Free Republic

[Catholic Caucus] Bishop Strickland confronts US bishops on their silence over trafficked childrenBishop Joseph Strickland exhorted not only the bishops but lay Catholics to confront their own complacency over the children being trafficked in the U.S.Bishop Joseph Strickland confronted U.S. bishops about their silence over children trafficked upon crossing the border illegally.During a Catholics for Catholics award ceremony for U.S. border czar Tom Homan in honor of his work saving over 62,000 children from human trafficking, Strickland highlighted the approximately 250,000 children still lost from border crossings under Joe Biden’s administration. The bishop stressed that if the unborn are not...

[Catholic Caucus] Cardinals’ letter against Trump’s foreign policy is a blatant political attackCardinals Cupich, McElroy, and Tobin speak of their concern for ‘religious liberty’ and ‘the right to life’ after years of silence under the Biden administration, even when it spied on Catholics and locked up pro-lifers.By now it shouldn’t be surprising when Catholic clergy counter-signal President Trump. It happened first when Pope Francis attacked him for wanting to build a border wall in 2016. It happened in December of last year when Leo indirectly rebuked him for his peace plan in Ukraine, which he said would “break apart” the...

I often hear statements such as, “Today is no different than any other time in history; look at what happened in the last century with its deadly wars and oppression.” Others point to New Testament times when immorality across the Roman Empire rivaled that of our day, as if to say there’s nothing new about our day. How do we answer such objections? Is our day truly unique in we live in the season of Jesus’ imminent appearing? The most telling difference between today and no other time in all of Church history is this: since 1948, Israel has existed...

Minneapolis saw it in 2020 with George Floyd, and low and behold, that same spirit reigns again in my home town. This time the accused are ICE agents doing their job. And well. In 2020 I wrote in an E-newsletter like this one, stating, “In the Twin Cities, 1,000 properties have been vandalized, looted, burned, or totally destroyed along with apartments above these businesses and homes. “Our media shows business owners staring in stunned disbelief as many were reeling from Coronavirus destruction, but now they face the result of rampant anarchy due to George Floyd fall-out. The media adds insult...

A recent statement was issued by the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem on Unity and Representation of the Christian Communities in the Holy Land on January 17, 2026. It was filled with the spirit of arrogance, power and a desire to control. Why do I say that? Well, they had to claim that they were the “Patriarchs and Heads of all the churches” seven times in a document that only had around twenty sentences! In the article they reiterated that they alone represent all the churches and their flocks in any and all matters pertaining to “Christian”...

Antisemitism and anti-Israel views are creeping into Christian and conservative communities. Pastor Gary Hamrick, along with guests Pastor Rob McCoy, Samuel Smadja, and former Congressman Bob McEwen, delivers a biblical response to replacement theology, U.S. support for Israel, the October 7th attacks, and the takes from Candace Owens and Tucker Carlson. Watch this timely message to understand the real issues and stand firm in truth!

[Catholic Caucus] Jesuits in Britain respond to Senior Catholic chaplain at Oxford removedThe Jesuits in Britain have confirmed that Fr Damian Howard SJ has stepped down from ministry following a safeguarding investigation into a complaint of professional misconduct, with an independent review now under way. Fr Damian stands accused of “inappropriate behaviour” with a student. In a statement, the order told the Catholic Herald that: “We take every complaint extremely seriously and respond with care and diligence. When this complaint was received, the safeguarding team of Jesuits in Britain carried out an investigation. Based on their conclusions, immediate action was...

[Catholic Caucus] BREAKING: Pope Leo appoints pro-LGBT archbishop as secretary for Dicastery for ClergyArchbishop Carlo Roberto Maria Redaelli's pro-LGBT views were recounted in a description of his response to the same-sex 'marriage' of a Catholic scout leader.Pope Leo XIV has appointed a controversial and homosexualist archbishop to a prominent role in the Vatican.Archbishop Carlo Roberto Maria Redaelli of Gorizia was named today as the new Secretary for the Dicastery for Clergy.Raedelli and his pro-LGBT views were mentioned in a 2020 book by Luciano Moia, a senior journalist for the Italian Bishops’ Conference’s daily newspaper Avvenire. In his book, Moia argues...

The New York City Police Department is increasing patrols at churches and other houses of worship across Staten Island following a series of recent criminal incidents at Catholic parishes, according to a Jan. 15 report from Staten Island Advance. The announcement came at a Jan. 15 press conference held outside St. Ann’s Catholic Church, where law enforcement officials and elected leaders addressed residents amid a series of incidents at four Catholic churches, including burglaries, vandalism, and disruptions at Catholic churches that have occurred since late November 2025. Those attending the briefing included Richmond County District Attorney Michael McMahon; Borough President...

Leo XIV Appoints 19 Consultors – Pachamama Worshipper, Yoga Lover and Abu-Dhabi ActivistPope Leo XIV appointed today 19 people as consultors of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue. The names are completely in line with Francis’ appointments. Examples:Emilce Cuda (Pontifical Commission for Latin America)In 2022, she criticized the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade (legal abortion in the USA), warning that many Catholics “confuse defense of life with defense of ideological positions.” She stressed that human dignity goes beyond abortion and euthanasia to include “‘in-between’ issues.” (NcrOnline.org)Mónica Santamarina (World Union of Catholic Women’s Organizations)She advocates expanded roles for women in...

[Catholic Caucus] Cardinal Zen says consistory was ‘hijacked’ by Pope Francis ‘henchmen’'They did their utmost to prevent the cardinals from voicing their opinions. Isn't this the exact opposite of Pope Leo's purpose in convening the consistory?' Cardinal Zen wrote. Cardinal Joseph Zen said he was “deeply grateful” for this month’s extraordinary consistory while also claiming it was “hijacked” by allies of the late Pope Francis.On Tuesday, the 94-year-old Chinese cardinal published his reflections on the consistory called by Pope Leo XIV, the first of his papacy. Zen wrote that he came away “grateful” for the opportunity to gather with his...

At annual Mass, Cardinal McElroy honors late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as a ‘dreamer and prophet’The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led a “revolution of conscience,” who sought “the conversion of hearts,” Washington Cardinal Robert W. McElroy said during a Jan. 18 Mass remembering the late civil rights leader.“Dr. King was truly a dreamer and a prophet,” the cardinal said. “He came to echo the message of Jesus Christ that we are all truly brothers and sisters.”Cardinal McElroy was the principal celebrant of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington’s annual Mass honoring the life and legacy of Dr....

Pope Leo XIV invokes Leo XIII as early champion of ecumenismWhile Leo XIII’s push for Christian unity calls on adherence to Catholic doctrine and papal primacy, Leo XIV emphasizes an approach of ‘legitimate diversity’ rooted in the Nicene Creed.Pope Leo XIV marked the start of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity by invoking the legacy of Pope Leo XIII, whom he presented as an ecumenical forerunner.On January 18, at the conclusion of the Angelus prayer in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV announced the opening of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, encouraged Catholics to...

Exclusive: Diocese of Charlotte reacts to first Sunday after altar rail banIn the Diocese of Charlotte, Bishop Michael Martin’s pastoral letter of December 17, 2025 ordered that altar rails, kneelers and prie-dieux be removed from public Masses by Friday, January 16.As the first Sunday Masses without altar rails unfolded this weekend, reports from across the diocese indicated anything but uniform compliance. While some parishes removed temporary kneelers and adjusted Communion lines, others made no immediate changes, awaiting Vatican clarification on a dubia submitted by more than 30 priests. The result has been a patchwork of responses indicating deep frustration with...

[Catholic Caucus] Consistory Done Like Middle School - Leo XIV Is ResponsibleJournalists Raymond Arroyo and Robert Royal, and canon lawyer and priest Gerald Murray of New York talked on January 16 about the consistory of January 7-8. A short sequence, video below.Robert Royal commenting on Cardinal Grech’s contribution on synod:I think you hear that and you say, what in God’s name can that possibly mean? This is the gobbledygook we’ve been listening to for years about synodality and all this confusion. I mean, one of the things I’ve heard from sources is that many of these cardinals have said, "Look,...

[Catholic Caucus] Germany’s “slime Mass” apology exposes deeper fault lines in the ChurchA Catholic diocese in Germany has issued a formal apology after a televised Christmas Eve Mass from Stuttgart provoked a storm of criticism over an unconventional Nativity scene broadcast nationwide on public television.The Mass, aired on ARD from St Mary’s Church in Stuttgart, featured an artistic portrayal of the newborn Christ by an adult female performance artist curled in a foetal position and covered with sticky rice paper, intended to evoke the vernix of a newborn child. It was quickly dubbed “slime Jesus”. The broadcast was produced by...

– In the narrow, sun-baked streets of Mogadishu, faith is a secret kept behind locked doors and whispered prayers. The city hums with the clatter of market stalls and the wail of distant sirens, but inside dimly lit homes, Christians gather in silence, clutching Bibles that must never be seen. Last year, an article about the underground Christian community there captured the attention of millions online, with some moved to prayer and others to outrage. The article, “Serving the Hidden Church in Somalia,” was originally published in May. It received the usual responses on our Facebook, Instagram, and X accounts...

The Rev. Franklin Graham issued an urgent call to prayer, encouraging Americans to come together at noon on January 14 to collectively seek God — a move he believes is essential for a nation he believes has turned its back on the Lord. "Our nation is falling so far from God and His truth," Graham told CBN News. The Samaritan's Purse CEO cited as evidence confusion he observed this week at the Supreme Court, where justices are currently weighing whether states can preclude biological men from participating in women's sports. Graham said 10 years ago such an argument wouldn't have...

[Catholic Caucus] Open Letter to the Priests and Pastors of the Diocese of Charlotte, North Carolina, USAJanuary 15th, 2026Feast of Our Lady of Prompt SuccorTo my dear Brothers in the Vineyard of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,Grace and peace to you in this holy Season of the Nativity of Our Lord.With pastoral concern and fraternal affection, I write to you at a moment of genuine trial for the Church, to recall to your hearts the true nature of that obedience which must ever animate the soul of the priest. You are called, above all, to obedience to Christ Himself,...

[Catholic Caucus] First Woman to Lead the Vatican’s Arts Academy Wants the Church to Embrace Contemporary ArtContemporary art is powerful vehicle for communicating values, challenging reality, and understanding the times we live in, says Cristiana Perrella.An expert in contemporary art, Cristiana Perrella was inducted into the Vatican’s 500-year-old fine arts academy in a narrow Baroque chapel under the attic of the Pantheon in 2022. Three years later, Pope Leo XIV appointed her the first woman president in the academy’s history.In three decades as an independent curator and director of art museums, Perella has had little experience with Church institutions and...