Rich Baris THE PEOPLE'S PUNDIT @Peoples_Pundit My decision on Russia is a very simple one. I am in the process of negotiating Peace in the war between Russia and Ukraine, and don’t want to do anything that will drive, foolishly, Russia away from the bargaining table. Great progress is being made, and that includes current hostage negotiations! Signing that document at this time will do that, and I can sign it later, or any time that I want! Perhaps more importantly, Russia is doing very little, if anything, to help the Islamic Republic of Iran, compared to what they could be doing, and I want to keep it that way, and will, unless stupid people get in the way. Lastly, Zelenskyy is using Diesel Refineries in Russia as a target, knowing that these attacks are seriously hurting the world diesel markets, including those in the United States. Farmers, ranchers, and businesses of all kinds are suffering greatly from this, but Russia is, nevertheless, sending, at a low price, millions of...
Leo did it again--or rather, he didn't. What's so bad about waving, instead? It's an acknowledgment, isn't it? True, but an acknowledgment of what kind?
He did it again--or rather, he didn't. Appearing in public after surgery, the man the world calls Leo XIV was met with cheers. Dressed in white, ready to read something, evidently, he raised his hand and . . . wait for it . . . waved at everybody. Punto. Those of us who were watching intently the first time this man appeared after the conclave on the loggia felt a familiar, nauseating sense not only of disappointment, but also of betrayal. Disappointment, because as a Catholic one is profounding longing for, and reasonably expecting, a blessing in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Betrayal, because this guy isn't the Prom Queen. He's supposed to be the Pope. The transition from supernatural to natural, from vertical to horizontal in the "lived experience" of the institutional Church is just about complete. What's so bad about waving, instead? It's an acknowledgment, isn't it? True, but an acknowledgment of wha...