“The death of truth is the ultimate victory of evil. When truth leaves us, when we let it slip away, when it is ripped from our hands, we become vulnerable to the appetite of whatever monster screams the loudest.”

Some noted a Kirk appearance in 2023 in which he said that gun deaths were "unfortunately" worth it for the right to bear arms. “I think it's worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights.”

I wrote about this sacrilege for @ncronline.bsky.social. www.ncronline.org/opinion/home...

National Catholic Reporter ran an opinion piece. “The video uses an audio clip from the 2014 movie "Fury … Had anyone involved in the creation of this video had any Scripture IQ, no doubt the irony would have been clear.” Lazy, clownish and amateur considering DHS’ $43.8 billion budget.

The blasphemous post is the latest in a series of heretical use of Scripture to christen an agenda that is an affront not just to the Christian faith, but to God himself.

The blasphemous post is the latest in a series of heretical use of Scripture to christen an agenda that is an affront not just to the Christian faith, but to God himself.

Homeland Security weaponizes Bible verse to justify Trump's immigration tactics. Another Digital Dunces from the inimitable John Grosso. He can spot hypocrisy a mile away. www.ncronline.org/node/305681 via @NCRonline

To love one’s country does not mean wearing an American flag T-shirt and pretending it has no flaws or shortcomings. That is not patriotism. That’s delusion.

In showing exactly what it takes to resist the ever-growing power of a fascist empire, Disney's "Andor" serves as both a prophetic example — and a desperate warning cry. My latest for NCR.

Clout-chasers and rumormongers falsely claimed that Pope Leo XIV was going to “log off” social media. Turns out, that was fake news.

Vicar of Christ

The NCR article that now Pope Leo XIV retweeted on February 3rd: www.ncronline.org/opinion/gues...

You know how we all said we knew something would be different with Pope Francis when he appeared in white and asked us to pray for him? Well my moment with this new Pope Leo XIV is him praying the Hail Mary and swallowing back tears #HabemusPapam #LeoXIV

Pope Leo XIV has read NCR. We took a deep dive into the tweets of Pope Leo XIV, from when he was Cardinal Robert Prevost, to begin to understand the man who will now lead 1.4 billion Catholics.

Trump could have apologized. He had the opportunity to acknowledge his error and move on. He could have issued one of those "I am sorry you were offended" non-apologies. Instead, he chose the language of a bully. It was not enough to mock us; he wants to tell the world that we liked it, too.

Happy Star Wars Day! Here’s a reminder that Bishop Barron cares more about feminism in The Last Jedi than he does the poor and marginalized.

Though he is absent from the proceedings in Rome, Barron is in luck. His Rose Garden gathering this week included a pope. On the official White House X account, Trump shared an AI-generated image of himself in full papal regalia. Maybe Trump thinks it is funny. Millions do not.

Gen Z is adding their own unique take on the upcoming conclave and reacting in their own language: memes.

Pope Trump? That’s what the President suggested when talking to reporters at the White House yesterday. It is imperative, according to canon law, that any candidate is of sound mind. This, along with not being a baptized Catholic, would rule out the President.

Pope Trump? That’s what the president of the United Stated suggested when talking to reporters at the White House yesterday. It is imperative, according to canon Law, that any candidate is of sound mind. This, along with not being a baptized Catholic, would rule out President Trump.

The proliferation of social media use since the last conclave has plunged us into uncharted territory — as conservatives campaign online for one cardinal and smear another.

When he was elected in 2013, Pope Francis was celebrated as the first Latin American pope. It seems only fitting that such a groundbreaking pope would be the one to charge fearlessly into the digital continent as well. In my latest for NCR, I explore the late Holy Father’s digital legacy.

My first of three Pope Francis and social media pieces. It was great to collaborate with my coworker Olivia Bardo on a roundup of social media reaction to the Holy Father’s passing.

For an administration that has been absurdly referred to as “the most Christian ever” it sure has a propensity for unforced, self-inflicted missteps.

Pesto - easy to make, but hard to perfect. Luckily, my mom did, and shared the recipe with me. Enjoy this recipe for the Grosso Family Good Friday pesto.

It’s taken years of research and trial and error but I’ve cracked the code on good, semi-authentic cacio e pepe. I shared my recipe as part of NCR’s Lenten recipe series!

It is a betrayal of the Gospel and a source of grave scandal to wrap partisan political ideology in the mantle of faith. So when Tim Busch wrote an article saying the second Trump Administration is the “most Christian” he’s ever seen, I had to fact check that claim.

Barron, a bishop of the church, compared Donald Trump's joint address to Congress to what we Catholics consider the most important and sacred act of worship: the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. www.ncronline.org/opinion/ncr-... via @ncronline.bsky.social

A great one from @ncronline.bsky.social @jtgrosso.bsky.social worth your attention. Annotations. Oh boy. www.ncronline.org/opinion/ncr-...

Bishop Robert Barron was "delighted" to attend President Donald Trump's joint address to Congress and celebrate a private Mass for lawmakers, he said on a lengthy social media video about his "thrilling" trip. I watched, annotated, and fact checked his video so you didn’t have to.

He’s one of the most recognizable figures in American Catholicism. He is quick to condemn feminism in Star Wars, the song “Imagine,” or the movie Conclave. So why has Bishop Barron been silent in the face of Trump’s anti-Catholic policies? My latest for @ncronline.bsky.social.

What more is it going to take, Catholics? The Pope has spoken. If you are supporting this heinous administration's crackdown on immigrants, you are not just lost. You are categorically out ot step with the core principles of the Christian faith. Wake up! Time is running out.

Begun, the Trade Wars have.

Right wing Anglican Catholic Priest attempts to “own the libs” by emulating Elon Musk’s Nazi-like salute. Ends up being defrocked and completely overshadowing all attention from the cause he was advocating. My latest for @ncronline.bsky.social.

In one fell swoop, the Catholic VP managed to insult not only the hierarchy and Pope Francis, but agencies such as Catholic Relief Services and Catholic Charities on the international and national levels; diocesan- and parish-level organizations; and untold ordinary Catholics. bit.ly/3EbGSMh

We will be frequently adding to our special section on Trump's second term with Catholic reactions to executive orders and other policy moves. #immigration #environment Spoiler alert: it's not a feel-good section. Follow here: www.ncronline.org/feature-seri...

"Though Vance did not directly accuse the bishops' conference or Catholic Charities of engaging or supporting sex trafficking, it appears his dog whistle was enough to re-engage the conspiracy theorists." -- @jtgrosso.bsky.social www.ncronline.org/news/reporte...

Though Vance did not directly accuse the bishops' conference or Catholic Charities of engaging or supporting sex trafficking, it appears his dog whistle was enough to engage the conspiracy theorists.

FWIW, Budde told me she was initially more concerned about people criticizing her for taking a pleading tone — i.e., not challenging Trump more defiantly. But I think folks underestimated the optics, or how some conservatives react to liberal Christians. religionnews.com/2025/01/22/a...

Donald Trump's inaugural included several lowlights: no presidential hand on Bibles, apparent Nazi salutes and a churlish reaction to an Episcopalian bishop's homily. My take on a harrowing and exhausting 2.5 days. Only 4 more years to go.

Come for the memes, stay for my condemnation of Nazism. My latest for NCR.

Instead of brainstorming new, different and terrible ways to execute people, what if we just … didn't? www.ncronline.org/opinion/gues...

Last night, Catholic News Agency’s X account posted about the launch of a new crypto currency. Thousands of views later, the post was declared a scam and removed. The timing of the alleged scam - right after President Trump and his wife both launched meme-coins, is curious. My latest for NCR.

From "Stand back & stand by" to Musk's salute you can try hard to explain it all as poor word choice or "awkward gesture." But the Nazis feel seen which means your generous gymnastics are a distinction without a difference. When you're choking on so much persistent smoke there is a fire somewhere.

Very proud of my friend and @esteem-lead.bsky.social mentee Rose Brennan for making her @ncronline.bsky.social debut with this prophetic piece on the death penalty. Rose is fearless, faithful, and makes a compelling argument rooted in her care for the marginalized. www.ncronline.org/opinion/gues...

There is no “quiet part” anymore. This sort of horrifying, disgusting gesture is now going to be common place. You were warned. You didn’t listen.

“I didn’t say it, I declared it.” “Still….thats not anything.”

Makes sense. If he had touched it, his hand would have sizzled on National TV.

If you’re a Catholic and you’re cheering for the despicable acts that are going to begin occurring tomorrow - Peter has spoken. You’re out of step with Jesus and our Catholic faith. And on your final day - you will be judged for all of the evil you enabled.

This appointment feels like the clearest and most definitive message Pope Francis has ever sent to the Church in America - both the hierarchy and those in the pews.