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We dive deep into the controversial case of Blessed Carlo Acutis and the troubling evolution of the Church's canonization process. Since Pope John Paul II removed the adversarial "devil's advocate" role, canonizations have exploded in number, with one priest lamenting, "We're becoming a factory here." Friends of Carlo share surprising revelations that cast doubt on the narrative around his extraordinary sanctity, raising uncomfortable questions about manufactured devotion versus authentic veneration.

Among the martyrs of Rome during the Great Persecution under Diocletian and Maximian (early 4th century AD), the name of Saint Agnes is certainly one of the most famous. A young girl of perhaps 12 or 13 at the time of her martyrdom, Agnes would later be commemorated in the Roman Canon of the Mass as well as numerous works of art both ancient and modern. Though no authentic account of her trial has survived antiquity, the passion of Saint Agnes is known from three near contemporary ancient sources. The first is an epitaph which was affixed to her tomb...

[Catholic/Devotional Caucus] Canonization of the Martyrs of Compiègne: "To the poorest daughter of Carmel, honor speaks louder than fear."Francis approved today the Equipollent Canonization of the Sixteen Carmelite Martyrs of Compiègne, who can now be honored as saints.Mother Marie: Sister Blanche...First Commissary: I forbid you to continue...Mother Marie: You have the power to force me to silence, but none to command me to it. I represent here the Reverend Mother Prioress and I shall take no orders from you.A Commissary: Confounded old hag! She cannot be made to hold her tongue, fellow Citizen, but remind her that the Republic has...

[Catholic Caucus] Joselito, the Youngest Cristero"Dear Aunt: I have been sentenced to death. At 8:30 tonight, the moment I have longed for will arrive. Cristo Vive, Cristo Reina, Cristo Impera. Viva Cristo Rey y Santa Maria de Guadalupe! - Jose Sanchez del Rio, who died in defense of his faith."The price of liberty, even within a Church, is eternal vigilance. – Graham Greene (1904-91)CHURCH BELLS CLANGED furiously through Sahuayo, as enemy forces spurred on horses galloping hard across the cobblestones, charging into the Mexican town.Weapon-wielding, hostile combatants – local corrupt politicians backed by federal forces – had strategized to violently...

June 20 is the Feast of Pope Saint Silverius, a 6th century martyr who was deposed and starved to death for the sake of political expediency by order of the Christian Roman empress, Theodora. Pope Saint Silverius is truly a saint for our times. Faced with persecution by the Christian Roman imperial government which insisted that he embrace heresy, he nonetheless held courageously to the truth of the Catholic faith, despite lies, corruption, intimidation and threats to his office and his life. Almost no one today knows him, but Silverius is a saint that Catholics should invoke when faced with...

Yesterday marked the opening of a new film by Angel Studios — Cabrini — and the film has already generated an impressive amount of buzz. Considering the Catholic content of the film, this is somewhat surprising but in a very good way. I haven't seen the film yet, but I intend to over the next week. I'm told that local theaters are basically sold-out this weekend. Of course, nothing produced with religious content is without controversy. Cabrini is being promoted as a sort-of feminist anti-Barbie, which is an interesting tactic. This indicates that the filmmakers are attempting to broaden the...

When Hollywood produces a film about Italian-Americans, it usually is of a certain vintage, and the purveyors of such art are usually their descendants. In a change of pace, enter the talented duo of director Alejandro Monteverde and screenwriter Rod Barr, who collaborated last year on the highly acclaimed Sound of Freedom, one of the most successful independent films ever. That’s a feat difficult to match, let alone top, but their film Cabrini is poised to do just that, opening in over 3,000 theaters nationwide next week. When Barr was pitched by the film’s producers to write the screenplay of...

The Scriptural recounting in the Gospel of Saint Matthew of the mysterious wise men who visited the baby Jesus bearing gifts is one of the most enduring and compelling scenes in Sacred Scripture. The rudimentary nature of St. Matthew’s description of the Magi’s arrival has encouraged a flowering of apocryphal literature across the centuries which has added depth and detail to the occasion of the Epiphany. There are numerous references to the Magi in early post-Scriptural literature. Saint Justin Martyr mentions them prominently in his debate with Trypho (Chapter 78) in the mid-second century AD. Magi were of the priestly...

Throughout the history of the Church, several Popes have been deposed for a variety of reasons. Pope Liberius was deposed and exiled by the Arian emperor, Constantius II in the mid-4th century. Six hundred years later, Pope Gregory VII was deposed by anti-Pope Clement III, the creature of the Holy Roman Emperor, Henry IV. During the reign of Justinian, Pope Saint Silverius, who I have written about previously on this blog, was not only deposed—he was martyred by the political forces who coveted his ecclesiastical power as head of the Church. In my previous post, I included an excerpt from...

[Catholic Caucus] Bishop Strickland: We must follow the example of the saints and martyrs in defense of the faithBishop Strickland recalled the example of St. John Fisher, who gave up his life against the heretical claim of Henry VIII to be the head of the Church in England.Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas, told Catholics gathered in Rome at the LifeSiteNews Rome Life Forum that they “cannot play nicely” when heresy threatens the faith, and that this would “mock the blood of the martyrs” which consecrated the city of Rome to Christ. Strickland began his address October 31 by reading...

Like Jeanne d’Arc or Francesco di Bernardone, Francesco Forgione was one of those unique individuals gifted by God to the human race to assure us of His love, His understanding, and above all else, that He is not deaf to our sufferings and entreaties. But unlike these other great visionary saints, Forgione was not a streak of light which flashed across the firmament and returned quickly to heaven. Saint Joan’s mission lasted about two years before she was martyred at age 19. Saint Francis of Assisi was 45 when he passed to eternity, roughly 20 years elapsing between his call...

The New Orleans Saints and Derek Carr have agreed to a four-year, $150 million contract that includes $100 million in total guarantees, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo reported on Monday morning, per sources informed of the situation. The team has since announced the news. Carr will get $70 million effectively fully guaranteed with $60 million due at signing and another $10 million in Year 3 vesting after Year 1, per Rapoport and Garafolo. Carr's new contract also will include a no-trade clause, Garafolo reported, just as his most recent deal with the Raiders had. "We are excited...

Buffalo Bills safety Jordan Poyer took a shot at New York’s political leaders over the weekend for the state’s high taxes, saying that he wants the next team that he plays for to be in a state with a much friendlier tax code. Sports Illustrated explained that part of Poyer’s frustration with New York’s high taxes is the fact that his career in the NFL only recently exploded, despite being over 30. As a result of his recent success, the $5.6 million he earned in 2022 was more than he earned the three previous years combined. “A lot of people...

Hundreds of pro-abortion demonstrators tried to block a monthly pro-life march and prayer vigil at a Planned Parenthood abortion clinic in Lower Manhattan on July 2, 2022, setting off a tense confrontation. | Jeffrey Bruno/CNAHundreds of pro-abortion demonstrators tried to block a monthly pro-life march and prayer vigil at a New York City Planned Parenthood abortion clinic Saturday, setting off a tense, hours’ long confrontation in Lower Manhattan. With NYPD officers slowly pushing against the crowd, the marchers eventually reached the clinic. There were no immediate reports of arrests. A counter-demonstration organized by NYC for Abortion Rights began Saturday morning...

Sean Payton has plenty of options for how he will spend next fall, but one will not be coaching the New Orleans Saints. The longtime head coach announced Tuesday that he is stepping down from his job with the Saints after 16 years at the helm, and while he isn’t ruling out coaching again, he said his plans “are not to be coaching in 2022.” “I don’t know what’s next and it kind of feels good,” Payton said Tuesday during a heartfelt press conference. “I don’t like the word retirement. … I still have a vision for doing things in...

The New Orleans Saints have had eight members of the organization test positive for COVID-19, calling into question their status for Sunday's game against the Carolina Panthers, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.The total includes six offensive coaches, one player and a nutritionist, according to a source.The Saints placed wide receiver Michael Thomas on the reserve/COVID-19 list Tuesday. Thomas, who is currently on the physically unable to perform list, is not eligible to return to practice until Week 7 at the earliest. Thomas has been doing his rehab in Fort Worth, Texas with the team, which has been practicing at TCU's...

Tickets to the Saints/Jaguars game are outrageously cheap.The Saints are playing the first game in the NFL to require fans to be vaccinated or provide a negative PCR COVID-19 test. What has that done to ticket prices for Monday night? Driven them straight into the ground.According to Darren Rovell, some tickets on the secondary market are selling for less than $1 before fees.https://twitter.com/darrenrovell/status/1429878891787821062As of this moment, StubHub has tickets for as cheap as $6. So, while it’s not the lowest on the secondary market, they’re still absurdly cheap. This is honestly insane. Imagine taking your entire family to an NFL...

If you're a Saints ticket holder and refuse the COVID-19 vaccination or test, you'll not only be barred from entering the Superdome, but you also won't get a refund on your ticket -- i.e., follow their safety protocol or take the monetary loss.

Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:( Isaiah 46:9-10)Approximately 30 percent of the Bible is prophecy. In the passage above, the God of the Bible challenges humanity, to believe in Him, who alone “declares the End from the beginning” and whose counsel always stands. How did Peter, Paul and the Apostles of the New...

Mark Twain called her: "Easily and by far the most extraordinary person the human race has ever produced." G. K. Chesterton said of her: "She chose a path and went down it like a thunderbolt." St. Therese of Lisieux, writing in a poem acclaimed her: "By a prodigy unique in history, People then saw a trembling monarch Regain his crown and his glory By means of a child's weak arm." She was Saint Joan of Arc and all the superlatives that have been applied to her since her ignominious death at the stake on May 30, 1431 barely seem enough....