Free Republic

The Texas Legislature passed a resolution May 20 to install a statue of the Virgin Mary bearing the unborn Christ child at the state Capitol. Senate Concurrent Resolution 19, now awaiting Gov. Greg Abbott’s signature, describes the “Texas Life Monument” as “a mother with an unborn child cradled in a world-shaped womb.” However, the piece, created by renowned Catholic sculptor Timothy Schmalz, is unmistakably Marian. Schmalz, known for spiritually evocative public art, confirmed the statue depicts the Blessed Virgin Mary and the unborn Jesus. “People are afraid to have children these days,” Schmalz told The Austin Chronicle. “Well, this is...

[Catholic Caucus] Brazilian Bishop who denounced Pachamama and was expelled from his diocese by the Vatican, diesCV NEWS FEED // The outspoken Brazilian bishop who condemned the worship of the Pachamama and was expelled from his see by the Vatican after his retirement died this week.The Order of Augustinian Recollects and the Catholic Church mourn the death of Monsignor José Luis Azcona Hermoso, emeritus Bishop of the Prelature of Marajó in the Brazilian Amazon. Bishop Azcona, who died on November 20, leaves behind a legacy of fearless defense of the faith and an indelible mark on the Church.Born on March...

It is a dogma of the Catholic faith that the Blessed Virgin Mary was not only a virgin when she conceived and bore Jesus but that she remained a virgin ever after. Most Protestant Christians today deny this – but do they know that many of their early leaders believed it? Here are 5 examples of major Protestant leaders who rejected huge swaths of Catholic dogma, but – you may surprised to learn – defended the perpetual virginity of Mary: 1) Martin Luther is usually considered to be the person who sparked the Protestant Reformation. He rejected core Catholic dogmas...

Caleb J. Lines, Senior Minister of University Christian Church, whose church is part of the United Church of Christ (UCC) denomination, might hate Jesus more than anyone we know. We could tell you that he’s pro-choice, pro-LGBTQ, and routinely insists that the bible should not be trusted, that it is not “God-breathed,” and that Jesus did not die for the sins of the world, but this recent Instagram post explains the level of reprobation we’re dealing with. Months after preaching a sermon where he claimed Jesus was xenophobic and misogynistic and needed to be corrected and called out by the...

CV NEWS FEED// A controversial, explicit statue of the Blessed Mother giving birth was decapitated only four days after it was displayed in the “New Cathedral,” in the Austrian city of Linz. The statue depicted the Blessed Mother in the moments before birth, with her abdomen and lower body completely exposed. The statue was part of an exhibition celebrating the New Cathedral’s 100th anniversary, the news agency Kronen Zeitung reports. Completed in 1924, the cathedral is the largest in Austria, and it can fit up to 20,000 people. Theologian Martina Resch explained during the exposition that the statue “is a...

MUSKOGEE, Okla. — Muskogee's catholic community is in shock after its only church in the city was left picking up the pieces of a cherished relic all but destroyed by vandals. Leaders of St. Joseph Catholic Church said a five-foot-tall plaster statue of the Virgin Mary and one of the Holy Family were adored by generations of members. "The one of Holy Mother, the one that was pretty well pulverized in the parking lot, that has a history that dates all the way back to 1893," church manager Lucille Ferguson told 2 News. Father Robert Matthew Dye said he knows...

Fox's Family Guy has been mocking Christianity since the early years of the show. Last night's episode turned Jesus into a vulgar comedian who mocks His mother's virginity. In the episode, "Faith No More," Brian goes back in time to erase Christianity from existence after an attractive Evangelical Christian woman refuses to have sex with him. After being rejected by a veterinary nurse who is an Evangelical Christian, Brian comes home and rants to Stewie about Christianity. Brian: Christianity sucks. It's stupid, arbitrary nonsense. Stewie: You're horny and she wouldn't have sex with you. Brian: No. And I did everything...

Do Catholics Really Worship the Virgin Mary?Editor’s Note: It is my pleasure to reintroduce my great-grandfather Hugo Klapproth and his “new” book, Letters to a Protestant Friend (Available Here). Full disclosure: The book is new only to English-speaking readers living 130 years after it was published in the original German here in St. Paul, Minnesota. Apart from being a thoughtful historical sketch, this little book also makes a considerable contribution to Catholic apologetics. As a convert from Lutheranism and a professional newspaper editor, Hugo Klapproth’s apologetical arguments to his Lutheran friend are some of the most effective I have ever...

The famous Jewish actor and humorist Gad Elmaleh, beloved in France, announced his conversion to the Catholic faith, a process in which he says the Virgin Mary played a crucial role. Elmaleh, 51, was the partner of Charlotte Casiraghi, the daughter of Princess Caroline of Monaco, with whom they have a son named Rafael. His conversion to Catholicism is depicted in his new film, “Reste un peu,” (“Stay a while”). The Jewish actor, who according to the Spanish newspaper El Mundo will take the name of Jean-Marie when he is baptized, has studied theology in Paris, and in 2019 he...

(Translation) [Dominican] President Luis Abinader asked the Virgin of Altagracia to keep protecting the Dominican people and "to God to bless us always". The leader pointed out that veneration of the Virgin, which began with a promise from lancers from El Seibo and Higüey to help them survive a battle where the Spaniards defeated the French in 1691, is the same Dominicans have today of the virgin who "will keep being our protector". "She is our mother and, as such, she intercedes with God to favor her children," President Abinader stressed. He said that "there is not a single corner...

Pro-abortion demonstrations over the past few months, and rising to a crescendo in the aftermath of the overturning of Roe v. Wade, have told the world, with unremitting vehemence, that women have a right to control their own body, a right to a safe abortion, and that the unborn is not yet human being. On the negative side, they have shown a hostility toward the Catholic Church and, in particular, to Mary, the Mother of God. The hostility toward the latter is well symbolized by the mantra, “keep your rosaries off our ovaries”. Pope St. John Paul II expressed the...

Channel Nine have apologised after a television news reporters was photographed at a protest against the U.S. Supreme Court's Roe vs Wade decision holding a sign mocking Christianity. Lana Murphy was covering the protest in Melbourne when she was pictured holding a sign that said: 'Mary (the virgin) should've had an abortion.' The poster was then uploaded to her personal Instagram account. The photo was widely shared on social media, with Catholic writer and Twitter user Joel Agius describing it as a 'disgusting message of Christian hate'. Following the backlash from religious groups and community members, the network issues a...

An elderly Catholic sculptor in Nagasaki, Japan, is all set to complete and install the world’s tallest wooden statue of the Virgin Mary after four decades of time, energy and money. Eiji Oyamatsu, 88, a Catholic from Fujisawa, Kanagawa prefecture, will unveil the 10-meter wooden statue of Mary with the child Jesus at the end of June, reported Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun. The statue pays tribute to thousands of Christian martyrs of Nagasaki in the 17th century. The single-handed effort by Oyamatsu encouraged a group of volunteers to form the Citizens’ Association for Minami-Shimabara World Heritage in 2018. The group...

New research shows that people with blue eyes have a single, common ancestor. Scientists have tracked down a genetic mutation which took place 6,000-10,000 years ago and is the cause of the eye color of all blue-eyed humans alive on the planet today "Originally, we all had brown eyes," said Professor Hans Eiberg from the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine. "But a genetic mutation affecting the OCA2 gene in our chromosomes resulted in the creation of a "switch," which literally "turned off" the ability to produce brown eyes." The OCA2 gene codes for the so-called P protein, which is...

A Christmas REALITY - Mary Needed a Savior! Just a thought for this Christmas season. One of the greatest myths in all of Christendom is that Mary (Miriam) - the young Jewish girl of king David's line - who gave birth to the Savior of the world was sinless. I myself was taught this as a boy in the Catholic church and it wasn't till I was born again and started reading the Holy Scriptures for myself that I saw the true folly of such a myth. My dear friends, no greater lie could ever be told or fantasy ever...

Police said that the young, Forest Hills resident is the woman who was caught on camera smashing a pair of church statues to pieces in July.FOREST HILLS, QUEENS — A 23-year-old Forest Hills resident was hit with hate crime charges on Friday, after police identified her as the person who smashed a pair of church statues in July, according to the NYPD. Jacqueline Nikiena was arrested on Friday, Sept. 10 on charges of criminal mischief as a hate crime and aggravated harassment, police said. Her arrest comes nearly two months after she was caught on camera smashing a pair of...

The same folks to bring you “Abrahamism”—the idea that Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are intricately connected—have narrowed their sights on promoting Mary, the mother of Christ, as “a Jewish, Christian and Muslim woman,” in the words of Catholic priest Fr. Gian Matteo of the Pontifical International Marian Academy. In a ten-week webinar series titled “Mary, a model for faith and life for Christianity and Islam,” the academy will seek to present Mary as a bridge between the two religions. This may be easier said than done — at least for those still interested in facts. For starters, the claim that...

We Protestants certainly have a problem when it comes to Mary–so allergic are we to any sign of Marian devotion that we flip out and run the other way at any sign of it, including thoroughly orthodox phrases like “Mother of God” and “Hail Mary, full of grace.” The first phrase is of course part of the touchstone of orthodoxy the Definition of Chalcedon, and is the proper translation of Theotokos–the preferred Protestant version (for those who even bother to recite it) is “God-bearer,” ... To call Mary the “Mother of God” was a truth that many Christians actually gave...

A Virgin Mary statue outside a Dorchester church was desecrated on the same night another one was burned about a mile away, according to the Catholic Action League of Massachusetts’ spokesman, who said churches are being “deliberately targeted.” A statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary was set ablaze outside St. Peter’s Parish overnight July 11. Police responded to the scene and are investigating, officials confirmed at the time.

Boston Police are investigating whether the burning of a Virgin Mary statue outside a Dorchester church was a hate crime, a department spokesman confirmed on Tuesday. A statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary was set ablaze outside St. Peter’s Parish Saturday night. The Boston Police joint investigation includes the civil rights violations unit, the arson unit and district detectives, BPD spokesman Sgt. Detective John Boyle said on Tuesday.