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Thoughts on the death of Pope Francis by Constantine Von Hoffmeister
"...He smiled at the men who wore lipstick and lace, welcomed them not as sinners seeking redemption but as misunderstood prophets of a new “inclusivity.” Pope Francis — who once asked, “Who am I to judge?” — became the confessor of the degenerate modern world — instead of hearing sins, deleting them.
Under his reign, civil unions of same-sex couples were praised, not just tolerated, and the sacred institution of marriage blurred into bureaucratic recognition of emotional convenience. He met with transgender activists, blessed their journeys, and with each gesture, chipped away at the old stone altar. The catechism still spoke of disorder, yet his tone drowned it out, soft and merciful, the tone of a shepherd who led his sheep straight into the fog of decadence and decline.
Online, his defenders multiplied like mold in a cathedral crypt. Memes hailed papal kindness, papal humility, papal tweets. He became a brand, a “progressive” pontiff fluent in slogans. He honored Greta Thunberg like a saint. Mystery gave way to spectacle. The digital liturgy replaced the ancient one. Hashtags drifted where incense once rose. He trended for bending the creed. The algorithm sanctified him. Cameras loved him. Atheists received his interviews with delight. He questioned dogma and never ideology. When he spoke of the Devil, he named racism, sexism, capitalism — never the rot that crept under the robes of the Church.
When a pope embraces the world, the Church becomes its puppet. This was his legacy. He proclaimed inclusion while discarding the gospel. His papacy unfolded as surrender. Armor gone. Sword rusted. Fire extinguished. He offered apologies and compromises. While he wept for the wind, the cathedral crumbled. Now that he is gone, smoke rises still — uncertain, heavy. The throne remains occupied yet desecrated. The Church must awaken from delirium. She must recall that love detached from truth is betrayal. And those who still believe must lift the standard again — facing the world not as it demands to be seen but as it hungers to be saved."
A few weeks ago, an image went viral. In Belgium a migrant used the eternal flame at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to cook an omelette. For many, the desecration brought to mind a quote from French author Jean Raspail, written in 1973 in his novel Camp of the Saints, about a sudden invasion of Muslim, Indian and African migrants into France:
“Your universe has no meaning to them. They will not try to understand. They will be tired, they will be cold, they will make a fire with your beautiful oak door.”
“Beware of two errors: despising the world God sustains, or worshipping the culture He restrains.”
— Abraham Kuyper, Common Grace Vol. 1, Ch. 30
"[Successful NY Mayoral candidate] Mamdani built his campaign on the infrastructure of the Democratic Socialists of America. The DSA and its city allies can dispatch activists across New York and, with a network of progressive partner organizations, can mobilize young people, get out the vote, and do the work of door-to-door politics.
"We saw this dynamic many times in the twentieth century: socialists rise to power, their policies degrade the quality of life, and, as they enter the endgame, they tighten their grip on power and offload resentments onto their ideological, racial, and economic enemies.
"...the twentieth century taught us that left-wing voters have extraordinary defenses against reality."
-- Christopher Rufo
