Pope Leo XIV today:
"Debating the President is not my interest at all."
His peace speech that Trump attacked?
It was written two weeks before Trump ever commented on him.
The Pope wasn't responding to Trump.
Trump inserted himself into a message that was never about him.
Then fabricated a quote saying the Pope supports Iranian nukes.
Then his brother received a bomb threat.
The most powerful religious leader on earth is turning the other cheek.
Trump can't stop throwing punches at a man who isn't fighting back.
That tells you everything about both of them.
Never stop connecting the dots.
If you’re leaving the Catholic Church because Pope Leo is calling for peace, then you probably weren’t much of a Catholic to begin with.
Looking at you, Sean Hannity.
Don Getty on the golf course as the Principal Group collapses. Jason Kenney drinking at the Sky Palace during COVID. Danielle Smith in the airport lounge while taking away teachers charter rights.
Venice doesn’t feel real.
A floating city with no cars, no roads... just water, silence, and 1,500 years of ambition.
It’s not just beautiful. It’s impossible. 🧵
A thread on the haunting, seductive, unforgettable beauty of Venice:
Most people visit Rome for the Colosseum or the Vatican.
But Rome is a city of cathedrals.
And these 18 churches aren’t just places of worship, they’re where architecture, power, and beauty collided to shape Western civilization.
You won’t believe #3 and #4. 🧵
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.
@drclairetaylor @BBCSport It’s morally reprehensible the way the organisers have wiped their hands of it. There will, without doubt, be some athletes/volunteers/staff/family members who suffer Long Covid or even die because of infections picked up there. Lives will be ruined.
CANADA 🇨🇦 ⚽️ FOR THE WIN
THE CANADIAN WOMEN DEFEAT FRANCE 2-1 TO STAY ALIVE AT THE OLYMPICS
Another comeback victory. In the midst of the drone scandal. FIFA 6-point deduction. The Canadians have not quit.
This is quite a story. What a resilient team.
Kamala Harris will be the next President of the United States. I pledge my full support to ensure her victory in November.
Now more than ever, it is crucial that our party and country swiftly unite to defeat Donald Trump and the threat to American democracy.
Let’s get to work.
Just to be totally clear, the Calgary Tower will be lit Blue & Orange on Monday, June 10 for Action Anxiety Day – and for no other reason whatsoever.
We’ve got love for our neighbours to the north and all across this province, but no. Never.
It’s #MEAwarenessDay — Severe / Very Severe ME/CFS are among the worst (if not the worst) outcomes of #LongCovid, it’s horrifying & profoundly understudied.
I really encourage everyone to do 1 of 3 things today / this week.
1. Read this Ed Yong piece: https://t.co/hG1yJTRDq6