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

Pope Francis Visits Sweden  – Day 1

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

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

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Catholic Church

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World

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

Vatican Hosts World Meeting Of Families

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

Same-Sex Marriage

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/the-vatican" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Vatican</a> on Wednesday clarified several questions regarding people who have received transgender medical treatments, same-sex couples, and Catholic sacraments.
The Vatican&#8217;s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, which exists to defend Catholic doctrine, published a <a href="https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_ddf_20231031-documento-mons-negri.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">document</a> on Wednesday responding to six controversial questions submitted by a Brazilian bishop over the summer.
Some of the questions <a href="https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/ddf-responds-to-transgender-dubia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dealt with</a> whether a transgender person can be baptized, serve as a godparent at a baptism, or be a witness at a wedding. The other questions dealt with whether a same-sex couple&#8217;s child can be baptized and whether a cohabiting person in a same-sex relationship can be a godparent or witness at a wedding.
On the first transgender question, the Vatican responded that a person who has received gender surgery or hormone treatment can be baptized “under the same conditions as other believers, if there are no situations in which there is a risk of generating public scandal, or disorientation among the faithful.”
Children and teens with “problems of a transgender nature” can also be baptized if they are well prepared and willing to receive the sacrament, the Vatican said.
The Vatican cautioned, however, that when a person is baptized &#8220;without repentance for grave sins, the subject does not receive sanctifying grace, although he receives the sacramental character.&#8221;
&#8220;In any case, the Church must always remind us to fully live all the implications of the baptism received, which must always be understood and deployed within the entire path of Christian initiation,&#8221; the document stated.
On the godparent issue, the Vatican said people who have undergone transgender medical treatment can serve as godparents “under certain conditions.”
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“However, since this task does not constitute a right, pastoral prudence demands that it not be permitted if there is a risk of scandal, undue legitimation or disorientation in the educational sphere of the ecclesial community,” the Vatican document said.
On the questions regarding same-sex couples and baptism, the Vatican said that a priest baptizing a child must have a “founded hope” that the baptized child will be raised Catholic, as Catholic canon law establishes.
The Vatican also noted that canon law states that a godparent should be a Catholic who has received the sacrament of Confirmation and someone “who leads a life of faith in keeping with the function to be taken on.”
The case is &#8220;different&#8221; when it comes to cohabitating same-sex couples in a &#8220;stable and declared&#8221; sexual union that is &#8220;well known by the community,&#8221; the Vatican said.
The Catholic Church does not sanction same-sex marriage.
On the wedding witness questions, the Vatican said there is no rule preventing a person who has undergone transgender treatment or a cohabiting person in a same-sex relationship from serving as a witness.
The document was signed by Pope Francis last month, as well as the Dicastery&#8217;s new prefect Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández.
In recent years, there has been much speculation around whether Pope Francis would change the Catholic Church&#8217;s approach to LGBT people.
The Catholic Church <a href="https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/does-doctrine-change" target="_blank" rel="noopener">never changes</a> its official doctrine, although it often clarifies particular points.

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

VATICAN CITY — The 2023 session of the Synod on Synodality, a general assembly of Bishops, has come to a close, and with it highly anticipated <a href="https://x.com/breeadail/status/1718359539030827109?s=20">answers</a> to lingering questions as to whether the Catholic Church will ordain women and bless homosexual unions. 
In the 42-page <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/680731750/Synod-on-Synodality-Summary-Report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">summary document</a>, presented to Pope Francis and published in Italian late Saturday evening, the participants — many of whom were personally chosen by the Roman Pontiff — reiterated the Catholic Church’s “closeness,” love, and compassion for individuals who endure “loneliness” as a result of abiding by Church teaching, to include sexual ethics. 
Found nowhere in the document, however, was the acronym “LGBTQ+,” let alone the proposal towards “<a href="https://www.katholisch.de/artikel/48175-baetzing-nach-weltsynode-kirche-wuenscht-ueberarbeitung-der-sexualmoral">blessings” of such individuals</a> or their unions — despite <a href="https://cruxnow.com/2023-consistory-and-synod-for-synodality/2023/10/pope-offers-cautious-yes-on-blessing-some-same-sex-unions-no-on-woman-priests">rumors</a> published by several <a href="https://twitter.com/dianemontagna/status/1702389741902242065">activists</a>. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Should the Synod approve the “blessing of homosexual couples [or] female diaconate,” ++Müller said “every ecclesiastical official would have lost his authority &amp; no Catholic would be obliged any longer to religiously obey a heretic or schismatic bishop.” My final English text 👇: <a href="https://t.co/GboCGU4Wl3">pic.twitter.com/GboCGU4Wl3</a>
&mdash; Diane Montagna (@dianemontagna) <a href="https://twitter.com/dianemontagna/status/1702389741902242065?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 14, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The document also focused on the vital role women play within the Church, but failed to obtain enough votes to support a proposal of ordination of women to the diaconate. The question was tabled, however, for “further discussion” during the <a href="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252560/pope-francis-announces-decision-to-extend-synod-on-synodality-to-2024#:~:text=16,%20the%20pope%20shared%20his,October%202023%20and%20October%202024.">second session of the Synod in 2024</a>, even though the Pope has <a href="https://www.romereports.com/en/2023/10/26/pope-francis-shuts-down-question-of-female-ordination/">reiterated</a> once again no such “reform” would or could be made under his pontificate. Such continued discussions suggest that future reform has not yet been fully rejected.
To note, the absence of the <a href="https://international.la-croix.com/news/vatican-diary/the-synod-and-the-germans/18474#:~:text=The%20Synod's%20general%20secretariat%20announced,source%20within%20the%20Roman%20Curia.">German-speaking working group</a> throughout this session seemed to suggest a possible Papal response to the results of a <a href="https://x.com/breeadail/status/1634290516211957760?s=20">March vote and schism</a> within the country. Thirty-eight of a total of 58 German Bishops voted to approve “blessing” irregular unions, including homosexual — seeming to directly oppose <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/world/pope-francis-warns-german-bishops-changing-teachings-not-lawful-causes-churches-rot-die">stern warnings</a> from Pope Francis the summer prior, in 2022. 
&#8220;Germany does not have the power to compel the bishops and the faithful to adopt new ways of governance and new approaches to doctrine and morals,&#8221; the statement read. &#8220;Prior to an agreed understanding at the level of the universal Church, it would not be permissible to initiate new official structures or doctrines in the dioceses, which would represent a wound to ecclesial communion and a threat to the unity of the Church.” 
Nevertheless, after the spring vote was conducted in Germany, reports of <a href="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/247603/german-catholics-defy-vatican-with-blessing-ceremonies-for-same-sex-couples">rebellion</a> against the Vatican’s directives quickly surfaced, with reports of priests conducting “blessing ceremonies” for same-sex couples, adding <a href="https://www.ncregister.com/interview/cardinal-mueller-on-synod-on-synodality-a-hostile-takeover-of-the-church-of-jesus-christ-we-must-resist">fuel</a> to ideological provocateurs.
Reactions to the details within the document were as swift as they were varied — from relief that the rumors were abated to <a href="https://x.com/joshjmcelwee/status/1718359065389076698?s=20">disappointment</a> in the lack of “progressive” results. Participants also expressed frustration and dismay over rising costs during a time of “<a href="https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/pope-francis-raises-cardinals-rent">financial crisis</a>” in the Vatican.
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<div id="attachment_645875" style="width: 811px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-645875" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-645875" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1764803430-801x576.jpg" alt="Pope Francis presides over the Holy Mass for the conclusion of the Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. Vatican City (Vatican), October 29th, 2023 (Photo by Grzegorz Galazka/Archivio Grzegorz Galazka/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images)" width="801" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1764803430-801x576.jpg 801w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1764803430-300x216.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1764803430-768x552.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1764803430.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 801px) 100vw, 801px" />Pope Francis presides over the Holy Mass for the conclusion of the Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. Vatican City (Vatican), October 29th, 2023 (Photo by Grzegorz Galazka/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images)</div>
<a href="https://www.elizabeth-lev.com/about" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elizabeth Lev</a>, an author and Vatican historian based in Rome, commented: “My first thought regarding the document and its proceedings, is how odd it is that a Church document be discussed by what it doesn&#8217;t contain vs that which it does….suggest(ing) a partisan nature to the whole business.” 
Lev responded to The Daily Wire, through email. She continued by pointing out that the summary document seems to have methodically buried the essential role of the Church. “Where is the uniqueness of Christianity? That singular message of the Good News that transformed the world 2,000 years ago?” She asked. “There is much talk of adapting the message, finding more inclusive language, and making it understandable (or palatable) for the people of today, but over the centuries illiterate people were able to understand what God wants from us, the message was brought to the farthest reaches of the planet without a worldwide web and was so convincingly understood that people were ready and willing to die for it. The church used beauty, it used hope, it used a guiding light in darkness in its art and architecture to match its message. What makes Catholic Christianity special today?”
When asked by The Daily Wire if she, as a historian, recognized historical similarities to those controversies leading up to this Synod, Lev replied, “In so far as the history of the Church, there was a lot of controversy in how to address the contemporary problems in the age of Luther &#8211; should priests marry? Should the church relax marriage doctrine? etc. — so yes we have seen this before.”
Lev concluded, “The waters have been choppy before for the barque of Peter, but it always seems to right itself. As Cardinal Ercole Consalvi allegedly <a href="https://www.bromptonoratory.co.uk/provost-blog/2019/8/26/september-2019-letter-from-the-provost">noted</a> (responding to Napoleon Bonaparte’s threat that he had the power to destroy the Catholic Church), the Catholic clergy have been trying to destroy the church from within for 1,800 years but have never been able to succeed.”
* * *
This article has been edited for clarity. And earlier version stated there were no German representatives at the general assembly. They were in attendance, however, there was no German working group.

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

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

Rome

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

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

Christianity

It was a scorching 98 degrees in Rome, Italy, on the afternoon of June 22, 1983. Emanuela Orlandi, 15, the fourth of five children who lived with their parents in Vatican City, asked her older brother Pietro for a ride to her afternoon flute lesson, complaining of the heat.
Pietro, being a 20-year-old at the time, refused to drive her, so she walked alone to her music school, situated outside of the Vatican City walls in the heart of Rome.
That decision, he would <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/20/emanuela-orlandi-brother-anguish-vatican-missing-teenager-investigation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tell</a> the Guardian decades later, has haunted him his entire life.
“It’s a very painful memory – she insisted I take her, and we rowed over it,” he said. “Then she left, slamming the door. I never thought it would be the last time I saw her. I’ve gone over it so many times, telling myself if only I had accompanied her, maybe it wouldn’t have happened.”
Before she arrived at the school, Emanuela called her older sister Federica to say that a man from Avon Products had approached her and offered her a job handing out flyers for a fashion show. Emanuela told her sister that she would meet with the man again after her music lesson and let him know whether she would take the job.
Federica warned her sister not to take the job, believing it was a scam since the pay was way too high for just a couple of hours of work. She suggested they discuss the proposal with their parents first.
After her music lesson, Emanuela told two of her classmates about the job offer and then waited at a bus stop with another girl, who has never been identified.
When Emanuela didn’t return home for hours, her family began to worry and started looking for her along the route from the Vatican to her music school. They called the director of the music school and asked if anyone knew anything about Emanuela, but received no information. Her father went to the police to report her missing, but police officers were initially dismissive, believing she was simply with friends or had run away.
Emanuela’s family pleaded with police to believe them that Emanuela would never pull such a stunt, and the next day, she was officially reported missing. Newspapers published small notices of her disappearance within the next few days.
Several people told police that they saw a girl fitting Emanuela’s description speaking to a man holding an Avon cosmetic bag on the day she disappeared, but two police officers who witnessed the girl couldn’t agree on when they saw her. One said it happened after the music lesson, while the other said it happened before. Both said the man was driving a dark green BMW. The car reportedly belonged to a woman, but the lead was never followed.
<div id="attachment_591469" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-591469" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-591469" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1259051993-864x576.jpg" alt="ROME, ITALY - JUNE 25: Pietro Orlandi (C), Emanuela Orlandi's brother, attends the march to St. Peter's Square on June 25, 2023 in Rome, Italy. Pope Francis expressed his closeness to the family of Emanuela Orlandi, on the 40th anniversary of her disappearance. Emanuela Orlandi, a Vatican citizen, disappeared mysteriously while returning home from a flute lesson on June 22, 1983, at the age of 15. Her story gave rise to speculation over the years, which assumed the involvement of international terrorism, Italian intelligence, organized crime and a plot inside the Vatican. (Photo by Stefano Montesi - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1259051993-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1259051993-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1259051993-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1259051993.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Pietro Orlandi (C), Emanuela Orlandi&#8217;s brother, attends the march to St. Peter&#8217;s Square on June 25, 2023 in Rome, Italy. Pope Francis expressed his closeness to the family of Emanuela Orlandi, on the 40th anniversary of her disappearance. (Photo by Stefano Montesi &#8211; Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)</div>
<h4>And Then The Phone Calls Began</h4>
The Orlandi family would receive dozens of phone calls about Emanuela’s disappearance after they posted their phone number in the paper. Among these calls were three highly disturbing claims. The first came from a man who identified himself as Pierluigi, who said he and his fiancée spoke to Emanuela on the day of her disappearance. He described her appearance, claiming she introduced herself as “Barbarella,” had run away from home, and was selling Avon cosmetics.
Authorities told the family to begin recording these phone calls, and on June 28, 1983, they recorded a man claiming to be Mario. Mario told the family that a girl about Emanuela’s age came into his bar and identified herself as Barbara and said she had run away from home. He said the girl claimed she would return home for her sister’s wedding.
On July 3, Pope John Paul II mentioned Emanuela in his weekly remarks at the Vatican, imploring Emanuela’s kidnappers to return her safely. It was seen by many as an official claim that Emanuela was kidnapped and led some to believe the Vatican knew what happened. Though many suspect the pope was merely assuming the girl had been kidnapped.
Two days after the pope’s remarks, a man with an American accent began calling the Orlandi family. He claimed to be part of a terrorist organization that was holding Emanuela in exchange for the release of Mehmet Ali Ağca, who attempted to assassinate the pope two years earlier. 
This caller, who would be referred to as “the American,” claimed Pierluigi and Mario were part of the organization.
To this day, investigators do not know the identities of these men.
<h4>Theories</h4>
For the next four decades, numerous people would come forward and claim to have knowledge of Emanuela’s kidnapping.
On July 6, the American repeated his demand to release Ağca in the newspaper and asked that the prisoner be released within 20 days. He said that a wastebasket near the Italian Parliament contained proof that Emanuela had been kidnapped. Authorities found photocopies of Emanuela’s music school ID card, a receipt for her tuition, and a note allegedly written by Emanuela, though its authenticity has always been in question.
The news agency ANSA was contacted by a Turkish organization calling itself the Anti-Christian Turkesh Liberation Front, or “Turkesh” for short, which claimed responsibility for Emanuela’s abduction, though it didn’t provide physical proof that Emanuela was in their hands. The group also claimed to be responsible for the disappearance of Mirella Gregori, who had disappeared in Rome 40 days before Emanuela. Italian authorities could never verify the existence of Turkesh.
Ağca himself claimed that he had been trained by the KGB to kill the pope and that Emanuela had been kidnapped by Bulgarians referring to themselves as the Grey Wolves.
In 2005, more than 20 years after Emanuela disappeared, an anonymous caller told the Italian television program “Chi l&#8217;ha visto?” that the disappearance would be solved by discovering who was buried in the Basilica di Sant&#8217;Apollinare crypt. The body there turned out to be that of notorious crime boss Enrico De Pedis, and thus a theory developed that Emanuela, a girl from the Vatican, was abducted by the mafia in order to force the Vatican to pay back the money the gang had given it.
De Pedis’ ex-girlfriend, Sabrina Minardi, came forward a year later to say she had personally witnessed Emanuela’s treatment while she was allegedly being held by De Pedis’ gang, Banda della Magliana. Her story, however, has often been contradictory, in which she regularly has changed the location where Emanuela was being held.
Another theory involved claims that Emanuela had been involved in regular meetings within the Vatican and had accidentally died on the day she disappeared, with the Vatican covering it up. One of Emanuela’s old friends had suggested that Emanuela had told her that a high-ranking Vatican official had been “bothering” her – while implying sexual advances – and that Emanuela disappeared to cover up a sex scandal. Other theories also include pedophilia within the church or a member of the Vatican police recruiting young girls for sex parties. These theories contend that De Pedis, the mob boss, was asked by the Vatican to kidnap or kill Emanuela as part of the cover-up.
In 2017, Italian journalist Emiliano Fittipaldi was given documents stolen during the 2014 Vatican leaks. This document, which has never been authenticated, claimed that the Vatican spent 483 million lire (about $277,000 dollars) supporting Emanuela up until 1997. The document listed expenses for her education and medical care and suggested she had been living in London until she died.
Investigators doubt many of these fanciful claims, suggesting it is more likely that Emanuela simply ran away (her family does not agree) or left with someone she knew. Among the rationale is that Emanuela would have to have been kidnapped on a busy street in Rome during the daytime without anyone noticing or hearing her scream.
<div id="attachment_591453" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-591453" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-591453 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1259053091-864x576.jpg" alt="ROME, ITALY - JUNE 25: Pietro Orlandi, Emanuela Orlandi's brother, speaks participants before the march to St. Peter's Square on June 25, 2023 in Rome, Italy. Pope Francis expressed his closeness to the family of Emanuela Orlandi, on the 40th anniversary of her disappearance. Emanuela Orlandi, a Vatican citizen, disappeared mysteriously while returning home from a flute lesson on June 22, 1983, at the age of 15. Her story gave rise to speculation over the years, which assumed the involvement of international terrorism, Italian intelligence, organized crime and a plot inside the Vatican. (Photo by Stefano Montesi - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1259053091-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1259053091-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1259053091-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1259053091.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Pietro Orlandi, Emanuela Orlandi&#8217;s brother, speaks participants before the march to St. Peter&#8217;s Square on June 25, 2023 in Rome, Italy.(Photo by Stefano Montesi &#8211; Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)</div>
The <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/15/europe/italy-vatican-girl-case-intl-cmd/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">most recent theory</a>, which has been vehemently denied by the Orlandi family, is that a now-deceased uncle of Emanuela’s was responsible. Documents provided by the Vatican to Rome authorities stated that Mario Meneguzzi, Emanuela’s uncle, had sexually harassed her older sister Natalina around the time Emanuela disappeared and that he may have been responsible for the teen’s disappearance.
“By the way, my uncle was 200 kilometers (124 miles) away on holiday with his family that evening when my father phoned him and he came straight away to Rome – things the Prosecutor’s Office knew very well because everything has been in the documents for 40 years. A shameful action that happened this evening,” Pietro Orlandi, Emanuela’s brother, posted on Facebook after learning the latest theory.
It has been 40 years since Emanuela disappeared on a hot summer day in Rome. Her body has never been found, and no one has been held responsible for her disappearance.

Truth for Emanuela Orlandi

UNSOLVED: The Disappearance Of ‘Vatican Girl’ Emanuela Orlandi

Italy

kidnapping

Readers Pass

True Crime

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

D0249009-8031-4698-9503-F629F17A518D_1_201_a

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

Argentina

This article is adapted from today’s Morning Wire Afternoon Update. To listen to the podcast version, click <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-dagger-in-our-back-leftists-freak-out-after-scotus-overturns-affirmative-action-in-college-admissions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SCOTUS Overturns Affirmative Action In College Admissions</a>
The Supreme Court ruled against Harvard University and the University of North Carolina’s affirmative action policies today. 
The court ruled that the race-based admissions programs at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina are unconstitutional. The court voted 6-3 in the University of North Carolina case and 6-2 in the Harvard case. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, a Harvard graduate and former Harvard board member, recused herself from the Harvard case.
That decision drew markedly different reactions from Republican and Democratic officials and political pundits, as expected.
A spokesperson for Donald Trump’s campaign said, &#8220;America is a better nation as a result of the historic rulings led by Donald Trump&#8217;s three Supreme Court nominees.&#8221; 
President Biden meanwhile, appeared to encourage universities to work around the ruling through other means.
“They should not abandon their commitment to ensure student bodies of diverse backgrounds and experiences that reflect all of America,&#8221; he said. &#8220;What I propose for consideration is a new standard where colleges take into account the adversity a student has overcome when selecting among qualified applicants.&#8221;
Biden ended his remarks by calling the legitimacy of the court into question:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
CNN&#39;s Arlette Saenz: &quot;President Biden, the Congressional Black Caucus said the Supreme Court has thrown into question its own legitimacy. Is this a rogue court?
President Biden: &quot;This is not a normal court.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/7BNJagP1P1">pic.twitter.com/7BNJagP1P1</a>
&mdash; Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) <a href="https://twitter.com/CurtisHouck/status/1674464446293454863?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Meanwhile, multiple sources have confirmed that the area outside of the Supreme Court was evacuated while police responded to reports of a “suspicious package.&#8221;
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<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/france-rocked-by-violent-riots-after-police-involved-shooting-during-attempted-traffic-stop" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Riots In France</a>
About 180 people in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/france">France</a> have been arrested as the country has been rocked with violent riots after a police officer shot a teenager in a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/paris">Paris</a> suburb. 
On Tuesday, 17-year-old Nahel M. was shot <a href="https://apnews.com/article/france-police-shooting-protests-paris-nanterre-nahel-220e30e596ed6ad28e152be3df03ec98">during a confrontation</a> with police after they attempted to stop a vehicle he was in. Following the shooting, cities across France filled with protesters, with some turning violent. Dozens of cars and buildings were set on fire as police headquarters were targeted for violence.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fiercely-anti-woke-bishop-who-condemned-biden-pelosi-allegedly-investigated-by-vatican" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Texas Bishop Investigated By The Vatican?</a>
An outspoken Catholic bishop in Texas who has harshly condemned President Biden and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was targeted with an apparent investigation by the Vatican. 
 Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas, has routinely slammed Biden on social media, including earlier this year when the president cited Pope Francis to buttress his claim that federal funding for abortions should continue. The pope ordered a formal investigation into Strickland and his diocese. 
The apostolic visitation was reportedly headed by Bishop Emeritus Gerald Kicanas of Tucson and Bishop Dennis Sullivan of Camden, N.J. On Thursday, in the wake of the alleged investigation, Strickland tweeted, “The greatest blessing &amp; joy in my life is to shepherd the flock of Tyler,” adding that he prays that “speaking truth with clarity &amp; charity will inspire America’s Bishops to join me in speaking truth.”
<a href="https://www.barrons.com/news/hollywood-braced-for-double-strike-as-actors-deadline-looms-e3734687" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Double-Strike Looming In Hollywood</a>
Hollywood has until midnight this Friday to avoid a rare double strike as it negotiates new wages with The Screen Actors Guild. The union’s some 160,000 members have threatened to go on strike, stop work, and picket if an agreement cannot be reached.
 If nothing comes to fruition, Hollywood production of shows and movies would essentially grind to a halt. The industry is already dealing with a writer&#8217;s strike that has lasted nine weeks.
To listen to the audio version of this podcast, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/morning-wire/id1576594336" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>. And for more in-depth discussion of the biggest stories of the day, listen to the latest full episode of Morning Wire every morning.

Thursday

Thursday Afternoon Update: Affirmative Action Ruling, Riots In France, Texas Bishop Investigated By The Vatican?

General

Morning Wire

Podcast

Supreme Court

U.S.

Thousands of people have flocked to view the body of a nun that was found seemingly &#8220;incorrupt&#8221; in rural <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/missouri" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Missouri</a>.
Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster died at age 95 in 2019, but her body was exhumed by sisters about four years later so it could be moved to rest inside a monastery chapel.
Although she was buried in a simple wooden coffin, her body <a href="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/254384/a-miracle-in-missouri-body-of-benedictine-sisters-foundress-thought-to-be-incorrupt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">appeared</a> to be &#8220;incorrupt,&#8221; which in Catholic tradition means a body shows little to no decay after death, a sign of the person&#8217;s holiness. Sister Wilhelmina&#8217;s body had not been embalmed, and her wooden coffin reportedly had a crack down the middle that would have let in moisture and dirt.
The African American founder of the Benedictine Sisters of Mary, Queen of the Apostles founded the order at the age of 70 in 1995. She was known for her devotion to the traditional Latin Mass. The Benedictine Sisters are known for their Catholic music albums that have <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Po5LZpGSN-k" target="_blank" rel="noopener">topped</a> Billboard&#8217;s &#8220;Traditional Classical&#8221; chart.
“We think she is the first African American woman to be found incorrupt,” said Mother Cecilia, the current abbess of the order.
The local Catholic diocese, the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, released a <a href="https://kcsjcatholic.org/2023/05/statement-regarding-sister-wilhelmina-lancaster/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> on the discovery, saying there will be an investigation.
&#8220;The condition of the remains of Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster has understandably generated widespread interest and raised important questions. At the same time, it is important to protect the integrity of the mortal remains of Sister Wilhelmina to allow for a thorough investigation,&#8221; the diocese said.
The bishop is currently working on ascertaining the nature of the condition of Sister Wilhelmina&#8217;s remains, the diocese said. In the meantime, the bishop has invited the faithful to continue praying.
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The diocese cautioned that while incorruptibility has been verified in the past, it is &#8220;very rare,&#8221; and the case for sainthood has not been initiated yet for Sister Wilhelmina.
The news of Sister Wilhelmina&#8217;s body began to spread on social media earlier this month.
Since then, Catholics and others have traveled to the Benedictine monastery in Gower, Missouri, to pray in the presence of Sister Wilhelmina and even touch her body. Gower has only a little more than 1,500 residents, and the convent is not easily accessible by public transportation.
The story has even attracted the attention of legacy news outlets, which reported on it this week.
CNN&#8217;s Jim Sciutto appeared to want nothing to do with the story when the network reported it Monday.
&#8220;Not touching that story,&#8221; he <a href="https://www.mediaite.com/news/cnns-jim-sciutto-wants-no-part-of-story-about-onlookers-kissing-nun-whos-been-dead-for-four-years-not-touching-that-story/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> after CNN&#8217;s Boris Sanchez reported on it.
&#8220;Powerful experience, very powerful,&#8221; said one woman CNN interviewed.
&#8220;I&#8217;m not that old, but I&#8217;ve never heard of that in my lifetime,&#8221; said a young man wearing a religious habit.
“It’s enough of a sign where people can question it, but not enough where it’s absolutely certain because people have to take the leap of faith,” another man <a href="https://www.kctv5.com/2023/05/28/thousands-flock-gower-missouri-see-body-dead-nun/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> local outlet KCTV.
The man told the outlet that he drove 16 hours from Pennsylvania to see Sister Wilhelmina.
More than 100 saints, blesseds, and venerables have been <a href="https://www.roman-catholic-saints.com/incorruptible-saints.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">declared</a> incorrupt by the Catholic Church.

The Papal Conclave Day Two

Catholics Flock To Visit Nun’s Body Found Seemingly ‘Incorrupt’ In Missouri

Catholics Flock To Visit Nun's Body Found Seemingly 'Incorrupt' In Missouri

Faith

Missouri

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

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

Guards Shoot Vehicle, Arrest Driver Who Rushed Through Vatican Gates

Gendarmes Shoot Vehicle, Arrest Driver Rushing Through Vatican Gates

The devil is enjoying a star turn in Hollywood, where a pair of movies about demonic possession are getting mixed reviews from real-life experts on exorcisms.
Both “Nefarious” and “The Pope’s Exorcist” hit the big screen on April 14, hoping to mine the same occult fascination that made William Friedkin’s “The Exorcist” a terrifying classic 50 years ago. That film, which stars Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, and Lee J. Cobb, caused countless nightmares and set the standard for movies about demonic possession. It even spawned a reboot in 2021, showing interest in Lucifer has not waned.
“The devil is real,” said Roman Catholic exorcist and psychologist Rev. John Szada. “We encounter increasing numbers of cases day by day of individuals under attack, physically, mentally, and spiritually.”
Experts interviewed by The Daily Wire praised “Nefarious,” a faith-based film from Chuck Konzelman and Cary Solomon, the writing and directing duo behind “God’s Not Dead” and “Unplanned.” The film stars Sean Patrick Flanery, as Edward, who has been convicted of several murders, and Nefarious, the demon inside him. A psychiatrist is assigned to evaluate his claims of possession. As the film, which includes a cameo appearance by conservative personality Glenn Beck, unfolds, the viewer is confronted with the intellectual reality of demonic possession, portrayed in a realistic and less dramatic light than Hollywood’s typical take on the subject.
“God keeps Satan on a short chain &#8211; everything that is done is through God’s permissive will,” said author and podcaster Terese Piccola, a wife and mother of four who says she experienced possession by several demons.
Piccola, who says she was liberated from demonic possession after 18 months of solemn exorcism, told The Daily Wire the film resonated deeply with her. She recalled being unable to resist the demons that possessed her, demons she said were invited into her mind and body because of her experiences with rape, trauma, occultism, promiscuity, and abortion. One scene that particularly struck her had Flanery’s demonic character describing abortion as a modern-day adaptation of Baal-ritual.
“It was interesting how he describes the altar, because in one pivotal session (of her solemn exorcism), that’s exactly what I saw in my mind’s eye &#8211; a baby being sacrificed on an altar,” she said. “It was horrific, but I suspect from seeing how that was depicted in the film, I am not the only one to have endured that reality.”
Sony Pictures’ “The Pope’s Exorcist” stars Russell Crowe as real-life exorcist Father Gabriele Amorth, one of the most renowned exorcists in the Catholic Church and upon whose autobiography the film is loosely based. But despite the A-lister’s presence and an $18 million budget, the film was quickly condemned by the International Association of Exorcists for its lack of accuracy and the gory sensationalism of its depiction of exorcisms.
Crowe declined comment when contacted by The Daily Wire.
Piccola faulted “The Pope’s Exorcism” for dramatizing possession while downplaying God’s role in the process of achieving ultimate liberation. One reason “Nefarious” rang true with her was a chilling line from the demon whose name gives the film its title.
“We offer up a series of temptations, gradually increasing in terms of duration and intensity; degree of moral inequity,” the character states. The demon goes on to explain as the victim continues to succumb to temptation, the demonic influence grows stronger, eventually leading to possession.
That point, about how free will and the ability to reject temptation and sin is missing in “The Pope’s Exorcist,” according to Piccola, and is rarely included in films. The depiction of demonic possession has become increasingly prevalent, however, in pop culture with TV shows such as “Lucifer”, pop superstar Sam Smith’s overt Satanic displays and a planned event by the Satanic Temple in Boston, set for this weekend.
Szada attributes current interest in the occult, shallow as it may be, to the collapse of faith in God.
“If people do not believe in God, they need to find something else to believe in,” he said. “People seek stability and security in an increasingly chaotic world, and the use of practices such as the Ouija board, Tarot cards, faith healers, and fortune tellers provide a false sense of knowledge and power.”
Such faddish dabbling is not without risk, Szada said.
“There is a real danger in becoming too fascinated with evil and demonic forces in our popular culture,” Szada said. “It can blur the lines between fantasy and reality, and make it harder for people to recognize the true nature of evil when it presents itself in their lives.”
The answer to resisting temptation that can lead to madness lies with God, according to Szada.
“To rediscover [God] is the only way to find true peace and security in a world that is increasingly dominated by the forces of darkness.”

Nefarious Premiere

Demonic Possession Takes Over Hollywood: An Expert Reviews ‘The Pope’s Exorcist’ and ‘Nefarious’

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

Pope Francis Visits Hungary – Day One

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

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

Hungary

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