The Dictatorship

MAGA conservatives are angry at Pope Leo for sharing Catholic thinking

Published

9 months ago

October 5, 2025

MAGA conservatives are angry at Pope Leo for sharing Catholic thinking

Remarking on the news this week that Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich would present Sen. Dick Durbin, a strong supporter of abortion rights, with a lifetime achievement award, Pope Leo gave a theologically correct answer to Durbin’s critics, including some Catholic bishops, who argue that the Illinois senator’s views on abortion should disqualify him. Leo said a potential awardee’s work should be considered in total, not just their position on a single issue. And that being against abortion isn’t the only component of being pro-life.

Someone who says that ‘I’m against abortion, but I’m in agreement with the inhuman treatment of immigrants in the United States,’ I don’t know if that’s pro-life.

POPE LEO xiv

“Someone who says, ‘I’m against abortion but says I am in favor of the death penalty’ is not really pro-life,” he said Tuesday. “Someone who says that ‘I’m against abortion, but I’m in agreement with the inhuman treatment of immigrants in the United States,’ I don’t know if that’s pro-life.”

Not surprisingly, the pope’s statement, especially the part about the inhumane treatment of immigrants here, infuriated conservatives and was commented upon by the White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who took the opportunity to spin the administration’s mistreatment of immigrants by saying Wednesday that she “would reject there was inhumane treatment of illegal immigrants in the United States under this administration.”

I think Pope Leo knows that is not the case. Reports from the press and rulings from multiple judges undercut Leavitt’s claim that “this administration is trying to enforce our nation’s laws in the most humane way possible, and we are upholding the law.”

It is doubtful that the pope will lose any sleep at night over his detractors, but his statement that Sen. Durbin’s decades of public service should be considered as a whole makes this an opportune time to explain some important points about Catholic teachings that supersede contemporary MAGA politics.

First, when Pope Leo said that a pro-death penalty person isn’t pro-life, he was only drawing from Catholic teaching, which states life begins at conception and goes all the way until death. The death penalty, according to Catholic Church teachings in the Vatican II document The joy and hope (27); disregards the inherent dignity of the human person. No matter how reprehensible the crime committed, even the life of the person who committed it is deemed sacred. Opposition to abortion is part of this theological construct, and while many Americans know the Catholic Church for its strong stance against abortion, many have ignored or ridiculed anti-death penalty advocates such as Sister Helen Prejean. They seem unaware that her fight against the death penalty comes from a deep understanding of and commitment to Catholic teaching.

When Pope Leo said that a pro-death penalty person isn’t pro-life, he was only drawing from Catholic teaching.

The humane treatment of immigrants is also part of Catholic social teaching, which defends the right of peoples to migrate to sustain their lives. Consideration is also given by the church to countries and nations to decide how to regulate their borders, and to do so with justice and mercy; but the upshot is you can’t say you are pro-life and then treat other human beings in horrible ways because they’re migrants.

This is why the issue of immigration has been hard in some ways for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to navigate. On one hand, it has been easy for them to be consistent about pro-life with regard to abortion. But it has been difficult across the board to have the bishops be in consensus about immigration. Being true to Catholic teachings means respecting human life and respecting the government … until the government’s treatment of immigrants becomes punitive. But the fact remains that many of the people being taken by Immigration and Customs Enforcement are faithful Catholics. So, the pope’s answer, while incomplete, demonstrates how the church is trying to walk a tight rope: Respect the government and call out its ramped-up deployment of ICE, with many officers having been recorded acting like brutes.

The White House pushed back as hard as it did on Pope Leo’s statement likely because the administration is courting conservative Catholics in an attempt to bolster its credibility. On Sept. 29, for example, the White House published on its website a “Presidential Message on the Feast of St. Michael the Archangel,” featuring a prayer that Pope Leo XIII introduced in 1886 after having a vision of demons and apocalypse. It was a prayer, in part, to defend against the Italian government campaign against the papal states. So why is a president who says he’s a nondenominational Protestant acknowledging a prayer to St. Michael from a long-dead pope?

Recognition of the anniversary of the prayer of St. Michael and the uproar about Pope Leo’s comments may seem unrelated, but both are about the attempt of the current administration to consolidate religious power. Unlike evangelicals who have bought into Trump’s anti-immigrant stance, Catholics are a much more difficult religious group to capture in this regard. That’s why an administration led by a president who routinely expresses glee at inflicting pain upon others is denying — contrary to the evidence — that it is treating immigrants inhumanely. That’s why it’s bringing up Pope Leo XIII’s prayer: to try to get conservative Catholics to ignore the affronts to Catholic social teaching that the administration is carrying out.

Pope Leo’s statement affirmed the church’s stance on abortion, but also illuminated a harsh truth: This administration is wrong to be doing what it’s doing to migrants, no matter what prayer it puts on its website.

The Dictatorship

Renewed Iranian attacks following U.S. strikes threaten to halt talks

Published

4 hours ago

June 29, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

Renewed Iranian attacks following U.S. strikes threaten to halt talks

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran again launched drone and missile attacks targeting Bahrainand Kuwaiton Sunday following new U.S. airstrikes against the Islamic Republic, and threatened a “complete halt” in negotiations to end the warif Washington continues its attacks.

Efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuzwithout Iran’s oversight has sparked days of crossfire. A multinational maritime body overseen by the U.S. Navy said Saturday it would expand a route near Omanfor inbound and outbound traffic.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Sunday reiterated the claim that Tehran must govern the strait to the Persian Gulfthat once carried a fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas.

“Any attempt to establish new or separate arrangements from those currently being carried out by the Islamic Republic of Iran will only lead to further complications, delay the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and increase the level of tension,” Araghchi said.

The strait has long been considered an international waterway despite its location in Iran and Oman’s territorial waters. In recent days, Iran has twice attacked vessels going through a route near the Omani side.

A Pakistani official involved in the technical talks between the U.S. and Iran told MS NOW Sunday that talks between the sides are on hold given the ongoing fighting between the two sides. The source, who did not want to be named to discuss the sensitive matter, said the U.S., Iran, Pakistan and Qatar all have representatives currently in Switzerland to restart discussions when instructed to do so.

But the Trump administration said nothing has been canceled and technical talks are on track for the coming days.

Talks include arrangements around the strait, the removal of a U.S. blockade on Iranian ports and sanctions on Iran, and the future of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium. The two sides have 60 days from their signing of the memorandum of understanding earlier this month to work out details.

Continued conflict in Lebanon threatens the agreement, which says fighting must end on all fronts before certain issues can be discussed.

Strikes target Gulf states hosting US military

Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard claimed responsibility for the attacks in Bahrain and Kuwait.

Kuwait, which hosts a major U.S. military base, said air defenses intercepted Iranian drones and two missiles just after the U.S. strikes in Iran. There were no reports of injuries or damage.

Bahrain said the Iranian strikes damaged a residential building near the international airport and no one was killed. Bahrain is home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet. The damaged building was not near its headquarters.

Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry denounced what it called “a dangerous escalation that reveals that what Tehran is doing is not a passing act, nor an isolated incident, but rather a deliberate approach and a systematic pattern of repeated aggression.”

Later on Sunday, Qatar said a civilian had been killed, and another person was hurt, by shrapnel related to “military operations in the area” after a vessel didn’t return at its scheduled time on Saturday. It did not give details.

Trump accuses Iran of violating ceasefire

The U.S. military said it struck Iranian military “surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, air defense sites, drone storage facilities and minelayer capabilities” following an attack on a ship on Saturday. The Panamanian-flagged tanker Kiku carried crude oil for the state-run energy company of Qatar, another key mediator.

U.S. President Donald Trump on social media accused Iran of violating the deal and warned of a point where the U.S. may “be forced to militarily complete the job.”

“If that happens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist!” Trump wrote.

The exchanges of fire began when an Iranian drone struck a merchant vesseloff Oman on Thursday and the U.S. military retaliated.

Ship traffic on the strait had increased over the past 72 hours, “despite the elevated threat environment,” the multinational maritime body overseen by the U.S. Navy said Sunday, adding that “U.S.-assisted commercial transits continued uninterrupted.”

It said 89 such transits had been made, below the historical average of 138 vessels a day.

Iran calls for new ‘conflict control unit’ in Lebanon

Last week, Israel and Lebanon signed a framework agreementto end the latest fighting between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group, which began two days after the Iran war started when Hezbollah fired at Israel. Israel has responded with an invasion of southern Lebanon and it has said it will not withdraw until Hezbollah is disarmed.

The agreement did not include Iran or Hezbollah, which has criticized itand rejected calls to disarm.

On Sunday, Iran’s foreign minister again said the U.S. must force Israel to halt attacks and withdraw. Israel occupies around 600 square kilometers (231 square miles) in southern Lebanon, which it says it needs as a security buffer.

Sporadic clashes have continued, and Hezbollah’s leader said Saturday that the group would continue fighting until Israel withdraws from Lebanon.

Key Iranian negotiator and parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said Sunday that a meeting of a new “conflict control unit” formed among Iran, the United States and Lebanon should meet as soon as possible, Iran’s state broadcaster reported.

Two strikes hit southern Lebanon on Sunday morning — one in Taybeh town and the other in the Nabatiyeh area, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency. There was no immediate word on casualties.

Overnight, Hezbollah militants killed an Israeli soldier in Deir Siryan village in southern Lebanon, according to Israel’s military. Hezbollah did not comment.

Israel targets a village in Syria

Israel’s military targeted Abdin village in southern Syria’s Daraa province with artillery shelling Sunday evening, Syrian state media reported. There was no immediate report of casualties.

State news agency SANA earlier reported that residents had blocked the road into the village with stones to prevent Israeli forces from entering it again after they had entered and withdrawn.

Earlier Sunday, Israel’s military said it had killed several armed men in southern Syria but gave no details. There was no statement from Syrian officials.

Israel seized control of a U.N.-patrolled buffer zone in southern Syria in December 2024 following the ouster of former Syrian President Bashar Assad in an insurgent offensive. Israeli officials initially called the move temporary, but more recently they have said they plan to occupy the zone indefinitely.

The Dictatorship

Mamdani embraces GOP making him ‘poster child’ of Democratic Party: ‘Let them’

Published

4 hours ago

June 29, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

Mamdani embraces GOP making him ‘poster child’ of Democratic Party: ‘Let them’

Jun. 28, 2026, 4:02 PM EDT

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has a message for political opponents using him as the new face of the Democratic Party: “Let them.”

Recent primary races in New York turned into a proxy war between progressives, including democratic socialists like Mamdani, and establishment Democratic politicians after candidates endorsed by Mamdani faced off against those endorsed by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. After all three of Mamdani’s endorsements bore fruit, a national spotlight shone on the mayor as a growing influence in the Democratic Party.

Asked on ABC News’ “This Week” on Sunday how he felt about Republicans making him the “poster child” for the Democratic Party, Mamdani said, “Let them. We don’t have to ask ourselves what life looks like if a socialist wins. I won last November, and over the course of these last six months, what we’ve delivered for working people are the very things we were told were impossible.”

He touted recent campaign promises he delivered on, including freezing rents for nearly one million rent-stabilized apartments, expanding free child care and filling potholes across the city.

“I think we are seeing a hunger that is not just felt by New Yorkers, but frankly by Americans from coast to coast for a new politics, one that puts working people at the heart of it,” Mamdani told ABC.

Mamdani dismissed criticism from Republicans and Democrats alike. Jeffries, who represents parts of Brooklyn and Queens, said last week that he and the mayor “agree to strongly disagree about some of his endorsements, and he’s got work to do in terms of the conversations that he’s going to have with members of Congress moving forward.” Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut said, “The effort to nationalize New York is going to fail.”

Mamdani said he’s focused on the three congressional candidates he has already endorsed: Brad Lander Darializa Avila Chevalier and Claire Valdez. But he didn’t rule out future endorsements outside of New York.

“It’s not just New York City where working people are asking themselves ‘why can’t I afford my rent, why can’t I afford my groceries, why can’t I find enough money in my pocket for childcare no matter how hard I work?,’” Mamdani said.

When asked about a recent manifesto penned by a number of moderate House Democrats and Democratic candidates, promoting capitalism over socialism, Mamdani doubled down on his vision for the party.

“I’m not interested in writing a manifesto, or frankly, in reading one,” the mayor said. “I’m interested in delivering.”

Mamdani also criticized Democrats who continue to make antagonizing Trump the center of their politics rather than working people.

“You’ve got to have something that you are not just willing to stand up for, but that you’re also willing to explain how this is relevant to working people,” he said. “And I think this just comes back to the fact that I’m leading a city that’s the wealthiest city in the wealthiest country in the history of the world. I could end the sentence there and say that life is great for 8.5 million people. But it’s also a city where one in four are living in poverty. And for far too many Americans, those contradictions have become their day to day life.”

Erum Salam is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW, with a focus on how global events and foreign policy shape U.S. politics. She previously was a breaking news reporter for The Guardian.

The Dictatorship

Iran soccer team leaves after narrow loss, denouncing ‘disaster World Cup’

Published

4 hours ago

June 29, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

Iran soccer team leaves after narrow loss, denouncing ‘disaster World Cup’

Jun. 28, 2026, 12:41 PM EDT

Despite remaining undefeated in the initial round of the World Cupthe Iran national team is going home after failing to secure enough points to advance. But they do not leave quietly.

Iran’s tumultuous journey in the World Cup has been the subject of widespread attention amid the U.S. war with Iran, with the United States being one of three countries hosting matches. The Iranian team captain, Mehdi Taremi, blamed FIFA, saying, “It’s a disaster World Cup. A disaster.”

“I mean, FIFA, they have to solve every problem here but unfortunately they could not solve it since the beginning,” Taremi said at a press conference Friday after his team drew with Egypt, knocking Iran out of the tournament.

He pointed to the team’s biggest obstacle. “We don’t have our logistics people here. They don’t have a visa,” Taremi said, adding, “We always complain about these things but no one helps. No one.”

The Trump administration denied visas to key Iranian staff and severely restricted players’ travel. The team’s base camp was moved from Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico, where it was required to return immediately after each game.

“How is it possible we always have to travel from Tijuana? We love the people in Tijuana. We love Mexico,” the Iran team captain said, but added, “It’s not fair.”

Throughout the tournament, the Football Federation of Iran lamented the number of issues, threatening to lodge a formal complaint against FIFA. Head coach Amir Ghalenoei called his team the “most oppressed” in the tournament. A few days before Iran’s final match against Egypt in Seattle on Friday, the U.S. loosened travel restrictions to allow players to enter the United States two days before the game.

“The Iran team will still be required to leave the day the match ends,” the Department of Homeland Security said ahead of the match. “The overall security measures and protocol are the same. We remain committed to providing the safest tournament possible for players, staff, and fans alike.”

Still, Iran finished Group G in third place with three points earned after drawing in its matches against Belgium, New Zealandand Egypt. Under FIFA’s new 48-team format, the top eight of third-place teams move on to the next round, but Iran narrowly fell short.

The team initially seemed poised to advance when it was tied with the same amount of points as Algeria, which scored a goal in stoppage-time against Austria Saturday night. But moments later, Austria tied the game, guaranteeing Iran’s elimination.

Off the field, tensions with Iran heightened Friday when the U.S. struck Iran despite signing a memorandum of understanding meant to halt hostilities in order to finalize a peace deal.

Erum Salam is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW, with a focus on how global events and foreign policy shape U.S. politics. She previously was a breaking news reporter for The Guardian.