A new pope was chosen on the second day of the conclave, signaled by white smoke rising from a chimney above the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City. He is American-born Cardinal Robert Prevost, who has taken the name of Pope Leo XIV.
The new leader of the Catholic Church is expected to address the massive crowd in St. Peter&#8217;s Square within moments.
The election of the new pope comes less than three weeks after Pope Francis passed away, the day after Easter, after he was hospitalized with pneumonia.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
White smoke! The 133 Cardinal electors gathered in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel have elected the new Pope. He will appear soon at the central window of St. Peter’s Basilica. <a href="https://t.co/XejI7mY43m">pic.twitter.com/XejI7mY43m</a>
— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/VaticanNews/status/1920512085424787521?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2025</a></blockquote>

<script async src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script>
<script async src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

New Pope Elected As White Smoke Rises From Sistine Chapel

CONTINUE READING

Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected the new pope of the Catholic Church on Thursday afternoon.
Prevost will take the name Pope Leo XIV.
Prevost, 69, was born in Chicago and is the first American pope and the Church&#8217;s 267th pope. He will lead the world&#8217;s 1.4 billion Catholics.
He appeared visibly emotional as he appeared on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica and addressed the crowd in St. Peter&#8217;s Square.
&#8220;Peace be with you all!&#8221; Pope Leo XIV began his address.
&#8220;Dearest brothers and sisters, this is the first greeting of the resurrected Christ, the good shepherd who has given up his life for God,&#8221; he said, explaining his greeting, &#8220;and I should also like this greeting of peace to enter our hearts and your families and to all those people wherever they are. All peoples throughout the world, peace be with you.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Habemus Papam! We have a Pope!
The Cardinals gathered in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel have elected Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as the 267th Pope, who took the name Pope Leo XIV. <a href="https://t.co/7COawsKvWu">pic.twitter.com/7COawsKvWu</a>
— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/VaticanNews/status/1920529171664507289?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I announce to you a great joy; we have a Pope: The Most Eminent and Most Reverend Lord, Lord Robert Francis Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church Prevost who has taken the name Leo XIV.
Cardinal Protodeacon Dominique Mamberti announces that the Cardinals have elected Cardinal Robert… <a href="https://t.co/u3lDDlk1L4">pic.twitter.com/u3lDDlk1L4</a>
&mdash; Vatican News (@VaticanNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/VaticanNews/status/1920531999690772969?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
Prevost spent much of his priesthood in Peru. He became Bishop of Chiclayo in Peru for eight years until 2023, when he was made a cardinal by Pope Francis.
He also led the religious order started by St. Augustine.
Francis then made Prevost the Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, the Vatican official responsible for recommending priests to be made bishops around the world. Prevost was not considered the most likely cardinal to become pope, but Vatican officials are often considered for the papacy.
Prevost has been strong on Church doctrine, but he is seen as a centrist on political issues.
President Trump offered a congratulatory message on Thursday as the announcement was made.
&#8220;Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was just named Pope. It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope. What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114473380014194441" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> on Truth Social.
The election of the new pope comes less than three weeks after Pope Francis passed away, the day after Easter, after he was hospitalized with pneumonia.

<script async src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<script async src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script>

Cardinal Robert Prevost Chosen As First American Pope

A new pope was chosen on the second day of the conclave, signaled by white smoke rising from a chimney above the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City. He is American-born Cardinal Robert Prevost, who has taken the name of Pope Leo XIV.
The new leader of the Catholic Church is expected to address the massive crowd in St. Peter&#8217;s Square within moments.
The election of the new pope comes less than three weeks after Pope Francis passed away, the day after Easter, after he was hospitalized with pneumonia.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
White smoke! The 133 Cardinal electors gathered in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel have elected the new Pope. He will appear soon at the central window of St. Peter’s Basilica. <a href="https://t.co/XejI7mY43m">pic.twitter.com/XejI7mY43m</a>
— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/VaticanNews/status/1920512085424787521?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2025</a></blockquote>

<script async src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<script async src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script>

A few years ago, the Walt Disney Company threw a tantrum over Florida&#8217;s inaccurately nicknamed &#8220;Don&#8217;t Say Gay&#8221; law that bolstered parental rights in education.
Now, the entertainment behemoth is building its first new theme park in 15 years in — wait for it — Abu Dhabi, a city where homosexuality is illegal.
Turns out the bottom line matters!
Disney&#8217;s theme parks are performing well — the company <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/disneys-stock-jumps-after-big-earnings-beat-raised-outlook-3329fd61#" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> they brought in $8.9 billion in the second quarter, but Disney shares have traded down 17.2% so far this year.
Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the United Arab Emirates, where sexual activity between two men or two women is <a href="https://www.humandignitytrust.org/country-profile/united-arab-emirates/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">punishable</a> by up to 14 years in prison.
Also, trans-identifying people or a &#8220;male disguising as a female&#8221; can be criminally prosecuted and face up to a year in prison and fines.
The country&#8217;s laws reportedly originate with Sharia law.
&#8220;The Walt Disney Company and Miral, Abu Dhabi’s leading creator of immersive destinations and experiences, announced an agreement to create a landmark Disney theme park resort in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates,&#8221; Disney <a href="https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/disney-announces-abu-dhabi-theme-park/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in an announcement Wednesday.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
This new theme park resort in Abu Dhabi will be authentically Disney and distinctly Emirati &#8211; combing Disney’s iconic stories, characters and attractions with Abu Dhabi’s vibrant culture, stunning shorelines, and breathtaking architecture. ✨ <a href="https://t.co/M1GHeYgr4H">https://t.co/M1GHeYgr4H</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/YasIsland?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#YasIsland</a>… <a href="https://t.co/IyjODlj9ar">pic.twitter.com/IyjODlj9ar</a>
— Disney Parks (@DisneyParks) <a href="https://twitter.com/DisneyParks/status/1920094616356892673?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
&#8220;This seventh Disney theme park resort will combine Disney’s iconic stories, characters and attractions with Abu Dhabi’s vibrant culture, stunning shorelines, and breathtaking architecture,&#8221; Disney said.
Disney CEO Robert Iger called it a &#8220;thrilling moment for our company.&#8221;
Abu Dhabi&#8217;s &#8220;culture is rich with an appreciation of the arts and creativity,&#8221; Iger said, and &#8220;Disneyland Abu Dhabi will be authentically Disney and distinctly Emirati.&#8221;
Disney also included a statement from Abu Dhabi&#8217;s chairman of its Department of Culture and Tourism, Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, who said the city is a place &#8220;where we preserve our past while designing the future.&#8221;
Back in 2022, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed the state&#8217;s parental rights bill prohibiting classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through third grade.
In response, Disney came out swinging against the law.
Disney&#8217;s CEO at the time, Bob Chapek, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/03/08/1085130633/disney-response-florida-bill-dont-say-gay" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called</a> DeSantis &#8220;to express our disappointment and concern that if the legislation becomes law, it could be used to unfairly target gay, lesbian, non-binary and transgender kids and families.&#8221;
Disney&#8217;s unusual decision to publicly oppose the law kicked off a years-long fight with Florida officials.
DeSantis went after Disney&#8217;s special tax district in Florida, which had allowed Disney to govern semi-independently since 1967.
Meanwhile, Disney has come under fire from parents in recent years for inserting LGBT themes in children&#8217;s movies, such as a gay kiss in the 2022 “Lightyear” film, which flopped at the box office.

<script async src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<script async src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script>

Disney Threw A Fit Over ‘Don’t Say Gay’ In Florida. It’s Building A Park Where Being Gay Is Illegal.

USA Fencing Chairman Damien Lehfeldt appeared to throw up a middle finger in a social media post ahead of a congressional hearing where he was to be questioned on keeping men out of women&#8217;s sports.
On Instagram, Lehfeldt posted a photo of himself showing his middle finger extended with the caption, &#8220;Game day.&#8221; The post was highlighted by the Independent Council on Women’s Sports, which posted screenshots.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🚨 OUTRAGEOUS: <a href="https://twitter.com/USAFencing?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USAFencing</a> Chair Damien Lehfeldt appears to give the middle finger this morning ahead of a Congressional hearing on the mistreatment of female fencers like Stephanie Turner—who took a knee to protest facing a male opponent and has since left the sport.
Unclear if… <a href="https://t.co/n4ELk2T4ue">pic.twitter.com/n4ELk2T4ue</a>
&mdash; ICONS (@icons_women) <a href="https://twitter.com/icons_women/status/1920144020506095987?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Damien Lehfeldt, chair of the <a href="https://twitter.com/USAFencing?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USAFencing</a> Board of Directors, was subpoenaed to attend today’s <a href="https://twitter.com/DOGECommittee?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DOGECommittee</a> hearing on saving women’s sports.
🚨 Damien is openly anti-woman. 🚨
Just look at some of the awful &amp; disgusting things he’s said on social media in response to women… <a href="https://t.co/tOmHOVKvRA">pic.twitter.com/tOmHOVKvRA</a>
&mdash; Independent Women&#39;s Forum (@IWF) <a href="https://twitter.com/IWF/status/1920120237615112442?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
It is unclear whether the USA Fencing chairman&#8217;s gesture was intended to be profane, and if so, whether it was directed at female athletes who object to competing with men or Republican lawmakers on the Oversight Committee.
Lehfeldt was subpoenaed to <a href="https://oversight.house.gov/hearing/unfair-play-keeping-men-out-of-womens-sports/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">appear</a> before the House Oversight Committee&#8217;s DOGE subcommittee Wednesday afternoon.
Also testifying was Stephanie Turner, a female fencer who was disqualified from a Maryland tournament in March for taking a knee and refusing to compete against a trans-identifying male opponent. She ultimately stepped away from fencing altogether.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🤺🚨Historic Protest: Female Fencer Takes a Knee in Bout Against Male Opponent, Faces Immediate Disqualification
After receiving a black card for refusing to compete against a man, Redmond Sullivan&#39;s female opponent was expelled from the <a href="https://twitter.com/USAFencing?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USAFencing</a> event at the Univ. of… <a href="https://t.co/IloSnrb2Iu">pic.twitter.com/IloSnrb2Iu</a>
&mdash; ICONS (@icons_women) <a href="https://twitter.com/icons_women/status/1907487751664247154?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
“I want to thank God for trusting me with this mission to fight for female exclusive sports and putting me in a place to effectively protest,” Turner <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/female-fencer-speaks-out-after-shes-expelled-for-protesting-male-opponent" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> The Daily Wire at the time.
Previously, Lehfeldt has repeatedly posted in support of trans-identifying males competing in women&#8217;s fencing.
When a social media follower asked him, &#8220;Are you okay with cis females being at a disadvantage?&#8221; Lehfeldt responded simply, &#8220;Yeah.&#8221;
In an article on his blog, The Fencing Coach, Lehfeldt <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/usa-fencing-chairs-pro-trans-manifesto-surfaces-after-woman-dqed-for-refusing-to-fence-male" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> “transgender women are women” and lectured female athletes that giving trans-identifying male athletes &#8220;a sense of belonging and a will to live is more powerful than medals and competitive glory.&#8221;
The USA Fencing chairman also appears to have posted his email response to a woman who criticized allowing trans-identifying men in women&#8217;s fencing, going on a bizarre rant to the woman, named Dorothy, in which he referenced &#8220;The Wizard of Oz&#8221; and told her the only wizard who could help her is &#8220;of the grand wizard variety.&#8221;
Payton McNabb, a former high school volleyball player who was seriously injured when a trans-identifying volleyball player spiked a ball at her head, also testified during Wednesday&#8217;s hearing.
Last month, USA Fencing said it might have to change its policy to bar trans-identifying males from women&#8217;s fencing.
&#8220;In the event that USA Fencing is guided to change its current stance in accordance with oversight bodies or federal legislation, the new policy states athletes competing in USA Fencing-sanctioned tournaments must compete according to their biological sex,&#8221; the organization <a href="https://www.usafencing.org/news/2025/april/18/usa-fencing-board-prepares-for-potential-changes-from-governing-bodies-on-transgender-and-non-binary-athlete-eligibility-policy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement.
&#8220;The policy will be implemented only if and when one or more governing bodies require these updates,&#8221; USA Fencing added.

<script async src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script>
<script async src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Embattled USA Fencing Chairman Seems To Throw Up Middle Finger Online Before Women’s Sports Hearing

The papal conclave begins today, with dozens of cardinals arriving from around the globe to lock themselves away in the Sistine Chapel and cast ballots in secret for Pope Francis&#8217; successor.
Amid the excitement, conservative Catholics in the United States are reflecting on Pope Francis, trying to make sense of a complicated papacy and wondering where the Catholic Church may be headed next.
The late pope was known for his love of the poor and his humble habits, but he also attracted controversy.
&#8220;Without a doubt he was inspirational to many people,&#8221; Austin Ruse, president of the Center for Family and Human Rights told The Daily Wire.
&#8220;There&#8217;s an outpouring of love toward him upon his passing and even conservatives can rejoice that he is now in the presence of his Maker. Even conservatives can recognize that he loved the Lord deeply,&#8221; Ruse said. &#8220;Having said that, I will also say that for many people, his pontificate was confusing.&#8221;
Both Francis&#8217; official statements and offhand remarks frequently caused confusion among the faithful and sparked vehement criticism, even from his own cardinals.
&#8220;I think it was a very conflictual legacy,&#8221; Fr. Robert Sirico, founder of the conservative Acton Institute told The Daily Wire.
&#8220;I think you had almost opposites in the same person because he would affirm clearly and sometimes in very blunt language the Church&#8217;s teaching on the controversial issues, but on the other hand he was sending messages that endeared him to the most progressive elements of the Church, and it&#8217;s not clear to me what his strategy was,&#8221; Sirico said.
The litany of Francis&#8217; controversial moves is long.
In 2023, Francis <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pope-says-blessings-for-individuals-in-same-sex-relationships-cannot-resemble-marriage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that Catholic priests can give &#8220;spontaneous blessings&#8221; to same-sex couples, but cautioned that such a blessing does not sanction the union and cannot resemble a marriage ceremony. Nevertheless, media outlets and commentators <a href="https://twitter.com/JamesMartinSJ/status/1736752055362936938" target="_blank" rel="noopener">presented</a> that Vatican document as a major shift for the Catholic Church.
This came a decade after Francis famously responded, “who am I to judge?” when asked about gay clergy at a press conference shortly after he became pope in 2013.
Francis caused controversy again in 2015 when he <a href="https://wherepeteris.com/communion-for-the-divorced-and-remarried-a-defense-of-amoris-laetitia/#:~:text=In%20chapter%20eight%20of%20Amoris,in%20certain%20cases%2C%20receive%20Communion." target="_blank" rel="noopener">approved</a> guidelines saying divorced and remarried Catholics may be able to receive communion in certain cases where there are mitigating factors, <a href="https://www.catholic.com/video/what-did-pope-francis-change-about-communion-for-divorced-catholics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">such</a> as duress, that make them not culpable for the mortal sin of adultery. Afterward, some cardinals <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/2017/12/pope-francis-divorce-remarriage-communion-guidelines-letter/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called</a> on the pope to clarify his position.
Francis sparked questions in 2018 when he <a href="https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-08/pope-francis-cdf-ccc-death-penalty-revision-ladaria.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">changed</a> the Catechism of the Catholic Church to state that the death penalty is now &#8220;inadmissible.&#8221; Previously, the Church had said the death penalty was permissible in &#8220;very rare&#8221; cases if it was the only way to defend people from the aggressor.
Francis <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/vatican-clarifies-opposition-to-radical-gender-theory-says-it-threatens-a-persons-unique-dignity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">condemned</a> gender ideology in strong terms, saying sex change procedures threaten the “unique dignity” of a person. Meanwhile though, the Vatican <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/people-who-got-transgender-surgery-can-be-baptized-and-be-godparents-under-certain-conditions-vatican-clarifies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issued</a> a document in 2023 that, while it ultimately reiterated Catholic doctrine on baptism and godparents, caused confusion around same-sex couples and people who currently identify as transgender.
On abortion, Francis was not vague, <a href="https://www.ncregister.com/cna/belgium-to-rome-in-flight-papal-presser" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying</a> abortions are homicides and calling doctors who perform them &#8220;hitmen.&#8221;
Francis <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dntdUwbIaIA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gave</a> a humorously blunt answer — &#8220;no&#8221; — when 60 Minutes asked him last year whether the Church would ever allow women to become priests.
Several offhand comments, like the pope&#8217;s reference to large Catholic families having children “<a class="css-yywogo" title="" href="https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/speeches/2015/january/documents/papa-francesco_20150119_srilanka-filippine-conferenza-stampa.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">like rabbits,</a>” and telling priests to stop wearing “grandma’s lace” during Mass, ruffled feathers among more traditional Catholics.
However, Francis then stunned those who saw him as a beacon of inclusivity when he <a href="https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/what-should-pope-francis-have-said" target="_blank" rel="noopener">used</a> the Italian word frociaggine, often translated as “faggotry” twice within the span of a few weeks — with a Vatican apology in <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/pope-francis-apologises-after-homophobic-slur-vatican-2024-05-28/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">between</a> — in the context of homosexual seminarians.
&#8220;There was this old kind of homophobic Argentinian operative inside this man who wanted to reach out to transgender and gay people and all that. This is part of the whole thing that needs to be sorted out,&#8221; Sirico said.
&#8220;It&#8217;s almost what you would call in an informal way, a kind of schizophrenia,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I mean, if I was dealing with this person in my real life, I&#8217;d sit him down and say, well, what is it? Is it A or B? And nobody did that with him.&#8221;
Sirico said he was &#8220;unsatisfied&#8221; with the theological accusations against Francis, but he was concerned with the pope&#8217;s disregard for Canon law, such as ignoring the procedure for replacing bishops.
&#8220;If he wanted to change it, he could have, but he didn&#8217;t. He just violated it,&#8221; Sirico said.
He gave the example of Fr. Marko Rupnik, a Jesuit priest who was excommunicated after allegations surfaced of decades of sexual and psychological abuse from dozens of nuns, including that he had sex with nuns and then absolved them in confession. Later, Rupnik <a href="https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/is-the-tide-turning-on-the-rupnik" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ended</a> up in a diocese in his native Slovenia.
&#8220;So the excommunication had been lifted, but by whom? The only one who could have done it was the pope, but nobody owned that. This is the stuff I&#8217;m saying that I hope will come out,&#8221; Sirico said.
Some critics, such as Fr. Gerald Murray, pastor of Saint Joseph’s Church in New York City, level weightier charges against Francis.
&#8220;Pope Francis’ principal legacy will be that of a Pope who sought to change Catholic doctrine and practice regarding divorce and remarriage, by allowing Holy Communion to be given to Catholics in invalid second marriages, and regarding homosexuality, by authorizing priests to bless same-sex couples,&#8221; Murray told The Daily Wire.
Murray also said that Francis&#8217; &#8220;secret agreement with the Chinese Communist government, giving the regime a major role in the naming of Catholic bishops in China, is something unimaginable during the reigns of the two previous popes.&#8221;
The Vatican renewed that agreement last year <a href="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/259997/vatican-renews-china-bishop-appointment-deal-for-four-more-years" target="_blank" rel="noopener">despite</a> reports of China abusing it, detaining bishops and naming new bishops for new dioceses not recognized by the Vatican. The details of the agreement have not been made public.
Ruse said that another &#8220;unfortunate move&#8221; was Francis &#8220;going to great lengths to stamp out the Traditional Latin Mass, which has been extremely painful to many people in the Church.&#8221;
In 2021, Francis <a href="https://www.ewtnvatican.com/articles/vatican-publishes-new-guidelines-on-the-traditional-latin-mass-552" target="_blank" rel="noopener">imposed</a> severe restrictions on the Latin Mass, requiring priests to get permission from their local bishop if they wanted to say it. In 2023, he clarified that bishops must obtain approval from the Vatican itself if they wanted the Latin Mass in their diocese, and newly ordained priests would need special permission.
Pope Benedict XVI had <a href="https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/motu_proprio/documents/hf_ben-xvi_motu-proprio_20070707_summorum-pontificum.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">given</a> priests broad permission to say the Latin Mass in 2007.
&#8220;It speaks to divisions that we have had in the Church for quite a long time. Even before the Second Vatican Council these types of divisions existed in the Church,&#8221; Ruse said. &#8220;I think in some ways they were exacerbated in recent years.&#8221;
However, Ruse added that one of the &#8220;very good things&#8221; about Francis&#8217; papacy was that he cured the &#8220;papolatry,&#8221; or idolizing of the pope by some right-of-center Catholics.
During his papacy, Francis <a href="https://www.americamagazine.org/issue/financial-markets-first-do-no-harm#:~:text=%22It%20is%20increasingly%20intolerable%20that,food%20prices%20%22a%20scandal%20which" target="_blank" rel="noopener">criticized</a> capitalism and was known for calling on countries to care for migrants, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/10/04/920053203/pope-francis-laments-failures-of-market-capitalism-in-blueprint-for-post-covid-w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying</a> &#8220;racism is a virus.&#8221;
&#8220;I don&#8217;t think he was a Marxist,&#8221; Sirico said. &#8220;He certainly wasn&#8217;t a free market kind of guy the way [Pope John Paul II] was, but on the other hand, I think he profoundly misunderstood the United States on a very visceral level, and I think that is owing to his Argentinian background and what happened in his lifetime in Argentina.&#8221;
During Francis&#8217; youth, Argentina&#8217;s government had powerful socialist elements, and the country saw several government overthrows.
Ruse agreed: &#8220;I don&#8217;t believe that he had a real understanding of the dynamics of the Church in the United States, and I think he was relying on partisans who were advising him,&#8221; he said.
Early on in his pontificate, Francis <a href="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/27720/pope-to-youth-shake-things-up-bring-church-to-the-streets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> a group of young people from Argentina to &#8220;make a mess&#8221; in the Church.
&#8220;And he did,&#8221; Sirico said. &#8220;He&#8217;s made a mess, and I think the next Pope is going to have to do something about that &#8230; I think he&#8217;s left the church divided.&#8221;
Sirico spent a month in Rome before Pope Francis died, and was set to be in Rome during the conclave as well.
At the Vatican, there was a sense of &#8220;people staying in the foxhole, looking out very cautiously to see what was going to happen,&#8221; Sirico said of his conversations with numerous bishops, cardinals, and members of the Vatican bureaucracy around the time of the pope&#8217;s death.
The atmosphere of the Vatican during this last papacy was &#8220;very personal, at times very petty,&#8221; he said.
Sirico said he doesn&#8217;t view the search for the next pope through the lens of &#8220;liberal or conservative.&#8221;
&#8220;I think people across the spectrum are going to just want a little more clarity and calm,&#8221; he said, adding that the next pope will likely want to &#8220;let the dust settle on this pontificate.&#8221;
&#8220;This pope is going to be a hard act to follow if they want to follow in those footsteps. I don&#8217;t think there&#8217;s going to be a Francis 2.0,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I think it will be a much more traditional pontificate than that of Francis, but that&#8217;s a low bar. He&#8217;s a revolutionary in a lot of ways, stylistically, not doctrinally. At the end of the day, the Church&#8217;s doctrine remains the same.&#8221;
On that note, Ruse cautioned the faithful not to get too deeply involved in the &#8220;sturm und drang and controversies in the Church.&#8221;
&#8220;What I have done in recent years is to try to view myself as a 13th-century peasant, who may know the name of the pope, probably knows the name of his bishop, doesn&#8217;t know the names of any other bishops, says his rosary and goes to Mass,&#8221; he said.
As for the future of the Catholic Church, Ruse has a simple prayer.
&#8220;Where do we go from here? Well there&#8217;s going to be a new pope in a handful of weeks, and we&#8217;re all praying that it will be a good and holy man,&#8221; he said.

<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<script async src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script>
<script async src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>

As Conclave Begins, Conservative Catholics Try To Make Sense Of Pope Francis

President Donald Trump mounted an offensive against gender ideology as soon as he took office in January, and his administration shows no signs of letting up as it hits the 100-day mark.
Gender ideology became a hot-button issue in the years leading up to the November election. Parents across the country became outraged over transgender indoctrination by public school teachers, while female students protested being forced to let males use their bathrooms and play on their sports teams, and detransitioners raised the alarm about doctors pushing children toward puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and transgender surgeries.
During his campaign, Trump promised to take an axe to gender ideology, and he has followed through on multiple fronts.
In a day one executive <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/defending-women-from-gender-ideology-extremism-and-restoring-biological-truth-to-the-federal-government/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">order</a>, Trump officially recognized “sex” as biological, either “male” or “female.” This initial order, &#8220;Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism,&#8221; laid the groundwork for his administration&#8217;s other actions.
&#8220;Efforts to eradicate the biological reality of sex fundamentally attack women by depriving them of their dignity, safety, and well-being,&#8221; the order stated.
Child Sex Change Drugs And Surgeries
In January, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/daily-wire-celebrates-trumps-move-to-ban-child-transgender-medical-transitions">signed</a> another executive <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/protecting-children-from-chemical-and-surgical-mutilation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">order</a>, &#8220;Protecting Children From Chemical And Surgical Mutilation,&#8221; committing that the United States will not fund or support the “so-called ‘transition’ of a child from one sex to another and that it will rigorously enforce all laws that prohibit or limit these destructive and life-altering procedures.”
“This dangerous trend will be a stain on our Nation’s history, and it must end,” the order stated.
This prompted a slew of hospitals to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hospitals-across-u-s-stop-transitioning-children-after-trump-signs-order-protecting-kids" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pump</a> the brakes on transgender medicalization for children, including hospitals in New York City, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Colorado, and Virginia.
On Monday, the White House <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/04/report-to-the-president-on-protecting-children-from-surgical-and-chemical-mutilation-executive-summary/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published</a> a fact sheet that said during the first three years of the Biden administration, more than 7,000 children were put on puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones, and more than 4,000 children got transgender surgeries like double mastectomies.
The Department of Health and Human Services and the Justice Department are leading the crackdown on transgender medical interventions for children.
The Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services also warned hospitals in March to comply with Trump’s executive orders on the “dangerous chemical and surgical mutilation of children,” or transgender surgeries and hormones.
The administration also <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/04/10/nx-s1-5355126/trump-nih-trans-regret-detransition-research" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ordered</a> the National Institutes of Health to research &#8220;regret&#8221; and &#8220;detransition&#8221; among children and adults who undergo transgender &#8220;social transition and/or chemical and surgical mutilation.&#8221;
Trump&#8217;s day one order also bans federal funds from promoting gender ideology, which includes paying for medical gender transitions for prison inmates, the subject of his most effective campaign ad last year.
The campaign ad highlighted Harris’s support for taxpayer-funded transgender medical services for prisoners.
“Kamala is for they/them. President Trump is for you,” the ad <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-exposed-kamalas-radical-stances-on-gender-americans-voted-against-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
The ad aired across the nation, including during football games. Trump advisors <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-exposed-kamalas-radical-stances-on-gender-americans-voted-against-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the message reached suburban women, who were also being hammered with Democrats’ aggressive abortion ads.
Education
In his second week, Trump turned his attention to education, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-signs-order-defunding-schools-teaching-gender-ideology-crt">signing</a> an executive order titled &#8220;Ending Radical Indoctrination In K-12 Schooling&#8221; prohibiting federal funds from going to schools teaching “radical, anti-American ideologies,” including gender ideology.
Gender ideology includes the “false claim that males can identify as and thus become women and vice versa,” his day one order previously clarified.
In response, the Education Department <a href="https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-enforce-2020-title-ix-rule-protecting-women" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scrapped</a> former President Joe Biden’s reinterpretation of Title IX to include trans-identifying men as women, calling it an “unlawful abuse of regulatory power and an egregious slight to women and girls.” Title IX is the federal civil rights law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in public schools.
Trump&#8217;s order also prohibits teachers or school counselors from encouraging the &#8220;social transition&#8221; of a trans-identifying child, which includes using a new name and pronouns or allowing them to use the bathrooms and play on the sports team of the opposite sex.
The administration is investigating multiple school districts, including five in Virginia that may be violating Trump&#8217;s orders on promoting gender ideology.
The Education Department also <a href="https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-ends-bidens-book-ban-hoax" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tossed</a> out a slew of complaints about “book bans,” or school districts removing sexually explicit materials.
The department has canceled <a href="https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-cancels-divisive-and-wasteful-grants-under-comprehensive-centers-program" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hundreds</a> of <a href="https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-cancels-additional-350-million-woke-spending" target="_blank" rel="noopener">millions</a> of dollars in grants to recipients who promote gender ideology, DEI, and Critical Race Theory.
Women&#8217;s Sports
Trump signed an <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/keeping-men-out-of-womens-sports/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">order</a>, &#8220;Keeping Men Out Of Women&#8217;s Sports,&#8221; banning trans-identifying males in girls’ sports by threatening to rescind funds from schools that allow this, saying it “results in the endangerment, humiliation, and silencing of women and girls and deprives them of privacy.”
In response to Trump&#8217;s order, the NCAA <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ncaa-backs-down-changes-transgender-athlete-policy-after-trump-order" target="_blank" rel="noopener">changed</a> its policy to read that a “student-athlete assigned male at birth may not compete on a women’s team.”
The Education Department also <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2025/02/07/ed-department-investigates-sjsu-upenn-over-trans-athletes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">opened</a> investigations into several universities for allowing trans-identifying males in women’s sports, including San Jose State University and the University of Pennsylvania, where trans-identifying male swimmer Lia Thomas won races on the women&#8217;s team.
On Monday, the administration <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/04/28/us-news/trump-admin-finds-upenn-violated-title-ix-by-letting-trans-athletes-compete-in-womens-sports/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> it had found that the University of Pennsylvania violated Title IX and gave the school 10 days to resolve the sports violations or face enforcement from the Justice Department. In March, the administration froze $175 million in taxpayer funding to the school.
In February, Trump stunned a room full of governors when he told Maine’s governor to her face that her state would not get any federal funding if it continued to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/boy-wins-girls-pole-vault-championship-in-maine-days-after-state-pledged-to-defy-trump-order">buck</a> the president’s executive order on males in women’s sports.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Stunning moment Trump goes back and forth with Maine governor on women&#8217;s sports
TRUMP: &#8220;You better do it because you&#8217;re not gonna get any federal funding &#8230; your population doesn&#8217;t want men playing in women&#8217;s sports.&#8221;<a href="https://t.co/UrqDl65nLx">pic.twitter.com/UrqDl65nLx</a>
— Mairead Elordi (@JohnsonHildy) <a href="https://twitter.com/JohnsonHildy/status/1893026795491864862?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
“Your population doesn’t want men playing in women’s sports. So you better comply because otherwise you’re not getting any federal funding,” Trump told Governor Janet Mills, a Democrat.
The administration ultimately moved to strip Maine of the $358.4 million it <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-04-23/trump-stops-maines-funding-over-transgender-athletes-could-california-follow" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gets</a> in federal education funding, although that action is blocked in federal court for now. The Agriculture Department also suspended some of Maine&#8217;s federal funds for school food programs. The Education Department has also referred Maine&#8217;s education department to the Justice Department for “further enforcement action.”
The Education Department is also eyeing California, which also allows trans-identifying males in girls&#8217; high school sports.
The department opened an investigation into the California Interscholastic Federation, which governs sports at more than 1,500 high schools. The administration has threatened California&#8217;s federal funding, but has not yet moved to cut it.
California also prohibits schools from automatically notifying parents when a student announces a new gender identity, another threat to its federal funding.
Other Moves
Trump <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/ending-radical-indoctrination-in-k-12-schooling/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">prohibited</a> public schools from allowing a trans-identifying child to use the bathroom or locker room of the opposite sex.
Trump&#8217;s day-one order also protects women and girls from trans-identifying men in women’s prisons, rape shelters, and other “intimate spaces.”
Trump also issued an order <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/prioritizing-military-excellence-and-readiness/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">banning</a> trans-identifying members from the military.
“A man’s assertion that he is a woman, and his requirement that others honor this falsehood, is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member,” the order read.
Federal employees were also instructed to remove pronouns from their email signatures, and, in a surprise move, Trump targeted the Kennedy Center over “Drag Shows specifically targeting our youth.” He <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/113964959500715895" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fired</a> the center&#8217;s president and several board members, and the board voted to install Trump as president. He promised that “the best is yet to come” for the center.
Trump also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/eradicating-anti-christian-bias-trump-signs-executive-action-ending-targeting-of-christians" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed</a> an order aimed at eradicating the “anti-Christian weaponization of government,” which cites the Biden Department of Health and Human Services’ attempts to shut out Christians from the foster care system if they did not affirm gender ideology for children.
Also on his first day, Trump <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/initial-rescissions-of-harmful-executive-orders-and-actions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revoked</a> nearly 100 of Biden’s executive actions, including one preventing discrimination over “gender identity.”
His day one order also reverses a policy that allowed individuals to change the gender marker on their passports.
During his remarks to Congress, Trump highlighted some of the eye-popping waste the Department of Government Efficiency is targeting, including transgender <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/here-are-the-transgender-mice-experiments-trump-talked-about" target="_blank" rel="noopener">experiments</a> on mice.
Trump also <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/2025/03/womens-history-month-2025/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recognized</a> Women’s History Month, saying, “No longer will our Government promote radical ideologies that replace women with men &#8230;”
Federal judges have blocked many of Trump&#8217;s actions, including the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fed-judge-puts-hold-on-trumps-ban-on-child-sex-change-procedures-calls-it-horribly-dangerous" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bans</a> on child sex change procedures and trans-identifying <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-asks-scotus-to-uphold-his-ban-on-transgender-troops-in-the-military" target="_blank" rel="noopener">troops</a>, but the administration plans to continue fighting those decisions in court.

<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<script async src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script>
<script async src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>

Here’s How Trump Crippled Radical Gender Ideology In His First 100 Days

News

Catholic Church

Vogue is essentially promoting the very thing they've spent years rolling their eyes at. In an attempt to write a hit piece, they ended up highlighting conservative women as true fashion icons in the most flattering way possible.

Hour 1

The Comments Section with Reagan Conrad

Vogue’s Guide to Becoming a Hot Conservative

Vogue’s Guide to Becoming a Hot Conservative [Member Exclusive]

Dr. Jordan Peterson breaks down what the media has framed as a battle between Harvard University and the Trump administration—but it's much deeper than that. Peterson exposes the ideological decay at the heart of elite academic institutions, driven by the dogma of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and enforced through cowardice, corruption, and groupthink.

From firsthand experience at Harvard, McGill, and the University of Toronto, Peterson connects the dots between academia's collapse and its ripple effect on society. With insights into why DEI statements are eroding scientific credibility, how universities became ideological factories, and why the future of higher education may lie in alternatives like Peterson Academy, this episode is a must-watch for anyone who cares about truth, merit, and intellectual freedom.

This episode was filmed on April 30th, 2025.

The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast

Reaction to Harvard: Scam? | Dr. Jordan B. Peterson 

Dr. Jordan Peterson breaks down what the media has framed as a battle between Harvard University and the Trump administration—but it's much deeper than that. Peterson exposes the ideological decay at the heart of elite academic institutions, driven by the dogma of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and enforced through cowardice, corruption, and groupthink.

From firsthand experience at Harvard, McGill, and the University of Toronto, Peterson connects the dots between academia's collapse and its ripple effect on society. With insights into why DEI statements are eroding scientific credibility, how universities became ideological factories, and why the future of higher education may lie in alternatives like Peterson Academy, this episode is a must-watch for anyone who cares about truth, merit, and intellectual freedom.

This episode was filmed on April 30th, 2025.


Reaction to Harvard: Scam? | Dr. Jordan B. Peterson [Ad Free]

In this exclusive Sessions segment, Dr. Jordan B. Peterson expands on the ongoing conflict between President Donald Trump and Ivy League institutions, with Harvard at the forefront. He examines the mindset behind the appointment of Harvard’s former dean, Dr. Claudine Gay, critiquing her lack of qualifications and her documented history of plagiarizing prominent scholars.

This episode was filmed on April 30th, 2025.

Menu

— News —

New Pope Elected As White Smoke Rises From Sistine Chapel

Create a free account to join the conversation!