Last week, the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem issued a joint statement asserting their exclusive authority over the Christian flock in the Holy Land. The letter condemned &#8220;Christian Zionism&#8221; as a damaging ideology that harms Christian unity and serves political agendas. This prompted a sharp rebuttal from U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee and an extensive deconstruction from evangelical circles.
The original statement claimed that the historic Apostolic Churches are the sole representatives of the Christian faith in the region. It accused &#8220;local individuals&#8221; of advancing ideologies that mislead the public and interfere with the internal life of the church. The Patriarchs expressed concern that these individuals—likely referring to a massive delegation of 1,000 U.S. pastors that visited in December 2025—were being welcomed at official levels by the Israeli government, which they viewed as a threat to the indigenous Christian presence.
U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee responded by rejecting the notion of &#8220;exclusivity&#8221; in representing the Christian faith. His response focused on several key points.
Huckabee argued that no single sect should claim a monopoly on the Christian viewpoint, noting that the evangelical tradition is a &#8220;global and growing&#8221; force. He asserted that the foundation of Christianity is Judaism. He argued that if God could break His covenant with the Jewish people, Christians would have no assurance that He would keep His covenant with them. &#8220;The thought that God is even capable of breaking a covenant is anathema to those of us who embrace Holy Scripture as the authority of the church. If God can or would break His covenant with the Jews, then what hope would Christians have that He would keep His covenant with us?&#8221; he stated.
Huckabee redefined the term, stating that a Zionist is simply someone who believes the Jewish people have a right to live in their ancestral homeland. He expressed confusion as to why anyone claiming the &#8220;moniker &#8216;Christian'&#8221; would not also be a Zionist. He urged the Patriarchs to focus on shared truths—such as the sanctity of life and marriage—rather than jurisdictional disputes.
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In response to the statement of non-evangelical churches in Israel, I issued the following. I hope you will read prayerfully.
I love my brothers and sisters in Christ from traditional, liturgical churches and respect their views, but I do not feel any sect of the Christian… <a href="https://t.co/jqohEWk0xJ">pic.twitter.com/jqohEWk0xJ</a>
&mdash; Ambassador Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovMikeHuckabee/status/2013697566295101916?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2026</a></blockquote>
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A viral social media post by an Evangelical Christian further deconstructed the Patriarchs’ letter, arguing it was an &#8220;institutional-political statement&#8221; rather than a theological one. The critique followed several lines of reasoning.
The post noted a &#8220;critical omission&#8221;: the Patriarchs’ letter cited only one verse (Romans 12:5) regarding unity, but failed to address the numerous scriptures regarding God’s covenant with Israel. The critique highlighted that the letter ignored Romans 11:29, which states God’s calling is &#8220;irrevocable,&#8221; and Jeremiah 31:35-37, which ties Israel’s existence to the permanence of the sun and stars.
The deconstruction argued that the decline of the Christian population in the Holy Land is not caused by Christian Zionism. It provided statistics to shift the focus: In Bethlehem, the Christian population was 86% in 1950, but dropped to approximately 12% by 2026.
The post cited economic collapse, Islamist intimidation, and property disputes under Palestinian Authority control—factors unrelated to Evangelical theology—as the primary causes of emigration.
The post argued the letter was a response to &#8220;anxiety over loss of control.&#8221; By bypassing traditional hierarchies to meet with Israeli officials, external Christian groups threatened the Patriarchs&#8217; &#8220;monopoly on the Christian voice.&#8221; The critique labeled the Patriarchs’ claim of &#8220;exclusive representation&#8221; as a &#8220;category error,&#8221; asserting that theological beliefs do not require ecclesiastical permission.
The critique slammed the letter for being strategically vague. By not naming the &#8220;local individuals&#8221; or specific &#8220;activities,&#8221; the Patriarchs created an &#8220;ambient guilt&#8221; that allowed them to signal disapproval without having to engage in a documented theological debate.
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<a href="https://t.co/k9dJ8q9HYB">https://t.co/k9dJ8q9HYB</a>
&mdash; Insurrection Barbie (@DefiyantlyFree) <a href="https://twitter.com/DefiyantlyFree/status/2013140558416318846?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2026</a></blockquote>
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While the Patriarchs appealed to historic institutional authority, Huckabee and the Evangelical response appealed to the literal interpretation of Biblical covenants, suggesting that the &#8220;unity&#8221; requested by the Jerusalem leaders was actually a demand for institutional submission.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Holds Nomination Hearing For Mike Huckabee To Be Ambassador To Israel

‘I Hope You Read Prayerfully’: Huckabee Slams Critics Of Christian Zionism

Evangelical Christianity

Israel

Mike Huckabee

Religion

World

The following is an edited transcript from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1893-children-terrified-leftist-mob-storms-church-in-minneapolis?elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowHeadline=Recent+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel">The Michael Knowles Show</a>.
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A very controversial statement — at least according to the internet — has just come out of Jerusalem. And not just from the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, the chief Catholic prelate there, but from the heads of the other historic churches as well: the Armenian Church, the Syriac Church, the Greek Orthodox Church — all the Apostolic churches of Jerusalem.
Here is what they said. In a statement titled On Unity and the Representation of the Christian Communities in the Holy Land:
<blockquote>The Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in the Holy Land affirm before the faithful and before the world that the ﬂock of Christ in this land is entrusted to the Apostolic Churches, which have borne their sacred ministry across centuries with steadfast devotion. </blockquote>
Here is the controversial line:
<blockquote>Recent activities undertaken by local individuals who advance damaging ideologies such as Christian Zionism mislead the public, sow confusion, and harm the unity of our flock. These undertakings have found favor among certain political actors in Israel and beyond, who seek to push a political agenda which may harm the Christian presence in the Holy Land and the wider Middle East.</blockquote>
The statement goes on for several more paragraphs and concludes with: “May the Lord, who is the shepherd and guardian of souls, grant wisdom for the protection of His people and the safeguarding of His witness in the sacred land.” 
It is signed by the patriarchs and heads of the churches in Jerusalem.
So what is this about?
We’ve heard a lot about Zionism — the nationalist ideology that arose in the 19th century and sought to return Jews to the Holy Land, where they had lived millennia earlier, though not in large numbers for quite some time. We’ve also heard about Christian Zionism, which is a specifically Christian theological take on that project.
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1893-children-terrified-leftist-mob-storms-church-in-minneapolis?elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowHeadline=Recent+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel">WATCH: The Michael Knowles Show</a></h3>
But who exactly are these “local individuals” sowing discord and undermining proper Christian authority?
I had to look into this, because as a Catholic I don’t exactly keep up with every niche Protestant trend. And I think the patriarchs are referring to a man named Robert Stearns, who styles himself “Bishop Robert Stearns.” He is not part of any Apostolic Christian community, but he calls himself a bishop anyway. He is also a vociferous advocate of Christian Zionism.
Here’s a sample of what he recently said:
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“Christian” Zionist Robert Stearns apologizes to Jews at Jerusalem Post conference for 2,000 years of “Christian history” hurting Jewish people.
He says it&#8217;s “irrelevant” if Jesus was the Messiah and claims to be part of a new Christian group “serving Zion.”
Follow: <a href="https://twitter.com/AFpost?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AFpost</a> <a href="https://t.co/aHhMgOfpA3">pic.twitter.com/aHhMgOfpA3</a>
— AF Post (@AFpost) <a href="https://twitter.com/AFpost/status/2011500100624040442?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Credit: @AFpost/X.com
I was trying to be sympathetic here, but this is just ridiculous. It violates the law of non-contradiction — a principle we’ve known about since at least Aristotle. Opposing statements cannot both be true in the same respect.
Christ’s return cannot be both His first coming and His second coming. It’s one or the other. And if you’re a Christian, I’m happy to break it to you: it will be the second coming. You actually have to believe that.
This attempt to be cute or accommodating doesn’t resolve anything. It just empties theology of meaning.
Stearns also claims that the existence of the modern State of Israel is of biblical and prophetic necessity — that it is required for the end times to unfold. I know plenty of people share this view. But here’s the thing: this theology is new. Really new. Less than two centuries old. It is not the traditional Christian position, and it is not the correct one.
Which brings us back to the Jerusalem statement.
Is it shocking? Is it anti-Israel? Is it a break with tradition?
No. Not at all.
In fact, the position expressed by the patriarchs lines up perfectly with long-standing Vatican teaching. Here is something from 1985 — forty years ago, and two decades after the Second Vatican Council. This declaration from the Vatican goes out of its way to speak respectfully of Jews and is in no way anti-Semitic:
<blockquote>The history of Israel did not end in 70 A.D., but continued, especially in the numerous diasporas, which led Israel to carry to the whole world a witness, often heroic, of its fidelity to the one God… while preserving the memory of the land of their forefathers at the heart of their hope.</blockquote>
That reference, by the way, is to the Passover Seder.
Notice what’s happening here. The Vatican is not talking about the Church as the new Israel — which Christians have always believed — but about the historical, earthly Israel of the Jewish people. It acknowledges their witness, their fidelity, and even their attachment to the land.
But then comes the key clarification:
<blockquote>Christians are invited to understand this religious attachment, which finds its roots in biblical tradition, without, however, making their own any particular religious interpretation of this relationship.</blockquote>
And just to make it unmistakable, the Vatican adds:
<blockquote>The existence of the State of Israel and its political options should be envisaged not in a perspective which is in itself religious, but in their reference to the common principles of international law.</blockquote>
Bingo.
That is exactly what the patriarchs of Jerusalem are reaffirming. And they are completely right.
This is why I would not call myself a Zionist, or a Christian Zionist, or any other kind of Zionist. Not because I dislike Jews — I don’t. Not because I oppose the State of Israel — I don’t.
I am broadly supportive of the nation-state of Israel but not because of Zionist religious claims, which I don’t believe are true. I do not believe Jews are entitled to the Holy Land because of a theological premise. As a Christian, I believe the Old Testament is fulfilled in the New Testament. Christ is the New Covenant. The Church is the spiritual Israel. Those Old Testament promises are fulfilled — not suspended, not postponed.
And I also don’t believe that occupying a piece of land 2,000 years ago grants a perpetual title deed. If that were the case, we’d have to hand Mount Rushmore back to the Lakota Sioux. I don’t believe that logic anywhere.
That said, I still broadly support Israel because I don’t like the alternatives. I don’t want Iran running the Holy Land. I don&#8217;t think the Muslims have been particularly protective of the holy sites. The Ottoman Empire is gone. Baldwin’s Kingdom of Jerusalem isn’t coming back anytime soon. The real-world options are limited.
From the standpoint of international law, the Jews were granted territory by the British Empire, recognized by the United Nations, and then defended it through war. Like it or not, under the modern nation-state system, that matters.
But that isn’t Zionism. And it certainly isn’t biblical prophecy.
You can support Israel without subscribing to the relatively novel theology of Christian Zionism. You can like Jews without turning geopolitics into eschatology.
I love the Jews. I grew up in New York. I’m extremely philosemitic. If you told me I had to choose between hanging out with the guys making pastrami sandwiches or the guys making shawarma, I’m choosing pastrami 100 times out of 100. Okay — 999 times out of 1,000.
And you can do that without embracing a theology invented in the 19th century and dressed up as ancient Christianity.
That is clearly what the patriarchs of Jerusalem are saying. And anyone pretending this is antisemitic, radical, or some kind of rupture with tradition is, frankly, completely insane.

Skyline of the Old City in Jerusalem from north, Israel.

Why Christian Zionism Is Not Traditional Christianity

Christianity

Jerusalem

Jesus Christ

Jews

Michael Knowles

Zionism

The Department of Justice could take major legal action after an anti-ICE protest hijacked a service at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Sunday.
United States Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon told The Daily Wire in an interview Monday morning that she’s working closely with Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate for “federal offenses,” including breaking the FACE (Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances) Act, which Dhillon noted “criminalizes blocking, interfering with, disrupting a house of worship.&#8221; The protest was sparked over one of the pastors&#8217; employment with ICE, according to the Associated Press.
“That&#8217;s exactly what these people did. Clearly. So, the only question really is who they are and what other offenses there may be,” she said, later adding that “we don&#8217;t prejudge a situation, but we&#8217;d like to make the strongest case possible.” During the interview, the DOJ official noted that were two prosecutors flying to Minnesota as of Monday morning to dive into the case.
“I find the silence of the Attorney General of Minnesota, the District Attorney Mary Moriarty of Hennepin County, and the Governor of Minnesota Tim Walz, shocking. They&#8217;re the governor, District Attorney, and Attorney General of these people, too. And where&#8217;s the reassurance to them?” Dhillon asked.
The Daily Wire reached out to the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office and Attorney General Keith Ellison’s office. Gov. Tim Walz’s office told <a href="https://x.com/MattFinnFNC/status/2013329688458932309?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News</a>, “The Governor has repeatedly and unequivocally urged protesters to do so peacefully. While people have a right to speak out, he in no way supports interrupting a place of worship.”
Dhillon also empathized with churchgoers who may be concerned about protests when attending a service in the coming weeks.
“I feel like I have to give a First Amendment 101 primer to people, including journalists like Don Lemon, because you don&#8217;t have a First Amendment right to trespass and invade a house of worship. It&#8217;s literally illegal to do that. And it&#8217;s not protected by the First Amendment on top of that,” she said. Former CNN anchor Don Lemon live-streamed the protest inside the church, and Dhillon suggested in other interviews on Monday that it could potentially open the door for charges against the liberal commentator.
“And so you can have your protest a safe distance away from a private facility. You can have your protest in a park, you can have a march, you can get a permit for a large gathering, but you can&#8217;t just go wherever you want and tear things up and disrupt. And that&#8217;s what these people did. And so now, people are afraid to go to church. And that is an absolute disgrace in this country,” the assistant attorney general continued.
She also recommended that houses of worship have cameras outside of their buildings to &#8220;be prepared to record what&#8217;s going on and who&#8217;s coming.”
“I would just tell people that they should not be on edge. We believe in the Almighty and this DOJ has the right and the ability to step in and protect where the local authorities won’t,” Dhillon noted.
Anti-ICE protests escalated in the Minneapolis area after an ICE agent fatally shot Renee Good, a woman who allegedly attempted to hit the officer with her vehicle, as the Department of Homeland Security said the agent suffered from internal bleeding after the incident.

US-IMMIGRATION-ICE-SHOOTING

Harmeet Dhillon: DOJ Weighing Charges Over ‘Literally Illegal’ Anti-ICE Church Protest

Harmeet Dhillon

Immigration

justice department

Minnesota

Protesters

U.S.

Most Americans want more faith in the public square and want to have more say over what their children learn in the classroom, according to a new survey of attitudes toward religious liberty released Friday.
The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty released its annual Religious Freedom Index, documenting a rise in support for Americans to practice their faith in public and private. The index surveyed over 1,000 Americans and asked them for their opinions on a range of topics from curriculum opt-outs to sharing faith in public.
“This year’s Index shows that Americans – and especially younger generations – increasingly share a vigorous vision of religious liberty, one that is not confined to churches and private homes but expressed openly in the public square,” Becket wrote in its report, which was first obtained by The Daily Wire.
Becket found that 73% of Americans believe that parents should be able to opt their kids out of public school curriculum. That is a ten point increase since 2021 and comes after the Supreme Court <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/supreme-court-sides-with-parents-says-schools-cant-mandate-lgbt-curricula">ruled</a> last year that a group of Maryland parents should be allowed to take their kids out of classroom instruction involving LGBT and sexuality-focused materials. That case was brought by Becket on behalf of a coalition of Christian, Jewish, and Muslim parents.
The survey found that 62% of Americans supported that decision.
“When it comes to raising children, mom and dad know best. That common-sense idea commands overwhelming support, with nearly three-quarters of Americans agreeing that parents should have the final say on what their children are taught in public school. It’s a powerful reminder that in our nation, families—not government officials—are the primary educators of the next generation,” Eric Baxter, the vice president and senior counsel at Becket, told The Daily Wire.
More Americans also believe that Americans should be free to share their faith in public, including at work and school.
“[Fifty-seven percent] of Americans agree that religious freedom is inherently public, and that Americans should be free to share their faith in public spaces, such as at school, work, or on social media — a five-point rise since 2020,” the index found.
Notably, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-trump-guidance-allows-federal-employees-to-debate-religion-with-co-workers">new guidance</a> issued by the Trump administration last year made it clear that federal workers are allowed to invite their co-workers to church and share their religious beliefs with them.
The survey also found that a plurality of Americans (47%) believe that Christian counselors should be allowed to guide children away from gender-confusion, 58% say that bakers and cake artists should not be forced to create a product that violates their conscience, and 65% approved of a recent Supreme Court decision that sided with a Catholic charity that sued Wisconsin after it made it pay certain taxes that other religious organizations were exempt from.

Beautiful White Baptist Church in Crawfordville, George built in 1889

Americans Want More Faith In The Public Square, Back Parental Rights

Education

Religious Freedom

Supreme Court

In a recent <a href="https://x.com/joelmowbray/status/1999584250774061488?s=46&amp;t=ghpHusspWPjTMisXwpsMaA">podcast episode</a>, Tucker Carlson <a href="https://x.com/joelmowbray/status/1999584250774061488?s=46&amp;t=ghpHusspWPjTMisXwpsMaA">asked</a>, “Where do Christians feel more comfortable in Qatar or Israel?” If his foolish comments weren’t so dangerous, they would almost be laughable.
Carlson said,
<blockquote>But if the deeper question is, “Where do Christians feel more comfortable in Qatar or Israel?”, I mean, it&#8217;s sort of hard to know what people actually think. So maybe the best way to measure that is by where they live. So there are twice as many Christians living in Qatar as there are in Israel. Twice as many. At least twice as many. Did you know that? Again, not promoting Qatar. I&#8217;m not moving there. But there are twice as many Christians living there. So if it&#8217;s like an ISIS state where people are beheaded for proclaiming the name of Jesus, why are there twice as many in Qatar as there are in Israel? And why are there so many Christian churches in Qatar? All, or at least most, on land granted to them by the government. Again, not promoting Qatar, just saying if you&#8217;re telling me that this is a country whose values are so far from mine that even to go there is a crime of some kind, you&#8217;re lying. Or we have very different values. Extremely different values. So why are they telling me that?</blockquote>
His words are lies in sheep’s clothing. He is defending a regime that has made its name not on religious freedom, but for its support of the Muslim Brotherhood — which the Trump administration is in the process of designating a terror group.
Carlson, who has spent two years attacking my home of Israel, based his argument on the fact that more Christians live in Qatar than in Israel.
Yes, there are roughly twice as many Christians in Qatar as in Israel — about 400,000 versus 188,000. But let’s get the facts straight. The Christians living in Qatar are almost entirely migrant workers, people who have no legal rights as citizens.
Carlson asks, “And why are there so many Christian churches in Qatar?”
There are exactly six government-sanctioned churches in Qatar. Six churches serving hundreds of thousands of people. And to make it even worse, they are all right next to each other under the close supervision of the government.
To be clear, it is illegal for Qatari citizens to convert from Islam to Christianity, and Qataris <a href="https://www.opendoors.org/en-US/persecution/countries/qatar/">are not allowed</a> to enter Christian churches. In fact, every person entering a church in Qatar must submit an ID.
The migrant workers who do attend often live and work under conditions that have been widely condemned as modern-day slavery.
Contrast that with Israel, a country where Christians are fully recognized citizens, including my community of indigenous Aramean Maronite Christians. We vote, we serve in the military, and we even hold elected office in the Knesset. Israel’s Christians are not confined to a single gated area or monitored by state authorities. We are free to worship openly, participate in society, and contribute to the nation’s cultural and political life.
There are more Baptist churches in Israel (17) than there are total churches in Qatar. In fact, Israel is the only country in the Middle East where the native Christian communities are growing. Carlson took the only possible data points to show anything positive about Christian existence in Qatar and still got it all wrong.
As a Christian Israeli working to inspire the next generation of believers in our homeland, I can say with confidence: Israel protects religious freedom in ways that Qatar can only dream of.
Qatari Christians live in fear, are under constant surveillance, and have no path to citizenship or full participation in society.
Christians must understand where true freedom exists and where it is merely an illusion sold by regimes with an agenda and their influencer mouthpieces.
For Israel’s Christians, faith and citizenship go hand in hand. For Christians in Qatar, faith comes at the price of subjugation, invisibility, and in many cases, abuse.
We must call out lies like this, not just for Israel’s sake, but for the safety and understanding of Christians worldwide. Truth matters, and it will set you free.
* * *
Shadi Khalloul, founder and chairman of the Israeli Christian Aramean Association, is one of Israel’s most compelling voices for coexistence, minority rights, and Christian identity in the Middle East.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Aerial view of the West Bank cornice business center in Doha, Qatar

I’m A Christian Living In Israel. Tucker Carlson Is Wrong About Qatar.

I'm A Christian Living In Israel. Tucker Carlson Is Wrong About Qatar.

Christians

Middle East

Opinion

Qatar

Trump Administration

Tucker Carlson

The Chinese Communist Party has escalated its persecution of Christians by arresting more prominent church leaders and putting them in detention centers, The Daily Wire has learned.
At least seven Christians affiliated with the Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, a city in southwestern China, were arrested on Tuesday, according to the church. The arrests began in the early morning and continued until evening.
Early Rain Covenant Church is a prominent evangelical Presbyterian church that has earned the ire of the Communist Party for being part of China&#8217;s underground church movement. The arrests of the Early Rain members come just a few months after the Chinese government <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/daughter-of-detained-pastor-warns-of-a-coming-wave-of-christian-persecution-in-communist-china">rounded up</a> prominent leaders at Zion Church, another well-known underground church.
Those arrested included Li Yingqiang, an elder at the church whose home in Deyang was searched, and preacher Dai Zhichao. Dai was arrested at the church office after being told by authorities he was not allowed to leave his home, according to the church.
“At around 11:00 a.m. on January 6, he was taken under control at the church office, then brought to his home where it was searched, after which he went out of contact. It has now been confirmed that he is at the Jinniu District Case-Handling Center,” a message from Early Rain said.
Others who were taken by authorities included elder Yan Hong, preacher Wu Wuqing, the family of Ye Fenghua, and deacon Zeng Qingtao.
A woman named Shu Qiong was also taken by police and charged with “suspected provocation and police disturbance,” according to a source familiar with the arrests. A photo obtained by The Daily Wire shows the police showing up at her home.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1024205" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/IMG_2561.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="1280" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_2561.jpg 960w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_2561-225x300.jpg 225w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_2561-432x576.jpg 432w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_2561-768x1024.jpg 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" /></div>
One of those arrested was able to return home on Tuesday, according to the church. The church is currently locating lawyers for those arrested.
At the same time, police targeted the Early Rain Academy, a school operated by the church.
“The academy immediately organized teachers and students to evacuate and leave the site. Subsequently, the owner of the teaching site was summoned to the police station and pressured, and was informed that all items must be removed from the site by Friday,” the church said in a release.
The CCP’s targeting of Early Rain stretches back to 2018 when it began arresting prominent leaders, including Pastor Wang Yi. Wang was convicted in 2019 of subverting the government and sentenced to nine years in prison. While still imprisoned, he was just awarded a Democracy Service Medal by the National Endowment for Democracy.
Corey Jackson, who heads up the advocacy organization Luke Alliance, said the arrests were part of a broader pattern of targeting of unregistered churches. He said in recent months that more pastors were being brought into local police offices for “tea times” and told that they must register with the state or face harsh treatment.
“One person reported that they had been told by the domestic security police that churches, ‘house churches,’ are going to face complete prohibition. Participants will face imprisonment, and there&#8217;s going to be less pattern of warning, fines, and leeway,” Jackson told The Daily Wire.
Jackson said that the government really wants to exert more control over the churches, and make them register any online services they have before meeting. He also said the government doesn’t want parents educating kids in their faith if they are below the age of 18.
Jackson added that he would like to see the Trump administration put some pressure on China over their repression of Christianity.
“We need to apply pressure on China with human rights,” he said. “We must continue not to just be transactional in our approach with China, but to also recognize that China is the one of the worst abusers of human rights in the world.&#8221;

MixCollage-06-Jan-2026-07-47-PM-6588

China Escalates Persecution Of Christians With More Shocking Arrests

China

Communist China

Global Politics

Religious Liberty

A Vassar College student says administrators ignored concerns from Christian students and allowed a student burlesque group to mock their faith in a sexual performance in the campus chapel.
Sydney, a Vassar sophomore granted anonymity for this story, told The Daily Wire she first learned about the event when a friend showed her the flyer for a performance titled “Whoreship &amp; Prayer.” The show was produced by Vassar Burlesque, a student group that regularly puts on sexual and drag performances.
“I found the flyer … and I was disgusted immediately,” Sydney said. “The imagery and name of the show made it [clear] &#8230; it was definitely a show that had a Christian theme … clearly mocking Christianity.”
&nbsp;
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-1013635" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/burlesque-image-1-410x576.jpeg" alt="Burlesque image 1" width="410" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/burlesque-image-1-410x576.jpeg 410w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/burlesque-image-1-213x300.jpeg 213w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/burlesque-image-1-768x1080.jpeg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/burlesque-image-1-1093x1536.jpeg 1093w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/burlesque-image-1.jpeg 1264w" sizes=" (max-width: 410px) 100vw, 410px" /></div>
&nbsp;
Sydney emailed the dean of student living, the college president, and other administrators to explain exactly why Christian students believed the performance violated Vassar’s stated values of diversity and inclusion. She says she was then contacted by the Office of Institutional Equity, the department that handles identity-based complaints, including those pertaining to religion. She says she met with <a href="https://offices.vassar.edu/institutional-equity/2024/12/19/eoaa-welcomes-brian-van-brunt/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brian Van Brun</a><a href="https://offices.vassar.edu/institutional-equity/2024/12/19/eoaa-welcomes-brian-van-brunt/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">t</a>, Vassar&#8217;s Institutional Equity and Title VI Coordinator.
Sydney said Van Brunt acknowledged the event was mocking religious imagery and allegedly admitted it would have been treated differently if Christians weren’t the ones being targeted.
“He basically said … it would be different if it were another religion,” Sydney said. Referring to comments students made on the anonymous social media platform Fizz, she said one hypothetical they talked about was if the flyer had referenced Allah. “If Allah was used … then it wouldn’t have been allowed. And he said, ‘Well, obviously that’s a different situation.’”
Sydney said Van Brunt floated the idea of making minor changes to the flyer, such as removing the image of the Virgin Mary or changing the event&#8217;s name, but even those were rejected by the administration. Despite the number of complaints from Christian students, the administration informed them the event would proceed with no modifications.
&nbsp;
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-1013637" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Burlesque-image-2-396x576.jpeg" alt="Burlesque image 2" width="396" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Burlesque-image-2-396x576.jpeg 396w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Burlesque-image-2-206x300.jpeg 206w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Burlesque-image-2-768x1117.jpeg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Burlesque-image-2-1056x1536.jpeg 1056w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Burlesque-image-2.jpeg 1249w" sizes=" (max-width: 396px) 100vw, 396px" /></div>
&nbsp;
“Whoreship and Prayer” sold out both nights, <a href="https://miscellanynews.org/2025/12/04/arts/whoreship-and-prayer-burlesque-is-a-religious-experience/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to</a> Vassar’s student newspaper, The Miscellany News. In its coverage, the paper described the November performances as a fusion of religious motifs with sexual choreography.
The Miscellany noted some of the acts, including routines called “Touched by the Holy Spirit,” “Red Sea,” and “Blasphemy.”
Muse, one of the group’s co-presidents, told The Miscellany the show explored “the relationship between sexuality and religion — human intersectionalities that exist in a chaotic harmony.” She added, “I grew up very religious … my spirituality is still a huge part of my life, but the relationship between my body, sexuality and my spirituality has always been a bit of a struggle to untangle.”
&nbsp;
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-1013639" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Burlesque-image-3-446x576.jpeg" alt="Burlesque image 3" width="446" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Burlesque-image-3-446x576.jpeg 446w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Burlesque-image-3-232x300.jpeg 232w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Burlesque-image-3-768x993.jpeg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Burlesque-image-3-1188x1536.jpeg 1188w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Burlesque-image-3.jpeg 1264w" sizes=" (max-width: 446px) 100vw, 446px" /></div>
&nbsp;
Reached for comment, Van Brunt referred The Daily Wire to Victoria Grantham, the vice president for communications, who declined to comment.
Sydney said the Vassar Burlesque group also mocked the backlash from Christian students online, posting memes and celebratory images that used nun costumes, Bibles, and crosses as ironic props. “They actually posted like a tweet … to mock the fact that we were complaining,” Sydney said.
The college sophomore said this was not the first time she saw bias against Christians on campus, but it was the most blatant.
“It made me feel uncomfortable, and I had already felt uncomfortable as a Christian,” she said. “I had heard little comments … little jabs at Christianity before, but I had never seen something this blatantly inappropriate and blatantly hurtful.”
This incident has convinced her that the school’s commitment to “inclusion” does not apply equally.
“They’re outright saying, well, if you are a Christian, you don’t have the same rights as other religions … everyone except you kind of thing. I felt very ostracized.”
The Vassar Chapel continues to host worship nights, Christmas services, and religious gatherings, yet Vassar maintains that it is a “secular space.”
Sydney said that the explanation does not resolve the larger problem: the selective enforcement of respect for religion. “Hopefully, if we bring more attention to it, then it won’t have to be this way forever,” she told The Daily Wire.

Vassar story

Woke New York College Allowed Burlesque Troupe To Mock Christianity In Campus Chapel

Vassar Approved Burlesque Mocking Christianity But Not Other Faiths, Student Claims

College

Discrimination

Many Americans in recent years have returned to religion in a revival that accelerated because of the work of the late Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, according to Dr. Ben Carson.
Carson, who served under the first Trump administration as secretary of Housing and Urban Development, spoke about Kirk’s legacy in an interview with The Daily Wire on the floor of Turning Point’s AmericaFest conference that ended on Sunday.
An American faith revival has “really been going on for the last couple of years,” said Carson. “I think it accelerated quite a bit with what Charlie was doing.”
The Trump administration alum said that many in Generation Z are finding faith because they recognized that the direction of the country without religious values was “not one that was going to lead to good things.” Many turned to religion after asking how the United States can “be a great nation.”
“The young men in particular are really coming back to church, and the young women will catch up, too,” said Carson, noting that women growing up today are facing complicated choices between balancing a career and having children. The doctor is optimistic that expanding opportunities for virtual work will improve women’s ability to balance both.
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Carson’s think tank, the American Cornerstone Institute, has launched an initiative to aid in the work that Kirk did and to reacquaint young people with the United States’ founding and religious values: the Little Patriots program. Through the program, Carson hopes to set young Americans on a good path early in their education before “Marxists” in the education system corrupt their thinking with leftist and victimhood ideology.
“The two biggest teacher unions are full of Marxists, and so it&#8217;s a battle, but I think we have the better message, to be quite frank, and we just have to make sure that we don&#8217;t get discouraged and that we&#8217;re willing to fight as hard as they do,” he said.
As a veteran of the first Trump administration, Carson said that President Donald Trump’s second term is “incredible.”
“I think the Lord did us a favor by allowing Trump to lose – or at least to be perceived as losing – so that he wasn&#8217;t there for four years so he could really think about what happened, what were the obstacles, what were the things that really worked, so that by the time his next term came around, he was ready,” said Carson.

Ben Carson

Ben Carson Says Charlie Kirk ‘Accelerated’ An American Revival

AMFEST

Charlie Kirk

Politics

The Daily Wire

Christian conservative commentator Allie Beth Stuckey speaks truth eloquently and graciously, yet firmly and with conviction. She takes Biblical teachings from thousands of years ago and applies them to the present day. Perhaps that&#8217;s why Stuckey hosts a podcast called &#8220;Relatable.&#8221;
The Daily Wire sat down with Stuckey ahead of her AmericaFest speech, and in less than ten minutes, she covered the major topics in the conservative movement in a way that anyone can understand, no matter how well-versed on a topic.
&#8220;I think clarity is kindness,&#8221; Stuckey said.
Stuckey is in her 30s, has an audience of 25 to 45-year-olds who tune in to her episodes, yet she still connects with Gen Z on college campuses.
“I want to do the best that I can to bring clarity to confusion and bring courage where there is cowardice,&#8221; Stuckey said.  &#8220;I care a whole lot about what the Bible says about what&#8217;s going on in the world, and I want to try to bring that to people as much as I can.&#8221;
Stuckey&#8217;s doing that with the more than 700,000 subscribers who listen to &#8220;Relatable.&#8221; It&#8217;s a decent sample size to get a pulse on how her mostly-female audience feels about the country. She told The Daily Wire that she recently asked her listeners what concerns them most and it was overwhelmingly the growing influence of Islam — a topic Stuckey said is being downplayed in the conservative movement.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I asked my 840k Instagram followers (mostly Christian women) what their biggest concern is for the country right now, and by FAR the most common answer is the growing influence of Islam. I’d like to see this concern reflected in the GOP asap
— Allie Beth Stuckey (@conservmillen) <a href="https://twitter.com/conservmillen/status/1982518640387019249?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
“I think it&#8217;s strange and dishonest. They are the entire reason we have a TSA. None of us like to take our shoes off or take our laptops out … you can thank Islam for that. I don&#8217;t see why we would want to minimize the negative impact on our culture and our country.&#8221;
Stuckey said her audience doesn&#8217;t know what to do when it comes to the infiltration of Islam in their communities.
&#8220;Of course we are all called to love the neighbors around us, but to see your neighborhoods change and the local church that&#8217;s been abandoned changed into a mosque, or a business center turned into an Islamic center, and we are told we are not supposed to care about that? We do care, and it scares us. Islam is incompatible with Western civilization. It&#8217;s about time we start seeing that and saying that.”
Charlie Kirk also thought Islam was a threat to the United States. Stuckey and Kirk had similar views on many topics &#8212; from Islam to family values, to the role politics plays in a Christian culture. She said she misses being able to fight alongside him in the culture war.
&#8220;Charlie was an anomaly,&#8221; Stuckey said. &#8220;He was a political strategist, he was a coalition builder. That&#8217;s not me. It might take 40 of us or four million of us to replace what one man was doing. If I can carry a small torch of what was the legacy of Charlie Kirk, I&#8217;m happy to do that.&#8221;
Stuckey said she carries Kirk&#8217;s legacy by pointing people to the Bible, and reminding them that ultimate victory is through Jesus.
&#8220;We know who wins in the end: it&#8217;s Jesus, he&#8217;s coming back,&#8221; Stuckey said. &#8220;And he&#8217;s not here yet, so we have work to do.&#8221;

The Daily Wire Talks With Allie Beth Stuckey

Allie Beth Stuckey Stays Relatable While Standing Firm In Her Beliefs

Podcast

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

Inauguration of Ireland’s New President Connolly

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

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

Catholic

Christian

Ireland

In 1988, after escaping socialism in Romania, I celebrated my first Christmas in America. It was a profound experience marked by joy, gratitude, and reflection. It was the first time I was able to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ without fear of being arrested by a totalitarian socialist regime. I enjoyed the freedom to attend church and the joy of discovering new cultural traditions. It marked a significant milestone in my journey toward freedom and renewal.
But before that journey was even an idea, I attended my first Socialist Party Christmas as a child. As we arrived, my father said very sternly, “We are at the Socialism Party headquarters, where Santa’s party will take place. Remember, only say yes or no, nothing more.”
The large reception room was decorated in red, and on each wall there was a large portrait of our “Beloved Leader” Nicolae Ceaușescu, flanked by Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin. On the left side of the room, a small Christmas tree stood, decorated with pictures of soldiers who had died, a picture of Ceaușescu, and topped with a big, red socialist star with a yellow hammer and sickle.
There were no angels, no silver Bethlehem stars, no nativity scenes.
Santa was a Socialist Party leader, and all the gifts had a Communist theme. The boys received Communist soldier toys or books about Ceaușescu. The girls received red-scarfed socialist dolls. The following year, Santa was replaced with Dictator Ceaușescu’s name, and no gifts were given.
<div id="attachment_1017011" style="width: 790px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1017011" class="size-large wp-image-1017011" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/GettyImages-3438665-780x576.jpg" alt="circa 1985: Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu (1918 - 1989) and his wife Elena with a large group of children in national costume. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)" width="780" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-3438665-780x576.jpg 780w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-3438665-300x221.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-3438665-768x567.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-3438665.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" />circa 1985: Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu (1918 &#8211; 1989) and his wife Elena with a large group of children in national costume. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)</div>
Now, years later, I’ve watched as the influence of socialist ideologies and policies has infiltrated and changed how Christmas is celebrated in America.
Since 1971, court cases, like <a href="https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/403/602/">Lemon v. Kurtzman</a> and <a href="https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/492/573/">Allegheny County v. ACLU</a>, have scrutinized the use of religious elements in public Christmas displays, often resulting in the restriction of nativity scenes on government property to avoid the perception that the government favors one religion over another.
The fear of appearing “too religious” or “exclusive” has transformed Christmas celebrations, shifting them toward a more secular, inclusive holiday focused on community and festive cheer rather than its core religious meaning. This secularization has diluted the profound significance of Christ’s birth.
As governments and institutions increasingly strip Christ from Christmas, our religious freedoms are slowly eroding – and could soon vanish entirely if we don&#8217;t stand against it.
Make no mistake. This is exactly what happened in Romania.
Ceaușescu&#8217;s rise to power in Romania was due to his charm, enthusiasm, anti-capitalist rhetoric, and how he portrayed himself as a man of the people. These qualities all resonated emotionally with citizens and framed socialism as a path to equality and justice.
As soon as Ceaușescu took power in Romania, his regime systematically attacked religious freedom by promoting atheism, controlling religious institutions, and demolishing churches. This created an environment of repression that stifled religious expression and contributed to the decline of organized religion in Romania during his rule.
Ceaușescu used <a href="https://2001-2009.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2006/71402.htm">Decree 177/1948</a> for further repression that significantly curtailed religious freedom in Romania. He established a framework for state control over religious organizations and practices.
New religious groups faced significant difficulties in obtaining official recognition. Religious literature, including Bibles and other texts, faced heavy censorship. Many publications were banned in socialist Romania or required state approval before distribution. Nativity scenes, crosses, and other religious imagery were often removed from public spaces, and churches faced restrictions on displaying decorations that highlighted the religious significance of Christmas.
Some families in socialist Romania, risking cruel punishment, jail time, or death, created small altars or displays in their homes featuring religious icons, candles, and nativity scenes, allowing them to express their faith privately.
While initially Ceaușescu’s anti-capitalist rhetoric resonated, the reality of his regime’s failures ultimately led to widespread disillusionment.
George Barna&#8217;s research recently found that <a href="https://www.arizonachristian.edu/2021/02/03/americas-thirst-for-socialism-plummets-in-wake-of-2020-election/">support for socialism</a> is growing in America. Socialism is now deeply rooted in New York City after the election of self-proclaimed Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani.
And Mamdani is following Ceaușescu’s playbook. He strongly criticizes capitalism as corrupt and exploitative, while socialism is a path to equality and justice. He plays on the emotions of New Yorkers who struggle to survive in one of the most expensive cities in the world.
Mamdani hopes people will see the true reality of his policies years from now. He advocates for religious freedom by emphasizing the importance of maintaining a secular government approach to it. He frames religious freedom within the broader context of social justice, racial equality, economic justice, and immigrant rights. He believes in promoting government policies grounded in ethical and secular principles rather than religious doctrines.
<div id="attachment_1017055" style="width: 778px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1017055" class="size-large wp-image-1017055" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/GettyImages-2250069091-768x576.jpg" alt="NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 04: Crowds gather for a look at a Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center on December 4, 2025 in New York City. The tree, which is an icon of New York City's holiday season, was lit up on the night of December 3 in midtown Manhattan. (Photo by Liao Pan/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images)" width="768" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-2250069091-768x576.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-2250069091-300x225.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-2250069091.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" />Liao Pan/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images</div>
The election of progressive candidates who openly identify with socialist principles in America has changed the political landscape, challenging traditional party norms and policies.
Socialism stands in direct opposition to God, replacing Him with an all-powerful government that demands total allegiance. It erodes our God-given religious freedoms and brands faithful Christians as obstacles to its agenda.
My own life bears witness to this truth. I fled a socialist regime in 1988, escaping the brutal oppression that crushed religious rights and silenced believers. Those same poisonous lies of socialism, now spreading rapidly in America, are gaining ground, especially among those who despise our nation&#8217;s founding principles and Judeo-Christian heritage.
We cannot remain silent. Those of us who have endured the horrors of socialism will never stop sounding the alarm. It is time to rise up and fiercely defend our freedoms before they are lost forever.
* * *
<a href="https://www.virginiaprodanbooks.com/">Virginia Prodan</a> is an international human rights attorney, best-selling author of the memoir “<a href="https://virginiaprodanbooks.com/get-the-book-2/">Saving My Assassin</a>,” and host of the “<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/courageous-leadership-with-virginia-prodan/id1590554517">Courageous Leadership with Virginia Prodan</a>” podcast. She serves as an ambassador on the President’s Council for National Religious Broadcasters, a member of the Advisory Board of the American Christian Leaders for Israel, and an Allied Attorney with Alliance Defending Freedom.
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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Christmas in Rockefeller Center – Season 2025

Don’t Let Socialism’s Red Star Top America’s Christmas Tree

Bible

Christmas

Communism

Democratic Socialism

Europe

Karl Marx

Marxism

New York City

Zohran Mamdani

VATICAN CITY, Dec 18 (Reuters) — Pope Leo replaced Cardinal Timothy Dolan as leader of the Catholic Church in New York, the Vatican announced on Thursday, sidelining a prominent American church figure in a major shake-up of the country&#8217;s Catholic leadership.
Leo, the first American pope, appointed a relatively unknown cleric from Illinois, Bishop Ronald Hicks, to replace Dolan as leader of the nation&#8217;s second-largest Catholic diocese, home to some 2.8 million Church members.
&#8220;Hicks represents not just a new chapter for New York but for the American church as a whole,&#8221; said David Gibson, a U.S. church expert.
Dolan, Archbishop of New York since 2009 and a former president of the U.S. Catholic bishops&#8217; conference, offered to resign in February upon turning 75, as required by Church law. Cardinals often serve until 80, the mandatory retirement age.
He is regarded as a leading conservative among the U.S. bishops, who have become increasingly divided in recent years amid deepening political polarization. Cardinal Dolan delivered one of the invocations at Trump&#8217;s second inauguration and praised late Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk as a &#8220;modern-day St. Paul,&#8221; sparking online criticism from a range of Catholics. Known for his gregarious personality, Dolan has been a frequent guest on &#8220;Fox &amp; Friends&#8221; and hosts his own weekly program on SiriusXM&#8217;s The Catholic Channel.
NEW ARCHBISHOP HAS &#8216;GREAT HEART&#8217; FOR LATINO COMMUNITY
At a press conference in New York a few hours after the Vatican&#8217;s announcement, Hicks, 58, gave some remarks in Spanish before speaking in English. He said he has a &#8220;great heart&#8221; for the Latino community, citing his experience as a former missionary in Latin America.
Hicks also repeated an earlier endorsement of the U.S. Catholic bishops&#8217; condemnation of President Donald Trump&#8217;s immigration crackdown.
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He said the United States should protect its borders but &#8220;also be a country that upholds human dignity, respect, (and) treating each other well.&#8221;
Hicks, leader of the Church in Joliet, Illinois, since 2020, has several similarities to Pope Leo. They are both originally from south Chicago suburbs but spent years as missionaries — Leo in Peru, while Hicks was in El Salvador.
&#8220;(Leo) is elevating to the most prominent American see an Illinois native very much like himself,&#8221; said Gibson, director of Fordham University&#8217;s Center on Religion and Culture.
Hicks joked at the press conference that he and Leo even have the same favorite pizza restaurant.
The Archdiocese of New York is a sprawling and influential institution, serving Catholics across Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island, and in seven counties to the north across 296 parishes and hundreds of Catholic schools and hospitals.
Leo&#8217;s replacement of Dolan comes as the archdiocese is struggling to raise more than $300 million for expected settlements with survivors of abuse by Catholic clergy.
The archdiocese has entered mediation with some 1,300 alleged survivors, with Dolan announcing on December 8 that the archdiocese would cut its operating budget by 10%, lay off staff, and sell properties as it sought to raise funds for payouts.
Hicks will be installed in his new role on February 6, the New York archdiocese said in a statement. Dolan will remain as the temporary leader in the interim.
HICKS SEEN AS SUPPORTER OF POPE FRANCIS&#8217; REFORMS
Gibson said Hicks is &#8220;a soft-spoken Midwesterner who embraces the reformist line of Pope Francis and who is respected by many across the divides in a polarized church.&#8221;
The late Pope Francis, who led the Catholic Church for 12 years until his death in April, pursued a reform agenda and sought to make the Church more inclusive of diverse viewpoints, sometimes drawing pushback from conservative cardinals.
In an October pastoral letter to the roughly 520,000 Catholics in Joliet, Hicks did not address political issues or Church reforms and instead urged his people to focus on their prayer lives and spread their faith to others.
(Reporting by Joshua McElwee, Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Chizu Nomiyama)
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FILE PHOTO: Pope Leo XIV holds a general audience in Saint Peter’s Square at the Vatican

Pope Leo Replaces New York’s Cardinal Dolan, A Leading Conservative Voice, In U.S. Church Shake-Up

New York

Pope Leo

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