The Severe Penalty

The most severe penalty known to humans is the death penalty. Recently the wife and I were watching a show on Netflix that takes place in California called The Closer, in which a person said he would confess, but wanted the death penalty off the table. The series stars a female deputy police chief in LA. I am not sure what season, much less episode we are in, but the series seems to have started over twenty years ago in 2005. I knew it was dated by the vehicles used in the episodes. The series predates the 2019 executive order of Governor Gavin Newsom in which he placed a moratorium on the death penalty for California.

On April 24, the Department of Justice announced it will allow firing squads as a method of execution. In a situation of reality is stranger than fiction, on that same day Pope Leo XIV appeared via video to a Chicago conference which was regarding the 25th anniversary of Illinois ending its death penalty; legislation was signed by then Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, on March 9, 2011. 

Pope Leo Video appearance at DePaul Univ
ABC 7

As with the "Just War" theory in the prior blog post, the Pope was not creating new church teaching but was reiterating teaching in the Catholic Catechism. The Catechism was amended by Pope Francis in August 2018 to put church teaching firmly against the use of the death penalty. Hence, now the Catechism reads: 

         The death penalty

2267. Recourse to the death penalty on the part of legitimate authority, following a fair trial, was long considered an appropriate response to the gravity of certain crimes and an acceptable, albeit extreme, means of safeguarding the common good.

Today, however, there is an increasing awareness that the dignity of the person is not lost even after the commission of very serious crimes. In addition, a new understanding has emerged of the significance of penal sanctions imposed by the state. Lastly, more effective systems of detention have been developed, which ensure the due protection of citizens but, at the same time, do not definitively deprive the guilty of the possibility of redemption.

Consequently, the Church teaches, in the light of the Gospel, that “the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person”,[1] and she works with determination for its abolition worldwide.

Previously, the Catechism had left a small window open where the 1992 edition allowed it in rare circumstances, but noted such “cas­es in which the exe­cu­tion of the offend­er is an absolute neces­si­ty are very rare, if not practically nonexistent.” St. John Paul II while under his pontificate crafted the above language which left a bit if wiggle room, he personally spoke against the death penalty and often pleaded to the proper authority for clemency of those sentenced to death. In a 1995 encyclical he argued that punishment should be focused on rehabilitation and not on revenge. The more traditional-oriented Benedict often preached the same message. Hence, Francis' movement was consistent with the recent  magisterial teachings of the church.

With Pope Leo's comments upholding the Church's current thought, I was amazed to see varied far right Catholic websites popping on my Facebook page (probably since I had read a few articles on this conference and the algorithm provided them to me) quoting the 1992 edition of the Catechism and saying Pope Leo did not know what he was talking about. We today have a new set of Cafeteria Catholics, who may be against abortion, but do not favor the church teaching on the death penalty being inadmissible. Many years ago, in the 1980's, Cardinal Bernardin of Chicago promoted what he called the Seamless Garment Theory. This is  a holistic and moral approach for all aspects of life from conception to natural death. The theory, first noted by Eileen Egan in 1971, but further developed and popularized by Bernardin, is inspired by the fourth Gospel, John 19:23, where Jesus' tunic was woven in one piece and not torn, which symbolized a unified approach to life. Both ends of the political spectrum tend to run counter to the Seamless Garment theory. Some conservatives support the death penalty and question the just war theory, and some liberals support euthanasia and abortion. Hence, there exist cafeteria Catholics on both ends of the US political spectrum.

I think the far right Catholics purposefully failed to quote the revised Catechism, not because they did not know about the change, but that they do not believe Francis was a legitimate heir to the throne of Peter. One can see it in other writings were they go to pains not to name him, almost as if he is Tom Marvolo Riddle, also known as "He who should not be named", or Lord Voldemort of the Harry Potter series. Hence, they can no longer complain about liberal cafeteria Catholics as they now are part of the salad/pasta/potato bar crowd too. In fact, they may be worse, as in not recognizing Pope Francis they are essentially modern day sedevacantists. 

The reason for the Church positions from abortion to natural death relates to the dignity of the human person, and that even the most heinous act cannot take away the dignity of a human. The death penalty also cuts short the ability of a person to convert and repent, in other words to ask forgiveness and mercy. Further, current penal systems are such that the common good is not put at risk. There are also other practical considerations, such as wrongful convictions. 

At least the US is not in competition, yet, with China on this matter.  A couple years ago Amnesty International reported that China executes more individuals a year than all other 54 countries combined. This includes Iran where the executions were in the hundreds, although today may be higher.

In my mind, Cardinal Bernardin had it correct in promoting the seamless garment theory. We see it in our society today, from both the right and the left, where personal beliefs are voiced and supported above the common good. Putting a person to death is the most severe penalty, and is one whose time has come to completely end.

Just War

Unless a person has been living underground the past several weeks, you would not have missed the verbal exchange between President Trump and Pope Leo XIV regarding the US-Israel War with Iran. Much of the discussion has focused on what is and is not a "Just War." More importantly, there is the question of who makes the call on whether or not a war is just.

The Just War theory has been around for a great deal of time. In the western tradition, Cicero, was one of the first to note that war should have some legal basis. He of the Roman Republic and later Roman Empire would know a great deal about war, assassinations and power grabs. However, it was left to St Augustine, in the fifth century, to set forth the basic principles of what is known as the Just War Theory (it really should be a paradigm). Augustine noted the following are required for a a just war: a legitimate authority; just cause; right intention; and an ultimate goal to establish peace. This was later expanded upon by a few different persons, most notably St Thomas Aquinas. Aquinas reiterated many of Augustine's points, but also further developed the paradigm. For example, he noted that violence was to be the last resort and he began to develop the concept of what we know today as proportionality. Other Catholic thinkers, such Erasmus were critical of the Just War Theory, noting that a disadvantaged peace is better than a just war. Thinking about war is not new to the world, and it is rather odd that policy makers go back to a paradigm established in the fifth century. 

St Augustine (US Catholic)

Hence, in the western world, it can be said that the Just War paradigm arises from, and has been developed by and through Catholic theology. In fact, the idea of a just war is still under going revision in Catholic Church teaching. Pope Francis, in his encyclical Fratelli Tutti (3 Oct 2020) (see linked document starting at paragraph 255), stated: "We can no longer think of war as a solution, because its risks will probably always be greater than its supposed benefits. In view of this, it is very difficult nowadays to invoke the rational criteria elaborated in earlier centuries to speak of the possibility of a “just war”. Never again war!" (Francis provided a footnote, number 242 which is provided in a note, below.) Francis and other pontiffs have come to this conclusion mainly based on technology and weaponry now available, and its impact on innocent persons. On the one hand there exists more precision in killing devices, but on the other they are much more destructive.

Pope Leo XIV (AP)

For the current Iran war, and proving Francis' point, Pope Leo has received a letter of from parents who lost their children to a US bomb in Minab, Iran. The letter expresses appreciation for Leo speaking out on the war and asking that he continue to be a voice for the voiceless. Leo also carries a photo of a young Muslim boy in Lebanon welcoming him to that country. Leo noted that the boy was killed by an Israeli strike in Lebanon. Leo further went on to say, on his way back from Africa, that "as a pastor I cannot support war." On 26 April he described those who wage wars as thieves who rob the earth of a peaceful future.

Iranian Parent letter to Pope Leo (Catholic connect)

Many consider the approach by Francis and Leo as Pollyannish, not rooted in reality. Dialogue, per the two popes, is the key to understanding and meaningful exchange. Peace negotiation is not like doing a real estate transaction. Leo is upset that peace talks are once again off. To this end, he has faced criticism for his calls for an end to the Iran war and the parties to engage in dialogue. If there is one person who is the competent authority on the Just War Theory it is the Pope, since the paradigm is rooted in Catholic theology. However, as pointed out with Pope Francis' Fratelli Tutti encyclical it still developing. Francis says that that risks of war seem to outweigh any benefits. The US Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a statement in response to criticisms Leo has received in speaking against the war: 

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.’

Thomas Aquinas (Catholic Social Thought)

With the USCCB having weighed in, one would think the whole hierarchy in the US Church would align. But, that is too much to ask of Bishop Robert Barron. He of the "Word on Fire" media empire, and a member of President Trump's Religious Liberty Commission. Barron pointed to the last sentence of section 2309 of the Catholic Catechism which reads: "The evaluation of these conditions for moral legitimacy belongs to the prudential judgment of those who have responsibility for the common good."  This led Barron to conclude on 20 April the following: 

The role of the Church, therefore, is to call for peace and to urge that any conflict be strictly circumscribed by the moral constraints of the just war criteria. But it is not the role of the Church to evaluate whether a particular war is just or unjust. That appraisal belongs to the civil authorities, who, one presumes, have requisite knowledge of conditions on the ground.

Pope Francis (silsilahdialogue.com)

If what Barron says is true, that would then hold to other judgements made by civil authorities on moral teachings. But, I think Barron is wrong. The statement in the Catechism "...belongs to the prudential judgment of those who have responsibility for the common good." (bold by author) does not necessarily put the full onus on civil authorities as he states. Given the UN Charter, it could apply to that body. If it was meant to apply to civic government I think the Catechism would have used the term "public authorities" which is used in two subsequent paragraphs in the Catechism:

2310 Public authorities,(bold by author)  in this case, have the right and duty to impose on citizens the obligations necessary for national defense.
2311 Public authorities (bold by author) should make equitable provision for those who for reasons of conscience refuse to bear arms; these are nonetheless obliged to serve the human community in some other way. 108

Instead, in 2309 it is the broad in those who have "responsibility for the common good." If the church were to cede authority for what is the common good, than it may as well not speak on anything, because almost all issues are political. I may not know much about theology, but I had written ordinances, rules, policies and regulations for over thirty years, so I know something about construction of regulations and guidance documents. If the church meant for civil authorities to have the final say in what is a just war, as claimed by Barron, then it would simply have used: "...belongs to the prudential judgment of the responsible public authorities."  Clearly, as used in 2310 and 2311 public authorities relates to civil authorities. 

Hence, I think Barron is wrong on a few counts. First, ceding judgement to only a civil authority makes it their decision. This gets to Pope Francis' point, that today any war can be justified. By Barron's logic, the issues of policy would be left only to the judgement of the respective government. Second, Barron's discourse fails when the whole section on avoiding war in the Catechism is read. The judgement is left to those with responsibility for the common good, which is not just public authorities. If Joseph Ratzinger, when writing the Catechism, wanted the common good to be civil government he would have used the term he began the two subsequent sections with, Public authorities, but he did not. 

What is interesting is that neither the USCCB, or Barron made any mention of Fratelli Tutti. I realize that many in the US hierarchy did not like Pope Francis, but they should give his due for his encyclicals as much as they do those of popes they may like. One could say they are cafeteria Catholics the way they pick and choose. This is a good thing to know, since the term Cafeteria Catholic has been normally applied to less traditional members of the church by more conservative and traditional members. It is those latter members who are today's Cafeteria Catholics.

Barron and Leo (greydanus.substack)

Leo has been criticized by some who say he is too much a pacifist and ignores the Just War Theory, and hence needs to go back to Sunday school (Washington Post opinion column). But, as seen, the idea of war being just is becoming more restrictive in Catholic teaching; Fratelli Tutti reviews old and provided new thinking on war.  I suspect Leo is following in the views of modern time prior holders of the office from John XXIII to Francis. What they are saying is that there is another way, and that way is the Gospel. Leo, a son of Augustine, understands what he says. He understands that, as America Magazine put it, pacifism is not incidental but essential to St Augustine's Just War Theory.*

Many people who belong to an organization will have issues with some of the positions taken by that organization, which does not mean that one ridicules but that there should be sincere efforts at understanding. We are in a multifaceted world, where secular authorities and other faith traditions need not follow Christian, much less, Catholic teaching on war or any other matter. However, when it comes to the Just War Theory, which arises in the west out of Catholic theology more than any other philosophy, the pope is the most competent authority to speak. 

NOTE:  Footnote 242 of Fratelli Tutti reads: "Saint Augustine, who forged a concept of “just war” that we no longer uphold in our own day, also said that “it is a higher glory still to stay war itself with a word, than to slay men with the sword, and to procure or maintain peace by peace, not by war”  (Epistola 229, 2: PL 33, 1020)."

Fr Edward Sweeney (augustinian.org)

*Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV is an Augustinian priest who was born and raised in the Chicago area. My first cousin once removed--Edward Sweeney, OSA, (1911-1984) was an Augustinian also from Chicago. Fr Edward, my mom's firsts cousin, served in schools and parishes in Chicago and Michigan. He developed Parkinson's disease and retired from service in 1979. I wondered on May 8, 2025, the day Robert Prevost was elected, whether Fr. Edward Sweeney ever crossed paths with the young Robert Prevost. 

Thomas, a Saint for our Times

On Sunday April 12, the week after Easter, the Catholic Church celebrated Divine Mercy Sunday, a recent addition to the Church calendar. Divine Mercy Sunday was proclaimed in 2000 by a Polish Pope to honor a request made by a Polish nun who is said to have recorded Jesus' request for a feast day dedicated to His mercy. Celebrated on the second Sunday of Easter, the Gospel reading for Divine Mercy Sunday is unique as it is one of the few, including Easter Sunday morning, where the same reading is used in each of the three liturgical year cycles. In this case it is John 20:19-31, which is about the apostle Thomas. I think that, given current times of AI, fake news, internet scams, over-hype, phone scams and the like, Thomas, who in this reading is a skeptic, is a saint for our times. 

The first part of the Gospel recounts Jesus' appearance to the disciples by entering a locked room. Thomas was not with the group.  I suspect Thomas was scrounging up some food for the group, actually doing something other than cowering in fear. I see this as logical explanation for a dutiful apostle. When informed of the encounter, Thomas expressed some disbelief. His famous words were grabbed on by almost all to give him the nickname "Doubting Thomas":  “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” 

Source: Wikipedia

A week later, corresponding with the Second Sunday of Easter, Jesus appears again to the group in a locked room. Thomas had completed his chore as quartermaster, so he had time to join the other disciples in lounging or cowering in fear on this second Sunday. Jesus could have waited to appear on Easter Sunday evening when Thomas returned from gathering sustenance, or whatever he was doing, for the group of disciples. But, he did not. Jesus chose to make Thomas the fall guy to prove a point as the penultimate paragraph of the Gospel concludes with, "Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” I guess, this shows mercy, even though it seems close to gaslighting Thomas, but is often referenced as a gentle rebuke and a nod to those who believe without being able to see him. 

Thomas, the skeptic, fits as a saint for our current times. With AI, fake news, and phishing scams in email or whatever, we all need to be skeptical. As a member of the Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District Commission, I have a Madison Sewer District email account for which I have to do their mandated training for computer safety. I get nasty grams if I have not completed it, even before the prescribed times. A few of these sessions had as the trainer a tall thin young man with a German accent, which does not exude much confidence in me. He reminded me more of a young Nazi in "Downfall" than one in Hogan's Heroes; somewhat bias I know. I guess it could be worse, it could be a person with a Russian accent. He is the same guy that says a password should be a phrase, like: "I drink coffee in the morning". He says that would be hard to figure out. I am not sure how he fits the often required special character(s) in unless he uses "I drink coffee in the morning!"  He did not address if he uses that type of password with or without spaces, I guess it is without phrases.

We had a recent training on the use of AI, and where it was clear what not to put in the "cloud", i.e. server farm, and it explained the policies an organization should have. Well, the district is moving to a multi-million dollar Enterprise Resource Management System ($6.5). I inquired why not use our own servers, and was provided with several reasons, but now this training makes it seem as if some good amounts of that information the system plans for a data farm should not be in the proverbial cloud. I don't think the IT people have been thinking ahead. The district lacks policies on use of AI, and is planning to use the cloud contrary to what the training seemed to indicate. I asked for an agenda topic for staff to report on how the district is developing AI policies and mentioned that perhaps this ERM system is not the best for all of the data and financials we have to be in the cloud. Odd, how we had the training even before we have any policies. 

After completing the online training doing with attacks, like phishing, and usually a day or two later (as if that is not a clue), there is a test email trying to phish us. The past two were supposed to have been from the HR director. Given that you can read a bit of the email before opening, I could see that one, back in January, was about a delay in W2 forms. I had to think a bit about what I could read. I chose not to open it. I don't open emails from people I am not familiar with or usually get, but I send an email to a trusted staff at MMSD who lets me know if good to open or not. If not good, I delete. I am supposed to report it, but have not figured that out on the district I-Pad I use. If nothing else, the training does give you insights into the clever tricks scammers use.

With so much happening in the world, it also brings up how polite one should be when in public. Being polite today may get you into trouble. One has to go with their gut instinct, which is sometimes better than your mind. I have heard of situations where a person was robbed when they went to help someone. You could be nice and polite to someone who has a nefarious deed in mind. 

Artificial Intelligence, may have benefits, but also has downside for being used for activities that scam, or provide fake news.  It is a sad commentary on our world today, but it shows that being skeptical is not a bad thing. This is why Thomas is a saint for our times.

Jan 9

In a long, but somewhat narrow room, a crowd gathered in the Vatican's Apostolic Palace to hear words of Pope Leo XIV on the annual occasion of the Holy See's "State of the World" address. It was a first for the pontiff as he had been selected in May the prior year. This address was to the diplomats accredited to the Vatican. The 44 minute speech, on January 9, touched on a number of topics, but a few sentences in the speech seem to have set off a chain of events resonating into April. History is intractable, one never knows what will set off a chain of events that will resonate through the year, and beyond. This speech, or perhaps just a few sentences, triggered a series of events which are now, in mid-April, only coming to the public realm. 

Pope Leo Arriving to Speak to Diplomats

First, let us go back to January of this year. The speech was before the war in Iran, but after the US grabbed Nicholas Maduro, the then president of Venezuela. The US administration was also threatening to seize Greenland and make Canada the 51st state. He was making waves about the inadequacy of the NATO alliance, and the US abandoning its commitments. The NATO talk today is only worse after Europe has not become involved in the Iran conflict. The following seems to the part of the speech that has mostly drawn the ire of the US Administration.

In our time, the weakness of multilateralism is a particular cause for concern at the international level. A diplomacy that promotes dialogue and seeks consensus among all parties is being replaced by a diplomacy based on force, by either individuals or groups of allies. War is back in vogue and a zeal for war is spreading. The principle established after the Second World War, which prohibited nations from using force to violate the borders of others, has been completely undermined. Peace is no longer sought as a gift and a desirable good in itself, or in the pursuit of “the establishment of the ordered universe willed by God, with a more perfect form of justice among men and women.” [4] Instead, peace is sought through weapons as a condition for asserting one’s own dominion. This gravely threatens the rule of law, which is the foundation of all peaceful civil coexistence. (Bold by author)

I can only imagine the notes Brian Burch, the US Ambassador the Holy See was forming in his mind as he listened to the talk. It did not take him long to report back to his boss and how the words are counter to the Donroe doctrine. It is reported that the Pentagon took on a sentence by sentence analysis of the speech. On January 22, the then Vatican Nuncio, Cardinal Christophe Pierre, was summoned to the Pentagon. Pierre, 80 years of age, retired as nuncio in March. No notes exist for this meeting, and it is said to be highly unusual for the nuncio to be called to the Pentagon. It has been said this is likely the first visit of a nuncio to the Pentagon. This makes me wonder why the Pentagon and not the state department. Would the state department be too diplomatic? According to news reports, (following from National Catholic Reporter) "The cleric was, according to The Free Press, reportedly dressed down by officials, who insisted the Catholic Church take the U.S. government's side in military matters." It was more incendiary than that, according to "The New Republic" which quoted the original report  the US Undersecretary of War for Policy, Elbridge Colby said “The United States has the military power to do whatever it wants in the world. The Catholic Church had better take its side.” We now have the US engaged in yet another conflict in the Mid-East and after not asking, or building a coalition, Trump now complains that NATO countries have failed to help the US effort. Why the US needs help, if it can do whatever it wants militarily, is unanswered. 

One key point I picked up on is that on Saturday evening, April 11, Leo provided some remarks during the prayer vigil, he said two things that stand out to prove at least one aspect of the report. First, he said, Arrogance tramples upon others; second, "It is here that we find a bulwark against that delusion of omnipotence that surrounds us and is becoming increasingly unpredictable and aggressive." (bold by author). The bold portions, by author) are clearly a reference to Elbridge Colby's statement, “The United States has the military power to do whatever it wants in the world. The Catholic Church had better take its side.” 

Maybe the US is not as invincible as Colby said. After all, our military shoots down a few thousand dollar Iranian drone with multi-million dollar weapon systems. The US turned down Ukraine's offer for a system that will shoot them down that costs about $10,000. That sucking sound you hear is the military wasting money. Why be cost effective when a more expensive solution exists? Russia has been using Iranian drones in the Ukraine conflict, hence Ukraine saw the mother of invention. 

Pope Leo, 9 Jan 2026 arrives to speak to 
Diplomatic Corps

Yet, if the meeting of the Cardinal and the Undersecretary of War for Policy could get any worse, it did. One US attendee, not Colby, in what is said to be a calculated move referenced Avignon. Here is "The New Republic": 

One U.S. official present at the meeting brought up the Avignon papacy, a period in the fourteenth century in which the French monarchy bent the Catholic Church into submission, ordering an attack on Pope Boniface VIII that led to his downfall and subsequent death and forcing the papacy to relocate from Rome to Avignon, a region inside France.

Source: Chris Jansing Reports

The Avignon comment, according to the Financial Times quoted Francesco Sisci, co-founder of the Appia Institute — a geopolitical think-tank that closely tracks Vatican diplomacy, occurred after Cardinal Pierre said the Pope would be guided by his own course guided by Church values. 

Boniface, who was in office from 1294 to 1303, was in captivity for a time, and died a month later. After a short term of Benedict, the papacy moved to Avignon when Clement was elected due to machinations of the King of France. Newsweek reports the following: 

According to Mike Young, author of a newsletter on civic accountability, the mention of the “Avignon papacy” was a reference to “an implicit model for what happens to religious institutions that oppose state power.”

In a post on X, he wrote: “That’s not a slip of the tongue. That’s a studied historical reference deployed deliberately in a room with the Pope's senior diplomat. The message was not subtle.”

Christopher Hale, a former Obama campaign religion outreach official, had this quote in Newsweek: "The Vatican was so alarmed by the Pentagon’s warning that Pope Leo canceled his plans to visit the U.S. later in the year. Hale is further quoted as saying that "many in the Vatican saw the Pentagon’s reference to an Avignon papacy as a threat to use military force against the Holy See." A bit of hyperbole, perhaps, as the writer of the original article believes it absurd to think the US would use military force against the Vatican; although he thought it a clear signal from the US telling the Vatican what happens when a world power is crossed (see above comment from Mike Young). Yet, Sisci is further quoted in the Financial Times saying that the Vatican viewed this as the US setting up a rival pope as did France in the fourteenth century, if Leo did not follow the Trump line.  A Chicago News Station, NBC 5, reported that "A source close to Pope Leo XIV told NBC Chicago political reporter Mary Ann Ahern that the meeting between the Pentagon and Cardinal Christophe Pierre was 'most unpleasant and confrontational.'"  

I am not sure Trump is subtle on most anything. He is bombastic, and he likes it that way. The Pentagon dismisses the tense nature of the meeting and said it was a respectful and reasonable discussion. The US Ambassador to the Holy See said Pierre told him the meeting was frank. Pierre is a diplomat and asked now with the kerfuffle would be diplomatic about the whole situation. On Friday last week, the Vatican said the meeting was not fully as reported. I think Avignon was mentioned in the meeting, as I find it hard to believe a reporter make that reference up.  

Source: Chris Jansing Reports, quoting Vatican Official

Leo was invited to come to the US by the Trump Administration as part of the nation's 250th birthday celebration. On Feb 8, it was announced by the Vatican that he would not come to the US this year, and that on July 4 he would visit the island of Lampedusa, which was the first travel by Pope Francis. Lampedusa is an island off Sicily where many refugees arrive from Africa to get to Europe. I suspect it is a dig at the Trump Administration's immigration policies.

Whatever form this meeting took, Pierre is used to being marginalized and ignored, he and Francis' messages were often ignored by the USCCB, who had a kinder way of showing the two of them the middle finger than perhaps the DoW representatives. Many in the US episcopate were waiting out the Francis tenure. Thus, given the way Pierre was treated by US Bishops, his treatment by the Pentagon may not have seemed so bad. Francis, the US bishops said, "Did not understand the United States." I think Francis understood it better than the most US Bishops, many of whom helped create the man who sits in the oval office.

Christophe Pierre meeting with Eldridge Colby, 22 Jan 2026
It is supposed to show the cordiality between the two, but was likely 
taken before the meeting started. 
Source: The Pillar, via Dept of War

Perhaps, the Pentagon was a suitable location for the confrontation. Confrontation and war go together, and some wonder if that is what Secretary of War Hegseth is waging on the American Catholic Church. Two situations, beyond this, stand out. First, a Protestant Pastor and mentor to Hegseth said that ideally public Catholic processions, such as Marian and Eucharistic processions, should be banned as a public display of idolatry. Second, this past Good Friday, it was reported that for the first time in memory, the Pentagon did not have a Catholic Good Friday service. Invitations went out to Protestants for a Protestant service  and it said no Catholic mass (Good Friday is the only day there is not a mass, but there is a service, which was not held). This is of course after Pope Leo said that God does not listen to the prayers of persons who have blood on their hands. This statement has been refuted by some Protestant pastors, such as Franklin Graham.

While the report from Free Press may not be fully accurate, the fact that the meeting occurred, outside normal channels (Nunico to State Dept) says something about the meeting. Further, regardless of how it has been spun, the Avignon reference seems too implausible to be made up by a journalist. Further, Leo's statements about "arrogance tramples" and on "delusion of omnipotence" has a strong counter relationship to Colby's alleged comment that the US can militarily do what it wants. I think Leo is tipping is hand as to at least that part of the meeting.

Pope Leo after prayer vigil, 11 Apr 2026. Source: CNS via Vatican Media

The whole situation shows that reality is more bizarre than fiction. I don't think Dan Brown could even come up with such a scenario. Perhaps because in the end the Vatican looks like the adult in the room. Whatever the administration was hoping to accomplish with the Vatican they seemed not to have made many friends. Cardinal Parolin who this week is reported to have said that more voices are needed to back up Leo's comments on the injustice of war and the arms race and in favor the poor and marginalized. If the pope's voice is not supported, he said, it is simply a voice in the desert. A few words on January 9, to many, decent words, have set of a series of events that shows the intractability of history. History will be the judge. 

(Author Note: This post was written starting mid-last week, and completed Sunday afternoon, hence it does not capture the Trump Truth Social message or Pope Leo's response on way to Algeria.)

First two images from Vatican recorded broadcast of Leo's address on the State of the World, 9 Jan 2026. 

Dark Chocolate

Dark chocolate is said to have certain health benefits, from reducing blood pressure and stress, to improved brain function. This is due to its containing a high level of antioxidants (polyphenols/flavanols) that fight free radicals (unstable atoms produced through metabolic process). I tend to eat a decent amount of dark chocolate. The wife, who likes to grocery shop by herself, will buy me several bars, usually at Aldi's. I have, however, on occasion been known to snack on some chocolate chips, and this sometimes gets me in trouble, like last week.

"Trouble, starts with T, and rhymes with..." well you get it.  We were asked to bring a dessert for Easter dinner, and my wife found a gluten free recipe that called for several ounces of dark chocolate. I had gone to the cupboard to munch on some dark chocolate chips that were in the container apparently, in my wife's mind, they are set aside for baking and not eating. Over the course of week or so I grabbed a handful to eat. I know my wife does not like dark chocolate, but when she last made a molten cake dessert all she had on hand was dark chocolate chips. When I am allowed to grocery shop, I usually dump a few in the cart. I am not sure of the reason why we were out of regular dark chocolate chips, but they too may have found their way into my palm and by extension my mouth.

Alde Dark Chocolate usually purchased

Perhaps she picked out the dark chocolate dessert since she knew all we had were dark chocolate chips. After she told me she needed seven some ounces, I got out the scale and found that we only had a bit over four ounces. Knowing we would need more, I discreetly grabbed a few more, but then quickly made my way too the basement, our staple overflow storage, where I found we had a second bag of dark chocolate chips. Who knew that my dumping items in the grocery cart would save not only the day, but me. I would have been in a big pile of doo doo. If we did not have the extra bag, I am don't know what my wife could have used to bring down her blood pressure at that moment. She would have needed a whole dark chocolate candy bar to lower her blood pressure if we needed to source more dark chocolate chips, but she is not a fan of dark chocolate, her bp would raise even more. 

I generally have some dark chocolate candy bars down stairs during my forays to the cupboard, but for some reason the chips in the cupboard were calling my name. How long should a person expect chocolate chips to last in a cupboard? Apparently, the wife thinks they are for baking, as in use in  in baked goods, while I often have other thoughts. It has not been unusual for her to find the cupboard bare of chocolate chips when she goes to make cookies or some other treat. I get the blame. One year my sister gave me peanut butter and chocolate chips as a Christmas present, knowing that my wife did not like my peanut butter chocolate chip sandwiches used on sweet breads, like zucchini or banana breads.

So, it came to pass that I was saved by having had dark chocolate chips on hand, or throwing them in the cart when I am allowed to go grocery shopping. When this occurred last week, my wife said "There better be a blog post about this!" I do what the wife says, and this is the blog post.

Palm Sunday Clash

Thirteen years ago in 2013 I made a pilgrimage with my sister and some of her friends to Israel, Palestine and Jordan. That year the Western Christian Churches marked Easter on March 31, but the Orthodox Easter was celebrated May 5. The Catholic Church in the Holy Land that year celebrated Easter with the Orthodox calendar that year. I know this, since we were at the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth and got caught in the middle of a Palm Sunday procession on Sunday, April 28. Palm Sunday is recognized for the reading of The Passion. The reading focus' on the last days of Christ's life, with a focus on his suffering, starting with Holy Thursday and ending with his placement in the tomb. In the world today there is still suffering. This year Catholics in the Holy Land are celebrating Easter on April 5, so they celebrated Palm Sunday on March 29. As I found out, it was a different kind of celebration. There were two Palm Sunday clashes that are worth mentioning. But, first some history.

2013 Palm Sunday Mass at Church of the Nativity
Author photo 2013 

Most Christians, at least those that are left, in the Holy Land are Palestinians. The Palestinian Christians are of varied sects, Orthodox, Catholic and a variety of Protestant Churches. They are less than two percent, or about 200,000 persons, of the Palestinian population in Israel. Their population is shrinking, but are mainly concentrated in Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Ramallah. To me they are a forgotten population. They find themselves caught in the middle between the conflicts of the Israeli government and the Muslim Palestinians. They are being pushed out by Israeli settlements in and near Bethlehem. 

Israeli Settlements in Palestine, author photo 2013

St Catherine Catholic Church still bear scars from a 2002 altercation when 50 or more armed Palestinians had sought sanctuary to avoid capture by Israeli defense forces. Israel attacked, but did not dislodge those seeking sanctuary. A few months later a negotiated settlement occurred. I saw the bullet holes in the church facade from that action. 

Exterior of St Catherine's Church, when there
you can see bullet holes from 2002
Author photo 2013

For centuries, Palm Sunday mass has been held at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, where tradition holds, is the place of burial and resurrection of Christ. The Holy Sepulcher is a historic site containing the last five of the 14 stations of the cross within its footprint. Since, the start of the Netanyahu-Trump War with Iran, public masses have not been held in the Church. However, Cardinal Pizzaballa, the Patriarch of Jerusalem asked to say a private mass at the Church. On his way to the Church, not part of a procession or any ceremonial act, he was stopped and told his access would be barred. This was the first clash. The Israeli government says it was for his own good, and, with the complex situation in old Jerusalem, there is no way to address a mass casualty event. Having been in old Jerusalem, I can appreciate the difficulty of addressing a mass casualty event in that area. However, I have not seen a report that they were expecting such an event. You can read an account of the Israeli government stoppage here. Israel did say that Iranian missile fragments had fallen within meters of the church, and that Iran is targeting Christian holy sites. Hence, the explanation of why the Cardinal was barred entry.

Cardinal Pizzaballa (center) in Detroit, Dec 22, 2025
Courtesy of Mary B Hovel

If Israel was expecting a Muslim radical to bomb the church, there is a bit of irony as the keys to the Church, by tradition, are held by two Muslim families. For over 800 years, everyday, they jointly unlock the doors at 4 am, and then lock them again at 7 pm. 

Church of Holy Sepulcher, Author photo 2013

When I visited the Holy Land, there were, so I was told, many fewer pilgrims than usual due to the ongoing divisions between the Palestinians and Israel. With Orthodox Holy Week for part of journey, there were a decent number in Jerusalem and Bethlehem, but further out of that area there were few. For lunch at varied restaurants we were the only group in large dining halls filled otherwise with tables and empty chairs. Many Palestinians depend on tourism for their livelihood and one could see the shops hardly had anyone visit them, even in Bethlehem and Jerusalem. I suspect it is even much worse today. Travel to Israel is currently rated high risk by the State Dept. A few years ago was the Gaza war, and now this war. Not a welcoming situation for tourists

War is high risk. It is also highly intractable, as Trump may be finding out. On Palm Sunday there was was a second clash, this time of words coming from Cardinal Pizzaballa's boss. Using Isaiah 1:15 Pope Leo had this to say during his Palm Sunday liturgy:  

Brothers and sisters, this is our God: Jesus, King of Peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war. He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them, saying: “Even though you make many prayers, I will not listen: your hands are full of blood” (Is 1:15).

This shows that the Catholic Church may actually have learned something in the past thousand years, and that in fact church teaching does develop. Leo's own predecessors issued bulls to galvanize the  Crusades in the Holy Land. The first papal bull was issued to start the second crusade. Leo's comments certainly rebuke Secretary of Defense, oops, now War, Pete Hegseth who used his Christian faith to justify the war, and even offered a prayer, written by a Pentagon Chaplain, on 3/25 to that effect. It may also have been directed to Russian Orthodox leaders who view have called the war in Ukraine a Holy War due to what they view as the decadent west. You can read a news report about the Pope's statement here, or read the full address here. Pope Francis often talked about WWIII being played piecemeal. This conflict certainly seems indicative of his claim. Evidence is coming out that Russia and perhaps China are aiding Iran, and now other terror forces, think Houthi rebels, who do well at asymmetric warfare may enter the conflict.

During my 2013 visit I thought how odd it is that the Jesus, the Prince of Peace, came into this earth in the Middle East. There are clashes between Jews and Muslims, Muslims and Christians, but also between Sunni and Shia Muslims. Some experts have referred to the violence in the Mid-East as a clash of cultures or a clash of civilizations. Warfare in this area goes to before Christ was born. There were rivalries between empires like the Akkadians, Babylonians, Egyptians, Hittites, and Persians. Varied clashes in the region may go back as far as 24 BC when one group went around conquering smaller city-states. The Middle East has been a clash of cultures since before the start of the Neolithic period and the advent of agriculture. Jericho (about 16 miles east of Jerusalem) is one of the earliest and most significant locations for the start of agriculture. The start of civilization, allowed by agriculture, has not been able to stop the brawls of the region. 

Sign in Jericho on invention of agriculture and animal husbandry
2013 photo by author

This clash of cultures or civilizations seems part of the regions DNA. The Middle East is a bridge between Europe, Asia and Africa. It has been important for trade, culture and conflict for centuries. Iran has stopped the flow of 20% of the world's oil by containing the strait of Hormuz. The message Christ brought to the world two centuries ago just does not seem to get through. Palm Sunday was changed this year for those in the Holy Land due to the wider war and this led to the two clashes that became evident on Palm Sunday. 

Eagle Trials

When I see a bald eagle, I usually think of the them as the master of the sky, who dominates by sheer size and power the other birds. I generally don't think of them as being hurt by predators, but Jackie and Shadow have changed my opinion. Jackie and Shadow are two bald eagles in the San Bernardino National Forest in California. I hear updates on Jackie and Shadow from the wife, who I think gets her maternal instinct fix from reading about the trials of the pair.

Eagle looking for fish at Laura Lake

I have seen eagle nests her in Wisconsin, particularly at Laura Lake and one here in McFarland near lower Mud Lake on the Mahunt property. The nests are really quite big. For Jackie and Shadow the nest sits in a Jeffrey Pine tree, about five feet down from the top of the 150' or so pine. Their nest is 6' deep, so deeper than I am tall, and about 5.5' in width, so a few inches less than my height. The nest was built by another eagle pair and taken over by Jackie.

The female eagle is larger than the male, usually 25% TO 33% bigger, and Jackie is estimated at three feet in height and Shadow at 2.5 feet in height. The eagles are taking care of two eggs, with two to three eggs, per my wife, being normal. The incubation is taxing on the pair, in both care of the egg, keeping away the nasty raven predators and normal care for themselves. We know a great deal about the pair due to two solar-powered cameras that watch the nest and its immediate surroundings. Eagles have a body temperature of 105 degrees so they use that to incubate, but instincts will tell them when they need to let off and perhaps let the eggs cool somewhat. Fluff materials in the nest provide some insulation and softness. This fluffy stuff, made up of dried grass, reeds and feathers, can make the eagle snit, which is eagle-ease for sneeze. 

Eagle at Laura Lake

Eagle watching is nothing to sneeze at. It can be hours of boredom followed by a few minutes of terror. Jackie and Shadow faced terror several days ago when a mob attacked the eagle nest, looking to harm the two eggs the eagle pair have been tending. A group of ravens, is called an "unkindness" which literally speaks volumes to the type of birds ravens are, but a group that attacks a larger bird, such as an eagle is called a mob, and they are engaged in mobbing behavior. 

The best account is in the Eagle Log for the pair on March 13: 

Yesterday from mid-morning all the way through to the evening, Jackie and Shadow were on alert most of the day, as some of the visiting birds in the area decided to return to bother them after a quiet hiatus.

Before all the intruder activity, Shadow delivered a new stick that he cunningly used to get Jackie up off the eggs. He first placed the pokey stick on her back. When that didn't work, he moved around and up closer to her head. Bonk..that did the trick! He was blocking her way out the front porch though, so she had to wing bump him to get by. After she flew off, he tilted his head and looked a bit confused how she might have been disturbed by any of that!

A bit later, Shadow was on the eggs and also on alert as he loudly called Jackie in for backup. Their loud calls were directed at five ravens who circled above and around the nest tree. A couple of them touched down briefly on the canopy above and one boldly landed on the High Perch.

Since bald eagles and ravens have similar breeding and nesting seasons in this area, both are highly territorial and active in defending their nest and territory. Ravens often use a tactic called mobbing to harass or drive out larger birds like bald eagles. As both eagles and ravens may tend to their own nest and eggs, the behaviors and the conflicts between them are mostly driven strictly by survival instincts.

Jackie and Shadow continued to work together the remainder of the day. A young juvenile bald eagle perched for 25 minutes on their favorite Lookout Snag branch, plus Jackie and Shadow dealt with more nearby raven activity.

Later in the afternoon, Jackie aggressively chased a few ravens away and then before bed, Shadow also chased a juvenile bald eagle out of the Roost Tree area. It ended up spending the night roosting on the Simba Tree, further away from Jackie and the eggs.

Jackie and Shadow are used to these highly opportunistic predators and scavengers that see their eggs as a nutritious source of food. They both were in sync and did a great job defending the nest and their precious eggs… and they will continue to do so in a heartbeat.

For Jackie and Shadow the two eggs are their second pair, with ravens having mobbed their way in and destroyed the first pair earlier this year.  As of March 20, the two current eggs were laid a few days apart: "Egg#1 is 24 days old and Egg#2 is 21 days old. The eggs are still in the incubation period with about 10 more days of incubation before Pip Watch begins on March 31. Once we see the initial hole in the outer shell, it could take 2-3 days for a chick to fully hatch."

Eagle at Laura Lake

Hence, sometime early next week, if not Sunday, the eggs should start to hatch, provided they have no more mob incidents from the nasty ravens. My household raptor specialist will likely keep me informed as the hopeful hatching. We can then, have some months of watching them branching, to fledgling to post fledgling stages. The two nest cameras give a view into the trails of eagles and their young. Yet, one never knows what happens in nature.

Quotes from https://friendsofbigbearvalley.org/eagles/

Photos by author, 2024