The Vatican reaffirmed the Catholic Church&#8217;s opposition to radical gender theory in a new document published Monday, saying sex change procedures threaten the &#8220;unique dignity&#8221; of a person.
The <a href="https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2024/04/08/240408c.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">document</a>, &#8220;Dignitas Infinita&#8221; or &#8220;Infinite Dignity,&#8221; was signed by Pope Francis and warns against &#8220;the age-old temptation to make oneself God.&#8221;
&#8220;Regarding gender theory, whose scientific coherence is the subject of considerable debate among experts, the Church recalls that human life in all its dimensions, both physical and spiritual, is a gift from God,&#8221; the Vatican document reads.
&#8220;Desiring a personal self-determination, as gender theory prescribes, apart from this fundamental truth that human life is a gift, amounts to a concession to the age-old temptation to make oneself God, entering into competition with the true God of love revealed to us in the Gospel,&#8221; the document says.
Biological sex and gender — &#8220;the socio-cultural role of sex&#8221; — can be &#8220;distinguished but not separated,&#8221; the Vatican said.
Radical gender theory is also problematic because it denies sexual difference, which threatens the family, the Vatican continued.
&#8220;In the male-female couple, this difference achieves the most marvelous of reciprocities,&#8221; the document reads. &#8220;It thus becomes the source of that miracle that never ceases to surprise us: the arrival of new human beings in the world.&#8221;
&#8220;Only by acknowledging and accepting this difference in reciprocity can each person fully discover themselves, their dignity, and their identity,&#8221; the Vatican said.
It is &#8220;unacceptable&#8221; that gender theory asserts itself as &#8220;absolute and unquestionable, even dictating how children should be raised,&#8221; the document says.
On medical sex change procedures, the Vatican reminded readers of the Church&#8217;s position that &#8220;humans are inseparably composed of both body and soul.&#8221;
&#8220;We are called to protect our humanity, and this means, in the first place, accepting it and respecting it as it was created,&#8221; the Vatican said. &#8220;It follows that any sex-change intervention, as a rule, risks threatening the unique dignity the person has received from the moment of conception.&#8221;
The document also reaffirms the Church&#8217;s opposition to surrogacy, abortion, and euthanasia.
Surrogacy, in which a woman carries an unborn child for someone else, turns an &#8220;immensely worthy child&#8221; into a &#8220;mere object,&#8221; the Vatican said.
Pope Francis has previously called for a universal ban on surrogacy.
Monday&#8217;s document comes after a Vatican document released in November resulted in significant confusion around the Catholic Church&#8217;s position on trans-identifying people.
The November document intended to <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">clarify</a> that people who previously received gender surgery or hormone treatment can be baptized and be godparents under certain conditions.
A person who has received gender surgery or hormone treatment can be baptized “under the same conditions as other believers,” the Vatican said.
On the godparent issue, the Vatican said that people who have undergone transgender medical treatment can serve as godparents, but &#8220;pastoral prudence demands that it not be permitted if there is a risk of scandal.&#8221;
In recent years, there has been much speculation about whether Pope Francis would change the Catholic Church’s approach to LGBT people.
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The Catholic Church <a href="https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/does-doctrine-change" target="_blank" rel="noopener">never changes</a> its official doctrine, although it often clarifies particular points.
Transgender medical interventions such as puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and transgender surgeries like genital surgeries and double mastectomies have exploded in popularity in the last few years, first in Europe and, more recently, in the U.S.
Several European countries have begun to curb these transgender medical interventions for children, more and more of whom are seeking them out.
At least 24 U.S. states have also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sacramento-declares-itself-sanctuary-city-for-trans-identifying-people" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cracked</a> down on these medical interventions for minors.

Pope Francis Visits Sweden  – Day 1

Vatican Clarifies Opposition To Radical Gender Theory, Says It Threatens A Person’s ‘Unique Dignity’

Vatican Clarifies Opposition To Radical Gender Theory, Says It Threatens A Person's 'Unique Dignity'

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The Archbishop of Washington, Wilton Cardinal Gregory, criticized President Joe Biden over the weekend, calling him a “cafeteria Catholic.”
The archbishop appeared on CBS News&#8217;s “Face The Nation” on Sunday with host Ed O’Keefe, who asked him, “In the case of the president, do you get a sense that his regular attendance and adherence to the faith resonates with American Catholics?”
“I could say that he&#8217;s very sincere about his faith, but like a number of Catholics, he picks and chooses dimensions of the faith to highlight while ignoring or even contradicting other parts,” the archbishop answered. “There is a phrase that we have used in the past, a cafeteria Catholic, you choose that which is attractive and dismiss that which is challenging.”
“Is there something on the menu he&#8217;s not ordering, in your view, so to speak?” O’Keefe pressed.
“Well, I would say there are things, especially in terms of the life issues, there are things that he chooses to ignore or he uses the current situation as a political pawn rather than saying, look, my church believes this,” the archbishop replied. “He does attend church regularly with great, you know, devotion. But he also steps aside some of the hot-button issues or uses the hot-button issues as a political tool, which it&#8217;s not – it is not the way I think we would want our faith to be used.”
“The issues of life begin at the very beginning and they conclude at natural death,” he continued. “And you can&#8217;t – you can&#8217;t pick and choose. You&#8217;re either one who respects life, and all of its dimensions, or you have to step aside and say, I&#8217;m not pro-life, I&#8217;m, you know, in one side of the equation I feel that I could support this dimension of life, but in others, I would step aside.”
The Biden administration celebrated &#8220;Transgender Day of Visibility&#8221; on Easter Sunday after the White House faced a wave of condemnation over formally recognizing the gender identity event taking place on the same day as the religious holiday.
President Joe Biden posted to X on Sunday, saying, &#8220;On Transgender Day of Visibility, we celebrate the joy, strength, and absolute courage of some of the bravest people I know.&#8221;
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He added, &#8220;Today, we show millions of transgender and nonbinary Americans that we see them, they belong, and they should be treated with dignity and respect.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
On Transgender Day of Visibility, we celebrate the joy, strength, and absolute courage of some of the bravest people I know.
Today, we show millions of transgender and nonbinary Americans that we see them, they belong, and they should be treated with dignity and respect. <a href="https://t.co/mhixHV9KC2">pic.twitter.com/mhixHV9KC2</a>
&mdash; Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/1774466760084717656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 31, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The White House also posted about Transgender Day of Visibility on Sunday.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Transgender Americans are part of the fabric of our nation.
On Transgender Day of Visibility, our Administration honors the extraordinary courage of transgender Americans and reaffirms our commitment to forming a more perfect union – where all people are treated equally. <a href="https://t.co/ElRf9l62Nk">pic.twitter.com/ElRf9l62Nk</a>
&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1774481786749202565?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 31, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Former President Donald Trump&#8217;s re-election campaign released a statement on Saturday, calling the declaration an example of the Biden administration&#8217;s &#8220;years-long assault on the Christian faith.&#8221; House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) posted on X that the White House &#8220;has betrayed the central tenet of Easter — which is the resurrection of Jesus Christ.&#8221; He continued, &#8220;Banning sacred truth and tradition—while at the same time proclaiming Easter Sunday as &#8216;Transgender Day&#8217; — is outrageous and abhorrent. The American people are taking note.&#8221;
Daniel Chaitin contributed to this article.
<div>
Related:  <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-admin-stands-by-transgender-day-of-visibility-on-easter-amid-backlash">Biden Admin Stands By &#8216;Transgender Day Of Visibility&#8217; On Easter Amid Backlash</a>
</div>

Catholics Observe Beginning Of Lent With Ash Wednesday Mass

‘Cafeteria Catholic’: Washington Archbishop Criticizes Biden, Says He Uses Abortion As ‘Political Pawn’

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Providence College, a Catholic university in Rhode Island, donated thousands of dollars in grant awards to several nonprofit organizations that openly promote gender ideology to children. Two organizations — Youth Pride RI and Young Voices — directly solicit LGBTQIA+ or gender and sexuality programs to children. Another grant recipient, Rhode Island Kids Count, <a href="https://twitter.com/Nicoletta0602/status/1754679578243575894?t=Ze6-vfcrCCCOErufgnaVPQ&amp;s=19" target="_blank" rel="noopener">testified</a> in support of bills teaching gender identity to students and supported the Rhode Island Department of Education’s <a href="https://ride.ri.gov/sites/g/files/xkgbur806/files/2023-06/Guidance-Rhode-Island-Schools-Transgender-Gender-Nonconforming-Students.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">guidance</a> on transgender school policies keeping secrets from parents. <a href="https://www.lifespan.org/centers-services/adolescent-medicine/gender-and-sexual-health-services-children-teens-and-young" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lifespan</a>, a current Community Partner with Providence College, provides “gender and sexual health services” to children.
The most egregious error in religious discernment is found in the $10,000 grant award to <a href="https://www.youthprideri.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Youth Pride RI</a> in 2021, the same year Youth Pride RI launched a program titled “<a href="https://www.youthprideri.org/programs/groups/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Little Unicorns</a>” for adults to talk to children ages 5 to 9 about gender and sexuality on weekly Zoom sessions without parents. Youth Pride RI also consults with RI public school gender and sexuality (GSA) <a href="https://www.youthprideri.org/14th-annual-gsa-conference/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">clubs</a>, organizes a multi-state GSA <a href="https://www.youthprideri.org/gsa-conference-2023/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">conference</a>, and <a href="https://legalinsurrection.com/2024/02/proposed-law-would-make-rhode-island-sanctuary-state-for-abortion-and-gender-affirming-care/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">backed</a> a bill making Rhode Island a sanctuary state for “gender-affirming care” and abortion. Youth Pride RI’s support for transgender and abortion sanctuary state status came after the Providence College Partnership was established.
How did a Catholic college in the most Catholic <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/religious-landscape-study/religious-tradition/catholic/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">state</a> in America fail to vet such an anti-Catholic organization as a grant recipient? Its name alone should have acted as Catholic repellant to any Catholic institution vigilant of the two things that nearly broke the Catholic church in 2002 — kids (“Youth”) and sexuality (“Pride”).
Youth Pride RI is “the only nonprofit in Rhode Island specifically dedicated to meet the needs of LGBTQIA+ Youth 25 and under.” It received <a href="https://twitter.com/Nicoletta0602/status/1638964704331591689?t=oEa8Tnhu2vgdvpwa393eAw&amp;s=19" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$165,000</a> in government grants in 2019.
The $10,000 Providence College grant was awarded by the <a href="https://friarphilanthropy2018.weebly.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Making A Difference Board</a> (MAD) consisting of students in a philanthropy class taught by Dr. Rick Battistoni. Dr Battistoni is a professor of Political Science and of Public and Community Service Studies, as well as the Director of the Feinstein Institute for Public Service. He has been at Providence College since 1994.
In a separate 2017 <a href="https://share.transistor.fm/s/190ca1be" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a>, Dr. Battistoni explained that his students learn to be “engaged in the issues and the root causes that create the need for philanthropy in the first place,” because philanthropy is “more than just writing a check.”
The students act as a philanthropy foundation board deciding which local RI nonprofits should receive Providence College grants. Organizations donated <a href="https://www.instagram.com/provcollege/p/C17b0b7PfiB/?img_index=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$50,000</a> for the class to distribute in grants this year. Each student writes a research advocacy paper to decide “the most pressing injustice … that needs philanthropic support in Rhode Island.”
MAD decided that an organization promoting gender ideology to children and soliciting sexuality conversations with kindergartners was the best recipient for a grant from a Catholic college. In the past, MAD has decided that certain organizations were “not appropriate” as grant recipients. Apparently, organizations promoting gender ideology — which was deemed incontrovertibly antithetical to the Catholic faith even by the liberal <a href="https://www.thetablet.co.uk/news/12451/pope-francis-attacks-evil-of-gender-theory-" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pope Francis</a> because it would “‘destroy at its roots’ God’s most basic plan for human beings” — do not fall squarely into the category of “not appropriate.”
Perhaps this lapse in judgment had something to do with Dr. Battistoni&#8217;s affinity for Youth Pride RI since he <a href="https://www.youthprideri.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Youth_Pride_2014_AnnualReport_Web_File2.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">donated</a> to it as an individual in 2014.
Students invite organizations to apply for the grant with a <a href="https://groups.google.com/g/rieea/c/Vjdj14Ci_xE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">request for proposals</a> and visit finalists on-site. It is hard to believe Dr. Battistoni and his MAD students were unaware that Youth Pride RI furthered goals antithetical to Catholic teachings given Dr. Battistoni&#8217;s stringent research standards and his own familiarity with the organization.
Dr. Battistoni stated in 2017, “Students learn that philanthropy can be leveraged to create greater change in a community.” Catholic money should never be “leveraged” to support organizations that promote sex changes to children or have sexual conversations with kindergartners.
Compare Providence College’s transgression to The Catholic University of America, which <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/catholic-university-fires-professor-who-subjected-students-to-abortion-doula" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fired</a> a professor for inviting an abortion doula to a required lecture. That was one class. This is $10,000 of Catholic money supporting anti-Catholic schemes. Also compare this to the Rhode Island priest <a href="https://www.independentri.com/news/article_4ed28772-189c-11ed-94d2-d7cdfa57bc4e.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">removed</a> from active ministry after allegations that he talked to adolescents about their sexual orientations. Catholic institutions should not fund or otherwise support organizations engaging in the same sexualized interactions with children it prohibits from priests after the massive sex abuse <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/special-reports/2002/01/06/church-allowed-abuse-priest-for-years/cSHfGkTIrAT25qKGvBuDNM/story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scandal</a> of 2002.
Another organization, <a href="https://www.rikidscount.org/About-Us/About-Rhode-Island-br-KIDS-COUNT" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RI Kids Count</a>, received <a href="https://www.instagram.com/provcollege/p/C17b0b7PfiB/?img_index=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$20,000</a> from Dr. Battistoni&#8217;s MAD board in January 2024. RI Kids Count is “a children’s research and policy advocacy organization that works to improve the health, economic well-being, safety, and development of Rhode Island’s children,” and recently <a href="https://twitter.com/Nicoletta0602/status/1754679578243575894?t=tbLce2ac9q2uvc_B3Q8QMA&amp;s=19" target="_blank" rel="noopener">declared</a> that it “stands firmly in support of trans youth” at a “Speak Up For Trans Youth” <a href="https://thewomxnproject.org/pr-local-organizations-speak-up-for-trans-youth/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">event</a> on October 18, 2023. This event was meant to demonize my earlier <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11244593/Conservative-mom-spent-1200-money-police-security-Rhode-Island-trans-library-talk.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">event</a> educating parents about gender ideology in school. Deputy Director Stephanie Geller <a href="https://twitter.com/Nicoletta0602/status/1754679578243575894?t=KfXrhxTChZlfoex0n-nmNw&amp;s=19" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stated</a> RI Kids Count opposes “hateful legislation” excluding gender identity from sex education. <a href="https://www.pflagprovidence.org/speak-up-for-trans-youth-a-community-action-meeting.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Youth Pride RI</a> was also in attendance.
Oversight for the MAD student board appears to lie solely with Dr. Battistoni, but Providence College exercised dubious judgment beyond Dr. Battistoni&#8217;s philanthropy class.
For example, <a href="https://www.youngvoicesri.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Young Voices</a>, is a current <a href="https://feinstein.providence.edu/community-partners/young-voices/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Community Partner</a> of Providence College, and it solicits children to complete an <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdNRq1wiBTdeE7DM1eAinsCJ_Om5ZV46Nh8_TO87-0kkzocNg/viewform" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interest form</a> on its landing page. Children completing the form are required to provide their name, grade, school, email address, and phone number. A child interested in Young Voice’s “LGBTQIA+ Networking Night” will receive a “follow-up email with more information.” No parental consent or minimum age is required to fill out the form.
Young Voices’ mission is to “to transform urban youth into powerful advocates who have a voice in every aspect of their lives.” The goal of its Providence College partnership is, in part, to “[b]uild a more inclusive bridge for high school students in Providence, Pawtucket, and Central Falls to access and learn about life after college including higher education options at PC and beyond.” What do “LGBTQ+ network nights” for kids have to do with “higher education options at PC and beyond?”
<a href="https://www.lifespan.org/about-lifespan/overview" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lifespan</a> is another questionable Providence College <a href="https://feinstein.providence.edu/community-partners/lifespan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">community partner</a> because Lifespan provides “gender and sexual health services” to <a href="https://www.lifespan.org/centers-services/adolescent-medicine/gender-and-sexual-health-services-children-teens-and-young" target="_blank" rel="noopener">children</a>. Lifespan and some member providers, including <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/this-is-just-insane-laura-ingraham-talks-with-matt-walsh-about-what-is-a-woman-documentary" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michelle Forcier</a>, were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/detransitioners-sue-rhode-island-medical-provider-and-persistent-public-school-agitator">sued</a> last October by detransitioner Isabelle Ayala who alleges she was rushed into a sex change at 14 years old.
My own former Lifespan pediatrician <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2023/09/15/solas-my-pediatrician-discharged-my-kids-because-i-objected-to-gender-ideology/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">discharged</a> my children after I complained about “safe zone” stickers promoting gender identity on the walls of children’s exam rooms.
If vetting is too burdensome to ensure Catholic money does not promote anti-Catholic initiatives, perhaps Providence College can include an eligibility clause on grant applications disqualifying applicants whose organizational activities — specifically promotion of gender ideology and abortion — are in contravention to the Catholic faith. Additionally, require a certification that applicants have read the eligibility requirements and make it clear that misrepresentations will result in a return of funds.
Providence College and Dr. Battistoni did not respond to a request for comment.
* * *
Nicole Solas is a senior fellow with the Education Freedom Center at Independent Women’s Forum (<a href="http://iwf.org/EFC" target="_blank" rel="noopener">iwf.org/EFC</a>).
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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Pope Francis on Monday condemned the practice of using a surrogate mother to birth a child and called for a global ban on the practice.
The pope called surrogacy &#8220;despicable&#8221; during an annual foreign policy address to ambassadors of 184 countries.
“I consider despicable the practice of so-called surrogate motherhood, which represents a grave violation of the dignity of the woman and the child,&#8221; Francis <a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-surrogacy-vatican-russia-israel-ukraine-56acaa8500336db81ee18913a77ddc0f" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
The pope <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pope-francis-surrogacy-deplorable-practice-turns-child-into-object-trafficking/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> surrogacy exploits the surrogate mother&#8217;s financial situation and said an unborn child must not be “turned into an object of trafficking.”
He called for a global ban “to prohibit this practice universally.”
&#8220;A child is always a gift and never the basis of a commercial contract,&#8221; Francis said.
The Catholic Church prohibits couples from using a surrogate mother and teaches that conception must only occur through the marital act between husband and wife.
This is not the first time Francis has explicitly condemned surrogacy.
In 2022, he <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2024/01/08/pope-francis-describes-surrogacy-as-deplorable-calls-for-ban/?sh=665f958a3181" target="_blank" rel="noopener">condemned</a> the &#8220;inhumane and increasingly widespread practice&#8221; of a &#8220;uterus for rent,&#8221; saying it is almost always poor women who are exploited in this way and the unborn children are &#8220;treated as commodities.&#8221;
Surrogacy is legal in the U.S. but illegal in several other countries, including Spain and Italy.
The surrogacy process is an expensive one, in many cases <a href="https://money.usnews.com/money/personal-finance/family-finance/articles/how-much-surrogacy-costs-and-how-to-pay-for-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener">costing</a> upwards of $100,000, making it prohibitively expensive for many families. The idea of becoming a commercial surrogate is <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/03/07/womb-for-rent-more-women-are-working-in-commercial-surrogacy-industry.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">attractive</a> to some low-income women.
American celebrities, including Paris Hilton, Kim Kardashian, Khloe Kardashian, Anderson Cooper, Andy Cohen, Nick Jonas, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Jimmy Fallon, have all <a href="https://people.com/parents/celebrities-who-have-used-surrogates/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hired</a> surrogates to carry and birth their babies.
In 2022, the global commercial surrogacy industry was estimated to be worth more than $14 billion, <a href="https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/surrogacy-market" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to Global Market Insights.
The pope&#8217;s annual address to the countries with diplomatic relations with the Vatican, sometimes called his &#8220;State of the World&#8221; address, provides the pontiff with the opportunity to speak about the world’s current conflicts and injustices.
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Francis took that opportunity during his remarks Monday, naming several ongoing issues, including the “large-scale war waged by the Russian Federation against Ukraine,” a more pointed comment on Russia&#8217;s role in the conflict than he usually offers.
The pope also discussed the Israel-Hamas war, the immigration crisis, climate change, artificial intelligence, Christian persecution, and antisemitism, among other issues.
He lamented that the new year comes at a time when peace is “increasingly threatened, weakened and in some part lost.”
&#8220;We must not forget that grave violations of international humanitarian law are war crimes,&#8221; Francis said.

Vatican Pool Images 2024

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German authorities have detained five individuals over a suspected Islamic terror plot to blow up the Cologne Cathedral on New Year’s Eve. 
Police detained a 30-year-old Tajik man in connection with the alleged plan last week, which authorities say was going to involve an attack on the historic church involving car bombs. On Sunday, police <a href="https://apnews.com/article/germany-cologne-cathedral-threat-detention-extremism-282b5967185cc54fc02d1970371d07c4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> they had detained three more suspects in the cities of  Duisburg, Herne, and Dueren, all in western Germany. A fifth individual, a 41-year-old German-Turkish man, was <a href="https://apnews.com/article/germany-cologne-cathedral-threat-detention-extremism-1a563072df853c808187197cde1e0ca4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">detained</a> on Monday. 
Cologne police official Frank Wissbaum said he was glad the suspects were in custody so they could “no longer communicate with each other.&#8221; 
Cologne police said that the individuals detained were not plotting alone but linked to a terror network that operates throughout Germany and Europe. Herbert Reul, the interior minister of North Rhine–Westphalia, the state where the cathedral is located, thanked authorities for their “success” in preventing an attack. 
Access to the cathedral was limited following the discovery of plans for the attack. One thousand police officers were stationed at the church on Sunday, and the parking garage was also searched for explosives.
“Islamist terror is still a threat on German streets,” Reul said. “We have often suppressed that. And whenever there is a one-off event like this, we are all very electrified again.”
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The Cologne Cathedral is one of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Cologne-Cathedral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">most well-known</a> churches in Germany. Construction began around 1248 and continued intermittently for hundreds of years. It was completed in 1880 and is believed to have been the tallest building in the world for about four years. The structure is still recognized as the biggest Gothic cathedral in Northern Europe. 
Authorities throughout Europe and the U.S. have been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/plane-carrying-379-people-catches-on-fire-after-runway-crash-in-tokyo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on high alert</a> for terror threats in the wake of Hamas attacks on Israel. Police in Austria have made arrests over suspected terror plots and were concerned that St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna might be targeted in an attack.

New Year Celebration Amid Warning Of Terror Attack In Cologne

5 Detained In Suspected Islamic Terror Plot To Blow Up Cathedral

Germany

Radical Islamic Terror

Terrorism

A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nyc-catholic-church-facing-backlash-for-god-is-trans-exhibit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">church</a> in Italy took considerable backlash for its &#8220;dangerous&#8221; and &#8220;blasphemous&#8221; nativity scene featuring a figure of a second woman — in place of Joseph — alongside the figures of the Virgin Mary and the baby Jesus.
The Church of Saints Peter and Paul, in Capocastello di Mercogliano, is under fire after Father Vitaliano Della Sala decided it would be a good idea to have a &#8220;more inclusive&#8221; nativity in his church, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/blasphemous-same-sex-nativity-scene-angers-conservatives-italy-2023-12-23/#:~:text=%22I%20wanted%20to%20show%20with,Vitaliano%20Della%20Sala%20told%20Reuters." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reuters</a> reported.
&#8220;I wanted to show with this scene that families are no longer just the traditional ones,&#8221; Della Sala told the outlet.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Priest in Italy creates a same-sex nativity scene. Replaces St. Joseph with another woman, who is shrouded in LGBT colours.
Over to you Holy Father. <a href="https://t.co/1LuXnhxET6">pic.twitter.com/1LuXnhxET6</a>
— Timeless Faith ✠ (@timelessfaithh) <a href="https://twitter.com/timelessfaithh/status/1739022633620881440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
&#8220;In our parishes we see more and more children from the new types of families that exist and are part of our society, children of separated and divorced people, gay couples, single people, young mothers,&#8221; he added.
In his response, he also referred people to Pope Francis&#8217; recent move allowing priests to bless same-sex couples, the <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/12/18/news/pope-francis-approves-blessings-for-same-sex-couples-if-the-rituals-dont-resemble-marriage/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York Post</a> noted.
The same-sex nativity scene, with one of the Mary figures draped in rainbow colors, sparked an <a href="https://www.provitaefamiglia.it/petizione/no-alla-strumentalizzazione-blasfema-lgbtq-del-presepe-firma-ora" target="_blank" rel="noopener">online petition</a> for its removal. It was started by Pro-Vita &amp; Famiglia, a pro-life group, that called on the bishop in the province to have it taken down.
&#8220;An LGBT nativity scene with &#8216;two mothers&#8217; was set up in the Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Capocastello di Mercogliano, in the province of Avellino,&#8221; the petition read.
&#8220;A blasphemous and provocative representation that distorts the meaning of the Nativity scene itself and of the Holy Family: both with the removal of Saint Joseph, sacrificed on the altar of political correctness, and with the very serious message relating to the &#8216;two mothers&#8217; which &#8216;sanctifies&#8217; a practice as illegal as the buying and selling of gametes,&#8221; it added.
At the time of this publication, the group has almost reached its goal of 25,000 signatures, sitting at 24,610.
Senator Maurizio Gasparri, of the co-ruling Forza Italia party, said the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/twitter-going-crazy-over-gay-nativity-scene-paul-bois">LGBT nativity scene</a> &#8220;offends all those who always had respect and devotion for the Holy Family.&#8221;
The pro-life group called it &#8220;dangerous, as well as shameful and blasphemous,&#8221; Reuters noted.

Nativity

‘Blasphemous’: Church Slammed For Same-Sex Nativity Scene

Christmas

nativity scene

News

Pope Francis clarified this week that Catholic priests can bless individuals in same-sex couples but cautioned that such a blessing does not sanction the union and cannot resemble a marriage ceremony.
Couples in &#8220;irregular situations,&#8221; including same-sex relationships, can receive blessings that do not &#8220;sanction or legitimize&#8221; their unions, the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, which exists to defend Catholic doctrine, clarified in a <a href="https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2023/12/18/0901/01963.html#en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">document</a> published Monday.
The document, called &#8220;Fiducia Supplicans,&#8221; was signed by Pope Francis as well as the Dicastery’s new prefect, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández.
Priests can give people in same-sex couples a &#8220;spontaneous blessing,&#8221; but the blessing cannot be a &#8220;liturgical&#8221; act or resemble the sacrament of marriage, the document says.
A blessing on people in same-sex couples cannot be given in connection with a civil union, and no &#8220;clothing, gestures, or words that are proper to a wedding&#8221; can be included in order &#8220;to avoid any form of confusion or scandal,&#8221; the document says.
&#8220;Rites and prayers that could create confusion between what constitutes marriage — which is the &#8216;exclusive, stable, and indissoluble union between a man and a woman, naturally open to the generation of children&#8217; — and what contradicts it are inadmissible,&#8221; the document warns.
Instead, the Vatican said that a priest can give a blessing in other contexts, such as a visit to a shrine, a meeting with a priest, a group prayer, or during a pilgrimage.
In the blessing, the priest can pray for the individuals to have &#8220;peace, health, a spirit of patience, dialogue, and mutual assistance — but also God’s light and strength to be able to fulfill his will completely,&#8221; the document states.
&#8220;There is no intention to legitimize anything, but rather to open one’s life to God, to ask for his help to live better, and also to invoke the Holy Spirit so that the values of the Gospel may be lived with greater faithfulness,&#8221; the document adds.
The Catholic Church does not sanction same-sex marriage, and that official position remains unchanged, the document emphasized.
&#8220;The Church’s doctrine on this point remains firm,&#8221; the document says.
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&#8220;At the same time, one should not prevent or prohibit the Church’s closeness to people in every situation in which they might seek God’s help through a simple blessing,&#8221; the document adds.
In recent years, there has been much speculation around whether Pope Francis would change the Catholic Church’s approach to people in same-sex relationships.
On Monday, media outlets and commentators <a href="https://twitter.com/JamesMartinSJ/status/1736752055362936938" target="_blank" rel="noopener">presented</a> the Vatican&#8217;s document as a major shift for the Catholic Church.
However, the Catholic Church <a href="https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/does-doctrine-change" target="_blank" rel="noopener">never changes</a> its official doctrine, although it often clarifies particular points.

Vatican Hosts World Meeting Of Families

Pope Says Blessings For Individuals In Same-Sex Relationships Cannot Resemble Marriage

Same-Sex Marriage

A model who once earned the title of Italy&#8217;s &#8220;most beautiful man&#8221; said that he&#8217;s leaving the modeling world behind because he&#8217;s been called to a higher power: God.
In a video posted on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cz_Jd9vMJ4P/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram</a>, Edoardo Santini, told his thousands of followers that &#8220;at 21 years of age, I find myself on the path toward becoming a priest, God willing,&#8221; <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/world/beautiful-man-gives-fame-modeling-career-god-discover" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News</a> reported.
&#8220;I&#8217;ve decided to give up modeling work, acting and dance, but I won&#8217;t abandon my passions, I&#8217;ll just live them differently,&#8221; he added, noting that he will be now &#8220;offering&#8221; his passions &#8220;to God.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Young Edoardo Santini, considered “the most handsome man in Italy,” has decided to leave his promising career as a model and enter a seminary to become a priest.
Dancer, swimmer, actor — these were a few of the dreams of Santini, a 21-year-old Italian who in 2019 when he was 17… <a href="https://t.co/K3lTxkxUsg">pic.twitter.com/K3lTxkxUsg</a>
— Catholic News Agency (@cnalive) <a href="https://twitter.com/cnalive/status/1733176604992381064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2023</a></blockquote>
Santini wrote about how he had &#8220;discovered the real Church, which I thought was dead,&#8221; the <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/italy-most-beautiful-man-priest-catholic-church-edoardo-santini-s0lk95vvl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Times UK</a> noted.
&#8220;They have given me the strength to investigate this question that I&#8217;ve taken with me from childhood but various fears stopped me from studying it at a deeper level,&#8221; the model said, the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12822619/Italys-handsome-man-quits-modelling-priest.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daily Mail</a> noted. &#8220;Last year, I took the first step.&#8221;
He revealed that a year ago he had gone to live with two priests, calling it &#8220;the most beautiful experience of my life.&#8221;
&#8220;Obviously, some people talk about me behind my back, some people have no problem telling me I have let them down, both inside and outside my family, but others are supporting me, believers and non-believers,&#8221; Santini shared.
&#8220;Will I become a priest? I don’t know, I am here to discover,&#8221; he added. &#8220;But I have taken the step that terrorized me, that stopped me finally being myself. I am ready to say I made a mistake.&#8221;
Santini has entered Seminary and this week started the work studying theology and serving two parishes, Fox News noted. He&#8217;s also changed his profile description on social media to read, &#8220;I’m a Christian, priest wannabe,&#8221; the outlet noted.
The news comes as the Italian model, whose career really kicked off at age 17, recently started using his social media platform to ask questions of faith, rather than to promote his career and projects.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/shia-labeouf-shares-major-update-with-fans-about-his-conversion-to-catholicism" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shia LaBeouf Shares Major Update With Fans About His Conversion To Catholicism</a>

Catholic church. Celebration of Sunday Mass after the Covid-19 epidemic. Holy communion. Sallanches. France.

Model Known As ‘Most Beautiful Man’ Leaves Career Behind For Higher Power

Model Known As 'Most Beautiful Man' Leaves Career Behind For Higher Power

Celebrities

Entertainment

Model

Former White House Chief COVID Adviser <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/anthony-fauci" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dr. Anthony Fauci</a> claimed during a recent interview that he no longer felt the need to attend church because his &#8220;personal ethics on life&#8221; were enough.
Fauci made the comments during a conversation with BBC special correspondent — and frequent MSNBC contributor — Kathy Kay, also citing &#8220;problems&#8221; with the organized church as a whole.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Anthony Fauci explains that although he identifies as Catholic, his “personal ethics on life” are so strong that he has no need to practice the religion. “It seems like a pro forma thing that I don’t really need to do.” <a href="https://t.co/r5YbCs2gbM">pic.twitter.com/r5YbCs2gbM</a>
&mdash; Laura Powell (@LauraPowellEsq) <a href="https://twitter.com/LauraPowellEsq/status/1733594715847864818?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
During the interview, Fauci pointed out the chapel where he and his wife were married — and Kay, noting the beauty of the chapel, asked whether he still went there for church services.
&#8220;You don&#8217;t practice anymore, do you?&#8221; she pressed. &#8220;Why?&#8221;
&#8220;A number of complicated reasons,&#8221; Fauci began, but Kay was not ready to let the topic drop.
&#8220;Go on, you have a whole corridor,&#8221; she laughed, as the camera showed them walking down a long hall.
&#8220;First of all, I think my own personal ethics on life are, I think, enough to keep me going on the right path,&#8221; he claimed. &#8220;And I think that there are enough negative aspects about the organizational church — that you&#8217;re very well aware of.&#8221;
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&#8220;I&#8217;m not against it,&#8221; Fauci continued. &#8220;I identify myself as a Catholic — I was raised, I was baptized, I was confirmed, I was married in the church, my children were baptized in the church — but as far as practicing it, it seems almost like a pro forma thing that I don&#8217;t really need to do.&#8221;
Critics were not impressed with Fauci&#8217;s take on religion, with many suggesting that his own high opinion of himself left little room for any deity.
&#8220;Wow. Even Narcissus didn’t love himself this much,&#8221; Adele Scalia posted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Wow. Even Narcissus didn’t love himself this much. <a href="https://t.co/z9dLl01PgK">https://t.co/z9dLl01PgK</a>
&mdash; Adele Scalia (@AdeleScalia) <a href="https://twitter.com/AdeleScalia/status/1733677950304768249?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;He played God once. Why should he have to take a demotion?&#8221; Stephen L. Miller added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
He played God once. Why should he have to take a demotion? <a href="https://t.co/BRVp2O0lQ1">https://t.co/BRVp2O0lQ1</a>
&mdash; Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) <a href="https://twitter.com/redsteeze/status/1733689528978702582?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;So &#8230; He&#8217;s very NOT Catholic, then. Religious illiteracy is a major problem in our news media. Also &#8230; &#8216;Identifies as Catholic&#8217;?????&#8221; Larry O&#8217;Connor observed.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
So&#8230; He&#39;s very NOT Catholic, then. 🤷‍♂️
Religious illiteracy is a major problem in our news media. 
Also&#8230; &quot;Identifies as Catholic&quot;????? <a href="https://t.co/kkomgK52GA">https://t.co/kkomgK52GA</a>
&mdash; L A R R Y (@LarryOConnor) <a href="https://twitter.com/LarryOConnor/status/1733883297841676424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Fauci definitely falls asleep at night on a Fauci pillow under a huge wall painting of himself as a centaur,&#8221; Doug Powers said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Fauci definitely falls asleep at night on a Fauci pillow under a huge wall painting of himself as a centaur. <a href="https://t.co/4rMphVDlwt">https://t.co/4rMphVDlwt</a>
&mdash; Doug Powers (@ThePowersThatBe) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThePowersThatBe/status/1733830134845587892?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Anthony Fauci

‘Even Narcissus Didn’t Love Himself This Much’: Fauci Doesn’t Need Church, His ‘Personal Ethics’ Are Enough

'Even Narcissus Didn't Love Himself This Much': Fauci Doesn't Need Church, His 'Personal Ethics' Are Enough

Church

Ethics

U.S.

Pop star <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/celebrities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sabrina Carpenter</a> drew criticism earlier this month with the release of her <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/entertainment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">music video</a> for “Feather.” The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/pop-music" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video</a>, which includes provocative dancing, skimpy outfits, and death-related imagery including fake blood, was filmed inside Our Lady of Mount Carmel-Annunciation <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/catholic-church" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Catholic church</a> in Brooklyn.
Since the resulting scandal ensued, the priest responsible for allowing Carpenter and her team to film inside his church has been relieved of administrative duties, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/priest-relieved-of-admin-duties-after-allowing-sabrina-carpenter-to-film-provocative-music-video-in-church" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Msgr. Jamie J. Gigantiello apologized to the bishop, the Diocese, and parishioners for the “shameful representation” in the video, saying he “whole-heartedly” renounced it.
Now the 24-year-old singer, who has been on tour with Taylor Swift for several months, shared a few thoughts about the controversy. “We got approval in advance,” Carpenter told <a href="https://variety.com/2023/music/news/sabrina-carpenter-touring-taylor-swift-nonsense-catholic-church-controversy-1235811476/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Variety</a> about the video shoot in an interview published Wednesday. She also made a reference to her last name, telling the outlet, “And Jesus was a carpenter.”
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn has taken the situation very seriously. They shared a statement with the Catholic News Agency, <a href="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255900/brooklyn-bishop-appalled-over-music-video-shot-in-catholic-church-will-investigate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">that said</a>, “The parish did not follow diocesan policy regarding the filming on Church property, which includes a review of the scenes and script.”
Following the music video’s release, the bishop celebrated a Mass of Reparation at the church to “[restore] the sanctity” and “[repair] the harm.”
The music video for the song “Feather” included scenes shot both inside and outside the church. Carpenter is seen dancing in a skimpy outfit amid decorations on top of and around the altar. These include items like cloths, candles, small statutes, a coffin, and a vase with a dark liquid that says “RIP.” 
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In the video, several men are seen fighting over the singer and eventually kill each other. Their coffins become part of the props.
Gigantiello told the New York Times that the video was “not what was initially presented” to him after he approved the filming. He said he allowed Carpenter’s team to use the church in an “effort to further strengthen the bonds between the young creative artists who make up a large part of this community.”

Sabrina Carpenter

Singer Who Filmed Provocative Music Video In Catholic Church Issues Flippant Response To Controversy

Brooklyn

pop music

A Catholic priest has been relieved of his administrative duties after allowing pop star <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/disney-star-sabrina-carpenter-cancels-concert-due-to-credible-security-threat" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sabrina Carpenter</a> to film her provocative music video for &#8220;Feather&#8221; inside a 160-year-old church in Brooklyn.
In a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=743576697797239&amp;set=pb.100064347473050.-2207520000" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> to the parish of Our Lady of Mount Carmel-Annunciation in Williamsburg, which was posted on Facebook, pastor Msgr. Jamie J. Gigantiello apologized to the Bishop, the Diocese, and parishioners for the &#8220;shameful representation&#8221; in the video which he said he &#8220;whole-heartedly&#8221; renounced.
The priest also revealed that the bishop had relieved him of his administrative duties overseeing the church and that his 15 years at the church as Vicar for Development of the Diocese had concluded on Nov. 3, 2023.
Gigantiello told the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/25/nyregion/sabrina-carpenter-brooklyn-church-video.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York Times</a> that the video was &#8220;not what was initially presented&#8221; to him after he approved the filming in what he said was an &#8220;effort to further strengthen the bonds between the young creative artists who make up a large part of this community.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
A Catholic priest has been stripped of his administrative duties after allowing Sabrina Carpenter’s “Feather” music video to be filmed in a Brooklyn church.
The Diocese of Brooklyn says it was “appalled at what was filmed.” <a href="https://t.co/dkTPqPtOaj">pic.twitter.com/dkTPqPtOaj</a>
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) <a href="https://twitter.com/PopCrave/status/1729188535704666426?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2023</a></blockquote>
In the video, the 24-year-old singer and former Disney star sings about ex-lovers while dancing provocatively on the altar of the historic church, parading down the communion aisle while wearing a short black dress and black veil, as previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/brooklyn-bishop-appalled-pop-stars-provocative-music-video-was-filmed-inside-church" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
The altar contained pastel pink and blue coffins bearing crosses, candles, garlands, small angel statues, and a vase with an RIP sign holding dark red liquid. One of the coffins reads &#8220;RIP b***h.&#8221; One of the angel statues reads, &#8220;Good Girls Go 2 Heaven.&#8221; A neon cross is lit up under the church&#8217;s crucifix.
Other parts of the music video show Carpenter killing a man who took a picture up her skirt, as well as men killing each other as they apparently fight over Carpenter.
After the music video came out, the Brooklyn Diocese said in a November 2 statement that Bishop Robert Brennan &#8220;is appalled at what was filmed at Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Brooklyn,&#8221; <a href="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255900/brooklyn-bishop-appalled-over-music-video-shot-in-catholic-church-will-investigate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Catholic News Agency</a> reported.
&#8220;The parish did not follow diocesan policy regarding the filming on Church property, which includes a review of the scenes and script,&#8221; the diocese added.
The diocese also said the parish claimed the music video production company &#8220;failed to accurately represent the video content.&#8221;
Catholic churches usually house consecrated communion hosts, which the Catholic Church holds are the real material presence of Jesus, in a tabernacle on the altar. In the letter posted on FB, Gigantiello also assured the parish that he had removed the blessed sacrament from the church the day before the filming of the provocative music video.

Pre-GRAMMY Gala & GRAMMY Salute To Industry Icons Honoring Julie Greenwald & Craig Kallman – Arrivals

Priest Relieved Of Admin Duties After Allowing Sabrina Carpenter To Film Provocative Music Video In Church

Priest Relieved Of Admin Duties After Allowing Sabrina Carpenter To Film Provacative Music Video In Church

Disney

New York City

Pope Francis is targeting yet another staunch religious conservative Cardinal in the Catholic Church who has openly criticized the Vatican.
Cardinal Raymond Burke was ordained a priest by Pope Paul VI in 1975; in 1989, he was named the first American Defender of the Bond of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, the highest ecclesiastical court in the Catholic Church, by Pope John Paul II. In July 2006, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Burke to the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura; in 2008 he was named its Prefect, thus making him the second-highest ranking American prelate at the Vatican after Cardinal Willam Levada, the prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
On November 20, 2010, Pope Benedict XVI elevated Burke to the cardinalate. Burke criticized Pope Francis in October 2014, saying, &#8220;There is a strong sense that the church is like a ship without a rudder,” On November 8, 2014, Burke was removed as Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, by Francis.
&#8220;Pope Francis has decided to punish one of his highest-ranking critics, Cardinal Raymond Burke, by revoking his right to a subsidized Vatican apartment and salary in <a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement " href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-tyler-bishop-strickland-removed-0f9f0be7d5938b36d6e7ead8c33e5150" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the second such radical action</a> against a conservative American prelate this month, according to two people briefed on the measures,&#8221; AP <a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-cardinal-burke-conservatives-strickland-163f2d3522a80fa5f908421cc812cfc9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Pope Francis has stripped one of his top American critics, Cardinal Raymond Burke, of his Vatican housing and salary privileges, the Associated Press is reporting. <a href="https://t.co/ywppSdBjPm">https://t.co/ywppSdBjPm</a>
&mdash; Catholic News Agency (@cnalive) <a href="https://twitter.com/cnalive/status/1729569352909766861?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 28, 2023</a></blockquote>
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“The pope reportedly said that Burke was a source of ‘disunity’ in the Church and that he was using the privileges afforded to retired cardinals against the Church,” The Catholic News Agency <a href="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256120/pope-francis-reportedly-takes-apartment-salary-from-cardinal-burke" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
 Burke and other conservative cardinals asked Francis to clarify his outreach to divorced and civilly remarried Catholics, and Francis reportedly never answered them; they also asked whether church blessings could be bestowed on same-sex couples. AP reported they “received a conditional maybe in response.”
Burke criticized Francis&#8217; reforms last month, telling a conference called <a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement " href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-pope-conservatives-women-lgbtq-0525e295f5befd4ec97ed553f165bfc8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">“The Synodal Babel,”</a> “It’s unfortunately very clear that the invocation of the Holy Spirit by some has the aim of bringing forward an agenda that is more political and human than ecclesial and divine.”
Burke <a href="https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/cardinal-burke-the-church-really-should-be-afraid-of-islam" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bluntly said</a> in a 2016 interview titled Hope for the World: To Unite All Things in Christ: “If you really understand Islam, you understand that the Church really should be afraid of it.”
Burke stated:
<blockquote>
When [Muslims] become a majority in any country then they have the religious obligation to govern that country. If that’s what the citizens of a nation want, well, then, they should just allow this to go on. But if that’s not what they want, then they have to find a way to deal with it … There is no place for other religions&#8230;as long as Islam has not succeeded in establishing its sovereignty over the nations and over the world. It is important for Christians to realize the radical differences between Islam and Christianity in matters concerning their teaching about God, about conscience, etc. If you really understand Islam, you understand that the Church really should be afraid of it. Islam is a religion that, according to its own interpretation, must also become the State.
</blockquote>
Burke said the West should “be firm about the Christian origin of our own nation, and certainly in Europe, and the Christian foundations of the government, and to fortify those.” Turing to Catholic leaders who thought Islam is “a religion like the Catholic faith or the Jewish faith,” he fired back, “That simply is not objectively the case.”
Burke has been outspoken throughout his career; he said in 2004 that he would not give the Eucharist to John Kerry or other Catholic politicians who publicly support legalized abortion. He stated that Catholics should not vote for politicians who support abortion. In 2008, he said, “the Democratic Party risks transforming itself definitively into a &#8216;party of death&#8217;, because of its choices on bioethical questions,” especially elective abortion.
In May 2009, Burke stated, “Since President Obama clearly announced, during the election campaign, his anti-life and anti-family agenda, a Catholic who knew his agenda regarding, for example, procured abortion, embryonic-stem-cell research, and same-sex marriage, could not have voted for him with a clear conscience.”
In October 2014, Burke referred to gay relationships as “profoundly disordered and harmful.” After the May 2015 same-sex marriage referendum in Ireland, Burke said, “I mean, this is a defiance of God. It’s just incredible. Pagans may have tolerated homosexual behaviors, they never dared to say this was marriage.”

Francis

Pope Punishes Staunchly Conservative Cardinal Who Opposes Francis’ Reforms

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