Don Lemon has been arrested by federal agents.
The former CNN talking head, who went out on his own and formed his own podcast, either trailed or was involved with a protest that pretty clearly violated the FACE Act, which was designed to guarantee access to abortion clinics for people who didn&#8217;t want to go through protests, and also designed to protect churches in their actual attempts to perform their services.
The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/30/us/don-lemon-arrest-minnesota-church-protest.html">reported</a>: 
<blockquote>“The former CNN anchor Don Lemon and three other people have been arrested on charges that they violated federal law during a protest at a church in St. Paul, Minn., this month, lawyers and Justice Department officials said on Friday, reviving a case that was rejected last week by a magistrate judge.”</blockquote>
Lemon was arrested late Thursday night on charges that he violated federal law. The case had been rejected last week by a magistrate judge. Lemon claims that he was simply reporting as a journalist when he entered Cities Church on January 18 to observe a demonstration against immigration crackdowns in the area. The protesters then got up and disrupted the service, where an ICE official serves as a pastor, chanting ‘ICE out!’”
The Trump administration attempted to charge eight people over the episode, including Lemon. The magistrate judge approved charges against three of the eight people and rejected the evidence against Lemon and the others as insufficient. So the DOJ petitioned the federal appellate court to force the judge to issue the additional warrants they were denied.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-2358-don-lemon-arrested?elementPosition=0&amp;row=2&amp;rowHeadline=Jump+Back+In&amp;rowType=Continue+Watching+Carousel"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-974957" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp" alt="DailyWire+" width="1024" height="171" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-300x50.webp 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-768x128.webp 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1536x256.webp 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-2048x341.webp 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
The claim being made by the Trump administration is that when these people invaded a church and disrupted services and started shouting at the pastor in violation of the FACE act, Lemon wasn&#8217;t just a person who followed them in there with a microphone, or even a journalist who knew beforehand that he was complicit in the organization of the event. He was involved in a conspiracy to disrupt services here for political purposes, they claim.
Lemon insists he “didn&#8217;t even know they were going to this church until we followed them there.” It appears that this is not true.
Lemon said, “Once the protest started in the church, we did an act of journalism, which was report on it and talk to the people involved, including the pastor, members of the church and members of the organization. That&#8217;s it. That&#8217;s called journalism.”
Again, doesn’t seem particularly true. Lemon claims that once the action started, he did not join them; he was simply reporting on it. Pretty clearly, they&#8217;re blurring the lines.
To be fair to Lemon and speaking legally, there is a fine line between a journalist doing a ride-along, even with people who are committing criminal acts, and journalists being involved in the planning and commission of the crime, which is what he’s accused of.
Naturally, people are claiming that this is a crackdown on the First Amendment. They are suggesting that this is an attempt by the Trump administration to “silence people.” That seems like a stretch to me. We&#8217;ll have to see what evidence they have, particularly in terms of prior planning from Lemon and the people involved in this.
Was he involved in recommending sites they should go to? Was he involved in organizing transportation? Was he involved in determining how they should protest? Those will be the questions that come up in court.
But it&#8217;s pretty clear that Lemon was involved in some capacity. I&#8217;m not going to prejudge this case legally, but for people to claim that the federal government has no case at all, that they&#8217;re just arresting him for being a journalist on the scene, is a stretch to me.
I&#8217;m not going to assume his guilt or innocence for the alleged crime. We&#8217;ll have to see the evidence of that.
But the attempt to treat this as a violation of the First Amendment, as an attempt to destroy journalistic capability and all the rest — that’s not accurate either.

MixCollage-30-Jan-2026-03-55-PM-1994

Don Lemon Arrested. Journalist Or Co-Conspirator?

Ben Shapiro

Church

Don Lemon

FACE Act

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Minneapolis

Minnesota

Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, is considering litigation against the anti-ICE activists who disrupted a Sunday worship service on January 18.
The DOJ arrested three activists who disrupted the service: Nekima Levy Armstrong, Chauntyll Louisa Allen, and William Kelly. Federal authorities charged them under a law that bars obstructing access to houses of worship and related conspiracy statutes for interfering with constitutionally protected religious rights.
DOJ officials, including Attorney General Pam Bondi and civil-rights leadership, framed the action as enforcement of federal protections for places of worship, emphasizing that disrupting a service violates federal law. Bondi stated, “If you protested and went into that church on the Sunday and you terrorized the parishioners, we are coming after you. &#8230; We are coming after you if you participated in that. I don&#8217;t care who you are. If you&#8217;re a failed CNN journalist, you have no right to do that in this country. We don&#8217;t live in a third world country. We’re going to protect our houses of worship in this country.”
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon <a href="https://x.com/AAGDhillon/status/2014798844463112512">echoed,</a> “The JusticeDept will identify &amp; hold accountable every person who unlawfully interrupted this church service. @AGPamBondi  and I will not tolerate harassment of Americans at worship—especially from agitators posing as ‘journalists.’”
Renee Carlson, General Counsel for True North Legal, which represents the church, <a href="https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/2015777060422053953">told</a> Fox &amp; Friends on Monday morning, “What I would say here is we have a situation where rights were violated, those rights have to be protected, and there is a law here that can be accessed to ensure those protections. We are thankful that the Department of Justice is moving swiftly to make sure that happens, and the church will continue to evaluate their legal options to make sure that churches in Minnesota, and especially Cities Church, are protected.”
Last week, Carlson issued a statement in which she said, &#8220;The First Amendment does not allow premeditated plots or coordinated actions to violate the sanctity of a sanctuary, disrupt worship, and intimidate small children. There is no &#8216;press pass&#8217; to invade a sanctuary or to conspire to interrupt religious services. The Constitution protects citizens from threats against fundamental rights by the government, but it also requires government to protect those same rights when they are jeopardized by private actors.”
Doug Wardlow, director of litigation for True North Legal, added, &#8220;The First Amendment protects the God-given rights of every American to assemble and to worship God. It does not give anyone the right to invade a church and terrorize worshippers. That&#8217;s a federal crime: the FACE Act prohibits intimidating or interfering with people worshipping in a church. It is outrageous that, instead of doing their jobs and protecting Minnesotans&#8217; rights, state officials like Keith Ellison choose to mock the invasion of a church. &#8230; We are thankful for the Justice Department&#8217;s swift action, and we are exploring all legal options to protect the church and prevent further invasions.&#8221;

Gavel on desk

Cities Church Weighs Legal Action Against Anti-ICE Protesters Who Stormed Sunday Service

Anti-ICE

The Department of Homeland Security revealed new details about last weekend&#8217;s invasion of Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, including an account from one victim who broke her arm while fleeing the building, reportedly telling local police, &#8220;they were terrorized, our children were weeping, college students and young women were sobbing, it was impactful and it will take time to work through.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
USA: New details have emerged, and the invasion of Cities Church in Minneapolis was even worse than originally believed.
For example, Leftists blocked stairs so Christian parents couldn’t get to their children at Sunday School.
One Christian child was told their parents were… <a href="https://t.co/WK0ZFMLOQz">pic.twitter.com/WK0ZFMLOQz</a>
&mdash; Christian Emergency Alliance (@ChristianEmerg1) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChristianEmerg1/status/2015574277081497759?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Three people were arrested over the incident: activists Nekima Levy Armstrong and Chauntyll Louisa Allen, who reportedly organized the invasion, along with William Kelly, an anti-ICE activist. All three were <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/church-protest-arestees-released-nekima-levy-armstrong/">released</a> from custody on Friday.
Another church member said congregants tried to reach their children in a downstairs childcare area but were blocked from using the stairs by agitators, preventing parents from getting to their children, according to a report from DHS special agent Timothy M. Gerber. The report adds that “Victim 4 recalled one agitator was threatening, aggressive, and intimidating towards parishioners. Additionally, this agitator was screaming and getting in people&#8217;s faces, to include women and young children.”
“Victim 6 was scared the agitators were not going to let people leave and that they were going to harm victim 1&#8217;s family for harboring victim 1,” Gerber noted. “Victim 6 later stated protesters followed and surrounded them in their car and would not let them leave. Victim 6 informed agents that their face is on the Cities Church website, and they are afraid people will try and come to their house at night. Victim 6 recalled his child stating to him ‘Daddy, I thought you were going to die.’ Victim 6 ended the interview and acknowledged that his children are traumatized.”
“Victim 6 recalled Kelly screaming ‘Nazi’ in people&#8217;s faces, in addition to confronting children, saying, ‘Do you know your parents are Nazis, they&#8217;re going to burn in hell,’” he noted.
“During the course of the investigation, agents discovered a flyer posted on Instagram by &#8220;racialjusticemn&#8221; and &#8220;nekimal,&#8221; advertising Operation Pullup on Sunday January 18, 10:00 a.m. sharp, at Cub Foods Parking Lot (Midway Area, St. Paul),” Gerber wrote. “Nekimal is Armstrong’s personal Instagram account.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🚨HORRIFYING NEW DETAILS
The invasion of Cities Church was even worse than we thought. 
Agitators blocked stairs so &quot;parents were unable to get to their children&quot; at Sunday School.😡
One told a kid, &quot;Do you know your parents are Nazis, they&#39;re going to burn in hell?&quot;
🧵1/7 <a href="https://t.co/DUNPRdECGa">pic.twitter.com/DUNPRdECGa</a>
&mdash; Tyler O&#39;Neil (@Tyler2ONeil) <a href="https://twitter.com/Tyler2ONeil/status/2015520247898427874?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&nbsp;

Federal Agents Descend On Minneapolis For Immigration Enforcement Operations

Anti-ICE Protest At Minnesota Church Blocked Parents From Their Children, DHS Says

Leftists

St. Paul

St. Paul Democratic Mayor Kaohly Her made excuses for the protesters who crashed a church service on Sunday, arguing that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents had effectively set the precedent by enforcing federal immigration law in &#8220;sacred&#8221; spaces like public schools.
Her, who was just elected mayor in November, spoke with CNN anchor Erin Burnett on Tuesday&#8217;s broadcast of &#8220;Erin Burnett Outfront,&#8221; and although she initially tried to claim that she did not support protesters disrupting Sunday worship services, she immediately pivoted to blame ICE for scaring the community to the point that they felt they didn&#8217;t have a choice.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NEW: St Paul&#8217;s mayor, Kaohly Her, speaks for what is believed to be the first time publicly about the Christian church that was stormed in her city, days after it happened, when asked about it on CNN. Saying ICE lead the way by going into sacred places&#8230;
&#8220;I don’t ever… <a href="https://t.co/9xtmCwKqFa">pic.twitter.com/9xtmCwKqFa</a>
— Matt Finn (@MattFinnFNC) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattFinnFNC/status/2013943896733024353?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 21, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;I will say that ICE has led the way in their charge of going onto school properties and detaining people from places that should be just as well kept sacred,&#8221; she began. &#8220;And so we responded the exact same way we would have at any place of worship.&#8221;
Her noted that local police had arrived at the scene, but then said that she could not make additional comments because the investigation was still ongoing. She once again declared that the situation would not have been handled any differently at any other place of worship.
Burnett asked then if Her&#8217;s claim — that ICE had effectively started the tit-for-tat — meant that she thought it was acceptable for the protesters to do the same.
&#8220;I don’t ever believe that it is OK for us to cross the line in which there are spaces in which people have certain rights and freedoms,&#8221; Her said, but immediately pivoted to add, &#8220;But I will say that if this government wants us to obey rule of law that they also need to follow that as well and that they cannot expect residents who are feeling terrorized and sieged to be operating under any different circumstances or any different rules than they are operating in.&#8221;

Kaohly Her, St. Paul, Minn. mayor-elect

St. Paul’s Democrat Mayor Makes Excuses For Church-Crashing Protesters

St. Paul Mayor Makes Excuses For Church-Crashing Protesters

Media

Politics

Protesters

After a group of leftist activists and ex-CNN host Don Lemon disrupted a church service in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Sunday, on Monday Lemon hosted Minnesota attorney general Keith Ellison on a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXtqt_ovbsQ">podcast</a>, where Ellison insisted that the activists had a right to disrupt the service.
The Daily Wire reported:
<blockquote>
Dozens of protesters crowded into Cities Church in St. Paul on Sunday as part of a “clandestine operation” to “disrupt business as usual,” activist leader Nekima Levy-Armstrong told Lemon, who embedded with the protest group. The protest lasted roughly 30 minutes and effectively ended the church service as it drove congregants out.
</blockquote>
Lemon asked Ellison about the church invasion, prompting this response:
<blockquote>
The protest is fundamental to American society; this country started in a protest. It’s freedom of expression; people have a right to lift up their voices and make their peace. None of us are immune from the voice of the public. Quite honestly, I think that you got the First Amendment, freedom of religion and the freedom of First Amendment and freedom of expression. I think it’s just something you gotta live with in a society like this.
</blockquote>
Ellison ignored the 1994 FACE Act, which made it to prevent people from exercising religious freedom at places of worship. It<a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/248"> states</a>: “Whoever by force or threat of force or by physical obstruction, intentionally injures, intimidates or interferes with or attempts to injure intimidate, or interfere with any person lawfully exercising or seeking to exercise the First Amendment right of religious freedom at a place of religious worship” could be prosecuted under the law.
“This administration is real tender about things when it comes to their own interest,” Ellison claimed. “But they don’t care about the same things when the things don’t lie in their favor. So they’re getting tender about a church service now.”
“They’re arresting people in clinics, schools, churches, anywhere they choose to do it,” he alleged. “They don’t really care about sacred and sensitive places unless it works in their favor.”
Ellison somehow segued to President Trump’s criticism of Jimmy Kimmel for his remarks about the death of Charlie Kirk, then threw in this completely unrelated remark about Trump: “The mad king won’t let you say jokes about him.”
Tim Pearce contributed to this article.

Keith Ellison

Keith Ellison Defends Disruption Of Minnesota Church Service After Leftist Protest

MixCollage-19-Jan-2026-05-19-PM-4826

It’s Time: We Need To Start Arresting Liberal Lunatics Like Don Lemon — Now

It's Time: We Need To Start Arresting Liberal Lunatics Like Don Lemon — Now

Matt Walsh

Opinion

The former president of Ireland, Mary McAleese, has claimed baptism denies babies their human rights.
Her comments were highlighted in an article in the <a href="https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2026/01/11/mary-mcaleese-baptism-is-a-key-catholic-recruitment-tool-it-denies-babies-their-human-rights/">Irish Times</a> with the headline: “Mary McAleese: Baptism denies babies their human rights.”
This woman is nominally Catholic, but doesn’t agree with the teaching or practice of the Catholic Church. I believe she is a canon lawyer, but somehow she was radicalized. She also says this is the real issue we need to focus on — the great injustice in the world today.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
No one is Catholic by birth and the notion of ‘Baptismal promises’ is risible, writes Mary McAleese <a href="https://t.co/8WopKFeMhi">https://t.co/8WopKFeMhi</a>
— The Irish Times (@IrishTimes) <a href="https://twitter.com/IrishTimes/status/2010386279486136346?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Credit: @IrishTimes/X.com
She’s not a prelate. She’s not a theologian. She’s a politician. And she says the real injustice, the real violation of human rights in our world, is not immigration, not foreign policy, not the economy, not how we treat the poor. It’s not even abortion, the wholesale slaughter of little babies, no — it’s baptism.
It’s difficult to see how one arrives at that conclusion or that obsession without demonic influence. Now, I’m not someone who says there’s a demon under every rock. We live in a world where the material and immaterial are not totally separable, nevertheless, I’m not demon-hunting all the time.
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1889-president-trump-fights-anti-white-racism?elementPosition=6&amp;row=2&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel">WATCH: The Michael Knowles Show</a></h3>
It’s very difficult to understand how the former president of Ireland can say the great human rights violation of our time is baptizing babies. Because it is supposedly “bad.&#8221;
One could try to give her the benefit of the doubt. Maybe you could argue that infant baptism is technically a violation of human rights because, after the Fall, humans deserve death. Sin and death pervade the world, and in our fallen nature what we deserve is death, and baptism saves us from death.
Many people have different views of baptism, but you do see it in Scripture. Our Lord <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2019%3A14&amp;version=RSVCE">says</a>, “Let the little children come to Me.” You see baptisms of children in the book of Acts multiple times. In 1 Peter 3:21, <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Peter%203%3A20-22&amp;version=NKJV">Saint Peter essentially says</a> baptism now saves you. There are many theological discussions about what that means exactly, but baptism is what demarcates us as Christians. Plenty of people disagree with infant baptism, but it is the traditional practice of the Catholic Church.
But setting those theological debates aside, the closest one could get to her argument is that baptism denies babies their human rights insofar as it saves them from the consequences of the Fall of man. And that’s a good thing. Isn’t that a good thing?
My last point: this woman, who says baptism violates babies’ human rights, supports abortion. She supports legally murdering babies in the womb, but not baptizing them once they are born. The only way to reach that conclusion is either to follow the perversity of liberalism to its end, or through demonic influence. I don’t see any other explanation.
And it really makes me raise an eyebrow at other Left-wing politicians.

Inauguration of Ireland’s New President Connolly

Former President Of Ireland Claims Baptism Denies Babies Their Human Rights

Abortion

babies

Baptism

Catholic Church

Catholics

Christianity

Infants

Ireland

Michael Knowles

(Reuters) &#8211; Two people were killed, and at least six others were injured in a shooting during an altercation outside a funeral at a church in the Utah capital of Salt Lake City, police said on Wednesday, as they launched a manhunt for suspects.
The situation was still fluid after Wednesday&#8217;s initial report of the incident in the parking lot outside a chapel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a police spokesperson said.
&#8220;Out in the parking lot, there was some sort of altercation and that&#8217;s when shots were fired,&#8221; Glen Mills told reporters, adding that a funeral service was being held in the church at the time.
Among at least eight adult victims, two died of their injuries, the police said, while three of the survivors were critical and the medical condition of the rest was not known.
Police said they launched a manhunt for the suspects and aimed to interview witnesses among the dozens of people who attended the funeral. The FBI said it was offering assistance.
&#8220;We don&#8217;t believe this was a targeted attack against a religion or anything like that,&#8221; a police officer told a later press conference on live television.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the Mormon church, follows the teachings of Jesus Christ and the 19th-century prophecies of Joseph Smith.
In a statement, it said it was cooperating with law enforcement after a serious incident outside a church meeting-house as a memorial service was being held in the chapel.
&#8220;We extend prayers for all who have been impacted by this tragedy and express deep concern that any sacred space intended for worship should be subjected to violence of any kind,&#8221; it added.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Michelle Nichols and Clarence Fernandez)
&nbsp;

Violence Strikes Salt Lake City Church As Shooting Leaves Two Dead

Crime

Mormonism

Salt Lake City

U.S.

Utah

A tremor is moving through Armenia. It is not shaking its borders or its mountains. It is moving through the spiritual heart of the world’s first Christian nation. The Armenian Apostolic Church, the ancient institution that carried a people through genocide, exile, and the long shadow of Soviet repression, now stands in the center of an escalating national confrontation. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s government has <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/armenia-order-arrest-senior-priest-over-alleged-coup-plot-triggers-scuffles-2025-06-27/">accused leading church figures</a>, including Catholicos Karekin II, of political meddling and moral misconduct. Church leaders and their supporters insist that the government is attempting to silence a sacred institution that has preserved Armenian identity through centuries of persecution. To understand the significance of this confrontation, it is important to consider how both the government and the Church explain the actions that have unfolded since early summer.
Since June, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s government has said its actions against senior clerics are lawful investigations tied to alleged criminal conduct and concerns about political destabilization during a sensitive period for Armenia’s security and peace negotiations. Church leaders and critics counter that the arrests, including the recent detention of <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/armenian-archbishop-arrested-drug-related-charges-amid-crackdown-clerics-2025-12-05/">Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan</a> on revived drug-related charges, amount to political pressure on the Armenian Apostolic Church and raise serious questions about religious freedom and state overreach.
The truth of these accusations remains contested. The facts are intertwined with political tension, historical memory, and the understandable anxieties of a nation that has endured repeated national trauma. Yet this controversy is about more than the conduct of any particular leader. It is about the role faith continues to play in shaping the conscience of a modern society. It is about whether institutions that helped form the Armenian nation can still speak with moral authority in an age that increasingly demands their silence.
In much of the West, faith is often treated as a personal preference or a cultural accessory, reduced to one choice among many in an age defined by individual identity. Yet faith has never been sustained by ease. It is shaped by conflict, sacrifice, and transformation. The Armenian Church has survived empires, invasions, massacres, political manipulation, and ideological pressure that sought to erase it. It has weathered the weakness of its leaders, the failures of its institutions, and the pressures of hostile governments. Through all of this, it has remained a source of identity and hope for its people.
Americans should see something familiar in this moment. We, too, have seen spiritual disappointment in every corner of our own religious landscape. We have witnessed the failures of pastors, priests, bishops, and spiritual leaders who lost their way. Yet the endurance of faith despite human failures reminds us that no institution stands or falls on the perfection of its leaders. A church draws its strength from the conviction of its people and from a shared belief that truth is larger than any one individual.
This insight matters not only for religion but also for politics. Mature societies understand that institutions must outlast personalities. A democracy cannot survive if it relies on the strength of a single figure. A church cannot survive if it places all of its hope in the purity of one clergyman. The resilience of a nation rests in the covenant of shared responsibility, shared belief, and shared accountability.
<div id="attachment_1014245" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1014245" class="size-large wp-image-1014245" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-1487435283-864x576.jpg" alt="Tatev, Armenia. Sunrise view of 9th-century Armenian Apostolic monastery located near the Tatev village in Armenia." width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-1487435283-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-1487435283-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-1487435283-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-1487435283-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-1487435283-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-1487435283-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-1487435283-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Tatev, Armenia. 9th-century Armenian Apostolic monastery located near the Tatev village in Armenia. Anton Petrus. Getty Images.</div>
Armenia’s struggle also reveals something essential about freedom. Under Soviet rule, the Armenian Church was monitored, restricted, and infiltrated by state authorities, making open criticism dangerous or impossible. In a free Armenia, citizens can question both political leaders and church authorities. Such questioning might be loud and painful, but it is proof of democratic life. Freedom requires discernment. A society must learn how to confront wrongdoing without destroying the institutions that hold its moral memory.
None of this diminishes the seriousness of the concerns raised on both sides. If the Church has tolerated harmful practices, it must face that reality with honesty and courage. If the state is using the language of justice to exert political pressure, it must stop before it undermines the very democratic values it claims to protect. The state exists to govern. The Church exists to guide conscience. When each respects the purpose of the other, both flourish.
This moment also calls for humility among believers. It is easy to demand perfection from spiritual leaders and then abandon the Church when those leaders fail. Yet the endurance of Christianity has never depended on perfect leadership. It has grown through crises that forced communities to seek renewal, accountability, and deeper integrity. Faith is not destroyed by human weakness. It is strengthened when weakness is confronted with truth.
For that reason, the crisis in Armenia may ultimately bring spiritual renewal. A Church that survived genocide, communism, and the attempt to erase its identity will not collapse because of a political controversy. It may emerge more transparent, more accountable, and more prepared to meet the longing of a new generation that desires authenticity from every institution. And if the government learns that the Church remains an essential guardian of Armenian identity, then this moment of strain may lead to a healthier balance between state authority and spiritual influence.
Americans should pay attention to this moment. We live in a time of deep skepticism toward every institution. We have grown accustomed to believing that a single failure invalidates the entire structure. Armenia offers a humbling reminder. Imperfection is not the opposite of strength. It is the environment in which renewal can take root if people refuse to surrender to cynicism.
The world’s first Christian nation is wrestling with its soul. It is rediscovering a timeless truth. The endurance of faith is not measured by the virtue of its leaders, but by the resolve of its people to preserve what is true even when the ground beneath them is shaking. That is a message America needs to hear now more than ever.
* * *
Bishop Dr. Paul Murray is a global religious freedom advocate and nonprofit executive with more than three decades of experience working at the intersection of faith, human rights, and public life. He serves as CEO of <a href="https://www.savearmenia.us/">Save Armenia</a> and is an adjunct professor at <a href="https://www.indwes.edu/academics/seminary/">Indiana Wesleyan University</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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Artsakh-Diocese-in-Etchmiadzin-Armenia

Armenia’s Spiritual Earthquake And The Warning America Cannot Ignore

Armenia

Armenians

Communism

genocide

Investigation

Middle East

Persecution

Soviet Union

The Notre-Dame Cathedral of Paris has been granted a rare special dispensation to host a wedding for a carpenter who helped rebuild it after the devastating 2019 fire.
Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulrich granted special permission for the ceremony to thank Martin Lorentz for devoting his time and talent to helping rebuild the cathedral, per <a href="https://www.ncregister.com/blog/notre-dame-dream-wedding">The National Catholic Register</a>.
Notre-Dame is not a parish church, so weddings aren’t usually allowed and require special dispensation from the archbishop. The last known wedding was in 1995, the outlet noted. Dispensations for nuptial ceremonies have only been granted a few times in the cathedral’s 860-year history.
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Lorentz married Jade on October 25 in the renowned cathedral he helped restore, as 500 guests looked on, including other carpenters who worked on the project.  
“I just want to say that this is the best day of my life. I don’t think I can say anything else,” the groom told reporters after the ceremony, per a translated news <a href="https://www.franceinfo.fr/culture/patrimoine/incendie-de-notre-dame-de-paris/reouverture/notre-dame-de-paris-le-mariage-d-exception-d-un-charpentier-et-sa-compagne-celebre-dans-la-cathedrale_7575280.html">article</a> published on France Info. “I want to share my love, our love, with the whole world, with everyone who needs it.”
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“It’s incredible to see this happen,” a fellow carpenter who attended the event told the outlet. “It was a wonderful moment to end like that, to get married in our cathedral, which is a bit like home to us.”
Notre-Dame reopened on December 8, 2024, with Archbishop Ulrich presiding. The ceremony with French President Emmanuel Macron featured 1,500 guests, including major world leaders like then-President-elect Donald Trump, then-First Lady Jill Biden, Prince William, Elon Musk, and others. 
The massive restoration process reportedly cost more than $700 million.
French authorities have said they suspect the fire started due to a lit cigarette or a faulty electrical connection, but The New York Times noted in 2024 that the investigation was ongoing and the cause “may never be determined.”

Notre-Dame Cathedral

From Restoration To Celebration: Notre-Dame Cathedral Honors Carpenter With First Wedding In Decades

Notre-Dame Cathedral Hosts First Wedding In 30 Years For Carpenter Who Helped Rebuild It

France

Notre Dame Cathedral

Paris

Religion

World

Virginia State House Speaker Don Scott, a Democrat, took to the pulpit at Mount Calvary Baptist Church on Sunday, where he cautioned members of the congregation not to be “distracted” by apparently insignificant details like text messages in the lead-up to an important election.
The reference was obvious, as Scott’s impassioned speech came just 48 hours after Jay Jones — the Democratic nominee for attorney general in his state — found himself at the center of a text scandal of his own making. In resurfaced messages from 2022, Jones had openly advocated for the assassination of a political opponent — and had said that he’d attend the funerals of Republican lawmakers to “piss on their graves.”
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Here is the current Speaker of the House in Virginia, in a church pulpit, telling congregants to ignore Jay Jones&#8217;s call for the assassination of the prior Speaker and murder of his kids because…politics. Where is The Bulwark? Where are Dem leaders? <a href="https://t.co/titRtnAmIt">pic.twitter.com/titRtnAmIt</a>
— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) <a href="https://twitter.com/EWErickson/status/1974907347920474517?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
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“So we need to understand something,” he said from the pulpit. “We have to be mature in our thinking and how we vote. We can’t get distracted ’cause they want us to get distracted by the text messages here, or something else — stay focused!”
Critics were not impressed with Scott’s performance and said so.
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“When Speaker Johnson quotes Bible verses or when Senator Rubio shares the gospel, the usual suspects warn of a dangerous new theocracy. But stuff like this happens all the time in leftist churches and it’s crickets,” one posted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
When Speaker Johnson quotes Bible verses or when Senator Rubio shares the gospel, the usual suspects warn of a dangerous new theocracy. But stuff like this happens all the time in progressive churches and it’s crickets. I talk about this in my new book: <a href="https://t.co/Y696LDdF8v">https://t.co/Y696LDdF8v</a> <a href="https://t.co/ENcsHp7OV4">https://t.co/ENcsHp7OV4</a>
— Daniel Darling (@dandarling) <a href="https://twitter.com/dandarling/status/1974917680521199863?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
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“I don’t know what to make of how radical the @vademocrats are. We are a purple-ish state. We have a Republican governor. Our legislature has a lot of Republican members. You can ‘what about Trump’ all day long. I didn’t vote for him over comments that are FAR less disturbing than calling for corrective political violence directed at children. No part of this is okay,” another posted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I don’t know what to make of how radical the <a href="https://twitter.com/vademocrats?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@vademocrats</a> are. We are a purple-ish state. We have a Republican governor. Our legislature has a lot of Republican members. You can “what about Trump” all day long. I didn’t vote for him over comments that are FAR less disturbing than… <a href="https://t.co/30DWHFpyGM">https://t.co/30DWHFpyGM</a>
— Corie Whalen (@CorieWhalen) <a href="https://twitter.com/CorieWhalen/status/1974934714223038801?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
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“Absolutely wild that he calls the messages (and subsequent phone calls) where Jay Jones doubles down on bloodlust ’a distraction.’ Don&#8217;t get &#8216;distracted&#8217; by a guy relishing a mother holding her dead child. &#8216;Stay focused,&#8217; he says. This is nauseating,” another said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Absolutely wild that he calls the messages (and subsequent phone calls) where Jay Jones doubles down on bloodlust &#8220;a distraction.&#8221; Don&#8217;t get &#8220;distracted&#8221; by a guy relishing a mother holding her dead child. &#8220;Stay focused,&#8221; he says.
This is nauseating. <a href="https://t.co/rh35e4l7a0">https://t.co/rh35e4l7a0</a>
— Rachel Bovard (@rachelbovard) <a href="https://twitter.com/rachelbovard/status/1975213172169801839?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 6, 2025</a></blockquote>
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“Don’t get distracted by a Democrat’s stated desire to murder a Republican and his children, he preached from the pulpit,” Guy Benson summed it up.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Don’t get distracted by a Democrat’s stated desire to murder a Republican and his children, he preached from the pulpit <a href="https://t.co/OBT1atqMlI">https://t.co/OBT1atqMlI</a>
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) <a href="https://twitter.com/guypbenson/status/1974928099818238167?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
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RICHMOND, VA – MARCH 8: Don L. Scott Jr. (D-Portsmouth) listens

Virginia House Speaker Uses Church Pulpit To Double Down On Jay Jones

Virginia State House Speaker Uses Church Pulpit To Double Down On Jay Jones

Democrats

Elections

Jay Jones

Political Violence

Virginia

Federal authorities believe that the 40-year-old man accused of opening fire at a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and killing four worshipers in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan, on Sunday &#8220;hated people of the Mormon faith,&#8221; White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told &#8220;Fox &amp; Friends.&#8221;
During an interview on Monday morning, Leavitt said that based on her conversations with FBI Director Kash Patel, &#8220;All they know right now is this was an individual who hated people of the Mormon faith, and they are trying to understand more about this, how premeditated it was, how much planning went into it, whether he left a note.&#8221;
&#8220;All of those questions have yet to be answered, but certainly will be answered by the FBI,&#8221; Leavitt added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
FOX NEWS ALERT: <a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PressSec</a> reveals the suspect in the Michigan church shooting “hated people of the Mormon faith.” <a href="https://t.co/IriLn85r0H">pic.twitter.com/IriLn85r0H</a>
— FOX &amp; Friends (@foxandfriends) <a href="https://twitter.com/foxandfriends/status/1972645008907051221?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Authorities have not said whether any writings or information point to a specific motive in the attack, but Leavitt said that the FBI is executing &#8220;multiple search warrants at the residences and family homes&#8221; of the suspected shooter.
The suspected gunman was identified as Thomas Jacob Sanford, a U.S. Marine veteran who was deployed to Iraq for nearly seven months in 2007. The 40-year-old man had no criminal history and lived in Burton, Michigan, which borders Grand Blanc Township. The pickup truck the alleged shooter used in the attack had two American flags displayed in its bed. In a photo uploaded to Facebook in 2019, the gunman was pictured wearing a &#8220;Trump 2020&#8221; shirt that read, &#8220;Make Liberals Cry Again,&#8221; NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/what-we-know-thomas-jacob-sanford-suspect-michigan-church-shooting-rcna234309">reported</a>.
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The attacker was carrying explosive devices when he drove his Chevy Silverado into the church building on Sunday, but authorities said it was unclear if he used them. Officials believe that the gunman used gas to start a fire in the church, a blaze that engulfed the entire building. The 40-year-old veteran allegedly opened fire on congregants with a semiautomatic rifle. Two people were killed from gunshot wounds, and two more people were found dead in the church after first responders arrived. Another eight people were wounded in the attack.
Police responded to the shooting within 30 seconds and pursued the shooter to a parking lot behind the church, where the suspect was shot and killed.
On Sunday night, the FBI asked anyone with information about the attack to contact 1-800-CALL-FBI or visit <a href="https://tips.fbi.gov/home">tips.fbi.gov</a>.

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