Free Republic

Pope Francis on Thursday launched a blistering attack on the "new colonialism" of austerity, describing unfettered capitalism as “the dung of the devil” and apologising for the Catholic church's role in the conquest of indigenous populations in the Americas. He delivered a powerful mea culpa on the part of the church in the highlight of his South American pilgrimage, "humbly" begging forgiveness during an encounter in Bolivia with indigenous groups and other activists and in the presence of Bolivia's first-ever indigenous president, Evo Morales. The first Latin American pope noted that church leaders in the past had acknowledged that "grave...

Pope Francis's concerns about global warming and climate change are outside his expertise and may not be taken seriously by practicing Catholics, says Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights. "I don't care whether it's Pope Francis or his predecessors or his successors someday. Once you get outside the domain, of faith and morals, be careful and be careful particularly when you get into the weeds and get very specific," Donohue said Monday on "The Steve Malzberg Show" on Newsmax TV. (Watch video at link.) "For example, are we God's stewards? Are we supposed to...

PHOENIX(AP) -- Nearly 80 illegal immigrants, including women and children, were found crammed in a large horse trailer in downtown Phoenix on Tuesday.The people inside told police they had been traveling for about two days and had little to eat or drink during that time.The tempatures in the Pheonix area have topped 100 degrees over the last couple of days. The trailer had no air conditioning.The group included 68 men and women and 11 children, including a 4-month-old baby. None required hospitalization.A Phoenix police officer found the immigrants after spotting the trailer in an alley and seeing a man running...