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9/11/2026 and a Church Hierarchy That Has Lost Its Way
Letters from Leo ^ | 9/12/2026 | Neverevergiveup

Posted on 09/12/2026 7:46:28 AM PDT by neverevergiveup

Like most Americans, watching coverage of the 25th anniversary of 9/11 brought out a lot of emotions in me. It also brought out curiosity, and one of the things I was curious about was how the Church responded to the 25th anniversary of this barbaric event.

On 9/11/2001 when Pope John Paul II was informed of the 9/11 terrorist attack he withdrew to his private chapel and prayed, for long periods. He was also one of the first world leaders to send a message to GW Bush, describing the attacks as "inhuman" and "unspeakable horror".

The next day, during a General Audience in St. Peter's Square he asked the crowd not to applaud, and instead led a prolonged period of silence and reflection. He then asked “How is it possible to commit acts of such savage cruelty?” He called the terrorist attacks an “appalling offense against peace.” He also said "even if the forces of darkness appear to prevail, those who believe in God know that evil and death do not have the final say."

Yesterday, on 9/11/2026 Pope Leo XIV released a statement "Pride obscures both reality itself and our empathy towards others. It is no coincidence that pride is always at the root of every conflict." https://youtube.com/shorts/QgoaCDtD1m8?si=qC4dQy-vQn1CuMEX

To me, his statement was inappropriate and offensive. It was more a woke accusation and condemnation of America than an acknowledgment that evil acts do occur, that evil has to be confronted in the world, and that the innocent must be defended.

The link to "Letters from Leo" that I've included in this post is from 9/9/2026 and is entitled "Invited by Pope Leo XIV’s New Archbishop, Mamdani Will Attend 9/11 Memorial Mass". In this publication Bill Donhue, the president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights since 1993, is criticized and demeaned for various things - most specifically for standing on the steps of city hall and stating that Mayor Mamdani should not attend the 9/11 ceremony:

“I don’t have a whole lot to say about Zohran Mamdani. He should not be here,” Donohue said. “He is more concerned about Islamophobia than he is the death of 3,000 people, innocent people, on that day. This man is a disgrace to veterans.”

There is no criticism of Mamdani in this publication, but his relationship with Archbishop Hicks is lauded: "This is the latest act of Catholic solidarity from a Muslim democratic socialist whose relationship with Pope Leo XIV’s new archbishop has grown in recent months."

Juxtaposing John Paul II's actions and comments with those of the current Church hierarchy is very telling, and very disturbing. It's not that the current Pope or his immediate predecessor, or the recent hierarchy is more 'forgiving, tolerant, or Christian' than the Church during John Paul II. IMHO it is absolutely the opposite. John Paul II, after being shot, forgave the person who shot him. Further, he later interceded and asked for a pardon for this person (he was pardoned and sent back to his home country - Turkey).

His acts were Christian acts, and what he spoke to the world was truth, not woke platitudes.

We live in the greatest nation that has ever been formed by humanity. Not perfect, but built on principles that honor the sanctity of life and each individual soul, under God. The current Church hierarchy appears to not respect nor value America.

When I was very young I met a priest who served a parish in Harvey, Illinois (I grew up on the south side of Chicago). His name was Benjamin Kantowicz (Father Ben to his parishioners). He was a great man, with humility and compassion.

Harvey is on the far south fringes of Chicago, and is close to Dolton, Illinois - where Robert Francis Prevost (now Pope Leo XIV) grew up after having been born in Chicago (he lived in Dolton until he was ~14 or 15 years old). Looking at him now, as Pope Leo XIV it is difficult to square his approach to the world with that of Father Ben Kantowicz - whose native Poland John Paul II championed.

Maybe it was the time Father Prevost spent in Rome, or as a citizen of Peru, or navigating the hierarchical Church ladder. Whatever it was, IMHO there is a world of difference between the humility of Ben Kantowicz and my perception of Pope Leo XIV. I don't think he and Father Kantowicz would have seen eye to eye.

Sorry for the vanity, but after assuaging my curiosity about the response of the Church to this 25th anniversary of 9/11 I was upset, and disappointed.


TOPICS: Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; Philosophy; Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS: 911; pope; religion
I would love to hear what other FReepers think / feel about the above.
1 posted on 09/12/2026 7:46:28 AM PDT by neverevergiveup
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To: neverevergiveup
The problem for Christianity is Christ's admonishment to "Love your enemies, and bless those that curse you." There is also his healing of the Roman soldier's ear after Peter had cut it off, or His forgiveness from the cross.

Yet the latter presupposed that, "they know not what they do." Muslims surely do. The soldier Peter whacked was just doing his job. Nor is it entirely clear that the enemies directing those curses were to include those outside the Children of Israel.

The Torah is full of military defensive measures. Best we take those seriously. That Law is not fulfilled, as the return to judge predicted in Exodus 23:11 and thus Matthew 25 has not yet transpired.

2 posted on 09/12/2026 7:55:00 AM PDT by Carry_Okie (Stupidity is an acquired trait, requiring many years of careful practice)
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To: neverevergiveup

Almost all priests sent to South/Central America are outspoken communists. That is why that polity and all of its variants are tolerated in the area, even celebrated.
Some Popes, while there, also defended convicted pedos.

Having this time area on your resume ought to be treated like a blank area revealing itself as time in prison.


3 posted on 09/12/2026 8:10:59 AM PDT by bobbo666
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To: neverevergiveup

The Catholic Church used to be one of the key pillars of virtue and morality. When JPII was pope, he refused to cave to the world’s whims. Now, with the exception of some unwavering priests, they are a bunch of woke fools.


4 posted on 09/12/2026 8:14:37 AM PDT by wjcsux (On 3/14/1883 Karl Marx gave humanity his best gift, he died. )
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To: neverevergiveup

The guy who lives for free in a golden palace and is claimed to be “infallble” is lecturing to us about pride.


5 posted on 09/12/2026 8:22:05 AM PDT by Patriot_Bazz
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To: neverevergiveup
I would love to hear what other FReepers think / feel about the above.

It's garbage like this why any time the word "Catholic" crosses my lips it is preceded with the F bomb and succeeded by one of two words...filth or scum. This seems to have started about the time Frankie took over.

6 posted on 09/12/2026 9:17:48 AM PDT by AlaskaErik (There are three kinds of rats: Rats, Damned Rats, and DemocRats.)
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To: neverevergiveup
The Moose Limbs believe in lying as a holy act, ambush-murder of all non-Moose Limbs as a holy act, in polygamy, child molesting, killing of anyone who tries to convert to Christianity or any other religion, and on and on with insane sins and wrongheaded criminal rules that are FAR WORSE and far more hostile and sinful than your run-of-the-mill, silly pagan religions of nine-armed elephants, fat guys meditating, animated trees and rock formations, etc.

That's their BELIEFS.

Obviously they are the OPPOSITE of New Testament and Old Testament believers: All Christians and Jews. There is NO WAY to reconcile IN ANY way the two belief systems.

If you want to reconcile Moose Limb beliefs with any other current religions, try Satanism. It's a pretty good fit.

In terms of their ACTS, they have no significant charitable activities, no universities of distinction, no new branches of philosophy or science connected with their activities over the centuries. To them a charitable act is to rape and/or behead a non-Moose Limb. To go into a quiet but busy restaurant and detonate a bomb, killing as many innocent people as their devious minds can design to do. To enslave as many innocent persons as possible. To torture and kill as many prisoners as possible. To extort as much money as possible from the cowardly that they can.

Their cities are foul-smelling, diseased, depressing foci of poverty, street crime, ignorance. Their nations are pure nightmares.

Their people are embittered and envious of the west, but never realize that ALL of their misery and stupidity is self-inflicted, LARGELY because of their being Moose Limbs.

They have engaged in unjust, merciless wars of persecution, murder, rape, infanticide, and on and on. October 7 in Israel and September 11 in New York are things they are proud and even sentimentally happy about.

Ditto all the other atrocities over the centuries: Slave trade, child trafficking, theft, tributes, on and on and on.

To anyone with anything like a 'moral compass' it is obvious that Moose Limbs are evil and satanic. They are the worst.

Yes this is all bad of course, but the reason that they MUST GO is that they refuse to "COEXIST" like the nice bumpersticker says.

They have plainly and clearly and repeatedly said that they will overrun and subdue us.

They mince no words and make no bones about it. They all agree on it. They have said these exact things for hundreds of years.

Yes they are a cancer and a threat to the peaceful existence of the American nation.

Yes our leaders have been stupid and cowardly in hiding these obvious things. And they have been hell-bent on bringing AS MANY of them as possible to the US through suicidal immigration policies.

And the most noteworthy genious in this regard is George W. Bush THE HISTORY MAJOR from Yale !!

Yes a history major from Yale.

Obviously, these people are on the take, from the Saudis primarily. They deserve capital punishment as do all traitors who are invaders.

But our leaders, W especially, deserves our particular contempt for his despicable toadying of the Saudis and all Moose Limbs at a time when his presence as POTUS could really have saved the Republic, for hundreds of years.

Instead, he was put to the test, he failed, and he and others will go down in HISTORY BOOKS as the worst traitors ever in the Republic's history.

7 posted on 09/12/2026 9:33:55 AM PDT by caddie (Going forward we all need to become Trump, and also Captain Obvious, and Charlie Kirk too. )
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To: bobbo666

They must first be Jesuits and then Communists. Then the communist popes will move them up the chain.


8 posted on 09/12/2026 9:41:43 AM PDT by nanook (Thomas Jefferson was right.)
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To: Carry_Okie
Loving your enemies means praying for their salvation.

It does not mean showing your love by helping them kill you.

9 posted on 09/12/2026 11:03:19 AM PDT by Salman (The primary deception of media isn't political bias. It's the pretense they know what's going on.)
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To: neverevergiveup

Church Hierarchy That Has Lost Its Way

The only true church hierarchy is Christ Himself.


10 posted on 09/12/2026 11:42:47 AM PDT by centermass_socrates (Keep it clean, keep it loaded, and keep it handy.)
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To: Patriot_Bazz

I am absolutely not a fan of Leo XIV but Catholics do not believe that the pope is generally “infallible.” Theoretically a pope is said to be infallible when he speaks ex cathedra (from the seat of Rome, leadership or something like that!) . I think it has only been declared about two things which are not even very important.

I miss John Paul 2nd, and cardinal Dolan, the previous Cardinal of New York City. They were true Christians.


11 posted on 09/12/2026 12:35:08 PM PDT by Freee-dame (The left never dreamed de that Trump would be back in the White House in 2025. )
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To: neverevergiveup

Well, i agree with this.
https://youtu.be/rErQMCLzliY?is=3NIw7zUSUZV3tAt5


12 posted on 09/12/2026 5:32:04 PM PDT by Shady (#EnoughIsEnough, and we have HAD ENOUGH!)
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To: neverevergiveup

Weak.

It simply appears weak.

BUT-

To truly have morals, requires courage.


13 posted on 09/13/2026 4:06:25 AM PDT by Red6
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