Free Republic

Before there was Iraq, there was Lebanon.  In 1982, following Operation Peace for Galilee, JINSA reported on the international terrorist haven that had arisen in Fatahland – the southern part of Lebanon controlled by Yasser Arafat.  Aside from the expected mélange of Middle Easterners, there were Japanese Red Army, German and Italian Red Brigades, Nicaraguan Sandinistas, Salvadorans, Colombians and Peruvians.  There were Iranian Shi’ites, East Germans and Bulgarians.  Before there was Iraq, there was Lebanon, again.  Religious Iran and secular, Ba’athist Syria made a deal to use Syrian-controlled Lebanon as a base for Hizballah to attack Israel.  Today, Israel...

[Catholic Caucus] Cardinal Müller to German bishops: Same-sex ‘blessings’ are ‘diametrically opposed’ to will of GodCardinal Müller said that Christians naturally understand that lifestyles contrary to Christian ethics 'are not blessed by God.'Cardinal Gerhard Müller said that same-sex “blessings” are “a deception” and are “diametrically opposed” to the will of God.In an article published in the German Catholic newspaper Die Tagespost, Cardinal Müller reiterated his critique of so-called same-sex “blessings” in response to two German bishops implementing the heterodox practice in their dioceses.READ: German bishop suggests guidelines for blessing same-sex ‘couples,’ divorced and ‘remarried’“When the Pharisees asked Him the trick...

[Catholic Caucus] 90% of German Bishops Deny Catholic Sexual Moral TeachingOn 1 July, German Catholic author Gabriele Kuby told Edward Pentin's Substack.com-account that almost 90% of German bishops support a distorted sexual education that involves teaching children that homosexual acts and gender ideology are normal and acceptable.Two German bishops have recently indicated their support for such indoctrination in Catholic schools.On 20 June, Bishop Peter Kohlgraf of Mainz said that biblical statements about homosexuality should not be read as timeless truths, although morality is timeless.Bishop Heinrich Timmerevers of Dresden-Meissen recently called for a "new" way of thinking concerning the sexual morality...

[Catholic Caucus] Heterodox German bishop calls for change to traditional Church teaching on genderThe Catechism of the Catholic Church recognizes that '[e]veryone, man and woman, should acknowledge and accept his sexual identity.'Bishop Heinrich Timmerevers of the Diocese of Dresden-Meissen has recently challenged traditional Church doctrine by questioning its stance on “gender identity.”In a recent interview covered by Katholisch.de, taken from the new issue of the “Herder Thema” series, titled “Visibly Recognized: Diversity of Sexual Identities,” Timmerevers claimed that new philosophies must be considered in the development of Church doctrine.“This requires a new way of thinking, which is expressed in Church...

A pair of backpacking German teens booted from the US lied about the purpose of their trip, Customs and Border Patrol said — but the women claim US officials “twisted” their words to trump up the allegations. “These travelers were denied entry after attempting to enter the US under false pretenses. One used a Visitor visa, the other the Visa Waiver Program,” CBP officials told The Post Monday. “Both claimed they were touring California but later admitted they intended to work — something strictly prohibited under US immigration laws for these visas.” But the women — who were planning to...

[Catholic Caucus] “Blessing Gives Strength to Love”: German Bishops’ Conference Releases Authorized Pastoral Guidelines on Imparting Blessings to Homosexual CouplesIt’s as if they were just waiting for the perfect moment—the moment when the last obstacle to their plan would be removed, and no one could stop them. The German original may be found here. -PAK“Blessing Gives Strength to Love”:Blessings for couples who love each otherHandout for pastorsResolution of the Whole Conference [of German Bishops], April 4, 2025 [released April 23]“The Church wishes to proclaim in word and deed the message of the God-given dignity of every person. This message guides...

Two teenage girls from Germany were detained, arrested, and deported at an airport in Hawaii after immigration officials said it was suspicious they had not booked a hotel room. Backpackers Charlotte Pohl, 19, and Maria Lepere, 18, arrived in Honolulu from Auckland while undergoing a round-the-world trip. The duo planned to spend five weeks in Hawaii before moving onto California and Costa Rica for the next legs of their journey. But despite having ESTA travel authorization, immigration officials accused them of attempting to enter the U.S. to work illegally, and they were placed in handcuffs and taken to a nearby...

On Friday, Vice President JD Vance gave a historic defense of free speech at the Munich Security Conference. In front of a clearly hostile assemblage of European diplomats, Vance confronted our allies with their systemic censorship as they demanded more support to “defend democracy.” For the free speech community, it was akin to Ronald Reagan’s call: “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” Vance questioned how our allies could claim to be the bastions of freedom while denying free expression to their citizens. He then delivered this haymaker: “If you are running in fear of your own voters, there is nothing...

Survivors of Auschwitz leave the concentration camp at the end of World War II in February 1945. Above them is the German slogan "Arbeit macht frei," which translates to "Work sets you free."

[Catholic Caucus] German bishop says women ‘preach’ in his diocese after Vatican puts brakes on women deaconsCalling for female deacons, Bishop Franz-Josef Overbeck told journalists on Tuesday that ‘unless we change’ existing structures within the Catholic Church, ‘we will no longer have priests in our parishes … very soon.’While Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernàndez declared Monday that the prospect of a female diaconate in the Catholic Church is “not mature,” Germany’s Bishop Franz-Josef Overbeck called for a “new answer” for the role of women in the Church, adding that he has commissioned women within his diocese to “preach” and provide “guidance”...

German Catholics Shrug at the Pope’s HeresyAbove: Pope Francis greets Bishop Georg Bätzing, president of the German bishops’ conference, during an audience at the Vatican June 24, 2021. CNS photo/Vatican MediaThe internet tells me that Anglophone Catholics are engaged in a heated debate as to whether or not Pope Francis has committed heresy in Singapore. I don’t claim to know what is inside the man’s mind. Usually, in such cases, I try to find a non-heretical, though certainly not acquitting, interpretation of the Pope’s words and leave the rest up to God. Some would accuse me of popesplaining, and frankly:...

[Catholic Caucus] German church tax is funding a ‘Marxist’ religion of heretics and schismaticsCatholic priest Fr. Joachim Heimerl argued that the bishops in Germany 'cling to the church tax like the devil to a poor soul. After all, the tax system has made the Church in Germany incredibly rich but equally faithless and decadent.'Anyone who is baptized and confirmed and who professes the faith of the Church is Catholic. In Germany, as is so often the case, things are quite different. Here, you are only Catholic through the church tax, at least if you are a taxpayer.This tax is by...

[Catholic Caucus] Four Heroes of Hypocrisy: How the President of the German Bishops Will Present HimselfThe Diocese of Limburg, Germany, headed by Georg Bätzing, the President of the German Bishops, has invented four figures for its presence at the 'Katholikentag' in Erfurt from 29 May to 2 June.The 'Katholikentag' is a festival-like national gathering of 'Catholics' in Germany that takes place about every 2-4 years.Bätzing's four heroes are: Fantastic Rainbow, Dr Future, Captain Liberty and PaxMan (all names originally in English). Participants in the Katholikentag can have their picture taken with them.The characters are drawn by an illustrator who trained...

In several German states including Hesse, Baden-Württemberg, and Hamburg, around three-quarters of benefit claimants are either first- or second-generation migrants, suggesting that mass immigration of low-skilled workers is not a net benefit to Europe's largest economy.. Nearly two-thirds of German residents receiving unemployment benefits have a migration background, new figures from the Federal Employment Agency have revealed. The statistics published by the federal agency and cited by the Die Welt broadsheet showed that 63.1 percent of those in receipt of the so-called citizen’s income, or “Bürgergeld,” are of migrant origin, and “most do not have a German passport.” The German...

[Catholic Caucus] German priests do not support Synodal Way, new study findsPriests in Germany are not supportive of the controversial German Synodal Way, according to a new study commissioned by the German Bishops’ Conference.The study, officially titled “Who Becomes a Priest?”, found that priests are “alienated from the concerns of Church reform,” lead author Matthias Sellmann said on May 17.“Priests are also clearly not supporters of the German Synodal Way,” Sellmann emphasized. According to a statement by the bishops’ conference, the study aimed to investigate “the socio-religious background and motivations of newly ordained priests in order to make strategic personnel...

[Catholic Caucus] German bishop attacks Church teaching for upholding ‘only man and woman,’ demands changes to CatechismPro-LGBT Auxiliary Bishop Ludger Schepers of Essen insisted that ‘something has to change’ in the Church regarding sexuality and that the ‘Catechism must say different things than it does now,’ in the latest heterodox remarks from the German hierarchy.A German bishop criticized Catholic teaching for “assuming there is only man and only woman” and demanded that the Church change its infallible doctrine on sexuality in the latest heterodox comments from the German hierarchy.Bishop Ludger Schepers, an auxiliary bishop for the Diocese of Essen, who...

Heretical German bishop says abortion is a ‘sensitive’ issue, will not participate in March for LifeBishop Stephan Ackermann defended Germany’s abortion regime as leading to ‘societal peace’ despite around 100,000 children killed in abortion every year and criticized strong pro-life advocacy, citing ‘a woman’s right to self determination.’The bishop of Trier has said that he would not participate in the March for Life because abortion is a “sensitive” and complex matter, citing “a woman’s right to self-determination.”In an interview with the German radio station Deutschlandfunk on April 29, Bishop Stephan Ackermann was asked about the recent March for Life in...

[Catholic Caucus] A German Bishop: Words and Deeds Can Contradict Each OtherHomosexual [pseudo] blessings are the beginning of a further "development of doctrine", Monsignor Helmut Dieser, the Bishop of Aachen, Germany, told Katholisch.de (19 March).The term "development of doctrine" is often used by heretics to mean "betrayal of the faith."Monsignor Dieser says that with the text 'Fiducia Supplicans', Francis has made it clear "that action does not have to reflect doctrine one-to-one". He overlooks the fact that this is the definition of hypocrisy.For him, 'Fiducia Supplicans' indicates "indirectly" that the doctrine has a potential for "further development" [he means: disintegration]....

German Bishops Wade into Party PoliticsNot content to only promote heresy, now German bishops are bringing their non-Catholic sensibility to the realm of politics.American English speakers are familiar with the axiomatic question Is the pope Catholic? Applied instead to the bishops of Germany, the answer isn’t obvious. The recent announcement of a commission for “queer” pastoral care is the latest in a long line of heretical ventures from Luther’s homeland. From a theological perspective, there is little to add to assessments like Dr. Regis Martin’s here. However, when these heterodox bishops venture into the realm of secular party politics, they...

[Catholic Caucus] Wonderful Diversity: OFM Provincial Proclaims His "Homosexuality"Father Markus Fuhrmann, OFM, head of the 200-member German Franciscan Province, has told urbi et orbi that he is a "homosexual".He explained his confession to Katholisch.de (12 March) by saying that "I had to change something for the sake of my own honesty". Katholisch.de is run by the German bishops.Already in January 2022, Fuhrmann took part in 'OutInChurch', a homosexual propaganda campaign by about 120 employees of the "Catholic" Church in Germany, which employs about 650,000 people (including 'Caritas').Five months later, when the provincial chapter had to elect a new provincial, Fuhrmann...