Free Republic

[Catholic Caucus] Heterodox Austrian priest criticizes celibacy while appearing with female companion in publicThe chaplain of Vienna’s St. Stephen Cathedral has taken many heterodox positions in the past, including support for female ordinations and blessings of same-sex couples.The chaplain of Vienna’s St. Stephen Cathedral has repeatedly appeared with a blonde woman at high society events while downplaying priestly celibacy as an “elastic concept.”Chaplain Anton (called “Toni”) Faber has drawn the attention of the press in recent months for appearing at high society events like the famous Vienna Opera Ball with a blonde woman named Natalie Nemec accompanying him as his...

[Catholic Caucus] Bishop Bätzing suggests Church teaching on homosexuality could be ‘changed for the sake of the people’Bishop Georg Bätzing attacked Church teaching on ‘sexual morality’ as ‘largely ineffective in its current form,’ arguing the faithful ‘ignore it and live their lives.’Bishop Georg Bätzing has claimed that Church doctrine on sexual morality can be “changed for the sake of the people” without losing the “core of Catholicism.”According to CNA Deutsch, Bätzing also stated at a Monday press conference at the start of the German Bishops’ Conference (DBK) spring plenary assembly in Würzburg: “I stand by the teachings of the Catholic...

[Catholic Caucus] German bishops elect new leader who rejected Church teaching on homosexualityBishop Heiner Wilmer, a supporter of the Synodal Way, voted in favor of documents falsely claiming that homosexual activity is ‘not a sin’ and calling for ‘blessing’ homosexual unions.German Catholic bishops The German Bishops’ Conference has elected Bishop Heiner Wilmer as its new leader.On Tuesday morning, Wilmer, the bishop of Hildesheim, was elected by the 56 bishops attending the spring plenary assembly as the successor of Bishop Georg Bätzing of Limburg.Wilmer is known as a heterodox prelate and supporter of the heretical German Synodal Way. He regularly voted...

[Catholic Caucus] Pope Leo-appointed bishop calls same-sex ‘blessings’ a ‘step forward’ for the Church'Being homosexual is not a sin. Indeed, it is not,' said Bishop Satué. 'The blessing of people who have a same‑sex relationship project is, in my view, a step forward.'MALAGA, Spain (LifeSiteNews) — A bishop appointed by Pope Leo XIV said that being homosexual “is not a sin,” supported blessings for same-sex “couples,” and called for expanded governing roles for women in the Church.On February 15, in the local newspaper Málaga Hoy, Bishop José Antonio Satué addressed questions concerning homosexuality and same-sex blessings. He also outlined his...

[Catholic Caucus] God’s Inclusive Love Respects Homosexuals – Archbishop SciclunaGod dwells within every human life and this idea can offer consolation and direction to homosexual Catholics, writes pro-homosexual Malta Archbishop Charles Scicluna on the pro-homosexual Outreach.faith (February 3) His text employes psychological categories and rhetoric such as “feelings”, “wounds”, “weaknesses”, “fear”, “self-punishment”, “self-doubt”, “dependence”, “healing”, and so on. As if there were no sin, Monsignor Scicluna claims that “our stories, relationships, questions and identities are never beyond God’s loving gaze”. He believes that “our lived experiences—including our questions, wounds and hopes—are not obstacles to God, but places of encounter”. “Many...

[Catholic Caucus] Pope Leo’s US nuncio bars Fr. Frank Pavone from offering funeral Mass for his motherCardinal Christophe Pierre refused the request of America's best-known pro-life priest from offering a funeral Mass for his mother, who died at 91 on December 15.Pope Leo’s Nuncio to the United States has refused the request of America’s best-known pro-life priest from offering a funeral Mass for his mother, who died at 91 on December 15.Cardinal Christophe Pierre replied Thursday to a December 16 request for permission from Frank Pavone, saying “I believe that the limitations imposed by your canonical status, compounded by the...

[Catholic Caucus] Fr. Pavone’s laicization came from Pope Francis himself: canon lawyer The shocking decision to laicize pro-life priest Father Frank Pavone without appeal could only have come from Pope Francis himself, according to a prominent canon lawyer.In an interview Sunday with Catholic News Agency (CNA), canonist Father Gerald Murray, a priest of the Archdiocese of New York and a regular contributor to EWTN’s “The World Over with Raymond Arroyo,” noted that the Pope alone can issue a decision “against which there is no possible appeal.”“Only the Pope, who enjoys ‘full and supreme power in the Church’ (canon 332, 1),...

[Catholic Caucus] BREAKING: Pope Leo appoints bishop who celebrated LGBT Mass with drag queen speakerDuring a July LGBT 'Pride' Mass, Bishop Ramón Pope Leo XIV has appointed a San Diego auxiliary bishop who celebrated an “All are Welcome” LGBT “Pride” Mass – during which a drag queen activist was permitted to speak – as the new bishop of Monterey, California. Bishop Ramón Bejarano was the celebrant of the July 13 Sunday Mass, which was organized by St. John’s “LGBTQ Ministry” and had the full backing of the Diocese of San Diego under Bishop Michael Pham, one of Pope Leo XIV’s...

[Catholic Caucus] Italian diocese tries to normalize homosexual, divorced and ‘remarried’ relationshipsA Catholic diocese in Italy has released a pamphlet of various 'Christian testimonies' that included two homosexual couples and one civilly remarried couple. A Catholic diocese in Italy has released a pamphlet of various “Christian testimonies” that included two homosexual couples and one civilly remarried couple.On December 4, the Family Pastoral Service of the Diocese of Chiavari, Italy, directed by Father Marco Torre, published the pamphlet “There Is No Greater Love.” It includes autobiographical testimonies presented as “exemplary,” without additional doctrinal notes or commentary. There were no official statements...

[Catholic Caucus] Italian priest suggests ‘baby girl Jesus’ in Nativity scenes in call for women deacons, bishopsFr. Vitaliano Della Sala claims a female Christ Child would expose the apparent ‘injustice’ in Church teaching excluding women from the possibility of receiving Holy Orders.AVELLINO, Italy (LifeSiteNews) — An Italian priest has argued that a “baby girl Jesus” should be introduced into Nativity scenes because God could have incarnated as a woman as well.On December 3, Father Vitaliano Della Sala, pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul in Capocastello, Italy, during an interview with a local television station, sparked widespread debate in the national...

[Catholic Caucus] Pro-LGBT German bishop says the Catholic Church does not ‘stand for an abstract truth’In a recent homily, Bishop Peter Kohlgraf rejected claims he is ‘not Catholic’ while arguing the faith should embrace the ‘opinion of others’ and move beyond ‘abstract truth.’German Bishop Peter Kohlgraf has responded to an allegation that he and other German bishops are “not Catholic” in light of their support for ideologies which oppose traditional Church teachings, and implied that the Catholic faith is not about truth.The bishop of Mainz delivered a homily on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, arguing that being Catholic must...

[Catholic Caucus] Pope Francis Has Bequeathed Money to Pro-Homosexual Dominican SisterPope Francis, who died in April 2025, set aside funds in his will for a humanitarian project run by Dominican sister Lucía Caram, she said in remarks reported by Spanish media. According to Sister Caram, the funds were explicitly intended to support medical care in war-affected areas of Ukraine, in particular the purchase of ambulances. The exact amount designated in the pope’s will has not been disclosed.Sister Caram said that Francis had expressed support for her work on several occasions: “I never imagined it would come in this form.”Born in...

Rich Tidwell is the pastor of Ormond Church, a small non-denominational gathering in Canton, MO, that was founded more than a decade ago. According to his website, he is a husband, father, YouTube Apologist, polemicist, and is a “passionate follower of The Way.” Married to his wife Brandi more for more than 14 years, they have have seven children together, some adopted. He believes “proper hermeneutics are derived from examining original languages, cultural context, and multi-verse coherence” and that “Crippled by fear and compromised by tradition, Rich is convinced the status-quo Church is due a second reformation.” At first glance...

TUCKER, Ga. — A transgender woman said a DeKalb County Police officer accosted her after she used the women’s restroom at Tucker-Reid H. Cofer Library. The police department has opened an Internal Affairs investigation into the incident, according to a police spokesperson. “Because the investigation is ongoing, we are unable to share additional details at this time,” the spokesperson said. “The department remains dedicated to treating all members of our community with dignity, respect, and professionalism.”

[Catholic Caucus] Rediscovered book by Cardinal Fernández features graphic erotic passages on ‘spirituality and sensuality’A 1998 book by Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández featuring provocative, sexually-charged themes has resurfaced, likely adding further scrutiny to the already embattled prefect of the Vatican’s doctrine office.Titled “Mystical Passion: Spirituality and Sensuality,” the 26-year-old work includes graphic descriptions of human sexual relations and discussion of what the Argentinian theologian describes as “mystical orgasm.”The nearly 100-page-long book also depicts in detail an imaginary erotic encounter with Jesus Christ on the shores of Galilee, which Fernández said was based on a spiritual experience disclosed to him by...

Cardinal Cupich claims Church backing for all migrantsCupich claims Church backing for all migrants Chicago’s Cardinal Blase Cupich has once again courted controversy by weighing in on the immigration controversy and giving the Catholic Church’s full backing to migrants. In a video message posted online October 21, Cupich voiced his stance regarding the current topic of immigration, an issue which has dominated headlines in the nation for months. The Chicago cardinal said he spoke both as a “shepherd,” but also “as a fellow pilgrim who shares the pain of many of our immigrant communities.” He took aim at the actions...

Democrat gubernatorial candidate Mikie Sherrill said she would push for New Jersey classrooms to mandate LGBTQ curriculum with no parental opt-out if she were to become governor. Sherrill made the comments during a primary debate in May, but the controversial remarks have resurfaced in the days leading up to the New Jersey gubernatorial election between Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciattarelli on November 4. “I believe that parents have the right to oversee their children’s education,” Sherrill said. “I would push an LGBTQ education into our schools. Parents have a right to opt out of a lot of things, but this...

[Catholic Caucus] Heterodox German bishop criticizes public act of reparation for Vatican LGBT ‘pilgrimage’Auxiliary Bishop Ludger Schepers of Essen, Germany, the queer representative to the German Bishops' Conference, has a history of promoting the LGBT movement.Pro-LGBT Auxiliary Bishop Ludger Schepers of Essen, Germany, who serves as the queer representative of the German Bishops’ Conference (DBK), slammed in a recent interview the four bishops who recently made a public act of reparation for the Vatican LGBT pilgrimage during this year’s Catholic Identity Conference (CIC).In an interview with the German Catholic News Agency (KNA) published October 10, Schepers called the act of...

[Catholic Caucus] Austrian bishop appointed by Francis hires homosexual ‘married’ man as personal secretary An Austrian bishop has appointed an openly homosexual and civilly “married” man as his personal secretary.As a report by the blog Novus Ordo Watch revealed, Bishop Johannes Freitag, auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Graz-Steckau, has hired Domenik Kainzinger-Webern as his private secretary. Freitag was appointed auxiliary bishop of Graz-Steckau on January 31, 2025, by Pope Francis.A picture on Kainzinger-Webern partner’s Instagram profile shows the two of them commemorating their fourth “wedding” anniversary. A picture on the website of Salinenmusik Altaussee documents their ceremony, which took...

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...