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[Catholic Caucus] Pope Leo XIV suggests he believes Pope Francis is in heavenThe remark by the American pope has raised eyebrows and given rise to speculation of a papal canonization, though such an event is unlikely in the immediate future. Pope Leo XIV commented Sunday that he believed Pope Francis was in heaven, thus echoing a phrase employed by a prominent cardinal just prior to the conclave.Some 200,000 people are estimated to have been present in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday for the opening Mass of Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate.Just around a month after the death of Pope Francis, the...

[Catholic Caucus] On Silence about the Papal Tyrant"He who does not bellow the truth when he knows the truth makes himself the accomplice of liars and forgers." ~Charles PeguyNow we learn. For a dozen long miserable years, they all kept their mouths shut about Bergoglio. They all covered up the chaotic madness of this man, yet whispering and gossiping and cowering in the halls of Casa Santa Marta about the man in white. They breathed not a word about the man, who subjected the Catholic Church to 12 years of brutal tyranny, blatant material heresy, vindictive psychopathy, and rampant predator...

They buried him. They mourned him. And they have gathered to pick his successor. But it’s still all about Pope Francis. More than two weeks after Francis died, the cardinals who will begin voting in the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday to pick the next pope have been signaling whether they want to follow Francis’ lead, turn back or find some compromise between the two. In homilies, public and private conversations, and most of all in remarks to their fellow cardinals in daily meetings behind the Vatican walls, the people who will choose the next pope have been holding what amounts...

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis has died...

[Catholic Caucus] Pope in a poncho, symbol of Bergolio’s pontificatePope Francis’ recent appearance in St Peter's, which stunned the world, is the latest and most striking demonstration of how, in complete contrast to his predecessor, he has lived his pontificate at the service of his own ideas. A systematic deconstruction of the papacy.The image of Jorge Mario Bergoglio in a wheelchair, wearing a white long-sleeved vest half covered by a striped poncho, his hair dishevelled and black trousers, is perhaps the most eloquent expression of how he - and his entourage - have understood the papacy, and the umpteenth, perhaps...

[Catholic Caucus] Archbishop Aguer: Pope Francis seeks the ‘peace of the world’ over the ‘peace of Christ’The main purpose of the Church's existence is fulfilled when and because she speaks of God and leads men towards heaven. But Pope Francis seems to seek a worldly peace and kingdom instead.The value of the concept of mystery differs in literature and theology. In the world of literature it means something hidden (“mysterious”) which must be revealed at some point, at least at the end of the plot. In theology, however, Mystérion designates God and divine things: the Mystery of Christ, true God...

[Catholic Caucus] Pope Francis replaces faithful bishop as Argentine prelate expresses concern for his salvationOn this episode of Faith and Reason, John-Henry Westen, Father Charles Murr, and Frank Wright discuss Pope Francis, Archbishop Naumann, and proposed anti-Christian legislation in Australia.On this episode of Faith and Reason, John-Henry Westen, Father Charles Murr, and Frank Wright discuss Pope Francis replacing Archbishop Naumann of Kansas City with a much more progressive bishop, Bishop Athanasius Schneider saying that the next pope must “abrogate and condemn” Francis’ errors, Archbishop Héctor Aguer writing that the health of the Holy Father’s soul is at risk, proposed Australian...

On Feb. 10, Francis addressed a letter to all American Catholic bishops on immigration. His communique was titled “Letter of the Holy Father Francis to the Bishops of the United States.” Here is an excerpt of what he said. “Dear Brothers in the Episcopate, the book of Exodus, invites us to look at the reality of our time, so clearly marked by the phenomenon of migration, as a decisive moment in history to reaffirm … the infinite and transcendent dignity of every human person.“Even a cursory examination of the church’s social doctrine emphatically shows that Jesus Christ … did not...

[Catholic Caucus] "The Pope's Health" - by Archbishop Héctor Agüer The Pope's HealthArchbishop Héctor AgüerEmeritus of La Plata, ArgentinaBuenos Aires, April 8, 2025Francis was hospitalized for 38 days at the Gemelli Hospital in Rome for treatment of a double pneumonia. Thanks be to God, he got better and returned to the Vatican, to his usual place in Casa Santa Marta.I have prayed a lot for the Pope, for the health of his body and soul. In the present life, body and soul are intimately associated. As Aristotle taught, “the soul is the form of the body.” In a Sunday Angelus...

[Catholic Caucus] Cardinals tout book on vocations and sexual orientation; Pope Francis writes prefacePope Francis has written the preface to Vocazioni felici: Integrare orientamento sessuale, affetti e relazioni [Happy Vocations: Integrating Sexual Orientation, Affections and Relationships], a new book by Chiara D’Urbano, a psychologist and consultor to the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Clergy.Cardinal Baldassare Reina, Cardinal Lazarus You Heung-sik, and Bishop Michele Di Tolve spoke at the April 9 presentation of the book, according to a statement from the Dicastery for the Clergy. Cardinal Reina is vicar general of His Holiness for Rome and archpriest of the Lateran Basilica; Cardinal...

[Catholic Caucus] Bishop Schneider: Next pope must ‘abrogate and condemn’ Francis’ errorsSpeaking to popular Catholic podcaster Dr. Taylor Marshall, Bishop Schneider affirmed the need for the next pope to condemn the errors of Francis' various documents and expressions.Auxiliary Bishop of Astana in Kazakhstan, Athanasius Schneider, told Catholic podcaster Dr. Taylor Marshall that the “next pope” must abrogate and condemn the errors promulgated by Francis.Speaking to popular Catholic podcaster Dr. Taylor Marshall on Tuesday, Schneider insisted that “the next pope must,” as his “first task,” issue a decree that “abrogates and condemns” Francis’ “documents and expressions” that contradict Catholic teaching. Schneider...

It was one of the few times that a pope has apologised for events such as the Crusades or the use of force to spread the faith in the New World. Pope John Paul apologised in 2000 for Christianity’s historical failures.

[Catholic Caucus] ‘Everything comes from the Spirit,’ Pope tells Italian bishops’ synodal assemblyPope Francis has sent a message to the second synodal assembly of Italy’s dioceses, which is taking place at the Vatican, in Paul VI Audience Hall, from March 31 to April 3.“It is the final stage of the pastoral and social journey you have made over the last five years,” the Pope wrote in his message, dated March 28 and released three days later. “So many initiatives, so many meetings, so many good practices: everything comes from the Spirit.”After reflecting on Christian joy—which is “never exclusive, but always...

[Catholic Caucus] Pope Francis faces new phase of papacyIn 1990, as Argentina's Jesuits were divided over the church's role in the country's politics and society, frustration with the future Pope Francis' leadership style resulted in his two-year exile in Cordoba. Then-Fr. Jorge Mario Bergoglio used his solitary time in a Jesuit residence to pray, write and read — including a five-volume series on the history of the papacy.Francis later would describe his "dark night of the soul" as a "time of purification" for his inner life. Three decades after that spiritual crisis — at age 88 — Francis is facing...

[Catholic Caucus] Pope appoints bishop who urged USCCB to delay debate on Communion for pro-abortion politiciansBishop Michael McGovern was among 68 bishops who urged the USCCB not to debate barring pro-abortion Catholics in public life from Holy Communion.Pope Francis on Monday appointed Bishop Michael McGovern of Belleville, Illinois, to lead the Archdiocese of Omaha, Nebraska.McGovern, who has served most of his priesthood in Chicago, will be installed as Archbishop of Omaha in the Cathedral of St. Cecilia on May 7. He will be replacing Archbishop George Lucas, whose resignation was accepted by Francis when he turned 75 in June 2024,...

[Catholic Caucus] WHO'S RUNNING THE CHURCH? While Pope Francis remains an enigma, European bishops tip their hats to BrusselsAfter being discharged from the hospital, the Vatican announced that Pope Francis had developed very serious communication difficulties, to the point that he would need to 'learn to speak again.' Cardinal Parolin says that "perhaps not as before, but the Pope will return to govern." ...So, who has been governing until now? These days we have witnessed a true strengthening of the power of the Vatican Secretariat of State.On February 14th, Pope Francis was admitted to the Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome for...

[Catholic Caucus] Francis Can Only Sign with 'F' - Parolin Calls It "Not Ideal"Pope Francis governed the Church "even in the most difficult days" of his illness, Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin told the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera (March 29). He "examined reports" and "made decisions" accordingly.There are matters that Vatican dicasteries can handle independently, based on the authority a pope has entrusted to them, as in the case of a canonization.Cardinal Parolin didn't give an example of issues alone the Pope alone can and must decide.He reiterated that Francis "cannot do everything he used to do".Asked about...

[Catholic Caucus] A sick Pope and a paralysed Vatican: who is actually running the Catholic Church?A greatly enfeebled Pope Francis is now living in enforced isolation in a suite at his Santa Marta residence that has been converted into hospital accommodation. He won’t be resuming public duties for two months, we are told – and even his senior advisors have limited access to him. As a result, it’s really not clear who is in charge of the Catholic Church. And, as Damian Thompson reports in this episode of Holy Smoke, it’s by no means clear when this paralysis will end;...

Discover the incredible journey of Pope Julius II, famously known as The Warrior Pope, who revolutionized the papacy from 1503 to 1513. Born Giuliano della Rovere, his path to power uniquely intertwined ambition, charm, and ruthlessness, influenced by his uncle, Pope Sixtus IV. Learn about his rise from an impoverished noble to the Cardinal-Bishop of Ostia, his exile in France, and his strategic return to Rome, ultimately becoming Pope Julius II. Witness how he combined military prowess with artistic patronage, commissioning Michelangelo to paint the Sistine Chapel ceiling. This video delves into his military campaigns, political maneuvers, and artistic legacy...

[Catholic Caucus] The Rule of Law and the Francis Pontificate>h2>The problem for the Church’s life, and for the application of justice, comes when the Pope appears to convey disregard or indifference for the uniform application of the law—even laws he has written—choosing to ignore them or apply them to some while reserving different treatment for others. Pope Francis greets then-Jesuit Father Marko Rupnik during a private audience at the Vatican in this Jan. 3, 2022, file photoThe rule of law is never subject to the slightest exception, even in times of crisis. The reason is that the rule of law...