What The HELL Was THIS All About?!

 

Rubio Briefed Pope On Grave Threat Of Iran

Secretary of State 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐨 𝐑𝐮𝐛𝐢𝐨 reported that he has 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐝 𝐏𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐨 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐫𝐚𝐧 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲. This is a step that signals the Trump administration is actively working to bring the Holy See into the sphere of alignment with the dominant allied position on Iran and the threat of radical Islam.

Here's what Rubio said:

“𝘞𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘢 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘜𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺, 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩, 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘩, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦’𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘯, 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥.

“𝘐 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘐𝘳𝘢𝘯, 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐𝘳𝘢𝘯 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘥. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘺 𝘍𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳, 𝘩𝘦’𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘣𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘧 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺.

“𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘥, 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦’𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦.”

OMG! Is The Pope Now Stricken With TDS?

When have you ever heard of a Pope holding impromptu "news conferences" and answering reporters' questions on the fly? 

Well, yes -- Pope Francis did it.  

And now, regrettably, it's continuing under Pope Leo who seems more and more to be not only Francis' protegé but Francis on steroids. 

Please note that for thousands of years before these two, Popes spoke sparingly and when they did it was in the form of serious public pronouncements issued with the full weight of the papacy. And all this happened without "media availabilities" as they are known to PR practitioners and journalists.

But now we have this: speaking to reporters, Pope Leo responded to the criticism he has received from Donald Trump: “The mission of the Church is to proclaim the Gospel, to preach peace. If someone wants to criticize me for proclaiming the Gospel, let him do so truthfully."

Remember, the criticism started with the Pope who attacked Trump and the Trump administration with not so veiled references. So, Trump being Trump, answered the Pope's salvos with a few choice words of his own.

Best advice here comes from noted Catholic TV host and commentator Raymond Arroyo:

"The Pope should refrain from these weekly press scrums. It allows the media to set the tone and lead the witness. Most of Leo’s predecessors made the news- they didn’t react to it. In this scenario the Pope is cast as just another talking head- it diminishes his office. The media is wagging the dog and the Pope is playing along- being dragged into non-controversy controversies."

Put another way: Popes shouldn't get involved in pi - - ing contests.

To this we would add that, so far, this Pope has been too available, too evident, too much in the news, too fast. To maintain his moral authority, the Pope must remain above the fray, above the day-to-day controversies (and perhaps faux controversies) and stunts that seem to absorb the media.

Pray that this becomes the norm once again.

It Certainly Seems Worth Pondering . . .

 

Catholics, And Others: Ask These Questions . . .

Has Pope Leo XIV criticized the Democrat Party in America for running on abortion on demand -- even up till the time of birth?

Has he chastised the Democrat Party for legally harassing the Little Sisters of the Poor and forcing them to defend themselves up to the highest court in the land?  

Has he given credit to President Trump for putting Supreme Court Justices on the court who overturned Roe v. Wade? 

The answers are No, No, and NO!

Remember that!

Heartfelt Suggestion For The Pope And The Church

From columnist and commentator Charles Gasparino:

As a Catholic, I don't buy that Donald Trump is dividing most Catholics at least in this country. Quite the opposite in fact. They agree with him because most American Cathloics hate that the church has become politically progressive, obsequious to the left and at times openly Marxist. The Pope-who is American--is literally suggesting that we should turn a blind eye to the murderous mullahs, and the American taxpayer should subsidize the world's poor through open borders. As a result, the Pope and the Catholic Church are losing their relevance for most American Catholics who believe they should stay out of politics and focus their attention on matters of faith and their own problems, lest we forget how they ignored child abuse for decades

The Pope VS The POTUS: Let's Sort It Out!

Columnist and attorney Christine Flowers joins blogger/podcaster Dan Cirucci for a no-holds-barred analysis of the conflict between Pope Leo and President Trump. How did it start; how might it end and why is it important?

Pope VS POTUS: Did Vatican Set Collision Course?

Maybe we should have known when Cardinal Robert Prevost was chosen to helm the Catholic Church nearly a year ago.

Maybe we should have detected  a clear signal of this papacy's direction when the new Pope chose the name Leo, after Pope Leo XIII who styled himself an early champion of Catholic social justice. And maybe we should have seen what was quite clearly evident -- that this new man, though American, was in the mold of Pope Francis, was a portegê of his and came from the same South American missionary background.

But this was an American Pope -- the first ever -- and we were dazzled! 

My goodness, he grew up near the middle of America, near Chicago and graduated from Villanova University right here in the Philly suburbs. "He's one of us," we told ouselves. "We'll have a real friend in the Vatican -- a friend in charge of the whole Church." That's what many of us thought. 

And President Trump felt the same way. In fact, Trump described the election of Pope Leo as "such a great honor for our country to have an American pope" and added that he was "very happy" about it, calling it "absolutely great."

Things seemed cordial and most people expected Pope Leo to ease into his role, and like most of his predecessors, give everyone time to assess the transition and begin to understand where the Church might be heded. 

It was not to be. Leo had other ideas and he began to speak out on a variety of issues, sometimes seemingly off the cuff, often in English and even while holding spontaneous media availabilities and news conferences. It was unparalleled. Let's racap:

• May 2025: Pope Leo XIV is appointed, immediately setting a different tone than his predecessor, taking a more direct stance on US policies. Shortly thereafter, he urges U.S. bishops to back him up and speak with a unified voice on immigration, leading to a near-unanimous message against mass deportations
• May 13, 2025: After it's revealed that Pope Leo's brother, Louis, a Florida resident is politically conservative and a supporter of President Trump who has voiced his support in social media posts, Louis at first defends his posts. But he's reportedly "made aware of the need for  reduced public comment on sensitive issues" and quickly backs away.
• Nov. 5, 2025: Pope Leo calls U.S. immigration raids in Minnesota "inhuman" and demands "deep reflection" from the Trump administration on its handling of migrants.
• November 12, 2025: responding to the Pope's calls the US Conference of Catholic Bishops issues a "Special Message" condemning the Trump's Administration's deportation of illegals and opposing what it calls "the indiscriminate mass deportation of people."
• Jan. 9, 2026: Pope Leo condemns the Trump administration's actions in Venezuela following the Jan. 3 capture of President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. Forces, calling it a "diplomacy of force". The Pope once again encourage further action from the Cardinals.
• Feb. 18, 2026: The Vatican officially declines to join the Trump-proposed "Board of Peace" in Gaza, signalling a diplomatic rift.
• Feb. 2026: Pope Leo XIV declines an invitation from Vice President JD Vance to attend the U.S. 250th-anniversary celebration on July 4, 2026, with the Vatican confirming he will not visit the U.S. that year. The Pope instead plans to visit Lampedusa, Italy, focusing on migrant issues
• March 15, 2026: Pope Leo calls for a ceasefire in the US-Israel-Iran conflict, indirectly criticizing the escalation of violence.

• March 29, 2026 (Palm Sunday): Pope Leo intensifies criticism, describing the war in Iran as a "spiral of violence" driven by the administration. He states that God does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, emphasizing that such leaders have "hands full of blood"
• April 7, 2026: Following intensification of the US/Israel conflict with Iran, Pope Leo labels US threats against the radical Islamic state "truly unacceptable".
• April 9, 2026: In a move that raises eyebrows, Pope Leo meets privately with favid Axelrod, a liberal Democrat Jewish American and Fellow Chicagoan. Axelrod is a close advisor to former President Barack Obama and Obama's former Chief of Staff. The meeting reportedly discusses a possible future meeting between Obama and the Pope and the session extends longer than planned as the Pope keeps Italian Olympians waiting.
• April 12, 2026: In an unprecedented move, a group of three US Cardinals goes on the CBS TV program "60 Minutes" to further lambast Trump, calling the Iran war "a war of choice" and "not a just war". They also again voice opposition to the deportation of illegal immigrants referring to a "crackdowns on immigration."

Mind you, this is not a complete list of every criticism, every jab and every salvo that this Pope and his Cardinals have leveled at the US and the Trump Administration. 

The drumbeat has been quite steady, right from the start. And the Pope's pronouncements have been so intense and so sweeping that, we note again that at one point, he incredibly declared that "Jesus does not listen to prayers of those who wage war."

After remaining largely silent on the ongoing criticism from the Pope, the Cardinals and the Bishops, yesterday, President Trump responded and, to no one's surprise, he responded forcefully and directly.

Some would even suggest the response was long overdue.

Bottom line: You can't step into the political arena using your platform as Pope, Cardinal or Bishop and then complain (or attempt to shield yourself  under your mitre) when you get political pushback.  Or, as Barack Obama once said: "If you enter the arena, you should expect to get roughed up."

TRUMP: Pope Leo Is WEAK, Hurting Catholic Church

Donald J. Trump

@realDonaldTrump

Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy. He talks about “fear” of the Trump Administration, but doesn’t mention the FEAR that the Catholic Church, and all other Christian Organizations, had during COVID when they were arresting priests, ministers, and everybody else, for holding Church Services, even when going outside, and being ten and even twenty feet apart. I like his brother Louis much better than I like him, because Louis is all MAGA. He gets it, and Leo doesn’t! I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon. I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s terrible that America attacked Venezuela, a Country that was sending massive amounts of Drugs into the United States and, even worse, emptying their prisons, including murderers, drug dealers, and killers, into our Country. And I don’t want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I’m doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do, setting Record Low Numbers in Crime, and creating the Greatest Stock Market in History. Leo should be thankful because, as everyone knows, he was a shocking surprise. He wasn’t on any list to be Pope, and was only put there by the Church because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump. If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican. Unfortunately, Leo’s Weak on Crime, Weak on Nuclear Weapons, does not sit well with me, nor does the fact that he meets with Obama Sympathizers like David Axelrod, a LOSER from the Left, who is one of those who wanted churchgoers and clerics to be arrested. Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician. It’s hurting him very badly and, more importantly, it’s hurting the Catholic Church! President DONALD J. TRUMP

Pope Meets With Obama's Guy As Olympians Wait

CHICAGO DEMOCRAT MACHINE? Pope Leo XIV apparently showed up a half hour late for Italian Olympic and Paralympic officials because he was huddled in a private meeting with David Axelrod, Barack Obama's "chief strategist".

So, is the Vatican getting strategy sessions from the guy who helped ram through abortion-on-demand, forced nuns to fund contraception, and pushed open borders? Whew!

What do you think is really going on here? Note -- above has been verified as follows: According to reports from April 9, 2026, Pope Leo held a private audience with David Axelrod, the former chief strategist for Barack Obama. The meeting took place at the Vatican amid strained U.S. ties, with discussions potentially involving a future meeting between the Pope and Obama.

Sheen To Be Beatified In Septrember!

Wonderful news about this blessed man's cause for sainthood!

The late Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen of New York will be beatified on September 24, 2026, in St. Louis, Missouri, according to the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.

After his heroic virtue was recognized, Fulton Sheen was declared Venerable in 2012 by Pope Benedict XVI. In 2019, Pope Francis then authorized a decree recognizing a miracle through his intercession, clearing the path for his beatification.

The future Blessed Fulton Sheen was known for his dynamic preaching, especially on television and radio. He made Catholic teachings clear and meaningful to millions of Americans in their everyday lives and his TV show was a runaway hit.

Fulton J. Sheen served as the Bishop of Rochester, New York, from 1951 to 1969, and was then appointed the Titular Archbishop of Newport.

Born into an Irish family in El Paso, Illinois, on May 8, 1895, Archbishop Sheen discovered his call to the priesthood at the age of 24 and was ordained a priest in 1919.

He pursued higher studies at the Catholic University of America in Washington (US), the Catholic University of Leuven (Belgium), and the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome.

In 1930, he began participating in the Sunday radio program entitled “The Catholic Hour," which reached an estimated four million listeners at the height of its popularity.

In 1951, he began hosting a weekly television series, “Life is Worth Living," on matters of faith that attracted some 30 million viewers. He was a scholar who made the theology of the Catholic Church come alive for ordinary Americans.

He died in New York at the age of 84, on December 9, 1979.

Upcoming Leo XIV Travel Will Skip America

From EWTN News:

Pope Leo XIV will not travel to the United States in 2026, the director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, said Sunday, denying circulating reports that the pontiff might make an apostolic trip to his native country. A U.S. visit had been anticipated by some American Catholics ahead of the country’s 250th anniversary of independence on July 4, 2026. At the same time, papal travel elsewhere is taking shape. Local church authorities in Africa have said Leo will visit several countries on the continent — with Angola and Equatorial Guinea among the destinations publicly confirmed by local authorities, and Cameroon also widely anticipated as part of the itinerary — with timing broadly described as after Easter. In South America, Peruvian bishops have said the pope will visit the country — where he previously served as a bishop — later this year, with local church leaders pointing to a timeframe in November or early December. A visit to Spain is also expected this summer, with Spanish church authorities indicating stops including Madrid, Barcelona, and the Canary Islands. Find more at http://ewtnnews.com

Thank God! We've Been Waiting To Hear THIS!

Breaking: In his most explicitly pro-life speech to date, Pope Leo demands an end to abortion and surrogacy globally. pic.twitter.com/Zudns4vMjD

— Pope Respecter (@poperespecter1) January 9, 2026

At The Vatican, Bublé Talks About His Faith

I asked Michael Bublé about how his faith at a Vatican press conference today and this was his response: pic.twitter.com/WF80pnhNzf

— Courtney Mares (@catholicourtney) December 5, 2025

We Need More Cardinals Like This Guy . . .

 

A Special Thanksgiving Message From Pope Leo

Watch Video from Catholic Bishop Strickland

Bishop Strickland tries to shed some light on the pope’s apparent ignorance of the severity of the illegal migrant problem in the U.S. Basically, it looks like the pope is not getting the full picture and the USCCB is probably misinforming him.👇🏻

pic.twitter.com/LYrRuBEpxk

— Shane Schaetzel †☧ (@ShaneSchaetzel) November 20, 2025

A Heartfelt Plea To US Catholic Bishops

An Open Letter to the US Conference of Catholic Bishops 

Your Excellencies,

In light of your repeated public condemnations of President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, I feel compelled to speak plainly. And I do so as a lifelong Catholic and a graduate of a unapologetically Catholic university.

Many of your statements suggest that any attempt to enforce the border or uphold immigration law is somehow un-Christian. That is not what the Church teaches, and it is not what basic honesty requires. Failure to distinguish between legal and illegal immigration is inherently dishonest.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church is clear:

• “Political authorities… may make the exercise of the right to immigrate subject to various juridical conditions.” (CCC 2241)

• “The common good requires peace, security, and order.” (CCC 1909)

Those lines don’t come with an asterisk. They affirm that nations—ours included—have both the right and the duty to secure their borders, regulate immigration, ensure the safety of their citizens and preserve their national identity. 

There should be no doubt whatsoever about this. Indeed, Venerable Pope Pius XII declared: "It is quite legitimate for nations to treat their differences as a sacred inheritance and protect them at all costs." Those difference include our unique history, traditions, culture, language and yes -- our borders. The Church has never taught open borders, and she certainly has never held that compassion means ignoring lawlessness or abandoning prudence.

Yet your public commentary often sounds as though any firm border enforcement policy is automatically immoral, while the chaos, exploitation, and violence surrounding the border crisis are treated as secondary concerns. And many Catholics can’t help but notice something else: the hierarchy seems to be far less vocal when American citizens suffer horrific crimes at the hands of individuals who should not have been in this country at all.

• Where were the strong statements when families lost loved ones to drunk drivers who had been deported multiple times?
• Where was the episcopal outcry when young women were assaulted, raped and/or murdered by repeat border crossers?
• Where were the pastoral letters when fentanyl—trafficked across a lawless border—killed tens of thousands in our communities?

This apparent silence is hard to ignore. And it leads many faithful Catholics to wonder whether the suffering of their own families and neighborhoods counts for less in your moral calculus than the political narratives surrounding immigration. Worse yet, it appears to align you with destructive nihilist causes that are at odds with the Church's fundamental moral teachings on issues such as the right to life and the sanctity of the family. 

Surely, you must understand the potential consequences of your actions. The truth is simple: charity does not require naïveté. Compassion does not mean abandoning common sense. And the call to welcome the stranger does not erase the state’s obligation—explicitly affirmed in Catholic teaching—to protect its citizens and maintain lawful order.

Your Excellencies, we need you to present the full teaching of the Church, not only the parts that fit comfortably into contemporary activism or appear to be in harmony with a convenient and sadly, politicized interpretation of social justice.  Immigration enforcement is a matter of prudential judgment, where faithful Catholics—and public officials—may legitimately disagree. Refusing to recognize this misleads the faithful and undermines your own credibility.

I urge you to restore balance, clarity, and fairness to the Church’s public witness on this issue. The stakes—for our nation and our communities—are too high for anything less.

Respectfully yet firmly, 

Daniel A. Cirucci

These Are Words Worth Remembering . . .

 

Catholic Vote To 'Inform Pope Leo' About Odious Pol

Full statement from CatholicVote President Kelsey Reinhardt on Senator Durbin withdrawing from Cardinal Cupich’s award:

"The importance of Senator Durbin declining the award offered by Cardinal Cupich cannot be overstated. "Not only was the public outcry enormous—in just a week, 40,000 people messaged the Cardinal’s office from CatholicVote alone—he came to see what the Cardinal did not: Catholics are the backbone of the pro-life movement and they will stand and witness to life at every turn. "Pope Leo said he did not have all the facts. But one man did: Bishop Paprocki. As Durbin’s shepherd, he has dialogued, discussed and carefully made the decision to prohibit the senator from receiving Holy Communion, something infinitely more valuable than an achievement award. "We respect the judgment of the bishop closest to the facts and look forward to informing Pope Leo about Durbin’s decades-long pro-abortion, pro-transgender stance."