Free Republic

Marco Balich, the artistic director for several past Olympics, is designing a multi-media show to bring the Vatican Museums to life for spectators. The multimedia presentation will feature a soundtrack by rock star Sting, and premier in Rome next year, and is expected to go on an international tour after it ends its stay in the Italian capital.ROME - The Sistine Chapel might be coming to a theater near you. The Vatican Museums have collaborated with British singer Sting and producers of Olympic ceremonies to create a surround-sound, live show telling the tale of Michelangelo and his frescoed masterpiece. The...

If you’ve ever seen Casablanca, you won’t have forgotten the scene in Rick’s Cafe where the German officers who are singing “Die Wacht am Rhein” are drowned out by the French patrons who burst into a rousing rendition of the “Marseillaise.”Something similar happened last week at the National Opera in Cluj Napoca, Romania. A “multicultural” opera that included a Muslim muezzin chanting the call to prayer was interrupted by members of the audience singing the national anthem. The Romanian national anthem is not quite as rousing as “La Marseillaise” (at least, not to the non-Romanian ear), and the singers were...

In my last column I discussed the Pope's astonishing declaration that capital punishment is "in itself contrary to the Gospel," uttered in the face of the Church's constant teaching, based on the Gospel itself, that capital punishment is within the legitimate authority of civil rulers and is even obligatory in cases where the protection of society necessitates its imposition. Of further concern, from the same address, is the suggestion that the Catechism promulgated by John Paul II should be "revised" to reflect Francis' view of the death penalty. According to Francis, this would not involve "a contradiction with the teaching...

The American cardinal says the witness to the Truth of the patron saint of politicians, who died defending the indissolubility of marriage when few others would, is “exceptionally important” today.

The imminent release of “Trouble No More” -- the latest installment of Bob Dylan’s Bootleg Series; this one covers his controversial 1979-81 “Christian period” -- recalls the long-gone age of high-profile rock star conversions.Dylan became a Christian, George Harrison dived into Krishna consciousness, and Cat Stevens embraced Islam, and each demonstrated, yet again, that Leftist dogma is false. The content of one’s religious beliefs does matter, and influences those who take their religions seriously.Both Harrison and Dylan were widely criticized for their sanctimony. Reviewing Harrison’s 1973 album “Living in the Material World” in New Musical Express, Tony Tyler called the...

Proverb 17 (NKJV) The LORD Tests Hearts 01 Better is a dry morsel with quietness, 00 Than a house full of feasting with strife. 02 A wise servant will rule over a son who causes shame, 00 And will share an inheritance among the brothers. 03 The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, 00 But the LORD tests the hearts. 04 An evildoer gives heed to false lips; 00 A liar listens eagerly to a spiteful tongue. 05 He who mocks the poor reproaches his Maker; 00 He who is glad at calamity will not...

The 22nd social-charitable and spiritual educational campaign of the train “For the Spiritual Revival of Russia” was launched on Wednesday at the station in Novosibirsk, Russia, reports the Novosibirsk Diocese. This year, the event is dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the central Russian Novosibirsk Province. The more than 200 participants on the train will cover 19 regions throughout the Province. Missionaries, priests, artists, social workers, doctors, and educational and cultural figures gathered at the train station, accompanied by Metropolitan Tikhon of Novosibirsk and Berdsk, the Deputy Governor of the Novosibirsk Province Alexander Petrovich Titkov, and the Deputy Head...

Pro-life poster at LMU (image from The College Fix) Nearly 200 pro-life posters were taken down at a Catholic university by students who were reportedly upset the posters sought to highlight similarities between the issues of abortion and immigration.The posters included the phrases “Don’t abort my fellow humans,” “#NoHumanBeingIsIllegal,” and “#AbortionIsAnImmigrationIssue.”The Padre Pio Society, a Catholic student group at Loyola Marymount University, had displayed scores of the anti-abortion posters across the Los Angeles campus earlier this month only to find them all removed less than two days later.Padre Pio Society members posted almost 200 posters around campus on the...

Proverb 16 (NKJV) Wisdom Is Better Than Gold 01 The preparations of the heart belong to man, 00 But the answer of the tongue is from the LORD. 02 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, 00 But the LORD weighs the spirits. 03 Commit your works to the LORD, 00 And your thoughts will be established. 04 The LORD has made all for Himself, 00 Yes, even the wicked for the day of doom. 05 Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD; 00 Though they join forces, none will go...

A short video that shows the rebirth of Christianity in modern Russia after decades of persecution and enforced atheism. Strongly recommended.

By the preaching of Prophet Jonah, Nineveh and all its inhabitants repented and were saved at that time when their city was to be destroyed. And how many saints we had before the revolution! The holy righteous John of Kronstadt, Blessed Pasha and Pelagia of Diveyevo… After all, they all were able to pray to God that He might not allow the revolution. And how many seminaries, how many parish schools were active in the country then! But the country was already filled with Satanists. Orthodox believers were fired from various management and teaching positions. They put in some Frenchmen....

The Catholic Church in the UK is descending into civil war behind the scenes after a major row over abortion was sparked by a controversial editorial in the respected journal The Tablet. A number of bishops were 'scandalised' by the article, Christian Today understands, and are urging Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the Archbishop of Westminster, to intervene. One figure accused the weekly magazine which is sold at the back of Westminster Cathedral – the home of Catholicism in the UK – of trying 'to obscure the witness of Christian teaching'. It comes after The Tablet published an editorial criticising a conservative...

In 2007, Patriarch Ilia II of the Georgian Orthodox Church made a decision: facing a country with a declining population, low birth rates, and high abortion rates, the church leader announced that he would personally baptize and become godfather to any third-or-high Orthodox child born to a married couple in Georgia and formally registered with the government. Georgia is almost 90% Georgian Orthodox, Patriarch Ilia II is widely trusted and respected, and Georgians are the most likely of any Orthodox-majority country to say their religion is about personal faith. In other words, Georgia is an ideal test-case to see if...

Ultramontanism's Death Sentence Pope Pius XII In 1952 Pope Pius XII said the following, in a public address recorded among his official acts: Even when it is a question of the execution of a condemned man, the State does not dispose of the individual's right to life. In this case it is reserved to the public power to deprive the condemned person of the enjoyment of life in expiation of his crime when, by his crime, he has already disposed himself of his right to live. In 2017 Pope Francis spoke, in a not dissimilar context: It must be clearly stated...

To Reach or To Repel Hostility seems to be a hallmark of this church age in a similar way that political correctness is to the world. It is alright for us to be righteously indignant as long as we do not sin. There is a place for righteous indignation, but God does not permit much anger because it is difficult not to sin when angry. That kind of anger is a "mark of the beast." Frequently, hostility is simply a denial of reality. People do not have tempers born in them; angry tempers begin to be created in childhood....

Your Holiness, Your Excellencies and Eminences, Esteemed Church and Secular Leaders, Welcome to Budapest. Today I do not wish to talk about the persecution of Christians in Europe. The persecution of Christians in Europe operates with sophisticated and refined methods of an intellectual nature. It is undoubtedly unfair, it is discriminatory, sometimes it is even painful; but although it has negative impacts, it is tolerable. It cannot be compared to the brutal physical persecution which our Christian brothers and sisters have to endure in Africa and the Middle East. Today I’d like to say a few words about this form...

Dear friends, This will be my last email from me sent to all my friends together as I have done up to now. I hope I succeed in sending this email to everyone using this new email address. Masonry has control of just about everything now; Microsoft, Twitter and Google are selectively blocking some of my Web sites and emails. On September 18, 2015, I discovered for the first time that with the browser Explorer of Microsoft, there no longer appeared the contents of my two principle web sites which are the indexes of my more important articles in English...

It’s been a time of calamities: Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, flooding in South Asia and Africa and a massive earthquake in Mexico have led to widespread devastation around the globe.Some people seem to think this is divine retribution for the sins of humanity: Kirk Cameron, former child actor, said in a video on Facebook that Hurricane Harvey and Irma were “a spectacular display of God’s immense power” and were sent so human beings could repent. Earlier, after seeing the devastation of Hurricane Harvey, conservative Christian pastor John McTernan had noted that “God is systematically destroying America” out of anger over...

Dear friends, when you shine the ETERNAL Biblical light on the Weinstein scandal and come right down to it, ALL Hollywood is Harvey Weinstein and a group of full blow hypocrites! Yes of course there is a very small exception, but in general ALL Hollywood is groping, pushing, raping, extorting, seducing, molesting and destroying millions upon millions of lives (especially those of the youth) with the EXPONENTIAL promotion of their "bizarro" anti-Judeo Christian worldview (Rom. 1:18-32). The movie industry and media are their portals and outlets which these reprobates and tools of Alinsky's Father use. These are zealous about making...

Cross processions in Russia have a vibrant history and are hugely popular. So much so that 60,000 Russians are willing to walk 100 miles to honor religious occurrencesOn holidays and special occasions, Russian believers will all suddenly empty out of the church and proceed outside, whether itÂ’s swelteringly hot or snowing, and follow the cross and the priests... sometimes for a walk around the church, other times for hundred-mile hikes. Cross processions are a traditional and very popular part of Russian Christianity. The tradition dates back to the Byzantine empire in 400 AD when saints organized night processions around Constantinople...