Free Republic

Not even months into his new pontificate, Pope Francis declared, to a group of young people in Paraguay, “Go out and make a mess.” A puzzling remark from the Successor of St. Peter. As the years of his papacy went on, we witnessed what he meant. Year after year, he kept his promise. And the Church descended into an unprecedented chaos. Recall St. Augustine’s classic definition of peace: the tranquillitas ordinis (the tranquility of order). During Pope Francis’ reign, there was nothing of order and certainly no tranquility. Upheaval followed upheaval; shock gave way to more shock; ambiguity was compounded...

The Vatican has released images of Pope Francis being laid out in an open coffin ahead of the Confirmation of the Death of the Pontiff ceremony. Francis died Monday after suffering a stroke that led to irreversible heart failure following a weeks-long hospitalization with pneumonia. He was 88. The pontiff’s body had been placed in the coffin late Monday, with Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Vatican camerlengo — the “chamberlain” who essentially acts as head of the Vatican between the end of a papacy and the start of the next — reading the official declaration of death aloud in an intimate...

As you’ve likely heard by now, Pope Francis has died. The 88-year-old progressive Pope had been battling pneumonia and passed away just one day after Easter. Many viewed Francis as “Obama’s Pope,” a nickname he got thanks to long-running rumors that Obama played a role in replacing traditionalist Pope Benedict with the more liberal Francis. And let’s be honest—after the Wikileaks Podesta/DNC dump exposed the Dem Party’s obsession with infiltrating the Catholic Church, those rumors didn’t seem so far-fetched. These tweets from 2016 are a reminder of the backlash: We now know that Dems created fake Catholic groups to try...

Eternal and Just Lord, You raise up leaders in every age, and permit even flawed vessels to bear great weight. Receive the soul of Your servant, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who walked a path both revered and contested, and whose words shaped many, though not all in peace. In the quiet where truth stands uncloaked, may he now see clearly what once was dim. Where zeal was misplaced, may Your mercy abound. Where compassion blurred boundaries, may Your justice now restore what was unsettled. For those he shepherded, and those he unsettled— for every soul stirred by his charge— let Your...

Sydney Johnston grew up in a nondenominational Christian household — but now the Upper West Side millennial is a devout Catholic. “There’s just something so beautiful and transcendent about the rituals and the ancient history in the Catholic Mass that’s been preserved,” Johnston, 30, told The Post. “The church really communicates a degree of reverence that I didn’t find in the more liberal, laissez-faire approach of nondenominational churches.” Confirmed in December 2024 at the Church of Notre Dame in Morningside Heights, Johnston is one of a growing number of young people turning to the Catholic Church from other denominations, religions...

Their critics call them MAGA Catholics. Others label them as traditionalists — even fundamentalists. What is certain is that conservative or “faithful” Catholics, as they often prefer to be known, seem to be everywhere right now — from the new candidate for America’s ambassador to the Holy See to holding dinners and prayers services at Mar-A-Lago. This small but fervent wave of new conservative Catholicism is exploding nationwide — more visible than ever as they celebrate their resurrection victory this Easter Sunday.

The Christian crowdfunding platform GiveSendGo has staunchly defended its decision to host a fundraising campaign for the family of Karmelo Anthony, a 17-year-old Texas teenager charged with the murder of fellow student Austin Metcalf. The fundraiser, which has raised nearly $500,000, has sparked significant controversy, with critics arguing it violates the platform’s policies against campaigns that financially benefit individuals accused of violent crimes. Despite the backlash, GiveSendGo’s founders remain firm, emphasizing their commitment to due process and the presumption of innocence. On April 2, 2025, Karmelo Anthony, a senior at Frisco Centennial High School, allegedly stabbed 17-year-old Austin Metcalf, a...

Muslims Threaten to Sue Spain in Strasbourg Over Holy Week Processions, Claim They “Offend Islam”A group of British Muslims of Iranian origin, led by Anjem Choudary, is threatening to file a lawsuit before the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.They allege that Spain’s traditional Holy Week processions are an “offense to Islam” and to the Prophet Muhammad, demanding their immediate ban.The Muslim group intends to sue Spain in Strasbourg over these Catholic processions, with Choudary arguing that these religious events, rooted in Catholic tradition since 1978, are a “provocation” against Muslims.“It’s an offense to the thousands of Muslims forced...

Beyond etymology, Good Friday can be called “good” because of the results of Christ’s death on the cross. Jesus’ sacrifice was a demonstration of God’s love for us (Romans 5:8). Through Jesus’ death, we can have peace with God: “While we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son” (Romans 5:10). As 1 Peter 3:18 says, “Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God” (NLT).

A federal judge ruled this week that the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) may not force Catholic employers to accommodate abortion and IVF or to abide by Biden-era LGBT “anti-discrimination” rules. The Diocese of Bismarck, North Dakota, and the Catholic Benefits Association (CBA) had sued over the regulations last year, arguing their enforcement under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act violated the religious freedom rights of Catholic groups.“The US District Court for the District of North Dakota entered judgment Wednesday,” according to Bloomberg Law, “a day after Judge Daniel M. Traynor ruled that EEOC’s regulations under the Pregnant Workers Fairness...

You probably haven’t heard much about Holy Tuesday when people talk about Jesus’ last week in Jerusalem. This day may not have any of the exciting moments that happened at the end of Holy week, but it shows hints of the coming danger and gives us some vital lessons about Jesus' values.

The Holy City · Jeanette MacDonald

Join with fellow FREEPERS to pray for AMERICA: For those in Authority in Government, Family, Military, Business, Healthcare, Education, Churches, and the Media. I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone: for kings and all those in authority that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. ~ 1 Timothy 2:1-2 Religion Forum Threads labeled [Prayer] are closed to debate of any kind. Praying daily since 2015:

Beloved, this Palm Sunday, many "Christians" like Israel of old will assume and profess that they know Jesus, but tragically, "their" Jesus is not the Jesus of the Bible. In making their "own" Jesus, they have rejected the Biblical Jesus and will find themselves ETERNALLY desolate on the Day of Judgement. In light of this thought, I just wanted to share this brief, powerful poem written by Geo. O'hara. In conclusion of this poem, please be sure that you possess the Biblical Jesus, which comes by faith alone in His RIGHTEOUS Character. In doing so you will NEVER be the...

On Feb. 10, Francis addressed a letter to all American Catholic bishops on immigration. His communique was titled “Letter of the Holy Father Francis to the Bishops of the United States.” Here is an excerpt of what he said. “Dear Brothers in the Episcopate, the book of Exodus, invites us to look at the reality of our time, so clearly marked by the phenomenon of migration, as a decisive moment in history to reaffirm … the infinite and transcendent dignity of every human person.“Even a cursory examination of the church’s social doctrine emphatically shows that Jesus Christ … did not...

As last days America celebrates Palm Sunday and Easter, let us not forget about the history of the false perception that 2.7 million visitors of Jesus' day had (Jews and Gentiles) from all over the land of Israel and the known world during the Week of the Passover. Countless multitudes in Jerusalem at that time had totally misunderstood who Jesus was (Matt. 23:27; Luke 19:14). These countless multitudes that Jesus healed from demonic oppression and all kinds of diseases had soon forgotten His wonderful works for them. His 3-1/2 year preaching ministry was beginning to wear thin, and they had...

The autocratic Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is imposing severe restrictions on Christian missionary activity in the country, arguing loyalty to the party usurps all other beliefs and credos. The regulations, which take effect May 1, prohibit foreigners from preaching, sharing their faith, or establishing religious organizations without official government approval, persecution.org reports.

A Christian nurse has been suspended from her role in Britain’s National Health Service after she spoke out about allegedly being disciplined for refusing to refer to a biologically male convicted paedophile patient as a woman. Jennifer Melle has been suspended by the St Helier Hospital in Carshalton, London over allegedly breaching patient confidentiality after she spoke out about being previously disciplined by the NHS Trust for refusing to use female pronouns when referring to a male convicted child sex abuser while under her care. Despite Melle claiming that the patient had racially abused her and physically threatened her, the...

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...

What religion is this? United Methodist Minister explains that praying to God as 'Our Father' can be painful, damaging, and traumatic for some, so she advises to pray instead 'Our Grandmother who art in heaven' or 'Our coach....'From Grandville Church in Lancaster. pic.twitter.com/8QMrK6l5OD— Protestia (@Protestia) April 7, 2025Whether you pray 'Our Father in heaven,' or 'Our mother in heaven,' or 'Our parent in heaven,' it makes no difference in terms of the prayer itself. The Apostle Paul is quite literally rolling over in his grave right now. God, by His own Word, is OUR FATHER. Jesus refers to God as...