Free Republic

Rorate Caeli has released a translation of a remarkable interview, originally published in 2008, with Cardinal Carlo Caffara of Bologna. In it, he references correspondence he had with Sister Lucia, the principle visionary of Our Lady at Fatima: Q. There is a prophecy by Sister Lucia dos Santos, of Fatima, which concerns “the final battle between the Lord and the kingdom of Satan”. The battlefield is the family. Life and the family. We know that you were given charge by John Paul II to plan and establish the Pontifical Institute for the Studies on Marriage and the Family.

Editor's Note: The following column is satire.To the limited extent they actually do, have you ever wondered how so-called “progressives” think? The progressive mind – let’s call it, “Progressy” – collectively hovers, like the Hindenburg, in that fantastical realm, that manmade utopia in waiting, that “fundamentally transformed” world that might only be, if … Hitler got it mostly wrong, Stalin, somewhat right, and Mao, with his “Great Leap Forward,” warmer still. Marx and Engels were red-hot-close, but, they, too, missed the mark, if only by an inch. Today’s hipper, gentler, more progressivish progressives are confident that, if we’d only give...

Faced with the crisis in marriage and the family, answers can only come from the certitudes of the faith. This was affirmed by Cardinal Velasio De Paolis, President emeritus of the Prefecture for Economic Affairs of the Holy See, when he intervened at the Meeting Marriage and the Family. Between Praxis and Dogma in the Church, organized by the Lepanto Foundation and the Association “Famiglia Domani” which took place on the 10th of October in Rome at the ‘Sala S. Pio X, Via dell’Ospedale’. Among those participating were Monsignor Antonio Livi, Professor Roberto de Mattei and Professor Giovanni Turco. There...

Last week cardinals and bishops attending the Ordinary Synod on the Family separated into thirteen small groups to discuss the first part of the Instrumentum Laboris and propose amendments to the document. The reports of their work, made public yesterday, reveal a striking failure to protect the family from the serious threats contained within the first part of this heterodox preparatory document. It is important to note that these reports are not the only documents that will be submitted to the commission that will write the final report of the synod (if such a report is written). The small groups...

Contemporary African-American music—especially rap and hip-hop—has become synonymous with and notorious for its suggestive and explicit lyrics. Women are often portrayed as sex toys, violence is glorified, denunciations of law enforcement are routine, and middle-class upbringings go unacknowledged, lest they undermine the artists’ street credentials. The huge commercial success of casually sexual, scatological, and even nihilistic music feeds an impression that black music has always exhibited such qualities—a cultural narrative dating back at least as far as the advent of Elvis Presley, who, it was said, sexualized popular music by incorporating “Negro” influences. In his classic book Black Music, the...

Thursday evening at the Ahavath Achim Synagogue in Atlanta, Vice President Joe Biden said he is considering running for president but added that “the most relevant factor” is if he and his family have enough “emotional energy” after the recent death of his son Beau Biden.

Jim Bryan III, 75, of Longboat Key, FL, died Sep. 1, 2015 at Arkansas Hospice from complications of pancreatic cancer. He was born in Harrison, AR in 1940 to the late J.W. and Jane Bryan of Bellefonte, AR. He was preceded in death by his son Joey (who died of a brain tumor in 1981 at age ten) and grandparents Witt and Zula Burns Bryan and Noah and Myrtle Eoff Dearing. He is survived by his beloved wife of 52 years, Ann, son Jim, IV and his wife Ann, son Chris and his wife Jennifer, grandchildren Laura and her newlywed...

When Pope Francis arrives in the U.S. for the World Meeting of Families later this month, he will find a Catholic public that is remarkably accepting of a variety of non-traditional families, according to a new Pew Research Center survey that provides an in-depth look at American Catholics’ views on family life, sexuality and Catholic identity.Nine-in-ten U.S. Catholics say a household headed by a married mother and father is an ideal situation for bringing up children. But the survey shows that large majorities think other kinds of families – those headed by parents who are single, divorced, unmarried or...

The tycoon-turned-reality TV star watched his older sibling struggle for years with a alcohol problem, which eventually claimed his life. And the 64 year old admits he has never been tempted to sip even a drop of alcohol, after his brother repeatedly warned him to stay away from the bottle. He tells Piers Morgan, "I've never had drugs. I've never had a cigarette and I don't drink coffee. I have other problems, I guess! "I had an older brother named Fred...he started drinking. It got worse and worse. He also smoked a lot. "He was about 10 years older and...

by Liz Smith I THINK I INVENTED THE TRUMPS, Part II Liz began her sum-up yesterday of what she wrote when first meeting the Trumps. This analysis was published in 2000 in her memoir "Natural Blonde." The story will conclude on August 26th in this space. I noted that Donald Trump had attacked a paralyzed, stultified New York bureaucracy and given commerce, construction and business a real shot in the arm. I asked, "If you love democratic capitalism, how can you hate Donald Trump?" I spoke of the other ruthless tycoons I'd heard opine that Trump couldn't last. I said...

Claire Rembis was sick, and had to spend 3 days in the hospital. Her attack of pancreatitis paled in comparison to what happened next. The mom from Plano, Texas, came home to a nightmare that no parent should ever have to face. CPS came and took her children, all 11 of them, because a “well-meaning” couple, members of her oldest son’s former youth group, didn’t think that the 16 and 14 year olds could handle babysitting their siblings while their dad took the baby to the hospital to visit Claire. Has it really gotten to the point where a mother...

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — An 18-year-old Wyoming man accused of robbing and shooting three members of a family after asking for roadside help told investigators he opened fire after one of the victims laughed at him, an FBI agent said in a court filing Thursday. Jason Shane, 51, and Tana Shane, 47, died in the Wednesday shooting in the small town of Pryor, FBI spokesman Todd Palmer told The Associated Press. Their daughter, 26-year-old Jorah Shane, was shot in the back when she tried to run away, and she is recovering in a Billings hospital, the woman's aunt, Ada Shane,...

This week, our youngest child, Robert, is turning 14. His sister, Maggie, is two years older. Gone are the days when my husband and I were parents of toddlers, preschoolers or elementary school children. Instead, we are about to enter our last year as parents of middle-school students and are just three years away from Maggie's departure for college. As seasoned parents, we now realize that having a child was just the beginning; raising a child properly requires a daily effort. In the early years, it's physically demanding -- bathing, clothing, feeding, picking up, etc. In the middle-school years,...

Barack Obama’s brother George has told of the disappointment of the US president’s Kenyan family that he will not be returning to his ancestral home. George Obama, the president’s half-brother, said there had been considerable excitement in the rural village of Kogelo, where their father hailed from, when it was announced Mr Obama was returning to Kenya. However, despite the promise of home-cooked food and a warm welcome, the US Embassy confirmed Mr Obama would remain in the capital during his two-day trip.

July 16, 2015 (BreakPoint) -- The world is leaving us and our values behind. If we don't get with the times, we may soon find ourselves isolated and irrelevant. If you think I'm talking about Christians and the recent Supreme Court decision on same-sex “marriage,” think again. Of course, if you don’t read international and Christian news sources, you probably didn’t know that last week the UN Human Rights Council passed The Protection of the Family resolution. Not surprisingly, the mainstream U. S. media ignored the story. The resolution, approved by a vote of 27 to 14, urges member states...

In a world where many live in urban areas with thousands passing them daily without a smile, a nod of recognition, a word of encouragement, or even a honk of protest, finding sustaining connections with people who care becomes increasingly important. Our families, when natural bonds are nurtured beyond the occasional get-togethers, can help provide that supportive community we so treasure. IÂ’m writing this early in the morning, two hours before we hit the road in Rawlins, Wyoming. WeÂ’re returning home from our RV caravan from CA to Kirkland, Illinois and back. When my wife and I told others about...

GENEVA, July 9, 2015 (LifeSiteNews) – A pro-family resolution has been passed by the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva of “unprecedented” force and reach, thanks to a coalition of African and other developing countries, China and Russia and a support group of socially conservative NGOs.“This is unprecedented, a tremendous victory for the family,” Sharon Slater, the head of Family Watch International, told LifeSiteNews. “It is the first time ever in the history of the United Nations that a comprehensive resolution has been passed calling for the protection of the family as a fundamental unit of society, recognizing the...

FRANKFORT — Gov. Steve Beshear told Casey County Clerk Casey Davis on Thursday that Davis should issue marriage licenses to every qualified person or resign. The governor also said he won't call a special legislative session to address same-sex marriage issues. Some legislators and county clerks have called for a special session. Beshear met privately for an hour with Davis, who objects on religious grounds to issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples The governor later released a statement saying he advised Davis that he respects his personal beliefs but he took an oath to uphold the U.S. Constitution. The U.S....

The city needs to move away from the idea that all families can live in their own home on a piece of land, according to a draft letter from a Seattle advisory committee. If adopted, ideas being considered by a Seattle housing committee would be devastating to the city's appeal, KIRO Radio's Dori Monson said. Get rid of single-family zoning in Seattle. That's the big message in a draft report being worked on by Mayor Ed Murray's housing committee, obtained by The Seattle Times. According to a draft letter, the city needs to move away from the idea that all...

Old fashioned religion with its eye on the ethics of responsibilities as well as rights helps keep our society strong by teaching family values-the value of family I recently listened to a programme on the CBC about the killing of twins in some Nigerian tribes. This has been going on for some time. I found references from the early 1990s “In Abuja, it is believed that the birth of a set of twins is a sacrilege which brings misfortune both to the family and the village, they see twins as children formed by the devil and therefore are evil. They...