He's just an empty vessel to be stuffed full of whatever abhorrent PAC pays him the most. Manchurian Candidate with an extra side of creepy & weird.

Because Vance should know better, which is what makes him even more distasteful.

But I don’t just can’t agree with the idea of “if you don’t name Trump, you’ve accomplished nothing.” I think it’s very important that we get beyond Trump and MAGA and explain right and wrong without reference to him or his ilk. Because once his name is invoked, he’s kinda won the attention game that he is playing and the argument becomes more about “why do you hate Trump?” The next successful national Democrat will be someone who can get the country’s attention on policies and values without a syllable referring to Trump. That’s his superpower. He becomes everything the conversation is about.

“Hey let’s do a reax piece with conservative Catholics mad at Trump. Chad get over to South Bend for sone B-roll.”

But I do think it made sense from a sort of "audience algorithm" perspective why they'd bring up ND in this context and then throw it on the front page.

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Did they think to drop by the admin building, the theology dept, or the honest to god Kroc Institute of Peace while they were there? Or did they just chat up random salesmen at the Grotto?

When the kids on campus who are most conservative are finding an issue, the statement reads extremely lukewarm.

I'm assuming the BoT told Fr Bob "do not get us in the sights", but maybe time for Fr Bob to say "my boss is in Rome"? But, I guess he's not a Jesuit...

Didn't have a chance to post it earlier.

https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/15/politics/notre-dame-trump-pope-leo

Again, to the "average" American, Notre Dame represents Catholicism in America. The failure to stand up strongly and explicitly against Trump in all this is an absolute shame.

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These f’ing idiots … are so inept and stupid.

There’s a new book out (“Into the Wood Chipper”) from one of the career professionals at USAid that witnessed DOGE’s complete cfuck … some of the quotes just further clarify this administration couldnt be more incompetent …

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/15/books/review/into-the-wood-chipper-nicholas-enrich.h...

https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Into-the-Wood-Chipper/Nicholas-Enrich/9781668226...

https://www.rawstory.com/trump-usaid-2676709224/#

See above

I've said all along everyone knows who they are talking about, because of things like the 60 Minutes interview.

I'm with Savage on this. I don't feel the outrage.

I presumed for his inconsistent reasoning.

by Dowd. Now you're saying, look to the Cardinals?

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Statement on "President Obama's July 21 executive order", which "is unprecedented and extreme and should be opposed":

https://www.usccb.org/news/2014/usccb-chairmen-respond-unprecedented-and-extreme-execut...

Timothy Dolan, speaking officially in his capacity as president of the USCCB, calls out Obama by name over his stance on marriage equality:

https://www.usccb.org/news/2012/cardinal-dolan-president-obamas-remarks-marriage-deeply...

Joe Biden mentioned by name when he rescinded the Mexico City policy, using some pretty incendiary language:

https://www.usccb.org/news/2021/bishops-decry-executive-order-promotes-abortion-overseas

I'm also old enough to remember half the bishops in the country issuing public statements that Biden or Pelosi best not show their faces in a Communion line anywhere in their diocese.

Contrasted with "recent public comments", I mean come on.

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on 60 Minutes.

I think one hell of a lot more people saw that than read this statement.

I can't get upset about it, at all, sorry.

Also, the president of the USCCB, Archbishop Coakley of Oklahoma City, said this on Monday:

"I am disheartened that the President chose to write such disparaging words about the Holy Father," said Archbishop Coakley in a brief statement. "Pope Leo is not his rival; nor is the Pope a politician. He is the Vicar of Christ who speaks from the truth of the Gospel and for the care of souls."

https://www.nashvillecatholic.org/news/posts/archbishop-coakley-responds-to-president-t...

it's basically joining the JD Vance Debate Club instead of taking the opportunity to enlighten everyone on just war doctrine and why the U.S. is violating it.

Instead, it's, "Well, actually, nerdlinger, what the Holy Father said was..."

I genuinely dislike the USCCB statement.

"in light of recent public comments" is the weakest mealy-mouthed horseshit they could possibly put out, short of not making a statement at all.

They can't say nothing, but if they put out anything stronger, then they'd run the risk of not stacking the federal judiciary with as many TradCaths as humanly possible, which is priority #1 for the USCCB.

"Mike Johnson is aware of something the Pope said? Wow. Wild days."

Mike Johnson is an evangelical from northern Louisiana. Not exactly fans of Catholics up there, especially the Catholics south of them. I note that the Catholic Trumper governor of Louisiana, Jeff Landry, is completely and uncharacteristically silent on the matter.

or if you’re jumping on the Savage dog pile.

Sorry if I wasn’t clear.

I've been scanning releases on the USCCB website. There are references to legislative or regulatory actions by "The Biden Administration," which doesn't seem unfair.

The juxtaposition of the two responses here is hilarious, albeit in a very macabre sense considering the shitty situation.

They don’t take well to being told that they’re wrong.

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Contrast this to 2008-2016 and 2020-24, where Obama and Biden were explicitly and personally called out in any statement that even tangentially referenced public policy.

The political leadership of this country is taking dead aim at the Pope. THE POPE. And the best they can muster is "in light of recent public comments". COMMENTS BY WHOM, YOU COWARDS??

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have to fight this $hit.

and the apparent refusal of practically any of his myriad political sycophants to publicly distance themselves from his toxic behavior (let alone actually dispute it), it's clear that their only plan for not getting slaughtered in November is to rig the hell out of the election and compel as many people as possible not to vote. It's not the *worst* plan I've ever heard, but the way things are headed, it's going to take a shit-ton of rigging.

Basically, you can't out-pope the Pope, JD.

https://www.usccb.org/news/2026/us-bishops-chairman-doctrine-issues-clarification-just-...

WASHINGTON – In light of recent public comments regarding the Catholic Church’s teaching on war and peace, Bishop James Massa, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Doctrine, issued the following statement:

“For over a thousand years, the Catholic Church has taught just war theory and it is that long tradition the Holy Father carefully references in his comments on war. A constant tenet of that thousand-year tradition is a nation can only legitimately take up the sword ‘in self-defense, once all peace efforts have failed’ (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2308). That is, to be a just war it must be a defense against another who actively wages war, which is what the Holy Father actually said: ‘He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war.’

“When Pope Leo XIV speaks as supreme pastor of the universal Church, he is not merely offering opinions on theology, he is preaching the Gospel and exercising his ministry as the Vicar of Christ. The consistent teaching of the Church is insistent that all people of good will must pray and work toward lasting peace while avoiding the evils and injustices that accompany all wars.”

in kerosene and light a match. Johnson knows he's already done come January, but Vance appears to enjoy self-immolation just for the sake of it.

Lots of prominent Catholic politicians have differed with official teachings, sometimes in public disagreements (abortion comes to mind as example #1), but Vance is the first guy I can recall to pope-splain to the pope himself. There's a big difference between saying, "well I respect Catholic teaching and believe we are operating according to just war doctrine" and what he actually said, which was shut up, Pope, stay in your lane.

Beyond the obvious fallacies in Johnson and Vance's statements (I don't think we have enough room to list all of them), they're keeping this story alive and fanning the flames. You think they'd want to just let Trump's remarks get swept away with the next idiotic thing out of his mouth, but no. They're piling on! They are absolute morons under delusions of invincibility.

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It's not 'political', you fucking egghead. It's about basic morality.

Also, when you start making noise about cutting Medicare, childcare, etc, etc, etc, to burn more money bombing people half a world away, politics suddenly shows up on everyone's doorstep. You are prioritizing wanton destruction & death over basic human care for your own citizens. If Mike Johnson doesn't believe the Pope has an obligation to weigh in on the government making those sorts of decisions, then he's not arguing in good faith. Of course, he never really was to begin with, about anything.

than the Pope.

https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3mjk5xkgnys2y