Free Republic

Last night at at TPUSA event featuring Megyn Kelly, who was supposed to be accompanied by the late Charlie Kirk, a student said Trump contributes to the rhetoric that got Charlie killed. He cited a study that indicates much more of the political violence in America is motivated by right-wing ideology. The truth is that this study cherry-picks a timeframe that gets the author where she wanted to go. Also, thanks to social media and how it has so fundamentally reshaped the media power dynamic in this country, much of this study is simply antiquated. In short, social media has...

[Catholic Caucus] ‘Dispose after reading,’ Archbishop Weisenburger’s history of cover-up for clerical sexual abuseDetroit Archbishop Edward Weisenburger has a history of concealing clerical sexual abuse, according to revelations of a Church-commissioned investigation that examined the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, where Weisenburger served 16 years as Vicar General.As Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City from 1996 to 2012, Weisenburger not only wielded immense influence—but used it to suppress accountability for priestly sexual abuse of minors. Investigators discovered that he routinely instructed staff to “destroy after reading,” oversaw the mass deletion of his own emails following his departure, and even...

The history of the Vatican and Israel has been characterized by the lack of recognition of Israel on many occasions, which was largely caused by the dispute over the status of Jerusalem and whether Christian holy places are in good condition or not. It was not until after the Oslo Accords that the Holy See recognized the State of Israel in 1993. Rather than an act of religious prohibition, this understanding amounted to the convenient acceptance of a political fact. The Vatican has since maintained diplomatic relations with Israel while advocating for Jerusalem to have a special international status to...

[Catholic Caucus] Cardinal Fernández claims synodality is not a ‘revision of doctrine and morality’Cdl. Victor Fernández lamented that ‘many priests have doubts, questions, disinterest, and rejection regarding the proposal of synodality.’The prefect of the Vatican’s doctrinal office has rejected the notion that synodality is “a matter of listening to everyone in order to carry out a democratic revision of doctrine and morality.”As prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández has been a key figure in the latter years of Pope Francis’ pontificate and thus the Synod on Synodality. The synod – arguably Francis’...

Homicide detectives and a tactical squad of California sheriff deputies captured and jailed on Friday the parents of a baby boy they claimed was kidnapped, which authorities now allege was a lie. Jake and Rebecca Haro were arrested on murder charges at their Cabazon home after Rebecca Haro, the mother of seven-month-old Emmanuel Haro, had claimed her son was abducted outside a sporting goods store a week ago in Yucaipa, about 70 miles west of Los Angeles. San Bernardino Sheriff’s homicide detectives now say the kidnapping never happened and believe the child is dead.

[Catholic Caucus] Why Did Pope Francis Restrict the Latin Mass?Without basis, without charity, Pope Francis and his advisors stripped that venerable gem away from Catholics almost entirely.Many of the actions of the late Pope Francis, no matter their intention, caused division, confusion, and pain amongst Catholics, especially those most immersed in the traditional teachings and customs of the Catholic Church. One of the most glaring examples of this division, confusion, and pain came in the form of Traditionis custodes. In 2021, Pope Francis issued a motu proprio heavily restricting the celebration of the vetus ordo — the form of the...

Trump’s reaction ‘not positive’ to Israeli army’s strike on Catholic church in GazaWhile the Israeli government claims the bombing to be a mistake, church officials are reportedly considering it may have been ‘a deliberate act of retaliation’ for a recent Church statement.The White House states President Donald Trump’s reaction to this morning’s Israeli military strike on the only Catholic church in Gaza was “not positive” and prompted a call to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.At around 10:20 a.m. local time on Thursday, the Holy Family Catholic Church compound “was struck by the Israeli army” killing at least three and injuring...

[Catholic Caucus] 4 Years of Traditionis Custodes - 4 Years of Lies An interview with Christian Marquant, of French association Paix Liturgique:Paix Liturgique – Dear Christian, what do you mean by the title you chose for this interview? Christian Marquant – That the motu proprio Traditionis Custodes, which was published exactly four years ago on July 16, 2021, was an extraordinary exercise of manipulation aimed at putting and end once and for all to the increasingly disturbing question of the renewal of those who are known as traditionalists, and whom I prefer to call faithful Catholics. Paix Liturgique – But...

[Catholic/Orthodox Caucus] An Interview with Monsignor Bux: "The Bishops weren't responsible for launching the War Against Tradition."Right after the explosive news on the actual positive nature of the global bishops' report on Summorum Pontificum was published last week, Monsignor Nicola Bux, one of the great liturgical names of our times and a major advisor under Benedict XVI, released a book with more details on the event. We now know that Vatican insiders close to Francis lied about it, and Francis himself did not tell the truth about it (on paper, in Traditionis custodes, the restrictions document).Monsignor Bux spoke at length...

[Catholic Caucus] Traditionis Custodes: The Narrative Is All LiesWe must thank God today. Many secret documents in the Vatican will never see the light of day for many years, decades, or even centuries. Think about the following:The papers against Cardinal Rampolla as a member of the OTO, which caused him to be vetoed as Pope in 1903The 1978 dossier of Cardinal Gagnon, which documented the Masonic corruption of the Vatican and possibly caused the murder of John Paul IThe 2013 dossier which documented Vatican corruption which, Pope Francis admitted, was given to him by Pope Emeritus BenedictAlmost four years ago...

[Catholic Caucus] The Shifting Sands of Traditionis custodesFollowing Diane Montagna’s bombshell revelation of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith's summary of the Bishops opinion on Summorum Pontificum, it was wondered by many how the defenders of Traditionis custodes would respond. While the first 24 hours saw a flurry of defenses call into question her reporting (none of them very compelling), defenders have received their talking points and have settled upon a defense. What they do not realize is this defense puts them into an even more precarious position.As a quick refresher, Montagna was given what could be described...

Vatican II’s Own Words Thoroughly Rebuke the Vatican II RevolutionIf Pope Leo XIV actually applied the words of the Council as set forth below, he could use Vatican II to justify the complete overturn of the Vatican II revolution that has plagued the Church and world for six decades. Here's how that could be accomplished: In his famous “1974 Declaration,” Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre left no doubt about how he viewed the Council at which he had played an important role:“We hold fast, with all our heart and with all our soul, to Catholic Rome, Guardian of the Catholic Faith and...

[Catholic Caucus] EXCLUSIVE: Official Vatican Report Exposes Major Cracks in Foundation of Traditionis CustodesPreviously undisclosed documents raise serious questions about the stated rationale for Pope Francis’ 2021 decree restricting the Traditional Latin Mass.A Traditional Latin Mass is celebrated at the tomb of St. Catherine of Siena at the Basilica of Santa Maria sopra Minerva, Rome, Sept. 15, 2017 (Photo: Edward PentinVATICAN CITY, July 1, 2025 — New evidence has come to light that exposes major cracks in the foundation of Traditionis Custodes, Pope Francis’ 2021 decree that restricted the traditional Roman liturgy.This journalist has obtained the Vatican’s overall assessment of...

Homeland Security Deputy Secretary Tricia McLaughlin is pushing back on some of Hollywood's biggest and most influential stars using their social media accounts to disseminate false and misleading information about the recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in Los Angeles. Among them is actress Eva Longoria, who in an Instagram post last week said the ICE raids are taking place in elementary schools and at graduation ceremonies. "These round-ups are happening in birthday parties, in elementary school graduations, Home Depot," said Longoria, who has 10.6 million followers. "Those are not criminals and I hope that everybody has more compassion for...

Robert Ellsberg speaks on whistleblowing, truth-telling and the Pentagon Papers Oct 2, 2019 by Heidi Schlumpf JusticePolitics The autumn of 1969 has been on Robert Ellsberg's mind lately, as the 50th anniversary of a life-changing request from his father approaches. A half century ago, as a 13-year-old, Ellsberg agreed to help his dad photocopy documents from a government report he had worked on. Those documents, which came to be known as the Pentagon Papers, revealed the United States' role in the build-up to the Vietnam War and the lies told to the American public and to Congress about U.S. actions...

Host Audie Cornish opened CNN This Morning's coverage of the arrest of the man suspected of assassinating a Minnesota state legislator and her husband, and wounding two others, with a clip of Gopher State Governor Tim Walz telling people that "rather than arguing, shake hands, find common ground." This is the same guy who recently boasted, speaking of Trump supporters, that he can "kick most of their ass." And just last month, here was Walz's proposal to fight back against Trump: "Be a little meaner, maybe it’s time for us to be a little more fierce. We have to ferociously...

The gunman accused of shooting two Democratic lawmakers in Minnesota has been taken into custody. Vance Boelter, 57, was arrested late Sunday night for the murders of Democratic State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, and the attempted murder of Democratic State Senator John Hoffman and his wife. He is facing both state and federal charges, with authorities announcing on Sunday that there is both a 'nationwide warrant' for Boelter's arrest for the murders and attempted murder at the state level as well as a federal warrant for 'unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.' Boelter, a Trump supporter, was tracked into...

U.S. Capitol cops and DC Metropolitan Police officers called rioters 'terrorists', attacked Republicans who have downplayed January 6 and recalled the 'medieval battle' they faced during the first hearing of the select committee on Tuesday. Officers Harry Dunn, Aquilino Gonell, Michael Fanone and Daniel Hodges gave harrowing testimony to the panel of seven Democrats and two Republicans - Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger - describing how they feared the rioters would kill them and criticized the treatment of their colleagues. They also told the panel how they were confronted by people waving MAGA flags, Trump supporters saying President Biden didn't...

Christopher Wray Lied: The FBI Was Targeting American CatholicsA US Senate investigation reveals that anti-Catholic animus in the FBI runs deep, and several unsettling questions remain.Over two years ago, the nation’s top law enforcement agency landed in hot water when a memo leaked detailing plans to infiltrate and illegally spy on certain Catholic parishes and classifying American Catholics devoted to the Tridentine Mass as “Radical-Traditionalist Catholics” and “Racially or Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremists.” The memo, drafted and approved by the FBI’s Richmond field office, caused outrage and initiated a series of congressional hearings, during which then-FBI director Christopher Wray attested,...

CNN’s Collins: Media Didn’t Help Shut Down Skepticism, Critical Thinking During COVID Video Source: CNN Ian Hanchett23 May 202544 1:10 During a portion of an interview with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that was aired on Thursday’s broadcast of CNN’s “The Source,” host Kaitlan Collins argued that the media wasn’t involved in shutting down skepticism, critical thinking, and people making their own decisions during the coronavirus pandemic. Towards the end of the interview, Kennedy stated, “I would say be skeptical of authority. My father told me that when I was a young kid, people in authority...