Miguel Perry

@catholickelsey Leo cited the president by name in his remarks and urged voters to call their "congressmen." Of course that's going to get pushback from the administration. And it should. Because that isn't simply voicing principles of the faith. It's politicking.

There is no doubt that President Trump’s post insulting Pope Leo crossed, again, a line of decorum that plays an important part in diplomacy and sets the temperature for interactions between the two. Calls for an apology are well founded. But we also need to reasonably evaluate the Vatican-vs.-Trump narrative: too many people are trying to turn a public disagreement into a grand showdown between the two. That is false, and Catholics should reject it. Archbishop Paul Coakley and Pope Leo himself, this morning, made the key point clear: the Pope is not a politician, not a partisan operator, and not a rival to the President of the United States. He is the Vicar of Christ. His role is to speak moral truth, defend human dignity, and call leaders to pursue peace. The President needs to hear that in a way he understands. Of course, some of the Pope’s statements may sound out of step with the tone, assumptions, or priorities of American politics. Fine. That does not mean he is “anti-American.” It does not mean he is attacking the United States. And it certainly does not mean Catholics should be manipulated into choosing between the Church and their country. The Pope also needs to understand that many Americans view his interventions as overtly political and aligned with one side of the political spectrum. Catholics who have been paying attention note that no such condemnation of the loss of life through abortion ever came from Rome to Catholic President Joe Biden during the last pontificate, despite that evil ending millions of lives. Enter Ambassador Brian Burch. As the founder and first president of CatholicVote, and now as U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See, Burch is uniquely positioned to serve as a credible bridge between Washington and Rome. He understands the convictions, language, and concerns on both sides, and that gives him an especially important role at a moment when honest mediation, fair translation, and cooler heads are urgently needed. What American Catholics should oppose is the deliberate effort to manufacture a large-scale confrontation between the Vatican and the United States, between Pope Leo and President Trump, or between fidelity to the Holy Father and love of country. Parts of the media are pushing that narrative. So are identifiable bad actors, including some inside the Church. They want conflict. They feed on confusion. And they benefit from division. Catholics should be smarter than that. There is no reason this disagreement should become a larger rupture. But it will if reckless voices keep treating every papal statement as a partisan attack and every political disagreement as proof of betrayal. Once again, we must delineate between moral principles and the realm of politics. But for now, let’s pray for wisdom for both leaders. And do not let others manufacture a conflict that does not have to exist.

Whenever you see a bizarre trend in academia, it’s worth asking whether its homegrown or funded from outside. I recently wrote about how the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has worked hard to make “trans studies" a legitimate academic field. Here are some of Mellon's grants 🧵

Starting tomorrow at the Vatican, the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences is hosting its 2026 plenary on “The Uses of Power: Legitimacy, Democracy, and the Rewriting of the International Order.” If you read the concept note for the plenary (which I linked below), the guiding premise is that we’re currently experiencing a global crisis involving the weakening of liberal democracy and the postwar “rules-based international order” (including institutions like the United Nations), which, according to them, is no longer stable or sufficient to secure global peace through international cooperation. So the central question of the plenary seems to be: what actually legitimates political power? The concept note explicitly invokes Hegel (because of course it does) and his critique of Kant’s idea that an international federation of states (the same idea behind the formation of the League of Nations and later the UN) was necessary to prevent war and peacefully resolve international disputes based on shared legal principles. Hegel’s critique (articulated in his “Philosophy of Right”) was that international law and a federation of states cannot actually guarantee lasting peace because individual sovereign states retain final authority on whether or not they participate and will ultimately act according to their own interests. So, if we really want lasting peace, an international federation of states can only achieve that if they have a coercive unity binding them and limiting their national sovereignty. They must answer to some ultimate moral authority. And, according to the people participating in this plenary, their solution for everyone is a New World Order driven by a universal moral framework informed by Catholic Social Teaching, which they seem to be suggesting is both necessary and inevitable. The list of speakers and their respective talks is of course not reassuring.

The Old Sacramento one-room schoolhouse with wood-burning stove. It was a replica made for the 1976 U.S. bicentennial. It was demolished in 2025 to make way for a new "Native-American themed play area to honor the region's indigenous heritage."

@Mark_E_Noonan Do, you are saying Leo isn't merely a left-wing hack, he's a coward.

Do keep in mind, guys, that if the Pope - or any senior Church leader - were to forcefully condemn Islam or even a Muslim action it would mean scores of Christians being murdered in retaliation. This does play a role in how things are presented.

@Pontifex Are you one of the priests who diddled little boys? Or one of the priests who covered up the diddling.

Communion between Christians and Muslims takes shape under the mantle of Our Lady of Africa. Here, in #Algeria, the maternal love of Lalla Meryem gathers everyone as children, within our rich diversity, in our shared aspiration for dignity, love, justice, and peace. In a world where division and wars sow pain and death, living in unity and peace is a compelling sign. #ApostolicJourney

@FeserEdward At the same time Leo is attacking the U.S., he is praising Algeria. He's not a man of faith. He's just another anti-American left-wing activist. x.com/peterschweizer…

The present moment is revealing people’s true loyalties. The pope is the spiritual father of all Catholics. In a family, even when you disagree with your father, you rally to his defense when he is attacked by an outsider. And if you don’t, there is something very wrong with you.

@USCCB Keo cited the president by name in his remarks and urged voters to call their "congressmen." Of course that's going to get pushback from the administration. And it should. Because that isn't simply voicing principles of the faith. It's politicking.

“I am disheartened that the President chose to write such disparaging words about the Holy Father. Pope Leo is not his rival; nor is the Pope a politician. He is the Vicar of Christ who speaks from the truth of the Gospel and for the care of souls.” - Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, President, USCCB @ArchbishopOKC

@robertsirico At the same time he's attacking the United States, Leo is praising Algeria. He's not a man of faith. He's just another anti-American leftist. x.com/peterschweizer…

The Holy Father, as Vicar of Christ, has both the right and the duty to speak prophetically on matters of war and peace, the dignity of the human person, and the moral limits of force—even when his words discomfort political leaders. Catholics are not obliged to treat every prudential judgment of the Pope on foreign policy or crime as infallible; the Church herself teaches that such applications of principle admit of legitimate debate (cf. Catechism 2420; Centisimus Annus 43). At the same time, the President of the United States—especially one elected to restore law and order—should model the respect due to the spiritual father of more than a billion Catholics worldwide. Labeling Pope Leo ‘weak’ or ‘terrible’ does not strengthen America’s moral standing; it merely fuels division. Strong national defense, secure borders, and the rule of law are not only compatible with Catholic teaching—they flow from the very principles of justice and subsidiarity that the Church has long defended. As an American and a priest, I have insisted that the Church must speak for the vulnerable, including immigrants, even when enforcement policies are necessary. But the Church’s mission is not to micromanage Pentagon strategy or crime bills. Let the Holy Father preach the Gospel of life and peace upholding a horizon toward which all people can be drawn and let the President govern according to the oath he took before God and the Constitution.

“I Took His Eye Out” - A First-Hand Account of the Old Dominion Shooting “He walked in the room and he was like, kind of like nervous. He’s like, ‘Is this ROTC or is this seminar?’ I don’t know who it was, but somebody in the front was like, ‘Yeah, that was ROTC.’ And as soon as that person said, ‘Yeah,’ he drew his gun. Yelled allahu akbar and started shooting my professor.”

Some absolutely INSANE numbers about the Amish. Average woman gives birth to 6 children in their lifetime. ~4% of first births are to unwed mothers. But here's crazier numbers: They convert virtually NO ONE. 154 total in 100 years. Retention: 85%

@mamboitaliano__ Is he one of the ones who diddled little boys? Or is he one of the ones who covered up the diddling of little boys?

Is there anyone else here, besides me, who has always supported President Donald Trump 🇺🇸 but is now seriously struggling because enough is enough? The Pope is the Vicar of Christ on Earth, seated on the throne of Saint Peter And the Throne of Peter is not to be touched ✝️

@BishopBarron In addition to being a raving lefty, Leo is also a Marcionite who reads the Old Testament out of the Bible because of all the bloodshed condoned, and often ordered, by God.

The statements made by President Trump on Truth Social regarding the Pope were entirely inappropriate and disrespectful. They don’t contribute at all to a constructive conversation. It is the Pope’s prerogative to articulate Catholic doctrine and the principles that govern the moral life. In regard to the concrete application of those principles, people of good will can and do disagree. I would warmly recommend that serious Catholics within the Trump administration–Secretary Rubio, Vice President Vance, Ambassador Brian Burch, and others–might meet with Vatican officials so that a real dialogue can take place. This is far preferable to the statements on social media. I am very grateful for the many ways that the Trump administration has reached out to Catholics and other people of faith. It has been a high honor to serve on the Religious Liberty Commission. No President in my lifetime has shown a greater dedication to defending our first liberty. All that said, I think the President owes the Pope an apology.

@facetedcarapace x.com/i/grok/share/7…

Anthony hated how Americans viewed street food abroad and correctly pointed out that street vendors with daily lines of loyal patrons don't stay in business for years by giving everyone in their neighborhood food poisoning.

@SkyVirginSon Apparently, in addition to being a raving lefty, Leo is also a Marcionite who reads the Old Testament out of the Bible because of all the bloodshed condoned, and often ordered, by God.

With all due respect to the Office of the President, this post contains several claims that are factually inaccurate and theologically misguided, and as a Catholic I feel compelled to respond. 1. The Pope was not elected to please any president. Pope Leo XIV was elected by 133 cardinals from across the world in a sacred conclave, on the fourth ballot, on May 8, 2025.  The Holy Spirit guides the conclave, not American politics. To suggest that “if I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican”  is not only historically ignorant but theologically offensive to every Catholic on earth. 2. He was not an unknown outsider. Pope Leo XIV served as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops under Pope Francis, one of the most powerful roles in the Vatican, responsible for selecting bishops for dioceses worldwide.  He was one of the most qualified candidates in the College of Cardinals. 3. He is deeply rooted in service, not politics. An Augustinian missionary who worked for decades in Peru, Pope Leo XIV dedicated his life to the poor and the Gospel long before any political figure noticed him.  His name honors Leo XIII, the Pope who championed workers’ rights and the poor during the Industrial Revolution, a tradition of Catholic Social Teaching that predates any modern political party. 4. The Pope’s role is prophetic, not partisan. When the Pope speaks on peace, nuclear weapons, immigration, or the dignity of nations, he is fulfilling the mission of Christ, not opposing any government. His first words as Pope were “Peace be with you all,”  echoing the Risen Christ (John 20:19). A Pope who is silent on injustice would be failing his divine mandate. 5. Demanding a Pope “get in line” with a president contradicts 2,000 years of Church history. From St. Peter before Nero, to St. Thomas More before Henry VIII, to John Paul II before Soviet communism, the Church has never existed to validate earthly power. “We must obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:29) As Catholics, we pray for all leaders, including President Trump. But we stand firmly with our Holy Father. Habemus Papam. And he answers to God alone.

@Volkstaat10 Bring the people. Leave the dogs.

Dogs stop thousands of Afrikaners from taking advantage of Trump's refugee offer. "We can't and won't leave our dogs behind," many have told us. Afrikaners are just as likely as any other Germanic culture to treat dogs as full family members. Must Trump must offer the beloved family Boerboel a home in America too? What do you think?

@josephnollasj Is he one of the ones who diddled little boys? Or one of the ones who covered up the diddling of little boys?

No. The Pope opposing the Israel/US war against Iran doesn’t mean he wants a nuclear Iran. Remember, this is the same Pope who’s spoken *against* nuclear proliferation. “If he doesn’t support my immoral war, then he must support my enemy” is pure gaslighting.

@westernexile @pureMetatron The Vatican has a Muslim prayer room.

@pureMetatron Your evidence for this slander?

This pope is Islam first, while he should be Christianity first.

@johnamonaco Martin Luther didn't lose. Nor did Henry VIII.

What Trump doesn't realize is, everyone who goes up against the Catholic Church eventually loses. To go against the Church is to go against Christ Himself, for the Church is His Mystical Body. History is filled with kings who tried to destroy it. Yet the Church lives on.

@ValerieAnne1970 He was never medical director at the Cleveland Clinic.

🚨SHOCKING CONFESSION: Former Cleveland Clinic Medical Director Dr. Daniel Neides breaks down in tears, apologizing to ALL his vaccinated patients. "I didn’t provide informed consent…ABSOLUTELY DEPLORABLE on my part and I apologize to my patients."