Free Republic

A Catholic charity has launched a campaign urging Prime Minister Boris Johnson to grant UK asylum to a young Christian girl in Pakistan receiving death threats from a Muslim rapist who forced her to marry him and convert to Islam. During the coronavirus lockdown, Mohamad Nakash kidnapped at gunpoint Maira Shahbaz, a 14-year-old Catholic girl from the Punjab Province, gang-raped her with two other accomplices, blackmailed her, and forced her to convert to Islam. In early August, the Lahore High Court ruled that Shahbaz had voluntarily converted to Islam and therefore is legally married to Mr. Nakash, who claimed that...

Democratic Hawaii Sen. Mazie Hirono said “hell no” while casting her vote against Judge Amy Coney Barrett on the floor of the U.S. Senate. A Republican-majority Senate confirmed President Donald Trump’s pick to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg by a 52-48 margin Monday night. While the roll-call vote was being conducted, Hirono could be seen walking up to the table and entering her vote against Barrett by saying “hell no” while putting her thumb down. WATCH:

Vatican City, Oct 23, 2020 / 08:50 am MT (CNA).- A Mexican broadcaster said Thursday that the Vatican held back footage from a 2019 interview that it conducted with Pope Francis, in which the pope called for the passage of civil union laws for same-sex couples. That footage appears in a documentary on Pope Francis released this week, but the Vatican has not yet explained the situation. A spokesman for Televisa told the Washington Post Oct. 22 that “Someone at the Vatican gave us the part that we did broadcast, and later they gave the rest of the material to...

Your thoughts on forgiving Donald Trump Oct 23, 2020 by NCR Staff Opinion This article appears in the Your thoughts feature series. View the full series. In the latest Soul Seeing column, Mike Leach talks about how he need to forgive President Donald Trump, even though it's hard to do so. "How do I forgive someone I don't even know but who drives me nuts every time I see him boast and lie and cheat?" he writes. Following are letters to the editor responding to the column. The letters have been edited for length and clarity. You can join the...

This morning, the world has been greeted with headlines proclaiming that ‘Pope Francis blesses gay marriage’. It stems from hysteria related to use of older comments in a new documentary about the pope, entitled ‘Francesco’. As with many other similar instances of controversy in the papacy of Francis, such as the ‘Who am I to Judge?’ fiasco, a mix of Francis’s ambiguous speaking style and deliberate lies by the mainstream media are to blame, though this time there is the added aspect of the strange nature of Frances’s documentary. We must also lay some of the blame at the feet...

Viganò on Pope’s ‘brotherhood’ encyclical: ‘A manifesto in the service of the New World Order’ 'The globalist and ecumenical pacifism of Fratelli Tutti envisions an earthly paradise that lays its foundations on refusing to recognize the Kingship of Christ,' His Excellency said. October 14, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) –  In a devastating appraisal of Pope Francis’ latest encyclical Fratelli Tutti (All Brothers), Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò called out its failure to take abortion seriously.  “This deafening silence concerning the most odious crime in the eyes of God – because it is committed upon an innocent and defenseless child depriving it of life – betrays the twisted...

Pope Francis on Saturday issued an urgent call to action to defend the planet and help the poor in his second TED talk. […] “We have just a few years — scientists calculate roughly fewer than 30 — to drastically reduce the emissions of gas and the greenhouse effect in the atmosphere,” the pope said, adding that the transition needs to take into account the impact on the poor, local populations and those who work in the energy sector. He called on investors to exclude companies that do not taking into account the environment, as have many faith-based organizations already...

"You Are Welcome": Francis Makes Phone Call to Homosexual With Three Surrogacy Children The Roman homosexual Andrea Rubera sent in 2015 a letter to Francis, and Francis called him on the phone.Rubera and his homosex-partner in sin raise three children produced by a paid surrogate woman in Canada.Despite wilfully denying three children a mother, Rubera asked Francis for a “Catholic education" for them.The story is featured in the documentary “Francesco” produced by the homosexual filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky. Rubera is the spokesman of Cammini di speranza, a group of "Catholic" homosexuals.Francis asked Rubera on the phone if the surrogate children had...

Abp. Viganò: Here is what the Pope’s ambiguous statements are doing to the Church October 23, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Yesterday, on the occasion of the Rome Film Festival, the director Evgeny Afineevsky presented a documentary called Francesco, which proposes several interviews done with Jorge Mario Bergoglio over the course of the last few years of his pontificate. Among other disconcerting statements, there are several about the legitimization of homosexual civil unions: “What we have to create is a civil union law. That way they [homosexuals] are legally covered. I stood up for that.” I think that both the simple faithful...

Pope Francis in TED talk: ‘We only have a few years’ to fix climate change The Holy Father didn’t mention God, or Jesus Christ, in his 13-minute video. VATICAN CITY, October 23, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Pope Francis once again called for action to be taken on “climate change,” this time making the alarmist claim that there are less than 30 years to do so. The Holy Father didn’t mention God, or Jesus Christ, at all in his 13-minute video. The new video is part of TED’s “Countdown” series, which seeks “to accelerate solutions to the climate crisis” and has the...

Prelates Censure Pontiff on Gay Civil Unions Argentine archbishop: Francis' words have been accurately translated VATICAN CITY (ChurchMilitant.com) - Leading prelates are reprimanding Pope Francis for his "scandalous" endorsement of homosexual civil unions, asking the pontiff to retract his approval "for the sake of the salvation of his immortal soul."Pope Francis greeting gay film director Evgeny Afineevsky "Every true Catholic, every true Catholic priest, every true Catholic bishop must with deep sorrow and a weeping heart regret and protest against the unheard fact, that Pope Francis ... uttered in the documentary film Francesco ... his support for civil same-sex unions," Bp. Athanasius Schneider...

ROME (Reuters) – Pope Francis says in a new film released on Wednesday that homosexuals should be protected by civil union laws, in some of the clearest language he has used on the rights of gay people. “Homosexual people have a right to be in a family. They are children of God and have a right to a family. Nobody should be thrown out or be made miserable over it,” he says in the documentary “Francesco” by Oscar-nominated director Evgeny Afineevsky. “What we have to create is a civil union law. That way they are legally covered. I stood up...

US bishop: Voting for Biden requires ‘reason that outweighs’ 860,000 abortions Bishop Thomas Paprocki asked, ‘Is it a sin to vote for Biden?’ SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, October 16, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Bishop Thomas Paprocki said that voting for pro-abortion Democrat Joe Biden in the upcoming election would require “a proportionately grave reason that outweighs the killing of 860,000 babies per year,” adding that even the death penalty is no such reason. In a follow-up to his recent video contrasting President Donald Trump’s pro-life record with his opponent’s pro-abortion stance, the bishop of Springfield, Illinois, attempted to answer the question, “Is it...

"Real Time" host Bill Maher tore into President Trump's likely Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett on Friday night -- and warned about the consequences that may follow her confirmation. During his opening monologue, Maher told his audience about the widely expected SCOTUS pick, though had a tough time pronouncing her name correctly. "We'll be saying this name a lot I'm sure because she's a f---ing nut," Maher said. "Religion -- I was right about that one too. I'm sorry, but Amy [Coney] Barrett, Catholic -- really Catholic. I mean really, really Catholic -- like speaking in tongues. Like...

Bill Maher Bill Maher has definite thoughts on religion, and few if any are positive.The same seems to go for his thoughts on Republicans, which makes it no surprise the comedian/political commentator is speaking out against Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett and her religious roots. During Friday’s episode of HBO’s Real Time, Maher slammed Senate Democrats for not going harder on ACB over her Christianity while calling the wife and mother of seven “nuts.”He dug in during a “New Rule” segment: “New rule: Democrats have to stop talking about packing the Supreme Court, because it’s already packed — with...

Commentator Bill Maher has drawn backlash after calling Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett 'nuts' and arguing that Senate Democrats should make an issue of her Catholic faith. 'Chuck Schumer said Democrats won't make Barrett's religion an issue, but they should because being nuts is relevant,' Maher said in a monologue on HBO's Real Time on Friday. After hearings this week, the Senate Judiciary Committee set October 22 for its vote to recommend Barrett´s nomination to the full Senate, with a final confirmation vote expected by month´s end.

Vatican Mints Mother Earth Coin Image of St. Peter welcoming migrants engraved on second coin VATICAN CITY (ChurchMilitant.com) - The Vatican City State Mint has issued a 10-euro silver coin depicting "Mother Earth" — an image designed for World Earth Day by Bergamo-born sculptor and engraver Luigi Oldani. Ten euro coin depicting "Mother Earth" While the Numismatic Chronicle interpreted the icon as Madre Terra (Mother Earth), the Vatican portrayed it as "a mother carrying the Earth, to which we owe care and love as if she were a daughter." The coin, issued Monday, symbolizes the earth's fertility "with long ears of corn"...

Failed Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton insisted Black Lives Matter is a “theological statement” while speaking on her newly-launched podcast, You and Me Both with Hillary Clinton. The bizarre remarks came on Clinton’s inaugural episode “Faith” – a 50-minute show featuring guests such establishment journalist Krista Tippett, Daily Show Correspondent Aasif Mandvi, and Reverend William Barber II. While speaking positively about the Black Lives Matter, the former Secretary of State commented that the activist movement, which in lockstep with AntiFa has been responsible for nationwide rioting and violence, was a “theological” movement: “When you think about the very deliberate, concerted effort...

China & the Vatican -- Cardinal Zen: "Parolin knows he is lying. He knows that I know he is a liar. He knows that I will tell everyone that he is a liar." For Love of Truth I Will Not Remain Silent Cardinal Joseph ZenBishop Emeritus of Hong Kong I read the speech given by Cardinal Parolin, Secretary of State of His Holiness, in Milan on October 3. [Rorate: in that speech, Cardinal Parolin defended the Vatican's attitude and deal, and the confirmation of the deal, with Communist China.] It was sickening! He is in no way stupid or ignorant, he...

Cardinal Cupich on "Fratelli tutti": ‘Children of the same earth' The Cardinal Archbishop of Chicago reflects on Pope Francis's new Encyclical, saying the Pope asks us to "rethink how we live together on this cosmic speck of dust we call earth". By Cardinal Blase CupichThe Lakota phrase mitakuye oyasin is often used at the end of a speech by an elder. It simply means, “we are all related, we are all relatives.” It expresses an understanding of human existence as belonging to a people who share a common heritage and destiny. And, in stark contrast to radical individualism, it reminds tribal...