HOLY WEEK

[first published April 16, 2014]
                                

"Judas betrayed Christ with a kiss, the sign of friendship and love. The betrayal and crucifixion of Christ carried the ancestral sin to its extreme limits. In these two acts the rebellion against God reached its maximum capacity. The seduction of man in paradise culminated in the death of God in the flesh. To be victorious, evil must quench the light and discredit the good. In the end, however, it shows itself to be a lie, an absurdity and sheer madness. The death and resurrection of Christ rendered evil powerless."                                                                                                       (from an Eastern Orthodox website)

Holy Week is when everything slows down, and truth presses its claims: will I keep settling for a superficial embrace of our Lord, or am I ready to submit to the schooling of the Holy Spirit -- the only One who can teach us how to become "partakers of the divine nature"?

Easter can be either a false kiss or true Communion.

Religion, Nations, and Geopolitical Review: SATURDAY, MARCH 20

by A. Joseph Lynch

I. POPE FRANCIS AND THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

GOD CAN'T BLESS SIN: On the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter, Pope Francis approved a CDF statement that denied any Church blessing of same-sex "marriage". The statement includes some of the strongest words yet from the current pontificate concerning marriage and homosexuality. Included was a call to conversion from homosexuals, the statement that God "cannot bless sin," and a quote from Pope Francis himself regarding the radical difference between marriage and homosexual "unions": “there are absolutely no grounds for considering homosexual unions to be in any way similar or even remotely analogous to God’s plan for marriage and family.” This quote comes from Francis' apostolic exhortation Amoris laetitia. Note how few conservative Catholics, who broadsided the pope over this exhortation, ever quoted these words. God love Pope Francis - we hope our readers see he is not as "liberal" as some would have them believe.

ELTON JOHN AGAINST FRANCIS: Did you know that $1 million dollars from Pope Francis' personal charity went to fund Elton John's biopic that celebrated his homosexuality and included gay sex scenes? Given this past, Elton John is rather upset by the new CDF statement. More on this from Taylor Marshall.

PETERSON-PAGEAU DISCUSSION: Jordan Peterson is still struggling to recover from his bout with akathisia, a condition that took him out of the culture war as the world turned upside down in 2020. As he makes a slow return and preps the release of a new book, Peterson had a good religious conversation with Orthodox Christian, Jonathan Pageau. Peterson seems to be increasingly open to Christianity, though his mind presents him with some undue roadblocks to faith. He notes how difficult it is to get through religious services. One wonders if he's ever attended a truly beautify liturgy. Someone needs to explain to him how liturgy is meant to be our participation in the Heavenly worship of God. To be swept up in it is exactly the medicine Peterson needs. 

SARAH SUPPORTS FRANCIS: The retirement of Cardinal Sarah deeply troubled conservative Catholics. Taylor Marshall has dedicated at least two videos to discuss the retirement and speculate over what is to come. Meanwhile Cardinal Sarah, who was appointed by Pope Francis, has since given his renewed support for the Holy Father and dispelled rumors that the two are at odds. Read the full interview with Sarah.

II. US AND THE NATIONS ROUND UP

BIDEN'S SLIP UPS: Joe Biden is slipping up in more ways than one. Not only has he accidentally called Harris the president, but shocking video out today shows him nearly falling down the stairs of Air Force One. Biden is not up to the job and leaders the world over know this. Just compare China's measured response to Trump last summer versus the outright dismissal of US diplomacy under Biden today. Is Biden making a series of mere faux pas or do all signs point to an early Biden exit? Maybe the New Yorker piece from last October on Biden and the 25th Amendment was prescient. 

PUTIN A KILLER? In his senility, Biden called President Vladimir Putin a killer and said he would soon pay for supposed US election interference. Putin's response? "It takes one to know one." The Russian president rightly recalled his US ambassador and then challenged Biden to a public debate. Such a face-to-face, manly debate is exactly what we need. Sadly we know this won't happen. Biden not only lacks the necessary courage and stamina, but most importantly the truth is not on his side. Plus we've all seen how he handles people who disagree with him (he swears at them and he calls them fat then challenges them to a push up contest).

WASHINGTON POST RETRACTION: It turns out that President Trump never told Georgia officials to "find the fraud." Those three words were plastered across mainstream media for days following their publication by the Washington Post. Many suspected they would be used by Pelosi to launch a second impeachment effort. Long after the fact, the Post has now issued a retraction of those words and indicated they came from within Georgia's secretary of state's office. More on this from the American Conservative. All this is a reminder that President Trump was not only up against Biden and the DNC but also against the media and establishment RINOs seeking his removal. 

III. CULTURE OF LIFE, CULTURE OF PROTECTION

CULTIVATING MASCULINITY: As the US military considers flattening out its physical fitness standards for combat in order to make them easier for women, China seeks to cultivate masculinity among its coddled male youth, often the only children of their parents. China's plan is to include more gym classes and more male teachers - both of which are excellent ideas. Young men need more male role models and it's important to remember that sports, in many ways ritualized combat, are aimed at preparing men for the possibility of war. The mainstream media may mock China's move, but as the sexual Left runs amuck in the atheist West, China's return to the natural sexual order puts them ahead of us in this regard.

ARRESTED FOR SPEAKING TRUTH: A Canadian father has been arrested for violating a court-order involving his daughter, who self-identifies as a transgendered male. His crime? He continued to refer to her as his daughter and used female pronouns. One of the key arguments used keep people from standing up to the LGBT movement is by saying that the movement won't harm the lives of average citizens - yet we see in Canada the loss of free speech and the imprisonment of a man speaking the truth about his child. And we cannot overstate the damage done to children whose bodies are permanently disfigured by the "medical procedures" they undergo as they "transition" to another gender. We hope American's watch Canada for signs of what is to come if we continue to indulge the rampaging sexual Left.

CHAUVIN TRIAL AND LAWSUIT: Minneapolis agreed to give the family of George Floyd an unseemly settlement of $27 million - more than ten times the amount of a typical settlement. The staggering figure was announced during the jury selection of Floyd's accused killer, Derek Chauvin. The judge since dismissed two seated jurors who admitted the vast sum would impact their deliberations of Chauvin's guilt or innocence.  For more information on the coming trial, we recommend watching the weekly legal discussions between Viva Frei and Robert Barnes. Barnes reminds us that the 8th Circuit ruled in the past that police kneeling on the neck is not only legal but also that police cannot be sued for any bodily injury caused by doing so. We expect information like this to be used in the coming trial.

Religion, Nations, and Geopolitical Review: SATURDAY, MARCH 13

by A. Joseph Lynch

R&G NEWS ROUND UP

POPE FRANCIS IN IRAQ: Pope Francis concluded a historic trip to Iraq during which he travelled to Najaf and met with the Grand Ayatollah Sistani. Sistani, effectively the religious leader of the world's Shia Muslims, lives modestly in Najaf, home to the mosque-tomb of Ali. For more on all this, we highly recommend this talk from Ahlulbayt TV, a Shia-run YouTube channel.

TIM GORDON ON VATICAN II: We have long suspected that the ultra-traditionalism of Timothy Gordon pushed Taylor Marshall in the ultra-traditionalist direction through their "TnT" programs. The two, however, had a falling out and Mr. Gordon appears to be coming around to support Vatican II while Marshall rejects even the liturgical reforms of Pope Pius XII before the council.

CANDADIAN PASTOR JAILED: Pastor James Coates is behind bars as he awaits an early May trial over his decision to hold religious worship services that violated pandemic restrictions in Canada. 

CHRISTIAN STUDENT WINS: The US Supreme Court sided with a Christian student in a case involving his religious liberty on a college campus. In a 8-1 ruling, only Chief Justice John Roberts dissented. That might shock many, but sadly comes as little surprise to AoA.

DEFUNDING RINOS: President Trump is calling on his supporters to defund organizations that support RINOs (Republicans In Name Only) and instead fund his PAC. This comes after his recent demand that organizations like the RNC cease using his name and likeness to raise money. As Trump plans to remain in the Republican Party we will watch and see how effective his campaigns against the GOP establishment are ahead of the 2022 elections. So far we've seen more establishment Senate candidates drop out, the most recent of which is Missouri's Roy Blunt. Meanwhile Kentucky is pressing forward with plans to ensure McConnell's successor - if or when McConnell resigns - will be selected from a list of three establishment Republicans.

DIRECTOR ON CANCEL CULTURE: James Gunn, who was nearly "cancelled" for inappropriate photos and jokes, is now defending cancel culture. "Stop calling everything 'cancel culture'... People can be offended by something, or think something sucks, and that's not 'cancel culture' - it's free speech." Sadly he fails to understand that "cancelling" citizens over their political views is exactly the opposite of free speech. Such acts are the social equivalents of the "disappearings" that were done to dissidents in Argentina. Not only are they opposed to free speech, but they have a chilling effect on the free speech of others. 

PRIESTS SUPPORT HOMOSEXUALITY: A group of priests from the Diocese of Lexington (Kentucky) have put their names to a letter of support for homosexual youth. The letter contained blanket support with no call to chastity. The diocese says the signature list is "living" and will be updated as more priests sign on. The group of signatories includes James Sichko, who travels nationwide leading parish missions. We would suggest parishes reconsider his retreats.

VACCINES AND ABORTION: We recently posted a link to a YouTube interview with Pamela Acker on the gruesome connection between fetal cell lines harvested via abortion (or infanticide) and the coronavirus vaccines. That interview was subsequently banned on YouTube but you can find it here on LifeSite's webpage. Although the discussed fetal cell lines were not used in the Pfizer or Modern vaccines, they are present enough in the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to fall under grave moral criticism from Catholic bishops. 

Religion, Nations, and Geopolitical Review: SATURDAY, MARCH 6

by A. Joseph Lynch

I. POPE FRANCIS AND THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

WUERL'S RICHES: Reports that Donald Wuerl, the scandal-plagued former Archbishop of Washington D.C., received over over $2 million in 2020 shook the faithful this week. Taylor Marshall breaks down the most recent Wuerl scandal and notes that the $2 million was only the most recent payment. It appears the former archbishop needs nearly than $200,000 each month for some time to come. 

GOD'S PRONOUNS: Jimmy Martin is at it again. This time using female pronouns in speaking of God. In another recent video, Taylor Marshall defends the use of masculine pronouns against the three most common augments for female pronouns. Marshall also thought of a good debate point regarding "preferred" pronouns. Since liberals believe we should address people by their "preferred" pronouns (even if they don't match biological sex), we should do the same with God - who uses exclusively masculine pronouns for Himself in His written Word. Where Marshall is weakest is in his belief that man and woman are in God's image solely by their spiritual faculties. Yet this would reduce male and female to a kind of neutered angelism. This weakness of Dr. Marshall is addressed in the newest short video from Religion, Sex, and Politics - and we suggest you watch it.

OPEN COMMUNION: The German Church is one of the most corrupt places in the Catholic Church. Bishops live lavish lives and involved in questionable financial dealings as Catholic citizens are taxed by the state to fund the corrupt episcopate. In a new scandal the head of the German bishops conference announced he would give the Eucharist to any Protestant that presents himself for Communion. No longer a sign of unity already established, this bishop - who refuses to wear clerics it seems - has no respect for the corporate character of the sacrament, much less its sacrality.

II. US AND THE NATIONS ROUND UP

TRUMP AT CPAC: President Trump gave a rousing speech at CPAC last weekend. Frankly it was good to see him and hear him speak. The speech, in which he said he will not be starting a new political party and hinted at a 2024 presidential run, was a sign that the president is still the leader of the Republican Party even if the RINO establishment continues to attack him. While we await to hear more plans from Trump, we hope he focuses on primarying the GOP establishment in 2022 while using his fortune to open media opportunities for conservatives under assault from cancel culture.

BIDEN LOSING POWER: Democrats have made two striking moves to limit Joe Biden's military authority. First, they are now asking Biden to have the approval of the Vice President and House Speaker - Harris and Pelosi - prior to any decision regarding the use of nuclear weapons. The second act they seek is to end the presidential war powers in place since after 9/11. It's clear that Biden lacks the mental acuity to act as president and we await more from Democrats seeking to undercut his power and the powers of the presidency.

NONSENSE IN D.C.: The Democrats have taken their response to the Capitol riot of January 6 to ever more absurd levels. As they threatened President Trump with impeachment if he called in the National Guard over endless riots last summer, one small rabble in the Capitol was all it took to militarize the city. The troops were supposed to be gone after Inauguration Day, but there's reason to believe that they will never leave. After the FBI warned of a possible attack this week, the city requested the troops remain an additional sixty days. Meanwhile this week, the FBI Director Wray refused to release the cause of death for officer Brian Sicknick - who Wray knows died of natural causes and not from being assaulted during the Capitol riot. Of course, Wray was happy to accuse the rioters of "domestic terrorism." It's clear that current FBI leadership are pursuing anything but truth and justice.

SANCTIONS, NO SANCTIONS: Biden's foreign policy continues to be incoherent. After announcing the Saudi crown prince's involvement in Khashoggi's murder, he refused to sanction bin Salmon or the Saudi regime. Meanwhile he's launched new sanctions on Christian Russia. In this moves Biden reveals he has no interest in building a relationship with a fellow Christian nation while at the same time seeking to remain cozy with a murderous nation that exports radical Wahhabi extremism. Once again, the lack of religion in the State Department and the White House prove harmful to American foreign policy.

III. CULTURE OF LIFE, CULTURE OF PROTECTION

COVID INCOHERENCE: As Twitter launches a five-strike program to ban users for spreading "misinformation" about the coronavirus vaccines, the Biden government has shown us how serious it is taking the virus by releasing into the US population 108 illegal immigrants who tested positive for the coronavirus.

DR. SEUSS CANCELLED: The cultural cancellation of Dr. Seuss is yet the latest sign that the radical Left is out to tear down every last scrap of America's heritage. The Left is seeking a Revolution in order to create a new America, and to do this requires the forced destruction of America's past. "Cancel Culture" is means by which the Left claims the moral high ground while leveling anything that binds American's to their history, customs, and traditions. Sadly Dr. Seuss will not be the last American classic to be cancelled.  

PARLER V. AMAZON: In the latest battle against "big tech" the app Parler has withdrawn its federal lawsuit against Amazon and refiled in state court. More from Viva Frei.