Free Republic

Senior Hamas official Moussa Abu Marzouk said Wednesday that Hamas never agreed to disarm, casting doubt on whether the terror group will fulfil a key US and Israeli demand included in the American-backed plan for postwar Gaza. Abu Marzouk’s statement runs contrary to the insistence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump that the terror group give up its weapons in the near future as part of the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire. Trump has repeatedly asserted that Hamas “promised” to lay down its arms, and has threatened the group over the issue. Abu Marzouk also...

[Catholic Caucus] What to make of Cardinal Cupich’s comments on the Latin Mass?Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago has said that restrictions on the Tridentine Latin Mass are necessary to preserve the unity of the Church. In a recent article published on the Archdiocese of Chicago’s website, Cardinal Cupich discussed the extraordinary consistory convened by Pope Leo XIV and drew attention to a resource document prepared by Cardinal Arthur Roche, prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. Cardinal Cupich wrote that the liturgy before the Second Vatican Council underwent reform throughout Christian history and argued...

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] Cardinal Roche Doubles Down on ‘Traditionis Custodes’In an undelivered consistory address, the prefect for the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments reiterated that the 1969 Missal of Paul VI should be ‘the sole expression’ of the Roman Rite liturgy.In an undelivered address to cardinals last week, Cardinal Arthur Roche planned to voice opposition to the traditional Roman Rite, which he sees as a concession that needs to be eventually phased out in favor of the post-Vatican II liturgy as the unique expression of the Latin Rite.In a two-page text on Traditionis Custodes (Guardians of...

[Catholic Caucus] Ten Reasons Why Cardinal Roche’s Document is Only Good for Lining Your Parrot Cage WithCardinal Roche’s defense does not represent continuity with the Catholic tradition but represents a rupture disguised as historical inevitability.The document that, according to an article by Diane Montagna, was presented by Cardinal Arthur Roche to the Extraordinary Consistory of January 2026 purports to defend “sound tradition” while simultaneously advocating a theory of perpetual liturgical reform.If Roche’s treatment of the concept of Catholic Tradition is sound, then I am a time traveller from the planet Zorg.Upon examination, the theological foundations of this two-page document, which...

Minn. Somali-run day care bizarrely reports all their important documents about child care were stolen in mysterious break-in A Somali-run day care in Minneapolis is claiming somebody broke in stole “important documents” as the national spotlight shines on the unfolding billion-dollar fraud scandal involving Minnesota human services. Nasrulah Mohamed, manager of Nakomis Day Care Center, told reporters that a suspect entered through the kitchen at the rear of the facility, damaging a wall and breaking into the building’s office sometime on Tuesday. He said the alleged prowler stole “important documentation” including children’s enrollment information, employee documentation and checkbooks.

(snip)For an hour and a half, a moderator pulls questions from the audience of maybe 50 people, who fill the folding chairs with their nods, stares and half-hearted applause. Krish Vignarajah, tries to inject some enthusiasm into the quiet crowd on a Sunday in April. “The orthodoxy out there is that no man can beat Larry Hogan,” she says, pausing for emphasis. “Well, I am no man,” she rallies, her black slacks and gold-buttoned, white jacket looking every bit like a military uniform — as if to say, yes, this daughter of Sri Lankan immigrant teachers will wage the necessary...

Democrat lawmakers circulated a photo of President Donald Trump released from Jeffrey Epstein’s estate with several women’s faces redacted to suggest possible wrongdoing on the part of Trump—only for the unredacted version to show that Trump standing with adult women who were models at an event.

US (Catholic) parish places 'ICE was here' sign in cribSt Susanna Parish in Denham, Massachusetts, USA is an active Pax Christi parish. For this year's outdoor Nativity scene, the figurines of the Holy Family are not displayed - instead, the parish placed a sign: "ICE was here."When contacted by a Boston Globe reporter who asked if the photo was authentic and if ICE actually had visited the church, St Susanna's pastor Fr Steve Josomo confirmed the veracity of the image and wrote the following response:"Each year our Peace and Justice group (Pax Christi) tries to hold a mirror up to...

She set up a private computer server in her home and, allegedly in violation of the federal law, ran government secrets through it. She notably allegedly used a hammer to destroy some of her communications devices at the time. She was not charged after then-FBI chief James Comey claimed an independent investigation had made clear that no reasonable prosecutor would take the case. Online reports are calling it a "bombshell" from ex-FBI lawyer Lisa Page. She also has been in the headlines as the paramour with whom former FBI agent Peter Strzok exchanged messages about how they would not allow...

Critics have long said that accusations of famine in Gaza have a gaping hole right in the middle: the staggering amount of emaciated, dead bodies, part and parcel of a famine, are simply nowhere to be found. When the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a United Nations-linked food-security agenda, determined in August that a famine was indeed ongoing in parts of Gaza, those behind the report said that the sheer devastation in Gaza did not allow for an accurate accounting of starvation-related deaths. Instead, they said, they were using another key criterion for famine that generally goes hand in hand...

The recent news cycle has showcased stunning examples of leftists earning near-constant ridicule as their fabrications blow up in their faces. The Left's moral posturing crumbles under even cursory scrutiny and reveals a consistent pattern of hypocrisy, fabrication, and embrace of extremism. References to pots and kettles, glass houses, specks, beams, rakes, and petards are all getting a workout, and it's glorious to behold. Conservatives are basking in schadenfreude, needing only videos of Democrats performing perp walks to make our joy complete. New York assemblyman Zohran Mamdani claimed his hijab-wearing aunt faced Islamophobic harassment on the subway post-9/11, and tried...

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...