"It's not the role of the Church to evaluate whether a particular war is just or unjust. That appraisal belongs to the civil authorities."
This is a wild view for a bishop that wants the Church to judge what happens consensually in my bedroom.
It’s so sad what MAGA has done to so many Catholics
When “pro-life” leaders criticize bishops for opposing war, they’re just telling on themselves. The unborn are victims of war, too.
All the politicking and the organizing and the activism… and what takes down Trump might end up being the Pope condemning war and refusing to be bothered
Silence in the face of human rights violations? Baby, you invented that! While you just watched us all suffer for months in your own state of Minnesota!
This is just so sad. A bishop I had so admired, and a ministry with so much promise, engaging in such ridiculous defenses of behavior that, in the grand scheme of things, isn't *that* bad. IMO the cover-up is far worse than following the accounts.
A few months ago, I shared how Bishop Barron had followed provocative male accounts on his Facebook. Word on Fire explained it away, saying he was recently hacked.
The problem? He had followed similar accounts at least as far back as January 2024...
chrisdamian.substack.com/p/more-provo...
As a Church, we teach our ab*sers how to behave. I explore this as I dive into the allegations against a priest-professor in my Catholic Studies program, which you can find in the latest Mezzo episode: Betrayed by Catholic Studies
This is completely wrongheaded — the reason why Leo opposes war and oppression is not because he has access to spiritual principles that the secular world lacks, but because he has a spiritual motive to remind the secular world of what it ought already to know.
Years ago, my Catholic program faced allegations of abuse against one of our priest-professors. I joined other students in dismissing the victim. It took me years to revisit my perspective, and to face my own experiences of sexual violence... chrisdamian.substack.com/p/betrayed-b...
President of CatholicVote be like: now explain it like you’re explaining it to a 3 year old 💀 😂
Bishop Barron and Donald Trump. Soulmates.
Just a Catholic Minnesotan with my whistle in hand!
“Cardinal George of Chicago, of happy memory, was one of my great mentors, and he said: 'Look, until America goes into political decline, there won't be an American pope.'"
Bishop Barron shortly before the election of Pope Leo XIV
As a Catholic, I'm proud to stand in solidarity with the Muslim, Jewish, and many other communities that have been targeted by Donald Trump.
And I will demand accountability from my Church's and our country's leaders that have enabled this un-Christian and un-American behavior.
In Catholic theology, the term “intrinsically disordered” has been the source of a lot of hurt. But what if we could reduce this hurt by giving people a better grasp of theology?
I explore this and much more in the Mezzo episode: Does Catholicism Really Forbid LGBT People From Falling in Love?
Conversion therapy is all over the Catholic Church. In the latest Mezzo episode, I outline how to identify and resist it.
Link in profile
"Terrorism threatens, wounds, and kills indiscriminately; it is gravely against justice and charity."
Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2297
What’s the relationship between conversion therapy and the Catholic Church? Get your 1-hour overview in the latest Mezzo episode! Link in profile!
LGBTQ+ Christians face a SCOTUS decision protecting conversion therapy while entering into Easter. This gives an chance to reflect on how Satan and all his empty promises will not prevail.
New Mezzo episode is out, on conversion therapy and Catholicism: chrisdamian.substack.com/p/conversion...
We see once again the mangling of Christ’s body, the Church, in the glorification of violence in the name of Christianity. Christ is abused by the State in its violence towards His image in the vulnerable, the immigrant, the poor.
And Easter reminds us that this is not the end.
Wherever we fall, whether hurters or healers, caring or complacent, awake or ignorant, or (like most of us) some combination of these… We are one Church. We are all called to conversion. We are all wanted in love. We all have a role to play in the history of salvation.
Christ is risen.
Good Friday gives an opportunity to reflect on suffering and how it can change us. I’m grateful to Laura Fanucci for sharing how suffering informs her life as a Catholic.
You can listen to our full discussion on the Mezzo episode: Minnesota Catholics respond to ICE Occupation
In our discussion, Catholic psychologist Dr. Julia Sadusky shared what it means to debate other Catholics in the public sphere on conversion therapy. At times, this includes even lawyers for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
You can find our full discussion on the Mezzo podcast.
("Treatment" being a VERY generous word for their poorly evidenced and harmful practices.)
In sum, all is not lost! There's a lot more to work through in this space!
I think that would be very consistent with the Chiles holding. And it would cover A LOT. A lot of conversion therapists leverage EMDR, ART, etc. I would argue that, if they are doing conversion therapy, they are not permitted to use EMDR, ART, etc. as part of their "treatments."
And so if I were a state with a conversion therapy ban, I would continue to apply it to therapists who leverage those practices as part of their conversion therapy. I'd argue the speech involved there is incidental to the professional conduct...
I disagree with that. But it's what the Court decided. So we have to live with it. But it doesn't mean this is over. The Court did *not* consider therapies such as EMDR, ART, or other practices where speech accompanies it, but there are other physical components as well...
Which is why speech when giving medical advice has a lower standard to regulate. The majority argued the exception didn't apply because, for solely talk therapy, "speech is all Colorado seeks to regulate." They say talk therapy is *not* professional conduct. ..
