Free Republic

A new study argues that the large majority of American Jews have a deep-seated notion that being Jewish is inextricably bound to being liberal. That idea took hold after the large waves of Jewish immigration to the US in the late 19th century, according to the study’s author, American history professor Gil Troy. American Jewish liberalism and association with the Democratic party is showing no signs of abatement, despite many predictions to the contrary since Ronald Reagan’s presidency, according to Troy’s research, which is being published by the Ruderman Family Foundation's Program for American Jewish Studies at the University of...

Just one in four Catholic priests and Mainline Protestant pastors in the United States say they're certain that Adam and Eve were real people. In contrast, 80% of Evangelical pastors and 89% of black Protestant clergy affirm this belief with certainty. Data from the National Survey of Religious Leaders reveal significant differences among clergy in their core theological beliefs, including their views on the Bible, Hell, miracles, and the existence of God, as noted by Graphs About Religion on Substack.When asked whether they “definitely believe” Adam and Eve were historical figures, the numbers diverged sharply across denominations, dropping to 25%...

The Biden-era FBI’s efforts targeting traditionalist Catholics were far more extensive than previously known and involved personnel from multiple field offices, according to newly revealed documents that contradict former FBI director Christopher Wray’s congressional testimony. The FBI’s focus on traditionalist Catholics was revealed in February 2023, when a former agent published a leaked memo produced by the bureau’s Richmond, Va. field office warning against the emerging threat posed by “radical traditionalist Catholic ideology.” The Richmond memo was largely based on the findings of the Southern Poverty Law Center, which has a record of maligning conservative groups as “extremist.” The memo...

Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, D-CA, who served as Speaker of the House and is now head of the House minority, is once again spending her Christmas at the exotic Four Seasons Resort Hualalai at Historic Ka'upulehu in Kona on the island of Hawaii. Pelosi reportedly plans to spend her Christmas Eve at midnight mass in St. Michael's Catholic Church in Kailua-Kona. Pelosi spent the last two Christmas holidays in Kona at the same hotel in an elaborate suite that rents for $10,000 a night.

After just two days and four secret ballots in the Sistine Chapel, the College of Cardinals elevated Chicago-born Robert Francis Prevost to the See of Peter as Pope Leo XIV—an outcome that underscores the doctrinal rifts at the heart of Christendom and the enduring reasons for our divide. Although Catholics and Protestants often use similar words and phrases, the meanings they attach to those terms are profoundly different. Here are ten doctrinal fault lines that explain why true unity remains out of reach: while we can—and should—show mutual respect, we cannot pretend these convictions don’t exist. It’s the perfect moment...

SAO PAULO (CNS) — A Catholic prelature in Brazil's Amazon has decreed that its parishes will not accept donations from any person or company that displaces minorities or damages the earth. Bishop José Ionilton Lisboa de Oliveira of Itacoatiara has prohibited parishes, pastoral communities, groups and movements linked to the prelature -- similar to a diocese — from receiving financial resources from those he says "damage the Amazon." "We decree, for an indefinite period, that in parishes, communities, pastorals, groups and movements of the Prelature of Itacoatiara, we will not receive financial resources, in currency or other goods, from politicians,...

We previously discussed the legislation passed by Washington State democrats that requires priests to violate the sanctity of the confessional to report child abuse. I described the law as “blatantly unconstitutional” in eviscerating the right to the free exercise of religion. The state is moving to create an effective system of sacramental snitches and the Catholic Church is declaring “enough.” It has announced that any priest who complies with the law will be promptly excommunicated. We previously discussed the proposed legislation that would target priests who learn of any “reasonable” basis to believe that a child “has suffered abuse or...

The White House posted an AI-generated photo of President Donald Trump depicted as the pope on Friday, days after he joked that he’d “like to be pope.” The image — which first appeared on Trump’s Truth Social account — comes as cardinals are set to begin conclave on May 7 to elect the next pope. Trump attended Pope Francis’ funeral in Rome last weekend, during which he also met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. On Tuesday, days after returning from Francis’ funeral, Trump joked to reporters outside the White House that he’d “like to be pope,” adding, “that would be...

It is a dogma of the Catholic faith that the Blessed Virgin Mary was not only a virgin when she conceived and bore Jesus but that she remained a virgin ever after. Most Protestant Christians today deny this – but do they know that many of their early leaders believed it? Here are 5 examples of major Protestant leaders who rejected huge swaths of Catholic dogma, but – you may surprised to learn – defended the perpetual virginity of Mary: 1) Martin Luther is usually considered to be the person who sparked the Protestant Reformation. He rejected core Catholic dogmas...

With the passing of Pope Francis on April 21, the Catholic Church is preparing for a transition that will determine its direction for the foreseeable future. As the first Latin American pope, Francis brought significant change as Bishop of Rome, focusing on social justice, environmental issues and a more inclusive Church. Now, the College of Cardinals prepares to gather at the Vatican for a conclave that will shape the Church's future. Their choice won't just name the next leader of 1.37 billion Catholics—it will set the course for doctrine, transparency and the Church's outreach to its flock. Will the next...

U.S. Catholic leaders are ending their church’s 50-year partnership with the federal government and seeking new ways to help refugees. Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, announced the change in a press release and Washington Post column on Monday, arguing that the Trump administration forced his denomination’s hand. “The bishops’ decision came after the federal government suspended our cooperative agreements to resettle refugees. The drastic reduction of these programs forced us to reconsider the best way to serve the needs of our brothers and sisters seeking safe harbor from violence and persecution,” he wrote...

Elizabethan Catholics and the MassThis spine-stiffening piece featured in our December 1974 edition; the concluding article in a series penned for Christian Order by the renowned Jesuit historian and author. Though familiar to a greater or lesser extent with the faith, courage and characters involved, we do well to recall and ponder them anew since we should prudently expect the screws of the corporate-state and Occupied Rome to be turned with even greater ferocity against the Holy Faith and Mass of the English saints and martyrs. Father Crane prefaced the article thus: "Father Caraman brings out with the utmost clarity...

We’re seeing a society become unhinged…again. Trump has quite a way with the radical Left. They absolutely hate him and DOGE, and they daily hourly lose it. Now they’re burning Teslas (so much for climate care), raging in hotel lobbies and on college campuses to defend Hamas supporters, and cursing up a storm at rallies. It's not just paid activists and politicians jumping into the resistance ring; it’s leftist “faith leaders” too. Recently, nearly 100 “progressive” religious folks signed a letter demanding an unbiblical “Return to Jesus.” The Lenten letter demanded that hundreds of millions of wasted taxpayer dollars continue...

They are demanding answers. A group of conservative Catholics have issued a letter to Vice President J.D. Vance demanding answers about funding for Catholic charities, non-profits and NGOs that have received many millions in taxpayer money to dump dangerous third-world migrants into unsuspecting communities. The letter, signed by Janet Smith, Elizabeth Yore and several victims of sexual abuse by predator priests, reads as follows: “Dear Vice President Vance, We are impressed and grateful that you called upon the U.S. bishops to be transparent about how they have spent government funds to settle refugees and immigrants. Your remarks at the National...

Cardinal Dolan delivers a ‘Ramadan message’ shaming all Catholics into praying for ‘our Muslim brothers and sisters’ continuing the work Pope Francis has done with his Islam Alliance As Pope Francis lays in his hospital bed, and quite possibly his death bed as his condition continues to worsen, Cardinal Timothy Dolan took to his Podcast to deliver a stunning message on the Muslim holiday of Ramadan that starts today. In that message, Dolan refers them as “our Muslim brothers and sisters”, sparking quite the controversy online. Calling Muslims as “brothers and sisters” implies there is a bond connecting the two...

The U.S. Catholic bishops have lawyered up. And they're out to claw back "their" money -- at last count $65 million in taxpayer cash -- which they use to advance the entry of millions of illegal migrants into the U.S. and leave the taxpayers with the bill for their permanent upkeep.According to Catholic News Agency:The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is suing the Trump administration over what the bishops say is an unlawful suspension of funding for refugee programs in the United States. Upon taking office last month, President Donald Trump issued sweeping executive orders that, among other measures,...

Trump border czar rebukes Pope Francis, tells Raymond Arroyo: ‘Trump’s policies are saving lives’‘When President Trump has illegal immigration down 90 percent, how many women are not being sexually assaulted? How many children are not dying crossing the river? How many women and children are not dying from fentanyl poisonings?’ Trump border chief Tom Homan asked.President Donald Trump’s border czar Tom Homan said that Trump’s policies containing illegal immigration are “saving lives,” in response to Pope Francis’ criticism.In an interview on Raymond Arroyo’s show The World Over, Homan was asked about his response to Pope Francis’s recent letter to the...

A culturally significant development has been lost in the flood of news. In September of 2021, the National School Boards Association sent a shameful letter to part-time President Joe Biden demanding that aggressive parental criticism of local school boards be coded as threats and treated as criminal behavior. If you’ve forgotten that letter, the NSBA specifically asked the Biden administration to use “the PATRIOT Act in regards to domestic terrorism” against parents. Attorney General Merrick Garland quickly gave the NSBA what it wanted, issuing guidance to federal law enforcement to investigate parental criticism as potential federal crimes, under the premise...

[Catholic Caucus] Heroes of the VendéeThe Catholic people of the Vendée, aware of the horrors being unleashed by the stormtroopers of the French Revolution, responded courageously to the threat to their Faith and their way of life.Many people will have heard of the French Resistance, the name given to the various underground organizations that fought against the Nazis during the German occupation of France in World War II. Few, however, will be aware of another “French Resistance,” a century and a half earlier, in which around 170,000 people died. This was the Vendée Uprising of 1793. The rising of the...

Nepal: HPI Note: This report is from a Christian website. Christians and Muslims in Nepal are criticizing the draft version of a new constitution that bans religious conversion. Spurred to action by the recent earthquake, Nepal's government introduced the draft for public comment on June 30, Reuters reported. The draft states that "any act which may be contrary to public health, public decency or morality or incitement to breach public peace or act to convert another person from one religion to another or any act or behavior to undermine or jeopardize the religion of each other is not allowed and...