Backstays 🦅

God Bless The United States of America!

💢 BREAKING | Israel is continuing to bomb Lebanon despite the ceasefire agreed to at 5PM.

One from the vault.

Trump said today: "The Pope made a statement. He says, Iran can have a nuclear weapon." Never happened, as @KaitlanCollins told Trump. In reality, the Pope has unequivocally denounced nuclear weapons and called for the whole world to relinquish them: cnn.com/2026/04/16/pol…

Does “never again” apply to “killing an entire civilizations, never to be seen again?” I’m just curious how this works.

@MKnowlesShow Trump attacked Pope and Catholics! What are you talking about?

Democrats Try To Drive A Wedge Between Trump & Catholics TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - Opening 2:45 - "Leaks": Pentagon Ramping Up For Military Operation In Cuba 8:15 - Pope Doesn't Condemn Islamic Terrorism! 15:44 - Trump Posts New Jesus Picture 23:59 - Clavicular ODs 34:42 - Leavitt Announces Triumphal Arch 45:32 - JD Sermon Against Blackpilling

@cturnbull1968 👇👇

“The Pope should stay out of American politics.” - MAGA

MAGA would rather fund genocide than feed poor people.

Dozens of Palestinian children have been unable to go to school in the Israeli-occupied West Bank this week because of a barbed-wire fence villagers say was put up by Jewish settlers across the path they normally use reut.rs/42ebfua

I'm a practicing Catholic. And I need to say something that's going to make a lot of people uncomfortable. Nigeria. The Sahel. India. Syria. Bangladesh. Pakistan. Hundreds of Christians have been murdered this year alone. Churches burned to the ground. Pastors kidnapped and killed. Communities that have practiced their faith for centuries are being wiped out. Pope Leo XIV has said almost nothing. No named condemnations. No emergency visits. No breaking of protocol. Just quiet platitudes about dialogue and peace — directed at nobody in particular. But the week Trump escalated the Iran war? Leo flew across continents, gave media interviews, posted viral messages, and had three American Cardinals appear on 60 Minutes in what felt like a coordinated response. Bishop Strickland was removed for defending Church doctrine. Bishop Fernández in Puerto Rico was removed for defending religious exemptions that the Catechism itself supports. During COVID, governments padlocked churches across the world — the Vatican said nothing publicly. Joe Biden received communion for four years while publicly funding abortion policy — the Vatican said nothing. But Trump calls Leo "weak" — and suddenly the institutional Church finds its voice. I'm not defending Trump's tone. Trump talks like Trump. Water is wet. I'm asking why my Church saves its loudest moments for American politics — and its quietest moments for the people actually dying for the faith. That question deserves an honest answer. Do you think the Pope should speak louder about Christian persecution worldwide? YES or NO? 👇

Trump 'almost the SECOND COMING' of Christ, 'in my humble opinion' — Rep. Nehls

Dear friends: I don’t know any Catholic in the United States, from the most traditional to the most progressive, who does not have strong feelings about the comments from President Trump and Vice President Vance about Pope Leo XIV. These include not only President Trump’s initial disrespectful Truth Social post about the Holy Father, but also Vice President Vance’s similarly disrespectful comments about Pope Leo having to be “careful” when he speaks about theology. Let me share some of my own feelings. First of all, it is shocking that a President and Vice President would treat such a good, holy and learned man with such disdain. Imagine telling a man with the Holy Father’s learning and experience (and authority) that he doesn’t understand theology sufficiently. What’s more, imagine attacking him as, ridiculously, “weak on crime” or somehow not understanding foreign policy. Second, I’m edified by Pope Leo’s charitable and courageous response to all this. Charitable because he has not responded in any way other than with charity and respect. As some of you may know, I know the Holy Father slightly, thanks to our being seated together at the Synod for two weeks, and know him to be a kind, reserved, discerning and highly intelligent person. In a word, holy. But courageous too: as we have seen during his time in Algeria and Cameroon, Pope Leo has not shied away from continuing to preach the Gospel, and speaking out in favor of peace (and yes, he understands St. Augustine’s concept of the “just war”) and against, as he said today, tyrants and those who would use God’s name to support violence of bloodshed. So, where will this all end? It’s hard to say. But I would imagine that now that the taboo has been broken, politicians will continue to denigrate him and thus try to persuade people, without saying it explicitly, to think that the Pope’s words do not need to be listened to. But this will be in vain for two reasons. First, Pope Leo is clearly fearless. A few hours after he was elected as pope, I spoke with a fellow Augustinian priest who had known “Bob” for decades. “He’s a great listener, very kind and much loved.” Then he paused. “But he’s no pushover.” But the main reason that the Pope’s words will be heard is less about Robert Prevost’s own many virtues but something else: the Vicar of Christ will be heard because he is preaching the Gospel. As Jesus told his disciples, “Heaven and earth may pass away, but my words will never pass away.” So, in these strange times, fear not.

Our Pope, Holy Father 🥰

TIME Magazine’s 2026 list of the 100 Most Influential People includes Pope Leo XIV

@factpostnews @michaeljknowles This is all because of you all who worship Trump and never criticize him because you fear of him!

GOP congressman Troy Nehls says Trump is "almost the second coming" of Christ

@MKnowlesShow @michaeljknowles @michaeljknowles You are becoming anti-Catholic day by day! It’s like a swamp, the more you dig, the more deep you go!!

"This is an anti-Catholic — and coincidentally anti-Trump — op to try to split the Catholics from the president, and the president from the Catholics." @michaeljknowles breaks down the Left's efforts to pit President Trump and Pope Leo XIV against one another:

@MKnowlesShow @michaeljknowles Pro-Trump is anti-Catholic, and pro-Catholic is anti-Trump! You can’t criticize Pope’s messages of morality & still call yourself pro-Catholic. Stop with this nonsense! Have some balls and criticize Trump for his attacks. That way, he improves. “Yes, Sir” is not going to help!

“Blessed are the peacemakers,” Pope Leo said, adding: “The world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants, yet it is held together by a multitude of supportive brothers and sisters.” Strong. Beautiful. Clear. Just words calmly delivered. Rises above the noise. nytimes.com/2026/04/16/wor…

Opposing weapons sales to Israel is the new Democratic norm haaretz.com/us-news/2026-0…

Q: Why aren't people feeling better about the economy? Trump's Treasury Secretary: Well, in their heart of hearts they feel good

Pray for the Pope and for peace