Network of Terror – “The Near East, the cradle of Christianity, is now filled with governments and non-state actors overtly hostile to Christians.” Don’t Fall for the Islamic Republic’s Attempt at “Christian-Washing” (Providence)
Smooth Flying, Destination Unknown – “Already we have had an array of first-hundred-days analyses of Pope Leo XIV, as though the first American-born pope could be judged like an American president.” Two Takes on Pope Leo (First Things)
First-Born of All Creation – “Scarce any other passage in the New Testament offers so concise yet complete an expression of the substance of Christian faith as the Christological hymn found in the Letter’s first chapter (Col 1:15-20).” A Eucharistic Way of Life (What We Need Now – Substack)
Rerum Novarum Revisited – “I responded that ‘new things’ in Latin has an extremely negative connotation, and that these words, when translated into English in Leo XIII’s encyclical, are rendered as ‘revolutionary change’.” To Reclaim Our Nature (Brownstone Institute)
Deadly Abortion Pills – “It is easier now than during the first Trump administration for people, including abusers and traffickers, to obtain harmful abortion pills.” Trump’s Trusted Pollster: Even Pro-Aborts Say Mifepristone Is Dangerous and Needs FDA Regulation (The Federalist)
Adventure in Disappointment – “The ‘benefits’ of abandoning marital monogamy, it turns out, are found much more in the telling of the story, not the living.” It’s Time to Push Back Against the Glamorization of Polyamory (Institute for Family Studies)
The Euthanasia Conference – “The country gave its citizens the right to die. Doctors are struggling to keep up with demand.” Canada Is Killing Itself (The Atlantic)
Migrant Rights and Borders – In an address on Thursday, Pope Leo XIV denounced ‘inhuman measures’ and ‘serious crimes’ against migrants, even as he granted that ‘states have the right and duty to protect their borders.’ The Catholic fight over Immigration (Unherd)
Pregnancy Resource Centers – “According to an Associated Press report, hundreds of pro-life centers — which are long known for offering free ultrasounds, baby supplies, and counseling to women in crisis — are adding services such as testing for sexually transmitted diseases, primary care, and prenatal treatment.” Pro-abortion activists worry about crisis pregnancy centers expanding care for mothers (CatholicVote)
(*The posting of any particular news item or essay is not an endorsement of the content and perspective of said news item or essay.)
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Pregnancy Resource Centers – “According to an Associated Press report, hundreds of pro-life centers — which are long known for offering free ultrasounds, baby supplies, and counseling to women in crisis — are adding services such as testing for sexually transmitted diseases, primary care, and prenatal treatment.”
This is at the top of my list to receive financial support from me and my family. My tithing to the Church goes only to a restricted account to my parish and secondarily to full-service Catholic Pregnancy Resource Centers. I make certain not a penny of my money goes into the general fund of the parish because some of it inevitably winds up at the diocese. I also never give anything to my diocese, and it its special USCCB collections for rogue agencies like CCHD and CRS. Lastly, I give nothing to Peter’s Pence. It just winds up investing in real estate ventures in places like London.
@ Smooth Flying, Destination Unknown
De Souza, a perspicacious analyst, perceives Pope Leo’s ecclesial policy analogous to the early missionary approach to civilize the savages, to the modern day approach of learning from them. Amazonia was typical of the latter.
Leo XIV says De Souza gives pats of affirmation to two distinct spiritual icons Cdl Burke and Fr James Martin. That would seem a desire to encourage both in promoting unity, unity of a divided Church his stated mission.
Nevertheless, contrary to De Souza’s assessment the affirmations for the Cdl Raymond Burke segment aren’t confirmed substantively. They remain simple pats on the back [or head]. Whereas the Fr James Martin half are receiving all the meaningful affirmations. The remaining hope for the more traditional camp is that Leo has the power to directly end any definitive doctrinal wandering. That means those of us in the traditional camp are left with the challenge of strengthening our personal commitment to Christ while remaining within the fold.
@ Migrant Rights and Borders
Immigration rights and nation rights first require the separation of legal immigration and illegal migration.
No one has a legal right to cross a nation’s borders absent of that nation’s permission Feser is in agreement on this matter [while I disagree with Feser on the issue of excessive force]. To do so is a crime. The Church requires a clear acknowledgement of this matter recognized by international law and practiced by national law. Adherence to this law will resolve the matter. Persons seeking refuge from persecution, or seeking the means for livelihood should be welcomed insofar as a nation is capable of receiving said persons.
For a Roman pontiff to make a general, public announcement condemning cruel, inhuman treatment of migrants, without recognizing their illegal status – knowingly at a time when the United States is making a legal and just effort to remove illegal migrants, while meeting violent resistance is inflammatory. It’s ethically an assault on a nation’s right to protect its own citizens as well as its laws and economy.
It’s well known that the USCCB have towed the line of a particular political party. Both a party and a consortium of bishops who deny the right of their own nation to protect itself. Pope Leo XIV, a doctor of canon law, should have better moral judgment on this matter, since it does not appear to this writer that his advocacy of illegal migration can be justified by canon law.