Like most holidays celebrated in the United States today, St. Patrick’s Day has become thoroughly commercialized with many Americans knowing little about the day other than its loose associations with Irish culture.
The true story of St. Patrick, a man who helped to bring <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/christianity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Christianity</a> to a thoroughly pagan <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ireland" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ireland</a>, is truly remarkable and worth celebrating. His life shows how one person can make a difference and that a culture steeped in darkness can be brought into the light.
Born in Roman Britain <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Patrick">sometime</a> during the 4th or 5th century A.D. (estimates vary), Patrick, also known as Maewyn Succat, was kidnapped and brought to Ireland after his village was sacked by Irish raiders when he was just 16.
“My name is Patrick. I am a sinner, a simple country person, and the least of all believers. I am looked down upon by many. My father was Calpornius. He was a deacon; his father was Potitus, a priest, who lived at Bannavem Taburniae. His home was near there, and that is where I was taken prisoner,” Patrick <a href="https://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/who-was-saint-patrick-and-should-christians-celebrate-st-patricks-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> about his early life in his “Confessions of St. Patrick.” 
Although his family was deeply Christian, Patrick <a href="https://www.christianitytoday.com/history/2008/august/real-st-patrick.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that he &#8220;knew not the true God” prior to his captivity. In Ireland, Patrick was sold into slavery and ended up as a shepherd, according to tradition. It was during his six years as a shepherd and farmhand that Patrick’s indifference to Christianity melted away. 
“[But] in that strange land the Lord opened my unbelieving eyes, and although late I called my sins to mind, and was converted with my whole heart to the Lord my God, who regarded my low estate, had pity on my youth and ignorance, and consoled me as a father consoles his children. Every day I used to look after sheep and I used to pray often during the day, the love of God and a holy fear of Him increased more and more in me,” Patrick <a href="https://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/patrick-missionary-ireland" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> of his conversion to Christianity. 
He added that he would pray up to 100 times a day while out watching the sheep. Patrick believed that this time of spiritual devotion was preparing him for a deeper purpose. “As I now realize, it was because the Spirit was maturing and preparing me for a work yet to come,” he explained. 
One night during his captivity, Patrick said he had a dream that God was telling him to run away and go back to his village, which was located in modern-day Scotland. “You have fasted well. Very soon you will return to your native country,” he said an angel told him. After trekking 200 miles to the coast he was able to catch a British ship and begin a lengthy journey back to his village.
Following years back in his homeland, Patrick had another life-changing dream. In this dream, which he compared to a “vision like the apostle Paul&#8217;s at Troas,” Patrick said he saw an Irishman asking him to come back to the Emerald Isle. “We appeal to you, holy servant boy, to come and walk among us,” Patrick <a href="https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/remember-saint-patrick" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recounted</a> an Irishman asking him during a dream. 
Patrick would return to Ireland with a mission of spreading Christianity, even though he knew he would face opposition because of the pagan customs entrenched in Irish culture. He was so committed to spreading the gospel of Jesus that he was willing to die if necessary.
“For daily I expect to be murdered or betrayed or reduced to slavery if the occasion arises. But I fear nothing, because of the promises of Heaven; for I have cast myself into the hands of Almighty God, who reigns everywhere,” Patrick wrote in his reflections. 
Many in Ireland, including King Loegaire, converted to Christianity because of Patrick’s efforts. The king’s conversion came after a face-off between the Christian and a group of druids, <a href="https://www.dib.ie/biography/loegaire-a4866" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Dictionary of Irish Biography.
Thanks to the success of his evangelism, Patrick became known as the “Apostle of Ireland.” W.D. Killen, a church historian, wrote, “There can be no reasonable doubt that Patrick preached the gospel, that he was a most zealous and efficient evangelist, and that he is entitled to be called the Apostle of Ireland.”
Patrick’s influence on Ireland is widespread, and <a href="https://www.christianitytoday.com/history/issues/issue-60/ending-human-sacrifice.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to Thomas Cahill, author of the bestselling book “How the Irish Saved Civilization,” Patrick likely helped bring human sacrifices on the island to an end. 
Cahill credits the Irish with keeping Western civilization afloat thanks to the monasteries that sprung up on the island after Patrick spread Christianity throughout. These monasteries preserved the classical tradition after the Western Roman Empire fell, and the manuscripts preserved by the monks were later used to reinvigorate European civilization. 
&#8220;And that,&#8221; Cahill <a href="https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/97/03/09/bsp/irish.html?scp=7&amp;sq=roman%2520civilization&amp;st=cse" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>, &#8220;is how the Irish saved civilization.&#8221;
In 1631, over 1,000 years after Patrick lived, the church <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/saint-patricks-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recognized</a> March 17 as a feast day to honor the patron saint of Ireland. Since that time, the holiday has evolved with various celebrations across the world and especially among traditional Irish communities. 
As the celebrations continued, many legends and stories have been added about Patrick’s influence on Ireland and the deeds that took place during his life but what is incontrovertibly true is that he brought Christianity to a place where it had not flourished before. And that is something to remember this St. Patrick’s day.
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St Patrick

The Story Of Saint Patrick: How A Former Slave Brought Christianity To Ireland

The Story Of St. Patrick: How A Former Slave Brought Christianity To Ireland

Christianity

History

Ireland

Religion

Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly translated a remark by Pope Francis. He was referring to a &#8220;temporal&#8221; tradition, not a &#8220;temporary&#8221; tradition. 
Pope Francis stated in a new interview that the Catholic Church in the West could theoretically consider lifting its ban on priests marrying, calling the tradition of celibacy for priests a “temporal&#8221; discipline rather than an eternal dictate.
According to the Code of Canon Law of the Catholic Church, “Clerics are obliged to observe perfect and perpetual continence for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven, and are therefore bound to celibacy. Celibacy is a special gift of God by which sacred ministers can more easily remain close to Christ with an undivided heart, and can dedicate themselves more freely to the service of God and their neighbor.”
This “temporal” tradition, as the Pope called it during his extensive interview with Argentine publication Infobae, was passed down through the centuries within the Latin Rite, for all ordained clergy. In the Eastern Rites, the tradition of celibacy would develop as an option for priests, but remain <a href="https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/priestly-celibacy-1169">mandatory for monks and Bishops</a>.
“There is no contradiction for a priest to marry,” Francis, 86, told reporters. “Celibacy in the western Church is a temporal prescription. I do not know if it is settled in one way or another, but it is temporal in this sense. &#8230; It is not eternal like priestly ordination, which is forever whether you like it or not. Whether you leave … is another matter, but (priesthood) is forever. Celibacy, on the other hand, is a discipline.”
Asked if the obligation of celibacy could be revisited in the Latin Rite, Francis referenced the Eastern Church, declaring, “Yes, yes, In fact, everyone in the Eastern Church is married, or those who want to. There they make a choice. Before ordination there is the choice to marry or to be celibate,” according to a <a href="https://www.infobae.com/america/mundo/2023/03/10/el-papa-francisco-opino-sobre-nicaragua-es-como-las-dictaduras-comunistas-o-hitlerianas-grosera/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">transcript</a> provided in Spanish by Infobae.
In 2019, Francis <a href="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/43258/vatican-pope-francis-not-in-favor-of-optional-priestly-celibacy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">offered</a> a slightly different approach of explaining priestly celibacy, asserting, “Personally, I think that celibacy is a gift to the Church. I would say that I do not agree with allowing optional celibacy, no.&#8221; Although Francis said exceptions could be made for married clergy in the Latin rite &#8220;when there is a pastoral necessity&#8221; (as in the case of the <a href="https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_ben-xvi_apc_20091104_anglicanorum-coetibus.html">Anglican Ordinariate established by Pope Benedict XVI</a>), he also quoted Pope Paul VI, saying: “I prefer to give my life before changing the law of celibacy.&#8221;
As early as 1,800 years ago, the Synod of Elvira stated, “It is decided that marriage be altogether prohibited to bishops, priests, and deacons, or to all clerics placed in the ministry, and that they keep away from their wives and not beget children; whoever does this shall be deprived of the honor of the clerical office.”

Pope Francis greets and blesses the faithful during his

Pope Francis: Priestly Celibacy A ‘Temporal’ Discipline, Not An Eternal Dictate

Pope Francis: Priestly Celibacy A Tradition, But Not Set In Stone

Catholicism

Pope Francis

Priests

World

Pope Francis criticized radical gender ideology in a recent interview, referring to it as &#8220;one of the most dangerous ideological colonizations&#8221; in the current public discourse.
Francis <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/03/11/pope-francis-gender-ideology-is-one-of-most-dangerous-ideological-colonizations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spoke on that topic</a> and others with journalist Elisabetta Piqué for an <a href="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253845/pope-francis-gender-ideology-is-one-of-the-most-dangerous-ideological-colonizations-today" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> published March 10 in the Argentine daily newspaper La Nación — and he explained that gender ideology was dangerous because it blurred the lines between male and female, diminishing the inherent value held by each.
&#8220;Gender ideology, today, is one of the most dangerous ideological colonizations,&#8221; Francis said. &#8220;Why is it dangerous? Because it blurs differences and the value of men and women. All humanity is the tension of differences. It is to grow through the tension of differences. 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;
The Pope explained that while he was not planning to write anything extensive on the topic of gender, he did find it necessary to address the issue from time to time, largely &#8220;because some people are a bit naive and believe that it is the way to progress.&#8221;
He went on to say that he believed it was important to draw a distinction &#8220;between what pastoral care is for people who have a different sexual orientation and what gender ideology is &#8230; they are two different things.&#8221;
The problem, he said, was that advocates of gender ideology were blurring the lines between the sexes — a move that he worried was a step down the road to erasing humanity.
They “do not distinguish what is respect for sexual diversity or diverse sexual preferences from what is already an anthropology of gender, which is extremely dangerous because it eliminates differences, and that erases humanity, the richness of humanity, both personal, cultural, and social, the diversities and the tensions between differences,&#8221; he said.
Pope Francis compared the current climate to the world presented in a 1907 book by Monsignor Robert Hugh Benson titled &#8220;<a class="null" href="https://www.amazon.com/Lord-World-Robert-Hugh-Benson/dp/0870612980/ref=sr_1_1?crid=KG1YWMO52NGH&amp;keywords=Lord+of+the+World&amp;qid=1678536476&amp;sprefix=lord+of+the+world%2Caps%2C109&amp;sr=8-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Lord of the World</a>&#8221; — a world that portrayed &#8220;a future in which differences are disappearing and everything is the same, everything is uniform, a single leader of the whole world.&#8221;

Pope Francis Blasts Gender Ideology As ‘One Of The Most Dangerous Ideological Colonizations’

Pope Francis Blasts Gender Ideology As 'One Of The Most Dangerous Ideological Colonizations'

Catholic Church

Gender

New York City Democratic Mayor Eric Adams on Sunday doubled down on his faith and how it influences his governing style.
Adams drew significant criticism from Democrats for comments he made at an interfaith breakfast last week when he seemingly dismissed the separation of church and state. In an interview on CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union&#8221; Sunday, Adams clarified that he supported the concept but reaffirmed that his faith shapes his policies as mayor.
&#8220;[L]et&#8217;s be clear on something,&#8221; Adams said. &#8220;The last words I said after I was sworn in [were] &#8216;so help me God.&#8217; On our dollar bill, we have &#8216;In God We Trust.&#8217; Every president touched a religious book when they were sworn in, except for three.&#8221;
&#8220;Faith is who I am,&#8221; Adams continued. &#8220;And anyone who takes those words as stated that I&#8217;m going to try to compel people to follow my religion, no. I&#8217;m a child of God. I believe that wholly. I&#8217;m going to follow the law, I&#8217;m not going to compel people who believe in whatever faith it could be. If you&#8217;re in a synagogue, a Baptist church, a Buddhist temple, I&#8217;m in all of them. And that&#8217;s what was in my service.&#8221;
However, Adams later clarified that he still supported church-state separation.
&#8220;I want to be very clear on this, so it won&#8217;t be distorted. Government should not interfere with religion. Religion should not interfere with government,&#8221; he said. &#8220;That can&#8217;t happen. And it should never happen. But my faith is how I carry out the practices that I do and the policies, such as helping people who are homeless, such as making sure that we show compassion in what we do in our city.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
&quot;Don&#39;t tell me about no separation of church and state.&quot;
New York City Mayor Eric Adams explains a controversial remark he made at an interfaith breakfast. <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSotu?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CNNSotu</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CNNSOTU?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CNNSOTU</a> <a href="https://t.co/KtMCSb6Dm4">pic.twitter.com/KtMCSb6Dm4</a>
&mdash; CNN (@CNN) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNN/status/1632393177431699456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Adams turned heads last <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nyc-mayor-eric-adams-says-prayers-replaced-by-guns-in-schools" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tuesday</a> when he spoke about the importance of instilling faith in American children. During his remarks, he echoed the words of his chaplain, Ingrid Lewis-Martin, who said the mayor&#8217;s office did not believe in the separation of church and state.
&#8220;Don&#8217;t tell me about no separation of church and state,&#8221; said Adams. &#8220;State is the body. Church is the heart. You take the heart out of the body, the body dies. I can&#8217;t separate my belief because I&#8217;m an elected official. When I walk, I walk with God. When I talk, I talk with God. When I put policies in place, I put them in with a Godlike approach to them. That&#8217;s who I am.&#8221;
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
NYC Mayor Eric Adams: &quot;Don&#39;t tell me about no separation of church and state. State is the body. Church is the heart. You take the heart out of the body, the body dies&quot; <a href="https://t.co/nBx6mEFlBT">pic.twitter.com/nBx6mEFlBT</a>
&mdash; The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) <a href="https://twitter.com/TPostMillennial/status/1630966490684964864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The assertions by Adams sparked outrage from some, including the <a href="https://www.nyclu.org/en/press-releases/nyclu-reaction-mayor-adams-remarks-separation-church-and-state" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ACLU&#8217;s New York state affiliate, NYCLU</a>.
“We are a nation and a city of many faiths and no faith,” said NYCLU Executive Director Donna Lieberman. “In order for our government to truly represent us, it must not favor any belief over another, including non-belief.”
According to CNN&#8217;s Dana Bash, one rabbi in attendance called the remarks &#8220;dangerous.&#8221;
Daniel Chaitin contributed to this report.

1A40E486-3596-4B03-82B3-4BC9AC55F56E_1_201_a

‘Faith Is Who I Am’: NYC Mayor Reaffirms That Faith Shapes His Policies After ‘Separation Of Church And State’ Controversy

NYC Mayor Eric Adams Reaffirms That Faith Shapes His Policies After 'Separation Of Church And State' Controversy

Eric Adams

Faith

New York

New York City

Politics

Fox News host <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/tucker-carlson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tucker Carlson</a> reacted on Thursday evening to the arrest of a <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/canada" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Canadian</a> minister who protested a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/drag-queen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">drag queen</a> event for children.
Derek Riemer of Mission7 was arrested after he protested a drag queen story hour at Calgary Public Library on Saturday; video shows him <a href="https://twitter.com/wopizza/status/1629709815311376384?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shoved</a> to the ground by attendees as he proclaimed that “Jesus Christ is Lord” and quoted biblical passages about homosexuality.
“We are disgusted and disturbed and appalled at the perversion and the indoctrination of the centralization and the normalization of this homosexual agenda and drag queen transgender agenda on the children,” Reimer said in an <a href="https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/canadian-pastor-forcibly-removed-from-drag-queen-story-time-for-kids-vows-to-keep-protesting/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> with LifeSiteNews. “We feel compelled to take a stand in the name of Jesus against this and to speak out and to preach the gospel, and to rebuke and to expose this.”
Carlson <a href="https://twitter.com/TPostMillennial/status/1631467161263767552" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> that the administration of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has actively opposed Christian and conservative movements in recent years. “On some level, all governments hate religious people, because it’s competition. And revolutionary governments, totalitarian governments, go after religious people first,” he observed. “That is the measure of a free country in the end: are you allowed to believe that there’s an authority higher than the people in charge of your government?”
The primetime anchor showcased footage of police arriving at Riemer’s home and arresting him for mischief and causing a disturbance. &#8220;Canada has now become an atheist totalitarian state with amazing speed,” Carlson remarked. “In Canada, it’s now a crime to object to sexualized drag shows for children.”
Several Canadian ministers were likewise arrested for opening their churches despite government lockdown mandates. Pastor Tim Stephens of Fairview Baptist Church in Alberta garnered international attention as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/all-glory-to-god-canadian-pastor-jailed-for-opening-his-church-during-lockdowns-acquitted-by-top-court" target="_blank" rel="noopener">videos</a> of police officers detaining him in front of his sobbing children and using helicopters to discover where his church had been secretly meeting circulated online. Stephens spent three weeks in jail and was served six provincial tickets for his alleged breach of public health orders, all of which were eventually dropped or cleared.
Carlson also referenced “professional Christians” who have frequently remained silent on governmental overreach and widespread disregard for biblical sexual ethics. “Where is David French, Beth Moore, Tim Keller, and all these people who are defending Christianity as actual Christians are being arrested for being Christians? Not a word.”
Daily Wire journalist Megan Basham has reported over the past several months about professed theological conservatives, including French and Keller, cooperating with efforts from the Biden administration to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-the-federal-government-used-evangelical-leaders-to-spread-covid-propaganda-to-churches" target="_blank" rel="noopener">encourage</a> mask-wearing and receiving the COVID vaccine. Keller and French also lauded former National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins, who has declared himself an “ally” of the LGBTQ movement and supported fetal human tissue research during his tenure, as a faithful Christian.
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Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, which is led by Keller, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/neither-vaccinated-nor-unvaccinated-how-churches-imposing-vaccine-mandates-are-dividing-christians-with-a-different-gospel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">segregated</a> its congregation according to vaccination status. The Gospel Coalition, a publication founded by Keller, has received criticism for ceding ground to left-wing concepts such as “systemic racism” and “microaggression.” Editors for the platform <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/calls-mount-for-evangelical-publication-to-retract-article-likening-kyle-rittenhouse-to-mass-shooter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">refused</a> to amend an article that called Kyle Rittenhouse an “armed mass shooter” despite his acquittal and likened him to the white supremacist shooter who murdered nine black churchgoers during a 2015 service in Charleston, South Carolina.

Fox News Host Tucker Carlson Appears At National Review Ideas Summit

Tucker Carlson Calls Out ‘Professional Christian’ Leaders For Silence As Canadian Pastor Arrested For Protesting Drag Queen Event

Tucker Carlson Reacts As Canadian Pastor Arrested For Protesting Drag Queen Event

Canada

Drag Queens

LGBTQ

Pastor

Tucker Carlson

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis has issued a long-anticipated statement of prayer and condolences through a telegram sent Thursday to Los Angeles Archbishop Jose H. Gomez as funerals are <a href="https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/funeral-services-set-for-slain-bishop-david-oconnell/3105533/">held throughout the week</a> for slain Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell.
Thirteen days ago, O’Connell was murdered in his suburban Los Angeles home with “at least one” gunshot wound to his upper chest. Two days after a deacon found O’Connell, L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna announced citizen tips had led to the arrest of 61-year-old Carlos Medina, the husband of the Bishop’s housekeeper.
The Catholic community throughout the L.A. Archdiocese was at a loss; its Archbishop was <a href="https://twitter.com/breeadail/status/1627817745357107202?s=46&amp;t=cpaN2KIDcdeaT9WD1jeLiQ">overwhelmed with grief </a>during a press conference representing the many who formed prayer vigils outside the late bishop’s home.
&#8220;Deeply saddened to learn of the untimely and tragic death of Auxiliary Bishop David O&#8217;Connell, his Holiness Pope Francis sends heartfelt condolences to you, the clergy, religious and lay faithful of the Archdiocese,&#8221; said Cardinal Pietro Parolin in a statement on behalf of Pope Francis. &#8220;He joins you in giving thanks for Bishop O&#8217;Connell&#8217;s years of devoted priestly and Episcopal ministry to the church in Los Angeles, marked especially by his profound concern for the poor, immigrants and those in need, his efforts to uphold the sanctity and dignity of God&#8217;s gift of life and his zeal for fostering solidarity, cooperation and peace within the local community.&#8221;
&#8220;To those gathered for the mass of Christian burial and to all who mourn Bishop O&#8217;Connell&#8217;s loss in the sure hope of the resurrection, the Holy Father cordially imparts his blessing as a pledge of peace and consolation in the Lord,&#8221; the statement continued.
Accompanying the grief, however, was the noted silence from Pope Francis, whose comments during his <a href="https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/audiences/2023/documents/20230222-udienza-generale.html">Wednesday Audience</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/breeadail/status/1629830179034918912?s=20">Sunday Angelus</a> focused on many tragic circumstances throughout the world—including a shipwreck of migrants off the coast of Italy, terrorist attacks in the Holy Land and Burkina Faso and the ongoing war in Ukraine—but not the shooting death of one of his own.
With the slow trickle of information from law enforcement and the years of press coverage over sex abuse and financial corruption scandals, many took to social media to express a mix of grief, shock, and speculation about the motives behind a daytime killing of a U.S. Catholic Bishop.
Speaking exclusively with The Daily Wire a day after the arrest of Medina, former Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angelus, Bishop Robert Barron, strongly condemned <a href="https://www.churchmilitant.com/video/episode/intv-bp-oconnell-executed">unsupported speculations</a>, gossip, and rumormongering found on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbrLE0VB6qo">social media</a> and within certain headlines, which often resulted in calumny against his friend and brother Bishop.
“I think people who think that way are misguided,” Barron stated during a zoom call with The Daily Wire. “This was a shock. I’ve spoken with a number of my brother bishops out in California and here and elsewhere, and it has been extremely difficult.”
Asked how he and other church leaders were dealing with the grief, the questions, and the silence from the Vatican, Barron responded, “What you do is place it in the hands of God and trusting God’s providence. Whatever God permits is ultimately conducive towards some good that perhaps we can’t see.”
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“No one knew that better than Bishop Dave O’Connell,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;He was a man who was not only very dedicated to his people, but he had a keen spiritual sensibility—he knew all about the Divine Providence and took it very seriously. His approach would always be to reach out to people who were suffering, even if they were directing negative thoughts and actions towards him.”
Bishop Barron revealed that he found out his friend had died through a <a href="https://lacatholics.org/statement-from-archbishop-gomez-on-bishop-oconnell/">statement</a> issued by the Archdiocese of L.A. that said O’Connell had “died unexpectedly.&#8221;
“So, I just got the word that he died, and I was in shock at that,” Barron explained, “But then, the next morning, I woke up and I saw these reports that he had been shot, and that just doubled or tripled the shock value. I am still processing the shock, dismay, grief. He and I were good friends. We were ordained bishops, together. I had great admiration for him, love for him.”
On February 21, The Daily Wire contacted Matteo Bruni of the Holy See Press Office seeking comment on the murder and the apprehension of the suspect after days of silence from the Vatican. No response was given, nor when The Daily Wire inquired later, asking what was keeping the Vatican from issuing a statement, as has been the norm for <a href="https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2022-02/pope-francis-general-audience-father-richard-masivi-appeal.html">past</a> clergy <a href="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/34247/pope-condemns-absurd-violence-after-priest-is-killed-in-french-church">murders</a>. 
Turning to Bishop Barron, The Daily Wire asked how he would describe his friend to the pope if he were called upon to do so.
“Bishop O’Connell had a side that was very much involved in the Charismatic Renewal. He was very involved in Deliverance Ministry—for people who were suffering from acute psychological and spiritual suffering, he worked with them.” Barron recalled. “He had a very strong social justice side—obviously, with his work with the poor and with inner-city gangs.&#8221;
“Some identify &#8216;social justice&#8217; with the &#8216;Left&#8217; side of the church, and identify the charismatic, the liturgical, and the prayerfulness with the &#8216;Right&#8217; side of the church,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;Bishop O’Connell embodied both, he didn’t fall under that (polarization) at all. That was what made him, I think, very attractive to so many. I think that’s what made him a “Francis bishop.&#8221; He had a lot of those qualities and virtues that Pope Francis talks about. I would tell Pope Francis all that—that he was a great man, and a great bishop.”

Pope Francis Leads Way Of The Cross On Rio’s Copacabana Beach

Pope Francis Finally Responds To Murder Of Bishop

 Pope Francis Finally Responds To Murdered Bishop

California

Los Angeles

Murder

Daily Wire host <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/michael-knowles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michael Knowles</a> was pleasantly surprised as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/new-york-city" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York City</a> Mayor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/eric-adams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eric Adams</a> lamented the fact that gun violence has replaced prayer in <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/education" target="_blank" rel="noopener">government schools</a>.
Adams, a Democrat who assumed office last year, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nyc-mayor-eric-adams-says-prayers-replaced-by-guns-in-schools?%3Futm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=dwnewstwitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">commented</a> during an interfaith breakfast that the decline of religiosity in New York City has contributed to its decline. “If we are bringing our best fight in the ring, we would not have homelessness in this city. We would not have a crisis of domestic violence,” he said. “Because when we took prayers out of schools, guns came into the schools.”
The official dismissed the view of “separation of church and state” often professed by members of the Left. “Don’t tell me about no separation of church and state,” Adams continued. “State is the body. Church is the heart. You take the heart out of the body, the body dies.”
Knowles remarked during an episode of “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1193-after-destroying-chicago-lori-lightfood-can-finally-rest-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Michael Knowles Show</a>” that Adams rendered a correct observation about human nature with his comments. “He&#8217;s not giving a historical study here. He&#8217;s making a philosophical and anthropological point,” he remarked. “When you discourage them from worshiping God and turning their eyes up to good things and to virtue and to truth, they&#8217;re going to turn it somewhere else. They&#8217;re going to turn their attention to bad things. They&#8217;re going to turn their attention to false idols. They&#8217;re going to turn their attention to falsehoods and vice. That is what&#8217;s going to happen.”
Knowles had previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lori-lightfoot-blames-re-election-woes-on-racism-sexism-and-time-magazine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">discussed</a> the overwhelming loss of Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot in the city’s elections on Tuesday; the comments from Adams added to his unexpected optimism. “Eric Adams said something really true. Is something wrong? Hold on, am I dreaming? Am I? I want to pinch myself,” he said. “Something is going on in our cities. Chicago threw out Lori Lightfoot, the New York City mayor is saying something true and smart.”
The speech from Adams provoked rebukes from left-wing entities such as the ACLU; indeed, Knowles observed that the comments about the effects of removing prayer from schools more closely resemble the viewpoint of a right-wing politician from Texas. He expressed hope that the phenomena in New York City and Chicago indicate that residents are realizing that the secular vision they once held for their communities has failed.
“You&#8217;re seeing some rays of hope here creeping in, which is that people are beginning to realize maybe that was a mistake,” Knowles said. “Maybe when you create a national policy turning your country away from God, maybe that&#8217;s not going to work out so great.”
Knowles referenced his comments from a previous episode in which he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-law-is-a-teacher-michael-knowles-reacts-to-viral-video-showing-el-salvadors-crackdown-on-violent-gangs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lauded</a> Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele for imprisoning violent gang members and causing the Latin American nation’s murder rate to plummet. Knowles cited a second <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-el-salvador-president-addresses-soldiers-battling-gang-violence-has-an-ominous-word-for-america" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video</a> from Bukele in which the official commended soldiers for embracing virtues such as “strength, discipline, patriotism, honor, loyalty, and love for your fellow man,” which are necessary for maintaining a prosperous nation.
<a class="c-link" href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://onelink.to/dwapp" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-4883">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
“History students will be studying this speech years from now. This is beautiful, simple, and true,” Knowles reacted. “The president of El Salvador sounds like an American founding father in that speech. More so, he sounds like Governor Bradford, Governor Winthrop, or some of the very earliest Americans who helped to build our country.”

Michael Knowles

‘Am I Dreaming?’: Michael Knowles Pleasantly Surprised As Democrat NYC Mayor Eric Adams Bemoans Prayer Leaving Schools

Michael Knowles Surprised As Democrat NYC Mayor Eric Adams Laments Prayer Leaving Schools

Schools

New York City Mayor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/eric-adams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eric Adams</a> lamented a lack of prayer in schools while decrying the scourge of gun violence on Tuesday.
During remarks at an interfaith breakfast, <a href="https://www.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/139-23/transcript-mayor-adams-hosts-delivers-remarks-interfaith-breakfast" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adams spoke about</a> the intersection of faith and realizing one&#8217;s full potential. He said people going to places of worship, regardless of religion, can help alleviate the city&#8217;s various problems, such as homelessness and domestic violence.
&#8220;When we took prayers out of schools, guns came into schools,&#8221; he added to a round of applause.
Later in his speech, Adams echoed his chief adviser and Christian chaplain, Ingrid Lewis-Martin, who delivered remarks before him at the event and said the mayor&#8217;s administration &#8220;doesn&#8217;t believe&#8221; in the separation of church and state, <a href="https://www.politico.com/newsletters/new-york-playbook-pm/2023/02/28/eric-adams-when-we-took-prayers-out-of-schools-guns-came-into-schools-00084832" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to POLITICO</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
“When we took prayers out of schools, guns came into schools.”
— NYC Mayor Eric Adams (D) speaking at the New York Public Library interfaith breakfast <a href="https://t.co/2GkxKCB5bX">pic.twitter.com/2GkxKCB5bX</a>
&mdash; The Recount (@therecount) <a href="https://twitter.com/therecount/status/1630613690058784773?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Don&#8217;t tell me about no separation of church and state,&#8221; Adams said. &#8220;State is the body. Church is the heart. You take the heart out of the body, the body dies.&#8221;
The assertions by Adams sparked outrage from some, including from the <a href="https://www.nyclu.org/en/press-releases/nyclu-reaction-mayor-adams-remarks-separation-church-and-state" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ACLU of New York</a>.
“We are a nation and a city of many faiths and no faith,&#8221; said NYCLU Executive Director Donna Lieberman. &#8220;In order for our government to truly represent us, it must not favor any belief over another, including non-belief.&#8221;
Others voiced agreement with Adams. &#8220;Strange to agree with Mayor Adams, but here we are,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/charliekirk11/status/1630701610916810759" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk</a>.
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A spokesperson for Adams dismissed the notion that the mayor was promoting anything improper.
&#8220;The policies we make as an administration are rooted in the mayor&#8217;s belief in the creator. The mayor personally believes all of our faiths would ensure we are humane to one another,&#8221; said Fabien Levy, the mayor&#8217;s press secretary, <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/mayor-eric-adams-comments-at-interfaith-breakfast-on-separation-of-church-and-state-rankle-many/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to CBS News</a>. &#8220;While everyone in the room immediately understood what the mayor meant, it&#8217;s unfortunate that some have attempted to hijack the narrative in an effort to misrepresent the mayor&#8217;s comments.&#8221;

NYC Mayor Eric Adams Says Prayers Replaced By Guns In Schools

NYC Mayor Says Prayers Replaced By Guns In Schools

Crime

U.S.

A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/pennsylvania">Pennsylvania</a> school district just revoked their previous approval for an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/satanic">After School Satan Club</a> to use their facilities following extensive public backlash.
The extracurricular club, which was being promoted for children ages 5 through 12, had originally been granted approval to meet in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/schools">public school</a> buildings in the Saucon Valley School District. This small suburban community is located about 60 miles north of Philadelphia in Northampton County, just outside Allentown. 
Saucon Valley school superintendent Jaime Vlasaty announced one Friday night that she was rescinding approval for the club to use school facilities, saying the club had failed to meet the requirements to use district facilities. 
Vlasaty also mentioned an anonymous voicemail which included threatening language and forced district campuses and after-school activities to shut down last Tuesday evening and all day Wednesday, per local news source <a href="https://www.lehighvalleylive.com/bethlehem/2023/02/after-chaos-threat-that-canceled-classes-after-school-satan-club-barred-from-schools.html">Lehigh Valley Live</a>.
“As a result of this violation, the educational programming and activities of the District has been significantly impacted and it has caused unequivocal disruption to the District’s daily operations,” Vlasaty said. “Our community has experienced chaos. Our students, staff and teachers have had to endure a threat to their safety and welfare. The gravity of feelings of instability, anxiety and fear have been profound.”
The school superintendent asked the community to calm down their “hateful” language in the wake of the controversy.
“Aside from my decision to rescind approval, I implore the Saucon Valley community to eliminate threatening, hateful and divisive language and behavior, and make a commitment in supporting our students and reinforcing the values of our community,” she said. 
Vlasary continued: “I firmly believe that we can create a safe and inclusive environment within our District where everyone is respected and valued no matter their opinions and beliefs, but we must first model this within our homes, our community and with one another.”
The district&#8217;s decision to allow the After School Satan Club to use the middle school was shared with parents last Monday and quickly inspired heated debate from both sides. District representatives argued that the club was not affiliated with the school and should therefore be allowed to use the facilities. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
After School Satan Club is coming to Hellertown, PA! Saucon Valley Middle School will host the first ASSC open to both elementary and middle schoolers! 
To register your student for SVMS&#39;s ASSC, please visit: <a href="https://t.co/SZsZOu1HYB">https://t.co/SZsZOu1HYB</a> 
For more, visit: <a href="https://t.co/FVCuEDTXP1">https://t.co/FVCuEDTXP1</a> <a href="https://t.co/xcDA0H6fBh">pic.twitter.com/xcDA0H6fBh</a>
&mdash; The Satanic Temple (@satanic_temple_) <a href="https://twitter.com/satanic_temple_/status/1628801684209016832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 23, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Parents quickly rallied, organizing a prayer service to be held outside the district Middle School on March 8, the day of the club’s first meeting. 
“It’s by no means a protest,” organizer Marjulee Colon, a former Republican candidate for Lehigh County’s District 4 commissioner seat, told <a href="https://www.mcall.com/2023/02/23/backlash-to-after-school-satan-club-prompted-school-closures-in-saucon-valley-now-the-district-is-reconsidering-the-club/">The Morning Call</a>. “My goal is to have the opportunity to really flood that area with the presence of our God, who is love and grace and mercy.”
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The parent who initially requested that the Satanic Temple should create the club in the Saucon Valley school district said they understood the backlash because they feel the same way about Christians.
“I can sympathize with it because I’m turned off by their religion,” the parent, who insisted on remaining anonymous, said. “I know what it’s like to be in their shoes.”
June Everett, national campaign director of the After School Satan Club, told The Morning Call that The Satanic Temple promotes freedom, science, justice and compassion and doesn’t promote worshiping the devil. 
“We are disappointed and are considering our options,” Everett said in a statement after the club’s approval was revoked.

US-religion-SATAN

PA School District Revokes Approval For After School Satan Club Following ‘Chaos’ Of Public Outcry

PA School District Revokes Approval For After School Satan Club Following 'Chaos' Of Public Outcry 

Freedom of Religion

Pennsylvania

Public Schools

satanic

A Catholic prayer and mediation app called <a href="https://hallow.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hallow</a> made history on Ash Wednesday, landing at the number #3 spot on the App Store&#8217;s &#8220;Top Charts,&#8221; surpassing heavy hitters like <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/google" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Google</a>, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/netflix" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Netflix</a>, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/joe-rogan-scores-number-one-spot-in-spotifys-podcasts-around-the-world-for-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a>, Instagram, and the CCP&#8217;s TikTok.
Hallow, first launched in 2018 by University of Notre Dame graduates Alex Jones, Alessandro DiSanto, and Erich Kerekes, has garnered millions of downloads and reached some 150 countries. Last year, the app surpassed <a href="https://aleteia.org/2022/09/10/hallow-app-celebrates-100-million-prayers-completed/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">100 million prayers</a> completed through the service.
“God is doing something pretty incredible,&#8221; Hallow founder and CEO Alex Jones told The Daily Wire on Thursday. &#8220;We never thought in a million years that we might have this many people from all around the world gathered together in prayer.&#8221;
&#8220;To be top 5 in the App Store is truly unbelievable,&#8221; Jones added. &#8220;Praise be to God!”
<div id="attachment_505119" style="width: 514px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-505119" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-505119 " src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/unnamed-3.jpg" alt="" width="504" height="1091" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/02/unnamed-3.jpg 1170w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/02/unnamed-3-139x300.jpg 139w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/02/unnamed-3-266x576.jpg 266w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/02/unnamed-3-768x1662.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/02/unnamed-3-710x1536.jpg 710w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/02/unnamed-3-946x2048.jpg 946w" sizes="(max-width: 504px) 100vw, 504px" />Screenshot: The App Store</div>
Hallow on Wednesday kicked off its annual 40-day <a href="https://hallow.com/pray40/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lent Challenge</a>, lasting, of course, until Easter Sunday.
&#8220;For forty days, He walked through the desert,&#8221; the Hallow <a href="https://hallow.com/pray40/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">site</a> reads. &#8220;Thirsty, hungry, tired, and tempted by the devil. And He continued His walk all the way to His loving sacrifice for us on the cross. A sacrifice for each and every one of us.&#8221;
&#8220;Together, as one community from all over the world, we’ll pray for 40 days leading up to His crucifixion and resurrection on Easter Sunday,&#8221; it continues. &#8220;We’ll journey through the life-changing spiritual classic the Imitation of Christ and focus our prayer and meditation on the three pillars of Lent: prayer, fasting, and giving.&#8221;
The Christian application has teamed up with big-name Catholics for the challenge, including actor Mark Wahlberg, who promoted Hallow during an interview on the “Today” <a href="https://www.today.com/life/inspiration/mark-wahlberg-explains-important-not-deny-faith-rcna71761">show</a>, Wednesday.
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“I don’t wanna jam it down anybody’s throat, but I do not deny my faith,&#8221; Wahlberg <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/thats-an-even-bigger-sin-mark-wahlberg-says-faith-is-not-popular-in-hollywood" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> of his Catholic faith. &#8220;That’s an even bigger sin. You know, it’s not popular in my industry, but, you know, I cannot deny my faith. It’s important for me to share that with people.”
Catholic priest Father Mike Schmitz, who hosts the wildly popular Christian podcast &#8220;Bible in a Year,&#8221; is also on the app, along with &#8220;Passion of the Christ&#8221; actor Jim Caviezel, Jonathan Roumie of &#8220;The Chosen,&#8221; and Immaculée Ilibagiza, an Rwandan genocide survivor and best-selling author.
<div id="attachment_505146" style="width: 940px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-505146" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-505146 size-large" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-23-at-5.41.20-PM-930x576.png" alt="" width="930" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-23-at-5.41.20-PM-930x576.png 930w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-23-at-5.41.20-PM-300x186.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-23-at-5.41.20-PM-768x475.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-23-at-5.41.20-PM-1536x951.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-23-at-5.41.20-PM.png 2032w" sizes="(max-width: 930px) 100vw, 930px" />Screenshot: Hallow</div>
“We already have over 120,000 (sign-ups) and I expect over a quarter of a million,” Jones said, <a href="https://www.catholicregister.org/features/arts/item/35282-hollywood-heavy-hitters-push-hallow-higher" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to The Catholic Register. “It will be an incredible opportunity for us all to get to pray every day during Lent and prepare for Easter and the Resurrection. We’re pretty excited.”
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/thats-an-even-bigger-sin-mark-wahlberg-says-faith-is-not-popular-in-hollywood" target="_blank" rel="noopener">‘That’s An Even Bigger Sin’: Mark Wahlberg Says ‘Faith’ Is ‘Not Popular’ In Hollywood</a>

USA, New Jersey, Woman praying with rosary beads in hands

‘God Is Doing Something Pretty Incredible’: Catholic App Passes Google, TikTok On Ash Wednesday

Christian/Catholic App Passes Google, TikTok On Ash Wednesday

Google

TikTok

President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr.,</a> might be the only white boy from East Wilmington, as he is wont to say, but Ol&#8217; Diamond Joe is much more than that. By his own account, he is the most Polish-Jewish-Black-Puerto Rican-Greek-Irish-Catholic president that we have ever had.
On Tuesday, Biden was in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/heres-how-a-u-s-president-sneaked-into-a-warzone-without-anyone-noticing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Poland</a> to re-emphasize <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mcconnell-again-says-war-in-ukraine-is-the-single-most-important-event-going-on-in-the-world-right-now-americans-beg-to-differ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Swamp&#8217;s commitment</a> to endless war in Ukraine. While there, he told his Polish counterpart about his own connection with the Poles.
“As a young man, I was, uh, born in a coal town of Scranton, Pennsylvania, in northeastern Pennsylvania, in an Irish-Catholic neighborhood. Then when coal died, we moved down to Delaware, to a town called Claymont, Delaware, which was a working-class town,” Biden told President Andrzej Duda. “And, uh, but everyone in town was either Polish or Italian. I grew up feeling self-conscious my name didn’t end in an ‘s-k-i’ or an ‘o.&#8217;”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Biden in Poland: ‘I grew up feeling self-conscious my name didn’t end in “S-K-I” or an “O” <a href="https://t.co/4mlg1D5DYb">pic.twitter.com/4mlg1D5DYb</a>
&mdash; Ryan Fournier (@RyanAFournier) <a href="https://twitter.com/RyanAFournier/status/1628064200441339905?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The president threw in an &#8220;all-kidding aside&#8221; but it would seem that he has always been a bit race-conscious from an early age. In fact, he&#8217;s most at home in a multicultural society. Or rather, he changes his life story to best suit whatever group he is speaking with.
Just last month, he also told a group of black Americans that he used to go to the African-American church in town after attending Catholic mass.
&#8220;Let&#8217;s lay one thing to rest. I may be a practicing Catholic, but [I] used to go to 7:30 Mass every morning in high school and then in college before I went to the Black church,&#8221; Biden said at the time. &#8220;Not a joke, Andy knows this.&#8221;
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Joe Biden Says He Went To A Black Church &quot;Every Morning,&quot; But Nobody Remembers That Ever Happening" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vFEXUr5eNgg?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
He also had an affinity for the Jewish people and attended Synagogue growing up.
“I probably went to shul more than many of you did,” Biden <a href="https://forward.com/fast-forward/519838/biden-jewish-high-holidays-white-house-shul-more-than-many-of-you-did/">stated</a> during a 2022 celebration of Rosh Hashanah.
“You all think I’m kidding, he can tell you I’m not,” the president said while gesturing toward a rabbi from Delaware.
“I’m a practicing Catholic, but I’d go to services on Saturday and on Sunday,” the president explained “You all think I’m kidding. I’m not.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Joe Biden at his event celebrating Rosh Hashanah:
&quot;I probably went to shul more than many of you did&#8230; I&#39;m a practicing Catholic but I went too services on Saturday and Sunday. You think I&#39;m kidding.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/g3OPT2TGaf">pic.twitter.com/g3OPT2TGaf</a>
&mdash; Greg Price (@greg_price11) <a href="https://twitter.com/greg_price11/status/1575883887065997313?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2022</a></blockquote>
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So, Biden wants the American people to believe that he would spend at least three hours every weekend attending multi-faith services growing up in Wilmington.
He is also practically Greek, too.
On Greek Independence Day in 2009, then-Vice President Biden, declared,  “I am an honorary Greek, not only today … but every day.” He gave himself the moniker “Joe Bidenopulous&#8221; because, he said, &#8220;in my first election the Greek community elected me.&#8221;
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Joe Bidenopoulos: &quot;I am an honorary Greek&quot;" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eYTraWVB_dk?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Last fall, while in Puerto Rico for hurricane recovery efforts, Biden also let it be known that he was raised in the Puerto Rican community.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Biden: &quot;I was sort of raised in the Puerto Rican community at home, politically.&quot;<a href="https://t.co/OA1LPK5auy">pic.twitter.com/OA1LPK5auy</a>
&mdash; Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1577016057679970304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2022</a></blockquote>
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And, of course, Biden claims to be a devout Roman Catholic. He also believes in gay marriage, abortion, radical gender ideology, and more that goes against church teaching.
So is Biden actually a walking, talking melting pot molded by nearly every ethnicity and religion under the sun?
No. A far likelier explanation is that he is a lying cheeseball.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Joe Biden

Biden Is The Most Polish-Jewish-Black-Puerto Rican-Greek-Irish-Catholic President We Have Ever Had

Biden Is The Most Polish-Jewish-Black-Puerto Rican-Greek-Irish-CatholicPresident We Have Ever Had

Ethnic Studies

Executive

Jewish

Poland

California megachurch Saddleback Church, founded by prominent Christian leader and best-selling author Rick Warren, was disfellowshipped from the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/southern-baptists" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Southern Baptist Convention</a> (SBC) on Tuesday over having a female pastor.
Officials on the Executive Committee voted out one of the largest churches in the United States less than a year after Warren delivered his final sermon as Saddleback&#8217;s senior pastor and ushered in lead pastor Andy Wood and his wife, Stacie, who serves as a teaching pastor.
Due to the church continuing to have a female functioning in the office of pastor, SBC Executive Committee Chairman Jared Wellman told The Daily Wire in a statement that the convention ousted the 43-year-old megachurch, as it is &#8220;not in friendly cooperation&#8221; with the denomination.
Wood told <a href="https://apnews.com/article/baptist-church-us-news-california-religion-7970970aef44935329cd0fa4d3feceee?utm_campaign=TrueAnthem&amp;utm_medium=AP&amp;utm_source=Twitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Associated Press</a> last year that the Bible “teaches that men and women were given spiritual gifts by God.”
“The church should be a place where both men and women can exercise those spiritual gifts,” Wood said. “My wife has the spiritual gift of teaching and she is really good. People often tell me she’s better than me when it comes to preaching, and I’m really glad to hear that.”
The move from the convention also comes after Warren ordained three women as pastors in May 2021, sparking the initial discussion to remove the church from the SBC, arguing it defied Biblical principles and Article VI in the Baptist Faith and Message.
&#8220;While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of the pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture,&#8221; the article reads.
Warren responded to Saddleback&#8217;s disfellowship in a tweet on Tuesday, thanking his supporters.
&#8220;Friends worldwide: I&#8217;m so touched by your love!&#8221; Warren said. &#8220;We&#8217;ll respond to #SBC in OUR time &amp; way thru direct channels.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Friends worldwide: I&#39;m so touched by your love! Kay &amp; I love you back! We&#39;ll respond to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SBC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SBC</a> in OUR time &amp; way thru direct channels: Our newsletters to 600,000 ch leaders Daily Hope radio broadcast 1 million PDC alumni pastors list 11 million social media followers Luke 23:43
&mdash; Rick Warren (@RickWarren) <a href="https://twitter.com/RickWarren/status/1628178253373657088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
At an SBC convention in June 2022, Warren responded to officials calling to sever the relationship with Saddleback.
&#8220;Are we going to keep bickering over secondary issues?&#8221; Warren said. &#8220;Or are we going to keep the main thing the main thing?&#8221;
Warren also reportedly said at the same meeting that he believes there is a difference between the office of pastor and the gift of pastor.
Traditional Christians believe the Bible makes it clear from a Complementarian viewpoint that women have a place in ministry under a male leader&#8217;s authority, arguing that primary leadership roles for females are unhealthy, counter to biblical standards, and place the congregation on a slippery slope away from fundamental scripture teachings and on a path toward more liberalism.
&#8220;They are on that path — anybody can see this by following their social media pages,&#8221; a source, who requested anonymity, told The Daily Wire.
The Executive Committee also ousted five other churches from the convention — four of which have a woman serving as a lead or senior pastor.
Those churches include New Faith Mission Ministry in Griffin, Georgia, St. Timothy&#8217;s Christian Baptist in Baltimore, Maryland, Calvary Baptist Church in Jackson, Mississippi, and Fern Creek Baptist Church, in Louisville, Kentucky.
SBC officials also disfellowshipped Freedom Church in Vero Beach, Florida, over a sex abuse-related issue, which <a href="https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/religion/2023/02/21/southern-baptist-convention-disfellowships-saddleback-church/69927465007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Tennessean</a> reported executive committee chairman Wellman said the church exhibited &#8220;a lack of intent to cooperate in resolving concerns regarding a sexual abuse allegation.&#8221;
&#8220;These churches have been valued, cooperating churches for many years, and this decision was not made lightly,&#8221; Wellman told The Daily Wire. &#8220;However, we remain committed to upholding the theological convictions of the SBC and maintaining unity among its cooperating churches.&#8221;
Pastor Richard Demsick of Freedom Church said in an interview with The Tennessean, &#8220;we are deeply saddened by the false allegations, which are slanderous.&#8221;
&#8220;There are no sexual abuse allegations,&#8221; he added. &#8220;There have been false reports based on gossip.&#8221;
The Southern Baptist Convention leaders said last year the nation&#8217;s largest Protestant denomination, which has almost 14 million members and more than 47,000 churches in all 50 states, was under investigation by the Justice Department for sexual abuse allegations.
An outside consultant reported that women and children were abused by male pastors, church employees, and officials from 2000 to the present, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/12/us/southern-baptist-convention-sexual-abuse.html#:~:text=%E2%80%9CFor%20almost%20two%20decades%2C%20survivors,or%20employed%20as%20church%20staff.%E2%80%9D" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Times</a> reported.
&#8220;For almost two decades, survivors of abuse and other concerned Southern Baptists have been contacting the Southern Baptist Convention,&#8221; the consultant&#8217;s <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/6108172d83d55d3c9db4dd67/t/628a9326312a4216a3c0679d/1653248810253/Guidepost+Solutions+Independent+Investigation+Report.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> said, &#8220;to report child molesters and other abusers who were in the pulpit or employed as church staff.&#8221;
Victims said they made several attempts via phone, mail, and email, showed up at meetings, and held rallies, &#8220;only to be met, time and time again, with resistance, stonewalling and even outright hostility.&#8221;
SBC officials said the convention would &#8220;fully and completely cooperate&#8221; with the investigation, and the church continues to &#8220;grieve and lament past mistakes.&#8221;
All six churches can appeal the decision made by SBC officials at the convention&#8217;s next annual meeting, which is set to take place in New Orleans in June.

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