I said I wouldn’t post anything on Saturdays or Sundays, but this is too good to pass up.
Pope Leo will send a video message to Mass in Chicago at a large stadium on the same day that Trump ordered a military parade to celebrate his birthday.
The Pope will probably address one million people. How many will attend Trump’s multi-million dollar parade?
AlterNet calls this “Divine trolling.”
I like Pope Leo more and more every day. He is devoted to the message of the Biblical Jesus: love, mercy, compassion, devotion to the well-being of every person. Heal the sick, comfort the suffering, feed the hungry, welcome the stranger.
Republican Jesus has a different message: get rich by any means possible; ignore the sick and hungry; build your riches on the suffering of others; slam your door to the stranger; show no mercy to stragglers; love the unborn, inflict misery on the born; love your guns and keep them loaded.
I ❤️ Pope Leo!
Diane Ravitch's blog 
I love Diane Ravitch for the same reasons she loves Leo. Peter and Cora
Peter and Cora Castaldi 93 Maple Avenue Shrewsbury, MA 01545 90 Clay Street Cambridge, MA 02140-1710 Email: ccastald@gmail.com Email: pcastald@gmail.com Cora’s Cell: 508-641-3571 Peter’s Cell: 508-523-6582
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So Diane Ravitch loves Pope Leo for the stands he takes. That means that Ms. Ravitch now opposes non-medically necessary abortion, same-sex marriage, and the transgender belief that we can choose our genders.
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Oh please Bart, take a deep breath, take some smelling salts, don’t have a major psychological meltdown. It is within the realm of human possibility to admire the pope as a human being and also not agree with all his stances and policies. It appears that nuance is not your strong point.
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I do understand the nuances here, far better than you do. Pope Leo is following longstanding Catholic teaching: anti-abortion, anti-transgender mania, anti-same sex marriage, pro-immigration, pro-government welfare programs. Diane wants the Pope to be hardcore Left on all issues like she and you are, but the Pope won’t oblige her and you.
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The Pope is going Mano-a-Mano with Trump and Vance. I’m with Pope Leo.
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It would appear that Jersey has your number, Bart. CBK
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Pope Leo emphatically opposes elective abortion, transgenderism, and same sex marriage. He is apparently your political guide now, so you have again changed your mind on numerous issues.
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BART,
I have been married to a devout Roman Catholic for 13 years. We disagree about many issues. That doesn’t affect our mutual love. Nor does it affect my love for Pope Leo.
I respect the right of people to make their own personal decisions. I do not require anyone else to agree with me in order to be my friend or spouse.
You are a very rigid person.
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BART Connor,
I love Pope Leo for his faithfulness to the teachings of Jesus. Jesus said heal the sick, feed the hungry, welcome the stranger. I am a Jew but I support his teachings.
He spoke of love and compassion for all.
I didn’t see anything in the Bible about current American politics. If you did, please quote it.
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Spare us, please. Pope Leo has more important things to deal with than the GOP’s ginned up culture wars. One thing I’m very happy to see is he is continuing Francis’ demands that Opus Dei reform, or else!. They must investigate allegations of abuse to members, human trafficking, & money laundering. Francis was a few days away form issuing new Canon Law re: Opus Dei’s position in the church before he died. Leo sent a letter to Opus Dei leadership with a deadline by Dec for them to pass comprehensive reforms or “necessary measures will be taken”.
If some readers aren’t familiar with Opus Dei (a Catholic Fascist cult inside the Catholic Church) read Gareth Gore’s damning account of this secretive group: “Opus:The Cult of Dark Money, Human Trafficking, and Right Wing Conspiracy Inside the Catholic Church.”
Read Gore’s recent interview with Opus Dei’s spokesperson. They’re working overtime to counter the backlash from Gore’s book by trying to dismiss abuse allegations with, (guess what?!) accusing Gore of telling “lies.”
https://garethgore.substack.com/p/okay-thats-enough-for-today-its-time
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For some reason you seem to believe that you know all of Dr. Ravitch’s beliefs and to be firmly convinced that you have the right to judge those beliefs that you are assuming without evidence, so please explain why two consenting adults who love each other should not have the legal right to live together, make a family, and care for each other. Tell us why you think you are qualified to decide how total strangers should be allowed to live their lives. It is clear that you also seem to believe that you understand the lives and identities of people you don’t even know better than they do themselves, that you know better than they do what it is like to live inside their skin, so please explain how you come by this special knowledge. And while you are at it, perhaps you can also explain what qualifies you to decide whether or not a total stranger should be forced to carry a pregnancy to term. Once you are done explaining why you believe you should have so much say over how other people live their lives, then please explain to us your concept of “freedom” and “liberty” and who is or is not entitled live lives that exemplify those principles.
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Another groupie who is named Amanda. I did not state my personal beliefs on the issues where Pope Leo is conservative, so I will here. I disagree with him on those issues except for the transgender mania. I have just pointed out that Diane loves the Pope when he advocates for her left-wing views; on other issues where he is not left-wing she remains silent.
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So! It would appear that this priest does not align with the despot. What would Jefferson say?
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Usually ! Is the new always.
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Jesus wasn’t a Christian, a Democrat or a Republican. Christianity is supposed to be based on what Jesus taught. Still, real and fake Christians alike tend to ignore the fact, which follows:
“Christ stated that his purpose was not to abolish the Law and the Prophets (the Old Testament), but to fulfill them. This is found in Matthew 5:17: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”
Jesus showed the spiritual intent and application of God’s law (as spelled out in the Old Testament), demonstrating how the laws could be understood and lived out in a way that went beyond their literal interpretation. I think it’s safe to say that the Jewish Jesus never intended his teaching to become the New Testament.
The New Testament, based on what Christ taught as his students remembered what he taught, didn’t come together until around 370 AD. The rough draft for the New Testament was mostly written as individual essays by a diverse group of individuals, including apostles like Paul, Matthew, John, and Luke as well as other early Christian writers (many who were not alive during Christ’s life — some born centuries later). during the first century AD up to the mid-second century but not as one text.
The MAGA cult, who are not and never will be traditional conservative Republicans or real Christians, have their own messiah and his name is Trump, until he’s gone and then they will anoint another false prophet to lead their KKK driven hate crusade to destroy the world and civilization as we know it in North America.
I wonder if they will add to the New Testament with the book of Trump, with his teachings of how to hate, get revenge, rape, lie, cheat and steal along with a new set of commandments. On Truth Social, Trump has stated he believes God spared his life, particularly after the assassination attempt in July 2024, suggesting it was for a divine purpose to “restore America to greatness”. He has also claimed to be on a “mission from God,” implying divine guidance or a special role in his political endeavors.
Trump’s Ten Commandments for the MAGA faithful
Still, the EU and China may survive as modern civilizations.
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Master. Class. Bishops beat pawns. That’s how you Pope, baby!
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Divine trolling! OMG. LOVE it!
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Well said, Dr. Ravitch!
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