Religion, Nations, and Geopolitical Review: SATURDAY, APRIL 24

by A. Joseph Lynch

I. POPE FRANCIS AND THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

NO CHANGE WITHOUT PRAYER: Pope Francis condemned any attempt to change the Church without the guiding hand of prayer. It was a clear rebuke to liberal activists within the Church and a call to prayer with and in the Church, while asking for guidance from Almighty God. Once again, he referenced the Devil. The Pope, while certainly not perfect, is operating from a much firmer foundation than most conservative Catholics give him credit for.

FR. RUTLER ACCUSED: A female security guard has accused conservative priest Fr. Rutler of in appropriate touching after she says she witnessed him watching homosexual pornography on his office computer. Video she took of the porn viewing has been released to the press. While Rutler has stated no in appropriate touching took place, his most recent statements did not appear to deny the accusation that he viewed homosexual pornography. While we pray this is not the case, the homosexual roots run deep in among Catholic priests - both liberal and conservative.

II. US POLITICS

CHAUVIN GUILTY? The big news of the week was the stunning guilty verdict handed down against Officer Chauvin over the death of George Floyd. The jury spent a mere 10 hours deliberating before reaching their conclusion to find Chauvin guilty on all three counts. The conviction, however, came after the jurors were inundated with news of new riots and even veiled threats from Rep. Maxine Waters. Following Waters' comments, the judge in the Chauvin case took the highly unusual act of vocally stating Chauvin now had a good case for an appeal. Meanwhile in a recent interview a jury alternate has come forward stating that: "...I was concerned about people coming to my house if they were not happy with the verdict." These words will be undoubtedly used in an appeal that argues the jury was under mob pressure to convict, not seek true justice. Indeed, it appeared the defense made its case against conviction. The quick verdict seems, in our opinion, based in fear not fact. 

SICKNICK'S CAUSE OF DEATH: It's finally official: the Trump-supporting DC policeman Brian Sicknick, who died the day of the Capitol riot on January 6, died from a stroke. He was never beaten to death by rioters with a fire extinguisher. Through officials knew this for some time, their silence allowed the fake narrative to persist. They even went so far as to roll out his cremated corpse, placing it in the Capitol rotunda to honor the man supposedly murdered by the "Trump insurrectionists". Using a dead man's remains to score partisan points has to be a new low for the Democrats and establishment cronies who run this country.

ARIZONA RECOUNT: Georgia has passed election reform yet much work is needed to uncover what took place during the presidential and senate elections that saw Democrats somehow sweep the state. Meanwhile in Arizona, it appears as though a full audit of the ballots and voting machines will move forward. We hope they reveal the irregularities that many expect them to find.

III. THE NATIONS

AFGHAN WITHDRAWL? While the remaining 2,000 US troops will soon be withdrawn from Afghanistan, it's being reported that a privatized army of some 18,000 mercenaries, special forces, and intelligence operatives will remain in Afghanistan. So much for withdrawing from the troubled landlocked nation. Caspian Report's piece on Afghanistan's mineral wealth might be a major reason for privatized US forces remaining. 

LE PEN RISING: While Dr. Steve Turley revels at the news that Marine Le Pen has risen 10 points in the polls against Macron, we continue to have our doubts about the "far right" leader. As the late Dr. Pence wrote almost four years ago:

In many ways Ms. Le Pen is much more like Hillary Clinton of an old party than the Donald Trump of a new national movement. Three reasons why she was not really the Donald Trump of France. Donald Trump said he would protect Christians here and abroad. Le Pen is militantly atheist. She is as much against the public cross as the veil of Muslims (so much for Christianity which is the soul of both France and America). Donald Trump loves his father. Ms. Le Pen betrayed her dad (so much for patriarchy and filial piety). Mr. Trump fought his way to the top. Ms. Le Pen inherited a party from her father and got hold of it by siding with opportunists of her own generation willing to sacrifice the old man without ceremony (so much for true leadership). A non-inspiring female driven by personal ambition made her way up the party hierarchy by way of familial ties -- whose profile is that?

RUSSIA STEPS BACK: Russian saber rattling is coming to an end this week as troops begin to withdraw from the Ukrainian border. More on the current tensions from Caspian Report.

III. CULTURE OF LIFE, CULTURE OF PROTECTION

DOXING HYPOCRISY: A black journalist was shut down by Twitter for disclosing the rank hypocrisy of a BLM co-founder and self-claimed Marxist. Twitter claimed he "doxed" the home information of the BLM co-founder, Patrisse Cullors, who spent tens of thousands of dollars to buy herself luxurious properties. While the journalist found himself blocked, nothing was done to stop the doxing of private donors to Kyle Rittenhouse's defense following his self-defense shooting in the Kenosha riots. One police officer in Virginia lost his job over a measly $25 dollar donation. And speaking of hypocrisy, there was never any fall out on Kamala Harris or other liberals who advocated for donations to bail out last summer's rioters.

GAY FLAGS AT US EMBASSIES: Blinken is restoring the Obama era practice of shoving gay "pride" flags down the throats of everyone around the world. If America is trying to win allies overseas, it would do well to understand that most people and nations do not support the upending of the natural sexual order. Flying that flag alongside the US flag is a sign to the nations that America is guilty of what Pope Francis calls ideological recolonization.

INSTRUCTIONS TO WHITE PEOPLE: The area of Minneapolis no known as George Floyd Square, located near the place where Floyd died, has posted a sign to white people telling them how to behave when visiting. The idea that people of a specific race need a sign regarding their actions and behaviors is sadly reminiscent to the signs that barred blacks from certain bathrooms and drinking fountains. Critical race theory - or "anti-racism" - is a return to the very racism that the Black Civil Rights leaders fought so hard to eliminate. 

Religion, Nations, and Geopolitical Review: SATURDAY, APRIL 17

by A. Joseph Lynch

R&G ROUND UP

MN BISHOP SACKED: Crookston, Minnesota Bishop Michael Hoeppner has been removed from his diocese by Pope Francis due to the cover up of homosexual predator priest. More from Church Militant. 

THE TWELVE APOSTLES: Ever wonder what happened to the twelve Apostles following the events of the Resurrection? Watch the newest video from Religion, Sex, and Politics to learn about the journeys of all twelve Apostles. 

AFGHAN DRAW DOWN: President Trump fought bi-partisan efforts to end the war in Afghanistan, eventually winning a troop draw down that would begin on May 1. Despite appearing to renege on Trump's negotiated peace, Biden announced the US would move forward with the war's conclusion. Pat Buchanan now rhetorically asks, "Will they soon start calling Biden an isolationist?" Don't count on it.

TASER MISTAKE: A woman police officer in Minnesota shot and killed a man wanted for a gun violation when she mistook her handgun for her taser. Naturally riots have ensued - and it's hard not to think it may impact the Floyd jury as it heads into deliberations. What has been left out of the news is the issue of women in the police and armed services. Men in particular are tasked with a protective duty. Is not unreasonable to suspect Daunte Wright might still be alive had a man been conducting that arrest?

JUSTICE FOR BABBITT? It appears that Ashli Babbitt will not be receiving any justice following her tragic killing at the hands of a Capitol Police officer on January 6. Not only will no charges be brought against the police officer for firing blindly into an unarmed crowd, but we will never know the name of the police officer who fired the bullet. We can be sure that had it been a BLM riot with a black victim, the police officer would be behind bars waiting for trial. Despite media claims that the "insurrection" was "deadly" they fail to point out that Babbitt was the only person directly killed that day. 

CLEESE MOCKS AZARIA: Voice actor Hank Azaria took political correctness to a whole new level when he recently apologized for voicing an Indian character when he himself is white. Comedian John Cleese is doing the world a favor by mercilessly mocking him.

RACIST MASCOT? A high school in Portland is struggling to find a school mascot that isn't racist. It turns out that with enough thought almost anything can be given the racist label. The school thought they had found the safest, blandest mascot - an evergreen tree - before someone pointed out that trees were once used to hang black people. The final mascot vote has now been postponed. 

Religion, Nations, and Geopolitical Review: SATURDAY, APRIL 10

by A. Joseph Lynch

I. POPE FRANCIS AND THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

SCHONBORN FOR GAY BLESSINGS: The recent statements from Cardinal Schonborn in regards to the ban on gay blessings is another reminder that many "orthodox" leaders in the Catholic Church are not so orthodox after all. Despite his reputation for creating the modern Catechism, Catholics the world over have noticed how Schonborn's own archdiocese is a hotbed for liberalism.  Schonborn's statement that, "The question of whether same-sex couples can be blessed belongs to the same category as the question of whether this is possible for remarried persons or unions contracted without a marriage license," stands in stark contradiction to the Vatican statement, which quotes Pope Francis as saying: "...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." It turns out once again that the real orthodox leader in the Church is not Schonborn but rather the supposedly "liberal" Pope Francis.

NO FIFTH MARIAN DOGMA: Conservative Catholics were once again up in arms over Pope Francis' rejection of Mary as Co-Redemptrix - often called the fifth Marian dogma. But rather than attack the pope over his position, it is helpful for us to see that in the battle between religion and militant atheism pronouncing a fifth Marian dogma will not draw more allies to our cause. As the cultural battle intensifies, not is not the time to alienate our Protestant allies. 

RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION DECLINE: According to Gallup, while American faith in God remains high on only 48% of Americans identify as belonging to a particular religion or denomination. Though the Left attempts to blame the religious Right for the decline, we all know who is leaving religion: liberal Americans. Recently a deleted tweet from (liberal Democrat) Senator Warnock of Georgia - supposedly a Christian pastor - help us see why: “The meaning of Easter is more transcendent than the resurrection of Jesus Christ... Whether you are a Christian or not, through a commitment to helping others we are able to save ourselves.” No bodily resurrection of Christ and no salvation from God. As the religious left embraces heresy and immorality, liberal Christians have long been one foot out the door anyway.

HANS KUNG DEAD: And speaking of heretical Christians, the poster boy of liberal theology - Hans Kung - has died at age 93. Kung, who played a role in the liberalization of the liturgy in the post-Vatican II era, eventually found himself in open opposition to the Church and was censured by the CDF in 1979. In its declaration, the CDF said that Kung had "departed from the integral truth of Catholic faith, and therefore he can no longer be considered a Catholic theologian nor function as such in a teaching role." Despite his disregard of the authentic Catholic faith, the head of the German bishops - Kung was a German priest - spoke in exceedingly high terms of Kung. Given the corruption and promotion of theological liberalism in Germany, this comes as no surprise. 

II. US POLITICS

NO DISLIKES ALLOWED: Joe Biden is getting no love on the internet, but Big Tech is always near to help. It is now being reported that YouTube is keeping Biden's videos from being underwater amid a sea of dislikes by deleting around 2.5 million down votes from his videos. It's hard to fail when virtually every form of communication - be it mainstream media or social media - work to ensure you appear successful.

WHO KILLED FLOYD? The defense has yet to call a single witness, but the Chauvin defense attorney has thus far done a number on the prosecution's witnesses. As Floyd's girlfriend revealed, it appears as though Floyd's "friend" who was with him the day of his death had supplied him with drugs - and it's possible he was responsible for Floyd's overdose last May. Now the "friend" plans to plead the fifth. Is this the beginning of the end of the Chauvin trial? 

MANCHIN PUTS ON THE BRAKES: Joe Manchin, who rumor has it plans to run for governor in conservative West Virginia, has put the brakes on Democrat attempts to end the Senate filibuster or even push bills through by reconciliation. Apparently he is one of the few Democrats to lean the real lesson from the Capitol Riots - the country needs bipartisan agreement, not radical policies shoved down its throat. We pray Manchin has the resolve to keep his word. He might be the one man keeping the country from falling off the precipice.

III. THE NATIONS

MAKE EUROPE GREAT AGAIN: Nationalist leaders from Italy, Hungary, and Poland seek to "make Europe great again" by creating a new alliance that could dominate the European Parliament in the years ahead. More from Dr. Steve Turley.

UKRAINE BUILD UP: A hapless Joe Biden leaves America effectively leaderless, Russia is putting new pressure on Ukraine. And as Russia is transferring amphibious vehicles from the Caspian Sea to the Black Sea, the US plans to send its own warships to the region. What might come of this? More from Pat Buchanan. 

SUEZ CANAL BLOCKED: The Suez Canal was temporarily shut down due to a shipment vessel getting jammed. The cost of the shutdown was estimated to be $400 million per hour and many delivery dates around the world have been pushed back as boats lined up for miles to access the canal. The Suez Canal is one of several major geopolitical chokepoints we often forget - a great deal of the global economy relies on these chokepoints to remain open and it's worth learning about them.

III. CULTURE OF LIFE, CULTURE OF PROTECTION

FOUCAULT THE PEDOPHILE? Michel Foucault was a founder of postmodernism (watch Jordan Peterson blast his philosophy), but few know of the homosexual philosopher's advocacy of pederasty. Foucault, who died of AIDS, is now accused of pedophilia, allegedly raping Arab boys in Tunisia. We are sickened by such monstrous acts but sadly not surprised that a man who held such a monstrous philosophy might have committed them.

GEORGIA ELECTION LAW FALL OUT: The rank hypocrisy of the past year continues unabated as corporations like the MLB, Delta, and Coca-Cola blasted Georgia for enacting an election reform law that includes the use of voter ID. The MLB, which removed the All Star game from Atlanta, requires ID for ticket pick up. Delta Airlines, based out of Atlanta, requires ID to board their planes, and Coca-Cola required ID to participate in a share holders meeting.

WHO COMMITS MASS SHOOTINGS? The media would have us believe that most mass shootings are conducted by white men - but Austin Ruse would have us think otherwise.

HOLY THURSDAY: He who cleansed the temple, now cleansed the priesthood so He might dwell among us

[first published April 17, 2014]

An explanation of feet-washing at the birth of the Christian priesthood by Dr. Pence:

On the night before He died, Christ formed the foundation of the Church by a new command of ordered love. This commandment was not the general order that each of us is to love our neighbor as ourselves.  He issued a more particular command to His chosen apostles: to love one another “as I have loved you.”  Christ 'transmitted to the apostles the Kingdom received from His Father' (Pope John Paul II on the Birth of the Church, August 1989).

This newly ordered love of an elected group of men with the power to forgive sins, cast out demons, and heal the sick shapes the sacred fraternity of the priesthood and the Church. This sealed-character relationship with Christ that is fully realized in bishops, and shared by priests and deacons, is the sacred bond from which Christ’s earthly presence in the Eucharist is made real. The Kingdom of God is now present as the new Adam and His sons are incorporated as priests into the communal love of the Trinity.

Just as the Levitical priesthood was born in a bloody battle, so the new priesthood was ordained in a struggle. It was essential that the priestly bond be shaped by the deep love of Father and Son, the filial fraternity of Sons and brothers -- not polluted by incestuous counterfeit or betrayed by avarice for gold or fractured by arrogant pride.  This priestly bond was prepared to receive the 'generation of the Church by Christ's redemptive death' [JP II], as well as the two comings of the Holy Spirit: sealing their power to forgive sins on Easter night, and sweeping them into the public manifestation of their mission on Pentecost Sunday.

Before the priestly prayer was said and the newly ordered love covenant was established, Judas was expelled from the room – discreetly but definitively.  And before that, the necessity to wash the priestly bond clean of the Evil One was demonstrated by Christ in the washing of the feet.   Peter (like so many of his clerical successors today) saw the Lord on his knees as an act of humility and service. He was having none of it. But Jesus corrected him: “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand."

The washing itself was not an act of self-negation, but an authoritative act by Christ establishing a new priesthood which would sanctify and rule his Church.  Christ’s action was foreshadowed by the priestly consecration when “Moses brought Aaron and his sons and washed them with water” (Leviticus 8:6 and Exodus 30:17-21). After Christ entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, one of his first acts was the cleansing of the Temple. On Holy Thursday, He would wash the new priests of the new Temple. This same order of consecration is described in Numbers when Moses first consecrates the altar, and then "takes the Levites from the Israelites and purifies them" with "the water of remission."

Christ’s washing was a casting out of the Evil One who was polluting the collegial body of the new priesthood (“for He knew who should betray Him.”)  Priestly acts of exorcism, healing and forgiveness of sins are spiritual acts of authority -- as was the Lord’s washing of his apostles. Thomas Aquinas saw the command to “do as I have done” in the washing of the feet as a command to laymen to forgive one another's trespasses.  For prelates, Aquinas saw this as an order to sacramentally forgive sins.  Every act of forgiving sins is an expulsion of one Spirit of authority for the sweeter yoke of another.  It takes authority to set the captives free.  Every baptism is an exorcism. The water that lifted the Ark left many others drowned; and the Red Sea which split for the Jews closed on Pharaoh’s army. If Christ had to rid himself of one of his own – numbered among the Twelve – why should his followers be spared the same troubling duty?  “If I your Master washed your feet, you should wash one another’s feet.”  This was a priestly purification command, which preceded the Love command. It was a bestowal of authority and the assignment of a duty. The Eastern Liturgy prayer of that night puts it this way: “When Thy glorious disciples were enlightened at the washing of their feet before the supper, then the impious Judas was darkened …”

Christians who have no apostolic priesthood can be excused for misinterpreting the foot-washing command as a general ordinance (see Foot-washing Baptists).  English monarchs can be admired as they pass out money to the poor, inspired by the King of kings on His knees (see Maundy money). Many early Christian communities integrated foot-washing as a favored part of Eucharistic liturgy – a sort of kiss of peace with an added touch of humility – (see Saint Ambrose, d. 397). All these practices are understandable.  For Christ was indeed a servant leader. He preached it often; thus, to match His persistent general teaching with that particular iconic moment seems irresistible.

But Jesus personally handed his apostles the Body and Blood, and no one dwells on His being a waiter! Likewise, when he separated his apostles from the power of the Evil One, we shouldn’t over-interpret His bended knee.

The love which will save us from the Evil One is the powerful sacramentally-ordered love of Christ and his purified apostles. Christian love is an ordered love, and the washing of the apostles’ feet manifests the authoritative love of a High Priest instituting a new ordinance.   We must insist that priestly ordination, the power to cast out sin, and the necessity of apostolic fraternal correction which constituted the substance of Christ’s act not be lost in the Zeitgeist.  We are not recounting this story to soothe priestless Protestants or feckless feminists.

The spotless purity of the Marian Church can only be safeguarded by a protective authority ready to cleanse and do battle.  Wherever Christ appears too publicly, He will be attacked.  Saint Joseph had little time to coo with the baby Jesus before He was leading His sacred charges into the dangers of a nighttime flight.  So, before Christ entrusted His presence with the new priesthood, he burnished some of them and expelled others.  The shirking of duty by Peter, the uncertain voice of Thomas, the cowardice of all the others must be confessed, repented, and reformed. The perfidy of Judas had to be washed away and expelled.

"The Lord will wash away the filth of the daughters of Zion; he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire." (Isaiah 4:4). It was Irenaeus who recalled these words when he beheld the new Moses washing the feet of Aaron and his sons. When Irenaeus reflected on the washing of feet at the Last Supper, he did not see a Christ adding service hours to His resume.  He saw “the Word Himself ‘…washing away the filth of the daughters of Zion,’ when He washed the disciples' feet with His own hands. For He who washed the feet of the disciples sanctified the entire body, and rendered it clean.”
(Irenaeus, Book IV Chapter 22, Against Heresies)

The reintegration of the washing of the feet in the Holy Thursday liturgy is a very recent event (1955). It is not surprising that we are still learning the deep significance of this ancient ritual. It may be that it would be better placed in the morning Chrism Mass centered on the bishop and his priests.  For many, the male-only character of the foot-washing seems an affront – but so is a Church built on a male priesthood, the Real Presence of Christ, and a sacramental form of confession.  The flattened de-sacralized spirit of modernity and the congregationalist mentality of Protestants can make no peace with the authoritative masculine fraternity that Christ instituted on Holy Thursday to maintain His Living Presence among us.  Rather than inviting the ladies and grade-school girls to join in the foot-washing festivities, let us more deeply reflect on what we have received and render a more profound account of this pivotal event in the life of Christ and the Church.



UPDATE: In 2016, Pope Francis allowed the washing of women's feet in this ritual. Because he understands this as a sign of service, he sees no reason to exclude women and in his own practice has included non-Christians as well. This is entirely consistent with the symbol of service interpretation. Our comments when he made the announcement are here.