Artist Maddy

Dedicated to putting good things together. Poet, Artist, and slightly eccentric believer who has an art school in her head. Etsy seller. Maddy Made Lines Shop.

[Christopher Hale @ChristopherHale]

NEW: Pope Leo XIV’s May prayer intention calls for an end to global hunger and a turn from “the logic of selfish consumption” toward “a culture of solidarity.”

“Father of creation, you gave us the fertile earth and with it our daily bread as a sign of your love and providence. Today, we recognize with sorrow that millions of brothers and sisters continue to suffer from hunger while so many goods are wasted at our tables.

“Awaken in us a new awareness that we learn to thank for every food, to consume simply, to share with joy, the fruits of the earth as a gift from you, destined for all, not just a few.

“Good Father, make us capable of transforming the logic of selfish consumption into a culture of solidarity.”

[Christopher Hale @ChristopherHale]

The leader of the free world.

[James Melville 🚜 @JamesMelville]

Incredible starling murmuration gracing the Italian skies over Sassari, Sardinia. 🇮🇹

[Pope Leo XIV @Pontifex]

The care of the weakest is a very important sign of the quality of the social life of a nation. Let us remember that the elderly are in need of assistance, but first and foremost need to be listened to, because they preserve the wisdom of a people. We owe them gratitude, because they have faced great difficulties for the good of the community. #ApostolicJourney #Angola

[Adrian F. Pascal 🇻🇦 @deusimpera]

Pope Leo XIV has been named the most influential leader in the world by Time Magazine.

[Artist Maddy @ArtistMaddy]

'Stop! It is time for peace! Sit at the table of dialogue and mediation, not at the table where rearmament is planned and deadly actions are decided!'—Pope Leo XIV https://t.co/tRhCOmCUkX via @NCRonline

[NASA @NASA]

Moon joy [noun]

the feeling of intense happiness and excitement that only comes from a mission to the Moon

The Artemis II crew bring us endless Moon joy.

[Rev .Vitus @Vitus_osst]

The Catholic Church is Simple, Beautiful, Holy , Mysterious and Spiritual.

Christ is proud of the Catholic Church.

[EWTN News @EWTNews]

VATICAN CITY — Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin warned that the “logic of the strongest” risks prevailing on the international stage and called on Christians to become “voices of peace” who do not leave Pope Leo XIV standing alone in his opposition to war.

In an interview with Dialoghi, a cultural magazine linked to Italian Catholic Action, Parolin said the voice of the pope is “prophetic” but risks becoming “a voice crying in the wilderness if it is not supported and helped concretely.”

His remarks also offer a key to understanding the peace prayer vigil Leo XIV has called for April 11 in St. Peter’s Basilica.

Parolin recalled the 2003 Iraq war, when St. John Paul II pleaded for the conflict to be avoided but “was left alone.” He therefore stressed the need to support the current pontiff’s appeal for a peace that is “unarmed and disarming” and to reject “the false propaganda of rearmament.”

“There is a need for more voices of peace, more voices against the madness of the rush toward rearmament, more voices raised in favor of our poorest brothers and sisters, more voices and more proposals — I am thinking, for example, of the world of Catholic universities — for new economic models inspired by justice and care for the weakest instead of the idolatry of money,” Parolin said.

The cardinal described an alarming international climate in which military action appears to impose itself too easily.

“I am struck by how much determination — I was about to say ease — with which the military option is presented as decisive, almost inevitable,” he said.

According to the Vatican secretary of state, this trend has left diplomacy practically “mute,” unable to activate alternative tools, while awareness of the tragedy of war and the value of shared rules is being lost.

Parolin said the root of the problem is a “multi-polarism inspired by the primacy of power,” in which states place greater trust in force than in international law. That, he said, has produced “double standards,” visible in the differing reactions to attacks on civilians in Ukraine and the destruction in Gaza.

“Many governments,” Parolin said, “have expressed indignation over attacks against Ukrainian civilians by Russian missiles and drones, imposing sanctions on the aggressors.”

“I do not think the same has happened with the tragedy of the destruction of Gaza,” he added.

For the cardinal, this is a case of “double standards” tied to the “primacy of power” — the dominance of one’s own country over others — with international law invoked “only when convenient” and ignored in many other cases.

“It seems there has been a lack of awareness of the value of peace, awareness of the tragic reality of war, awareness of the importance of shared rules and of respecting them,” he said.

Parolin also lamented the weakening of the global diplomatic architecture and said it is “utopian” to think peace can be guaranteed “by weapons and by balances imposed by the strongest rather than by international agreements.”

“We cannot surrender to the logic of the strongest,” the cardinal insisted, because that logic “bends international law to its own interests” and weakens multilateral institutions.

In that context, he also expressed regret that Europe has been unable to speak with one voice. He said it is necessary “to rekindle in peoples the sense of European belonging and, in leadership, the awareness of the need for common actions without ever failing the principles that are at the foundation of the European Union itself.”

Regarding the United Nations, Parolin said the Holy See “continues to believe in its importance,” considering international organizations essential for restraining the logic of the strongest. At the same time, he acknowledged that the use of the veto has limited the U.N.’s ability to act.

“We cannot move from the force of law to the law of force,” he warned.

Parolin also highlighted the role believers can play, including defending life and human dignity, protecting religious freedom, promoting reforms to the economic and financial system in line with the Church’s social doctrine, and caring for creation.

Finally, the cardinal addressed the cultural impact of new technologies, saying hyper-connectivity and the spread of fake news help fuel fear and build new walls.

“As Christians, we must oppose this drift with our daily lives,” he concluded.

https://t.co/tMa70mscCt

[Must Be Catholic @Mustbecatholic]

“The ultimate test of your greatness is the way you treat every human being.”

— St. John Paul II

[Culture Explorer @CultureExploreX]

On the birthday of Antonio Vivaldi, here is The Storm from The Four Seasons performed by The Divertissement Chamber Orchestra.

Violin: Ilya Ioff
Director: Lesya Melnik
Camera: A. Polagaev
Sound: A. Barashkin

[Occupy Democrats @OccupyDemocrats]

BREAKING: UAE billionaire Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor unleashes a BLISTERING viral attack on Trump for starting another disastrous Middle East war: "Who gave you the authority to drag our region into a war with Iran?"

This is an absolute must-read...

"And on what basis did you make this dangerous decision?" he continued in his X post. "Did you calculate the collateral damage before pulling the trigger? And did you consider that the first to suffer from this escalation will be the countries of the region itself!"

Middle East Eye describes Al Habtoor as "one of the UAE’s top businessmen." Clearly, he's terrified of this expanding war dragging the entire region into chaos.

"The peoples of this region have the right to ask as well: Was this your decision alone? Or did it come as a result of pressures from #Netanyahu and his government? " he asked.

The answer, of course, is that this conflict serves only Israel's interests. They have long wanted this war with Iran and Marco Rubio admitted that the Trump administration attacked because they thought Israel was going to attack and were afraid of retaliation against American forces.

"You have placed the countries of the #GulfCooperationCouncil and the Arab countries at the heart of a danger they did not choose," Al Habtoor continued. "Thank God, we are strong and capable of defending ourselves, and we have armies and defenses that protect our homelands, but the question remains: Who gave you permission to turn our region into a battlefield?

"For before the ink has dried on the #BoardOfPeace initiative that you announced in the name of peace and stability, we find ourselves facing a military escalation that endangers the entire region. So where did those initiatives go? And what is the fate of the commitments made in the name of peace?"

"Most of the funding proposed in those initiatives came from the countries of the region themselves, and from Arab Gulf countries that contributed billions of dollars on the basis of supporting stability and development. And these countries have the right to ask today: Where did this money go? And are we funding peace initiatives or funding a war that exposes us to danger?" he continued.

"More dangerous than that, your decision does not threaten only the peoples of the region, but also reaches the American people whom you promised peace and prosperity. And here they are today, finding themselves in a war funded from their money and taxes, with costs ranging, according to the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS), between 40-65 billion dollars for direct military operations, and could reach 210 billion dollars including economic impacts and indirect losses if it lasts four to five weeks, not to mention the sacrifice of Americans themselves in a war in which they have neither camel nor she-camel."

"You have even broken your promises not to get involved in wars and to focus only on America and put it at the top of your priorities, as you ordered foreign military interventions during your second term that included seven countries: Somalia, Iraq, Yemen, Nigeria, Syria, Iran, and Venezuela, in addition to naval operations in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific Ocean. You directed more than 658 foreign airstrikes in your first year in office, which equals the total strikes in Biden's entire term, for which you directed your arrows of criticism for involving the United States in foreign wars."

"Your Excellency the President, these numbers have severely reflected on your approval ratings among Americans, which have declined since your inauguration for the second term, by about 9% in just 400 days."

"These numbers say something clear: Even within #TheUnitedStates, there is growing concern about being dragged into a new war, and about exposing the lives of Americans, their economy, and their future to unnecessary risks."

"True leadership is not measured by war decisions, but by wisdom, respect for others, and pushing toward achieving peace. And if these initiatives were launched in the name of peace, then we have the right today to demand full transparency and clear accountability," Al Habtoor concluded, tagging Donald Trump's X account.

The billionaire is clearly throwing everything that he can think of at this catastrophe in the hopes of convincing Trump to back off. But he's absolutely right on all of his points. Trump has now unilaterally plunged the Middle East into blood-soaked chaos, his approval rate is cratering, and the United States stands to gain nothing from this war. This will go down as possibly the worst decision ever made by an American president.

Please ❤️ and share if you staunchly oppose Trump's Iran War!

[Pope Leo XIV @Pontifex]

Would you imagine what a world without wars would be like? #PrayTogether

[Barack Obama @BarackObama]

Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of our democracy. But right now, they’re under attack.

Several Republican-controlled states have redrawn their congressional maps to give themselves an unfair advantage in the midterm elections.

Now Virginia has a chance to help level the playing field. If you live in the Commonwealth, early voting begins March 6, and Election Day is on April 21. Vote YES.

[Christopher Hale @ChristopherHale]

"War is never holy! Only peace is holy, because it is willed by God!" — Pope Leo XIV

[Artist Maddy @ArtistMaddy]

https://t.co/8A3IM1iPsw

[Historic Vids @historyinmemes]

Today's humans have won in technology but lost in art.

[Artist Maddy @ArtistMaddy]

@NBCOlympics Perfection!

[Massimo @Rainmaker1973]

Little kids performing Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake

[Mambo Italiano @mamboitaliano__]

The arrival of the flame in Venice for the upcoming Winter Olympics in Italy is absolutely breathtaking 🇮🇹🔥