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>.
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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

Catholic Church

Pope Francis

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/the-vatican" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Vatican</a> on Wednesday clarified several questions regarding people who have received transgender medical treatments, same-sex couples, and Catholic sacraments.
The Vatican&#8217;s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, which exists to defend Catholic doctrine, published a <a href="https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_ddf_20231031-documento-mons-negri.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">document</a> on Wednesday responding to six controversial questions submitted by a Brazilian bishop over the summer.
Some of the questions <a href="https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/ddf-responds-to-transgender-dubia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dealt with</a> whether a transgender person can be baptized, serve as a godparent at a baptism, or be a witness at a wedding. The other questions dealt with whether a same-sex couple&#8217;s child can be baptized and whether a cohabiting person in a same-sex relationship can be a godparent or witness at a wedding.
On the first transgender question, the Vatican responded that a person who has received gender surgery or hormone treatment can be baptized “under the same conditions as other believers, if there are no situations in which there is a risk of generating public scandal, or disorientation among the faithful.”
Children and teens with “problems of a transgender nature” can also be baptized if they are well prepared and willing to receive the sacrament, the Vatican said.
The Vatican cautioned, however, that when a person is baptized &#8220;without repentance for grave sins, the subject does not receive sanctifying grace, although he receives the sacramental character.&#8221;
&#8220;In any case, the Church must always remind us to fully live all the implications of the baptism received, which must always be understood and deployed within the entire path of Christian initiation,&#8221; the document stated.
On the godparent issue, the Vatican said people who have undergone transgender medical treatment can serve as godparents “under certain conditions.”
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“However, since this task does not constitute a right, pastoral prudence demands that it not be permitted if there is a risk of scandal, undue legitimation or disorientation in the educational sphere of the ecclesial community,” the Vatican document said.
On the questions regarding same-sex couples and baptism, the Vatican said that a priest baptizing a child must have a “founded hope” that the baptized child will be raised Catholic, as Catholic canon law establishes.
The Vatican also noted that canon law states that a godparent should be a Catholic who has received the sacrament of Confirmation and someone “who leads a life of faith in keeping with the function to be taken on.”
The case is &#8220;different&#8221; when it comes to cohabitating same-sex couples in a &#8220;stable and declared&#8221; sexual union that is &#8220;well known by the community,&#8221; the Vatican said.
The Catholic Church does not sanction same-sex marriage.
On the wedding witness questions, the Vatican said there is no rule preventing a person who has undergone transgender treatment or a cohabiting person in a same-sex relationship from serving as a witness.
The document was signed by Pope Francis last month, as well as the Dicastery&#8217;s new prefect Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández.
In recent years, there has been much speculation around whether Pope Francis would change the Catholic Church&#8217;s approach to LGBT people.
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.

Pope Francis Visits Sweden  – Day 1

People Who Got Transgender Surgery Can Be Baptized And Be Godparents Under Certain Conditions, Vatican Clarifies

Catholicism

Gender

Religion

The Vatican

Transgender

World

VATICAN CITY — The 2023 session of the Synod on Synodality, a general assembly of Bishops, has come to a close, and with it highly anticipated <a href="https://x.com/breeadail/status/1718359539030827109?s=20">answers</a> to lingering questions as to whether the Catholic Church will ordain women and bless homosexual unions. 
In the 42-page <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/680731750/Synod-on-Synodality-Summary-Report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">summary document</a>, presented to Pope Francis and published in Italian late Saturday evening, the participants — many of whom were personally chosen by the Roman Pontiff — reiterated the Catholic Church’s “closeness,” love, and compassion for individuals who endure “loneliness” as a result of abiding by Church teaching, to include sexual ethics. 
Found nowhere in the document, however, was the acronym “LGBTQ+,” let alone the proposal towards “<a href="https://www.katholisch.de/artikel/48175-baetzing-nach-weltsynode-kirche-wuenscht-ueberarbeitung-der-sexualmoral">blessings” of such individuals</a> or their unions — despite <a href="https://cruxnow.com/2023-consistory-and-synod-for-synodality/2023/10/pope-offers-cautious-yes-on-blessing-some-same-sex-unions-no-on-woman-priests">rumors</a> published by several <a href="https://twitter.com/dianemontagna/status/1702389741902242065">activists</a>. 
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Should the Synod approve the “blessing of homosexual couples [or] female diaconate,” ++Müller said “every ecclesiastical official would have lost his authority &amp; no Catholic would be obliged any longer to religiously obey a heretic or schismatic bishop.” My final English text 👇: <a href="https://t.co/GboCGU4Wl3">pic.twitter.com/GboCGU4Wl3</a>
&mdash; Diane Montagna (@dianemontagna) <a href="https://twitter.com/dianemontagna/status/1702389741902242065?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 14, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The document also focused on the vital role women play within the Church, but failed to obtain enough votes to support a proposal of ordination of women to the diaconate. The question was tabled, however, for “further discussion” during the <a href="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252560/pope-francis-announces-decision-to-extend-synod-on-synodality-to-2024#:~:text=16,%20the%20pope%20shared%20his,October%202023%20and%20October%202024.">second session of the Synod in 2024</a>, even though the Pope has <a href="https://www.romereports.com/en/2023/10/26/pope-francis-shuts-down-question-of-female-ordination/">reiterated</a> once again no such “reform” would or could be made under his pontificate. Such continued discussions suggest that future reform has not yet been fully rejected.
To note, the absence of the <a href="https://international.la-croix.com/news/vatican-diary/the-synod-and-the-germans/18474#:~:text=The%20Synod's%20general%20secretariat%20announced,source%20within%20the%20Roman%20Curia.">German-speaking working group</a> throughout this session seemed to suggest a possible Papal response to the results of a <a href="https://x.com/breeadail/status/1634290516211957760?s=20">March vote and schism</a> within the country. Thirty-eight of a total of 58 German Bishops voted to approve “blessing” irregular unions, including homosexual — seeming to directly oppose <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/world/pope-francis-warns-german-bishops-changing-teachings-not-lawful-causes-churches-rot-die">stern warnings</a> from Pope Francis the summer prior, in 2022. 
&#8220;Germany does not have the power to compel the bishops and the faithful to adopt new ways of governance and new approaches to doctrine and morals,&#8221; the statement read. &#8220;Prior to an agreed understanding at the level of the universal Church, it would not be permissible to initiate new official structures or doctrines in the dioceses, which would represent a wound to ecclesial communion and a threat to the unity of the Church.” 
Nevertheless, after the spring vote was conducted in Germany, reports of <a href="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/247603/german-catholics-defy-vatican-with-blessing-ceremonies-for-same-sex-couples">rebellion</a> against the Vatican’s directives quickly surfaced, with reports of priests conducting “blessing ceremonies” for same-sex couples, adding <a href="https://www.ncregister.com/interview/cardinal-mueller-on-synod-on-synodality-a-hostile-takeover-of-the-church-of-jesus-christ-we-must-resist">fuel</a> to ideological provocateurs.
Reactions to the details within the document were as swift as they were varied — from relief that the rumors were abated to <a href="https://x.com/joshjmcelwee/status/1718359065389076698?s=20">disappointment</a> in the lack of “progressive” results. Participants also expressed frustration and dismay over rising costs during a time of “<a href="https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/pope-francis-raises-cardinals-rent">financial crisis</a>” in the Vatican.
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<div id="attachment_645875" style="width: 811px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-645875" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-645875" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1764803430-801x576.jpg" alt="Pope Francis presides over the Holy Mass for the conclusion of the Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. Vatican City (Vatican), October 29th, 2023 (Photo by Grzegorz Galazka/Archivio Grzegorz Galazka/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images)" width="801" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1764803430-801x576.jpg 801w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1764803430-300x216.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1764803430-768x552.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1764803430.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 801px) 100vw, 801px" />Pope Francis presides over the Holy Mass for the conclusion of the Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. Vatican City (Vatican), October 29th, 2023 (Photo by Grzegorz Galazka/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images)</div>
<a href="https://www.elizabeth-lev.com/about" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elizabeth Lev</a>, an author and Vatican historian based in Rome, commented: “My first thought regarding the document and its proceedings, is how odd it is that a Church document be discussed by what it doesn&#8217;t contain vs that which it does….suggest(ing) a partisan nature to the whole business.” 
Lev responded to The Daily Wire, through email. She continued by pointing out that the summary document seems to have methodically buried the essential role of the Church. “Where is the uniqueness of Christianity? That singular message of the Good News that transformed the world 2,000 years ago?” She asked. “There is much talk of adapting the message, finding more inclusive language, and making it understandable (or palatable) for the people of today, but over the centuries illiterate people were able to understand what God wants from us, the message was brought to the farthest reaches of the planet without a worldwide web and was so convincingly understood that people were ready and willing to die for it. The church used beauty, it used hope, it used a guiding light in darkness in its art and architecture to match its message. What makes Catholic Christianity special today?”
When asked by The Daily Wire if she, as a historian, recognized historical similarities to those controversies leading up to this Synod, Lev replied, “In so far as the history of the Church, there was a lot of controversy in how to address the contemporary problems in the age of Luther &#8211; should priests marry? Should the church relax marriage doctrine? etc. — so yes we have seen this before.”
Lev concluded, “The waters have been choppy before for the barque of Peter, but it always seems to right itself. As Cardinal Ercole Consalvi allegedly <a href="https://www.bromptonoratory.co.uk/provost-blog/2019/8/26/september-2019-letter-from-the-provost">noted</a> (responding to Napoleon Bonaparte’s threat that he had the power to destroy the Catholic Church), the Catholic clergy have been trying to destroy the church from within for 1,800 years but have never been able to succeed.”
* * *
This article has been edited for clarity. And earlier version stated there were no German representatives at the general assembly. They were in attendance, however, there was no German working group.

Pope Francis presides over the Holy Mass for the conclusion of the Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops

As Catholic General Assembly Of Bishops Adjourns, Questions Over Female Priests And Marriage Remain

Rome

VATICAN CITY — Cardinal Joseph Zen, the highly respected Bishop emeritus of Hong Kong, is cautioning his brother Cardinals to be aware of manipulation through slow-rolling novelties being introduce within the Vatican’s Synod on Synodality, according to a letter obtained by The Daily Wire. 
Zen, who was one of five Cardinals who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cardinals-press-pope-for-yes-or-no-answers-on-gay-marriage-ordination-of-women" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pressed Pope Francis</a> in July for definitive answers on hot button issues such as the blessing of gay marriage and ordination of women, writes in his letter that he, as one of the most elder Cardinals, feels &#8220;duty-bound&#8221; to speak out. 
&#8220;I am your confrere Joseph Zen from the far-off island of Hong Kong, a 91-year old man, ordained bishop more than 26 years ago,&#8221; Zen writes. &#8220;I write this letter because, conscious of being still in possession of my mental faculties, I feel duty-bound to safeguard &#8230; the sacred traditions of Catholic faith.&#8221;
Cardinal Zen closes his letter encouraging his brothers to raise their concerns with the Pope, and to be “courageous” in their participation in what he believes is a “Synod without precedents.” 
The Pope responded to the questions Zen issued in July, but the Cardinals said his responses needed clearer answers, and reformed their questions in August so that they might receive “yes or no” in return. Cardinal &#8220;Tucho&#8221; Fernandez, the new Prefect of the Dicastery of the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) and close confidant of the Pope, told ABC that his answers were more than sufficient, and signaled that there would be no further clarification.
Cardinal Joseph Zen, a member of the Salesian Order of missionaries, has long advocated for the Chinese people, often placing him at odds with the Vatican Secretariat of State and even receiving a snubbing by Pope Francis —in 2020, Zen traveled to the Vatican in an <a href="https://www.ncregister.com/interview/cardinal-zen-on-china-there-is-nothing-more-to-do-other-than-prayer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unsuccessful attempt</a> to meet with the Pope to discuss the Chinese Communist Party. 
Cardinal Zen closes his letter, encouraging his brothers to raise their concerns with the Pope, and to be “courageous” in their participation in what he believes is a “Synod without precedents.” 
The Synod, a summit on the direction of the Catholic Church in the 21st century, was opened by Pope Francis on Wednesday, and more than 400 have descended on the Vatican to participate. The Pope said its purpose is &#8220;to refocus our gaze on God, to be a church that looks mercifully at humanity.&#8221;
Zen, due to his old age, has said he will likely not travel to the Vatican again.
In his letter, he voices concerns that rhetoric propagated that the voice of the Faithful (voce popoli) somehow supersedes that of the Successors of the Apostles (Bishops), in almost a democratic way, contrary to the history and foundation of the Catholic Church. 
He also warns against a &#8220;novelty&#8221; for the modern century.
The letter, on letterhead and signed by the Cardinal on September 21st, is provided in full below, exclusively by The Daily Wire:
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View Of Saint Peters Square In Rome, Italy

Cardinal Encourages Brothers To Be ‘Courageous’ When Raising Concerns To Pope At Synod

Christianity

VATICAN CITY &#8211; Pope Francis has elevated a longtime friend and collaborator who once wrote a book about kissing to a key role inside the Vatican, <a href="https://twitter.com/ProtecttheFaith/status/1675106888428429312?s=20">sparking</a> controversy on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BreeADail/posts/pfbid02iQvfjCCpjstEdNNHcWQW16fjooFXPuRHM9k1nSm2JBe8oUYCNAahM7VhGsj2zcCJl">social media</a>. 
Francis made the announcement on Friday that Archbishop Víctor Manuel Fernández of La Plata, Argentina, would serve as the new Prefect of the Dicastery of the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF). Fernandez will officially take the position in mid-September.
Considered one of the top religious positions at the Vatican, the prefect is responsible for preserving Catholic doctrine in line with 2,000 years of history and tradition as well as evaluating disciplinary action against clergy through Canon Law (the law of the Catholic Church). 
Fernandez, 60, succeeds Cardinal Luis Francisco Ladaria Ferrer, SJ, who has held the position since 2017. The late Pope Benedict XVI also served as prefect from 1981 to 2005.
Archbishop Fernandez is known to be a close collaborator of Pope Francis and supported the drafting of some of the Pope&#8217;s most well-known written works, including Laudato Si (his book on care of the poor, the environment and ecology), and — most notably — Amoris Laetitia (On Pastoral Care of Families). 
Issued in 2016, Amoris Laetitia was Pope Francis’ document following the conclusion of his “Synod on the Family” — a series of meetings of the world’s bishops addressing modern challenges within families. His document <a href="https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-devil-in-footnote-351/">included footnotes</a>, however, that addressed providing the Sacraments to couples living in “irregular” unions, outside the bonds of Holy Matrimony, opening the way to divorced and remarried couples, along with others in “irregular” unions. This resulted in outcry from conservatives within the Church, who pointed to doctrine on the indissolubility of the Sacrament of Marriage between one woman and one man.
<a href="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/34915/these-four-cardinals-asked-pope-francis-to-clarify-amoris-laetitia">Four leading Cardinals, one of them an American, issued public “dubia,”</a> or doubts, directly challenging the Pope, to which he has never formally responded. 
Fernandez is a prolific writer, having written over 300 articles and books. But notably missing from a partial list of his works attached to the official announcement of his appointment was a 1995 book on kissing, titled &#8220;Heal Me With Your Mouth. The Art of Kissing.&#8221;
“This book was not written based on my own experience, but based on the lives of people who kiss,&#8221; Fernandez wrote. &#8220;In these pages I want to synthesize the popular feeling, what people feel when they think of a kiss, what mortals experience when they kiss. For that I chatted at length with many people who have abundant experience in this area, and also with many young people who learn to kiss in their own way…&#8221;
In his letter accompanying the announcement, Pope Francis acknowledged the challenges faced by the DDF and expressed his expectations for Archbishop Fernández&#8217;s tenure.
&#8220;The Dicastery over which you will preside in other times came to use immoral methods. Those were times when, rather than promoting theological knowledge, possible doctrinal errors were pursued. What I expect from you is undoubtedly something very different,&#8221; Francis wrote.
He also highlighted the importance of embracing “modern” and diverse perspectives within the Church. He encouraged Archbishop Fernández to foster an environment where different lines of philosophical, theological, and pastoral thought would be welcomed. 
&#8220;For &#8216;different lines of philosophical, theological and pastoral thought, if they allow themselves to be harmonized by the Spirit in respect and love, can also make the Church grow. This harmonious growth will preserve Christian doctrine more effectively than any mechanism of control,'&#8221; the pope wrote.
The Pope further emphasized that the Church should encourage theologians&#8217; charism (or inspiration/gift/anointing) and theological research. He urged Archbishop Fernández to avoid a &#8220;desk theology&#8221; approach, stating, &#8220;they are not content with a desk theology, a cold and hard logic that seeks to dominate everything.” Fernandez is to ensure, the pope writes, that all prior teachings “are coherent with the rich humus of the Church&#8217;s perennial teaching and at the same time embrace the recent Magisterium.”
Pope Francis also reminded Archbishop Fernández of the primary purpose of the DDF, which is to guard the faith — and instructed him not be distracted by scandals.
&#8220;Given that for disciplinary matters — related especially to the abuse of minors — a specific Section has recently been created with very competent professionals, I ask you as Prefect to dedicate your personal commitment in a more direct way to the main purpose of the Dicastery which is to &#8216;guard the faith,’&#8221; he wrote. 
In addition to his position as Prefect of the DDF, Fernandez will also become the President of the Pontifical Biblical Commission and the President of the International Theological Commission.

D0249009-8031-4698-9503-F629F17A518D_1_201_a

Pope Francis Elevates Archbishop Who Once Wrote A Book On Kissing To Top Vatican Post

Argentina

Legendary director <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/martin-scorsese">Martin Scorcese</a> met with <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/pope-francis">Pope Francis</a> during a tour of Italy after Cannes and announced he’ll be making a Jesus-focused film.
“I have responded to the Pope’s appeal to artists in the only way I know how: by imagining and writing a screenplay for a film about Jesus,” Scorsese said Saturday during a Rome conference at the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/catholicism">Vatican</a>, per multiple reports including <a href="https://variety.com/2023/film/global/martin-scorsese-pope-francis-film-about-jesus-1235627620/">Variety</a>. “And I’m about to start making it,” the director said. Insiders believe this may be Scorcese&#8217;s next project.
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Thank you to Martin <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Scorsese?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Scorsese</a> for accepting the invitation to join us of La Civiltà Cattolica and Georgetown University &#8211; along with his wife and daughter &#8211; in the meeting of 40 poets and writers from different Countries with <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PopeFrancesco?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PopeFrancesco</a>, who said among other things, &quot;This is… <a href="https://t.co/yG6bEyo2Wq">pic.twitter.com/yG6bEyo2Wq</a>
&mdash; Antonio Spadaro (@antoniospadaro) <a href="https://twitter.com/antoniospadaro/status/1662421653404491778?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The 80-year-old Hollywood icon also had a private meeting with Pope Francis prior to attending “The Global Aesthetics of the Catholic Imagination,” a conference organized by the Jesuit publication La Civiltà Cattolica and Georgetown University.
Editor of La Civiltà Cattolica Antonio Spadaro said on the publication’s website that Scorsese talked about “How the Holy Father’s appeal ‘to let us see Jesus’ moved him.” Scorcese reportedly expressed his appreciation for previous works, including “The Gospel According to St. Matthew.” 
During the conversation, the director also discussed his controversial 1988 drama “The Last Temptation of Christ” and of “the subsequent step in his research on the figure of Jesus.”
The movie was extremely controversial when it was released as it broke from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/christianity">Gospel narratives</a> and depicted Jesus as fantasizing about married life with Mary Magdalene, including a scene fantasizing about the consummation of their relationship. 
Prominent Catholic nun Mother Angelica, founder of Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN), <a href="https://meaww.com/martin-scorsese-announces-new-jesus-movie-but-his-last-biblical-epic-didnt-go-down-too-well-as-it-sparked-major-controversy-globally" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called the movie</a> &#8220;the most blasphemous ridicule of the Eucharist that&#8217;s ever been perpetrated in this world&#8221; and &#8220;a holocaust movie that has the power to destroy souls eternally.&#8221; 
“The Last Temptation” received multiple accolades, including nominations for the Academy Award for Best Director and two Golden Globe nominations. It earned more than $33 million worldwide, but has been banned or censored in several countries. 
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Hollywood has approached the topic of religion in a more conventional way, however, and generated profits while doing so. Mel Gibson’s famous “The Passion of the Christ” (2004), which primarily covers the 12 hours leading up to Christ’s crucifixion, is the highest-grossing R-rated movie domestically, earning $370.8 million. 
A sequel based on Jesus’s resurrection has been rumored for years and is reportedly set to start filming in mid-2023.

Martin Scorsese and Pope Francis

Martin Scorsese Meets Pope Francis, Says He’s Working On Film About Jesus: Reports

Martin Scorsese Meets Pope Francis, Says He's Working On Film About Jesus: Reports

Celebrities

Jesus Christ

Martin Scorsese

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/the-vatican" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vatican</a> gendarmes shot at a vehicle&#8217;s tires Thursday after an unidentified man in a &#8220;serious state of psychophysical alteration&#8221; rushed through a Vatican gate and into a palace courtyard, where authorities arrested him.
The Holy See said in a news release that authorities arrested the man, who is in his 40s, and immediately subjected him to a visit by the doctors of the Directorate of Health and Hygiene of the Vatican City State.
&#8220;Currently, the person is in a prison cell in the new premises of the Gendarmerie Barracks, at the disposal of the Judicial Authority,&#8221; according to the statement obtained by <a href="https://www.ncregister.com/cna/breaking-guard-opens-fire-as-man-drives-car-into-vatican-suspect-in-custody" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The National Catholic Registry</a>.
The driver pushed through the Santa Anna entrance around 8 p.m., after which a guard fired his gun at the vehicle&#8217;s tires, hitting the left front fender until the man exited the vehicle at the San Damasco Courtyard of the Apostolic Palace and was placed under arrest by the Gendarmerie Corps, the press office said.
Vatican officials said authorities initially turned away the man when he first approached the gate to enter the Vatican City State in Rome.
&#8220;Regardless of the indications provided to him by the Pontifical Swiss Guard, which prevented him from entering the State without the relative authorizations, he temporarily left the entrance and, after having maneuvered, returned at high speed, forcing the two control gates, of the Swiss Guard and of the Gendarmerie of the Vatican City State,&#8221; the press office said.
It was unclear if Pope Francis was near the incident, The Associated Press <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/car-rushes-vatican-gate-fired-gendarmes-driver-apprehended-99440472" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>, noting that the pope lives on the other side of Vatican City at the Santa Marta hotel, where he would typically be having dinner at that time of night.
Vatican authorities reportedly shut the main gate in front of Francis&#8217; hotel as soon as the gendarmes sounded the alarm for an incursion, according to The Associated Press.
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In 2009, a woman was removed by Vatican guards after she <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/dec/25/pope-benedict-attack-christmas-mass">breached a barrier</a> and grabbed the vestments of Pope Benedict XVI while he walked down the main aisle of the church during a Christmas Eve Mass at St. Peter&#8217;s Basilica.
The pope did not suffer any injuries in the 2009 incident and resumed the service after attendants helped him stand up, but the disturbance caused a cardinal walking in the procession to break his hip.

Night view of St Peter’s basilica, Rome (UNESCO World Heritage List, 1980), Vatican City, 16th-17th century

Guards Shoot Vehicle, Arrest Driver Who Rushed Through Vatican Gates

Gendarmes Shoot Vehicle, Arrest Driver Rushing Through Vatican Gates

Italy

Pope Francis, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/catholic-church" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Vicar of Christ</a>, has a message for all you &#8220;Dog Moms&#8221;: Having a dog does not make you a mother.
Despite the fact that canines have been domesticated for 30,000 years, it has been a trend in the West recently for women of all ages to spoil their pets rotten while taking an excessive amount of pride for doing so — even going so far as to treat them as actual children and declare themselves &#8220;moms&#8221; because they now look after man&#8217;s best friend.
The pope&#8217;s comments came on Friday during a conversation with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni — who is one hell of a woman in her own right (<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/absolutely-fake-news-on-cnn-giorgia-melonis-political-rival-shuts-down-fascism-fears" target="_blank" rel="noopener">see here</a>). The two were discussing Europe&#8217;s dwindling birthrates, and Francis used two anecdotes to explain how that is impacting the continent.
&#8220;Two weeks ago, my secretary was in the square and a mother came in with a child&#8217;s [stroller&#8217;],&#8221; he explained, &#8220;A tender priest approached to bless the child &#8230; It was a little dog!&#8221;
Then, he shared another story. &#8220;At the Ash Wednesday audience, I was saying goodbye, and I arrived in front of a woman, more or less 50 years old &#8230; I greet the lady, and she opens a bag, and says, &#8216;Bless my child!&#8217; A little dog!&#8221;
Francis, who is sometimes known for his short temper, had had enough.
&#8220;I didn&#8217;t have patience, and I scolded the lady. &#8216;Madam, so many children are hungry, and you with this little dog!'&#8221;
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Speaking at a conference on birth rates with Giorgia Meloni, Pope Francis recounts a story of how he scolded a middle aged woman for calling her dog &#39;her baby&#39;, saying: &quot;Madam, so many children are hungry, and you with this little dog!&quot; <a href="https://t.co/hniqQXSmQM">pic.twitter.com/hniqQXSmQM</a>
&mdash; Catholic Sat (@CatholicSat) <a href="https://twitter.com/CatholicSat/status/1656971401411153924?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Pope Francis, Amen!
It&#8217;s about time somebody smacked these &#8220;dog moms&#8221; down.
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You know the type, they post their dog — typically some sort of Goldendoodle, French Bull Dog, or Corgi — all over Instagram. These women snuggle with it, nurture it, and praise themselves for looking after their four-legged beast with all the care in the world. They even create hashtags for their furry friends. If you ever point out that having a pet does not make them a mother, then you probably won&#8217;t get invited to their dog&#8217;s first birthday party — which might be a good thing.
Meanwhile, as the pope mentioned, children are going hungry around the globe as millions of Westerners spend thousands on pets each year.
Ultimately, Francis&#8217; message was essentially, &#8220;Have kids, not pets.&#8221; God bless him for that chastisement.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Dog Mom, Pope Francis

Amen! Pope Francis Smacks Down ‘Dog Moms’

 Amen! Pope Francis Smacks Down 'Dog Moms'

America

Dogs

Europe

Motherhood

Much to the chagrin of progressives everywhere on Friday, Pope Francis <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/pope-francis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reminded</a> the world that, yes, the pope is still Catholic as he soundly rejected radical gender theory and advocated the complimentary and divine differences between man and woman.
On Friday, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pope-francis-condemns-gender-ideology-as-nefarious-path-that-leads-to-tragic-defeat-during-hungary-visit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that the Vicar of Christ made his comments before the Hungarian government.
“This is the nefarious path of ‘ideological colonization,’ which eliminates differences, as in the case of so-called gender culture, or puts reductive concepts of freedom before the reality of life, for example, boasting as an achievement a senseless ‘right to abortion,’ which is always a tragic defeat,&#8221; the pope said.
He also encouraged Europe to pursue pro-family policies, as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has done, rather than enact laws and regulations that advance materialism.
&#8220;How much better it would be to build a Europe centered on the human person and on its peoples, with effective policies for natality and the family – policies that are pursued attentively in this country,&#8221; the pope proclaimed.
After previous meetings, Orban has said that Pope Francis praised his government&#8217;s policies — such as certain tax incentives that encourage the growth of families — and for his defense of the Catholic definition of marriage and family.
Pope Francis, Orban <a href="https://hungarytoday.hu/orban-pope-francis-family/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, “sees that there are great forces at work, especially in Brussels … and he spoke as firmly as I have perhaps never been able to. He said that relativization of the family must not be allowed.&#8221;
The pope, contrary to the legacy media&#8217;s portrayal of him, firmly believes in Catholic teaching on gender roles as well as the barbarity of abortion.
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Last month, Pope Francis said that sex-denialism and gender rejection procedures represented one of the most &#8220;dangerous&#8221; ideologies in the world today.
&#8220;Why is it dangerous?” he <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/03/11/pope-francis-gender-ideology-is-one-of-most-dangerous-ideological-colonizations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in March. &#8220;Because it blurs differences and the value of men and women.”
&#8220;All humanity is the tension of differences. It is to grow through the tension of differences,&#8221; he explained. &#8220;The question of gender is diluting the differences and making the world the same, all dull, all alike, and that is contrary to the human vocation.&#8221;
Indeed, there are plenty of things the pope has done or said which might confuse the faithful — for example, his treatment of the Traditional Latin Mass — but as it relates to the topic of so-called &#8220;transgenderism,&#8221; he is an outspoken critic of no uncertain terms.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Newsflash: Pope Still Catholic, Rejects Radical Gender Ideology

Hungary

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis condemned gender ideology and abortion rights as part of a “nefarious path” which ends, not in &#8220;progress,&#8221; but “tragic defeat” during a speech to civil and religious leaders on the first day of his trip to Hungary.
With Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Hungary’s first female president, Katalin Novák, in attendance, Francis praised the Eastern European country&#8217;s efforts to restore culture, tradition, and family values. He also lauded Novák, whose controversial <a href="https://www.lifenews.com/2022/03/10/hungary-just-elected-its-first-female-president-and-shes-pro-life-and-pro-family/">pro-family policies</a> as the former State Secretary for Family and Youth Affairs were considered essential to reversing a demographic decline in the country.
“How wonderful … to build a person- and people-centered Europe, where there are effective policies for birth and family. We have countries in Europe with the average age of 46-48 years, carefully pursued in this country, where different nations are a family in which the growth and uniqueness of each is cherished.”
Pope Francis has often lamented the decline in birth rates in Europe, and during his speech, he condemned &#8220;ideological colonization&#8221; of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pope-francis-blasts-gender-ideology-as-one-of-the-most-dangerous-ideological-colonizations">gender theory</a> and other leftist values. 
“I am thinking, therefore, of a Europe that is not hostage to (political) parties, becoming prey to self-referential populism, but neither does it turn into a fluid, if not gaseous reality, into a kind of abstract supranationalism, oblivious to the lives of people,” the pope said. “This is the nefarious path of &#8216;ideological colonization,&#8217; which eliminates differences, as in the case of so-called gender culture, or puts reductive concepts of freedom before the reality of life, for example, boasting as an achievement a senseless &#8216;right to abortion,&#8217; which is always a tragic defeat.” 
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During his speech, the pope thanked the Hungarian government for its humanitarian work around the globe, including aid to persecuted Christians in Syria and Lebanon. He cited Hungary&#8217;s history of suffering during war and prayed for peace in Ukraine.
Pope Francis will continue his three-day journey in Hungary by meeting with more of the country&#8217;s leaders and with young people. His visit will culminate in Holy Mass celebrated in Budapest’s Kossuth Lajos&#8217; Square on Sunday.

Pope Francis Visits Hungary – Day One

Pope Francis Condemns Gender Ideology As ‘Nefarious Path’ That Leads To ‘Tragic Defeat’ During Hungary Visit

Pope Francis Condemns Gender Ideology As 'Nefarious Path' That Leads To 'Tragic Defeat' During Hungary Visit

In another indication of his desire to revamp the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis formally approved permitting women and lay people to vote on major issues, including LGBT relationships, at a bishops’ conference.
The upcoming bishops’ conference, called the “Synod on Synodality” and to be held between October 4-29, will feature changes including the addition of 70 non-bishop voting members. Francis wants half of them to be women. The 10 male representatives of various Catholic religious orders who previously had voting rights will be replaced by five male clerics and five nuns with voting rights. In addition, synod undersecretary, Nathalie Becquart, a nun, will also vote
The synod does not have the formal power to effectuate change, but it acts in an advisory role to the Pope about decisions he makes. “After the vote on a final document for the assembly, the pope alone decides whether to take any actions based on the recommendations in the final text or whether to adopt it as an official Church document,” the Catholic News Agency <a href="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/254176/vatican-announces-laypeople-including-women-will-vote-in-synod-on-synodality-assembly" target="_blank" rel="noopener">explained</a>.
Some observers were delighted with the change. “It’s an incredible development in the church’s history and something that we’re celebrating as a significant crack in the stained-glass ceiling,” said Kate McElwee, executive director of the Women’s Ordination Conference, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/26/world/europe/pope-women-vote-bishops-meeting.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
“It’s church changing,” Deborah Rose, co-director of Future Church, cheered. “It is paradigm changing, it is literally restructuring one of the most important ways that the church makes decisions and looks at pastoral issues within the church. &#8230; what he has done is open a dam and opened a door, and I think there’s no going back.”
But the conservative Catholic site Silere non possum charged that Francis and the cardinals in charge of the synod “are trying, in every way, to bring into this institution all those people who have an interest in disrupting the church for their own personal ambitions.&#8221;
&#8220;No longer finding many bishops willing to trample on Christ’s teaching, they are now turning to ambitious lay people,” the post added.
As far back as 2013, Francis theorized that the roles of women should not be limited “to altar girls or the president of a charity. There must be more.”
In 2021, Francis amended the laws of the church to permit women to act as Bible readers at Mass and distribute communion. The next year, he added women to the committee that counsels which bishops he should select.

VATICAN-RELIGION-POPE-MASS

Pope Francis Allows Women To Join Group Of Bishops Advising Him

Bishops

Women

Pope Francis will be hospitalized in Rome for a &#8220;few days&#8221; after a scheduled checkup on Wednesday, according to the Vatican.
Francis, 86, visited the Gemelli Hospital Wednesday afternoon for his checkup, Holy See spokesman Matteo Bruni said. The Vatican later said that Francis went to the hospital for a respiratory infection after experiencing breathing difficulties and will remain hospitalized for a &#8220;few days,&#8221; the BBC <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65117270" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The pope canceled his audiences through Friday.
A statement from the Vatican said that the pope&#8217;s condition would &#8220;require a few days of appropriate hospital medical therapy.&#8221;
&#8220;Pope Francis is touched by the many messages received and expresses his gratitude for the closeness and prayer,&#8221; the statement added. The pope appeared to be in relatively good condition when he was in front of a general audience earlier on Wednesday, according to the Associated Press.
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VATICAN CITY—Pope Francis visited Gemelli Hospital this afternoon, for a scheduled check-up, according to <a href="https://twitter.com/HolySeePress?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HolySeePress</a> spokesman, Matteo Bruni.
&mdash; Bree A Dail (@breeadail) <a href="https://twitter.com/breeadail/status/1641092805488517121?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The pope&#8217;s hospitalization comes a few days before Palm Sunday and Holy Week ending with Easter Sunday on April 9, a busy time for the religious leader.
Francis had part of a lung removed when he was a young man due to a respiratory infection, the Associated Press <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/vatican-pope-francis-hospital-scheduled-tests-98205439">reported</a>. Two years ago, the pope was in the Gemelli Hospital for 10 days after undergoing surgery to remove 13 inches of his colon.
The 86-year-old pontiff, who was elected pope 10 years ago, has dealt with an injury in his right knee for over a year, forcing him to use a wheelchair and a cane. Francis also told the AP in a January interview that his diverticulitis, bulges in the intestinal wall, had &#8220;returned&#8221; after his 2021 surgery, but he remained in good spirits.
“I’m in good health. For my age, I’m normal,” Francis said in January. “I might die tomorrow, but it’s under control. I’m in good health.&#8221;
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Pope Francis Hospitalized In Rome, Will Stay A ‘Few Days,’ Vatican Says

Pope Francis Hospitalized In Rome, Will Stay A 'Few Days,' Vatican Says

Vatican

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