested Friday morning and charged with obstruction. She is accused of helping an undocumented immigrant evade arrest by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers after he appeared in her courtroom April 18.   Dugan's arrest came one day after federal authorities arrested a former New Mexico judge, Joel Cano, and his wife on charges related to the Canos' reported harboring of an undocumented immigrant with alleged ties to the notorious gang Tren de Aragua.   It's hard to decide which of these arrests is more satisfying.   Before she became a judge who would help smuggle illegal aliens out of her courtroom to evade arrest by ICE, Dugan was formerly the executive director of Catholic Charities of southeastern Wisconsin. As The Stream has reported, that particular wealthy, taxpayer-funded nonprofit has been credibly accused of colluding with Mexican cartels to traffic immigrants into the country. Elon Musk's DOGE investigations have largely cut off government funds to Catholic Charities, which served as the main conduit for some $3 billion sluiced into the U.S. Catholic bishops' coffers over the past 15 years — reimbursing them, almost dollar for dollar, for sex-abuse settlements those bishops racked up.   Fool around, find out, indeed. Next there's the case of former judge Joel Cano, who was keeping an accused Tren de Aragua gang member at his house. Feast your eyes on this servant of the court and the rescue gangster he adopted:   On Fox News Pam Bondi explained just how far Cano had gone to help Lopez evade prosecution:   He took one of the TDA members' cellphones, beat it with a hammer, and destroyed it. Then he walked the pieces to a city dumpster to dispose of them to protect himself. … The judge and his wife gave [Lopez] assault rifles that belonged to their daughter. He goes to the shooting range with these assault rifles, with a suppressor, with other known TDA members, and they are shooting. This is the LAST person we want in our country. Nor will we ever tolerate a judge or anyone else harboring them.   The Biden regime intentionally engineered this perfect storm of lawlessness by refusing to enforce our just, democratically enacted immigration laws. The 10 million-plus illegals Biden imported are counted toward congressional representation, providing the Democrats with 20 seats in the House of Representatives they otherwise wouldn't hold, as Musk has estimated. And as we reported Friday, leftist judges are making it easy for those illegal aliens to vote in federal elections by striking down Trump's executive order requiring proof of citizenship.   When faced with such orchestrated chaos, the Trump administration has no choice but to take drastic action to reimpose order and the genuine rule of law. Faster, please.   Please Support The Stream: Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day. Trump Meets Zelensky at Impromptu Summit at Pope Francis's Funeral The petulant, demanding president of Ukraine, Volodomyr Zelenksyy, has been frustrating Donald Trump's peace-making efforts, making impossible demands such as the return of Crimea — which Russia seized in 2014, with hardly a protest from the Obama administration and no organized resistance by Ukraine. Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed the Trump team's impatience last week, threatening to walk away from talks altogether. It's good to see that communications are still open, as evidenced by this hastily arranged meeting of Trump with Zelenskyy and French President Emanuel Macron at St. Peter's Basilica, which will host the funeral of Pope Francis.   Pray for an end to the futile, fratricidal conflict the Biden administration's bungling help to spark, which has claimed more than a million casualties from two historically Christian countries.   Our Diversity Is Our … Strength? Our out-of-control borders haven't just been flooding the country with foreign gang members and high school dropouts who compete with our least privileged fellow citizens for jobs. We're also importing aggressive, intolerant Islam — the religion that's fueling terrorism and the persecution of Christians all across the world. Take a look at this little video, which shows how Dallas, Texas, is being islamicized.   The First Amendment was written to prevent intra-Christian conflict and religious persecution. The Founders never intended it as a charter for the mass influx of religions entirely alien to our traditions. That's just one more reason to drastically and permanently reduce mass immigration into America.   Along The Stream… Could authentic prophetic dreams expose false prophecies and prophets? Join Wanda Alger and her guest Andrew Whalen later this morning for a fascinating exploration of that idea.   The ever-thoughtful Joseph Mattera's latest essay explains why we need not just healing but resurrection — a key insight this Easter season.     John Zmirak is a senior editor at The Stream and author or coauthor of 14 books, including The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism. His newest book is No Second Amendment, No First.     The Brew: Democrat Judge Doubles Down on Election Fraud. No Need to Prove Citizenship to Vote By John Zmirak Published on April 25, 2025 John Zmirak If you want Exhibit #108 proving that President Donald Trump has no choice but to defy judicial orders from lawless, biased jurists, check out the latest. The Daily Wire reports: A federal judge on Thursday blocked President Donald Trump from implementing an executive order that requires voters to show documentation proving their U.S. citizenship to cast a ballot in federal elections. U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, a Bill Clinton appointee, granted a preliminary injunction stopping the Trump administration from going forward with the proof-of-citizenship requirements as a lawsuit plays out, the Associated Press reported. The lawsuit, filed by the Democratic National Committee and leftist voting rights groups, claims that Trump's order is “an unlawful action that threatens to uproot our tried-and-tested election systems and silence potentially millions of Americans.” … The judge's move means that yet another Trump action will be tied up in the courts and prevented from taking effect. Federal judges have blocked numerous Trump orders, including on cuts to federal agency staff, deportations, and birthright citizenship. As of Thursday, 108 different rulings have blocked or temporarily frozen Trump's attempts to carry out his agenda, according to The New York Times. There you go. The Democratic National Committee wants non-citizens voting. Or else it thinks that its voters are so clueless and unqualified that they don't have any ID. No drivers licenses, nothing they'd need to show in order to cash a check at a local bank. Check out this classic 2017 video whose host asks white liberals whether non-white Americans carry ID … then asks a series of non-white Americans whether they do. “Why would they think we don't have ID?” one of the questioners asks the host. He doesn't answer. He doesn't have to. Now consider what motive the Biden administration had for importing more than 10 million illegal aliens and sending them to swing states. Foreign Voters and Foreign Money Help the Left Grab Power While some in MAGA world are frustrated at the Trump administration's pace of progress, one man can only do so much. He is taking aim at some of the most important targets, the key players in corrupting American politics. He's going after Act Blue, for instance, as Politico reports: In a shot at ActBlue, the left's major online donation platform, President Donald Trump plans to sign a presidential memorandum on Thursday that he will cast as cracking down on foreign contributions in American elections, according to a person familiar with the policy and granted anonymity to discuss not-yet-public details. Attorney General Pam Bondi's office is expected to be involved in the effort, the person said. The order is expected to specifically target ActBlue. Republicans have long claimed the platform could be exploited by foreign actors, while Democrats have warned the action is an example of Trump baselessly targeting political opponents. … The memo will direct Bondi to “investigate and take appropriate action concerning allegations regarding the use of online fundraising platforms to make ‘straw' or ‘dummy' contributions and to make foreign contributions to U.S. political candidates and committees, all of which break the law” and report results to the president and his general counsel, according to the fact sheet. Why shouldn't foreign billionaires and hostile governments be able to pour billions into U.S. elections and organize non-citizen voters to decide who represents us? That would imply we make distinctions between countrymen and strangers, which the editors of Christianity Today (some of them donors to groups aligned with Act Blue) reliably inform us is alien to “gospel values.” Speaking of funny money, Ashley Biden's nonprofit is having trouble with the IRS. That's what happens when you don't report honestly. The Free Beacon has the real story: Ashley Biden's charity has a $500,000 discrepancy in its books, a watchdog alleged in a complaint filed with the IRS on Monday. … To Paul Kamenar, an attorney with the National Legal and Policy Center watchdog group, the documents show that Ashley Biden's charity clearly violated IRS rules by failing to disclose $500,000 in contributions it received in 2023. Let's remember the immortal words of now-embattled New York Attorney General Letitia James: “No one is above the law.” Abortion Clinic Targets Children for Sexual Grooming Remember the old libertarian talking point about “keeping the government out of our bedrooms”? Now we realize the government and the LGBTQ movement need to be kept out of the nursery, too. See the latest outrage, courtesy of Libs of TikTok: The State cannot sit neutral. It can't reach a stopping point at “consenting adults,” the way Classical liberals pretend. Either the government will make laws based on the Natural Law which God wrote on the human heart — which you don't need faith or grace to understand — or it will base laws on something darker and falser. It took the rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire to rescue women and children from sexual slavery. As the Gospel recedes from people's hearts, the vacuum it leaves will be filled, and filled by spirits. The explosion of transgender madness, child castration, and attacks on Christians as “unfit parents” in the wake of the 2015 Obergefell decision shouldn't surprise us; it should goad us to counterattack with the truth. The Next Pope? I'm not following the conclave that's gathering to elect a successor to the disloyal Pope Francis, largely because the people he appointed to the College of Cardinals transformed that body into a lavender Jacuzzi. One of Francis's appointees, Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, is considered a frontrunner among “progressives” who wish to continue transforming the Catholic Church into the chaplaincy of the World Economic Forum. Here he is performing John Lennon's utopian, atheist anthem “Imagine” for a crowd that we can hope was duly puzzled by it. Imagine Pope Francis II. (It's easy if you try.) Catholics don't believe that God picks the popes — otherwise, we'd have to explain why during the Renaissance He always picked the cardinals who'd paid the biggest bribes or were the illegitimate children of previous popes. We just have to pray for Jesus to protect us from our shepherds, who seem to have developed a taste for lamb. Coming Soon: A New Ice Age to Save the Climate Gateway Pundit reports: The British government is reportedly just weeks away from approving bizarre experiments aimed at dimming sunlight in a bid to combat so-called climate change. Proposed outdoor trials may involve spraying aerosols into the upper atmosphere or artificially brightening clouds to bounce sunlight back into space in order to help cool the earth. … The experiments are being pushed under the premise that humanity isn't cutting emissions quickly enough to avoid an environmental apocalypse, at least, according to scientists still clinging to worst-case climate scenarios. Scientists backing the proposals believe that, if the tests yield promising results, the techniques could be expanded and rolled out on a wider scale within a decade. These people want to control the weather, to make the earth less fertile so it can feed far fewer people. But remember that the threat to our freedoms and our future are … conservatives and Christians. Along The Stream… Later this morning, join Allen Jackson, pastor and author of Angels, Demons & You, for a sobering look at how spiritual forces impact our daily lives in this 26-minute video. Why is it crucial that we consider each of our fellow human beings as made in the “image of God”? How does that change everything about how we live our lives? Find out from this insightful essay.   John Zmirak is a senior editor at The Stream and author or coauthor of 14 books, including The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism. His newest book is No Second Amendment, No First.   -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  John Zmirak makes his weekly appearance and covers current events and shares recent articles available at-   https://stream.org/author/johnzmirak/ Watch Eric Metaxas on Rumble-  https://rumble.com/c/TheEricMetaxasRadioShow  The Eric Metaxas Show- https://metaxastalk.com/podcasts/ Eric Metaxas Show on Apple Podcasts-    https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-eric-metaxas-show/id991156680 Check out- Socrates in the City   Find All of John Zmirak Articles at- https://stream.org/author/johnzmirak/   John Zmirak is a Senior Editor of The Stream. He received his B.A. from Yale University in 1986, then his M.F.A. in screenwriting and fiction and his Ph.D. in English in 1996 from Louisiana State University. He has been Press Secretary to pro-life Louisiana Governor Mike Foster, and a reporter and editor at Success magazine and Investor's Business Daily, among other publications. His essays, poems, and other works have appeared in First Things, The Weekly Standard, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, USA Today, FrontPage Magazine, The American Conservative, The South Carolina Review, Modern Age, The Intercollegiate Review, Commonweal, and The National Catholic Register, among other venues. He has contributed to American Conservatism: An Encyclopedia and The Encyclopedia of Catholic Social Thought. From 2000-2004 he served as Senior Editor of Faith & Family magazine and a reporter at The National Catholic Register. During 2012 he was editor of Crisis. He is author, co-author, or editor of twelve books, including Wilhelm Ropke: Swiss Localist, Global Economist, The Grand Inquisitor and The Race to Save Our Century. His newest book is No Second Amendment, No First. Zmirak can be found at https://stream.org/author/johnzmirak/   John Zmirak is a senior editor at The Stream and author or co-author of ten books, including The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism. He is co-author with Jason Jones of “God, Guns, & the Government.”   John Zmirak's new book: No Second Amendment, No First  by John Zmirak  Available March 19, 2024 Today's Left endlessly preaches the evils of “gun violence." It is a message increasingly echoed from the nation's pulpits, presented as common-sense decency and virtue. Calls for “radical non-violence” are routinely endowed with the imprimatur of religious doctrine.   But what if such teachings were misguided, even damaging? What if the potential of a citizenry to exercise force against violent criminals and tyrannical governments is not just compatible with church teaching, but flows from the very heart of Biblical faith and reason? What if the freedoms we treasure are intimately tied to the power to resist violent coercion?  This is the long-overdue case John Zmirak makes with stunning clarity and conviction in No Second Amendment, No First. A Yale-educated journalist and former college professor, Zmirak shows how the right of self-defense against authoritarian government was affirmed in both the Old and New Testaments, is implied in Natural Law, and has been part of Church tradition over the centuries.   --------------------------------------------------------------------  Check out our ACU Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/ACUPodcast   HELP ACU SPREAD THE WORD!  Please go to Apple Podcasts and give ACU a 5 star rating. Apple canceled us and now we are clawing our way back to the top. Don't let the Leftist win. Do it now! Thanks. Also Rate us on any platform you follow us on. It helps a lot. Forward this show to friends. Ways to subscribe to the American Conservative University Podcast Click here to subscribe via Apple Podcasts Click here to subscribe via RSS You can also subscribe via Stitcher FM Player Podcast Addict Tune-in Podcasts Pandora Look us up on Amazon Prime …And Many Other Podcast Aggregators and sites ACU on Twitter- https://twitter.com/AmerConU . Warning- Explicit and Violent video content.   Please help ACU by submitting your Show ideas. Email us at americanconservativeuniversity@americanconservativeuniversity.com   Endorsed Charities -------------------------------------------------------- Pre-Born! Saving babies and Souls. https://preborn.org/ OUR MISSION To glorify Jesus Christ by leading and equipping pregnancy clinics to save more babies and souls. WHAT WE DO Pre-Born! partners with life-affirming pregnancy clinics all across the nation. We are designed to strategically impact the abortion industry through the following initiatives:… -------------------------------------------------------- Help CSI Stamp Out Slavery In Sudan Join us in our effort to free over 350 slaves. Listeners to the Eric Metaxas Show will remember our annual effort to free Christians who have been enslaved for simply acknowledging Jesus Christ as their Savior. As we celebrate the birth of Christ this Christmas, join us in giving new life to brothers and sisters in Sudan who have enslaved as a result of their faith. https://csi-usa.org/metaxas   https://csi-usa.org/slavery/   Typical Aid for the Enslaved A ration of sorghum, a local nutrient-rich staple food A dairy goat A “Sack of Hope,” a survival kit containing essential items such as tarp for shelter, a cooking pan, a water canister, a mosquito net, a blanket, a handheld sickle, and fishing hooks. Release celebrations include prayer and gathering for a meal, and medical care for those in need. The CSI team provides comfort, encouragement, and a shoulder to lean on while they tell their stories and begin their new lives. Thank you for your compassion  Giving the Gift of Freedom and Hope to the Enslaved South Sudanese -------------------------------------------------------- Food For the Poor https://foodforthepoor.org/ Help us serve the poorest of the poor Food For The Poor began in 1982 in Jamaica. Today, our interdenominational Christian ministry serves the poor in primarily 17 countries throughout the Caribbean and Latin America. Thanks to our faithful donors, we are able to provide food, housing, healthcare, education, fresh water, emergency relief, micro-enterprise solutions and much more. We are proud to have fed millions of people and provided more than 15.7 billion dollars in aid. Our faith inspires us to be an organization built on compassion, and motivated by love. Our mission is to bring relief to the poorest of the poor in the countries where we serve. We strive to reflect God's unconditional love. It's a sacrificial love that embraces all people regardless of race or religion. We believe that we can show His love by serving the “least of these” on this earth as Christ challenged us to do in Matthew 25. We pray that by God's grace, and with your support, we can continue to bring relief to the suffering and hope to the hopeless.   Report on Food For the Poor by Charity Navigator https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/592174510   -------------------------------------------------------- Disclaimer from ACU. We try to bring to our students and alumni the World's best Conservative thinkers. All views expressed belong solely to the author and not necessarily to ACU. In all issues and relations, we hope to follow the admonitions of Jesus Christ. While striving to expose, warn and contend with evil, we extend the love of God to all of his children. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: By Pufui Pc Pifpef I - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31309211 via Wikipedia LINKS Vatican bio of Cardinal Raymond Leo BURKE https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/documentation/cardinali_biografie/cardinali_bio_burke_rl.html        Raymond Leo BURKE on FIU's Cardinals Database (by Salvador Miranda): https://cardinals.fiu.edu/bios2010.htm#Burke                             Cardinal Raymond Leo BURKE on Gcatholic.org: https://gcatholic.org/p/2334                                                Cardinal Raymond Leo BURKE on Catholic-Hierarchy.org: https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bburke.html                            Apostolic Signatura on Gcatholic.org: https://gcatholic.org/dioceses/romancuria/d13.htm   Apostolic Signatura on Catholic-Hierarchy.org: https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dbgch.html 2003 Catholic News Agency bio of Archbishop Burke: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/286/pope-appoints-bishop-raymond-burke-as-new-archbishop-of-st-louis  Merriam-Webster, “Defender of the Bond”: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defender%20of%20the%20bond#:~:text=The%20meaning%20of%20DEFENDER%20OF%20THE%20BOND,the%20marriage%20bond%20in%20suits%20for%20annulment Dead Theologians Society: https://deadtheologianssociety.com/about/  Catholic Herald analysis of Cardinal Burke's 2014 reassignment: https://web.archive.org/web/20160701214308/http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2014/11/10/thousands-sign-petition-thanking-cardinal-burke/  2013 National Catholic Reporter commentary- “I want a mess” -Pope Francis: https://www.ncronline.org/blogs/distinctly-catholic/pope-i-want-mess  2014 CruxNow “Soap Opera” Synod on the Family coverage: https://web.archive.org/web/20141017055135/http://www.cruxnow.com/church/2014/10/16/synod-is-more-and-more-like-a-soap-opera/ Amoris Laetitia: https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20160319_amoris-laetitia.html  2017 Knights of Malta reshuffle: https://catholicherald.co.uk/pope-names-archbishop-becciu-as-personal-delegate-to-order-of-malta/  2018 National Catholic Register editorial Reflection on Amoris Laetitia controversy https://www.ncregister.com/news/francis-fifth-a-pontificate-of-footnotes  2016 National Catholic Register coverage of the Dubia: https://www.ncregister.com/news/four-cardinals-formally-ask-pope-for-clarity-on-amoris-laetitia Traditionis custodes: https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/motu_proprio/documents/20210716-motu-proprio-traditionis-custodes.html  Cardinal Burke's Statement on Traditionis Custodes: https://www.cardinalburke.com/presentations/traditionis-custodes The 2023 Dubia (w/Pope Francis' responses): https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2023-10/pope-francis-responds-to-dubia-of-five-cardinals.html  National Catholic Reporter coverage of removal of Cardinal Burke's Vatican apartment and salary: https://www.ncronline.org/vatican/vatican-news/pope-francis-remove-cardinal-burkes-vatican-apartment-and-salary-sources-say Anonymous “Cardinal Burke is my enemy” report: https://catholicherald.co.uk/pope-calls-cardinal-burke-his-enemy-and-threatens-to-strip-him-of-privileges-reports-claim/  Where Peter Is coverage of Cardinal Burke's 2024 private meeting with Pope Francis https://wherepeteris.com/cardinal-burkes-meeting-withĥhh-pope-francis/    Thank you for listening, and thank my family and friends for putting up with the time investment and for helping me out as needed. As always, feel free to email the show at Popeularhistory@gmail.com  If you would like to financially support Popeular history, go to www.patreon.com/Popeular. If you don't have any money to spare but still want to give back, pray and tell others– prayers and listeners are worth more than gold!   TRANSCRIPT Welcome to Popeular History, a library of Catholic knowledge and insights.   Check out the show notes for sources, further reading, and a transcript.   Today we're discussing another current Cardinal of the Catholic Church, one of the 120 or so people who will choose the next Pope when the time comes. The youngest of six, Raymond Leo Burke was born on June 30, 1948, in Richland Center, a small town in sparsely populated Richland County, Wisconsin.   Not too much later, the family moved north to tiny Stratford, Wisconsin, where he grew up.   We've had a *lot*, of midwestern Cardinals, in fact all but one of our 8 American Cardinals so far has been born in the midwest, a percentage I would probably consider shocking if I didn't identify as a midwesterner myself, though technically I'm about as much of a northern southerner as you can get, considering my parents basically moved to Virginia to have their kids and immediately moved back to Ohio once that was accomplished. But enough about me, this is about Raymond Leo Burke, who signed up for Holy Cross Seminary in La Crosse in 1962. Later he went to The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, where he wound up with a masters in philosophy in 1971. After that he was sent to Rome for his theology studies, getting a second masters, this time from the Gregorian. He was ordained by Pope Paul VI–yes, *before* JPII, crazy I know, in 1975 on June 29th, which longtime listeners will probably clock as the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul and more importantly the Popeular History podcasts' official anniversary date.   Returning to Wisconsin as a priest for the Diocese of La Crosse, Father Burke served as an associate rector for the cathedral, then as a religion teacher at Aquinas High School in town.   Making his way back to Rome, Father Burke returned to the Gregorian to study Canon Law, by 1984 he had a doctorate in the topic with a specialization in jurisprudence.   He came back stateside long enough to pick up a couple diocesan roles back in La Crosse, but soon enough he went back to the Gregorian for a third time, this time not as a student but as a teacher, namely as a Visiting professor of Canonical Jurisprudence, a post which he held for nearly a decade from ‘85 to ‘94.   He wound up becoming the first American to hold the position of Defender of the Bond of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signature, as a reminder that's basically the Vatican's Supreme Court.   As for what being a Defender of the Bond entails, it's basically the guy in charge of proving the validity of a disputed marriage, typically–I'd imagine--oversomeone's objections, or else, you know, the case wouldn't have wound up in court.   In 1994, his white phone rang, and it was Pope John Paul II, calling to make him bishop of his home Diocese of La Crosse. Father Burke was personally consecrated by His Holiness in the Vatican.   In ‘97, Bishop Burke became a member of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre, ranking as a Knight Commander with Star automatically by virtue of his being a bishop. The Order traces its origins to the First Crusade, making it one of the oldest chivalric Orders in the world–and it's not the only such order Bishop Burke will get involved in.   In 2000, bishop Burke became National Director of the Marian Catechist Apostolate, something which certainly seems near to his heart considering he's still in the role. Well, international director now, as things have grown.   In 2002, Bishop Burke invited a fairly new apostolate named the Dead Theologians Society to the diocese, which isn't something I'd normally include, but I wanted to make sure it got a shoutout because it started at my parish. Oriented towards high school and college students, they study the lives of the saints, and Cardinal Burke is a fan, saying: “I am happy to commend the Dead Theologians Society to individual families and to parishes, as a most effective form of Catholic youth ministry.”   In 2003, Bishop Burke became Archbishop Burke when he was transferred to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Saint Louis, where he served until 2008, when he was called up to Rome, to serve as prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signature, there's that Vatican Supreme Court again, and this time he's running it. And if you're making assumptions based on that appointment, yes, he's absolutely considered one of the foremost experts on canon law worldwide, having published numerous books and articles.   In 2010, Pope Benedict raised Archbishop Burke to the rank of Cardinal Deacon and assigned him the deaconry of S. Agata de 'Goti. Naturally he participated in the 2013 conclave that elected Pope Francis, where I am prepared to guess he was in the minority given subsequent events.   The next year, so 2014, Cardinal Burke was transferred from his top judicial spot to serve as the patron of the Sovereign Order of Malta, aka the Knights of Malta, a reassignment that was generally interpreted as a demotion, given he was going from his dream job for canon law geek that made him the highest ranking American in the Vatican at the time to a largely ceremonial post that was, well, not that.   [All that is nothing against the Knights of Malta, which these days are a solid humanitarian resource and quasi-state trivia machine I'll give their own episode at some point.]   The tension between Cardinal Burke and Pope Francis has been fairly clear from the start. They have fundamentally different approaches and styles, and frankly different goals. Cardinal Burke is dedicated to maintaining tradition as the safest route, while Pope Francis has famously called for shaking things up, for example saying:   “What is it that I expect as a consequence of World Youth Day? I want a mess. We knew that in Rio there would be great disorder, but I want trouble in the dioceses!”   That's Pope Francis, of course. Just before his transfer out of his top spot at the Vatican's court, Cardinal Burke noted that many Catholics, quote:   “feel a bit of seasickness, because it seems to them that the ship of the Church has lost its compass.”   End quote.   To his credit, Cardinal Burke took the move in stride, which matches up well with his general view that authority should be respected and that, as a canonist, the Pope is the ultimate authority.   Deference to such authority in the context of the Catholic Church is known as Clericalism, and being pro or anti Clericalism is another point of disagreement between Cardinal Burke and Pope Francis, who said “I want to get rid of clericalism” in the same early interview I mentioned before.   Part of what Cardinal Burke was responding to with his “lost compass” quote was the first stages of the Synod on the Family, which veteran Vatican reporter John Allen Jr described as like a “soap opera”, with working notes that were released to the public speaking positively about things like same-sex unions and other relationships the Vatican tends to describe as “irregular”. After the Synod on the Family wrapped up, in 2016 Pope Francis produced a post-synodal apostolic exhortation called Amoris Laetitia, or “The Joy of Love”, which I saw one of my sources described the longest document in the history of the Papacy, a hell of a claim I am not immediately able to refute because it sure *is* a long one, which is primarily known for the controversy of just one of its footnotes, footnote 351.   I'm still making *some* effort to make these first round episodes be brief, but it's important to keep things in context, so let's go ahead and look at the sentence the footnote is attached to, which is in paragraph 305, and Then the footnote itself. If you want even more context, the entirety of Amoris Laetitia is, of course, linked in the show notes.   Here we go:   “Because of forms of conditioning and mitigating factors, it is possible that in an objective situation of sin – which may not be subjectively culpable, or fully such – a person can be living in God's grace, can love and can also grow in the life of grace and charity, while receiving the Church's help to this end.”   And yes, that is one sentence. Popes are almost as bad about sentence length as I am.   Without the footnote, this probably would have gone relatively unnoticed, the Church accompanying sinners is not a fundamentally revolutionary idea. But the footnote in question gets specific and brings in the Sacraments, which is where things get touchy:   “In certain cases, this can include the help of the sacraments. Hence, “I want to remind priests that the confessional must not be a torture chamber, but rather an encounter with the Lord's mercy” I would also point out that the Eucharist “is not a prize for the perfect, but a powerful medicine and nourishment for the weak”.   For one thing, just to get this out of the way, some of that is in quotation marks with citations. In a document like this that's pretty normal, showing how your argument is based on precedent and authority. Except in this case the precedent and the authority being cited is literally Pope Francis himself. To be clear, this is a normal Pope thing, I found multiple examples of JPII and Pope Benedict doing the same thing, it just amuses me.   Anyways, the idea of people in objectively sinful states receiving communion is hyper-controversial. After all, even as far back as Saint Paul, receiving Communion “unworthily” is an awful thing. Of course, questions have long followed about how anyone can be truly worthy of the Eucharist, with the basic answer there being “with God's help”, but yeah, it's tricky.   We can have an educated guess how Cardinal Burke felt about all this, because he and three other Cardinals--it'll be a while before we get to any of the others–anyways Cardinal Burke and three other Cardinals asked Pope Francis some fairly pointed questions about this in a format called a dubia, traditionally a yes/no format where the Holy Father affirms or denies potential implications drawn from one of their teachings to clarify areas of doubt. In this case, there were five questions submitted, with the first and I daresay the most sincerely debated being the question of whether footnote 351 means divorced and subsequently remarried Catholics can receive communion. There's lots of subtext here, but as a reminder this is actually the *short* version of this episode, so pardon the abbreviation. The next four questions are, to put it snarkily, variations on the obviously very sincere question of “does the truth matter anymore?”   Pope Francis decided not to answer these dubia, which the Cardinals took as an invitation to make them–and his lack of a response–public. Not as a way of outing him after his refusal to answer gotcha questions with a yes/no, not by any means, but because clearly that's what not getting an answer meant Pope Francis wanted them to do.   Now, there's something of an issue here, because we're nearing record word count for Cardinal Numbers, and that's without any real long diversions about the history of Catholicism in Cardinal Burke's area or his interactions with the local secular ruler. It's all been Church stuff. And we're nowhere near the end.   The reality is that I'm painfully aware my own discipline is the only thing that keeps me from going longer on these episodes when appropriate, and the major driving force for keeping them short was to keep things manageable. But now that I'm no longer committed to a daily format, “manageable” has very different implications. And even my secondary driver, a general sense of fairness, not making one Cardinal's episode too much longer than the others, well, the other Cardinals in this batch have had longer episodes too, so it's not as much of a lopsided battle for the First Judgment, and it's not like longer automatically means more interesting.   In the end, with those inhibitions gone, and a sense that this stuff is important and it would be a shame to skip big chunks of it if Cardinal Burke *doesn't* make it to the next round, I'm going to go ahead and keep walking through this so it gets said, and let it take what time it takes. My best guess is we're about halfway through. That way there's no special pressure to make Cardinal Burke advance just to cover anything I felt was too rushed. Don't worry, there's still plenty being left out. Fair?   Fair or not, Let's resume.   In 2015, so after his relegation to the Knights of Malta but before Amoris Laetitia and the Dubia, Cardinal Burke was added to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, which is still one of his roles though like other Vatican offices it has since been rebranded as a Dicastery.   In 2017, Burke's posting as Patron of the Knights of Malta, the one I described as largely ceremonial, threatened to become interesting when Pope Francis forced the head of the order to resign over, well, condoms, basically. But as soon as things started looking interesting Pope Francis helicoptered in an archbishop to serve as his “special delegate” and more importantly his “exclusive spokesman” to the Order, which effectively sidelined Burke from a gig he had been sidelined *to* a few years earlier.   Nevertheless, 2017 also actually saw Burke start to bounce back some. I want to re emphasize this is notably *after* the Dubia, when later in the year Pope Francis picked Cardinal Burke as the judge in the case of an Archbishop who had been accused of sexully abusing his altar servers. The Archbishop was found guilty and deposed, and by the end of the year, having gotten his feet wet again, Cardinal Burke was back on as a member of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signature, though, notably, not as its head anymore.   The next major flashpoint came In 2021, when Pope Francis published Traditionis Custodes, a document that severely restricted the celebration of the old Latin Mass.    Long story short, what's colloquially called Latin Mass is the version of Mass that was the main liturgy for Latin rite Catholics for hundreds of years until the Second Vatican Council kicked off serious updates in the 1960s, the most obvious of which is the general shift from Latin to the use of local aka vernacular languages, and the second most obvious is the direction the priest is facing for the majority of the liturgy. There's obviously more detail available on everything I just said, and people have *opinions*, I'll tell you that for sure.   Cardinal Burke's fundamental opinion was and is that the Latin Mass is great and should be maintained and that, in short, Pope Francis may even be overstepping his bounds in restricting it as much as he is with Traditionis Custodes, which is a strong claim given the whole, you know, general idea of the Papacy.   A few weeks after the Traditionis Custodes stuff went down, Cardinal Burke was on a ventilator fighting for his life. We're only doing living Cardinals at this time, so no suspense there for us, but his bout with COVID was touch-and-go for a while there.   In June 2023, notably a few weeks before his 75th birthday and that customary retirement age, Pope Francis replaced Cardinal Burke as the Patron of the Knights of Malta with an 80 year old Jesuit Cardinal. If you're noticing that Burke was relaced by someone who was themselves a fair bit older and also well past retirement age, yeah, you're not alone in noticing that, and you wouldn't be alone in thinking that some kind of point was being made here.   Just a few weeks after that retirement, Cardinal Burke attached his name to another dubia document, this one covering a larger variety of topics and appearing and in the context of the ongoing Synod on Synodality.   Cardinal Burke was again joined by one of his fellow signers of the first dubia, the other two having passed away in 2017, may they rest in peace. They were also joined by three Cardinals who had not cosigned the previous Dubia, though all of those are over 80 and so we won't be covering them for a while.   In any event, this second set of dubia covered a wider range of topics in its five questions, including two particularly hot-button issues, namely the question of blessings for same sex unions, which is something I will refer you to my Fiducia Supplicans anniversary coverage (oops, didn't get that out yet) on for fuller detail, and notion of women serving as deacons, which is still an open question at the time of this writing: as we've discussed previously, ordination has been pretty firmly ruled out, but there may be room for an unordained diaconate. After all, Saint Paul entrusted the letter to the Romans to a woman he described as a deacon.   Pope Francis actually responded to this second dubia the day after the dubious Cardinals submitted it, giving lengthy and detailed answers to all of their questions. Naturally this seems to have annoyed Cardinal Burke and his compatriots, because remember, traditionally answers to Dubia have been yes or no, and so they reframed their questions and asked Pope Francis to respond just with “yes” or “no”. When it was evident His Holiness was not going to reply further, the Cardinals once again took the lack of an answer- or rather the lack of yes/no format answers- as encouragement to publish everything, which was an interesting move since that seems to have essentially set Fiducia Supplicans in motion, as Pope Francis indicated an openness to informal blessings for homosexuals in one of his dubia responses. All of that is in the show notes.   Later in 2023, Pope Francis stripped Cardinal Burke of his Vatican apartment and retirement salary, which I have been tempted to call a pension but everyone I've seen calls it a retirement salary so it's probably safest to follow suit. Officially no reason was given, but I mean, you've listened to this episode, take your pick of tension points and believe it or not I've skipped several chapters of drama real or alleged. Speaking of alleged, this is the Vatican, so anonymous sources are happy to weigh in, including alleging that Pope Francis straight up said “Cardinal Burke is my enemy”. I don't think I buy that he was so plain about it, but I also don't expect Cardinal Burke is Pope Francis' favorite guy.   On December 29, 2023, Cardinal Burke had a private audience with Pope Francis for the first time in over seven years. Cardinal Burke's last private audience with Pope Francis had been back in 2016, four days before the first dubia was made public.   The idea of the two having a little chat grabbed media attention more than any other meeting between a Cardinal and a Pope that I can recall. As is typical for such one-on-ones, no official reason or agenda was given, and it's not likely we'll ever know what exactly was said, but I've got to hand it to Cardinal Burke for his response when Reuters asked him about it:   ‘Well, I'm still alive.'”   Raymond Leo Cardinal BURKE is eligible to participate in future conclaves until he turns 80 in 2028. “AM I THE DRAMA”? Today's episode is part of Cardinal Numbers,  and there will be more Cardinal Numbers next week. Thank you for listening; God bless you all!

"Donald Trump Needs to Defy the Judges and Let the American People Decide at the Midterm Elections whether they Approve of that or Not"- John Zmirak. The Eric Metaxas Show John Zmirak   Apr 23 2025   Other Episodes   Article mentioned- The Brew: Democrat Judge Doubles Down on Election Fraud. No Need to Prove Citizenship to Vote By John Zmirak Published on April 25, 2025 John Zmirak If you want Exhibit #108 proving that President Donald Trump has no choice but to defy judicial orders from lawless, biased jurists, check out the latest. The Daily Wire reports: A federal judge on Thursday blocked President Donald Trump from implementing an executive order that requires voters to show documentation proving their U.S. citizenship to cast a ballot in federal elections. U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, a Bill Clinton appointee, granted a preliminary injunction stopping the Trump administration from going forward with the proof-of-citizenship requirements as a lawsuit plays out, the Associated Press reported. The lawsuit, filed by the Democratic National Committee and leftist voting rights groups, claims that Trump's order is “an unlawful action that threatens to uproot our tried-and-tested election systems and silence potentially millions of Americans.” … The judge's move means that yet another Trump action will be tied up in the courts and prevented from taking effect. Federal judges have blocked numerous Trump orders, including on cuts to federal agency staff, deportations, and birthright citizenship. As of Thursday, 108 different rulings have blocked or temporarily frozen Trump's attempts to carry out his agenda, according to The New York Times. There you go. The Democratic National Committee wants non-citizens voting. Or else it thinks that its voters are so clueless and unqualified that they don't have any ID. No drivers licenses, nothing they'd need to show in order to cash a check at a local bank. Check out this classic 2017 video whose host asks white liberals whether non-white Americans carry ID … then asks a series of non-white Americans whether they do. “Why would they think we don't have ID?” one of the questioners asks the host. He doesn't answer. He doesn't have to. Now consider what motive the Biden administration had for importing more than 10 million illegal aliens and sending them to swing states. Foreign Voters and Foreign Money Help the Left Grab Power While some in MAGA world are frustrated at the Trump administration's pace of progress, one man can only do so much. He is taking aim at some of the most important targets, the key players in corrupting American politics. He's going after Act Blue, for instance, as Politico reports: In a shot at ActBlue, the left's major online donation platform, President Donald Trump plans to sign a presidential memorandum on Thursday that he will cast as cracking down on foreign contributions in American elections, according to a person familiar with the policy and granted anonymity to discuss not-yet-public details. Attorney General Pam Bondi's office is expected to be involved in the effort, the person said. The order is expected to specifically target ActBlue. Republicans have long claimed the platform could be exploited by foreign actors, while Democrats have warned the action is an example of Trump baselessly targeting political opponents. … The memo will direct Bondi to “investigate and take appropriate action concerning allegations regarding the use of online fundraising platforms to make ‘straw' or ‘dummy' contributions and to make foreign contributions to U.S. political candidates and committees, all of which break the law” and report results to the president and his general counsel, according to the fact sheet. Why shouldn't foreign billionaires and hostile governments be able to pour billions into U.S. elections and organize non-citizen voters to decide who represents us? That would imply we make distinctions between countrymen and strangers, which the editors of Christianity Today (some of them donors to groups aligned with Act Blue) reliably inform us is alien to “gospel values.” Speaking of funny money, Ashley Biden's nonprofit is having trouble with the IRS. That's what happens when you don't report honestly. The Free Beacon has the real story: Ashley Biden's charity has a $500,000 discrepancy in its books, a watchdog alleged in a complaint filed with the IRS on Monday. … To Paul Kamenar, an attorney with the National Legal and Policy Center watchdog group, the documents show that Ashley Biden's charity clearly violated IRS rules by failing to disclose $500,000 in contributions it received in 2023. Let's remember the immortal words of now-embattled New York Attorney General Letitia James: “No one is above the law.” Abortion Clinic Targets Children for Sexual Grooming Remember the old libertarian talking point about “keeping the government out of our bedrooms”? Now we realize the government and the LGBTQ movement need to be kept out of the nursery, too. See the latest outrage, courtesy of Libs of TikTok: The State cannot sit neutral. It can't reach a stopping point at “consenting adults,” the way Classical liberals pretend. Either the government will make laws based on the Natural Law which God wrote on the human heart — which you don't need faith or grace to understand — or it will base laws on something darker and falser. It took the rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire to rescue women and children from sexual slavery. As the Gospel recedes from people's hearts, the vacuum it leaves will be filled, and filled by spirits. The explosion of transgender madness, child castration, and attacks on Christians as “unfit parents” in the wake of the 2015 Obergefell decision shouldn't surprise us; it should goad us to counterattack with the truth. The Next Pope? I'm not following the conclave that's gathering to elect a successor to the disloyal Pope Francis, largely because the people he appointed to the College of Cardinals transformed that body into a lavender Jacuzzi. One of Francis's appointees, Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, is considered a frontrunner among “progressives” who wish to continue transforming the Catholic Church into the chaplaincy of the World Economic Forum. Here he is performing John Lennon's utopian, atheist anthem “Imagine” for a crowd that we can hope was duly puzzled by it. Imagine Pope Francis II. (It's easy if you try.) Catholics don't believe that God picks the popes — otherwise, we'd have to explain why during the Renaissance He always picked the cardinals who'd paid the biggest bribes or were the illegitimate children of previous popes. We just have to pray for Jesus to protect us from our shepherds, who seem to have developed a taste for lamb. Coming Soon: A New Ice Age to Save the Climate Gateway Pundit reports: The British government is reportedly just weeks away from approving bizarre experiments aimed at dimming sunlight in a bid to combat so-called climate change. Proposed outdoor trials may involve spraying aerosols into the upper atmosphere or artificially brightening clouds to bounce sunlight back into space in order to help cool the earth. … The experiments are being pushed under the premise that humanity isn't cutting emissions quickly enough to avoid an environmental apocalypse, at least, according to scientists still clinging to worst-case climate scenarios. Scientists backing the proposals believe that, if the tests yield promising results, the techniques could be expanded and rolled out on a wider scale within a decade. These people want to control the weather, to make the earth less fertile so it can feed far fewer people. But remember that the threat to our freedoms and our future are … conservatives and Christians. Along The Stream… Later this morning, join Allen Jackson, pastor and author of Angels, Demons & You, for a sobering look at how spiritual forces impact our daily lives in this 26-minute video. Why is it crucial that we consider each of our fellow human beings as made in the “image of God”? How does that change everything about how we live our lives? Find out from this insightful essay.   John Zmirak is a senior editor at The Stream and author or coauthor of 14 books, including The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism. His newest book is No Second Amendment, No First.   -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  John Zmirak makes his weekly appearance and covers current events and shares recent articles available at-   https://stream.org/author/johnzmirak/ Watch Eric Metaxas on Rumble-  https://rumble.com/c/TheEricMetaxasRadioShow  The Eric Metaxas Show- https://metaxastalk.com/podcasts/ Eric Metaxas Show on Apple Podcasts-    https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-eric-metaxas-show/id991156680 Check out- Socrates in the City   Find All of John Zmirak Articles at- https://stream.org/author/johnzmirak/   John Zmirak is a Senior Editor of The Stream. He received his B.A. from Yale University in 1986, then his M.F.A. in screenwriting and fiction and his Ph.D. in English in 1996 from Louisiana State University. He has been Press Secretary to pro-life Louisiana Governor Mike Foster, and a reporter and editor at Success magazine and Investor's Business Daily, among other publications. His essays, poems, and other works have appeared in First Things, The Weekly Standard, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, USA Today, FrontPage Magazine, The American Conservative, The South Carolina Review, Modern Age, The Intercollegiate Review, Commonweal, and The National Catholic Register, among other venues. He has contributed to American Conservatism: An Encyclopedia and The Encyclopedia of Catholic Social Thought. From 2000-2004 he served as Senior Editor of Faith & Family magazine and a reporter at The National Catholic Register. During 2012 he was editor of Crisis. He is author, co-author, or editor of twelve books, including Wilhelm Ropke: Swiss Localist, Global Economist, The Grand Inquisitor and The Race to Save Our Century. His newest book is No Second Amendment, No First. Zmirak can be found at https://stream.org/author/johnzmirak/   John Zmirak is a senior editor at The Stream and author or co-author of ten books, including The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism. He is co-author with Jason Jones of “God, Guns, & the Government.”   John Zmirak's new book: No Second Amendment, No First  by John Zmirak  Available March 19, 2024 Today's Left endlessly preaches the evils of “gun violence." It is a message increasingly echoed from the nation's pulpits, presented as common-sense decency and virtue. Calls for “radical non-violence” are routinely endowed with the imprimatur of religious doctrine.   But what if such teachings were misguided, even damaging? What if the potential of a citizenry to exercise force against violent criminals and tyrannical governments is not just compatible with church teaching, but flows from the very heart of Biblical faith and reason? What if the freedoms we treasure are intimately tied to the power to resist violent coercion?  This is the long-overdue case John Zmirak makes with stunning clarity and conviction in No Second Amendment, No First. A Yale-educated journalist and former college professor, Zmirak shows how the right of self-defense against authoritarian government was affirmed in both the Old and New Testaments, is implied in Natural Law, and has been part of Church tradition over the centuries.  

After the death of Pope Francis, 135 cardinals are tasked with choosing his successor. We hear from Edward Pentin, Senior Correspondent with the National Catholic Register and EWTN analyst; Patsy McGarry, Religious Affairs Correspondent for The Irish Times; and reporter Peter O'Connell asks the public for their views.

El Legado del Papa Francisco: Una Síntesis de Perspectivas ContrastantesEl Papa Francisco, nacido Jorge Mario Bergoglio, dejó una huella imborrable en la Iglesia Católica y el mundo durante su pontificado iniciado en 2013. Su liderazgo, caracterizado por la simplicidad, la compasión y un llamado a la misión, inspiró a millones, pero también generó divisiones. Dos textos ofrecen perspectivas complementarias y contrastantes sobre su legado: la homilía fúnebre del Cardenal Giovanni Battista Re, publicada en el National Catholic Register, y el ensayo “Francisco en Plenitud” del Obispo Robert Barron, aparecido en First Things. Este ensayo sintetiza estas reflexiones, organizadas en cuatro temas clave —cercanía con la gente, visión misionera, compromiso con problemas globales y polarización— para capturar la esencia del impacto de Francisco.

As the world mourns the loss of Pope Francis who passed away on Easter Monday, we talk with Msgr. Roger Landry about the Holy Father's enduring legacy of mercy, especially as contemplate Divine Mercy Sunday this weekend. We also hear from Edward Pentin of the National Catholic Register about the details of the pontiff's funeral Saturday and what is expected during the upcoming conclave. Catch the show every Saturday at 7amET/5pmET on EWTN radio!

Wisconsin Special Election Voter Fraud and Trump Just Took Over the World. John Zmirak and Mr. Reagan. John Zmirak and David Clements: Wisconsin Special Election Postmortem https://youtu.be/91h3DrSgp3Q?si=-f8NDldSFZCkWsUa The Professor's Record - David K. Clements 16.8K subscribers 271 views Premiered Apr 5, 2025 John Zmirak is a Senior Editor of The Stream. He received his B.A. from Yale University in 1986, then his M.F.A. in screenwriting and fiction and his Ph.D. in English in 1996 from Louisiana State University. He has been Press Secretary to pro-life Louisiana Governor Mike Foster, and a reporter and editor at Success magazine and Investor's Business Daily, among other publications. His essays, poems, and other works have appeared in First Things, The Weekly Standard, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, USA Today, FrontPage Magazine, The American Conservative, The South Carolina Review, Modern Age, The Intercollegiate Review, Commonweal, and The National Catholic Register, among other venues. He has contributed to American Conservatism: An Encyclopedia and The Encyclopedia of Catholic Social Thought. From 2000-2004 he served as Senior Editor of Faith & Family magazine and a reporter at The National Catholic Register. During 2012 he was editor of Crisis. He is author, co-author, or editor of twelve books, including Wilhelm Ropke: Swiss Localist, Global Economist, The Grand Inquisitor and The Race to Save Our Century. His newest book is No Second Amendment, No First. Zmirak can be found at https://stream.org/author/johnzmirak/ David Clements is a former law professor and prosecutor, and creator of the documentary "Let My People Go." He can be found at https://www.theprofessorsrecord.com/ The Professor's Record - David K. Clements 16.8K subscribers   Trump Just Took Over the World Watch this video at- https://youtu.be/DT_OLIgT6Us?si=_Om-BjFr46TKQukt Mr Reagan 390K subscribers 7,986 views Apr 9, 2025 Podcasts Invest in GOLD! - Visit http://www.MrReaganLikesGold.com or Call 844-696-GOLD  Patreon:   / mrreagan    MR REAGAN MERCHANDISE https://teespring.com/stores/mr-reagan FOLLOW MR REAGAN ON TWITTER!   / mrreaganusa   --------------------------------------------------------------------  Check out our ACU Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/ACUPodcast   HELP ACU SPREAD THE WORD!  Please go to Apple Podcasts and give ACU a 5 star rating. Apple canceled us and now we are clawing our way back to the top. Don't let the Leftist win. Do it now! Thanks. Also Rate us on any platform you follow us on. It helps a lot. Forward this show to friends. Ways to subscribe to the American Conservative University Podcast Click here to subscribe via Apple Podcasts Click here to subscribe via RSS You can also subscribe via Stitcher FM Player Podcast Addict Tune-in Podcasts Pandora Look us up on Amazon Prime …And Many Other Podcast Aggregators and sites ACU on Twitter- https://twitter.com/AmerConU . Warning- Explicit and Violent video content.   Please help ACU by submitting your Show ideas. Email us at americanconservativeuniversity@americanconservativeuniversity.com   Endorsed Charities -------------------------------------------------------- Pre-Born! Saving babies and Souls. https://preborn.org/ OUR MISSION To glorify Jesus Christ by leading and equipping pregnancy clinics to save more babies and souls. WHAT WE DO Pre-Born! partners with life-affirming pregnancy clinics all across the nation. We are designed to strategically impact the abortion industry through the following initiatives:… -------------------------------------------------------- Help CSI Stamp Out Slavery In Sudan Join us in our effort to free over 350 slaves. Listeners to the Eric Metaxas Show will remember our annual effort to free Christians who have been enslaved for simply acknowledging Jesus Christ as their Savior. As we celebrate the birth of Christ this Christmas, join us in giving new life to brothers and sisters in Sudan who have enslaved as a result of their faith. https://csi-usa.org/metaxas   https://csi-usa.org/slavery/   Typical Aid for the Enslaved A ration of sorghum, a local nutrient-rich staple food A dairy goat A “Sack of Hope,” a survival kit containing essential items such as tarp for shelter, a cooking pan, a water canister, a mosquito net, a blanket, a handheld sickle, and fishing hooks. Release celebrations include prayer and gathering for a meal, and medical care for those in need. The CSI team provides comfort, encouragement, and a shoulder to lean on while they tell their stories and begin their new lives. Thank you for your compassion  Giving the Gift of Freedom and Hope to the Enslaved South Sudanese -------------------------------------------------------- Food For the Poor https://foodforthepoor.org/ Help us serve the poorest of the poor Food For The Poor began in 1982 in Jamaica. Today, our interdenominational Christian ministry serves the poor in primarily 17 countries throughout the Caribbean and Latin America. Thanks to our faithful donors, we are able to provide food, housing, healthcare, education, fresh water, emergency relief, micro-enterprise solutions and much more. We are proud to have fed millions of people and provided more than 15.7 billion dollars in aid. Our faith inspires us to be an organization built on compassion, and motivated by love. Our mission is to bring relief to the poorest of the poor in the countries where we serve. We strive to reflect God's unconditional love. It's a sacrificial love that embraces all people regardless of race or religion. We believe that we can show His love by serving the “least of these” on this earth as Christ challenged us to do in Matthew 25. We pray that by God's grace, and with your support, we can continue to bring relief to the suffering and hope to the hopeless.   Report on Food For the Poor by Charity Navigator https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/592174510   -------------------------------------------------------- Disclaimer from ACU. We try to bring to our students and alumni the World's best Conservative thinkers. All views expressed belong solely to the author and not necessarily to ACU. In all issues and relations, we hope to follow the admonitions of Jesus Christ. While striving to expose, warn and contend with evil, we extend the love of God to all of his children. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

This weekend we embark upon the holiest week of the year. It is an opportunity to journey with our Lord and have revealed to us the glory of the Paschal Mystery. This week on Register Radio, Register contributor Fr. Jeffrey Kirby returns to help us finish our lent properly. And, the fashion giant Chanel is restoring Aubazine Abbey, a jewel of medieval Cistercian heritage nestled in the heart of southwestern France. Solène Tadié, Europe Correspondent for the National Catholic Register, tells us why.

Have Your Loved Ones Turned Their Backs on God? Do What Élisabeth Leseur Did, National Catholic Register, By Katya Fitzpatrick, May 3, 2023 https://www.ncregister.com/blog/how-to-love-nonbelievers-in-your-homeThe conversation begins with a reflection on an article from the National Catholic Register about the story of Felix and Elizabeth Lassier, emphasizing sacrificial love and divine providence. The narrative is critiqued for its predictable trope of a devout woman and a skeptical man whose conversion comes after her death, portraying her suffering and prayers as transformative. The discussion shifts to the article's placement on a Catholic website and its tone of victimization despite promoting acceptance.Personal experiences are shared, highlighting the pressure to convert loved ones to match religious beliefs, which evolved into acceptance of differing views over time. The article is criticized for perpetuating submissive stereotypes of women and guilt-driven narratives common in Catholic teachings. The conversation delves into the manipulative language used in such articles, aiming to evoke emotional responses and reinforce traditional gender roles.As the discussion concludes, the panelists advocate for private religious beliefs and the importance of critical dialogue about societal issues. They invite feedback from viewers on their platforms and stress the need for awareness and engagement with current events.The Non-Prophets, Episode 22.20 airing Sunday, May 21, 2023 featuring Kelley Laughlin, Timothy Bethel, Cindy Plaza and Jason Friedman.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-non-prophets--3254964/support.

What would it look like for the Ten Commandments to make a comeback in public schools? In this episode of The Narrative, Andrea Piccotti-Bayer joins CCV President Aaron Baer, Policy Director David Mahan, and Communications Director Mike Andrews to discuss the constitutionality of displaying the Ten Commandments and why public schools should return to the religious roots that our country was founded on. Andrea explains how these tenants have a rightful place in our classrooms and breaks down the historical and legal arguments for their proposed return to public education, such as would be allowed by Ohio Senate Bill 34. Before talking with Andrea, Aaron and Mike celebrate the recent Senate Bill 1 victory banning DEI at Ohio's state colleges and universities. They also discuss the proposed House budget and Senate Bill 156, which would require schools to teach the Success Sequence. More about Andrea Picciotti-Bayer Andrea Picciotti-Bayer is Director of the Conscience Project. A Stanford-educated lawyer, she has dedicated her legal career to civil rights and appellate advocacy. Andrea started as a trial and appellate attorney in the Civil Rights Division of the US Department of Justice. Before leading the Conscience Project, she served as the legal advisor for the Catholic Association, filing amicus briefs with federal courts of appeal and the US Supreme Court in key religious freedom and free speech cases. She frequently appears in the media to discuss religious freedom controversies and legal victories. In 2021, she received First Place for Best Coverage—Religious Liberty Issues from the Catholic Media Association. She is also a legal analyst for EWTN News and a regular columnist for the National Catholic Register. Her writing has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, National Review, Fox News, Newsweek, CNN en Español, and other well-regarded publications. She has also joined Fox News, Newsmax, and various other shows to share expert commentary. Andrea has ten children and lives in the Washington, DC area. For more, check out the video put together by the Conscience Project: Louisiana Ten Commandments: When Does The Government Go Too Far In Promoting Religion?

Pope Francis has been recently hospitalized with respiratory problems, and now Catholics worldwide watch for news from the Vatican. Christopher White is the Vatican correspondent for National Catholic Register, and he joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the current pontiff's health and history – and what being the first pope from Latin America means for his legacy and the church going forward. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

https://www.ncregister.com/commentaries/improve-your-examination-of-conscienceBursch propone hacerlo diario o semanal, como un hábito. Antes de confesarme, me siento con estas cinco reglas: ¿qué hice o dejé de hacer? ¿Qué pensé? ¿A quién herí? ¿Qué dice mi carácter de mí? ¿Cómo mejoro? Es como un ‘cinco en raya' que te lleva directo al corazón de tus pecados, pero también a la misericordia de Dios. Y él lo conecta con la Cuaresma 2025: este tiempo de penitencia es perfecto para empezar, aunque vale todo el año. San Vicente de Paúl nos guía desde el cielo con su amor práctico, y Bursch nos da las herramientas para aterrizarlo.Los beneficios son enormes. Te vuelves más específico en la confesión —nada de ‘pequé en general'—, te haces más humilde al ver tus fallas, y te abres a la gracia como nunca. Yo lo probé esta semana, y les juro que sentí una paz distinta al confesarme. No es solo limpiar el alma; es dejar que Dios la transforme. Así que, hermanos en la fe, los invito: tomen estas cinco reglas del National Catholic Register, siéntense con ellas, y vean cómo su examen de conciencia se vuelve un camino de santidad.

This week on Respect Life Radio, we're joined by Marge Steinhage Fenelon, an award-winning author, international speaker and professional life coach. Marge discusses her recent article in the National Catholic Register, "5 Ways to Break Free from Your Spiritual Rut." She offers powerful reminders that God is in control, urging us to trust His timing. This episode serves as a spiritual reset, providing valuable encouragement to return to the sacraments, prayer and cultivate gratitude. For more of Fenelon's writings, visit margefenelon.com.

Jim and Joy read comments and take calls about reversing the decline of Catholic marriages. Jonathan Liedl, Senior Editor of the National Catholic Register, calls in to discuss.

ShownotesMost people think of grief in terms of a single event, usually resulting from the loss of a loved one. But as we've learned here on the Mourning Glory Podcast, grief can result/stem from more than just the death of a loved one. Today, we are going to explore some of these other ways grief can affect us like the divorce of parents, infertility, chronic illness, developmental illness, mental illness - even aging. How can we come to a place of acceptance and allow God to pour in His supernatural grace and healing? Join Andrea and Jennifer as they discuss this and more with the host ofMama's in Spirit Catholic Podcast and Ministry for Women, Lindy WynneAbout Our GuestLindy Wynne is the founder of Mamas in Spirit Catholic Ministry for Women and host of Mamas in Spirit Podcast. Lindy holds a Master's degree in Pastoral Care and Counseling and has worked in professional ministry for over sixteen years.Lindy speaks and leads retreats nationally at Catholic conferences, churches and retreat centers. The heart of Lindy's life is her marriage to her husband of twenty-four years, Brian, and caring for their three children, all of whom are adopted (ages 10, 23 and 26). The Wynne's home chapel is featured in the National Catholic Register, as well as some of their reflections on foster care and adoption.Links from the showHandy Little Prayer Books from Our Sunday Visitor Mama's in Spirit Catholic Podcast and Ministry for WomenArticle about the Wynne's home chapelYeruma (musician Lindy mentioned)When Bad Things Happen to Good PeopleSurrender novenaScriptureThe Woman at the Well/the Samaritan WomanJohn 1:5 Lamentations 3:22-23 Jeremiah 29:13Prayer for:Carolyn Henry DruffelJournaling QuestionsWhat struck you from our episodeHow can you “flip the script” to find joy again?How can you stay more attentive to receive love and goodness (59 minute)Where are some places you can see God has poured into youWhat is your mourning Glory?Be sure to check out our website,www.mourningglorypodcast.com. There you will find links to all of our episodes as well as resources to help you on your journey.

Join us as we dive into an inspiring conversation with Noelle Mering—wife, mother, grandmother, philosopher, and author of Awake, Not Woke: A Christian Response to Progressive Ideology. She has also been featured in Daily Wire, FOX News, EWTN, Washington Examiner, National Catholic Register, and The Federalist. She is also a part of The Ethic and Public Policy Center think tank in Washington, D.C.Discover her insights on the role of women in the family and society, and explore the beauty of the ‘Feminine Genius.'Don't miss this thoughtful discussion! Learn more about her work at Theology of Home and her bestselling book! (Links below)Timecode:0:00 - Hello!3:30 - Noelle Mering8:50 - Being a mother and academic14:00 - The power of the woman28:30 - The attack against womanhood43:10 - The strategy of the attack 48:40 - Friends, media, and Ideology 53:30 - How to reclaim womanhood1:02:30 - The power of the ordinary 1:06:00 - How to deal with “woke” family1:09:00 - ConclusionCheck her work out at: http://theologyofhome.com/http://noellemering.com/https://a.co/d/0nal1AMSupport the show

1/23/25 - Dr. Monica Miller is a nationally known pro-life leader, having been involved in the pro-life movement since 1976. She is the founder of Citizens for a Pro-life Society and author of several articles published on theological subjects and life-issues. Her work has appeared in This Rock, The National Catholic Register, Homiletic and Pastoral Review, The New Oxford Review, Fidelity Magazine, and Crisis Magazine. Since 1976, Monica Miller has made it her life's work to defend the unborn: she has counseled pregnant women outside abortion clinics and organized pro-life groups and sit-ins at many of those same clinics. She has blocked abortionists' cars, been arrested, and gone to jail. And she has pulled the bodies of thousands of unborn babies out of dumpsters and given them a proper burial. Abandoned: The Untold Stories of the Abortion Wars is the story of those children abandoned by abortion, and it is the story of their courageous defenders. It tells the profound, breathtaking, and often daring journey of one woman, but it is much more than that. It is a history of the Pro-Life movement since Roe vs. Wade, a suspenseful, true-life tale of life and death, an insightful look into the unique and terrible horror of abortion, and a plea for the protection of the most helpless and innocent members of the human family. Get the book at https://tanbooks.com/products/books/abandoned-the-untold-story-of-the-abortion-wars/?srsltid=AfmBOopEmXMVLMdLxYPsKRwV6E9CgKU-ltBZ85_HyVrWN_iN6zmwOeeb

How do we approach in our own lives the interior struggle for purity of heart, chastity? The battle, as we see in the writings of the fathers can be incredibly fierce. Part of this intense struggle is that that it is the human condition: sexuality and sensuality are part of what it is to be a human being. Furthermore, as we are in a constant state of receptivity through our senses, there are so many things that can stimulate the desires associated with this appetite.  We also know that we can be lazy about understanding this reality of human life and equally lazy in the spiritual life in seeking the grace  and wisdom of God to order our desires towards that which is holy. Furthermore, our struggle is also with principalities and powers. The fathers teach us that the demons are provoked by envy when they see an individual growing in holiness. Therefore, they will terrorize an individual by placing images and fantasies before them.  On an emotional and spiritual level, this often gives rise to a terrible sense of shame, casting the soul into despondency and despair. As a person struggles with this passion, the sense of vulnerability is great precisely because it is such a deep part of who we are as human beings. The demons use that sense of shame to their advantage. The mere presence of thoughts tied to this passion frustrate the soul and fragment the mind. The demons will also use the shame to manipulate the way that we respond to the struggle; they will seek to make us a demonize human desire and sexuality in order that we might repress it in such a way that it distorts our perception of reality. They do so to keep our focus off of God and his grace.  If they can keep us in despair and make us believe that God is disappointed with us, then they have won the battle. If we ignore them and turn the mind and the heart to God in prayer and rest in his grace then we are not only freed of their temptations, but experience the peace of the kingdom.  In an uncanny way, the fathers saw and understood all of this through experience; many after 40 years of struggling came to experience freedom only through their abandonment to God and his mercy. It is then, when humbled in mind and body, that they were consoled. Having received such a gift, it then became their responsibility to console others in this delicate yet fierce struggle. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:15:28 Rachel: Hi 00:15:42 Bob Cihak, AZ: P. 188, Mid-page "From the Same Author" 00:18:05 Bob Cihak, AZ: Thanks. "Fornication" = lust as well as physical actions or interactions. if I understand correctly? 00:41:34 Forrest Cavalier: The first two accounts in this hypothesis are warning to even those who do not struggle with the intensity of this kind of temptation. Those who are unmolested are not safe by their own efforts only. God's grace is at work. 00:41:54 Rachel: I find it interesting that we can be more comfortable with admitting anger, envy, ambition and other forms of pride into the heart yet are filled with shame for temptations against purity. Do you think that other sins such as anger cease with the grace of purity of heart? 00:56:18 Rachel: Thank you. You touched upon how we see each other thank you 00:58:01 Una: I did an article years ago for the National Catholic Register about the dismal record of marriages breaking apart when the couple had been living together. Stats were very bad. 01:00:42 Vanessa: Exactly why I homeschool:) 01:03:35 MOME hermits: You are so right on with all of that Fr. David. We love your balance in it all. 01:03:58 Vanessa: Reacted to "You are so right on ..." with ❤️ 01:05:31 MOME hermits: Yes, to help facilitate the person going where they need to, to hear from God within. 01:14:10 Phil: Father, could you kindly attempt to reconcile the type of vexation that a saint like Padre Pio experienced, with the quote form Jesus in the gospels, where he says, "...my yolk is easy, my burdern is light." Thank you! 01:15:12 Rachel: Not just making a fool out of ourselves by defending our own honor but losing our very Life, christ Himself 01:23:07 Rachel: Thank you 01:23:08 Rebecca Thérèse: Thank you

With the grand reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris this weekend, Solène Tadié of the National Catholic Register, joins to share some rare little known facts about the historic cathedral about this medieval Gothic jewel, also remembering the heroism on that fateful day when a chaplain ran into rescue the Blessed Sacrament and sacred relics. Ashley McGuire and Leigh Snead also discuss 2 recent articles on the tragic realities of IVF. Father Roger Landry also offers an inspiring homily to prepare us for this Sunday's Gospel as we contemplate the Immaculate Conception. Catch the show every Saturday 7amET/5pmET on EWTN radio!

Many gay men and women have been told that God doesn't love them and that religious people hate them. The reality is much more humane and helpful. Dr. Janet E Smith discusses how many gay people, who previously thought that God and religious people hated them, have come to know God's love through the efforts of humble individuals who took the time to minister to them.   Professor Smith is the author of Humanae Vitae: A Generation Later and A Right to Privacy. Her volume entitled Self-Gift contains her previously published essays on Humanae Vitae and the thought of John Paul II.   She edited Why Humanae Vitae is Right: A Reader; Life Issues, Medical Choices (with Christopher Kaczor); Living the Truth in Love: Pastoral Approaches to Same-Sex Attractions (with R. Paul Check); and Why Humanae Vitae is Still Right, a reader with 21 essays by various authors.   More than two million copies of her talk, “Contraception: Why Not” have been distributed.   Professor Smith served three terms as a consulter to the Pontifical Council on the Family, and 8 years on the Anglican Roman Catholic International Commission III.   She authors a regular column for the National Catholic Register and has appeared on Geraldo, Fox Morning News, CNN International, CNN Newsroom, AlJazeera, and EWTN among others. Professor Smith has received three honorary doctorates and several awards for her scholarship and service.   Visit her website: https://janetsmith.org/   Read her latest articles: https://crisismagazine.com/author/jsmith https://www.ncregister.com/author/janet-e-smith   Watch her presentation on “Humane Vitae 50 Years Later: Progress or Regress”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHb8L4cgvNk Listen to her lecture on “Theology of the Body”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73MxQgyE1JM   Follow her on social media: https://www.facebook.com/janet.e.smith.73/ https://x.com/profjanetsmith?lang=en   Request a speaking engagement: https://catholicspeakers.com/profiles/dr-janet-smith   Buy her books: https://ignatius.com/authors/janet-smith/   Have a question or a comment? Leave it in the comments, and we'll get back to you!   Subscribe to our YouTube playlist:  @RuthInstitute  Follow us on Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/theruthinstitute https://twitter.com/RuthInstitute https://www.facebook.com/TheRuthInstitute/ https://theruthinstitute.locals.com/newsfeed   Press: NC Register: https://www.ncregister.com/author/jennifer-roback-morse Catholic Answers: https://www.catholic.com/profile/jennifer-roback-morse The Stream: https://stream.org/author/jennifer-roback-morse/ Crisis Magazine: https://crisismagazine.com/author/jennifer-roeback-morse   Father Sullins' Reports on Clergy Sexual Abuse: https://ruthinstitute.org/resource-centers/father-sullins-research/   Buy Dr. Morse's Books: The Sexual State: https://ruthinstitute.org/product/the-sexual-state-2/ Love and Economics: https://ruthinstitute.org/product/love-and-economics-it-takes-a-family-to-raise-a-village/ Smart Sex: https://ruthinstitute.org/product/smart-sex-finding-life-long-love-in-a-hook-up-world/ 101 Tips for a Happier Marriage: https://ruthinstitute.org/product/101-tips-for-a-happier-marriage/ 101 Tips to Marry the Right Person: https://ruthinstitute.org/product/101-tips-for-marrying-the-right-person/   Listen to our podcast: Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ruth-institute-podcast/id309797947 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1t7mWLRHjrCqNjsbH7zXv1   Subscribe to our newsletter to get this amazing report: Refute the Top 5 Gay Myths https://ruthinstitute.org/refute-the-top-five-myths/   Get the full interview by joining us for exclusive, uncensored content on Locals: https://theruthinstitute.locals.com/support

Over 5,700 children from 2019 to 2023 had sex-change surgeries and more than twice that many were prescribed puberty blockers, according to a new report by a medical watchdog group Do No Harm. EWTN News identified 150 Catholic hospitals among those that provided these services. National Catholic Register staff writer Matthew McDonald has the story. Then we get another synod report from Register senior editor Jonathan Liedl as the Synod on Synodality enters the final week.

Over 5,700 children from 2019 to 2023 had sex-change surgeries and more than twice that many were prescribed puberty blockers, according to a new report by a medical watchdog group Do No Harm. EWTN News identified 150 Catholic hospitals among those that provided these services. National Catholic Register staff writer Matthew McDonald has the story. Then we get another synod report from Register senior editor Jonathan Liedl as the Synod on Synodality enters the final week.

Parts of the global Church have a very different kind of challenge on their hands than we do in the West: how to handle explosive growth. In many parts of Africa, the Church is running out of room in their seminaries, convents, and monasteries because of rising vocations, and the laity are collectively practicing their faith in ways that put the Church in the West to shame. In Nigeria, upwards of 94 percent of Catholics go to Mass every week while the U.S. can't even reach 30 percent in weekly mass attendance among Catholics. What explains this wide discrepancy? What are we in the West getting so wrong about evangelization, and what is the Church in Africa getting so right? A listener asks how she and her family can practice Sabbath rest.   00:00 | Intro 01:50 | DOWR Chancery dedication 03:00 | The African church as a robust exemplar 05:35 | Does Africa's numerical strength translate to ecclesial strength? 07:12 | Lesson 1: Primacy of the supernatural 10:56 | Lesson 2: Hold fast to theological orthodoxy 12:08 | How the Church engages cultures 16:13 | Lesson 3: Commitment to evangelize the culture 17:49 | The rhythm between “hunkering down” and “diving in” 19:50 | Lesson 4: Praise in public, criticize in private 23:13 | Lesson 5: Courage in the face of opposition 25:19 | Counter-claims for Africa's religious success 28:49 | Listener question 31:28 | Join the Word on Fire Institute   Show Notes: Stats for Nigerian Church attendance: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253488/where-is-mass-attendance-highest-one-country-is-the-clear-leader Stats for American Mass attendance: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/04/12/9-facts-about-us-catholics/ National Catholic Register article: https://www.ncregister.com/news/same-sex-blessings-and-the-catholic-church-in-africa E&C Online article: https://www.wordonfire.org/articles/pope-francis-isnt-actually-visiting-peripheries-hes-leaving-them-behind/ Crux article: https://cruxnow.com/news-analysis/2023/01/running-the-numbers-africa-isnt-the-catholic-future-its-the-present Vatican News article: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2023-04/over-50000-christians-killed-in-nigeria-by-islamist-extremists.html Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/ NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

What does the Catholic church teach about angels? How many angels are there? Can they read our minds or see the future? Can I give my guardian angel a name?In this episode we cover the church's teaching on the angels, and tell some stories of the relationship of the saints to their guardian angels.Donate via PayPalSupport us on Patreon!Contact the podcast: crashcoursecatholicism@gmail.com.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crashcoursecatholicism/References and further reading/listening/viewing:Vatican I, Dogmatic Constitution Dei Filius on the Catholic FaithFr Mike Schmitz, "How Guardian Angels Actually Work"Ascension, "All About Guardian Angels"Catholic Answers, "What Do Catholics Believe About Angels?""The Science of Angels""Proving that the Saints in Heaven Hear Our Prayers""Childish Guardian Angels""Can the Saints Hear Us?"The Catholic Encyclopedia, "Angels""Fourth Lateran Council""Demoniacal Possession"The Catholic Leader, "Do Angels Know What We're Thinking?"Busted Halo, "How Do the Saints Hear Our Prayers?"The Thomistic Institute, "Angels and Demons"Godsplaining, "What Can Angels Do?"EWTN, "Padre Pio and the Guardian Angels"National Catholic Register, "Postulators Reflect on Humanity of John Paul II, John XXIII"The Catholic Weekly, "Fr John Flader Q&A: The hierarchy of the angels"St. Josemaria Institute, "St. Josemaria and the Guardian Angels"

Welcome to another episode of Orange County Catholic Radio. On this episode, host Rick Howick welcomes a first-time guest to the show, Noelle Mering. Noelle is a fellow at the Washington D.C. based think tank, the Ethics and Public Policy Center. She is the author of the book, Awake, Not Woke: A Christian Response to the Cult of Progressive Ideology. She writes on culture, politics, and religion and has published in Newsweek, Daily Wire, National Review, The Federalist, Washington Examiner, Catholic World Report, and National Catholic Register among others. Noelle has an MA in philosophy and is a wife and mother of six children in Southern California.TheologyofHome.com

For 20 years, the National Catholic Register has put a spotlight on the faithfulness of Catholic colleges and universities. This week on Register Radio we delve into Catholic identity on Campus. Then we turn to the 2024 Catholic Voters Guide. How do the two presidential nominees line up on issues of importance to the Catholic faithful? We explore the Candidates, the Issues and Church Teaching.

For 20 years, the National Catholic Register has put a spotlight on the faithfulness of Catholic colleges and universities. This week on Register Radio we delve into Catholic identity on Campus. Then we turn to the 2024 Catholic Voters Guide. How do the two presidential nominees line up on issues of importance to the Catholic faithful? We explore the Candidates, the Issues and Church Teaching.

Up until this summer, Tom Carroll was serving as the Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Archdiocese of Boston and created what the National Catholic Register has called a “renaissance of Catholic education.” He has taken one of the facets of his work there - in the recruiting and training of new Catholic educators and offering it on a greater scale to participating dioceses. Join us on this edition of “Follow to Lead” to learn more about the Catholic Talent Project.

EWTN News and Real Clear Opinion Research released a new poll on Catholic voters that shows Vice President Kamala Harris leading former President Donald Trump. With us to discuss the numbers are reporters Peter Pinedo for Catholic News Agency and Peter Laffin for the National Catholic Register. Then we turn to mission fields far and wide with Father Roger Landry who was just named the New National Director for the Pontifical Mission Societies.

IMAGE DESCRIPTION By Reiner Diart - https://bilder.erzbistum-koeln.de/Erzbischof-Rainer-Maria-Kardinal-Woelki/Kardinal_Woelki_RGB_14 , CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=83254136  LINKS Vatican bio of Cardinal Woelki: https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/documentation/cardinali_biografie/cardinali_bio_woelki_rm.html        Ranier Maria Woelki on FIU's Cardinals Database (by Salvadore Miranda): https://cardinals.fiu.edu/bios2012.htm#Woelki     Cardinal Woelki on Gcatholic.org: http://www.gcatholic.org/p/4248          Cardinal Woelki on Catholic-Hierarchy.org: https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bwoel.html             Archdiocese of Cologne on Gcatholic.org: http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/diocese/koln0.htm?tab=info   Archdiocese of Cologne on Catholic-Hierarchy.org: https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dkoln.html The History of Cologne podcast by Willem Fromm: https://podcastaddict.com/podcast/the-history-of-cologne/2535948  Catholic Education Resource Center's record of 2009 comments on abuse statistics by Archbishop Tomasi: https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/controversy/common-misconceptions/vatican-sets-record-straight-on-sexual-abuse.html  Tages Spiegel reporting on 2020 criticism of Cardinal Woelki from abuse commissioner: https://www.tagesspiegel.de/gesellschaft/panorama/missbrauchsbeauftragter-kritisiert-kolner-kardinal-woelki-scharf-4211776.html  2022 Catholic News Agency reporting on Cardinal Woelki submitting resignation: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250542/german-catholic-cardinal-woelki-submits-resignation-to-pope-francis-after-period-of-leave 2021 Gercke Report: https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:VA6C2:b48dfbcd-81c1-41d7-9ca2-62e01a4e5a11  2022 Union of Catholic Asia News reporting on Cologne abuse situation: https://www.ucanews.com/news/head-of-cologne-abuse-investigation-commission-resigns/99638  2023 National Catholic Register reporting on recent search of Cardinal Woelki's records by German law enforcement: https://www.ncregister.com/cna/german-cardinal-woelki-under-investigation-allegations-of-perjury-prompt-search-of-archdiocese  2014 profile of Cardinal Woelki (via Faith Matters- German): https://youtu.be/dudVMptuvZk?si=U3TLKelV_Q_yRdPh    Thank you for listening, and thank my family and friends for putting up with the time investment and for helping me out as needed. As always, feel free to email the show at Popeularhistory@gmail.com  If you would like to financially support Popeular history, go to www.patreon.com/Popeular. If you don't have any money to spare but still want to give back, pray and tell others– prayers and listeners are worth more than gold!   TRANSCRIPT Welcome to Cardinal Numbers, a rexypod ranking all the Cardinals of the Catholic Church we can get our hands on, from the Catacombs to Kingdom Come.   Check out the show notes for sources, further reading, and a transcript.   Today we're discussing another current Cardinal of the Catholic Church, one of the 120 or so people who will choose the next Pope when the time comes.   Please note that this episode includes a general discussion of the sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic Church. I don't get graphic, but it's there.   Rainer Maria Woelki was born on August 18, 1956 in Cologne, Germany, which is in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia on the western end of things. With well over a million residents, Cologne is Germany's fourth largest city and is on the short list of cities with their own dedicated longrunning history pod, The History of Cologne by Willem Fromm. Link in the show notes. (https://podcastaddict.com/podcast/the-history-of-cologne/2535948)   In his early 20s, Rainer did some obligatory military service as part of a unit called the Panzerartillerielehrbataillon. I *probably* would have mentioned his service even if it hadn't given me the opportunity to point out that Panzerartillerielehrbataillon is one word, but I guess we'll never know for sure because that was definitely a factor in my editing decisions for this episode.    Anyways, he was ordained a priest in 1985, at the age of 28, pretty much right on pace when you account for that military stint. As a priest of the Archdiocese of Cologne, he not only served in various chaplaincies, but also as private secretary of Cardinal Joachim Meisner, the then-Archbishop of Cologne.   From 1997 to 2003, Woelki served as director of a boarding school for seminarians. During this time he continued his studies, obtaining a Doctorate in Theology from the Pontificia Università della Santa Croce–that is, the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross–a school in Rome run by Opus Dei.   Presumably he stopped directing the boarding school in 2003 because his white phone rang- ring ring it's Pope John Paul II, here to make him titular bishop of Scampa and auxiliary bishop of Cologne. He was named a canon of Cologne's metropolitan Cathedral chapter later that year. He got involved in affairs for the German Bishops' Conference, serving on the Commission for vocations and ecclesiastical ministries; and on the Commission for science and culture. As you can see, or at least hear, the titles of offices in bishop's conferences start to read like Roman curial titles, which I suppose isn't too surprising.   Anyways in 2011 that white phone rang again and this time it was Pope Benedict XVI making Bishop Woelki the Archbishop of Berlin, which, given how much we've been going on about the Archdiocese of Cologne in this episode, might be a bit of a surprise but it can't have been completely out of the blue because Woelki was chosen by the Archdioceses' high metropolitan Cathedral Chapter, which, I admit, isn't something I'm super familiar with specifically but generally speaking Cathedral chapters have historically had a dominant influence in choosing who the bishop would be and that seems to be a custom that still has some staying power in some areas, particularly those with long traditions of doing things through Cathedral Chapters rather than in areas where things were set up air quotes “only” in in recent times–you know, in the last thousand years or so. So, you know, Europe. And in Eastern Catholic churches, whose traditions do not center Vatican appointments.   Anyways, yes, Berlin's Cathedral Chapter wanted Woelki,  and they got him, for a span.   In 2012, Archbishop Woelki became Cardinal Woelki, with Pope Benedict making him a Cardinal-Priest with the title of S. Giovanni Maria Vianney. At that point, he was the youngest member of the College of Cardinals, though by the end of the year that spot would be taken by Mar Cleemis, not to mention the also younger Cardinal Tagle.   Also in 2012, Cardinal Woelki was made a member of both the Congregation for Catholic Education and of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity. The next year, like the other Benedict appointees we've mentioned, Cardinal Woelki participated in the March 2013 conclave that elected Pope Francis.   In 2014, Cardinal Woelki was named member of the Congregation for the Clergy, and after three years as Archbishop of Berlin, he was transferred to his old home of the Cologne Archdiocese as its new Archbishop. The next year, because you can't keep a good Roman Curia down, he was named member of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See, effectively helping manage the Vatican's pocketbooks and keep things running financially.   More recently, the Archdiocese of Cologne generally and Cardinal Woelki specifically have been focal points in some of the more recent chapters of the ongoing sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic Church.    On the slight chance that some of my listeners are not aware of that topic in general, there have been thousands and thousands of cases of sexual abuse of minors by Catholic priests in the last century. One Vatican official put the total number of abusers among priests at between 1.5 and 5 percent, noting that the number was generally in line with other organizations, which is certainly an argument that can be made, but given that Jesus literally told His followers to “be perfect” (Mt 5:48), I don't think it's unreasonable to hold the shepherds of the Church He founded to a higher standard than society at large, and yeah, society at large should also be doing better when it comes to not sexually abusing minors.   I've talked about this before, and I'll talk about it again, not only because it's important to talk about it so efforts to sweep it under the rug fail–and there are such efforts, to be sure– but also because my intention is to talk about everything and this uncomfortable topic is part of “everything”. Plus you'd kind of have to go out of your way to avoid talking about it when talking about Cardinal Woelki. Not because anyone is suggesting he's an abuser himself, but because in 2020 he picked up the stink of a common and decidedly difficult to shake reputation especially particular to higher level clergy: a reputation of seeking to bury such stories when possible.   Right or wrong, the main catalyst for that reputation was a series of comments made by the Independent Commissioner for Issues of Child Sexual Abuse, one Johannes-Wilhelm Rörig. Among other things, Rörig said, quote “There are many indications that Cardinal Woelki may have made a massive mistake with regard to the participation of those affected, transparency and independence from processing”, end quote.   In particular, Rörig accused Cardinal Woelki of promising transparency and then not following through with it, referring in particular to an independent report on the abuse situation within the Archdiocese that Cardinal Woelki had commissioned but which he had prevented from going public, citing unspecified methodological issues and violations of personal rights.   To his credit, Cardinal Woelki did follow up and commission another report, the results of which he did make public in March 2021 in the 800-page Gercke report, linked, like everything else, in the show notes. That certainly was not the end of the matter though, and in September 2021, after an apostolic visitation–basically a Vatican audit– and what the Holy See described as “a long conversation” with the Pope, Cardinal Woelki went on sabbatical for several months, leaving the Archdiocese in the hands of an Apostolic Administrator.    Upon his return to active service in March 2022, Cardinal Woelki submitted his resignation to Pope Francis, who has not yet acted on the offer, though a 2021 Vatican statement did acknowledge Woelki had made quote “major mistakes”, end quote, especially when it comes to communication, and described a quote “crisis of confidence in the archdiocese”, end quote.   In addition to continuing his service in what's now the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity and the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See, Cardinal Woelki is also currently serving as a member of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.   *Barring any changes to his status*, which is something I could always say but don't always say but am saying today *because reasons*, Rainer Maria Cardinal Woelki is eligible to participate in future conclaves until he turns 80 in 2036.   Today's episode is part of Cardinal Numbers,  and there will be more Cardinal Numbers  next week.. Thank you for listening; God bless you all! Thanks, Joe!

EWTN News and Real Clear Opinion Research released a new poll on Catholic voters that shows Vice President Kamala Harris leading former President Donald Trump. With us to discuss the numbers are reporters Peter Pinedo for Catholic News Agency and Peter Laffin for the National Catholic Register. Then we turn to mission fields far and wide with Father Roger Landry who was just named the New National Director for the Pontifical Mission Societies.

In this episode of "Being Catholic with Bob Johnston," Bob and his wife Lynn delve into Pope Francis's declaration, Dignitatis Infinita, exploring the concept of infinite human dignity and its implications. They discuss the philosophical and theological perspectives, particularly focusing on the views of Thomas Aquinas and the potential societal impacts of misinterpreting human dignity as naturally infinite. Additionally, the episode tackles a provocative idea: Should parents be given extra votes to represent their children in elections? Drawing from a recent article in the National Catholic Register, Bob examines the arguments for and against parental proxy voting, considering its potential to address the underrepresentation of children's interests in public policy. Join Bob and Lynn for a thought-provoking discussion on these critical issues, and stay tuned for a preview of next week's topic on the history and resurgence of populism in American politics.

Solène Tadié is the Europe correspondent for EWTN News and a writer for the National Catholic Register. After many years covering the Catholic Church from Rome, she is now based in Budapest. In this discussion, she touches on differences between the Church in America and Europe, signs of hope for Catholics in challenging times, the legacy of Pope Benedict XVI, the rising profile of Hungarian Cardinal Péter Erdő, misconceptions about women's status in Christianity historically, Muslim conversions to Christianity, and more.Find more on Tadié's work here: https://www.ncregister.com/author/solene-tadieHost Luke Larson is a visiting fellow of the Matthias Corvinus Collegium and a native of Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA.Az MCC Podcast adásaiban érdekes emberekkel izgalmas témákról beszélgetünk. Feldolgozzuk a közélet, a gazdaság, a társadalom fontosabb aktuális történéseit, de olyan kérdéseket is napirendre veszünk, mint például a művészet, a család vagy a vallás. Vendégeink között oktatóink, kutatóink, vendégelőadóink kapnak helyet. Mindenkinek kellemes időtöltést és szellemi feltöltődést kívánunk.

LINKS Vatican bio of Cardinal Lacroix https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/documentation/cardinali_biografie/cardinali_bio_lacroix_gc.html       Gérald Cyprien Lacroix on FIU's Cardinals Database (by Salvadore Miranda): https://cardinals.fiu.edu/bios2014.htm#Lacroix   Cardinal Lacroix on Gcatholic.org: http://www.gcatholic.org/p/24599      Cardinal Lacroix on Catholic-Hierarchy.org: https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/blacrgc.html       Archdiocese of Québec on Gcatholic.org: http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/diocese/queb0.htm?focus=24599&tab=info       Archdiocese of Québec on Catholic-Hierarchy.org: https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dqueb.html ISPX website: https://ispx.org/en-assemblee-pour-sengager-totalement/  National Catholic Register abuse allegation coverage: https://www.ncregister.com/cna/canadian-cardinal-lacroix-named-in-sexual-abuse-lawsuit  Reuters abuse allegation coverage: https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/canadian-cardinal-temporarily-steps-down-after-lawsuit-alleging-abuse-2024-01-26/  America Magazine coverage of abuse investigation and Cardinal Lacroix's return to ministry: https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2024/07/23/quebec-cardinal-vatican-abuse-248430  2020 Salt and Light interview with Cardinal Lacroix (English): https://youtu.be/SvPhxY34AuA?feature=shared    IMAGE CREDIT: CNS photo/Philippe Vaillancourt, Presence, via America Magazine. Imaged cropped. IMAGE SOURCE AND DESCRIPTION: Cardinal Gerald C. Lacroix of Quebec walks with his crosier following a Dec. 12 Mass for the opening of the Holy Door in Notre-Dame Cathedral. https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2017/06/21/canadian-cardinal-spent-9-years-colombian-war-zone-now-he-serves-new-periphery Thank you for listening, and thank my family and friends for putting up with the time investment and for helping me out as needed. As always, feel free to email the show at Popeularhistory@gmail.com  If you would like to financially support Popeular history, go to www.patreon.com/Popeular. If you don't have any money to spare but still want to give back, pray and tell others– prayers and listeners are worth more than gold!   TRANSCRIPT Welcome to Popeular History, a library of Catholic knowledge and insights.   Check out the show notes for sources, further reading, and a transcript.   Today we're discussing another current Cardinal of the Catholic Church, one of the 120 or so people who will choose the next Pope when the time comes.   Before we do, I have a note from last week's episode, courtesy of attentive listener Christine de Pizan, who asked about the fifteenth century Cardinal Louis de Luxembourg when I described Cardinal Höllerich as Luxembourg's first Cardinal. After getting over my elation that someone as cool as Christine listens to my podcast, and apparently listens closely, I dug into the matter and quickly found not one not two but three and nearly four such “de Luxembourg” Cardinals, all listed as French by my sources. The question is fair, where did they get the de Luxembourg thing? Well, if you go back through the generations, according to Christine who was kind enough to help answer her own question, they're all descendants of  Henry V, Count of Luxembourg, who looms fairly large in Luxembourger history, and who I reckon could fairly be called Luxembourgish himself. The de Luxembourg Cardinals are certainly worth mentioning when talking about the history of Catholic Cardinals in connection to Luxembourg, and I look forward to diving into their stories eventually. But by their day, well, I am comfortable continuing to count them as French for now, given their strong connections and daily life in France. The question of national equivalency gets fuzzier and fuzzier the further back you go, enough that I've considered dropping it as a focal point, but in the end people do pay close attention to the national makeup of the College of Cardinals, so it's worth discussing, even if it gets murky. So thank you again Christine for drawing the de Luxembourg Cardinals to my attention, you inspired me to spend a fair amount of time working on my Cardinals database this week, which is always a pleasure, so thank you for that and for listening as well. I also should note that an accusation of abuse of a minor was made against today's Cardinal, Cardinal Lacroix, after I wrote my original summary of his life..Cardinal Lacroix, who categorically denies the allegations, temporarily stepped aside from his duties as a result in January of this year, returning to duty just last month, in July of 2024, after an investigation by a retired judge concluded with no evidence being found to support a canonical trial. The judge did note that the investigation should be considered incomplete, given that Cardinal Lacroix's accuser refused to participate, I'm guessing there's a trust issue, though the investigating judge also described Cardinal Lacroix;s record as “impeccable”.   Anyways, without further ado, let's get into it.   Gérald Cyprien Lacroix was born on July 27th, 1957 in Saint-Hilaire de Dorset, a community in the far south of Canada's Québec Province. His parents were farmers who moved the family to New Hampshire when he was 8 years old, and he finished his childhood in New England. In 1975, presumably after turning 18 though possibly a bit before, he joined the Secular institute Pius X, or ISPX. Presumably he heard about it in part because it was founded in Manchester, New Hampshire, where he went to high school. The ISPX should not be confused with the SSPX, which we'll talk about sometime in the future. As for the Secular Institute part, we're basically talking following the evangelical counsels–you know, poverty, chastity, and obedience–that you normally see in a monastic setting without the monastery part, so there's a focus on living in the world rather than in community.   The ISPX is headquartered in Québec, the land of Gérald's birth, and he went back that way about this time. He didn't jump immediately into seminary though, taking the “secular” part of “secular institute” to heart and working for a restaurant, then as a graphic designer at a publishing house. In 1980 he took a year to do missionary work at a clinic for the poor in Columbia–service to the poor being a special focus of the ISPX. On his return he began studying at the Université Laval, a public university rather than the seminaries you may have come to expect.   The ISPX must have liked what he was doing, because in 1982 they made Gérald their Secretary-General when he was a 25 year old college student who made his perpetual vows that same year. It's not clear what his duties were as Secretary-General, normally as we've seen when it comes to Church stuff secretary is actually a fairly high posting, but I don't get the sense that this was like being Secretary-General at, say, the UN. It definitely wasn't the top post, I can say that much.    He held other posts in the Institute, becoming counselor of the General Counsel in 1985. Presumably that was an advancement, and soon he was Director General of one of their centers for spiritual formation.   In 1988, he was ordained a deacon in New Hampshire, then a few months later a priest in Québec, so very much a two-worlds scenario. Or rather, three worlds, because from 1990 to 2000 he was back serving in Columbia, carrying out tasks from assisting at a local parish to acting as a radio host, presumably in Spanish, though Gérald was also comfortable in English and French because of his background. While in Columia he also established nine houses for the ISPX, and yeah I know I said what made the ISPX a secular institute was a focus on living in the world rather than in community but, well, it's complicated. You still want to have a stable situation and base of operations, so even secular institutes still have religious houses. It goes back to that constant Martha and Mary discussion, as it always does.   Nine houses sounds like good growth for the order, and it seems they agreed, because in 2001 Father Lacroix became the top man for sure, the Director General, and that's how I know Secretary General was apparently not the top job.   Usually I can have more confidence about the inner workings of the religious orders we're discussing because, frankly, they're older and bigger. In the case of the ISPX, I mean, the Church has only formally recognized the concept of a Secular Institute since 1947-which is an odd thing to read on the website of a Secular Institute founded eight years before that in 1939, but hey, these things usually do start at the local level and then bubble up.   In 2008, deep into his second four-year term running the ISPX, Father Lacroix was established as a member of the Executive Council of the World Conference for the Secular Institutes. The following year, 2009, he was made an Auxiliary Bishop of Québec, becoming Titular Bishop of Ilta because as you may recall auxiliary bishops tend to become titular bishops of defunct diocesesA as a way of emphasizing the one-diocese one-bishop model while still allowing for additional admin help in larger sees.   At the time, the Archbishop of Québec was Cardinal Marc Ouellet, though not for much longer as Cardinal Ouellet was made Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, a Curial post of sufficient intensity that he left the Archdiocese for Rome full time. You won't be surprised to learn that the conveniently placed Auxiliary Bishop Lacroix was chosen to succeed him in the post, nor will you be surprised that Pope Francis made him a Cardinal in 2014, during his first consistory. That same year, he was made a member of the Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life, which makes sense given his background, as well as the Pontifical Councils for Interreligious Dialogue and for Culture. Later, in 2020, he was added to the Council for the Economy, and finally, just last year,, Pope Francis added him to both the Dicastery for Culture and Education and his elite Council of Cardinals. Considering Cardinal Hollerich also made his way onto the Council of Cardinals at the end of our last episode, you'd be forgiven for thinking everyone and their brother is a member, but no, there are only nine members, all Cardinals. Considering there are currently 236 Cardinals, it's an exclusive club within an exclusive club, though I'm sure Pope Francis wouldn't call it that. An advisory body within an advisory body, is that better?   Anyways, unless he resigns early or something, which I am not predicting, Cardinal Lacroix is eligible to participate in future conclaves until he turns 80 in 2037.   Today's episode is part of Cardinal Numbers, and there will be more Cardinal Numbers next week. Thank you for listening; God bless you all!

IMAGE CREDIT: Photo : Guy Wolff / Église catholique à Luxembourg LINKS Vatican bio of Cardinal Höllerich https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/documentation/cardinali_biografie/cardinali_bio_hollerich_jc.html      Jean Claude Höllerich on FIU's Cardinals Database (by Salvadore Miranda): https://cardinals.fiu.edu/bios2019.htm#Hollerich  Cardinal Höllerich on Gcatholic.org: http://www.gcatholic.org/p/47061     Cardinal Höllerich on Catholic-Hierarchy.org: https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bholleri.html      Archdiocese of Luxembourg on Gcatholic.org: http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/diocese/luxe0.htm?focus=47061&tab=info      Archdiocese of Luxembourg on Catholic-Hierarchy.org: https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dluxe.html  National Catholic Register coverage of Cardinal Höllerich on church teaching on Homosexuality: https://www.ncronline.org/news/quick-reads/top-eu-cardinal-calls-change-church-teaching-gay-relationships  2022 National Catholic Register coverage of Cardinal Pell calling for Cardinal Höllerich's censure: https://www.ncregister.com/blog/cardinal-pell-calls-on-vatican-to-correct-2-senior-european-bishops-for-rejecting-church-s-sexual-ethics  Crux Now reporting on Cardinal Höllerich's appointment as Relator General for the Synod on Synodality: https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2021/07/pope-names-relator-general-for-2023-synod  Thank you for listening, and thank my family and friends for putting up with the time investment and for helping me out as needed. As always, feel free to email the show at Popeularhistory@gmail.com  If you would like to financially support Popeular history, go to www.patreon.com/Popeular. If you don't have any money to spare but still want to give back, pray and tell others– prayers and listeners are worth more than gold! TRANSCRIPT Welcome to Popeular History, a library of Catholic knowledge and insights. Check out the show notes for sources, further reading, and a transcript. Today we're discussing another current Cardinal of the Catholic Church, one of the 120 or so people who will choose the next Pope when the time comes. Jean Claude Höllerich was born on August 9, 1958 in Differdange, Luxembourg. Sandwiched at the intersection of Belgium, France, and Germany, Luxembourg isn't exactly large but for what, it's worth, Differdange is on the southwestern corner of things. He actually grew up in Vianden, which is clear on the opposite northeast end of the country, a full hour's drive away. Anyways, Jean Claude went to Rome relatively early on in his journey, once he decided to pursue the priesthood he began studying at the Pontifical Gregorian University. He formally joined the Jesuit Order in 1981, doing his novitiate in Namur, Belgium, followed by a couple years of pastoral training back home in Luxembourg, then actually on to Japan and I'll bet you didn't see that one coming. But yes from 1985 to 1989 he studied Japanese, not only the language but the culture as well, accompanied of course by theological studies, which he capped off back closer to home in Germany. By the time of his 1990 ordination Father Höllerich was deep into studying German language and literature, winding up with his second licentiate, by which point he was already a decade into his teaching career. His early teaching had been focused on forming seminarians, but by 1994 he was settled in at Sophia University in Tokyo, where his focus was European studies. He gradually built his portfolio at that university, becoming student chaplain in 1999, then rector of the school's Jesuit community as well as vice-rector for general affairs and students at the school as of 2008. I should also note that he took his final vows as a Jesuit during all that, in 2002. In 2011, the Archbishop of Luxembourg–aka the *only* Roman Catholic bishop of Luxembourg–retired. There has never been a non-Luxembourger Archbishop and there are only so many Luxembourger priests of the right age with the right qualifications-don't get me wrong I do think Father Höllerich was surprised but maybe just a bit less surprised than others we've talked about when he was named as the next Archbishop. In a nice touch given Höllerich's history, the Archbishop of Tokyo joined the Archbishop of Cologne and the Archbishop Emeritus of Luxembourg in consecrating him on October 16, 2011. In his role as Archbishop–and even before– he was frequently involved in side projects like bringing the Catholic Scouts of Europe to Luxembourg and serving as President of the Catholic Bishops Conferences of Europe's Commission for youth. In 2018, he was elected president of the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Union (COMECE). In 2019, Pope Francis named him as a Cardinal-Priest, assigning him the titular church of San Giovanni Crisostomo a Monte Sacro Alto and making him the first Luxembourger Cardinal. Cardinal Höllerich has gained a reputation for being progressive–by Catholic standards–calling for lay empowerment and women deacons and being relatively LGBT+ affirming. On the latter topic, here's an eyebrow-raising quote: "I believe that the sociological-scientific foundation of this teaching is no longer correct," End quote.  In this he found himself at odds with the late Cardinal Pell, who publicly called for Pope Francis to condemn Höllerich's quote “wholesale and explicit” end quote rejection of Church teaching on sexuality. He's also the highest ranking Church official I've ever seen to openly express a willingness to consider full on women's ordination, not just the more common willingness to restore an unordained diaconate for women but openness to full-on women priests. Given his progressive streak, it's not terribly surprising that Cardinal Höllerich's appointment as Relator General for the Synod on Synodality got a lot of attention generally and concern from more conservative commentators specifically. The Synod on Synodality–officially the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops but Synod on Synodality is what's caught on so that's what we're rolling with–the Synod on Synodality is a rolling conversation that was originally supposed to wrap up in 2022 but it got pushed back to 2023 and then extended to a two-year program that started about a year ago and will conclude this October. A synod is a gathering of bishops, and therefore a synod on synodality is something of a meeting on meetings, but it's had a large amount of interest especially when someone like Höllerich was setting up the discussion topics, including increasing the participation of women and the laity in the life of the Church and being more pastoral slash welcoming to LGBT+ individuals. Right now I can tell you that I expect more movement on including women and laity in Church governance- it's already happened with the Synod itself, with laity including women having a voting role in the Synod on Synodality itself, a noteworthy departure from the Church's administrative tradition. But don't get too riled up about women deacons, much less women priests, or significant changes on the LGBT+ front, because by all accounts major shifts on those higher profile fronts are, simply put, not likely. In 2020, Pope Francis named Cardinal Hollerich as a member of the Pontifical Council for Culture and then added him to the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialog a few months later. In September 2021 he was named as one of the two vice presidents of the Council of the European Bishops' Conferences (CCEE), and last but certainly not least in earlier this year Pope Francis added Cardinal Höllerich to his special kitchen cabinet “Council of Cardinals”, the same body where his erstwhile critic Cardinal Pell had served until his passing. Jean Claude Höllerich is eligible to participate in future conclaves until he turns 80 in 2038. Today's episode is part of Cardinal Numbers, and there will be more Cardinal Numbers next week. Thank you for listening; God bless you all!

In a historic decision, President Joe Biden withdraws from the 2024 presidential race, setting up a competition between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris – Former U.S. Representative Dan Lipinski, a pro-life Democrat, and National Catholic Register's Peter Laffin provide Catholic analysis on the latest. Mark Irons speaks with the American Solidarity Party's presidential candidate Peter Sonski who says his platform reflects the dignity of the human person. More than 60,000 people gathered in Indianapolis for the 10th National Eucharistic Congress – Roselle Reyes takes us there and Montse Alvarado speaks with the Congress' new CEO Jason Shanks to hear what's next. And with the start of the Olympic Games in Paris, we introduce you to a young French priest who is charge of the Catholic chaplains providing spiritual support to the world's top athletes.

On May 11, Harrison Butker, a devout Roman Catholic, and a kicker for the Kansas City Chiefs, gave a commencement speech at Benedictine College to talk about traditional Catholic values.Butker praised his wife for being a homemaker. This made the wokesters in the media pull out their hair.Although I am not Roman Catholic, I agree with what Butker said about his wife and defend him against his critics.He also has his supporters, including the family of the CEO of his NFL team. We also hear from Bill Maher and Sage Steele.Sources Cited:Harrison Butker | Commencement Address 2024 | Benedictine College [YouTube video]"Full Text: Harrison Butker of Kansas City Chiefs Graduation Speech," National Catholic Register, May 16, 2024.Lindsey Darvin, "Harrison Butker's Speech Undermines The Power Of Sport As A Platform For Equity," Forbes, May 21, 2024.Tavia Hunt Instagram PostSage Steele DEFENDS Harrison Butker's Speech [YouTube video]Scriptures Referenced:Proverbs 31:28Isaiah 5:20-21*** Castle Rock Women's Health is a pro-life and pro-women health care ministry. They need your help to serve the community. Please consider a monthly or one-time donation. ***We value your feedback!Have questions for Truthspresso? Contact us!

On May 11, Harrison Butker, a devout Roman Catholic, and a kicker for the Kansas City Chiefs, gave a commencement speech at Benedictine College to talk about traditional Catholic values.Butker praised his wife for being a homemaker. This made the wokesters in the media pull out their hair.Although I am not Roman Catholic, I agree with what Butker said about his wife and defend him against his critics.He also has his supporters, including the family of the CEO of his NFL team. We also hear from Bill Maher and Sage Steele.Sources Cited:Harrison Butker | Commencement Address 2024 | Benedictine College [YouTube video]"Full Text: Harrison Butker of Kansas City Chiefs Graduation Speech," National Catholic Register, May 16, 2024.Lindsey Darvin, "Harrison Butker's Speech Undermines The Power Of Sport As A Platform For Equity," Forbes, May 21, 2024.Tavia Hunt Instagram PostSage Steele DEFENDS Harrison Butker's Speech [YouTube video]Scriptures Referenced:Proverbs 31:28Isaiah 5:20-21*** Castle Rock Women's Health is a pro-life and pro-women health care ministry. They need your help to serve the community. Please consider a monthly or one-time donation. ***We value your feedback!Have questions for Truthspresso? Contact us!

On episode #167, I spoke with Shaun McAfee about sacramentals.  Key points from our discussion include:- What inspired Shaun to write this book- What is a sacramental?- How sacramentals are incorporated into the live of the everyday Catholic- Superstitions versus legitimate means of grace- The three groups of sacramentals- And much more...Biography:Shaun McAfee, a convert to the Catholic Faith and Lay Dominican, is the founder and editor of EpicPew.com. He writes for numerous Catholic publications and resources, including the National Catholic Register. He currently lives in New Orleans, Louisiana, with his wife, Jessica, and their six children.Links:Books: Purchase them hereWebsite: https://www.catholic.com/profile/shaun-mcafeeOur Sponsors:This is a Good Catholic Podcast.  If you're interested in purchasing a Good Catholic digital series, use code GBS for 20% off your total order.Looking for the perfect Catholic gift? Check out The Catholic Company and find it today! Use code SAINTS20OFF for 20% off your next purchase! Support the Show.

I interviewed John Clark, the author of “Betrayed without a Kiss: Defending Marriage after Years of Failed Leadership in the Church” - a new, excellent, and timely book from TAN Books defending the Sacrament of Matrimony. Everyone in the Church ought to read this fantastic book.Check it out HERE on TAN Books or HERE on Amazon (also available on Kindle).John Clark is a columnist, political speechwriter, and ghostwriter. He has authored two books on fatherhood and written approximately five hundred articles and blogs about Catholic family life and apologetics in such places as The National Catholic Register and the Magis Center. He is also an online course developer for Seton Home Study School. He was homeschooled by his mother, Dr. Mary Kay Clark, and holds a degree in Political Science and Economics from Christendom College. John and his wife, Lisa, have nine children and live in central Florida.Good Distinctions is a listener-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.SummaryIn this conversation, Will Wright interviews author John Clark about his book 'Betrayed Without a Kiss: Defending Marriage After Years of Failed Leadership in the Church'. They discuss the importance of marriage and its connection to the Church, the attack on marriage by figures like Henry VIII and Martin Luther, and the role of suffering in strengthening marriages. They also touch on practical ways to nurture a strong marriage and the issues with the annulment process in the Catholic Church. The conversation explores the concept of alienation of affection and its implications in divorce cases. It is revealed that alienation of affection is only recognized as a law in 6 out of 50 states in the US. The conversation also delves into the role of the church in divorce cases and the validity of marriages. The speakers discuss the need for pre-dating programs and sermons that address virtues and qualities of a good spouse. They emphasize the importance of reinforcing the idea that God loves marriage and the sacraments can strengthen marriages.Takeaways* Marriage is a sacred institution that is intimately connected to the Church.* Figures like Henry VIII and Martin Luther attacked marriage as a way to undermine the Church.* Suffering can be a means of growth and sanctification in marriage.* Living sacramental lives and prioritizing prayer can strengthen marriages.* The annulment process in the Catholic Church has some issues that need to be addressed. Alienation of affection is recognized as a law in only 6 out of 50 states in the US.* The church is not concerned about what happens after consent is exchanged in a marriage.* Pre-dating programs and sermons that address virtues and qualities of a good spouse can be beneficial.* Reinforcing the idea that God loves marriage and the sacraments can strengthen marriages.* The church should stop asking the government to adjudicate the sacraments.Please take a moment to rate Good Distinctions on Apple Podcasts and Spotify! This would help a great deal in spreading the podcast! Get full access to Good Distinctions at www.gooddistinctions.com/subscribe

EWTN News Correspondent Colm Flynn speaks about Tammy Peterson about her journey to the Catholic Church, and Jonathan Liedl, Senior Editor for the National Catholic Register, assesses the document Dignitas Infinita which examines the crucial truth of Human Dignity and notes the threats to it.

Renzo and Monica Ortega are Catholic ministry leaders, authors, speakers, and content creators. They host the popular marriage podcast, Two Become Family, and are co-authors of the children's devotional, Go To Joseph for Children. Renzo is also the author of the men's devotional, Go To Joseph. Their online marriage apostolate, Two Become Family, has been featured in the National Catholic Register and their conversion story has been featured in the documentary St. Joseph: Our Spiritual Father. Renzo holds a MA in Theology from Holy Apostles College and Seminary. The Ortegas live in CT with their 5 children where they facilitate youth ministry and marriage prep ministry.

Dr Gavin Ashenden is joined this week by John Zmirak, a senior editor of The Stream and author of the new Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism, to discuss the new novelties “gathering slime” in the West and within the Catholic Church. Zmirak is the author, co-author, or editor of twelve books, including Wilhelm Ropke: Swiss Localist, Global Economist, The Grand Inquisitor (graphic novel) and The Race to Save Our Century and his essays, poems, and other works have appeared in First Things, The Weekly Standard, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, USA Today, FrontPage Magazine, The American Conservative, The South Carolina Review, Modern Age, The Intercollegiate Review, Commonweal, and The National Catholic Register. He has contributed to American Conservatism: An Encyclopedia and The Encyclopedia of Catholic Social Thought.

CNA Deutsch Editor-in-Chief AC Wimmer reports on the Vatican's intervention of the German bishops controversial vote on the synodal way. Solène Tadié, Europe correspondent for the National Catholic Register looks at the influential role of women in the Catholic church

Edward Pentin (@EdwardPentin on X), senior correspondent for the National Catholic Register reports on the recent, closed door meeting between Vatican Cardinals and Italian Freemasons, and Cardinal Christoph Schonborn warns the Church in Germany about possible schism as a result of their "synodal way". Fr. Thomas Petri, president of the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, DC (@PetriOP on X) & Sr. Deirdre Byrne, Superior of the Little Workers of the Sacred Heart share their thoughts and observations on the sacrilegous funeral service for a trans-rights activist held recently at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City. Fr. Thomas Berg (@frtberg on X), moral theologian and visiting scholar at the McGrath Institute for Church Life at Notre Dame joins us with analysis of the testimony this week of one of the victims of disgraced Jesuit priest and artist Marko Rupnik. Most Rev. Liam Cary, Bishop of the Diocese of Baker, OR shares his pastoral letter on the Vatican's recent directive on blessings (Fiducia Supplicans).

Pope Francis' recent comments about his hope for an empty hell has once again raised controversy. In this video Ralph clarifies what God has actually revealed to us about the reality of hell and the clarity of the Church's teaching on it in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. To read What is the Occupancy of Hell by Ralph Martin for the National Catholic Register visit https://www.ncregister.com/commentaries/pope-francis-hopes-heaven-is-empty-ralph-martin. For your free copy of What Must I Do to be Saved? by Pete Burak visit https://www.renewalministries.net/WMI.

The big story over the Christmas break was the announcement from the Vatican about "blessing same sex couples." Some traditionalists have hailed this as pastorally helpful and clarifying, while others call it confusing and potentially troubling. Meanwhile the mainstream news reported the Roman Catholic Church as moving toward gay affirming. I've asked my friend, Anthony Costello, back on the show to help us sort through the confusion and share his perspective as a thoughtful former Catholic about why Protestants ought to care about these developments. Research and Sources: - "Fiducia Supplicans"; https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_ddf_doc_20231218_fiducia-supplicans_en.html - Fr. Raymond de Souza, National Catholic Register article from 1/04/2024 "Fiducia Supplicans 2.0"; https://www.ncregister.com/commentaries/fiducia-supplicans-2-0 - Archbishop Joseph Naumann (Archbishop of Kansas City) "The Leaven" article from 1/12/2024; https://theleaven.org/fiducia-supplicans-does-not-change-perennial-church-teaching/ - Cardinal Sarah (former Prefect for the Congregation on Divine Worship, Archbishop of Guinea), quoted in the "Catholic Herald" from 1/9/2024; https://catholicherald.co.uk/cardinal-sarah-gives-in-depth-interview-on-fiducia-supplicans/ - Michael Sean Winters (liberal Catholic) "How big a deal is the new Vatican document on Same-Sex Blessings" in "The National Catholic Reporter"; https://www.ncronline.org/opinion/ncr-voices/how-big-deal-new-vatican-document-same-sex-blessings - Anthony S. Layne, "Fiducia Supplicans, Infallibility, and a Reflection of Faith" in "The Catholic Stand" 1/15/2024; https://catholicstand.com/fiducia-supplicans-infallibility-reflection-faith/ Ian Paul on "Why No One wants the Prayers of Love and Faith" in the Church of England: https://www.psephizo.com/sexuality-2/why-no-one-wants-the-prayers-of-love-and-faith/ Ed Echeverria's 2019 2nd edition book on Pope Francis: https://www.amazon.com/Pope-Francis-Legacy-Vatican-II/dp/1943901112/

Hour 2 of The Drew Mariani Show on 12-20-23 Dr. E. Christian Brugger joins us for a discussion around how to handle when same-sex attracted children come home for the holidays with their partner -- what kinds of ground rules should you set? Same-Sex Attracted Children and the Holidays: What's a Parent to Do?| National Catholic Register (ncregister.com)

Today's Topics: 1) Gospel - Lk 17:26-37 - Jesus said to his disciples: "As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the days of the Son of Man; they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage up to the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Similarly, as it was in the days of Lot: they were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building; on the day when Lot left Sodom, fire and brimstone rained from the sky to destroy them all. So it will be on the day the Son of Man is revealed. On that day, someone who is on the housetop and whose belongings are in the house must not go down to get them, and likewise one in the field must not return to what was left behind. Remember the wife of Lot. Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses it will save it. I tell you, on that night there will be two people in one bed; one will be taken, the other left. And there will be two women grinding meal together; one will be taken, the other left." They said to him in reply, "Where, Lord?" He said to them, "Where the body is, there also the vultures will gather." Memorial of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, Religious Saint Elizabeth, pray for us! Bishop Sheen quote of the day 2, 3, 4) Shaun McAfee on his book: Compendium of Sacramentals:Encyclopedia of the Church's Blessings, Signs, and Devotions, by TAN Books Shaun McAfee, a convert to the Catholic Faith and Lay Dominican, is founder and editor of epicpew.com. He writes for numerous Catholic publications and resources, including the National Catholic Register. He currently lives in New Orleans, Louisiana, with his wife, Jessica, and their six children