1/4Internationalist3/4Catholic

“The denunciation of injustice implies the rejection of the use of Christianity to legitimize the established order.” ― Gustavo Gutiérrez; Matthew 25:31-46.

[Tommy2 @t0xmmy2]

Something good is happening at this World Cup.

The Scots turned up. The English turned up. The Norwegians turned up. They sang their songs, got stuck in, and the Americans loved them for it. Glasgow and Boston are getting twinned off the back of it.

For 30 years we’ve been told to view the US as some sort of Great Satan — all imperialism and orange-man clichés. Not everyone buys it of course, but enough do.

And then Europeans actually go, and find a place that feels familiar. Makes sense to them. A bit richer, a bit further ahead, but recognisably ours. Settled by Europeans, still deeply European in its bones.

There’s a gathering-of-the-clans feeling to it. Old neighbours discovering they still like the same songs, the same drink, the same daft humour, and genuinely enjoying each other’s company.

None of it’s a surprise, really. It’s just been buried under so much politics that we forgot we were allowed to enjoy it.

Good to be reminded.

[Bear Grylls OBE @BearGrylls]

Fear is a terrible foundation for anything lasting.

It makes us hoard and isolate.

The cooperative instinct is the most practical survival advantage we have.

[1/4Internationalist3/4Catholic @4catholic]

@John_Dabell Heaven on earth!

[1/4Internationalist3/4Catholic @4catholic]

@FreddyLA7 You just got praised on CNN!

[1/4Internationalist3/4Catholic @4catholic]

@andrew_topley @MusicPills10 @JukeBoxNonStop One of my all time faves!

[Tim Walker @ThatTimWalker]

I’m not a Catholic, but wouldn’t it be great if we could get #Ilovethepope trending as he’s plainly a good, decent, principled human being, and, on Musk’s platform, this will annoy a lot of powerful, evil people. Do please repost.

[Pope Leo XIV @Pontifex]

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 https://t.co/bKteFZ3iWE

[dei gratia @DeiGratia64]

“Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.”
- Saint Augustine

[The Aramaic Wire ܣܘܪܝܐ @AramaicWire]

HOW ONE PRIEST SINGLEHANDEDLY RESCUED THE WORLD'S LARGEST COLLECTION OF ARAMAIC MANUSCRIPTS FROM THE ISLAMIC STATE.

In 2007, threatening letters arrived at the Dominican monastery in Mosul.

Each envelope contained a broken cross & a bullet.

Father Najeeb Michaeel's name was on a hit list.

Instead of leaving, his work began. Every morning before dawn, he dressed in civilian clothes and drove his old car to Mosul, moving the monastery's manuscripts 30km away.

Alone, box by box, a multi-month operation.

The collection dated back to the 9th century.

When ISIS ways days away from taking Mosul in August 2014, he did it again. By an act of God, within weeks of ISIS' descent on Mosul, he moved the ancient documents.

Two cars full of manuscripts & 16th-century books. Aramaic manuscripts from the 9th century: Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Yezidi. A millennium of civilization in the Nineveh Plain.

They drove east through the night. At a checkpoint, a young girl pointed at the horizon. When they cleared the last checkpoint, Najeeb said:

"I think the Virgin Mary had a hand to protect us."

When he returned to Mosul after liberation, the monastery had been used as a weapons warehouse.

The library was destroyed. The clock tower, donated by the Empress of France in 1876, the first clock in Iraq, was stripped and stolen.

A gallows stood where the altar once was.

In 2019, the Church made him Archbishop of Mosul. He now oversees 8,000+ digitized manuscripts from 105 collections across Iraq, Turkey, and Iran. He saved our history.

Remember his name & pray for his continued work.

[Father Jim Sichko @JimSichko]

You want the Church to “stay in its lane”?

This is the lane:
the poor.
the hungry.
the migrant.
peace over war.

If that sounds political—
it’s because the Gospel makes people uncomfortable.

#missionaryofmercy

[Pope Leo XIV @Pontifex]

Hundreds of millions of people throughout the world are immersed in extreme poverty. Yet, disproportionate wealth remains in the hands of a few. It is an unjust scenario, in the face of which we cannot fail to question ourselves and commit to change things. There is no lack of resources at the root of disparities, but the need to address solvable problems related to a more equitable distribution of wealth, to be achieved with moral sense and honesty.

[Pope Leo XIV @Pontifex]

God does not bless any conflict. Anyone who is a disciple of Christ, the Prince of Peace, is never on the side of those who once wielded the sword and today drop bombs. Military action will not create space for freedom or times of #Peace, which comes only from the patient promotion of coexistence and dialogue among peoples.

[Pope Leo XIV @Pontifex]

Often, the proclamation of truth is obscured by what we today call “fake news” — lies, insinuations, and unfounded accusations. Yet, in the face of such obstacles, the truth does not remain hidden; rather, it comes forth to meet us, living and radiant, illuminating even the deepest darkness.

[Gerard Baker @gerardtbaker]

You demeaned yourself and stained the holy office you hold by participating in that exercise in blasphemy, looking on approvingly as a grifting con-artist hailed Trump as Christ-like. In Holy Week! I pray you spend the Triduum reflecting on this infamy and how you can atone.

[1/4Internationalist3/4Catholic @4catholic]

@AndrewGrevas @EW Our son is in this mix, but, thankfully, we haven’t had to have this conversation yet, which we dread. My sympathies and prayers are with you and your son.

[1/4Internationalist3/4Catholic @4catholic]

@000000O96 @AndrewGrevas @EW You might want to shut the fuck up and sit down. We raised our son to protect the weak and innocent, to serve something larger than himself. When he was 18, that translated into military service to protect this country. It was a surprise, but there was no talking him out of it.

[1/4Internationalist3/4Catholic @4catholic]

@megkeanewrites I love that he and Auden corresponded!

[Archbishop Edward J. Weisenburger @DetArchbishop]

A recent post on Truth Social under President Donald Trump’s name used a racist meme to depict former President Obama and his wife, Michelle. It is very disturbing that anyone, much less the President of the United States or his staff members, should see racist memes as humorous or appropriate expressions of political discourse. They are deeply offensive and must be condemned in the strongest terms.

I join my voice to the many calling for a public apology with full acceptance of responsibility, and I also bristle at claims from the White House that the rage many of us feel is “fake.” Beyond the necessary apology, I also believe that we all must examine our conscience, individually and collectively. We need to recognize and acknowledge how prevalent racism continues to be in our society and commit ourselves to vigilance in counteracting its harm.

As Catholics, we believe that every person is made in the image and likeness of God. This sacred truth compels us to treat every human being with dignity, respect, and love. We must recommit ourselves to vigilance in counteracting the wounds caused by the evil of racism as truly we are called to be one human family.

[Pope Leo XIV @Pontifex]

It is a tragedy that the children and youth of our world, the ones Jesus wanted to come to Him, are so often deprived of care and access to the basic necessities of life. One must question whether global commitments for sustainable development have been cast aside when we see that so many children still live in extreme poverty, suffer abuse and are forcibly displaced, not to mention that they lack proper education and are isolated or separated from their families.

[1/4Internationalist3/4Catholic @4catholic]

@ChrisKindaReads @stjohnscollege If I could do it all over again, I'd apply to St. John's. Enjoy!