Tag: vatican

Israeli Police Arrests Jewish Man Who Assaulted Catholic Nun in Jerusalem

Attack brings back worries about inter-religion violence.

A few days after two Israeli soldiers were arrested for desecrating a Jesus statue in a village in Lebanon, a new episode of Jewish violence against Christians has taken place in Jerusalem.

Israeli police reportedly arrested a 36-year-old man who was recorded assaulting a French Catholic nun near Jerusalem’s Old City.

The attack caused a wave of indignation, and led Israeli authorities to react swiftly with ‘zero tolerance to all acts of violence’.

Euronews reported:

“Police said the unnamed man was arrested after the attack near David’s Tomb, a holy site outside Zion’s Gate on the southern side of the Old City, “on suspicion of a racially motivated attack,” and remained in custody.

Police video showed the nun bruised and the attacker wearing tzitzit, a fringed undergarment worn by some observant Jewish men. The nun, a French national, suffered injuries including a bruise on her forehead, as seen in an image posted by Israeli police on X.”

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The Pope Is Right – The US-Israeli War With Iran Violates Just-War Theory

On April 10th, Pope Leo XIV posted on Twitter/X, “God does not bless any conflict. Anyone who is a disciple of Christ, the Prince of Peace, is never on the side of those who once wielded the sword and today drop bombs. Military action will not create space for freedom or times of #Peace, which comes only from the patient promotion of coexistence and dialogue among peoples.”

The Pope’s condemnation of war drew the ire of the self-proclaimed “Peace President” and his allies. On TruthSocial, President Trump described the Pope as “Weak on Crime, Weak on Nuclear Weapons” and “terrible for Foreign Policy.” At a Turning Point USA event, Vice President J.D. Vance remarked, “When the pope says that God is never on the side of people who wield the sword, there is more than a 1,000-year tradition of just war theory.” Speaker of the House Mike Johnson was likewise “taken a little bit aback.” He told reporters, “It’s a very well-settled matter of Christian theology. There’s something called the just war doctrine.”

Yet just war is precisely the Pope’s point. As Bishop James Massa, the chairman of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Doctrine, said in a statement:

“For over a thousand years, the Catholic Church has taught just war theory and it is that long tradition the Holy Father carefully references in his comments on war. A constant tenet of that thousand-year tradition is a nation can only legitimately take up the sword ‘in self-defense, once all peace efforts have failed’ (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2308). That is, to be a just war it must be a defense against another who actively wages war, which is what the Holy Father actually said: ‘He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war.’

Ultimately, this appeal to Just War Theory by Vance and Johnson is a desperate retort from a historically sinful administration. To date, Trump has authorized military strikes in 10 countries: Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, Pakistan, Somalia, Libya, Syria, Venezuela, Nigeria, and Iran. Currently, the Pentagon is reportedly preparing for military action against Cuba – a nation that Trump has repeatedly threatened to “take.” This invasion would come months after the Trump administration imposed a total oil blockade that is causing widespread suffering and starvation there. No interpretation of Just War Theory would ever justify such rampant and senseless violence.

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Spanish Catholic Church plagued by pedophiles – media

More than 3,000 people have reportedly suffered sexual abuse as minors within the Spanish Catholic Church, according to a eight-year investigation by the El Pais newspaper which published its latest findings on Monday.

The outlet began collecting data on sex crimes within the church in 2018, when only 34 cases were officially known. Since then, through public testimonies, judicial records, and church admissions, the number of victims of pedophilia has risen to 3,084 with the earliest incidents dating back to the 1940’s.

The list of accused has reached 1,613, representing 1.46% of the 110,000 priests and laypeople who have served in Spain in the past 80 years.

El Pais’ latest report, the sixth in five years, has added 58 new testimonies from Spain accusing 50 clerics and laypeople, all men except two nuns, and a separate section covering 21 testimonies from eight Latin American countries with 24 individuals accused.

The outlet said that it has shared all its findings with the Spanish Episcopal Conference (CEE), the Vatican, and Spain’s human rights commissioner. However, the newspaper noted that over the past five years, the Church has not responded substantively to the allegations with the CEE prioritizing “opacity and denial” while the Vatican has delegated responsibility to the Spanish bishops.

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“Completely Untrue”: Holy See Rejects Fake News Story of Pentagon Threat to Vatican

In a desperate effort to drive a wedge between Catholics and the Trump administration, the fake news circulated a story implying that the Department of War (DOW) threatened the Vatican.

According to the initial report in The Free Press and amplified by outlets such as The Daily Beast, Catholic blogs, and social media, the incident allegedly occurred during a closed-door meeting on January 22, 2026, at the Pentagon.

The report claims that Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby (a Catholic and a Trump administration official) and colleagues supposedly summoned the then-Vatican apostolic nuncio/ambassador to the U.S., Cardinal Christophe Pierre, and delivered a “bitter lecture.”

One official reportedly invoked the Avignon Papacy (a 14th-century historical episode where French kings exerted military/political control over the Pope), which some interpreted as a veiled threat of force or pressure against the Holy See.

The Vatican, however, formally debunked the story.

CruxNow reports:

Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni flatly denied the report in a statement Friday, saying that “As confirmed by His Eminence Christophe Pierre…his meeting with Mr. Elbridge Andrew Colby was part of the papal representative’s regular mission and provided the opportunity for an exchange of views on matters of mutual interest.”

“The narrative offered by some media outlets about this meeting is completely untrue,” Bruni said.

The Vatican nunciature in Washington had previously distributed a statement to the press also denying the portrayal of the meeting, confirming the Jan. 22 meeting at the Pentagon to discuss “current affairs,” but characterizing the interaction as “routine.”

“The Apostolic Nunciature is grateful for the opportunities to meet and dialogue with government officials and others in Washington to discuss areas of mutual concern,” the nunciature said.

“As confirmed by His Excellency Christophe Pierre, former Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, his meeting with Mr. Elbridge Andrew Colby was part of the Pontifical Representative’s regular mission and provided an opportunity for an exchange of views on matters of mutual interest. The narrative presented by certain media outlets regarding this meeting does not correspond to the truth at all.”

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Liberal HuffPost Mocked for Article Claiming Pentagon ‘Excluded Catholics’ from Good Friday Service

Liberal Huffington Post breathlessly wrote about the Pentagon and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth allegedly “excluding Catholics” from Good Friday services.

Jennifer Bendery, a senior politics reporter at the outlet, wrote that the Pentagon “invited more than 3,500 employees to attend a Good Friday service at its in-house chapel.”

“Except it’s only for Protestants, not Catholics,” Bendery claimed.

Was there not a single Catholic Bendery could have queried about religious traditions during the period surrounding Easter and Holy Week?

And, in sharing the actual text from the Pentagon invitation, does she not understand sentence structure?

Bendery shared a memo sent to staff by Air Force leadership that read, “Just a friendly reminder: There will be a Protestant Service (No Catholic Mass) for Good Friday today at the Pentagon Chapel.”

“No Catholic Mass” does not exclude Catholics; it simply notes that a Catholic Mass is not being held. Why? Because Catholics traditionally do not attend Mass on Good Friday.

Catholic Holy Week and Easter form the most sacred period in the liturgical year in the Catholic church, which commemorates the final days of Jesus Christ’s life, his Passion (suffering), death, and Resurrection.

Holy Week begins on Palm Sunday and culminates in the Easter Triduum (the “Three Days”), a single unified celebration from the evening of Holy Thursday through Easter Sunday evening.

Palm Sunday marks the start of Holy Week, recalling Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem, when crowds welcomed him with palm branches. In Catholic churches, a procession with blessed palm branches takes place at the beginning of Mass, and many families take the blessed palms home and display them, often woven into crosses. The palms are later burned to make ashes for the following year’s Ash Wednesday.

Holy Thursday (Maundy Thursday) marks the beginning of the Easter Triduum. It commemorates the Last Supper, where Jesus instituted the Eucharist (the sacrament of his Body and Blood) and the priesthood, and washed the feet of his disciples as an example of humble service.

Good Friday (The Passion of the Lord) is the most solemn day of the year — a day of mourning, fasting, and penance that commemorates Jesus’ crucifixion and death on the cross.

It is a day of strict fasting and abstinence from meat for Catholics aged 14 and older, with some observing additional silence or prayer between noon and 3 p.m.

Popular devotions include the Stations of the Cross (a meditation on 14 scenes from Jesus’ Passion) and processions or reenactments in some cultures. For the first time since Pope John Paul II, Pope Leo Pope personally carried the wooden cross himself through all 14 stations.

But there is no Catholic Mass on Good Friday. The tabernacle is empty, and the altar remains bare.

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Pope Leo XIV Picks a Top Rothschild Executive To Head the Vatican Bank, Sending the Conspiracy Theories Into Overdrive

Rothschilds were raided by French Police in Epstein probe; but, today, a former executive controls Vatican Finances.

Just a few days ago, the top exorcists in the Catholic Church met with Pope Leo XIV to ask of him to reinforce the ranks of priests and bishops trained to deal with the surge in occult and satanic practices.

This is fact, not a rumor or unverified report (check at the bottom of the post).

But today, Leo appointed François Pauly as next president of the Vatican Bank.

Before we can even evaluate whether this is a good choice or not, a thick fog has risen with wild conspiracy claims that an ancient secret society is taking direct control of the Catholic Church’s finances.

Pauly is the new president of the supervisory board for the ‘Institute for the Works of Religion’, managing the church’s money, properties and charitable works.

The problem is where he comes from.

Daily Mail reported:

“Conspiracy theorists immediately seized on Pauly’s ties to the powerful Rothschild group – one of the most famous international banking families in history that has been alleged to be part of the secret society known as the Illuminati.”

While no one needs to believe in the Illuminati, the notion that elite bankers, politicians, Freemasons and powerful families worldwide act to manipulate governments and world events is hardly controversial anymore.

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SPIRITUAL WAR: Top Exorcists Ask Pope Leo To Increase Number and Training of Specialized Priests To Combat Surge in Occultism and Satanic Practices

‘And [Jesus] asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many.’ (Mark 5:9)

One need not be a trained exorcist to recognize all around us that today’s world is experiencing a surge in occult and Satanic practices.

But the men who actually are the top exorcists in the Catholic Church have gone up to Pope Leo XIV with a single plea: reinforce their numbers.

Leo received representatives of the International Association of Exorcists (AIE) in a private audience on Friday, March 13 – perhaps not the most auspicious day.

The AIE heads presented the Holy Father with a report on the growing number of cases related to occultism, esotericism, and Satanism.

The report also examines the spiritual consequences this has for many people.

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MAGA billionaire Peter Thiel infuriates Vatican by claiming ANTICHRIST is coming and will impose dystopian ‘one–world’ government

MAGA billionaire Peter Thiel has angered the Vatican by hosting a four–part lecture series in Rome warning that the Antichrist is coming and will subject humanity to a ‘one–world’ government.

Thiel, 58, has raised concerns for months about what he views as an imminent threat, according to The New York Times.

The tycoon, who made his money by setting up PayPal, has warned of the ‘occult forces [that] are ceaselessly at work, intent on destroying what remains of the West,’ the outlet reported.

The Antichrist is described in the Bible as a conniving figure who opposes Jesus Christ and seeks to challenge human allegiance to God.

Thiel, the chairman of big data and artificial intelligence giant Palantir, has argued the Antichrist will manipulate humanity by promising solutions to contemporary existential threats.

He has earmarked topics like AI, environmental crises and bioweapons as pathways to that outcome.

But rather than a single person, Thiel has suggested the Antichrist could take the shape of a centralized global government that gradually strips away individual rights and freedoms.

Thiel’s secretive conference, titled ‘The Biblical Antichrist’, began Sunday and is slated to run until Wednesday.

Thiel’s views were described as ‘a theological–apocalyptic framework as disturbing as it is structured’ by Italian Catholic priest Paolo Benanti, who previously advised Pope Francis on AI.

In an essay titled ‘American heresy: Should we burn Peter Thiel?’, Benanti argued that Thiel’s views about the Antichrist amounted to ‘heresy.’

‘In other words: either a global technocratic regime imposing salvation by falsehood, or total annihilation,’ he wrote about Thiel’s views.

A newspaper owned by the Italian bishops’ conference, Avvenire, called Thiel ‘the heart of darkness of the digital world.’

Another essay in the publication accused Thiel of seeking ‘absolute power managed by technocrats supported by artificial intelligence, without which, he argues, the state will never function.’

About one hundred guests have been spotted at the lecture series, according to Italian newspaper La Repubblica. Most appeared to be Italian businessmen and politicians.

The talks’ audience has largely been made up of younger men, plus some women and a number of American priests and students.

Thiel spoke for about two hours on the first day of the seminar and touched on the future of AI.

‘It’s not the solution to all evils,’ he was quoted as saying by the outlet. ‘But it shouldn’t be demonized.’

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Catholic bishop, 69, accused of visiting mega-brothel 12 times in one month is dramatically arrested as he prepared to board flight to ROME

A disgraced Catholic bishop who was accused of visiting a notorious Mexican mega-brothel 12 times in one month was abruptly arrested on his way out of the country.

Bishop Emanuel Shaleta, 69, was detained at San Diego International Airport on Thursday after church members accused him of pocketing up to a million dollars from the Chaldean Catholic Eparchy of St. Peter the Apostle.

According to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office, Shaleta was charged with eight counts of embezzlement, eight counts of money laundering and one enhancement of ‘aggravated white collar crime.’

The Pillar previously reported that the bishop was expected to travel to Rome this week.

A church member originally contacted police with accusations against Shaleta in August 2025. 

The Vatican ordered an investigation alongside the Sheriff’s department after allegations of financial fraud and personal misconduct came to light.

Investigators alleged that Shaleta took at least $427,345 from parish accounts, issuing so-called reimbursement checks that he signed himself.

Shaleta was also allegedly seen frequenting a Gentleman’s Club in Tijuana that has been described as a brothel where women and girls have allegedly been trafficked and forced to work.

Shaleta turned in his resignation to the Vatican in January, but has vehemently denied any allegations of fraud. 

‘I have never in my priestly life or episcopal life abused any of the Church money,’ he said at a church service held on February 22, per the San Diego Union-Tribune. 

‘On the contrary, I have done my best to preserve and manage the donations of the Church properly.’ 

According to the investigation, Shaleta’s parish leased its social hall to an outside management firm for roughly $34,000 per month. 

Rent is normally paid by check by an outside company. 

However, records from November 2024 reportedly showed the payment coming from a separate parish bank account used to assist the poor.

When Shaleta was asked about this, he allegedly said he had told the company to give him the full amount so he could distribute it directly to families in need.

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Cardinal found with phone during secret conclave to elect Pope Leo, book says

The secret conclave that elected Pope Leo head of the Catholic Church in May 2025 was interrupted when one of the 133 cardinals involved was found carrying a cellphone, a massive security breach, a book released on March 1 revealed.

As the clerics were preparing to take their first vote inside the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel, which was fitted with jamming equipment to prevent outside communications, security officials picked up the signal of an active mobile connection.

The cardinals stared at each other incredulously, then one of the older clerics discovered he had a phone in his pocket and handed it over, according to The Election of Pope Leo XIV, a new book by two long-time Vatican correspondents.

The book does not name the cardinal or suggest he had any motive for keeping his phone, saying the moment left him “disoriented and distressed”.

Security breach was ‘better than fiction’

The scene was “unimaginable even for a film and never before seen in the history of modern conclaves”, wrote authors Gerard O’Connell and Elisabetta Pique.

One such film, the 2024 hit Conclave, imagined a tangled web of intrigues during the fictional selection of a pontiff. The unprecedented discovery of a phone in 2025 was in its own way more startling than anything portrayed in that movie, O’Connell told Reuters. “Reality (was) better than fiction,” he said.

Clerics taking part in a conclave take a vow not to communicate with the outside world and surrender their phones and all other communication devices for the duration of the proceedings, which can last for days.

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