Free Republic

[Catholic Caucus] Marcel Lefebvre and the Passion of the ChurchKnowing Reality When You See ItMuch ink has been spilled on the topic of the Society of Saint Pius X and Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, and I imagine much more will be written as history continues.Are they schismatic? Was Lefebvre a renegade? Was he a rebel? Was Pope John Paul II correct to do what he did? And so on.No matter how many arguments are made, no matter how many documents are promulgated, and no matter how many debates are won and lost, there are those who see the truth about the...

When Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene called (again) for "national divorce" this week, a common retort among her detractors on Twitter was to claim that so-called red states are heavily dependent on so-called blue states to pay for pretty much everything.Reporter Molly Knight claimed, for example, that "Red states get their money for roads and cops and schools from blue states. You cut off that gravy train and you e [sic] got a third world country."Others claimed that red states would be "entirely broke" without blue states. America's social democrats have apparently fully gone over to pushing the narrative that the...

Accused Idaho murderer Bryan Kohberger could face a firing squad if he is found guilty for the quadruple homicide of four college students last year. Lawyers are believed to be gearing up for the possibility of a death penalty trial for the 28-year-old criminal justice major - who remains the only suspect Prosecutors haven't yet indicated whether they intend to pursue the death penalty for Kohberger, although it seems likely they will, given the gravity of his alleged crimes. Rep. Bruce Skaug has introduced a bill that would once again allow for execution by firing squad in the state, as...

Prominent environmentalist Erin Brockovich hosted a packed town hall meeting in East Palestine, Ohio, Friday to relay information to local residents affected by a Norfolk Southern train derailment that released toxic chemicals into the town earlier this month. Brockovich and Mikel Watts, a trial lawyer, informed residents about the action they can consider as the town continues to rebuild itself after a controlled burn was conducted on derailed cars carrying chemicals including vinyl chloride and others associated with health hazards such as cancer.

Researchers compared the immediate effects of hypnosis, mindfulness meditation, and Christian prayer on pain intensity and tolerance. The results suggested that a single session of hypnosis and mindfulness meditation, but not prayer, may be useful for managing acute pain, with hypnosis being slightly more useful. There are several approaches that focus on the biopsychosocial factors that influence pain, including psychosocial, complementary, and integrative approaches. Previous studies confirm the usefulness of hypnosis, mindfulness meditation, and prayer as useful practices in the self-management of chronic pain in adults. However, there has not yet been any study that has compared the immediate effects...

[Catholic Caucus] US Bishop Shows How to Circumvent Francis' RescriptDiocesan bishops are "much more in tune" with what’s going on in their diocese than a Vatican office, noted Springfield Bishop Thomas Paprocki, Illinois, about Francis' rescript "forbidding" to celebrate Mass in parish churches (CatholicNewsAgency.com, February 24).He has offered Mass in both Roman Rite churches in his diocese and found “very faithful Catholics” there.Traditionis custodes says, Paprocki observes, it wants to empower the bishops. He therefore questions the wisdom of the rescript under the principle of subsidiarity, since decisions such as those contained in it are usually made at a local...

Remy Elliott, who is certified under the name Jeremy William Elliott, posts public videos on her TikTok account describing her approach to teaching. She currently teaches 9th grade English at the DOE, but previously taught younger grades. After Fox News Digital reached out for comment, Elliott deleted the videos in question and put her account on private. At an after-school program for a DOE school’s Gay Straight Alliance club, Elliott went through a series of Nintendo characters and ascribed to the fictional video game characters a variety of sexuality and gender identities. In other videos, Elliott discussed speaking with her...

Police Eject Catholic from Mass at Sydney ChurchWorld Pride is currently taking place in Sydney, Australia. As part of the event, a Mass was organised at a Catholic church in Glebe. The event was advertised as a ‘Thanksgiving Mass, for the gift of LGBTIQA+ folk in the church and in the world’. Footage has now emerged of a Catholic being ejected from the Mass by police, who were called over apparent ‘safety’ and ‘security’ concerns. The video shows a Catholic man claiming that he had been ‘stereotyped’ as police asked him to leave the event. A well known transgender Anglican...

For people with heart failure, restricting dietary sodium intake to levels below the standard recommended maximum of about 2.3 grams per day does not bring additional benefits and may increase the risk of death, according to findings from nine randomized controlled trials in a new meta-analysis. Heart failure, in which the heart muscle becomes too weak or stiff to pump blood effectively, is a chronic condition affecting over 6 million adults in the U.S. Physicians recommend a low-sodium diet to reduce blood pressure and avoid common symptoms such as fluid buildup and swelling. However, previous studies have reported mixed results...

This week, Mayor Pete Buttguy (SOT) saw her presidential aspirations go up in smoke in Ohio. Her inability to separate her domestic duties from her real job as Secretary of Transportation ruined her lifelong goal to be President of the United States. Starting in her early childhood, being a poor black child raised on an impoverished Indian Reservation in Indiana, she sought to make something of herself. Yes, she dreamed of being the first female President of the United States and concurrently the First Lady of the United States. Being honored to be addressed as Madame President and First Lady...

[Catholic Caucus] Vatican Refuses ALL Requests To Celebrate MassThe current Vatican will not give "permissions" to priests ordained after Traditionis Custodes to celebrate Mass, CatholicHerald.co.uk (February 24) has learned.Gloria.tv has reported on this rigidity several times since Traditionis custodes. The latest Francis rescript claims that bishops must seek permission from the Dicastery for Divine Worship to "allow" a newly-ordained priest to offer Mass.Father Gerald Murray told EWTN.com (February 23) that the July 2021 text of Traditionis Custodes states that the bishop is only required to “consult” with the Holy See regarding newly-ordained priests.Only a later Latin translation, the existence of...

Here are a couple of big picture maps showing the current position of Russian and Ukrainian forces in Bakhmut and the surrounding area. As you can see the Russians (i.e., the Wagner Group) are making rapid advances after months of slow progress and appear to be on the verge of a tactical encirclement of the Ukrainian units. It is important to understand the terrain of the Bakhmut area. The photos below show a landscape that reminds me of the state I grew up in — Missouri. Rolling hills, farmland and light forest that surround small cities. The first photo is...

With a record 16% of American consumers paying at least $1,000 a month for their cars, it's no surprise that drivers are starting to fall behind on their bills. The percentage of borrowers at least 60 days late on their car payments is higher today than it was during the peak of the Great Recession in 2009.There are multiple factors driving this trend. Car financing costs are climbing as the Federal Reserve continues its aggressive campaign of interest rate hikes to combat persistent inflation. At the same time, used car values are dropping, leaving debtors at risk of owing more...

LOS ANGELES, CA — Due to the overwhelming popularity of the film Cocaine Bear, movie studio executives and producers announced they have already green-lighted a sequel — an emotional, psychological film reportedly titled Rehab Bear. "We thought it would be really great to see where the bear goes from here," said producer Curt Schampers. "We've seen him in the throes of cocaine addiction, raging at the world. What happens when he is forced into rehab and discovers that his true enemy…is the bear within?" The studio has reached out to Martin Scorsese to direct the project, described as part One...

Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) failed to answer whether he still identifies as a Democrat on this week’s broadcast of Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures.” Manchin said, “My main concern is how do we bring this country together? How do we make it work? How do we make Democrats, Republicans become Americans again and not just party affiliates? This is what’s happening right now. We’re pushing people further apart, making people take a side and rewarding for bad behavior.”

Shortages of fruits and vegetables in British supermarkets could last for months, according to a leading farmers’ organisation, amid a poor growing season in Spain in combination with sky-high energy prices. Over the past week, four major British supermarkets, Aldi, Asda, Morrisons, and Tesco, have all resorted to instituting rationing measures for certain products, with shortages of items such as cucumbers, peppers, and tomatoes hitting the shelves.

"Trader Joe's will continue to hire on-site staff as the company believes its employees are more important than the glitz and the glamour of self-checkout. “The bottom line here is that our people remain our most valued resource," Tara Miller, Trader Joe's vice president of marketing, said on the Inside Trader Joe's podcast. “While other retailers were cutting staff and adding things like self-checkout, curbside pickup, and outsourcing delivery options, we were hiring more crew, and we continue to do that.” She added: "Our crew will be in our stores to help you find your next favorite product, just as...

"You are no longer in the West, you are in the Middle East, women like you are killed," Khaled Abughanem said to his daughter, according to the Justice Department. The American woman — who sought to celebrate her wedding in Mexico — invited her family to the ceremony in Guadalajara last September. Instead, her disapproving father, mother, and brothers conspired to kidnap her in an attempt to force her to marry someone else in Yemen, the Department of Justice alleged in an ongoing case against her father, Khaled, and brother, Waleed. The unnamed victim, who according to a DOJ statement...

When kids are taught concepts rooted in critical social justice, such as “white privilege,” “systemic racism,” and “patriarchy,” they are much more likely to become Democrats, reports the Manhattan Institute. “School indoctrination is working, and will make the Republicans unelectable in a generation,” notes Eric Kaufmann of the Manhattan Institute. “Younger generations are diverging from older ones by not becoming more Republican as they age. Why might this be?” “Indoctrination. Virtually all of over 1,500 18-20 year-olds polled had heard at least 1 of 8 critical social justice (CSJ) terms from adults at school. 90% heard a critical race (CRT)...

The Wall Street Journal reports that the Energy Department has concluded that the COVID pandemic most likely arose from a laboratory leak. The conclusion is reportedly based on a classified intelligence report recently provided to the White House and key members of Congress. Many will be exploring why the scientific evidence of a lab leak was so slow to emerge from intelligence agencies. However, for my part, the most alarming aspect was the censorship, not the science. There will continue to be a debate over the origins of COVID-19, but now there will be a debate. For years, the media...