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[Catholic Caucus] Pope appoints ‘critically loyal’ theologian to ecclesiastical universities’ oversight Pope Francis appointed on Friday a Belgian theologian who describes herself as "critically loyal" to the Church to serve on a Vatican body responsible for overseeing ecclesiastical universities. The appointment is likely to prove controversial, as theologian Bénedicte Lemmelijn is dean of the theology department at a university which called last year for women’s ordination and a “rethink” on the Church’s moral theology regarding sexuality.—The Vatican announced March 21 that Lemmelijn, dean of the faculty of theology and religious studies at KU Leuven had been appointed a member of...

Vatican: Ramadan is for Catholics ‘a school of inner transformation’In a seemingly ecumenical appeal, the Vatican praised Islamic Ramadan as a means of ‘inner conversion’ and emphasized a parallel with Christian Lent. The message follows Pope Francis’ push for interfaith dialogue, which critics say downplays theological issues.The Vatican has issued a Ramadan message to Muslims, saying that its coinciding with the Christian season of Lent is “a unique opportunity to walk, side-by-side.”“Ramadan appears to us Catholics as a school of inner transformation,” wrote the Vatican today. “By abstaining from food and drink, Muslims learn to control their desires and turn...

Pope Francis plans major inter-faith event for ‘fraternity’ between Catholics and MuslimsPope Francis has reportedly tasked the Vatican to organize a high-level inter-religious event with Muslims, following a request from the rector of the Grand Mosque of Paris, who cited Francis’ ‘Fratelli Tutti’ as inspiration for the event.Upon the suggestion of the rector of the Grand Mosque of Paris, Pope Francis has reportedly tasked the Vatican to organize a high-level inter-religious dialogue event between Muslims and Catholics this year.As the outcome of a February 10 private audience with Chems-Eddine Hafiz, the rector of the Grand Mosque of Paris, Pope Francis...

[Catholic Caucus] Pro-LGBT GLAAD president says organization is ‘working with’ Pope FrancisAt the World Economic Forum this week, the president of the pro-LGBT organization Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) stated that her organization is “working with” Pope Francis.In a video clip posted to X, Sarah Kate Ellis stated during a WEF session, “We are working with the Pope, and we have been working with the Pope and other religious leaders, and I think we’ve seen the most movement we’ve ever seen. Now we’ve seen some setbacks and I’m not saying anyone – don’t, you know, we have to...

[Catholic Caucus] Cardinal Cupich calls for more ‘listening’ and ‘dialogue’ with ‘LGBT Catholics’The Chicago archbishop wrote in Fr. James Martin’s heterodox Outreach publication that the faithful should 'put aside preconceptions' about their LGBT brethren.Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago wrote a column earlier this month for Fr. James Martin’s heterodox Outreach publication urging the faithful to “listen” to “LGBTQ Catholics.”In the article, Cupich called for Catholics to “put aside preconceptions” about their LGBT brethren and instead engage in more “dialogue” and “listening” with them. The cardinal, who is the archbishop of Chicago, has long held pro-LGBT and other stances at odds...

[Catholic Caucus] Pope Francis praises ‘profound’ Buddhist religious revival in Mongolia without mentioning ChristIn an address to a delegation from Mongolia, Francis praised what he called the ‘rich religious heritage’ of Buddhism, without calling Buddhists to convert to the Catholic Church.Pope Francis applauded post-Soviet Mongolia’s “profound” Buddhist religious revival without mentioning Jesus Christ or any call to conversion to Catholicism in his recent address to delegates from the country.“By reviving traditional spiritual practices and integrating them into the nation’s development, Mongolia has reclaimed its rich religious heritage,” said Francis in reference to Buddhism, which is by far the majority religion...

German bishop says ‘we do not have to evangelize’ the world since people can be ‘happy’ without GodGerman Bishop Franz-Josef Overbeck has said that “we do not have to evangelize the whole world” and that people are “happy and content” without God.In a sermon on the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God, in the Essen Cathedral, Overbeck said that “we do not have to evangelize the whole world and win them over to a certain form of church life.”“God will find ways to lead those who cannot or do not want to believe in Him onto a good path,”...

[Catholic Caucus] Pope Francis says God loves homosexuals ‘as they are’ in new memoirIn his new memoirs, Pope Francis defended the controversial 2023 text Fiducia Supplicans and also appeared to suggest that there is no need for conversion away from the homosexual lifestyle.Pope Francis with New Ways Ministry, October 2024.Expanding his defense of the 2023 document approving blessing of same-sex couples, Pope Francis attested that such blessings are for “people” but “not the relationships.”“It is the people who are blessed, not the relationships,” said Pope Francis of the blessings authorized by the controversial document Fiducia Supplicans.Francis’ comments, found in his...

[Catholic Caucus] Exposed: The modernist errors at the heart of Francis’ Dilexit NosIn this article, I will examine more closely the theological and philosophical underpinnings of Dilexit Nos. This analysis will help us to understand why Francis has transformed the traditional devotion to the Sacred Heart into the new devotion of the 'Social Heart.'Those who hear these audacious, these sacrilegious assertions, are simply shocked! And yet, Venerable Brethren, these are not merely the foolish babblings of infidels. There are priests too, who say these things openly; and they boast that they are going to reform the Church by these ravings!...

ROME — Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich has warned of “prophetic” denunciation by the U.S. bishops if President-elect Donald Trump tries to deport illegal immigrants. In an interview this weekend with the Argentinian daily La Nación, Cardinal Cupich said that the bishops “are going to have to be prophetic and denounce any abuse of human dignity that may occur” during the Trump presidency, especially regarding immigrants. “We are going to be vigilant and we are going to defend the human dignity of immigrants,” he stated.

ROME — The newly appointed Catholic archbishop of Washington, DC, said Monday that President Trump’s plans for deporting illegal immigrants is “incompatible with Catholic doctrine.”“At the same time,” he continued, “we are called always to have a sense of the dignity of every human person. And thus, plans which have been talked about at some levels of having a wider indiscriminate massive deportation across the country would be something that would be incompatible with Catholic doctrine.” (snip)The cardinal did not elaborate on which elements of Catholic doctrine he believes prohibit the deportation of migrants who enter a country illegally.

Pope Francis presided over his weekly general audience Wednesday alongside a Palestinian-crafted Nativity scene that was missing its eyebrow-raising signature element: a keffiyeh-draped manger holding the infant Jesus.The wooden Nativity scene in the Vatican’s main audience hall had generated headlines when it was unveiled Dec. 7 because of the presence of the keffiyeh, the black-and-white checkered headscarf that has become a potent symbol of the Palestinian cause.This year, the Nativity scenes were made by Bethlehem-based artisans. Representatives of the Palestinian Embassy to the Holy See, as well as special representatives of Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, had been on hand at...

[Catholic Caucus] New 🌈 Cardinal: "Francis Implements Revolution By All Means"Pope Francis is carrying out a "revolution" in the Church "by all means", Archbishop Jean-Paul Vesco, 62, of Algiers, Algeria, told Katholisch.de (December 30). He is a homosexual activist, former lawyer, marathon runner, and newly appointed cardinal.He joined the Dominicans under then-Superior General Timothy Radcliffe, also a homosexual activist and newly appointed cardinal.Cardinal Vesco expressed "admiration" for Cardinal Radcliffe, and called him a personal "friend": "When Timothy came to Algeria, we traveled all over the south together, talking a lot and experiencing very impressive moments."The two share "the same vision"...

ROME — Pope Francis called for a global ceasefire this weekend while again decrying Israel’s “cruelty” in dealing with Palestinians in Gaza. “Let us pray for a ceasefire on all war fronts, in Ukraine, the Holy Land, in all the Middle East and the entire world, at Christmas,” the pontiff said in his weekly Angelus address Sunday. “And with sorrow I think of Gaza, of so much cruelty; of the children machine-gunned, the bombing of schools and hospitals… So much cruelty!”

[Catholic Caucus] Francis: "Synod Church No More Top Down" - "Female Prefect is Coming"In an interview with the Argentinean television channel 'Canal Orbe 21' on December 20, Francis spoke [not about Christ but] about the war in Ukraine."There is a great hypocrisy. And it worries me a lot, because right now Ukraine is sending 20-year-old boys to the front. The thing is, they don't have that many men, while Russia has plenty. A peace treaty is urgently needed, but when someone talks about peace, they start dancing around secondary issues," he said.When asked about conflict resolution, the troublemaker and tyrant...

[Catholic Caucus] New 🌈 Cardinal: "Church Was Unjust Against Adulterers" - "Only Polygamy Is Adultery"Prohibiting divorced people who live in adultery from sacrilegiously grabbing Communion is "a huge, enormous injustice," homosexual activist Jean-Paul Vesco, Bishop of Algiers and since Saturday a Cardinal, believes.He admitted to LifeSiteNews.com (December 12) that "it is the position of the Church" that such adulterers are indeed adulterers: "If you don't come out of this sin of adultery, well, you can't receive the sacraments.""But for me, adultery is when you have two people in your life at the same time."And: "To say adultery in all situations...

[Catholic Caucus] Pope tells grandmother not to ‘insist’ on grandchildren’s baptismWriting to an Italian women concerned for the spiritual wellbeing of her grand-daughter, Pope Francis told her to accompany the child's parents without 'insisting' the children be baptized.Writing to a grandmother distressed about her children’s lack of attention to religion for their own children, Pope Francis told her to “accompany” them but not to insist they baptize their children.In the inaugural edition of a new Vatican magazine, Pope Francis downplayed an Italian grandmother’s concerns about her grandchildren not receiving the Sacrament of Baptism. The Pope’s reply came in direct response...

[Catholic Caucus] Cardinal Fernández Says Female Diaconate Will be Studied ‘More Intensively’Cardinal Victor Fernández, the prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, announced that the female diaconate will be the subject of a more in-depth study under the impetus of the proposals sent to the commission assigned to this task. He also stated that this question, although Pope Francis considers it not “mature,” is not a “closed issue.”To delve deeper into the differences between holy orders and authority in order to be able to entrust laywomen with leadership functions in the Church is, according to Fernández, the...

Pope Francis has a curious understanding of the bible, according to him it’s a real book that contains stories that may or not be ‘mythical’, like the flood of Noah. He seems to be quite unsure of the veracity of the Genesis account, so he quotes secular experts who agree it’s mythical . I am guessing he does this so as to not offend the atheists. “And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the...

[Catholic Caucus] Vatican Newspaper Publishes Gay-Positive Essay from Synod’s Spiritual AssistantParticipants in the Synod on Synodality’s General Assembly are on retreat Monday and Tuesday to prepare spiritually for their deliberations, which formally begin October 2nd. Throughout the month-long assembly, the delegates will be guided by two spiritual assistants , one of whom recently made some LGBTQ-positive remarks.Pope Francis has appointed Fr. Timothy Radcliffe, OP, and Mother Maria Ignazia Angelini, OSB, to be the Synod’s spiritual assistants. Radcliffe, the former head of Dominicans worldwide, has been welcoming of LGBTQ+ people for decades. Most recently, he wrote on these issues for the...