Free Republic

The papal visit to the embassy is unprecedented in recent ecclesiastical history.(LifeSiteNews) — Vatican News reported today that Pope Francis, breaking ordinary diplomatic protocol, left the Vatican to visit in person the Russian Embassy to the Holy See “to express his concern about the war in Ukraine.” Traditionally, the Pope receives an ambassador or head of state within the papal palaces, and according to ordinary diplomatic protocol, the Vatican foreign minister would have summoned the Russian ambassador for such a visit. Today’s intervention is unprecedented in recent ecclesiastical history. The Pope’s visit to the embassy, which is headed by Ambassador...

“‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied’” (Matthew 5:6). The “hunger and thirst” Jesus speaks of here are far more intense than even strong physical pangs for food and drink, which come when we miss several meals. All true followers of Christ have a continuing hunger and thirst for righteousness—they will regularly long for holiness. Jesus’ analogy shows us that righteousness is necessary for spiritual life just as food and water are necessary for physical life. But sadly, most people are by nature starved for spiritual life. The tendency of such unbelievers is...

OAKLAND, Calif. - A suspect has been arrested and charged with murder in a deadly freeway shooting last fall in Oakland. Larry Coney, 27, was charged with murder and shooting at an occupied vehicle in the October shooting of Monnie Price Jr.

Despite a request from the Biden administration to back a UN Security Council resolution condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Israel refrained from doing so, two diplomats familiar with the matter told The Times of Israel. Eighty-one countries signed on to the resolution as co-sponsors, though the effort was ultimately vetoed by Russia. Israel is one of the few countries that maintains relatively warm relations with both Ukraine, a fellow Western democracym as well as Russia which controls the airspace over Syria.

The Reparations Task Force voted Thursday 5-4 to delay a vote on the matter of who will be eligible for reparations, surprising many who believed that they would come a definite decision on the issue. The Reparations Task Force was created in 2020 when AB 3121 was passed and signed into law. The bill established the “Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans,” with the task force charged with documenting and looking into issues surrounding slavery in California, including denying free and runaway blacks into the state pre-1865. Most critically, the task force is to issue...

Gary North, the economist, and voluminous author died on Feb 24 while in hospice care in Georgia. He died of complications of prostate cancer, which he had been fighting since 2017. He died 13 days after his 80th birthday on Feb 11. According to Joshua Jenkins who confirmed the death of Gary North, He was a voluminous researcher and writer who I have benefited from greatly. His books fill my shelves and I have enjoyed them as much as any. Thankful to God for his life and work. Gary North’s obituary and funeral services will be released by the family...

With the blessing of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine, all Kiev churches are ready to offer shelter from shelling and bombing in their basements, reports the Information-Education Department of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Also with the primate’s blessing, all dioceses and monasteries of the Ukrainian Church will organize comprehensive assistance to refugees and victims. For example, in the Vinnitsa Diocese, a humanitarian aid center has been opened at the Holy Trinity Convent in Brailov. The monastery is also ready to accept anyone who may lose their homes. Refugees are also being housed in monasteries and centers...

About 2,800 Russian soldiers have been killed in the first 36 hours of Russia’s invasion, Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense claimed Friday. Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar said Friday that Russian troops also lost some 500 armored vehicles, 10 aircraft, and seven helicopters. If confirmed, it would mean that Russia has suffered more losses in fewer than 48 hours than the United States soldiers suffered during the 20-year-long invasion of Afghanistan. Russia has not released any casualty figures. The United Nations reported 25 civilians had been killed and 102 wounded, figures that were likely to be a “significant under-estimate.” None of...

Near the town of Hlukhiv, Sumy region, Ukrainian troops used Javelin anti-tank missile systems and neutralized a convoy of Russian tanks. “Near the town of Hlukhiv, Sumy region, the military used Javelin anti-tank missile systems and neutralized a column of Russian equipment. Fifteen T-72 tanks,” the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine posted on Facebook. As reported, head of the aggressor country Vladimir Putin announced the beginning of a special military operation in Donbas. At about 04:00, February 24, Russia attacked Ukraine and launched war. On the morning of February 24, the Verkhovna Rada approved a presidential decree...

PASCO COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — Curtis Reeves, the man who shot and killed Chad Oulson at a Wesley Chapel movie theater in 2014 was found not guilty on all charges Friday night. After over three hours of deliberation, a six-person jury returned to the courtroom Friday evening and delivered its verdict. Reeves was found not guilty of the counts of second-degree murder and aggravated batter Reeves has never denied shooting Oulson, but has maintained that he was acting in self defense. The retired police captain spent several hours on the witness stand Thursday, telling a Pasco County jury about what...

A Russian official on Friday issued a warning to Finland and Sweden should both nations intend to join NATO, saying such moves would have "serious military-political repercussions." During a news briefing, Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova made the remarks as Russian forces continue to battle the Ukrainian military following an unprovoked invasion into the neighboring country.

The February 25 numbers are just out and the 7 day moving average of daily COVID-19 cases has fallen to 71,918 as you can see on the graph above. This is the LOWEST average since last July 28 BEFORE there was all the panic attacks over COVID.

We’ve been denied information the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hid for the better part of a year, undoubtedly to serve the purpose of forcing the appearance of reality to more closely conform to a political narrative. Never before has the public had access to so much data on a virus and its effects. For two years, data festooned the daily papers. Dozens of websites assembled it. We were all invited to follow the data, follow the science and observe as scientists became our new overlords, instructing us how to feel, think and behave in order to “flatten the...

***** Tunes For Our Troops ~ The Freeper Canteen Music Dedication Presents: Open Mic! *****~ Support The Artists You Hear Throughout The Canteen ! ~ ***** Warning: Not all music may be appropriate for children! Please click with caution. Thank you! Tunes For The Troops This music is provided for the entertainment of our Troops, Veterans, Allies & their families! Enjoy the variety of musical selections that the Canteen DJs provide throughout the thread. Please ping any DJ with your requests for the Troops! All music is removed on Monday.Thanks to all the DJs for their time & effort...

Help is on the way. Will you meet them at a city near you?Day 1: Wednesday, February 23 – Depart Adelanto Stadium, CA – Arrive in Kingman, AZ for overnightDay 2: February 24 – Depart Kingman, AZ – Arrive in Lupton, AZ for overnight stayDay 3: February 25– Depart Lupton, AZ Evening – Arrive in Glenrio, TX for overnight stayDay 4: February 26 – Depart Glenrio, TX Evening – Arrive in Elk City, OK area for overnight stayDay 5: February 27 – Depart Elk City, OK Evening – Arrive in Vinita, OK area for overnight stayDay 6: February 28 –...

...007 is strolling through the swanky secret headquarters of the eponymous villain, Dr No, when he pauses to admire a painting on a gilded easel. The moment passes so quickly that today's viewers barely notice it, but to cinema-goers in 1962, this would have been one of the film's sharpest jokes. The painting, a portrait of the Duke of Wellington completed by Francisco Goya in 1814, had been stolen from the National Gallery in London in 1961. Nobody knew who had taken it or where it was, so the idea that it might have fallen into the robotic hands of...

In the middle of Marianna, Mediterranean cuisine may not be the first thing that comes to mind. However, there’s one restaurant serving up authentic Mediterranean food in Jackson County. . . . Making good food can be hard work, but it’s easier when you are with those you love. “My wife in the back she’s the one that cooks, I help her out too, I run the front, she runs the back and our son comes and helps us out,” said Sami. The Almaswari family is from Yemen, and they love bringing their culture to the Marianna area. ”It’s passion...

Frustrated Russian forces are prepared to “indiscriminately” use thermobaric bombs to seize control of Ukraine, Western officials believe. One western official said it was “likely” that Russia failed to achieve its main objectives on day one of its invasion of Ukraine. The official added: “And my fear with those objectives, that timescale not being met, is if that continues to be a theme where they are delayed and then my concern is that that Russia uses indiscriminate use of indirect fire, particularly artillery systems, thermobaric weapons - which we know Russia has both in its armoury and has used in...

While the world is looking forward to the future of 5G – as soon as we can figure out how to implement it without screwing up our entire air travel infrastructure – the demise of 3G is quietly wreaking havoc with some automakers, according to a new report from CNBC. “Millions of car owners” are affected by 3G dropping off the map, the report notes. Many vehicles use 3G networks for updates and remote communication, including models manufactured by Tesla, Audi, Honda and Nissan. The affectionately titled “network sunset” of 3G renders some features on these models, and many other...

Heavy fighting. Loud explosions heard in entire Kyiv.