brandon berg

Catholic Franciscan bicycles 🚲 ☕️ coffee The Poor Prayer Scripture Brother Hut Podcast

[Jack Posobiec @JackPosobiec]

This means so much to our family

Thank you, President Trump

[☩ 𝕁𝕄𝕋 ☩ @SecretFire79]

You know, it’s funny when people hear that Pope Leo XIV has a math degree, taught physics, and wrote a thesis on monastic leadership, they act like it's some wild plot twist. The Catholic Church has always been low-key obsessed with education. I mean, did you know nearly every pope since the Renaissance has had a PhD? Benedict XVI had five. Cardinals today basically need doctorate-level expertise to even get a seat at the table. Leo XIV isn't an outlier; he's following a 2,000-year-old playbook where faith and reason are BFFs. This is the same institution that gave us the Big Bang theory (thanks to a Jesuit priest, Georges Lemaître) and the guy who invented genetics (shoutout to Gregor Mendel, the pea-plant-obsessed Augustinian friar). Yet somehow, we still think of the Church as just incense and hymns.

The Church's duality; defending doctrinal tradition while pioneering intellectual frontiers, is its defining paradox. Consider the Vatican's astronomical observatory, which has operated since 1582, or the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, which has included members like Hawking and Einstein.

Let's break it down. Those monks and nuns you picture copying manuscripts in candlelit monasteries? They weren't just praying, they were preserving ancient Greek philosophy, advancing math, and basically saving Western civilisation during the Dark Ages. Fast-forward to today, and the Vatican still runs its own space telescope (yes, really, Jesuit brothers track asteroids). The Chúrch condemned Galileo, sure, but now it funds ethical stem-cell research and partners with IBM on AI ethics. It's like the ultimate comeback story: "Oops, we messed up on heliocentrism; here's a think tank on quantum physics."

And let's talk about those religious orders. Jesuits? They basically invented the modern university system. The Jesuits founded in 1540, by a chap called Ignatius Loyala, (half monk, half soldier) ran over 800 universities globally. Franciscans gave us Occam's Razor; you know, that "simplest explanation is best" rule you learned in science class? That came from a 14th-century friar who loved logic more than the Pope loved his fancy hat. The Dominicans had Thomas Aquinas, who merged Aristotle's philosophy with theology. Augustinians, Leo XIV's crew, were all about community and critical thinking, traits he took to Peru, where he spent 20 years teaching in slums while quietly holding dual citizenship. The guy's got more layers than a medieval manuscript.

But here's the upper-cut: the Church thrives on this weird paradox. It's conservative enough to make your grandma nod approvingly ("No women priests? Classic.") but progressive enough to have a Pope who trash-talks eco deniers and slams border politics. Leo XIV fits right in; he's a Republican primary voter who also called Trump's family separations "illicit," a social media critic who warns bishops not to be divisive online. It's like the Church says, "We'll debate evolution with Darwinians by day and chant Latin psalms by night and we'll look good doing both."

So next time someone acts shocked that a pope knows quantum physics or tweets about refugees, just smile. The Catholic Church has been playing 4D chess with knowledge for centuries. It's not a relic; it's a living library, where friars argue about black holes over breakfast and nuns run coding bootcamps. Leo XIV? He's just the latest chapter in a story where faith doesn't fear science…It fuels it.

[Jesus Christ, yesterday, today and forever 📿 ☧ @nick55053384]

@CardinalBCupich @Pontifex

[John Stone @Johnthemadmonk]

Wow! Father Anthony Bus, The Chicago priest who wrote to the auxiliary bishop to share with him the pain he felt about not being permitted to offer Mass ad orientem, has been called in and threatened. It seems Card Cupich is interpreting the heartfelt letter as a personal attack.

[brandon berg @brbrandonofmcap]

@FrCharles This tweet is everything.

[brandon berg @brbrandonofmcap]

@autumnhigashi Even if we understand it correctly. I’m honestly wanting to figure this out also. How do you interpret. “Love God with all your heart soul mind and strength, and love your neighbor as you love yourself”. Honest question.

[Capuchin Franciscans @CapFriars]

What does "following your heart" even mean?

https://t.co/5Jp96jv5v0

#capfriars #franciscan #capuchin #CatholicTwitter

[ChurchPOP @Church_POP]

An American Frassati? Meet the Young Man People Are Already Calling a Saint https://t.co/JKXMxJtnwQ #Catholic #Saints

[brandon berg @brbrandonofmcap]

@TheHappyPriest Please post goat picture for all to see.

[brandon berg @brbrandonofmcap]

@stephanpastis https://t.co/gWGGJ5d8Vh I thought you might enjoy seeing this video that my community made that references your work. Pearls before Swine is my favorite comic strip. God bless you Stephan!

[A Milwaukee Catholic @CCityCatholic]

Outstanding. Please watch. Please share. https://t.co/eP85nPgBIe

[Br. Chris Garcia, OFM Conv @friarchrisg]

ICYMI

[brandon berg @brbrandonofmcap]

@WalterCiszekSj are you still alive? I enjoyed your book “He Leadeth Me.”

[brandon berg @brbrandonofmcap]

The first installment of this trilogy is monumental! Jesus please help us restore the Roman rite!! https://t.co/B4sWlfaLEn

[brandon berg @brbrandonofmcap]

@FarmgirlTheresa @Church_POP Hello! Yes I’ve seen some interviews with the main producer. I’m wanting greatly to see the first installment.

[brandon berg @brbrandonofmcap]

@liturgyfilm How can the video be viewed?

[brandon berg @brbrandonofmcap]

@EndOfDaysWoman Did you go?? Who was the performer?

[brandon berg @brbrandonofmcap]

@bruturb what happened to put the power out?

[brandon berg @brbrandonofmcap]

@TaylorSchroll @TeawithTolkien Fr. Mike Schmitz gave a powerful homily on these readings for Sunday, also focusing on how we must be in a state of Grace to profit from reception of the Eucharist. https://t.co/gc3FnO4Slq

[brandon berg @brbrandonofmcap]

@SteveSkojec Thanks for posting this. Very encouraging.