Free Republic

[Catholic Caucus] Heterodox Austrian priest criticizes celibacy while appearing with female companion in publicThe chaplain of Vienna’s St. Stephen Cathedral has taken many heterodox positions in the past, including support for female ordinations and blessings of same-sex couples.The chaplain of Vienna’s St. Stephen Cathedral has repeatedly appeared with a blonde woman at high society events while downplaying priestly celibacy as an “elastic concept.”Chaplain Anton (called “Toni”) Faber has drawn the attention of the press in recent months for appearing at high society events like the famous Vienna Opera Ball with a blonde woman named Natalie Nemec accompanying him as his...

[Catholic Caucus] Bishop Bätzing suggests Church teaching on homosexuality could be ‘changed for the sake of the people’Bishop Georg Bätzing attacked Church teaching on ‘sexual morality’ as ‘largely ineffective in its current form,’ arguing the faithful ‘ignore it and live their lives.’Bishop Georg Bätzing has claimed that Church doctrine on sexual morality can be “changed for the sake of the people” without losing the “core of Catholicism.”According to CNA Deutsch, Bätzing also stated at a Monday press conference at the start of the German Bishops’ Conference (DBK) spring plenary assembly in Würzburg: “I stand by the teachings of the Catholic...

[Catholic Caucus] German bishops elect new leader who rejected Church teaching on homosexualityBishop Heiner Wilmer, a supporter of the Synodal Way, voted in favor of documents falsely claiming that homosexual activity is ‘not a sin’ and calling for ‘blessing’ homosexual unions.German Catholic bishops The German Bishops’ Conference has elected Bishop Heiner Wilmer as its new leader.On Tuesday morning, Wilmer, the bishop of Hildesheim, was elected by the 56 bishops attending the spring plenary assembly as the successor of Bishop Georg Bätzing of Limburg.Wilmer is known as a heterodox prelate and supporter of the heretical German Synodal Way. He regularly voted...

[Catholic Caucus] Pope Leo-appointed bishop calls same-sex ‘blessings’ a ‘step forward’ for the Church'Being homosexual is not a sin. Indeed, it is not,' said Bishop Satué. 'The blessing of people who have a same‑sex relationship project is, in my view, a step forward.'MALAGA, Spain (LifeSiteNews) — A bishop appointed by Pope Leo XIV said that being homosexual “is not a sin,” supported blessings for same-sex “couples,” and called for expanded governing roles for women in the Church.On February 15, in the local newspaper Málaga Hoy, Bishop José Antonio Satué addressed questions concerning homosexuality and same-sex blessings. He also outlined his...

[Catholic Caucus] Pope Leo XIV appoints bishop who attended Masonic lodge opening in ItalyBishop Francesco Antonio Soddu, who attended a Masonic lodge inauguration in 2022, was named Metropolitan Archbishop of Sassari by Pope Leo on February 21.Pope Leo XIV has appointed a bishop who participated in the opening ceremony of a Masonic lodge as Metropolitan Archbishop of Sassari, Italy.The Holy See announced the decision to promote Monsignor Francesco Antonio Soddu to his new position in its daily bulletin on February 21. Soddu, who was originally appointed as bishop of Terni-Narni-Amelia by Pope Francis in 2021, caused a scandal in September...

[Catholic Caucus] God’s Inclusive Love Respects Homosexuals – Archbishop SciclunaGod dwells within every human life and this idea can offer consolation and direction to homosexual Catholics, writes pro-homosexual Malta Archbishop Charles Scicluna on the pro-homosexual Outreach.faith (February 3) His text employes psychological categories and rhetoric such as “feelings”, “wounds”, “weaknesses”, “fear”, “self-punishment”, “self-doubt”, “dependence”, “healing”, and so on. As if there were no sin, Monsignor Scicluna claims that “our stories, relationships, questions and identities are never beyond God’s loving gaze”. He believes that “our lived experiences—including our questions, wounds and hopes—are not obstacles to God, but places of encounter”. “Many...

[Catholic Caucus] Vatican doctrinal chief warns against condemnations, urges humility in the ChurchCardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, warned Tuesday about a culture of “ex cathedra” condemnations online and called for greater humility in the Church to avoid repeating “the same deception that led to the excesses of the Inquisition.”“Today on any blog, anyone — even without having studied much theology — expresses an opinion and condemns as if speaking ex cathedra,” the cardinal said as he opened the dicastery’s plenary assembly, being held Jan. 27–29 at the Vatican with more...

[Catholic Caucus] New Vienna archbishop’s consecration Mass features women in key roles, altered ritualsThe heavily altered liturgical rite visually emphasized a concept of ecclesial authority as emerging from the gathered community rather than the Church’s established hierarchy. Josef Grünwidl was ordained Archbishop of Vienna on Saturday in a ceremony at St. Stephen’s Cathedral. The rite included notable deviations from the liturgical texts, with an emphasis on layperson involvement, including women-led roles in the ceremony.On January 24, Josef Grünwidl was consecrated archbishop during a solemn Mass in Vienna, Austria, after having been appointed by Pope Leo XIV as successor to Cardinal...

[Catholic Caucus] Cardinal Radcliffe: I support “moving ahead quickly” on female deaconsThe English cardinal's interview highlights the spirituality which underpinned the Synod on Synodality.Cardinal Radcliffe, who served as spiritual advisor to the Synod on Synodality, has given his support to “moving ahead quickly” with ordaining women to the diaconate.Interviewed by The Telegraph, Timothy Cardinal Radcliffe OP made a number of revelatory comments, not least about the fact that he apparently fell in love with a woman just shortly after he was ordained a priest and invited her to stay at his priory to meet the Dominican community there.But it is...

[Catholic Caucus] Leo XIV Promotes US Bishop - Fan of 🌈 James Martin and Fiducia SupplicansPope Leo XIV appointed Father Manuel de Jesus Rodriguez as the bishop of Palm Beach, Florida.Born January 15, 1974, in the Dominican Republic, Rodriguez became a Salesian of Don Bosco and was ordained a priest on July 3, 2004. He is currently the parish priest at Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Queens, in the Diocese of Brooklyn.Monsignor Rodriguez became a U.S. citizen in 2018. He has regularly been revealing his thoughts on Twitter since 2014.Staunch Loyalist of Wonderful FrancisHe is a priest “who loves...

[Catholic Caucus] BREAKING: Pope Leo appoints bishop who celebrated LGBT Mass with drag queen speakerDuring a July LGBT 'Pride' Mass, Bishop Ramón Pope Leo XIV has appointed a San Diego auxiliary bishop who celebrated an “All are Welcome” LGBT “Pride” Mass – during which a drag queen activist was permitted to speak – as the new bishop of Monterey, California. Bishop Ramón Bejarano was the celebrant of the July 13 Sunday Mass, which was organized by St. John’s “LGBTQ Ministry” and had the full backing of the Diocese of San Diego under Bishop Michael Pham, one of Pope Leo XIV’s...

[Catholic Caucus] Italian diocese tries to normalize homosexual, divorced and ‘remarried’ relationshipsA Catholic diocese in Italy has released a pamphlet of various 'Christian testimonies' that included two homosexual couples and one civilly remarried couple. A Catholic diocese in Italy has released a pamphlet of various “Christian testimonies” that included two homosexual couples and one civilly remarried couple.On December 4, the Family Pastoral Service of the Diocese of Chiavari, Italy, directed by Father Marco Torre, published the pamphlet “There Is No Greater Love.” It includes autobiographical testimonies presented as “exemplary,” without additional doctrinal notes or commentary. There were no official statements...

[Catholic Caucus] Italian priest suggests ‘baby girl Jesus’ in Nativity scenes in call for women deacons, bishopsFr. Vitaliano Della Sala claims a female Christ Child would expose the apparent ‘injustice’ in Church teaching excluding women from the possibility of receiving Holy Orders.AVELLINO, Italy (LifeSiteNews) — An Italian priest has argued that a “baby girl Jesus” should be introduced into Nativity scenes because God could have incarnated as a woman as well.On December 3, Father Vitaliano Della Sala, pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul in Capocastello, Italy, during an interview with a local television station, sparked widespread debate in the national...

[Catholic Caucus] Pro-LGBT German bishop says the Catholic Church does not ‘stand for an abstract truth’In a recent homily, Bishop Peter Kohlgraf rejected claims he is ‘not Catholic’ while arguing the faith should embrace the ‘opinion of others’ and move beyond ‘abstract truth.’German Bishop Peter Kohlgraf has responded to an allegation that he and other German bishops are “not Catholic” in light of their support for ideologies which oppose traditional Church teachings, and implied that the Catholic faith is not about truth.The bishop of Mainz delivered a homily on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, arguing that being Catholic must...

Rome’s Failure to Correct Germany’s Bishops has Emboldened Their Pro-LGBT AgendaAs the country’s bishops issue a new document encouraging diversity of sexual identities in Catholic schools, German Catholic sociologist Gabriele Kuby explains the full extent of the crisis.A recently published document from the German bishops encouraging Catholic school pupils to self-identify according to their “sexual identity” is the latest significant departure of the bishops’ conference from the Church’s teaching, re-igniting talk of a possible new, German-born schism.The “orientation aid,” published on Oct. 30, states that Catholic schools should consider “diversity of sexual identities is a fact,” effectively normalizing any pupil...

[Catholic Caucus] Rediscovered book by Cardinal Fernández features graphic erotic passages on ‘spirituality and sensuality’A 1998 book by Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández featuring provocative, sexually-charged themes has resurfaced, likely adding further scrutiny to the already embattled prefect of the Vatican’s doctrine office.Titled “Mystical Passion: Spirituality and Sensuality,” the 26-year-old work includes graphic descriptions of human sexual relations and discussion of what the Argentinian theologian describes as “mystical orgasm.”The nearly 100-page-long book also depicts in detail an imaginary erotic encounter with Jesus Christ on the shores of Galilee, which Fernández said was based on a spiritual experience disclosed to him by...

[Catholic Caucus] Italian bishops call for ‘research’ into female diaconateThe least-supported proposal that still received approval at the Italian bishops' synod calls for 'research projects' to explore the question of the female diaconate.Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi leaves the Vatican after a College of Cardinals' meeting on April 30, 2025 in Rome, ItalyAs far as the Italian bishops are concerned, the issue of a female diaconate is still on the table.On October 25, the Italian Synod approved a final document of proposals in which the synod affirmed its support and called for research into the issues addressing the ordination of women...

The U.S. Conference Of Catholic Bishops Needs To Stop Apologizing For IslamIslam’s inherent disdain for non-Muslims must not intrude on the pieties of interfaith harmony, according to the USCCB.Earlier this month, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) published “Islamophobia: A Guide for U.S. Catholics on Anti-Muslim Bigotry.” Showcased on the USCCB website with a lovely Islamic design cover, this 15-page booklet exhorts Catholics to “address the disturbing phenomenon of anti-Muslim sentiment in our times.”Introduced by the co-chairs of the National Catholic-Muslim Dialogue (NCMD) — Bishop Elias Lorenzo of Newark and Imam Kareem Irfan — the USCCB declares dire need...

[Catholic Caucus] Morocco cardinal: ‘We must abandon the false paradigm of true religion, false religion’CWN Editor's Note: In a reflection for the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, the archbishop of Rabat, Morocco, said that “we must abandon the false paradigm of ‘true religion, false religion.’” “Religions, for their part, have the responsibility to offer paths of meaning and truth, not of domination,” said Spanish-born Cardinal Cristóbal López Romero, SDB. “No religion can appropriate the truth, as if it were its sole owner. No one possesses the truth; if anything, it is the truth that possesses us all, and in every...

[Catholic Caucus] German Bishops Publish Homosexual Handbook for Catholic SchoolsOn 30 October, the German Bishops’ Conference published a guide urging Catholic schools to incorporate homosexual ideology. The title is: 'Created, Redeemed and Seduced Loved: Visibility and recognition of sexual identity diversity in schools”. In it, the bishops adopt the vocabulary and assumptions of gender ideology (queer, non-binary, cis, heteronormativity). They blaspheme that God willed homosexual lifestyles. Main problematic quotes, shortened for clarity.- The primacy of love orders all other perspectives – including sexual-moral ones.- Being loved in creation and redemption applies to the human person in all his or her...