Robbin M. Dagle

Heto na. Muling binubuksan ang sarili sa ibayong karanasan ng pag-ibig—ang magmahal at mahaling muli.

On the first anniversary of the birth into heaven of our dear #PopeFrancis, his words and actions remain written in our hearts. We carry on his legacy by always proclaiming the joy of the Gospel, announcing God’s mercy, and promoting fraternity among all men and women.

The Catholic University can form pioneers of a new humanism in the context of the digital revolution. This is a service to the truth and to all humanity. Without this demanding educational effort, passive adaptation to dominant paradigms will be mistaken for competence, and the loss of freedom for progress. #ApostolicJourney #Cameroon

This is the loudest and most passionate I have heard Pope Leo speak. In his speech in English at the Cameroon peace meeting, he raised his voice to say: “God has never abandoned us!”

Woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic, and political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth. #ApostolicJourney #Cameroon vatican.va/content/leo-xi…

Yes, he really said that. Yesterday Vice President JD Vance criticized Pope Leo XIV for not knowing enough theology: "I think it's very, very important for the pope to be careful when he talks about matters of theology ... If you’re going to opine on matters of theology, you’ve got to be careful, you’ve got to make sure it’s anchored in the truth," he said, at a Turning Point conference. One of the many, many, ironies about that statement is that it came in response to Pope Leo's comments about war and peace and, specifically, the concept of "just war," which originated with St. Augustine. As many have already noted, when the Vice President was making his comments, Pope Leo XIV, a member of the Augustinian Order, and twice Prior General of the Augustinians before his election as Pope, was visiting the hometown of St. Augustine, then called "Hippo," now in Annaba, a town in modern-day Algeria. For good measure, Pope Leo XIV, the man critiqued for insufficient theological education, earned not only a master's degree in divinity, but also licentiate and a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. JD Vance's recent conversion to Catholicism is beside the point, because many converts are of course not only highly intelligent (and learned in theology) but faithful and energetic Catholics. We rejoice over everyone entering the church. What most of us do not rejoice over, however, is a deadly combination of inaccuracy and hubris. Pace, Vice President Vance, but the current war in Iran is not a just war under Catholic doctrine. You can hear that from church leaders from across the theological spectrum, from Archbishop Timothy Broglio, the head of the military vicariate and former head of the @USCCB, to Cardinal Robert McElroy, Archbishop of Washington who holds doctorates in both theology and political science. You can look all that up online. Suffice to say, the Vice President doesn't seem to understand the tenets of just war. Nor does he seem to understand the fundamental position of the church, which is for peace. "War is always a defeat for humanity," as St. John Paul II said. If that authority isn't enough, then turn to Jesus who said, "Blessed are the peacemakers," not "Blessed are the warmongers." And after the Resurrection, the Risen Christ says to the frightened disciples not "Vengeance is mine" but "Peace be with you." Incidentally, the day before, the Vice President said that the Pope (and the Vatican) should stick to teaching about morality, also seeming to forget that war and peace are profoundly moral issues. For his part, Pope Leo was focused yesterday on his spiritual father, St. Augustine. After what seemed like an emotional visit to Hippo, he celebrated Mass at the Basilica of St. Augustine in Annaba. During his homily he said, "The primary task of pastors as ministers of the Gospel is therefore to bear witness to God before the world with one heart and one soul, not permitting our concerns to lead us astray through fear, nor trends to undermine us through compromise." Amen. Let's all continue to pray for the Holy Father as he works for peace. (Image: Pope Leo XIV prays at the archeological ruins of Hippo, home of St. Augustine, in current-day Algeria. CNS photo).

This👇is quite extraordinary, showing how much Trump is uniting Europeans on all sides 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒕 him Elly Schlein, Leader of Italy's largest opposition party, (herself 50/50🇮🇹🇺🇸) furiously condemns Trump's attacks on her opponent Meloni. The whole Chamber stands up to applaud the whole time. My English s/t👇 "Italy is a free and sovereign country. Our Constitution is clear - Italy repudiates war. No foreign Head of State has the right to attack, threaten or disrespect our country or government. We are opponents in this Chamber, but we are all Italian citizens and Italian MPs. We are asking for unanimous condemnation of these attacks and threats"

my roommate is so unserious

This is a victory for the LGBTQ+ community and for our entire city. It’s a reminder that New Yorkers won’t let our history be rewritten. Our administration will keep working to ensure LGBTQ+ New Yorkers can live safely and with dignity in our city.

The US president is praising Allah and Iran is defending the Pope, welcome to 2026

I doubt Pope Leo XIV will lose any sleep over this, before he begins his pilgrimage to Africa tomorrow. But the rest of us should. Because it is unhinged, uncharitable and unchristian. Is there no bottom to this moral squalor?

NEW: Archbishop Paul Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, responds to Trump’s post attacking Pope Leo. Says he is “disheartened” and argues that Leo is “not a rival” but rather “the Vicar of Christ who speaks from the truth of the Gospel."

BREAKING: President Donald Trump attacked Pope Leo XIV on social media, saying the pope should “stop catering to the Radical Left," extending the feud over the Iran war with the first American pontiff. apnews.com/article/trump-…

The Avignon Papacy reference is the detail that demands attention. An American defense official invoked a 14th-century episode in which the French Crown physically relocated the papacy to Avignon and controlled it for 67 years - as an implicit model for what happens to religious institutions that oppose state power. That's not a slip of the tongue. That's a studied historical reference deployed deliberately in a room with the Pope's senior diplomat. The message was not subtle. Leo heard it. He spent Holy Week delivering what papal scholars described as a sustained theological argument about the nature of power and imperial violence. On Palm Sunday he said Jesus rejects the prayers of those who wage war. On Easter Sunday - the same morning Trump posted his expletive-filled threat on Truth Social - Leo told world leaders to lay down weapons. On Tuesday he called the civilization threat "truly unacceptable" and asked citizens directly to contact their elected representatives. The White House's response to the Pope's Tuesday statement: "The Iranian people welcome the sound of bombs because it means their oppressors are losing." The first American pope will spend America's 250th birthday on Lampedusa with migrants. One Vatican official told The Free Press: "The Pope may well never visit the United States under this administration." The Pentagon summoned a cardinal and invoked the Avignon Papacy. The Pope responded by asking 1.4 billion Catholics to call their congressmen.

One of the 13 New Yorkers interviewed by the NYT for Mayor Mamdani's first 100 Days:

The Harlem Globetrotters taught Pope Leo XIV to spin a basketball at today's audience at the Vatican. The team shared a moment of faith, fun, and a little flair with the Holy Father. Great spin on that basketball Pope Leo!

With particular affection, in the light of the risen Lord, we remember today Pope Francis, who, on Easter Monday of last year, returned to the Lord.

Presenting the most detailed map of the Philippine educational attainment ever. 🗺️ It is testament to the deep divides which shapes the Filipino nation. Let us explore it, bawat barangay, buong bayan. 🏛️ More below ⬇️⬇️⬇️

Asians are sensitive to energy prices and are willing to take to the streets over them. What has begun as an energy shock could become a political one: econ.st/4mfBAS0

I love that the first American Pope is the first to mention the 'imperialist occupation of the world'. He spent many years in Peru, amongst the community in Chiclaio. He has see the impact of imperialism on people, and now he speaks up. May his voice become louder and clearer, he has centuries of Church complicity to undo.

Can digital spaces be enabling environments for religiosity among queer faithful? My paper with @summeragonos & Dr. @LoveOrJunel examines the case of a queer-affirming Christian congregation in the 🇵🇭. Out now on New Media & Society. DM for a copy! 🥳 doi.org/10.1177/146144…