Pat Buchanan: Will the West Survive the Century?

By Patrick J. Buchanan

“Nativism … xenophobia or worse” is behind the triumph of Brexit and the support for Donald Trump, railed President Barack Obama in Ottawa.

Obama believes that resistance to transformational change in the character and identity of countries of the West, from immigration, can only be the product of sick minds or sick hearts.

According to The New York Times, he will spend the last months of his presidency battling “the nativism and nationalism” of Trump and “Britain’s Brexiteers.”

Prediction: Obama will fail. For rising ethnonationalism and militarization of frontiers is baked in the cake, if the West wishes to remain the West.

The Ninth Most "Trustworthy Argentine"

While flying back to the Vatican after a visit to Armenia, Pope Francis declared that Christians should apologize to LGBTs and others who’ve been “offended” or “exploited” by the church. It’s the type of radical thinking that has helped Francis — the first non-European pontiff in more than 1,200 years — achieve a level of celebrity nearly unprecedented in the history of Catholicism.

But now it seems Francis’ star is swiftly falling where it perhaps matters most — his homeland, Argentina. Indeed, a recent local poll revealed that Francis — the former Jorge Mario Bergoglio, archbishop of Buenos Aires — has tumbled from the first to the ninth most “trustworthy Argentine” in just two years.

Read more at New York Post >> 

 

Australia's Election: Malcolm Turnbull Warned Party Infighting Could Jeopardise Election Outcome

Malcolm Turnbull - A tight election result is causing backlash within the Liberal Party.

A key backer of Malcolm Turnbull has told him there is a real risk that Bill Shorten could become prime minister if the Coalition "falls into a rabble" over the outcome of the federal election.

It is a nervous wait for Mr Turnbull, who will not know until the end of the week whether he has won enough seats for the Coalition to win a majority in the Lower House.

But the recriminations have begun and the outcome is fuelling growing anger within the Coalition over the performance of the Prime Minister.


Read more at ABC >

Nigel Farage Has Earned His Place In History As The Man Who Led Britain Out Of The EU

Nigel Farage has persuaded Britain to vote to leave the European Union. Mission accomplished for the Ukip chief, so it's little surprise that he has felt able to ride off into the sunset, announcing his resignation today by declaring: ""I want my life back".

The Ukip leader said he had "couldn't possibly achieve more", having presided over the biggest political upheaval in modern British history - which would certainly not have happened without him.

For years, the Establishment mocked and ignored the Ukip leader, but he is the man who put Britain's withdrawal from the EU on the agenda. His  party, once dismissed by Michael Howard as a collection of "cranks and political gadflies", forced the Prime Minister to call the referendum.

And when the referendum came, David Cameron told us we had a choice between his Britain and Nigel Farage's. Britain chose Mr Farage's vision.

Read more at The Telegraph >> 

 

America The Beautiful

On the 65th Anniversary of Pope Benedict XVI's Priestly Ordination

On this, the 65th anniversary of Pope Benedict XVI's priestly ordination, we want to join Catholics and non-Catholics throughout the world in wishing him every joy and blessing.

We sorely miss his brilliant teaching, leadership and profound personal holiness on the Chair of St. Peter.  Indeed, he seems to us like the brilliant, dazzling dawn that often precedes the most horrific storm.  We thank God that we have his clear, faithful teaching to fall back upon during this time of rudderless chastisement.  May God richly bless him and draw countless souls through him.

The following is our post which commemorated Pope Benedict's 85th birthday.

Today is the 85th birthday of our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, and this week we will mark the 7th anniversary of his election to the Chair of Saint Peter.  For this gentle, kind, brilliant, holy teacher and shepherd, we give thanks to God and pray that he continues as Christ's 265th Vicar on Earth for many more years.

In these seven years, he has undertaken 23 international trips, including the first state visit by a Pope to England and Scotland (Pope John Paul II made a pastoral visit in 1982).  He has made 26 pastoral trips throughout Italy.  He has presided over 4 synods of bishops and 3 world youth days.  In 3 encyclicals and in all of his many books, homilies, letters and addresses he has spoken powerfully, clearly and from the heart, to the heart.  One of his frequent references to his predecessor and friendship with Christ provides a beautiful example:

Are we not perhaps all afraid in some way? If we let Christ enter fully into our lives, if we open ourselves totally to Him, are we not afraid that He might take something away from us?...And once again the Pope said: No! If we let Christ into our lives, we lose nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing of what makes life free, beautiful and great. No! Only in this friendship do we experience beauty and liberation....When we give ourselves to Him, we receive a hundredfold in return. Yes, open, open wide the doors to Christ – and you will find true life.

His contributions to building the unity of the Church and healing old divisions have been monumental and historic.  There has never been such friendship and collaboration with leaders of the Orthodox churches as there has been throughout this pontificate.  Through his apostolic constitution Anglicanorum coetibus he has provided a bridge through which thousands of Anglicans and other Protestants are entering the Church, while maintaining their own rich patrimony.  Through his Apostolic letter Summorum Pontificum he has restored the Roman Church's own patrimony, ending nearly a half century of division and conflict and restoring reverence and beauty to sacred liturgy.  And in the English-speaking world he has restored a faithful and reverent translation of the Roman Missal.  He has been tireless in seeking reconciliation with those alienated by false interpretations and reckless innovations following the Second Vatican Council.

Most importantly, his joyful, faithful and total submission to the service of Jesus Christ and His Church has inspired vibrant, new, evangelical growth throughout the universal Church that has also spawned a boom in religious and priestly vocations.

For all of this and so much more, we wish Pope Benedict God's richest blessings, a happy birthday and heartily proclaim "Viva il Papa!"

The Rise and Fall of Pope Francis

Many have said that we deserve this awful pontificate on account of our own failings. Then let us make amends now, with prayer and Catholic action, that the madness descended upon us as a divine chastisement may, by a divine favor, be brought to an end at last.

Yet again Francis has told us what he thinks, yet again the Church is rocked by scandal, and yet again the Vatican has had to issue a “clarification” in an effort to calm the storm. As the whole world knows by now, during rambling remarks at a “pastoral conference” for priests of the Diocese of Rome at Saint John Lateran on June 16, Francis declared that “the great majority of our sacramental marriages are null” because the spouses “don’t know what they say” when they say “Yes, for life.”

But Francis is also “sure” that couples in the countryside of northeast Argentina who cohabit out of the husband’s superstitious fear of marriage vows, avoiding Catholic nuptials until they are grandparents, have “a true marriage, they have the grace of marriage, precisely because of the fidelity they have.”

Read more at The Remnant >>