Free Republic

Miracles and the True Faith: Why Only Catholicism Is Confirmed by GodFrom the very beginning of salvation history, miracles have been among God’s most powerful tools to confirm divine revelation. Moses confronted Pharaoh with the ten plagues, Elijah called down fire upon Mount Carmel, and Christ Himself demonstrated His divinity through cures, resurrections, and His own Resurrection from the dead. The Catholic Church, established by Christ and perpetuated through His Apostles, has continued to be marked by miracles throughout her two-thousand-year history.In this ten-part series, we have examined the countless miraculous signs that God has given to His Church: the...

The 2025 Ligonier Ministries State of Theology survey (conducted with LifeWay Research) found that 36% of U.S. evangelicals reject the statement “Everyone is born innocent in the eyes of God”, implying they affirm original sin (born in a state of guilt and corruption due to Adam's fall). This is the closest indicator, as belief in original sin directly entails death as its consequence (e.g., spiritual and physical separation from God). Conversely, 64% affirmed born innocence, denying original sin and its effects like death.

[Catholic Caucus] Pope Leo again champions ‘synodality’ despite controversy, says it’s about ‘openness’‘Synodality is an attitude, an openness, a willingness to understand,’ Pope Leo said, presenting the concept as the hallmark of his papacy though without emphasizing doctrinal clarity.Pope Leo XIV has placed the controversial concept “synodality” at the center of his vision for the Church, describing it as an attitude of “dialogue” meant to bring together clergy and laity.His comments, released on September 18 in León XIV: ciudadano del mundo, misionero del siglo XXI, a new biography by Crux reporter Elise Ann Allen, were accompanied by a video excerpt...

[Catholic Caucus] Leo XIV, the Tridentine Mass, and the Supposed “Ideology” of Traditional CatholicsIt is true: Traditional Catholics are resolved to adhere to the unadulterated Catholic Faith that for almost two thousand years stood in the way of the unholy ideologies that now reign in Rome since the Second Vatican Council. May God grant Leo XIV the grace to see this clearly and the courage to act heroically to restore what has been lost for sixty years.“For there is but one party of order capable of restoring peace in the midst of all this turmoil, and that is the party...

Church teaching may develop, but that does not mean it can changeThe content of dogma and the core of doctrine are immutable. God does not deceive, and the truth is not relative. In very recent weeks, a controversy has erupted in Catholic discussions following remarks attributed to Pope Leo XIV in an interview with Crux Now (also reported by LifeSiteNews). According to these reports, Pope Leo said:“People want the Church doctrine to change, want attitudes to change. I think we have to change attitudes before we ever change doctrine.”He also added that he finds it “highly unlikely, certainly in the...

Money talks: Why Cupich may be honoring pro-abortion Sen. DurbinCupich has a long and friendly history with Durbin, who has pulled the federal purse strings for the Chicago archdiocese. Chicago’s Cardinal Blase Cupich is doubling down in the face of backlash to his decision to honor pro-abort Sen. Dick Durbin. Durbin is a Catholic who lives in Chicago, with a long track record of voting in favor of abortion.“Recently some have criticized the decision of the Archdiocese of Chicago to recognize Senator Dick Durbin at our annual fundraiser for our immigration ministry, Keep Hope Alive,” he wrote in a Sept....

[Catholic Caucus] Study: ‘Traditional liturgical experiences predict stronger belief in the Real Presence’A recent study found that traditional liturgical experiences, including receiving the Eucharist by tongue, indicate a stronger belief among Catholics in the Real Presence.Last year, Natalie A. Lindemann published a journal article on Catholics’ belief in the real presence of Jesus Christ’s body and blood in the Eucharist. Lindemann, a professor in the department of psychology at William Paterson University, recently published a follow-up peer-reviewed article that uses a larger sample size and examines additional information.Belief in the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist is central...

I am just wondering about the anti-Pauline movement within the church and what reasons they reject him? I understand that some blacks have trouble with his prioritizing witnessing to Onesimus over his freedom from slavery. But I don't understand what theology they are accepting that rejects him.

[Catholic Caucus] Does Pope Leo condone homosexual behavior? Prominent Catholic scholar respondsEdward Pentin conducts an interview with Professor John Rist, a world-renowned scholar of St. Augustine and the Church Fathers, about recent events at the Vatican.Pope Leo XIV has won many plaudits for aspects of his Petrine Ministry so far — his Christ-centred preaching, personal kindness, and emphasis on peace and reconciliation to name a few.But recent events at the Vatican have heightened concerns that Leo is also tolerating, and perhaps even condoning, elements of the previous pontificate that were particularly harmful to souls on account of the public scandal...

[Catholic Caucus] African cardinal: Same-sex ‘blessings’ document ’caused a lot of harm’Cardinal Ambongo said he believes Pope Francis ‘changed his mind’ about the release of Fiducia Supplicans after speaking with the African prelate.Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu has said that Fiducia Supplicans “caused a lot of harm to the Catholic faithful” and was a “bad chapter” in Pope Francis’ pontificate.Ambongo, who is the archbishop of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, made his latest critical comments about Francis’ document permitting homosexual “blessings” during a visit to Poland for the 12th Council of Gniezno peace summit.He told OSV News that a...

[Catholic Caucus] Catholic Coalition Asks Pope Leo XIV to Reject ‘Powerful Lobby’ Pushing Same-Sex UnionsSignatories, inspired by TFP founder Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira, urge the Holy Father to revoke Fiducia Supplicans and speak with ‘absolute clarity, leaving no room for doubt or ambiguity.’A coalition of Catholic associations has submitted a “filial appeal” to Pope Leo XIV, respectfully calling on him to “confirm and reaffirm” the Church’s perennial teaching on homosexual relationships and unions in the face of a “powerful lobby” that is seeking their moral legitimization within the Church.The group further calls on Pope Leo to annul a 2017 papal...

Fr. James Martin applauds Pope Leo’s remark that ‘attitudes’ must change before doctrineThe Jesuit adviser says Leo XIV is right that doctrine could shift once Catholic ‘attitudes’ change.In a public commentary on Thursday, Father James Martin, S.J., said that Pope Leo XIV’s recent remarks on homosexuality mean that Catholic doctrine on sexual morality could be changed.Martin, writing in response to Leo’s interview with Crux Now correspondent Elise Ann Allen, said the new Pontiff was “100% correct” that it was “a matter of changing ‘attitudes.’”“No amount of argumentation or debate, no matter how well reasoned or informed, can substitute for what...

[Catholic Caucus] Pope Leo on LGBTQ: ‘We have to change attitudes before we ever change doctrine’Friends, you are not going to believe this.In this first extended interview he’s just done with Crux Now, Leo XIV has basically said that the Church’s teaching on sexual morality could change. He actually even went there and implied that he could – in his words – “change the Church’s teaching” on women’s ordination.Take a listen to what he said first on sexual morality. This is what he says after having been talking about LGBT issues for a while:People want the Church doctrine to change,...

[Catholic Caucus] Leo publicly doubts Catholic teaching on sexual morality and the immutability of dogmaLeo's idea that 'attitudes' must be changed before doctrine can sheds new light on the recent events in the Vatican. In his first extended interview, Leo XIV fell short of affirming the immutability of the Church’s teaching on sexual morality, and strongly implied that changes could be possible in the future.Although more muted, he also implied that he could “change the Church’s teaching” on women’s ordination.When discussing his approach to “LGBTQ+” issues with Elise Ann Allen of Crux Now, Leo XIV struck an uncertain note, suggesting...

[Catholic Caucus] Cardinal Fernández claims synodality is not a ‘revision of doctrine and morality’Cdl. Victor Fernández lamented that ‘many priests have doubts, questions, disinterest, and rejection regarding the proposal of synodality.’The prefect of the Vatican’s doctrinal office has rejected the notion that synodality is “a matter of listening to everyone in order to carry out a democratic revision of doctrine and morality.”As prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández has been a key figure in the latter years of Pope Francis’ pontificate and thus the Synod on Synodality. The synod – arguably Francis’...

Bishop Schneider on the LGBTQ+ "Pilgrimage" to St. Peter's Basilica“My reaction was a silent cry of horror, indignation, and sorrow. All true believers in the Church—both faithful and clergy—who still uphold the validity of God’s commandments and take Him seriously, should experience this provocation as a brazen slap in the face. I believe that many faithful Catholics and members of the clergy remain stunned by such a massive blow and require time to recover. An unprecedented act has taken place in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, one that may fittingly be described, in the words of Our Lord, as an...

Bishop Eleganti: Vatican II reforms were a ‘reckless,’ ‘failed’ experimentThe Catholic Church lives or dies on the basis of liturgy. Only a return to tradition can revive the Church’s worship and faith life.Editor’s note: The following article is a critical analysis of developments in the Catholic Church since the Second Vatican Council by Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Marian Eleganti. I was born in 1955 and was an enthusiastic altar boy in my childhood. At first I served in the old rite, always a little nervous not to mess up the Latin responses, then I was retrained in the middle of the...

[Catholic Caucus] Cardinal Sarah: Fiducia Supplicans ‘threatens unity of the Church,’ should be ‘forgotten’Cardinal Robert Sarah blasted Fiducia Supplicans as ‘theologically weak’ and said the document should be ‘forgotten,’ warning it risks fracturing Catholic ‘unity.’Cardinal Robert Sarah has said that Pope Francis’ document allowing for same-sex “blessings” “threatens the unity of the Church” and should be “forgotten.”In a recent interview with the Italian Catholic newspaper Avvenire, the African cardinal was asked about Francis’ highly controversial declaration Fiducia supplicans, which allowed the “blessing” of same-sex couples in certain situations.“I hope that the content of Fiducia supplicans can be clarified and perhaps...

[Catholic Caucus] Professor Rist: St Augustine Would Have Been ‘Appalled’ at Recent Vatican EventsThe distinguished Church expert on the 4th century saint discusses increasing concern over Pope Leo XIV’s governance following recent controversies.Pope Leo XIV has won many plaudits for aspects of his Petrine Ministry so far — his Christ-centred preaching, personal kindness, and emphasis on peace and reconciliation to name a few.But recent events at the Vatican have heightened concerns that Leo is also tolerating, and perhaps even condoning, elements of the previous pontificate that were particularly harmful to souls on account of the public scandal they caused.On August...

Why awe is the right response to Our Lady of SorrowsHere's why Our Lady of Sorrows is about more than having pity on the Mother of God – and why she is called the ‘co-redemptrix.’Many meditations on Our Lady of Sorrows emphasise the suffering she endured at the foot of the Cross.For instance, the excellent Practical Meditations for Every Day of the Year offers the following parallel as a way of understanding Our Lady’s suffering:“To understand in some measure how much she suffers, we must conceive the idea of a mother, the tenderest of mothers, who loves nothing so much...