Beyond Trends: Why Catholic Beauty is Captivating a New Generation
Catholic aesthetics have captivated both believers and nonbelievers worldwide, sparking a renewed admiration for the good, the true, and the beautiful.
Read more at National Catholic Register
Ukrainian Greek Catholic leader invites Pope Leo XIV to visit Ukraine
During one of the first private audiences of his pontificate, the newly elected Pope Leo XIV received His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. The meeting took place on May 15 in the library of the Apostolic Palace. The Holy Father expressed his closeness to the Ukrainian people and assured them of his support. His Beatitude Sviatoslav invited the Pope to visit Ukraine.
Read more at Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church website
US bishops issue report card on President Trump’s immigration actions
Read at USCCB website
Opinion: Popes Pontificating on Immigration
Leo XIV should show understanding of America’s situation before he moralizes as Francis did on American immigration policy.
Read more at The Stream
Vatican releases official photo of Pope Leo XIV
See at Vatican News on X
Inside Pope Leo XIV’s Life in Peru: Photos & Videos Go Viral of New Pontiff as a Bishop
Photos and videos shared on social media have sparked the admiration and affection of thousands of faithful, revealing a little-known period of Pope Leo XIV’s life as a missionary in Peru.
See videos and photos at CHURCHPOP
Pope Leo XIV laments that today’s youth have to deal with ‘relativism’ and ‘superficiality’
Pope Leo XIV on Thursday lamented that today’s youth must deal with “relativism,” “emotional instability,” and “superficiality,” although he called for transforming these challenges of the contemporary age into “springboards.”
Read more at Catholic News Agency
All the saints and Church Fathers Pope Leo XIV quoted in his first week
In the first week of Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate, his preaching and speeches have featured quotations from saints and Church Fathers from St. Ignatius of Antioch to St. Gregory the Great.
The Catholic Church’s first pope from the Augustinian order is already helping to educate the faithful through his deep knowledge of the Church Fathers. Here is who he has been citing in the foundation-setting first week of his pontificate.
Read more at Catholic News Agency
An American Pope at an American Moment
The election of Leo XIV comes at a significant moment in the life of the Church in the United States. Though Leo spent much of the past four decades outside the United States – primarily in Peru, but also in Rome – it would be hard to overstate the opportunity (and challenge) that comes with having a pope who is a native son of these United States.
Read more at The Catholic Thing
‘Christ on Water’ painting to be displayed again at U.S. Merchant Marine Academy
A historic painting that formerly was displayed at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, N.Y., will be on display once again.
“We are moving Jesus out of the basement,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced in a news release and video on Thursday.
Read more at UPI; read more about painting at US Merchant Marine Academy website
Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone designated to serve on advisory board of Presidential Religious Liberty Commission
On May 15, President Donald J. Trump designated the Most Rev. Salvatore J. Cordileone, Archbishop of San Francisco, to serve on an advisory board of the Religious Liberty Commission.
Read more at Archdiocese of San Francisco website
“86 47” – Former FBI Director Comey Posts-Then-Deletes Creepy Threat Aimed At Trump
Many are blasting Comey for issuing a not-so-thinly-veiled threat at sitting President Donald Trump, including the President’s son and Congressman Andy Biggs.
Read/view more at Zerohedge
DNI Tulsi Gabbard calls for former FBI Director James Comey to be thrown behind bars over his threat against President Trump in interview with Jesse Waters
WATTERS: “Do you believe Comey should be in jail?”
GABBARD: “I do. I’m very concerned for the president’s life. We’ve already seen assassination attempts. James Comey should be held accountable and put behind bars for this.”
View at Simon Ateba on X
Associate Deputy AG Ed Martin says James Comey is going to prison over Trump assassination threat
Comey’s choices are either lie to the jury or admit he knew what “8647” meant, says Martin. “He knew… He’s got a problem. Perjury traps are next. Going to jail on one or the other.”
Watch video @bennyjohnson
FBI Leaving DC Hoover Building – ‘Out of politics, back to fighting crime’
FBI Director Kash Patel shared plans to move 1,500 agents and abandon iconic building FBI building in Washington.
See clip at FoxBusiness
The Plight of the Afrikaners Is a Clarifying Moment for Western Civilization. This is a tragedy.
This week, President Donald Trump generated a significant amount of attention by focusing on something the world has abjectly refused to focus on for the past 30 years or so. Namely, that South Africa has devolved into a hellish failed state run by gangsters, and the primary victims of this devolution are the descendants of the people who established civilization there.
Read more at The American Spectator
Democrats reintroduce federal resolution for reparations
A coalition of Democratic lawmakers and advocates on Thursday reintroduced a resolution to offer reparations to descendants of enslaved Africans and people of African descent.
Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pa.) led the reintroduction of the Reparations Now resolution, which was first introduced in 2023 by former Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.).
Read more at The Hill
Rep. LaMonica McIver set to be charged over Newark Delaney Hall incident
The Justice Department plans to bring charges against Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-Newark) following a scuffle with federal immigration agents last week at Newark’s Delaney Hall detention center, three sources speaking on the condition of anonymity confirmed to the New Jersey Globe. Alina Habba could announce charges against Newark Democrat as early as today.
Read more at The New Jersey Globe
A Measure to Defund Planned Parenthood Will Stay in the Reconciliation Bill
Republicans on a key House panel shot down a measure that would have taken language to “defund” Planned Parenthood out of the reconciliation bill … During the marathon markup in the Energy and Commerce Committee, Democrats introduced amendments designed to get Republicans to take uncomfortable votes for attack ads down the road.
Read more at Notus
WATCH: President Trump departs Doha, Qatar, on his way to the United Arab Emirates – 5/15/25
Watch at Rightside Broadcasting
Burj Khalifa in Dubai was lit with the American flag
The world’s tallest building was illuminated in red, white and blue to mark the US president’s visit to the country. Social media erupted over the gesture, with accounts welcoming the “respect” being shown by the UAE. The honouring comes as President Trump continues his final stretch of his Middle East tour. President Trump invited the United Arab Emirates President, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to the White House during a bilateral meeting.
Watch at Sky News Australia
United Arab Emirates bestows country’s highest award on Trump
UAE President honored US President Trump in recognition of efforts to strengthen bilateral ties between US and UAE.
Watch at The Economic Times
Donald Trump wrapped up his high profile visit to the Gulf
President Trump is wrapping up his three-day trip to the Middle East today, marking trillions of dollars in deals for the United States. Joe Concha weighed into our live breaking news coverage of Trump’s departure from the UAE.
See more @FoxFriendsFirst
HHS to Stop Advising COVID Shots for Kids, Pregnant Women
The Health and Human Services department is planning to stop recommending that pregnant women, teens and children get a routine COVID-19 vaccination, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. A formal announcement is expected in the coming days, according to the report.
Read more at Newsmax
Rand Paul Promises Accountability in COVID Origins Probe, Warns Fauci ‘There Will Be Hell to Pay’
Sen. Rand Paul has issued a fiery warning to Dr. Anthony Fauci, declaring “there will be hell to pay” as new evidence emerges about U.S. funding tied to the Wuhan lab at the heart of COVID-19’s origins.
Speaking with conservative radio host Glenn Beck this week, Paul made clear his determination to hold accountable high-ranking officials involved in funding decisions, including Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).
Read more at RTM
Map: The U.S. states where the number of Catholics is growing
Pope Leo XIV’s home state of Illinois has seen one of the largest declines in Catholic worshippers. Meanwhile, the opposite story played out across the South and West, where the Catholic population grew by 6 million.
Read more at NBC News
How to become a Catholic? Google reports increase in searches after Pope Francis’ death
In a digital world where curiosity is often measured in clicks and search bars, something extraordinary unfolded in the days surrounding Easter this year. Global online searches for “how to become Catholic” surged by a staggering 373% between April 20 and April 26, marking what observers call a spiritual phenomenon sparked by the final public moments—and sudden death—of Pope Francis.
Read more at Zenith
USAID: Hungary Claims U.S. and EU Gave over $63 Million to Anti-Orbán Media in Bid to Topple Government
The head of Budapest’s Office for the Protection of Sovereignty claimed that tens of millions of dollars from the United States and the European Union have funded left-leaning media institutions over the past three years, with the intent of overthrowing the conservative government of Viktor Orbán in Hungary.
Read more at Breitbart
Marxist world leaders in Poland ahead of country’s Sunday election
The globalists started the Impact’25 conference (Mini-Davos) in Poznań, Poland on May 14 — a few days before the Polish presidential election… so this is probably not a coincidence. Barack Obama, John Kerry, Francis Fukuyama, Valerie Jarrett and Anne Applebaum are among the many speakers. Obama hasn’t been to Poland since 2016!
The Art of the Peace Deal
A dove is born—and his name is Donald Trump. In recent weeks, the president has brokered peace between longtime combatants and reduced tensions between the United States and its adversaries, from sub-Saharan Africa to the Hindu Kush. The list of diplomatic wins keeps growing: Congo, Yemen, Kashmir, and now Gaza.
Read more at The Free Press (subscription needed for full article)
“Let’s sing with the Pope”: New Initiative from the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music
“Let’s sing with the Pope” is a new initiative from the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music (PIMS), which is launching a series of short educational video tutorials on social media to help the People of God sing along with the Holy Father during the upcoming major liturgical celebrations.
It aims to make the rich heritage of Gregorian chant accessible to all — a universal musical and spiritual language for celebrations such as papal Masses and to promote active and conscious participation in the liturgy.
Read more at rorate-caeli.blogspot; video for learning basic chant on YouTube
Tomorrow, May 17, marks the 100th anniversary of the canonization of St. Thérèse of Lisieux
The path to Thérèse’s canonization began remarkably soon after her death, a reflection of the widespread devotion her writings inspired. By 1914, just 17 years after her passing, the Church formally opened her cause for canonization
Learn more at Fr. V’s blog on X
