Lego has unveiled a massive new model of Barcelona&#8217;s iconic Sagrada Familia basilica, a release timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the death of its chief architect, Antoni Gaudí. 
The set contains 12,060 pieces, making it the largest Lego set ever released, according to the company.
“The new set captures the evolving story of Barcelona’s most iconic landmark, with the building steps mirroring the basilica’s actual construction sequence,” Lego <a href="https://www.lego.com/en-us/aboutus/news/2026/june/lego-architecture-sagrada-fam-lia-set-unveiled">said</a> in the statement. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Lego Architecture Sagrada Familia revealed!
12060 pieces / $799.99 / £649.99 / 1st a November 2026<a href="https://x.com/hashtag/Lego?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Lego</a> <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/Legonews?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Legonews</a> <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/Legoleaks?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Legoleaks</a> <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/architecture?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#architecture</a> <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/SagradaFam%C3%ADlia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SagradaFamília</a> <a href="https://t.co/t3HrbmSP0s">pic.twitter.com/t3HrbmSP0s</a>
— Brick Built Blogs (@BlogsBrick) <a href="https://x.com/BlogsBrick/status/2062520774313840830?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 4, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“The build begins with the foundational Apse and Crypt, moves through Gaudí’s original Nativity façade and the dramatic Passion façade, before rising into the grand naves, Western Sacristy and six iconic towers. The final stage brings the model together with the Eastern Sacristy and the Glory façade.”
The release comes as the real Sagrada Familia approaches a major milestone of its own.
Construction on the basilica began more than 140 years ago and has continued ever since. According to <a href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2026/06/04/gaudis-sagrada-familia-finally-shakes-off-its-incompletable-tag-as-pope-prepares-to-inaugurate-tallest-and-final-tower">The Art Newspape</a>r, Pope Leo XIV is expected to bless the newly completed Tower of Jesus on June 10, the centennial of Gaudí&#8217;s death.
&#8220;The inauguration marks the symbolic completion of the church, though work is expected to continue for another decade,” according to the outlet.
The Sagrada Familia is the latest religious landmark to receive the Lego treatment. In 2024, the company released a model of Notre-Dame Cathedral, one of the world&#8217;s most renowned Catholic landmarks, during the reconstruction of the famous Paris church. The move signaled a willingness to create sets based on prominent religious sites.
The new set was designed by Rok Žgalin Kobe, who has also worked on Lego versions of the Eiffel Tower, the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Trevi Fountain, and other architectural icons. 

The Sagrada Familia Lego set is available for preorder for $799.99 and is scheduled for release on November 1.
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Barcelona, Sagrada Familia

A Catholic Work Of Architecture Is Set To Become Largest Lego Set Ever

Catholic

Catholic Church

Catholicism

Catholics

Lego

Notre Dame

Notre Dame Cathedral

Spain

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WASHINGTON—During a January meeting at the Pentagon, Vatican officials met with U.S. military leaders and discussed key national security objectives for the United States, according to a War Department official who was in the room.
Months later, the Free Press published an &#8220;expose&#8221; describing a reportedly contentious January meeting between a Vatican diplomat and Pentagon principal, as rumors of a rift between Washington and Rome have swirled.
But the Vatican, the Pentagon, and the American Ambassador to the Holy See all say the meeting was cordial and respectful. The parties involved have all made a public show of being friendly. And the contentious topic at the heart of the fracas — Pope Leo XIV&#8217;s criticism of military strikes in Iran — seems not to have come up at all.
So, what really happened?
The principals at the meeting were Undersecretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby and Cardinal Christophe Pierre, then the Vatican&#8217;s Apostolic Nuncio — functionally ambassador — to the United States. Both Colby and Pierre had staffers with them, The Daily Wire has learned.
American officials conveyed the administration&#8217;s position and intentions on Venezuela, Cuba, and other countries, and listened to the Vatican&#8217;s views on these topics.
&#8220;It was an attempt to engage seriously and respectfully with the Holy See&#8217;s position on matters relevant to the Department of War,&#8221; a War Department official who in the room for the January 22 meeting told The Daily Wire.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby <a href="https://twitter.com/USWPColby?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USWPColby</a> had a substantive, respectful, and professional meeting with Cardinal Pierre, the then-Papal Nuncio, and his team on January 22, 2026. During the cordial meeting, they discussed a range of topics, including issues of… <a href="https://t.co/McI0sB2wKC">pic.twitter.com/McI0sB2wKC</a>
— DOW Rapid Response (@DOWResponse) <a href="https://twitter.com/DOWResponse/status/2042300020494418303?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 9, 2026</a></blockquote>
“We naturally, at the Department of War, in the Policy office, wanted to have a respectful discussion with the Vatican,&#8221; the official said. &#8220;Part of the role of Policy, in the Department of War, is to have dialogue between other nations on military matters.”
This is a stark contrast to The Free Press&#8217;s April 6 <a href="https://www.thefp.com/p/why-the-vatican-and-the-white-house">report</a> that the Pentagon had summoned Pierre to the meeting, during which Colby and others chastised the cardinal and insisted that the United States &#8220;has the military power to do whatever it wants — and that the Church had better take its side.&#8221; Citing unnamed sources, the story also notes that Colby invoked the Avignon Papacy, a period in the 14th century in which the Holy See moved from Rome to France, where a series of popes were largely bent to the will of the French monarchy.
Mattia Ferraresi, the freelance contributor who authored The Free Press piece, suggested the Avignon Papacy reference was a veiled threat that the United States was willing to use its military power to &#8220;dominate the papal authority.&#8221;
Ferraresi, who told The Daily Wire on Friday he stands by his reporting, also casts Colby as belonging to &#8220;a cadre of Catholic and ostensibly dovish officials&#8221; allied with Vice President JD Vance &#8220;struggling to reconcile their isolationist instincts with the aggressive posture of a president who, within a single year, has bombed eight countries — with no sign of stopping.&#8221;
The Avignon Papacy storyline was amplified by Democrat operative Christopher Hale, who <a href="https://x.com/ChristopherHale/status/2041959904823366074?s=20">suggested in now viral tweets</a> that &#8220;many in the Vatican saw the Pentagon’s reference to an Avignon papacy as a threat to use military force against the Holy See.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/inside-the-infamous-meeting-between-the-vatican-and-the-pentagon/under-secretary-of-defense-for-policy-elbridge-colby-testifies-on-national-defense-strategy-during-senate-hearing" rel="attachment wp-att-1075509"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1075509 size-large aligncenter" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2264581833-851x576.jpg" alt="" width="851" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2264581833-851x576.jpg 851w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2264581833-300x203.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2264581833-768x520.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2264581833.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 851px) 100vw, 851px" /></a>
In a statement, the Pentagon says Ferraresi&#8217;s characterization of the meeting was &#8220;highly exaggerated and distorted.&#8221;
&#8220;It is not unusual for Mr. Colby to have meetings with ambassadors,&#8221; that official noted, referencing the suggestion that the meeting was unprecedented. &#8220;He has often, at least one or two meetings with ambassadors from other nations a week. It&#8217;s certainly not unusual that we meet with ambassadors on these matters.&#8221;
&#8220;We invited them because we were interested in hearing the Vatican&#8217;s views,&#8221; the official explained, &#8220;and we wanted to convey the administration&#8217;s position, and intentions.&#8221;
&#8220;We talked about key American security objectives. Venezuela had just happened. We talked about that. We talked about this administration&#8217;s approach towards Europe, and NATO, Latin America. Also Cuba, Venezuela; the Vatican&#8217;s obviously very active in both those nations.&#8221;
Brian Burch, the United States Ambassador to the Holy See, spoke with Pierre on Thursday and shared their conversation in a public statement, saying that Pierre told him there was &#8220;no threat of Avignon&#8221; and that a &#8220;frank and cordial meeting that took place two months ago.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
It could be said the US-Holy See relationship is much bigger than mere diplomatic relations. It is rooted in a civilizational idea that the Catholic Church helped advance, which the U.S. proudly inherited, and carries forth today. <a href="https://t.co/V7rfCU1jIY">https://t.co/V7rfCU1jIY</a>
— Ambassador Brian Burch (@BrianBurchUSA) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrianBurchUSA/status/2042649298265911391?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2026</a></blockquote>
&#8220;As expected, he confirmed that recent media characterizations of his meeting with Undersecretary Colby are &#8216;fabrications&#8217; that were &#8216;just invented,'&#8221; Burch said. &#8220;Given the intelligence and seriousness of Mr. Colby, I was likewise not surprised when His Eminence acknowledged there were no threats of any kind in the meeting.&#8221;
The cardinal and Burch have spoken regularly since Burch was nominated to become ambassador to the Holy See, Burch noted.
&#8220;When we disagree, we have done so with sincerity and respect,&#8221; he added. &#8220;I believe the same could be said of his January meeting with Undersecretary Colby. It’s regrettable that some journalists and online agitators chose to exploit a routine meeting to sow division between the Holy See and the United States.&#8221;
The Pentagon also characterized the meeting as &#8220;cordial,&#8221; &#8220;substantive, respectful, and professional&#8221; in a statement released Thursday — and called The Free Press report &#8220;grossly false and distorted.&#8221; 
&#8220;They discussed a range of topics, including issues of morality in foreign policy, the logic of the U.S. National Security Strategy, Europe, Africa, Latin America, and other topics,&#8221; the Pentagon statement said. &#8220;Cardinal Pierre expressed his appreciation for the outreach and both sides looked forward to continued open and respectful dialogue.&#8221;
And Vice President Vance, asked about the matter on Wednesday, told the press that he had not yet seen the reporting on the meeting: “I’d like to actually talk to Cardinal Christophe Pierre, and frankly, to our people, to figure out what actually happened.&#8221;
Pope Leo has repeatedly weighed in on the conflict in Iran, expressing hopes that the United States and Iran can come to an agreement &#8220;in a peaceful way&#8221; and condemning President Donald Trump for warning that a &#8220;whole civilization&#8221; would be wiped out if Iran did not agree to a peace plan.
But despite that criticism, both the White House and Vatican insist the parties have a positive relationship.
&#8220;Catholic Americans resoundingly supported President Trump in 2024, and the president’s administration has a positive relationship with the Vatican, which was strengthened when Vice President Vance attended the Pope Leo XIV’s inaugural mass last year,&#8221; White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said. &#8220;The President has done more than any of his predecessors to save lives and resolve global conflicts, and following the completion of his military objectives in Iran, he is hopeful that the agreement under discussion can lead to a lasting peace in the Middle East.”
&#8220;We have nothing but the highest regard and welcome continued dialogue with the Holy See,&#8221; the Pentagon added.
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni also denied the reporting, <a href="https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2026/04/vatican-denies-media-spin-of-envoy-meeting-at-the-pentagon">saying Friday</a> that, “As confirmed by His Eminence Christophe Pierre … his meeting with Mr. Elbridge Andrew Colby was part of the papal representative’s regular mission and provided the opportunity for an exchange of views on matters of mutual interest.&#8221;
&#8220;The narrative offered by some media outlets about this meeting is completely untrue,&#8221; Bruni added.

VATICAN-RELIGION-POPE-CONCLAVE

Inside The Infamous Meeting Between The Vatican And The Pentagon

Pentagon

The Vatican

This article is part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/introducing-upstream-a-lifestyle-and-culture-section-of-the-daily-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Upstream,</a> The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.
***
For most Christians who observe Lent, the 40-day period before Easter is a time of prayer and fasting, often from an indulgence such as sugar, alcohol, or time on social media. But for some young men, a month and a half of abstention from creature comforts is not enough. Catholic men across the country are spending three months taking cold showers, praying for an hour each day, and giving up sugar, alcohol, and excess screen time all at once.
Aidan Kunath, a 30-year-old dad from Cincinnati, has been doing the Exodus 90 challenge with a group of guys for four years now. He heard about it from a friend and decided to try it out with other men from the International Order of Alhambra, a Catholic fraternal group of which he is a member. This year, 14 men are doing the challenge with him, several of whom have done it all four years as well. The point of the program, Aidan told The Daily Wire, is “trying to live a life intentionally that opens you up to a better relationship with God.”
Jamie Baxter founded Exodus 90 in 2015 after a <a href="https://www.yescatholic.com/stories/jamiebaxter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">literal mountaintop</a> experience in college. His parents converted to Catholicism when he was a child, and his father inspired Baxter at the end of a grueling hike to pursue the faith in a powerful way. He <a href="https://exodus90.com/why-we-exist/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">founded</a> Exodus 90 so men can “become who they are, more like who they have been created to be by their Heavenly Father.”
Men across America are looking for direction. When Netflix documentaries and countless op-eds are decrying the toxic “manosphere,” yet the broader culture seems to want to dismiss men or turn them into women, Exodus 90 may be more relevant than ever.
So what is it, exactly? The program consists of 90 days of prayer, fellowship, and asceticism — a time of giving up easy, comfortable things to leave more space to focus on faith.
“It is normal for men to be distracted, addicted, and enslaved by so many things today,” the program’s website <a href="https://exodus90.com/why-we-exist/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">says</a> in a mission statement. “Alcohol. Pornography. Social media. Sports. Gambling. Work. Comparison. Achievement. Wealth. Legacy. It is so normal, in fact, that society’s stereotypes of men are often associated with the very idols that plague them. What is uncommon in our time is men who are free.”
Jamie’s brother, Doyle Baxter, head of product at Exodus 90, credits the program with bringing him out of substance abuse and back to faith. What he initially saw as a “creative, entrepreneurial endeavor” became a transformative experience for him in 2017.
“My own Exodus experience is very much one of coming to the program seeking its freedom from the pharaohs who lorded over me and ultimately finding it,” he told The Daily Wire.
The Exodus 90 site <a href="https://exodus90.com/why-we-exist/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claims</a> that as many as 250,000 men in 80 countries have gone through the program. Doyle says that although almost 90% of the participants are Catholic, participants come from various backgrounds. One of his favorite groups that he has been in included two Catholics, two protestants, two atheists, and two agnostics. “It remains probably the most powerful fraternal experience I’ve had,” he says. “Everybody was approaching that with their own different and unique perspectives.”
Participants pay for an app, which has two tiers, with the basic tier offering scripture readings and reflections, guidance through Exodus 90 and other seasonal challenges, and spiritual guides and resources. The website offers student discounts, a contact for those who cannot afford the $90/year basic fee, and an offer of your money back “if you do not experience greater freedom.”
To achieve that freedom, the men will give up a lot, including “snacking between meals,” “unnecessary purchases,” and eating meat on Wednesdays and Fridays.
“The one that gets a big headline for a lot of people is cold showers,” Aidan says. “You start in January, and we’re in Cincinnati, so the water’s pretty cold. That’s the one that can really drag on you. The big thing I emphasize with my guys, though, is the disciplines are only there to build this relationship with God. They’re closing things to open up the door to your relationship with God.”
There can be exceptions to the rules, though. “You’re going to run into situations where you’re gonna have to break them not to be socially weird,” Aidan says. “If you go out with your wife to celebrate something, don’t just make her get a dessert and stare at her judgmentally.” Aidan says otherwise slipping up on the restrictions is not a big deal, but the most important thing is to get that full hour of prayer.
Strict or not, these rules are not about self-help.
“One of the things that is so important to understand about Exodus is that from the outside, it’s really easy to have a straw-man perspective of what we’re up to,” Doyle says. “Especially in the men’s space today, there can be this perception that you are just doing hard things because they’re hard. We try to go much deeper than what might be apparent on the surface. We don’t talk about discipline as much as we talk about asceticism. We’re talking about taking up practices that are not primarily about becoming a more disciplined person; they’re about being a more Christlike person.”
Importantly, this challenge isn’t meant to be done alone. The program encourages daily check-ins with one partner in the group and weekly meetings with the whole cohort (the official site recommends six to eight people).
“I think that’s a big thing that’s missing from Catholic men and fraternity, the idea of men in community,” Aidan says. “I don’t think there are a lot of opportunities where we can actually talk to each other in that serious way.”
He says the men in his group don’t just talk about the challenge, but about their marriages, their prayer lives, and other personal subjects. And there are fight club rules: “One big dynamic of the group is whatever is shared within the group, you can’t talk about outside of the group,” Aidan says. “I think having that opens up a lot of guys.”
Getting through the time-consuming, intensive program is no small feat, which is why, at the end of Lent every year, Aidan and his group start celebrating at midnight on Easter morning. After Easter Vigil at their local parish, they throw a party at Aidan’s brother’s house, complete with cereal, sweets, and beer. Aidan’s treat of choice is Cap&#8217;N Crunch Crunch Berries.
Already looking forward to next year, Aidan says his group is unique in the number of men who have done the program year after year. He says a lot of guys see Exodus 90 like basic training: a tough exercise that you complete just once. “But based on my experience with previous Exoduses — and I think the human experience, right? — it’s very easy if you’re not guarded to lose that prayer practice pretty quickly,” he says. “Exodus, at least for us, refreshes it.”

Man praying in dark church

Why Thousands Of Men Gave Up Everything Before Easter

Christian

Easter

Upstream

America is developing an appetite for killing its elderly. A recent <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/03/23/about-6-in-10-americans-dont-have-moral-objections-to-medical-aid-in-dying/">Pew Research poll</a> suggests that comfort is growing: 63 percent of Americans now say physician-assisted death is either morally acceptable or simply not a moral issue at all. Only 35 percent call it morally wrong. The conscience is not yet gone. But it is losing ground fast.
Perhaps most jarring is the dramatic erosion of beliefs of self-ascribed Catholics. The Pew data shows majority support among my cohort: fifty-nine percent see no moral problem with physician-assisted death, even though <a href="https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20200714_samaritanus-bonus_en.html#The_prohibition">Church teaching</a> explicitly prohibits it. That number should trouble any Catholic paying attention. But the same poll does contain a stubborn holdout. Among Americans for whom religion is very important, nearly six in ten still call physician-assisted death morally wrong. These are not fringe positions. However, they are being told their position is extreme. It is not extreme. It is the last line of a civilizational argument that, if lost, will not easily be recovered.
Those who support euthanizing the elderly have a habit of arguing from what columnist Louise Perry <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/22/opinion/assisted-suicide-economics.html">called</a> a &#8220;motte-and-bailey&#8221; position: from the easily defended high ground, they describe a terminally person in pain, surrounded by loved ones, seeking a peaceful end. But the bailey is something else. Canada is set to hit 100,000 deaths under its Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) Program by this summer, <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/03/07/world-news/canada-set-to-pass-100000-assisted-suicide-deaths-before-programs-10th-anniversary-societal-failing/">more than twice</a> the number of Canadians who died in World War II. Among those deaths were people whose <a href="https://www.spiked-online.com/2026/02/22/canadas-suicide-service-is-coming-to-britain/">only diagnosis</a> was depression or poverty. This is not a slippery slope argument but a description of where the slope already leads.
Now the selling begins in earnest.
The financial argument comes first: dying in America is ruinously expensive. Nursing home care runs $8,000 to $12,000 a month. Funeral costs average over $10,000. The Washington Post recently <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/interactive/2026/death-retirement-expenses-funeral-taxes/?itid=hp_opinions_p001_f023">walked through</a> the full cost of a late American life: retirement drawdown, long-term care, estate taxes, and burial. Retirement savings intended for forty years vanish in eighteen months of assisted living. The implied solution being marketed is not better coverage or more humane care. It is a shorter timeline.
Then comes the emotional argument: the agony of watching a parent decline, the exhaustion of caregiving, the loneliness of the elderly. These, too, are real. Across the country, aging parents like mine repeat the same lines with increasing frequency: that they hope to go without too much pain; that they don&#8217;t want to be a burden; that they&#8217;ve seen what caregiving did to a sibling, a neighbor, a close friend. Their grown children absorb this, often from a distance, while managing the reality of parents facing serious mental and physical decline. The exhaustion is genuine. So is the love. But the two together, in a culture that has quietly made peace with the early exit, add up to something worth fighting.
The pandemic made the underlying failure plain. Nursing home residents died alone, without a hand to hold, and the country was horrified. The right response was obvious: no one should die without someone present. Instead, the lesson drawn in too many quarters was that a faster, tidier death might spare everyone the ordeal. The answer to abandonment turned out to be more of it.
A recent <a href="https://www.cnn.com/audio/podcasts/all-there-is-with-anderson-cooper/episodes/ba400e12-13e8-11f1-b53a-e37ce62a27dc">episode</a> of Anderson Cooper&#8217;s CNN podcast featured California Governor Gavin Newsom describing his mother&#8217;s death by doctor-assisted suicide, which was illegal in California at the time. His dying mother had left him a voicemail because he hadn&#8217;t been returning her calls. This was a failure to show up. The interview treated it as a prelude to something beautiful.
Newsom called the doctor who administered the lethal cocktail &#8220;an angel&#8221; who &#8220;risked everything.&#8221; He called being at her death &#8220;a gift.&#8221; A sitting governor celebrating an illegal assisted suicide on national radio is not sharing a private grief. He is making an intimate and tearful case that does more to shift public opinion than any policy paper ever could. He is also, not coincidentally, a likely future presidential candidate cultivating a national profile. The cause has found its spokesman. The pitch never changes: voluntary, patient-directed, a matter of personal choice. 
Twelve states currently allow for physician-assisted suicide, with Illinois Governor JB Pritzker <a href="https://gov-pritzker-newsroom.prezly.com/governor-pritzker-signs-bill-expanding-end-of-life-options-for-terminally-ill-patients">signing</a> his state&#8217;s law last December. New York followed in February. The Pew poll shows why the momentum is building: 76 percent of Democrats see no moral problem with the practice. Among self-described liberals, that number hits 87 percent. The progressive left has made up its mind.
But a choice made under financial ruin, family exhaustion, or the enforced isolation of institutional care is not really a choice. It is resignation with a medical co-signature.
There is dignity in dying on God&#8217;s schedule, not on an insurance company&#8217;s or a hospital&#8217;s budget projections, or the schedule of a son too busy to return his mother&#8217;s calls. The lesson is not that she was right to spare him a natural death. It is that he should have picked up the phone.
***
Andrea Picciotti-Bayer is director of the Conscience Project and recipient of the Religious Freedom Institute’s 2025 Religious Freedom Impact Award.

Hemlock Society Holds Annual Convention in San Diego

Even Religious-minded Americans Are Willing To Accept Assisted Suicide

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Pope Leo XIV expressed “profound sorrow” this week after a Maronite Catholic priest was killed in southern Lebanon during an Israeli strike, as fighting between Israel and Hezbollah continues to escalate along the border.
The priest, Fr. Pierre al-Rahi, was killed March 9 in the village of Qlayaa near the Israeli border after rushing to help parishioners wounded in an earlier attack, <a href="https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-03/pope-leo-xiv-mourns-victims-father-elrahi-middle-east-war.html">according to Catholic officials</a>.
In a statement released by the Holy See Press Office, the pontiff said he was grieving the victims of recent violence across the region.
“Pope Leo XIV expresses his profound sorrow for all the victims of the bombings in the Middle East these past few days, for the many innocent people, including numerous children, and for those who were helping them, such as Father Pierre El-Rahi, a Maronite priest killed this afternoon in Qlayaa,” the Vatican said. The statement added that the pope is “following the events with concern and prays for a swift end to all hostilities.”
Al-Rahi, a parish priest serving the Maronite Catholic community in the Marjayoun district of southern Lebanon, was reportedly assisting wounded villagers when the fatal strike occurred.
According to accounts from Catholic sources in the region, an Israeli tank shell first struck a house in the village, injuring residents. Al-Rahi and several neighbors rushed to help those wounded in the attack when the location was struck again.
The priest was seriously wounded and later died in a nearby hospital.
L&#8217;Œuvre d&#8217;Orient, a French Catholic organization for Eastern Christians, confirmed the priest’s death and condemned the violence in a <a href="https://x.com/OeuvredOrient/status/2031050689896739153">statement</a>. The international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need said al-Rahi had been ministering to distressed parishioners when the strike occurred. “Very disturbing reports that a parish priest in southern Lebanon has been killed in an Israeli strike,” the organization said in a <a href="https://x.com/ireland_acn/status/2031040965520036098">statement</a>, asking the faithful to pray for the slain priest and for peace in the region.
Al-Rahi, who was 50 years old, had reportedly refused earlier calls to evacuate the village despite the growing conflict in southern Lebanon. “We are forced to stay despite the danger, when we defend our land, and we do so peacefully,” the priest said in an <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DVq6tf0DN19/">interview</a> just one day before his death. “None of us carries weapons. All of us carry peace and goodness and love.”
The killing comes as Israel has intensified its military campaign against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, southern Beirut, and the Bekaa Valley in an effort to dismantle the Iran-backed militant group’s military infrastructure.
Hezbollah fighters have frequently operated from populated areas, including villages in southern Lebanon, leading to increasing danger for civilians caught in the crossfire. The violence has tragically fueled a growing humanitarian crisis. Tens of thousands of civilians have fled their homes in southern Lebanon, joining hundreds of thousands of displaced people seeking shelter elsewhere in the country.
Al-Rahi was widely regarded as a respected figure among local Christians for his dedication to the people of his parish and his decision to remain with them during the fighting. The pope’s statement concluded with a prayer for peace, reiterating the Vatican’s call for an end to the violence that has devastated communities across the Middle East in recent days.

LEBANON-KFAR KILA-ISRAEL-BORDER-TENSION

Maronite Catholic Priest Confirmed Killed In Southern Lebanon

Global Politics

Iran

Israel

Lebanon

Pope Leo

World

As the University of Notre Dame faces concerns of false advertising, it may be time for Catholic students and tuition-paying parents to ask themselves if they can get a discount on the <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://financialaid.nd.edu/costs-and-affordability/*:*:text=Table_title:*20Average*20Cost*20of*20Attendance*20for*202025*2D2026,Item:*20Personal*20Expenses*20*7C*20Cost:*20$1*2C200*20*7C__;I34lJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUl!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!xeeyTqD64ZFzG_RrEs6Yd0Qaau2zcy6SUEERwZ4F45ZWTmEYrJm7W1nCOGIuVsLO4nor7TKURdD2VfAPiiLS$">$90,000</a> per year price tag. While the school&#8217;s website <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.nd.edu/faith/__;!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!xeeyTqD64ZFzG_RrEs6Yd0Qaau2zcy6SUEERwZ4F45ZWTmEYrJm7W1nCOGIuVsLO4nor7TKURdD2VTuaGZjq$">reads,</a> “Notre Dame’s Catholic character informs all it does,” the recent promotion of a pro-abortion professor leaves that statement in doubt.
It’s hard to see how that Catholic character led the school to appoint an outspoken abortion activist to a leadership role. Either the Holy Father, church tradition, and the Bible are all mistaken, and the Catholic faith can in fact coexist with abortion, or Notre Dame is seriously misinformed as to what being Catholic actually means.
Susan Ostermann, the abortion proponent in question, was employed at the university for almost nine years as a professor before the school announced her appointment as the new director of the Keough School of Global Affairs’ Liu Institute of Asia and Asian Studies.
During her tenure, Ostermann used her platform to author and coauthor multiple articles on abortion.
“Forced pregnancy and childbirth is violence,” wrote Ostermann for <a href="https://www.salon.com/2022/05/04/forced-pregnancy-and-childbirth-are-violence-against-women-and-also-terrible-health-policy/">Salon.com</a>. “It is sexual abuse. It is trauma.”
“When the state supports forced pregnancy and childbirth, it is complicit in this violence,” she continues.
Attempts to outlaw abortion “have their roots in white supremacy and racism,” Ostermann explains in <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https*3A*2F*2Fwww.salon.com*2F2022*2F07*2F19*2Fabortion-and-guns-how-supremacy-unites-the-right*2F&amp;data=05*7C02*7Ckhamrick*40studentsforlife.org*7C0cf1d02750f443d94e9c08de629fea78*7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a*7C0*7C0*7C639056636131764390*7CUnknown*7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ*3D*3D*7C0*7C*7C*7C&amp;sdata=TXL*2BrMPjzahb5dpgLcERcEvPkBHoMtHjKg4bomIhPNY*3D&amp;reserved=0__;JSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSU!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!xeeyTqD64ZFzG_RrEs6Yd0Qaau2zcy6SUEERwZ4F45ZWTmEYrJm7W1nCOGIuVsLO4nor7TKURdD2VSkEFO79$">another article</a> titled, “Abortion, racism, and guns: How white supremacy unites the right.”
Of course, almost all of the claims in Ostermann’s articles are false. It was the early pro-abortion movement, not the pro-life movement, that stemmed from racism and promoted eugenics. Nor, as Ostermann implies in her other article, are a large portion of pregnancies (or abortions) the result of rape.
But even setting aside the accuracy of Ostermann’s claims, her articles highlight a much deeper issue: a lack of belief in the sanctity of life. It’s impossible to believe that life is sacred while also believing that protecting preborn lives is “violence.”
Most would have expected better of Notre Dame. Recently, the top-ranked school did get a “B” in <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.instituteforprolifeadvancement.org/christian-schools-tied-to-big-abortion-2025-research-results/__;!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!xeeyTqD64ZFzG_RrEs6Yd0Qaau2zcy6SUEERwZ4F45ZWTmEYrJm7W1nCOGIuVsLO4nor7TKURdD2VbVu2X9l$">Students for Life’s Christian Schools</a> report that looked at 725 Christian colleges and universities claiming to be faith-based (excluding denominations that support abortion).
We found that fully 114 self-proclaimed Christian colleges have ties to abortion. That’s 114 schools directly violating the faith they proclaim. In Notre Dame’s case, their Gender Studies Program (and that’s a red flag) held an event “<a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://genderstudies.nd.edu/events-and-news/events/2023/03/20/trans-care-abortion-care-intersections-and-questions/__;!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!xeeyTqD64ZFzG_RrEs6Yd0Qaau2zcy6SUEERwZ4F45ZWTmEYrJm7W1nCOGIuVsLO4nor7TKURdD2Vcm379w-$">Trans Care &amp; Abortion Care”</a> featuring outspoken abortion advocates. That makes two major strikes against the school, apparently masquerading as a mentor of future Catholic leaders.
The most fundamental Christian principle is the sanctity of life. God created humans in his image, bestowing upon them inherent worth and value starting at the point of conception. Through that creation, humans derive, or are “endowed by their Creator with,” certain rights — including, for example, the right to life.
Abortion directly contradicts that principle, painting life as something meaningless to be destroyed at the convenience of another. In fact, <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://catholicvote.org/pope-tells-political-conference-attendees-greatest-destroyer-peace-abortion/__;!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!xeeyTqD64ZFzG_RrEs6Yd0Qaau2zcy6SUEERwZ4F45ZWTmEYrJm7W1nCOGIuVsLO4nor7TKURdD2VWoA4mIk$">Pope Leo XIV paid tribute to Mother Teresa</a> recently by noting that “the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion.”
By appointing Ostermann, Notre Dame has established — in its leadership, no less — someone who stands against everything it proclaims to believe.
In one of Ostermann’s articles, she writes, “When we stand by… we are complicit as well.” She was referring to states “forcing unwanted pregnancies” by restricting abortion. Ironically, her words ring true for Christians. If we stand silent while “Christian” institutions betray the Savior they confess by supporting the murder of infants in the name of compassion and love, then we are complicit.
What must happen instead?
For students, parents, and donors, the path forward is clear: Pressure Christian schools to either cut ties to abortion or stop falsely claiming Christ.
For other Christians, speaking out can take different forms — volunteering at a pro-life pregnancy center, supporting a pregnant community member and enabling her to choose life, or even taking to a public platform to proclaim the truth that abortion is murder.
For a self-proclaimed Catholic university — one that describes its actions as motivated by its faith — to appoint such a person to a leadership role exposes, at best, a lack of wisdom and, at worst, complete and utter moral decay.
This is a good time to pray a Hail Mary, to pray for us sinners, and those leading the schools where we send the next generation of leaders, that they be taught to uphold the faith and not to ignore it.
* * *
Kristan Hawkins is president of Students for Life of America and Students for Life Action, with more than 1,600 groups on middle and high school, college and university, medical and law school campuses in all 50 states. Follow her <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https*3A*2F*2Ftwitter.com*2Fkristanhawkins*3Flang*3Den&amp;data=05*7C02*7Ckhamrick*40studentsforlife.org*7C27bf81b427ed4d25627b08de543f97de*7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a*7C0*7C0*7C639040829270781521*7CUnknown*7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ*3D*3D*7C0*7C*7C*7C&amp;sdata=C7ZzuOMy7XZf3hb*2BILic3mUgaqZuQh6MDnb0058Hz9Q*3D&amp;reserved=0__;JSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUl!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!xeeyTqD64ZFzG_RrEs6Yd0Qaau2zcy6SUEERwZ4F45ZWTmEYrJm7W1nCOGIuVsLO4nor7TKURdD2VYCUQYHT$">@KristanHawkins</a> or subscribe to her podcast, <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https*3A*2F*2Fkristanhawkins.com*2Fpodcast*2F&amp;data=05*7C02*7Ckhamrick*40studentsforlife.org*7C27bf81b427ed4d25627b08de543f97de*7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a*7C0*7C0*7C639040829270800277*7CUnknown*7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ*3D*3D*7C0*7C*7C*7C&amp;sdata=b*2FEcs9UMK8btQOVIQRZOYfijz83AGjLJGPSCY9iS12M*3D&amp;reserved=0__;JSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSU!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!xeeyTqD64ZFzG_RrEs6Yd0Qaau2zcy6SUEERwZ4F45ZWTmEYrJm7W1nCOGIuVsLO4nor7TKURdD2VZIKwc82$">The Kristan Hawkins Show.</a>
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Notre Dame in Winter

Notre Dame Touts Faith But Elevates Abortion Advocate

Abortion

American Universities

catholic university

Leftists

Notre Dame University

Pro-Abortion

Pro-Life Movement

Professors

The Daily Wire&#8217;s newest host Matt Fradd is launching the &#8220;new era&#8221; of his show &#8220;Pints With Aquinas&#8221; on The Daily Wire on Monday.
&#8220;I am so excited about this new era of Pints With Aquinas with The Daily Wire, and I&#8217;m especially excited about how many more people it&#8217;s going to reach,&#8221; Fradd told his audience.
&#8220;I can&#8217;t wait to show you guys the list of guests we have coming up,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I can&#8217;t wait to show you the brand new studio we built, it&#8217;s really lovely. It&#8217;s going to be as good as it&#8217;s ever been. Better, I hope.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/hosts/matt-fradd?utm_campaign=fradd&amp;utm_medium=paid&amp;utm_source=googlesearch&amp;utm_content=na_traffic&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=23434102972&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQiA1JLLBhCDARIsAAVfy7hmqY536cRTLi3tQO60J1ihDWAogt6HUkPniSGlvKg10jSfdwSIaRQaApblEALw_wcB">WATCH MATT FRADD&#8217;S PINTS WITH AQUINAS</a>
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<p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTabMAbjWhz/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Matt Fradd (@mattfradd)</a>
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The first episode of Fradd&#8217;s long-form interview show features Dr. Brant Pitre for a conversation about the historical evidence that supports the Bible.
Fradd invited his followers to share the episode with &#8220;everybody who is not yet convinced of the reliability of the Bible and the divinity of the Lord Jesus,&#8221; and predicted it &#8220;will be life-changing for many.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/big-news-pints-with-aquinas-is-joining-the-daily-wire-in-2026?elementPosition=0&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Articles+by+Matt+Fradd&amp;rowType=Square+Carousel">MATT FRADD: WHY WE&#8217;RE JOINING THE DAILY WIRE IN 2026</a>
Fradd&#8217;s show has been running since 2016 and his catalogue features more than 500 episodes, many of which are now available on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/hosts/matt-fradd?utm_campaign=fradd&amp;utm_medium=paid&amp;utm_source=googlesearch&amp;utm_content=na_traffic&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=23434102972&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQiA1JLLBhCDARIsAAVfy7hmqY536cRTLi3tQO60J1ihDWAogt6HUkPniSGlvKg10jSfdwSIaRQaApblEALw_wcB">The Daily Wire</a>. Among the episodes available are a conversation with filmmaker Nick Stumphauzer on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/pwa-251205?elementPosition=3&amp;row=0&amp;rowHeadline=Recent+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel">fighting porn addiction</a>, an exploration of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/pwa-ep-550?elementPosition=9&amp;row=0&amp;rowHeadline=Recent+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel">why Muslims are finding Christianity</a>, and a sit-down with prominent Catholic priest Fr. Mike Schmitz that touches on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/pwa-ep-549?elementPosition=10&amp;row=0&amp;rowHeadline=Recent+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel">rising interest in Catholicism among young people today</a>.
Fradd announced on Monday that his show will now feature two episodes a week on Daily Wire.
&#8220;Our mission stays the same, to preach Christ and invite people into the one, holy, Catholic and apostolic Church.&#8221;

MF – PWA – 16×9 V3

‘Today Is The Day’: Meet Matt Fradd, Daily Wire’s Newest Host

Christianity

Daily Wire

DailyWire+

Faith

Matt Fradd

Ireland has long been divided along religious lines — Protestant Northern Ireland and the Catholic Republic of Ireland, both of which hold that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior, have often been at odds — but the nation&#8217;s new president, Catherine Connolly, omitted Jesus entirely from her Christmas message.
Connolly&#8217;s message, posted via X, was broadly mocked for its focus on things that had nothing to do with the Christmas season, much less the Christ whose birth is being celebrated. Instead, Connolly spoke of climate change, voiced support for a Palestinian state, and praised &#8220;diversity.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
In this, my first Christmas message as President of Ireland I would like to wish each of you, here in Ireland and abroad, a very happy and joyful Christmas and a peaceful New Year. <a href="https://t.co/V1Tbt6fIyH">pic.twitter.com/V1Tbt6fIyH</a>
— Catherine Connolly (@catherinegalway) <a href="https://twitter.com/catherinegalway/status/2003050645335707692?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;In this, my first Christmas message as President of Ireland, I would like to wish each of you, here in Ireland and abroad, a very happy and joyful Christmas and a peaceful New Year,&#8221; Connolly began. &#8220;In these final days of December, as we pass through the Winter Solstice and witness the darkest day of the year, slowly but surely the days will lengthen again.&#8221;
&#8220;Christmas invites us to reflect on the values that truly matter: kindness, tolerance, respect for each other&#8217;s differences,&#8221; she continued, pausing to reflect on the number of people worldwide who were facing the impact of &#8220;interconnected crises&#8221; such as war, displacement, and climate change.
&#8220;In particular, we think of the people of Palestine, Ukraine, and Sudan, our own history marked by forced immigration and loss gives us a lived understanding of the brutal realities of dispossession, hunger, and war,&#8221; she said, thanking first responders and the military for their service through the holidays and the rest of the year and calling on everyone to raise their voices in celebration of &#8220;diversity&#8221; and &#8220;champion sustainable solutions to the climate crisis.&#8221;
Irish radio and television host Niall Boylan raised the <a href="https://x.com/Niall_Boylan/status/2003173527902441547">obvious point</a>: &#8220;I’m not a believer in religion myself but surely it might be respectful to give the birth of Jesus a quick mention. Suppose that’s not her thing. She’s only president of a Catholic country after all.&#8221;
&#8220;The word Jesus seems to be missing here,&#8221; a retired London police officer <a href="https://x.com/NormanBrennan/status/2003103503728689366">added</a>. &#8220;Along with the 1,200 Assassinated Innocent Israeli victims? Wouldn’t it be nice for once for political leaders to give a Christmas Message from the [heart] rather than a written one read from a Lectern? Many can read a script much better from the [heart].&#8221;

Inauguration of Ireland’s New President Connolly

Ireland’s New President Fails To Mention Jesus In Christmas Message, Praises ‘Diversity’

Ireland Divided Over How To Worship Jesus. The Current President Omits Him From Christmas Message

Ireland

Politics

Religion

“Pints with Aquinas” host Matt Fradd released a special Christmas episode on DailyWire+ on Wednesday, as he prepares to officially join The Daily Wire’s stacked podcast lineup in January.
Fradd was joined by Dr. Scott Hahn, a renowned theologian and Catholic apologist, and the two dove into many theological topics, ranging from the prophecies of Christ, to the story of the nativity and the importance of Mary.
Their discourse started out by addressing the awe-inspiring fact of Jesus Christ choosing to become fully human and beginning his earthly journey as an unborn child.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/pwa-ep-1?elementPosition=0&amp;row=2&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+Episodes&amp;rowTy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: Christmas with Dr. Scott Hahn | Tracing the Fulfillment of Prophecies</a>
“I was thinking about the scandal of the manger and I was reminded of St Augustine&#8217;s words,” Fradd said. “[Augustine] says, ‘He whom the heavens cannot contain the womb of one woman bore. She ruled our ruler. … She gave milk to our bread.’”
Hahn agreed that the concept is often overlooked by Christians. “Because it&#8217;s not just the scandal of the cross that Saint Paul speaks of in First Corinthians 1 and 2. It&#8217;s also the scandal of the incarnation that God becomes man, that God becomes a zygote, that God becomes an embryo, a newborn child, God in the manger, you know, and I can hear my Christian friends saying, ‘So what&#8217;s what&#8217;s the problem?’”
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=christmas&amp;utm_content=christmassale25" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Christmas Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a>
“And I would suggest that they ought to go on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and maybe stop by Bethlehem because you&#8217;re surrounded by Jews and Muslims. And if you&#8217;re just wondering… what&#8217;s the scandal of God becoming flesh, God becoming a baby in the womb of the Blessed Virgin? You know, look at it through their eyes… we&#8217;re not even made in [the image and likeness of Allah] according to Islam.”
“And so we recognize in the Christian faith, especially in the Advent season, leading up to Christmas, that we&#8217;re dealing with a God who is personal, who is concerned about us as persons,” he added. “And it&#8217;s almost not fitting for a God that immense.”
Fradd and Hahn also discussed how people can celebrate a beautiful Christmas with their families.
“In Advent and Christmas I would say start small,” said Hahn. “I mean, when I think back to what we&#8217;ve done as a family, what my parents did as non-practicing Christians, every once in a while we began with an Advent wreath with the four candles … and then to gather around it each evening and  sing an Advent song or a Christmas carol.”
Hahn suggested reading scripture together and keeping it short, especially for parents with small children. “That has been an anchor for us as a family, and that is the Advent wreath,” he added.

Matt Fradd Releases Special Christmas Episode On DailyWire+, Dives Into Concept Overlooked By Christians

Matt Fradd Talks With Dr. Scott Hahn About Christmas, Mary, And Marriage In Heaven

Christmas

I’ve got some excellent news to share, beginning January 2026, Pints With Aquinas is partnering with The Daily Wire. We will kick off our tenth year with a bigger studio, a stronger team, and, God willing, an even wider reach for preaching Jesus Christ and inviting people to join the Church he founded (hint: The Catholic Church). You will see a special Christmas episode in December, then weekly shows begin in the new year.
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Watch me tonight on Friendly Fire at 7pm Eastern on DailyWire+ <a href="https://t.co/UqwXd5uJzd">pic.twitter.com/UqwXd5uJzd</a>
— Matt Fradd (@RealMattFradd) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealMattFradd/status/1983556821555232878?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
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A word from the heart. Earlier this year, while my family and I were in Austria, with a little time in Croatia, I seriously considered stepping back from running the show. I love the conversations, and I love meeting people whose lives have been changed by the podcast. What wore me out was everything around it, production, logistics, thumbnails, flights, the business of it all. When I sat down with Caleb at The Daily Wire, I told him exactly that. I wasn’t trying to sell anything. I said, “If I do this, it must stay a fully Catholic show, and I need help with the parts I am not great at.” Their response, “Keep doing exactly what you are doing, we will build the infrastructure around you.”
So here’s what this partnership means, and what it doesn’t mean: Full editorial control. I choose the guests and the topics. Our mission stays the same, to preach Christ and invite people into the one, holy, Catholic and apostolic Church.
No paywall. If you are a casual viewer, nothing changes except you will get more Pints, same channel, better studio, higher output.
More episodes, better reach. With a world-class team handling operations, I can focus on conversations that matter, and release more content each week.
A Catholic team around the show. Melanie Pritchard, who has been with Pints since the basement days, is coming onboard, and we are adding faithful, prayerful professionals who are committed to the mission.
Why am I excited? Because the Lord seems to be opening a door I did not know how to walk through on my own. Over the years, I have seen how far this little show can travel. I have met listeners from Guatemala to Croatia, from airport kiosks to Lego stores, sharing how Pints helped them encounter Christ. Partnering with The Daily Wire lets us put holy gasoline on that fire, without diluting the faith.
If you&#8217;re cautious, I get it. If one of my favorite Catholic creators joined a big company, I would ask the same questions you’re asking. So let me earn your trust. Watch the next season. You will see the same show, just louder, clearer, and reaching more souls.
Two final requests. First, please pray for me, that I never become a stumbling block, that I stay faithful to Christ, and that every conversation glorifies God. If you are willing, would you offer a Rosary for this intention, Let me know so I can be encouraged. Second, invite someone who is Catholic curious to tune in when we launch in January. Ten years ago this began with a microphone in a basement. By God’s grace, and through your prayers, we are just getting started.
Totus Tuus Maria
Matt Fradd

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