Saw this right after he was announced. So was he born in New Orleans, as the article states?
I posted this link on another substack and the person replied with the following comment:
"Thank you, Anna! … I sure do wish the media & people would stop conflating social justice, DEI, Marxist collectivism (etc) with the Love of God for mankind and His gospel. Polar opposites. This is exactly what these popes have done. It’s grave error and many Catholics know this."
I'm inclined to agree with her. Over the years I've seen firsthand where there was an attempt to frame Jesus as a socialist/Marxist etc., to fit with the desired narrative, or perhaps redirect people away from the accepted dogma to a new dogma. Heaven knows it's been done within all the religions, Islam included. Islam doesn't have pope's, but caliphs and imams, which is no better.
Better to stand alone than to stand with someone who may be no smarter or better than oneself.
I may think of another thing or two to throw into the conversation before all is said and done, but for now, I appreciate your thoughts on this developing story.
Oh, BTW, some are saying this was a White Hat operation, installing an American. IDK 🤷♀️
Anna - All biographical references I can find have Prevost born in Chicago or thereabouts. First I've heard of New Orleans, though it doesn't change the citizenship aspect either way.
Having slogged through the Gospels in the original Greek, Jesus was certainly not a socialist, and in fact might be defined as an anarchist in the best sense of that term. The overwhelming message i get is humans are subject only to conscience and God. He also clearly rejected Yahwism and Judaism as false and misleading, which was the impetus to kill him.
That message has been grossly mistranslated and malinterpretted to maintain a hierarchy of control, so that communion with God is only possible through human institutions. It began with the Hebrew kings in the Old Testament destroying competing temples and funnelling all tithes through the Temple in Jerusalem. Same old power play.
In logic, all assertions have two aspects that represent opposite results from the same propositions. Leo XIII may have been righteously motivated to address the plight of workers, and the perversion of capitalism called mercantilism, but the same starting point leads to liberation in one direction, and collectivism in the other. Enlightenment thought has produced the same effect: freedom from tyranny>violent revolution>slaughter of monarchs. Like yin and yang, you cannot have shadows without light.
For 33K a month I'd put on a cap and gown and parade around like a hypocrite. I can't for the life how anyone can fill up the bounty plate where a an institution exists where hierocracy dwells. Must be one of those get out of jail cards to keep u out of hell! Leaving the world embroiled in a living hell. The Orange faced clown mocked the flock.
MK - Just as the Age of Aries (the Lamb of God) came to a destructive end, the Age of Pisces (the Fisher of Men) is now coming to a close. The Vatican's age of influence is waning and the pope's fish head hat will no longer project authority. They are trying to salvage a few more decades out of the deal, but I think the Church's astrologers know the end id nigh. Jesus told his disciples to go into the city and seek the Man Carrying a Jar of Water (Aquarius). We are there now and the Last Supper table is set.
People like the theater. The Catholic Church is the best theater on Earth. The Vatican makes the British Royals and Buckingham Palace look like a bunch of poseurs.
Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum is "arguably the intellectual heart of Marxist/Socialist ideology"? It couldn't be more opposite; it was written against socialism. I suggest everyone read it, and then read his"Quod Apostolici Muneris" which says about socialism: "But you, venerable brethren, who know the origin and the drift of these gathering evils, strive with all your force of soul to implant the Catholic teaching deep in the minds of all. Strive that all may have the habit of clinging to God with filial love and revering His divinity from their tenderest years; that they may respect the majesty of princes and of laws; that they may restrain their passions and stand fast by the order which God has established in civil and domestic society. Moreover, labor hard that the children of the Catholic Church neither join nor favor in any way whatsoever this abominable sect..."
You contradict yourself. The quote clearly admonishes the Church to "respect the majesty of princes and of laws," and to "stand fast by the order which God has established." This is essentially saying the hierarchy of power is divinely instituted to control the masses. That message is anathema to the fundamental principles taught by Jesus. He admonished followers to cast off temporal power structures designed to control humanity, and instead follow our innate desire for morality and fairness that is the human spirit.
From the Hebrew kings to the Vatican, power structures have been instituted to control and herd humans to provide luxurious lifestyles for the "ordained," while keeping the masses in abject servitude.
The Vatican claim that it is the only direct means to salvation and blind adherence to its precepts is a moral imperative is precisely the Socialist party line, only replacing the Vatican with the State. Blind obedience to any human institution as the rightful center of physical, mental and spiritual power is a recipe for disaster, as the history of Socialism clearly shows.
The fact that the precession of the Equinoxes is moving inexorably into the sign of Aquarius makes the new pope's choice of name interesting; Aquarius embodies the humanitarian ideal, collectivism, technological advancements, speed of communication, analytical, intellectual prowess. Leo represents Aquarius' oppostite, its shadow; the supremacy of the individual, sovereignty, the Sun in all its glory, leadership as opposed to fellowship.
Gwyneth - I mentioned the tetramorph in passing (lion/ox/man/eagle), but they are fairly significant in the discussion of esoteric signals. Lion/Mark/Leo, Ox/Luke/Taurus, Man/Matthew/Aquarius, and Eagle/John/Scorpio (ancient zodiac). These are the four fixed signs that represent the four seasons of the zodiacal year.
I am given to understand that the Great Month of Aquarius is individualistic, rational (not faith-based), and revolutionary in the sense of gnosis. There is a collectivist aspect that might be expressed as "all for one, and one for all" more than the authoritarian and compulsory form found during Pisces. I tend to think of Aquarius as collaborative rather than collectivist, whereas Leo is intensely focused on self and indiviualism.
It is an interesting juxtaposition and about as close to yin/yang as it gets in Western esotericism. It is the enlightened self versus the selfless enlightenment. The latter cannot exist without the former -- passion versus logic, the eternal dynamic.
I do not think it is coincidental that Prevost chose Leo, and both he and those around him are fully aware of the signals they are projecting. In any case, Christian esoterica is a fascinating topic.
I attended Notre Dame High School, in 9th through 11th grades. When I decided I'd had enough of that I made an appointment and met with the monsignor to get his permission to transfer to the public school. Naturally, he said no, and I left anyway. On the whole, the public school had a better bunch of kids and teachers, with no daily Mass and repetitive religious bullshit wasting my time.
Ooph! Daily Mass? Don't think I ever got hammered that hard. I will say that I had exceptional teachers and I still advocate a liberal arts education, but some schools do go overboard on the theology end of it. Of course, there's always Islamic schools and prayer breaks every couple of hours.
Yep, daily Mass. In early years we were required to walk a half-mile to the church, and there was at least some fun in that. One of the boys found an unused chicken house where we could get out of the weather and smoke cigarettes. Later the school put an altar at one end of the gym, with assigned seats to make it harder to skip out.
An Islamic school may be worthy of consideration. Arabic language instruction would be more useful than Latin, and who could object to Arabic numerals? Assuming they accept non-Muslims our kids would likely be exempt from the bowing and scraping.
MS - Indonesian public schools have an extensive religious curriculum focused on Islam, regardless of one's religious affiliation. It seems every year they scale back yet more of the humanities and sciences to expand religious studies.
As for Arabic, it is handy for astronomy/astrology and mathematics, but Latin is handy for law and taxonomy, while Greek dominates biology and anatomy. Given that math is my kryptonite, and Arabic has more dialects than the British Isles, I tend to shy away from it. The only real advantage for me would be writing it as a left-hander, though in Arab culture that is haram, so I'm screwed there too. Besides, I like vowels.
Since I was on the altar boy squad, skipping Mass was never an option for me, though I would have happily done so.
Yes, Latin probably is more useful where I live, and writing backwards would be an unappreciatd skill in Oklahoma. You recognized the folks who invented algebra, and who keep a keen eye on the sky. I've started looking for chemtrails, so I'd fit in okay there.
I wasn't an altar boy. Maybe the recruiter determined I wasn't good material. Did the priest leave the wine out where you could get to it? That was the perk for altar boys in my parish.
Leave the wine out? Hell, I had to fill the cruets. One for the altar, one for me... As a consequence, I'm a bit burned out on sherry these days.
I'm not much for al-jabr (الجبر), but having been an astronomy geek since birth, nearly all the visible stars in the northern hemisphere have Arabic names, with a scattering of Latin ones for variety. Latin is also fun for etymology fans like me. English is an amalgam of Angle Teutonic, Pict, Latin, French, and Greek. Helps with words like in-a-LIEN-able and un-ALIEN-able, and knowing that "mortgage" means "death pledge".
This seems to be a good explanation of how Jefferson got buffaloed into changing the spelling. To you, is it right to say the difference is profound, i.e., you can give, sell, or trade away an unalienable right you possess, but the same doesn't apply to an inalienable right?
Vonu - Ah, but you are wrong. If you live in the Western world, as I assume you do, then you are completely engulfed by the Vatican at every level and on every side.
You writing implies native usage. You have mentioned living in a van somewhere in the northeast US, I believe. You appear to have some expertise in heavy machinery, based on comments you've made about ship engines, Manitowocs in particular, and trucking. Therefore, I assume you are at least within the Western hemisphere and are native to it, and thus live under the laws of such. Those laws are ultimately based on legal systems formed under the guidance and control of Canon Law. Thus, you are surrounded and embedded in Vatican influence. QED
Intent and result are often far apart. Roman administrative law forms the basis of much of US law. Roman legal systems were modified and adopted into Canon Law. Canon Law forms the basis of all European legal systems, except English common law. Don't know if you've been to a court lately, but English common law isn't practiced or recognized anywhere I've seen. As for the Constitution, the Presidency is essentially an elected monarch in practice. Presidents such as FDR have come close to making it a full monarchy.
Trump is likely to get a bit of pushback if and when he decides to ignore habeas corpus for natural born citizens as he is for those with permanent resident status or about to be sworn in as citizens.
Thanks for the very illuminating article about Vatican history. I've always thought the dogma of original sin was crap. If we are created in God's image, why do we have original sin? I'd ask nuns and priests this question in grade school and get the usual answer, "We are a flawed reflection of God," or some such nonsense.
"Like a funhouse mirror?"
That was pretty much the end of that conversation.
The Catholic high school in Lincoln, Nebraska, is Pius X. Many of my friends went there, including my sister, who performed in "Bye Bye Birdie" in the school play. Pius XII was the pope in Rome when Hitler and Mussolini came to power. Pius XII kept his mouth shut.
Pius X was a traditionalist and a saint. He was against modernism. I don't think he'd have liked the high school named after him. My friends saId that the tough guy priest there, would throw miscreants up against the lockers with their feet a foot off the floor as he slowly choked the consciousness out of them. I think the priest's name was Father O'Mersky. Big guy.
TT - You got the standard Augustinian answer. I know people who fervently believe men have one less rib than women, despite being able to count their own in a matter of seconds.
I went to Thomas Aquinas high school, and the disciplinarian was much the same. Never heard much about Pius X up the street. Probably not a good sign in any case.
Original Sin is the original flaw that sits at the heart of Western civilization. As Richard Dawkins put it, we are born sick and commanded to be well. The concept does not exist in Eastern Orthodoxy. Both Augustine and Aquinas were big on collectivism, and Aquinas' work is the theological foundation for modern corporations and legal "persons," giving us the corporate veil and the idea that a thing can have human rights.
It will be an interesting decade ahead on many fronts.
https://www.axios.com/2025/05/09/pope-leo-creole-new-orleans-roots
Saw this right after he was announced. So was he born in New Orleans, as the article states?
I posted this link on another substack and the person replied with the following comment:
"Thank you, Anna! … I sure do wish the media & people would stop conflating social justice, DEI, Marxist collectivism (etc) with the Love of God for mankind and His gospel. Polar opposites. This is exactly what these popes have done. It’s grave error and many Catholics know this."
I'm inclined to agree with her. Over the years I've seen firsthand where there was an attempt to frame Jesus as a socialist/Marxist etc., to fit with the desired narrative, or perhaps redirect people away from the accepted dogma to a new dogma. Heaven knows it's been done within all the religions, Islam included. Islam doesn't have pope's, but caliphs and imams, which is no better.
Better to stand alone than to stand with someone who may be no smarter or better than oneself.
I may think of another thing or two to throw into the conversation before all is said and done, but for now, I appreciate your thoughts on this developing story.
Oh, BTW, some are saying this was a White Hat operation, installing an American. IDK 🤷♀️
Cheers.
Anna - All biographical references I can find have Prevost born in Chicago or thereabouts. First I've heard of New Orleans, though it doesn't change the citizenship aspect either way.
Having slogged through the Gospels in the original Greek, Jesus was certainly not a socialist, and in fact might be defined as an anarchist in the best sense of that term. The overwhelming message i get is humans are subject only to conscience and God. He also clearly rejected Yahwism and Judaism as false and misleading, which was the impetus to kill him.
That message has been grossly mistranslated and malinterpretted to maintain a hierarchy of control, so that communion with God is only possible through human institutions. It began with the Hebrew kings in the Old Testament destroying competing temples and funnelling all tithes through the Temple in Jerusalem. Same old power play.
In logic, all assertions have two aspects that represent opposite results from the same propositions. Leo XIII may have been righteously motivated to address the plight of workers, and the perversion of capitalism called mercantilism, but the same starting point leads to liberation in one direction, and collectivism in the other. Enlightenment thought has produced the same effect: freedom from tyranny>violent revolution>slaughter of monarchs. Like yin and yang, you cannot have shadows without light.
I get the same overwhelming message. Thanks!
For 33K a month I'd put on a cap and gown and parade around like a hypocrite. I can't for the life how anyone can fill up the bounty plate where a an institution exists where hierocracy dwells. Must be one of those get out of jail cards to keep u out of hell! Leaving the world embroiled in a living hell. The Orange faced clown mocked the flock.
MK - Just as the Age of Aries (the Lamb of God) came to a destructive end, the Age of Pisces (the Fisher of Men) is now coming to a close. The Vatican's age of influence is waning and the pope's fish head hat will no longer project authority. They are trying to salvage a few more decades out of the deal, but I think the Church's astrologers know the end id nigh. Jesus told his disciples to go into the city and seek the Man Carrying a Jar of Water (Aquarius). We are there now and the Last Supper table is set.
People like the theater. The Catholic Church is the best theater on Earth. The Vatican makes the British Royals and Buckingham Palace look like a bunch of poseurs.
TT - They certainly have some of the best costumes, props and settings ever created. The problem is I just can't muster the suspension of disbelief.
And they have more money than God to put on their shows!
DoF - The bigger the budget, the better the special effects.
One man shows are hard to carry on for years.
Vonu - It may be a one-man show, but there are dozens of technical crew and supporting roles backing it up.
And they prove their worth by never coming to the attention of most of the audience.
Precisely. Wearing black makes one invisible.
There is no need of camouflage while backstage.
Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum is "arguably the intellectual heart of Marxist/Socialist ideology"? It couldn't be more opposite; it was written against socialism. I suggest everyone read it, and then read his"Quod Apostolici Muneris" which says about socialism: "But you, venerable brethren, who know the origin and the drift of these gathering evils, strive with all your force of soul to implant the Catholic teaching deep in the minds of all. Strive that all may have the habit of clinging to God with filial love and revering His divinity from their tenderest years; that they may respect the majesty of princes and of laws; that they may restrain their passions and stand fast by the order which God has established in civil and domestic society. Moreover, labor hard that the children of the Catholic Church neither join nor favor in any way whatsoever this abominable sect..."
You contradict yourself. The quote clearly admonishes the Church to "respect the majesty of princes and of laws," and to "stand fast by the order which God has established." This is essentially saying the hierarchy of power is divinely instituted to control the masses. That message is anathema to the fundamental principles taught by Jesus. He admonished followers to cast off temporal power structures designed to control humanity, and instead follow our innate desire for morality and fairness that is the human spirit.
From the Hebrew kings to the Vatican, power structures have been instituted to control and herd humans to provide luxurious lifestyles for the "ordained," while keeping the masses in abject servitude.
The Vatican claim that it is the only direct means to salvation and blind adherence to its precepts is a moral imperative is precisely the Socialist party line, only replacing the Vatican with the State. Blind obedience to any human institution as the rightful center of physical, mental and spiritual power is a recipe for disaster, as the history of Socialism clearly shows.
The fact that the precession of the Equinoxes is moving inexorably into the sign of Aquarius makes the new pope's choice of name interesting; Aquarius embodies the humanitarian ideal, collectivism, technological advancements, speed of communication, analytical, intellectual prowess. Leo represents Aquarius' oppostite, its shadow; the supremacy of the individual, sovereignty, the Sun in all its glory, leadership as opposed to fellowship.
https://www.theosophical.org/publications/quest-magazine/c-g-jung-s-vision-of-the-aquarian-age
Gwyneth - I mentioned the tetramorph in passing (lion/ox/man/eagle), but they are fairly significant in the discussion of esoteric signals. Lion/Mark/Leo, Ox/Luke/Taurus, Man/Matthew/Aquarius, and Eagle/John/Scorpio (ancient zodiac). These are the four fixed signs that represent the four seasons of the zodiacal year.
I am given to understand that the Great Month of Aquarius is individualistic, rational (not faith-based), and revolutionary in the sense of gnosis. There is a collectivist aspect that might be expressed as "all for one, and one for all" more than the authoritarian and compulsory form found during Pisces. I tend to think of Aquarius as collaborative rather than collectivist, whereas Leo is intensely focused on self and indiviualism.
It is an interesting juxtaposition and about as close to yin/yang as it gets in Western esotericism. It is the enlightened self versus the selfless enlightenment. The latter cannot exist without the former -- passion versus logic, the eternal dynamic.
I do not think it is coincidental that Prevost chose Leo, and both he and those around him are fully aware of the signals they are projecting. In any case, Christian esoterica is a fascinating topic.
I attended Notre Dame High School, in 9th through 11th grades. When I decided I'd had enough of that I made an appointment and met with the monsignor to get his permission to transfer to the public school. Naturally, he said no, and I left anyway. On the whole, the public school had a better bunch of kids and teachers, with no daily Mass and repetitive religious bullshit wasting my time.
Ooph! Daily Mass? Don't think I ever got hammered that hard. I will say that I had exceptional teachers and I still advocate a liberal arts education, but some schools do go overboard on the theology end of it. Of course, there's always Islamic schools and prayer breaks every couple of hours.
Yep, daily Mass. In early years we were required to walk a half-mile to the church, and there was at least some fun in that. One of the boys found an unused chicken house where we could get out of the weather and smoke cigarettes. Later the school put an altar at one end of the gym, with assigned seats to make it harder to skip out.
An Islamic school may be worthy of consideration. Arabic language instruction would be more useful than Latin, and who could object to Arabic numerals? Assuming they accept non-Muslims our kids would likely be exempt from the bowing and scraping.
MS - Indonesian public schools have an extensive religious curriculum focused on Islam, regardless of one's religious affiliation. It seems every year they scale back yet more of the humanities and sciences to expand religious studies.
As for Arabic, it is handy for astronomy/astrology and mathematics, but Latin is handy for law and taxonomy, while Greek dominates biology and anatomy. Given that math is my kryptonite, and Arabic has more dialects than the British Isles, I tend to shy away from it. The only real advantage for me would be writing it as a left-hander, though in Arab culture that is haram, so I'm screwed there too. Besides, I like vowels.
Since I was on the altar boy squad, skipping Mass was never an option for me, though I would have happily done so.
Yes, Latin probably is more useful where I live, and writing backwards would be an unappreciatd skill in Oklahoma. You recognized the folks who invented algebra, and who keep a keen eye on the sky. I've started looking for chemtrails, so I'd fit in okay there.
I wasn't an altar boy. Maybe the recruiter determined I wasn't good material. Did the priest leave the wine out where you could get to it? That was the perk for altar boys in my parish.
Leave the wine out? Hell, I had to fill the cruets. One for the altar, one for me... As a consequence, I'm a bit burned out on sherry these days.
I'm not much for al-jabr (الجبر), but having been an astronomy geek since birth, nearly all the visible stars in the northern hemisphere have Arabic names, with a scattering of Latin ones for variety. Latin is also fun for etymology fans like me. English is an amalgam of Angle Teutonic, Pict, Latin, French, and Greek. Helps with words like in-a-LIEN-able and un-ALIEN-able, and knowing that "mortgage" means "death pledge".
https://www.newsherald.com/story/opinion/letters/2013/07/04/1-167373/33948021007/
This seems to be a good explanation of how Jefferson got buffaloed into changing the spelling. To you, is it right to say the difference is profound, i.e., you can give, sell, or trade away an unalienable right you possess, but the same doesn't apply to an inalienable right?
You're gonna spend half of eternity in purgatory for this one, mate. Better get on those Hail May's now.
The obvious question is, how long is half an eternity?
I'm glad that I am not one of the people whose world has anything whatsoever to do with the Vatican.
Vonu - Ah, but you are wrong. If you live in the Western world, as I assume you do, then you are completely engulfed by the Vatican at every level and on every side.
Give me one credible example, given that my posts here are all you know about me.
You writing implies native usage. You have mentioned living in a van somewhere in the northeast US, I believe. You appear to have some expertise in heavy machinery, based on comments you've made about ship engines, Manitowocs in particular, and trucking. Therefore, I assume you are at least within the Western hemisphere and are native to it, and thus live under the laws of such. Those laws are ultimately based on legal systems formed under the guidance and control of Canon Law. Thus, you are surrounded and embedded in Vatican influence. QED
The founders of the United States were very insistent in removing the trappings of monarchy and its bastard children in Catholicism in the new nation.
I have traveled to all parts of the lower 48 as a truck driver, but was born and live in the west.
Intent and result are often far apart. Roman administrative law forms the basis of much of US law. Roman legal systems were modified and adopted into Canon Law. Canon Law forms the basis of all European legal systems, except English common law. Don't know if you've been to a court lately, but English common law isn't practiced or recognized anywhere I've seen. As for the Constitution, the Presidency is essentially an elected monarch in practice. Presidents such as FDR have come close to making it a full monarchy.
You must be following the Trump Constitution.
How many Brits would have voted for King Charles?
Trump is likely to get a bit of pushback if and when he decides to ignore habeas corpus for natural born citizens as he is for those with permanent resident status or about to be sworn in as citizens.
Thanks for the very illuminating article about Vatican history. I've always thought the dogma of original sin was crap. If we are created in God's image, why do we have original sin? I'd ask nuns and priests this question in grade school and get the usual answer, "We are a flawed reflection of God," or some such nonsense.
"Like a funhouse mirror?"
That was pretty much the end of that conversation.
The Catholic high school in Lincoln, Nebraska, is Pius X. Many of my friends went there, including my sister, who performed in "Bye Bye Birdie" in the school play. Pius XII was the pope in Rome when Hitler and Mussolini came to power. Pius XII kept his mouth shut.
Pius X was a traditionalist and a saint. He was against modernism. I don't think he'd have liked the high school named after him. My friends saId that the tough guy priest there, would throw miscreants up against the lockers with their feet a foot off the floor as he slowly choked the consciousness out of them. I think the priest's name was Father O'Mersky. Big guy.
TT - You got the standard Augustinian answer. I know people who fervently believe men have one less rib than women, despite being able to count their own in a matter of seconds.
I went to Thomas Aquinas high school, and the disciplinarian was much the same. Never heard much about Pius X up the street. Probably not a good sign in any case.
Original Sin is the original flaw that sits at the heart of Western civilization. As Richard Dawkins put it, we are born sick and commanded to be well. The concept does not exist in Eastern Orthodoxy. Both Augustine and Aquinas were big on collectivism, and Aquinas' work is the theological foundation for modern corporations and legal "persons," giving us the corporate veil and the idea that a thing can have human rights.
It will be an interesting decade ahead on many fronts.