CatholicPushback

The first and only theologically compelling explanation of Benedict's resignation. We are in the midst of the Passion in which the Church must be delivered into the hands of sinful men. No point saying 'never Lord'; it's already happening. twitter.com/MarcoTosatti/s…

When in Rome on the Feast of Saint Joseph… you have a chance to see relics of Saint Joseph (his cloak) and Mary (her veil). On display just twice a year. Today at San Giuseppe in Trionfale and May 1st, the Feast of Saint Joseph the Worker, at Sant’Anastasia.

The man who never spoke a word is called the Terror of Demons. In the entire Bible, St. Joseph never speaks a single word. He is silent but he acts. He wakes up at midnight to flee to Egypt. He protects the Virgin. He raises the Son of God. His title in the litany is Terror Daemonum (Terror of Demons). Why? Because Satan fears silence. Satan fears the man who does his duty without complaining, without bragging, and without hesitation. St. Joseph is the model of the interior life. This makes him the perfect spiritual weapon in quiet spiritual combat. In the age of fatherlessness & impurity we need the spirit of St Joseph more than ever. Our modern world is plagued by weak men, broken homes & the collapse of fatherhood. St. Joseph is the antidote to the age. St Joseph, Terror of Demons, pray for us!

Vatican Appeals Court Declares Mistrial in ‘Trial of the Century’ against Cardinal Becciu The Vatican appeals court ruled that Pope Francis and Vatican prosecutors both made procedural errors that nullified the original indictment. MORE HERE: cardinalnews.substack.com/p/vatican-appe…

Italian Mariologist Reflects on St. Joseph’s “Affinity” with the Holy Spirit—A guest article by Fr. Serafino Lanzetta for the Solemnity of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Patron of the Universal Church: dianemontagna.substack.com/p/italian-mari… Blessed Solemnity of St. Joseph!

Pope Leo XIV Calls Worldwide Meeting of Bishops to Chart Future of Family Ministry: dianemontagna.substack.com/p/pope-leo-xiv… The October 2026 meeting, the Pope said, will serve as a forum to evaluate current pastoral practices across local Churches and to discern next steps in light of Amoris Laetitia. Yet the gathering could also reignite sharp debates over some of his predecessor’s most controversial documents—including AL and Fiducia Supplicans—as presidents of episcopal conferences from regions such as Africa and Germany confront deeply divided views.

It’s not “morally complex” at all. Killing a baby at any stage of life is evil. No matter if it finds itself in or outside of the womb. However, legalizing at-home murder till the 39th week is the most abhorrent normalization of evil I’ve ever seen.

The UK House of Lords has just legalised abortion up to birth. Women can now end the life of their unborn baby at any stage, for any reason, without legal consequences. A truly dark day for Britain.

Over 1,000 healthcare professionals have signed a petition against the legalisation of abortion up to birth, which could happen tonight. I am proud to be just one of them. Late-stage abortion is murder. Everyone knows it. It should be illegal.

It's heartening to see this plea from orthodox bishops opposing abortion up to birth which is being debated today in the House of Lords today. Join us outside Parliament 2-4pm as we pray and petition against this.

What St. Padre Pio Actually Saw When He Looked Into Heaven?🇻🇦🕊️ Did you know that we actually possess exact, verified records of St. Padre Pio visions & reflections on Heaven! Because he was bound by the vow of obedience, his spiritual directors (Father Agostino and Father Benedetto) ordered him to write down all of his mystical experiences. Through his preserved letters in his Epistolary, we can read exactly how he described Paradise in his very own words. ✨ The Nightly Lifting of the Veil Padre Pio frequently experienced visions of Heaven right as he was falling asleep. In a profoundly beautiful letter written to Father Agostino in October 1912, he described how the barrier between Earth & Heaven would literally vanish: "At night, when I close my eyes, the veil is removed & Paradise opens in front of me; & gladdened by this vision I sleep with a smile of sweet beatitude on my lips, & in a perfect calm I wait for the little companion of my infancy [his guardian angel] to wake me up." 🧠 It Cannot Be Understood by the Human Mind Whenever spiritual children & fellow friars pressed him for specific visual details about the geography of Heaven, Padre Pio insisted that the human brain simply lacks the capacity to process it. He taught that earthly wonders are only the faintest shadows of heavenly reality. He said: "Heaven is total joy, continuous joy. We will be constantly thanking God. It is useless to try to figure out exactly what Heaven is like, because we can't understand it. But when the veil of this life is taken off, we will understand things in a different way." 🌸 The Seasons of Heaven Even though he said human words fail to describe the visual reality of Heaven, he once offered a stunning metaphor to explain its perfection. He compared it to an eternal cycle of the absolute best earthly seasons: "In Heaven, everything will be spring as far as beauty is concerned, autumn as far as enjoyment is concerned, summer as far as love is concerned. There will be no winter; but here on earth winter is necessary to exercise self denial & a thousand other little but beautiful virtues." ☀️ A Realm of Blinding, Growing Light Rather than physical mansions or landscapes, Padre Pio described Heaven primarily as an encounter with uncreated light. For him, Heaven looked like the overwhelming radiance of God, which he perceived even while still living on Earth: "As the days pass, I see ever more clearly the greatness of God, and in this light, which grows brighter and brighter, my soul burns with the desire to be united to Him by indissoluble bonds." 🕊️ Visions of Souls Entering Paradise Padre Pio did not just see the environment of Heaven. He frequently saw the specific souls who resided there. He had an intimate knowledge of the afterlife & often comforted grieving families by confirming their loved ones had reached Paradise. For example, on October 9, 1958, the very day Pope Pius XII died, Padre Pio told a fellow friar with absolute certainty: "Pius XII is in heaven. I saw him during Mass." He also frequently saw the souls of the dead. He once told a friar that more souls of the dead from Purgatory than of the living climb his mountain to attend his Masses and seek his prayers. He noted that he often spoke to souls who stopped to thank him for his prayers on their direct way up to Paradise! ⚔️ Earth is a Battlefield, Heaven is the Homeland Because Padre Pio was allowed to see the staggering beauty of Paradise, he viewed Earth strictly as a temporary testing ground. He constantly reminded his spiritual children to keep their eyes fixed upward: "Let us always keep before our eyes the fact that here on earth we are on a battlefield & that in paradise we shall receive the crown of victory...we are now in a land of exile while our true homeland is Heaven to which we must continually aspire."

🏆🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿BREAKING: VICTORY IN SCOTLAND! In a triumph for hope over despair, life over death & support over suicide, the Scottish Parliament has voted AGAINST assisted suicide. MSPs have settled the issue for a generation & dealt a mortal blow to assisted suicide in Westminster.🧵1/

The Catholic bishops of Scotland are urging politicians to reject the proposed Assisted Suicide Bill, warning that it poses serious risks to vulnerable people. Ahead of tomorrow’s vote in the Scottish Parliament, the bishops have called for legislation that protects life and strengthens compassionate care for those who are seriously ill. Read more below. ewtnnews.com/world/europe/s… The more we know, the more we say no.

His mother died when he was 8, his only brother died when he was 12, his father died when he was 20. He was alone in the world and could have become bitter. Instead more people learned about the love of Christ from St. John Paul the Great than any other person in the 20th century. St. John Paul the Great, pray for us!

Pray the powerful Lorica of St. Patrick (The Breastplate Prayer): I arise today Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, Through a belief in the Threeness, Through confession of the Oneness Of the Creator of creation. I arise today Through the strength of Christ's birth and His baptism, Through the strength of His crucifixion and His burial, Through the strength of His resurrection and His ascension, Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom. I arise today Through the strength of the love of cherubim, In obedience of angels, In service of archangels, In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward, In the prayers of patriarchs, In preachings of the apostles, In faiths of confessors, In innocence of virgins, In deeds of righteous men. I arise today Through the strength of heaven; Light of the sun, Splendor of fire, Speed of lightning, Swiftness of the wind, Depth of the sea, Stability of the earth, Firmness of the rock. I arise today Through God's strength to pilot me; God's might to uphold me, God's wisdom to guide me, God's eye to look before me, God's ear to hear me, God's word to speak for me, God's hand to guard me, God's way to lie before me, God's shield to protect me, God's hosts to save me From snares of the devil, From temptations of vices, From every one who desires me ill, Afar and anear, Alone or in a mulitude. I summon today all these powers between me and evil, Against every cruel merciless power that opposes my body and soul, Against incantations of false prophets, Against black laws of pagandom, Against false laws of heretics, Against craft of idolatry, Against spells of women and smiths and wizards, Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul. Christ shield me today Against poison, against burning, Against drowning, against wounding, So that reward may come to me in abundance. Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me, Christ in the eye that sees me, Christ in the ear that hears me. I arise today Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, Through a belief in the Threeness, Through a confession of the Oneness Of the Creator of creation St. Patrick (ca. 377)

Let's have an honest look at abortion discrimination . . .

Tomorrow, the Scottish Parliament will vote on assisted suicide, legalising (or even forcing) doctors to help their patients kill themselves. Wednesday, the UK House of Lords will vote on abortion up to birth. This week the UK has a choice: life or death. Choose life.

Stay away from the secular 'Paddy's Day' drunk fest. Honour Saint Patrick by going to Mass and keeping the day Holy ☘️

A glance of love cast towards Jesus and the knowledge of our profound misery makes reparation for everything. - St. Therese of Lisieux

Young French Catholics are restoring damaged crosses & crucifixes throughout all of France! Young French Catholic volunteers, gathered in the SOS Calvaires association, are restoring damaged crosses and crucifixes throughout France. The movement has recently gained momentum with young volunteers refurbishing wooden crosses, often vandalized or deteriorated by time.

"If discouragement overwhelms you, think of the faith of Joseph; if anxiety has its grip on you, think of the hope of Joseph; if exasperation or hatred seizes you, think of the love of Joseph, who was the first man to set eyes on the human face of God in the person of the Infant conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary. Let us praise and thank Christ for having drawn so close to us, and for giving Joseph as an example and model of love." Pope Benedict XVI