Free Republic

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) -Pope Leo urged the world's Catholics to help immigrants in his first major document, which was released on Thursday and invoked one of the late Pope Francis' strongest criticisms of U.S. President Donald Trump's anti-immigration policies.Leo's document, known as an apostolic exhortation, is focused on the needs of the world's poor. It calls for widespread changes to the global market system to address rising inequality and to help people living paycheck-to-paycheck.The 104-page text started as a writing project by Francis, who was unable to complete it before his death in April after 12 years leading the global...

[Catholic Caucus] Holy Rosary: Leo XIV celebrates Vespers ad orientem in Domus Australia It was the first "ad orientem" celebration by Leo XIV as pope, and it took place during his visit to Domus Australia (the pilgrim house established by the bishops of Australia in Rome) yesterday. The notes below are by a friend:Yesterday, Monday 6 October, Pope Francis celebrated Vespers in commemoration of Our Lady of the Rosary "ad orientem". It was held in the church of Domus Australia in Rome.A few remarks:1. The papal ceremonial master was Msgr. Marco Agostini, who is well known in traditional circles (see...

[Catholic Caucus] Pope Leo’s scandalous abortion remarks could help Democrats: here’s howFor decades faithful American clergy and lay groups have fought to ensure that abortion is considered a preeminent moral evil. Pope Leo's comments effectively undo all of that.While a handful of Catholics on social media seem to be downplaying Pope Leo’s scandalous remarks about abortion and immigration, the sad reality is that his comments will actually have far-reaching consequences that will enable pro-abortion politicians in the U.S. continuing to promote their diabolical agenda.For decades faithful clergy and Catholic lay groups have fought to ensure that abortion is considered a...

Pope Leo XIV continues to make thinly veiled jibes against the Trump administration’s stance against illegal immigration.Speaking in front of thousands of pilgrims at St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, Leo warned that migrants must not be treated with “the coldness of indifference or the stigma of discrimination.”Without singling out any country in particular, Leo said that Catholics should “open our arms and hearts to them, welcoming them as brothers and sisters, and being for them a presence of consolation and hope.”Leo explained that the church was living through a “new missionary age” that tasked its members with providing “hospitality and...

VIDEOSee if you can spot a cameo appearance by The Terminator as Pope Leo and New Age pagans bless a chunk of ice. This video concludes with a chunk of ice turning the tables and blessing all of us in the best way possible.

It's a matter of logic. If you're not pro-life if you oppose abortion but support the death penalty, then you're not pro-life if you oppose the death penalty but support abortion. But it's not clear that Pope Leo embraces that logic. And no one on the panel on today's CNN This Morning did Substitute host Erica Hill kicked off the conversation by playing a clip of Pope Leo expressing support for Dem Sen. Dick Durbin. He was scheduled to receive a "Lifetime Achievement" award for his pro-immigrant stance. Some bishops opposed the award given Durbin's staunch support of abortion. In...

[Catholic Caucus] The Brew: Pope Leo Smothers Pro-Lifers in the ‘Seamless Garment.’Well, the mystery man has taken off his disguise. Like traumatized children who hope that their mama’s new boyfriend won’t beat them as much as the last one, Catholics greeted the new man called “Il Papa” with hope. And indeed Leo XIV is a big improvement in some ways over Pope Francis. Leo doesn’t seem to be a sociopath, and is probably even a theist.But as we reported yesterday, Leo’s latest public statement has given away that he embraces one of the most detestable heresies in Church history since...

[Catholic Caucus] Pro-Abortion Senator Dick Durbin “Overwhelmed” By Pope Leo XIV's DefenceOn Wednesday, pro-abortion Senator Dick Durbin told NBC News that he was "overwhelmed" by the support he received from Pope Leo XIV.Durbin was scheduled to receive a "Lifetime Achievement Award" from Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich in November. However, he declined after facing clear backlash from Catholics, including a few US bishops.Durbin said he was allegedly surprised by "the level of controversy" and "shocked" by Leo XIV's defense: "It's amazing to me. It’s quite a moment. I didn’t expect it. I didn’t know it was going to happen."On Tuesday, Leo...

Pope Leo XIV criticized those who question the prevailing narrative on climate change during a recent gathering in Rome.The pontiff slammed those who “ridicule those who speak of global warming” and affirmed the efforts of his predecessor, Pope Francis, according to The Guardian.Leo presided over the 10th-anniversary celebration of Francis’s landmark ecological encyclical, Laudato Si (Praised Be), at a global gathering south of Rome. The encyclical cast care for the planet as an urgent and existential moral concern and launched a global grassroots movement to advocate for caring for God’s creation and the peoples most harmed by its exploitation.Leo told...

Despite being Jewish, I am a fan of the Catholic Church, as all students of history and lovers of the West should be. Despite missteps over the two thousand years of its existence (as must be true of all human institutions), the Church has been a positive force in the world. After all, beginning in 33 AD, the Church laid the foundation for the best of Western society.Sadly, the current Pope doesn’t seem to be as big a fan of the Church as I am, given how he’s systematically gnawing away at its core values. His latest assault is a...

This week, President Trump unveiled his 20-point plan for peace in Gaza. Several Arab nations, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Qatar, and Egypt, support the agreement. The world is still waiting to see if Hamas will accept the deal.If Hamas doesn't agree to the deal, President Trump warned that Israel will have the "full backing" of the US to "do what you have to do" and end Hamas.President Trump's peace plan has another ally now: Pope Leo XIV.Speaking to journalists tonight in Castel Gandolfo, Pope Leo XIV praises President Trump’s Peace Plan for Gaza,...

Pope Leo XIV has hit out at those who minimise the "increasingly evident" impact of rising temperatures in his first major statement on climate change. Reiterating the words of his predecessor Pope Francis, the new pontiff lambasted critics who "ridicule those who speak of global warming". The Pope's remarks, at a speech in Castel Gondolfo near Rome, will be seen as an implied criticism of US President Donald Trump, who last month called climate change a "con". Pope Leo also called for greater action from citizens the world over on climate change, saying there was no room for indifference or...

[Catholic Caucus] Pope Leo says Latin Mass question ‘very complicated’'Obviously, between the Tridentine Mass and the Vatican II Mass, the Mass of Paul VI, I’m not sure where that’s going to go,' he said during his first long-form interview as Pope.Speaking directly about the traditional Latin Mass, Pope Leo XIV expressed openness to meeting with advocates, adding the topic is “very complicated.”During the first long-form interview given by the new Pope, Leo XIV conversed with Crux about a wide variety of topics, including the traditional liturgy or Latin Mass, the Sino-Vatican deal, LGBT topics, Synodality, Vatican finances and reforms, and...

[Catholic Caucus] Exclusive: Cardinal Gambetti says we’re waiting on the Pope to decide on the Latin MassThe Catholic Herald has secured an exclusive response from Cardinal Gambetti on the future of the Traditional Latin Mass. The young curial cardinal, regarded by many as a handpicked protégé of Pope Francis, offered a brief but telling reply. The Catholic Herald asked the Cardinal whether we could inquire about the Traditional Latin Mass and its future status. He responded: “Better not answer that. I have been told that we will wait for the Holy Father to decide.” The remark is notable for its...

ROME (AP) — Traditionalist Catholics celebrated news Monday that the Vatican under Pope Leo XIV had given them permission to celebrate the old Latin Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica during their upcoming pilgrimage.U.S. Cardinal Raymond Burke, a figurehead of the conservative and traditionalist wing of the church, will celebrate the Mass on Oct. 25, the pilgrimage organizers said.The development was significant, given Pope Francis had alienated many traditionalists and conservatives with his yearslong crackdown on the ancient liturgy. His reform greatly restricted its celebration globally and at the Vatican, and fueled conservative opposition to his pontificate.Burke, who became a high-profile...

<p>Hundreds of LGBTQ+ Catholics and their families participated in a Holy Year pilgrimage to Rome on Saturday, celebrating a new level of acceptance in the Catholic Church after long feeling shunned and crediting Pope Francis with the change.</p><p>The vice president of the Italian bishops conference, Bishop Franceseco Savino, celebrated Mass for the pilgrims in a packed Chiesa del Gesu, the main Jesuit church in Rome. He received a sustained standing ovation in the middle of his homily when he recalled that Jubilee celebrations historically were meant to restore hope to those on the margins.</p>

Pope Leo XIV met Sept. 4 with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, calling for swift action to end hostilities in Gaza and ensure urgent humanitarian access to the most afflicted areas. According to the Holy See Press Office, the meeting — held at the Vatican Apostolic Palace — addressed escalating tensions in the Middle East and reinforced the Vatican’s long-standing support for peace built on justice and dialogue. The statement described the discussions as “cordial” and noted they focused on the broader political and social instability across the region, “with particular attention to the tragic situation in Gaza.”The Holy See emphasized...

Pope Leo XIV has issued a clarion call to Catholic politicians worldwide, urging them to align their actions with the Church’s teachings on the sanctity of life. This new message follows on the heels of a recent pro-life message where the Pope emphasized the need to reject “voices of death” and embrace a culture of life. Pope Leo firmly rejected the false notion of Catholic politicians saying they are “personally pro-life” but voting for abortion: “There is no division within the personality of a public figure: there is not on one side the politician, and on the other the Christian.”...

[Catholic Caucus] LEO AND THE RADICALS - Part III in the Series "The First Year of Leo XIV"This is the third of several analyses written for Rorate by our contributor Serre Verweij on Leo XIV's first year.Series: The First Year of Leo XIVIII - Leo and the Radical Modernists[Part I - Leo and the Germans.][Part II - Leo and Synodality.]There were some rumours during the conclave that Prevost could be a candidate more radical than Parolin. So far, Pope Leo has acted completely the opposite. While extremists on both sides try to frame him as one who will consolidate ‘the...

Pope Leo XIV acknowledges that the faith of Ukrainian Greek Catholics is being put to a severe test, "amid this senseless war," but stresses that the Lord will have the final word and life will triumph over death. The Holy Father also greeted and blessed some mothers of soldiers who had fallen at the front who were participating in the pilgrimage.