User-Supported News Commentary Hosted by Craig Crawford
Indulgences and Inquisitions
The bad old days made new again reviving rituals such as paying for pardons, buying positions of power and investigations of the innocent.
Author: patd
“But I don’t want to go among mad people," Alice remarked.
"Oh, you can’t help that," said the Cat: "we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad."
"How do you know I’m mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldn’t have come here.”
― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
View all posts by patd
39 thoughts on “Indulgences and Inquisitions”
Jimmy Kimmel is deep down the Rabbit Hole again digging through history to prove that Donald Trump is more than he seems.
so along the lines jimmy suggests, the current WH resident’s motto might really be “Make America Gregory’s Again.”
from wiki on he who initiated the Inquisitions:
Pope Gregory IX (Latin: Gregorius IX; born Ugolino di Conti; 1145 – 22 August 1241)[1] was head of the Catholic Church and the ruler of the Papal States from 19 March 1227 until his death in 1241. He is known for issuing the Decretales and instituting the Papal Inquisition, in response to the failures of the episcopal inquisitions established during the time of Pope Lucius III, by means of the papal bull Ad abolendam, issued in 1184.
[…]
Gregory’s aim allegedly was to bring order and legality to the process of dealing with heresy, since there had been tendencies by mobs of townspeople to burn alleged heretics without much of a trial. In 1231 Pope Gregory IX appointed a number of Papal Inquisitors (Inquisitores haereticae pravitatis), mostly Dominicans and Franciscans, for the various regions of France, Italy and parts of Germany. Contrary to popular belief,says Madden, the aim was to introduce due process and objective investigation into the beliefs of those accused to the often erratic and unjust persecution of heresy on the part of local ecclesiastical and secular jurisdictions.[9] However , to Walter Ullmann, “there is hardly one item in the whole Inquisitorial procedure that could be squared with the demands of justice; on the contrary, every one of its items is the denial of justice or a hideous caricature of it […] its principles are the very denial of the demands made by the most primitive concepts of natural justice […] This kind of proceeding has no longer any semblance to a judicial trial but is rather its systematic and methodical perversion.”[10]
as for those indulgences, one can get them here [Attribution: White House Grift Shop by John Darkow, Columbia Missourian]:
Elon Musk’s time as a Special Government Employee has come to end, the court of International Trade ruled unanimously that Trump did not have the authority to implement the big, beautiful tariffs he slapped on everyone, Trump blew up at a reporter for asking about his new nickname “TACO” that’s been making the rounds on Wall Street which stands for “Trump Always Chickening Out,” he is now reportedly one step closer to settling the ridiculous lawsuit he filed against 60 minutes, he now says he plans to give Russia “two weeks” to prove they are serious about a peace deal with Ukraine, America’s Mayor Rudy Giuliani wore a crazy outfit, FBI Director Kash Patel sat for an interview with Fox News, RFK Jr made an announcement about COVID vaccines and Cousin Micki teaches us where babies come from.
Looking like krasnov is not getting over being called “chicken” and “TACO”. Just like any six year old would. It takes a lot to cause a demented narcissistic senile fool to grasp we are laughing at him, and this time it made it inside the bald dome. This is not one of those ‘as long as they spell my name right’ things, which is very different for sfb.
Putting my digital arts studies to work
Nothing more dangerous than learning how to make graphics with my feet
now serving at your local Mass
craig, love the confessionals and the unholy communion. however I would suggest, rather than the tower, color the Basilica dome gold and inscribe Trump GD Church on the front of the building.
all in all though, a mighty well done!
GD is for golden dome of course… would be blasphemy using the usual meaning of GD.
FREAKY FRIDAY on Trail Mix
Trump Takes Over the Vatican: One-Liner Confessionals
“The Sistine Chapel is now gold-plated. Michelangelo wept.”
“The Pope’s hat? Replaced with a MAGA mitre.”
“New name: The Holy See-and-Be-Seen.”
“Communion wafers now stamped ‘MAVA’”
“Confession booths — 3 options: ‘Forgiven’, ‘Fake News’ or ‘Pardoned’”
“The Vatican Bank? Rebranded as ‘Truth Social Credit Union.’”
“Papal Bulls replaced with executive orders—signed in Sharpie.”
“Tithing now accepted in Bitcoins.”
“Blessed are the dealmakers, for they shall inherit the golf resort.”
“Did he walk on water—or is that a Mar-a-Lago infinity pool?”
“Remigration”—a far-right European plan to expel minorities and immigrants from Western nations—may soon have a dedicated office following a Trump administration reorganization of the State Department.
The final phase targets citizens who are seen as “non assimilated,” and involves passing laws to “target parallel societies with economic and cultural pressure” and entice citizens to migrate abroad with the use of loans, payments, and other assistance. The plan, Sellner claims, will allow “the wounds of multiculturalism to heal.”
What we know about Pope Leo XIV’s scheduled video appearance at Chicago event (on June 14th)
Per the Archdiocese of Chicago’s website, on June 14, Pope Leo “will greet us in Chicago and offer a special video message to the young people of the world, which will be broadcast first from our event.” The event is scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m. that day and Mass will take place at 4 p.m.
We can confirm that Pope Leo will deliver a video message at an event celebrating the newly elected pontiff in Rate Field in Chicago but he will not participate in the Mass. As of this writing, we do not know the details of his speech.
The Archdiocese’s office denied any connection between the chosen date for Chicago’s celebration for the pope and the military parade in Washington D.C. “It was the soonest Saturday when the White Sox were not playing and there was no major festival or concert nearby. The choice had nothing to do with celebrations elsewhere,” Quiroz said.
An absurd cartoon frog is planted in the background of an image shared by President Donald Trump, proclaiming that he’s “on a mission from God.”
…Pepe the Frog, a web comic character flagged as a hate symbol following the far-rights adoption of the character over a decade ago.
The image, shared by Trump Wednesday night on Truth Social, is watermarked by @FruitSnacks, a Truth Social meme account whose work the president has shared previously. While it’s unclear if Trump was aware of Pepe the Frog’s surprise appearance in the meme, he is aware of the meme’s existence.
…the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) lists Pepe as a white supremacist, antisemitic hate symbol.
“HE’S ON A MISSION FROM GOD” is emblazoned across the top of the image.
At the president’s feet, mid-step on pavement slick with rain, are the words: “NOTHING CAN STOP WHAT IS COMING.”
*A response to the Mass in Chicago on June 14th, with a video from Pope Leo, and a crowd surely bigger than the one for his military charade?
*I wonder how big the getting-tickets-for-DC-but-not-attending contingent will be? Wish they could just do a less North Korean-y parade to honor the military and not have Orange Adolf be the centerpiece.
Financial journalist Gareth Gore’s new book, Opus: The Cult of Dark Money, Human Trafficking, and Right-Wing Conspiracy Inside the Catholic Church (Simon & Schuster) is quite frankly shocking. It’s also a much-needed exposé of what looks very much like a cult within the Catholic Church
I did not pay much attention to Opus Dei—until people began discussing its deep involvement in U.S. politics and connections with the Trump administration.
…the CIC has continued to be a magnet for conservative U.S. Catholics, including Leonard Leo, a leading member of the Federalist Society, which is dedicated to installing ultra-conservative judges in the federal courts and ultimately on the supreme court. According to Gore, in his chapter on Opus Dei’s connections in American politics, the overturning of Roe v. Wade would not have been possible without the direct involvement of Opus Dei insiders working for Trump and longtime Catholic influencers like Leo. With Trump’s re-election, their involvement will only deepen through their connections with the authors of Project 2025, spearheaded by the Heritage Foundation. Its President Kevin Roberts is a patron of Opus Dei’s Catholic Information Center where he receives regular spiritual guidance.
A political action committee founded by Harrison Butker—the pro-Trump NFL placekicker for the Kansas City Chiefs, whose highly controversial comments have led to allegations of bigotry, including antisemitism, homophobia, transphobia, and sexism, along with anti-vax beliefs—has come under fire.
Butker’s Upright PAC was supposed to “promote and encourage Christian voters to vote, so that their voices are heard this November.” But according to reports, it appears to have taken in donations, and spent most of it on fundraising.
“But records show it spent more than $30k of that $36k, so where did the money go?” CREW asked. “$100 on office supplies. And all the rest spent on fundraising.”
And CREW notes, “A further search shows no records of Butker, the highest paid kicker in the NFL, making any political contributions himself.”
Executive Order….Tithing minimum now raised to 145%.
Pope hat now tallest pope hat EVER MADE.
The nuns must now wear bikinis. We’ll now have only TROPHY NUNS.
Be the first on your block to have your very own gold-plated POPE MOBILE!
Butker appears to be among the 3,000 Opus Dei adherents in the U.S. It’s hard to know for sure as its membership is shrouded in secrecy.
Be grateful that Harrison Butker is an NFL kicker, not a politician, or a person with any authority over others.
Because people who are beholden to his religious identity – Catholicism’s ultra conservative Opus Dei – have long stirred a global backlash.
Opus Dei, which is Latin for “work of God,” is a century-old arm of the Catholic church, whose harshest critics have long tried to label it a cult, tracing early adherents to fascist dictators.
HA!
Bid,
So what you are telling me is Butker’s PAC is a bust. No matter how hard he fund raises nobody is donating. A real Pac keeps $36,000 around in petty cash.
I think we can quit talking about him, he has sunk down to the level of your crazy uncle, not really that important. Except, maybe, for a giggle
Jack
I launched a new playlist — MEMES OF THE WEEK — on Trail Mix Live to feature RR’s best, and others too
BiD, here’s another one for your parade day collection:
[…]
This time, as Washington prepares for a huge military shindig on 14 June, Trump’s 79th – and, oh yes, the US army’s 250th – birthday, the generals are silent. The Republicans have sworn allegiance to the king. And the media are focused on the price tag, the potholes and the impending pomp; on tensions between the blue city of Washington and the red capital; and on the decimation of veterans’ healthcare, housing, and pensions while the administration throws $25m to $45m at a circus of war.
All are important parts of the story. Yet commentary is muted and the debate mischaracterized as normal political discourse. The horrific point is missed: the spectacle of a massive show of military might, before a president who behaves like a dictator and views the armed forces as his personal foot soldiers, evinces memories of the worst totalitarian regimes. History may mark 14 June 2025 as the ceremonial birth of a new American fascism.
[…]
Stalin’s 50th birthday celebration, in 1929, is considered the kickoff of his cult of personality. Hitler’s 50th birthday military parade, in April 1939, was organized by the propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels for maximum grandeur, including a motorcade of 50 white limousines. Five months later, Germany invaded Poland.
Kim Jong-un changed Loyalty Oath Day from 1 January to his birthday, 8 January. This February, the Republican US representative Claudia Tenney of New York introduced a bill to designate Trump’s birthday as a national holiday. It hasn’t gone anywhere – yet.
The pieces are lining up like a phalanx of soldiers. The website of America250, the non-profit fundraising and marketing arm of the Semiquincentennial Commission, is an advertisement for Trump. Its description of the “grand military parade” refers to him in the second sentence and proclaims that under his “leadership, the U.S. Army has been restored to strength and readiness”.
At the parade, the crowd of 200,000 parade spectators will be dominated by Maga idol worshippers. Trump will watch the extravaganza from a reviewing stand, just like Xi Jinping and Putin did recently at Red Square. The army’s Golden Knights parachute team will land on the Eclipse and hand the president a flag. Officials say there are “no plans” to sing Happy Birthday, but there are rumors the army will also give Trump a birthday gift.
Let’s call 14 June what it promises to be: the ceremonial birth of the US’s 21st-century fascist regime.
As a “gift,” I would suggest they all remember their oath is to the US Constitution, not to TACO Don.
That is shocking—but it’s not surprising. The comment falls into a pattern of eugenicist and ableist views that Trump has espoused all the way back to the 1980s, when he spoke openly about the importance of having “the right genes” in an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show.
Remember, it was Popes selling get-out-of-hell-cards that sent Martin Luther on a tear and split up the Church, aka the Reformation.
It can happen again.
The main figure associated with selling indulgences that sparked the Reformation was Johann Tetzel, a Dominican friar. Tetzel was tasked by Pope Leo X to sell indulgences in the region of the Archbishop of Mainz, Albrecht of Brandenburg, to raise funds for the construction of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
Catholics and trumpers and Nazis, Oh my!
😱
“…he spoke openly about the importance of having ‘the right genes’”
lol fat ugly and stupid are “the right genes”
…bit of a 60s French feel to this, title apropos of nothing, just a nice song
For our 20th Anniversary i’m running this web ad this weekend on some progressive/news sites:
npr.org
theatlantic.com
crooked.com
msnbc.com
vox.com
newrepublic.com
democracynow.org
motherjones.com
propublica.org
colbertlateshow.com
huffpost.com
slate.com
politico.com
longreads.com
newyorker.com
They had a supervisor’s meeting at work a few days ago. One of the new rules they came up with is that they have banned people from wearing any political-related clothing while at work. Of course, the only type of political clothing I ever really see at work is an occasional Trump hat or some type of hardcore right wing policy t-shirt. They said these political articles of clothing were causing arguments at work.
Corey, they’re in big trouble if Dumbass hears about this
Jimmy Kimmel is deep down the Rabbit Hole again digging through history to prove that Donald Trump is more than he seems.
so along the lines jimmy suggests, the current WH resident’s motto might really be “Make America Gregory’s Again.”
from wiki on he who initiated the Inquisitions:
as for those indulgences, one can get them here [Attribution: White House Grift Shop by John Darkow, Columbia Missourian]:
some of the inquisitions underway:
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/national-international/donald-trump-miles-taylor-chris-krebs-executive-orders/3718632/
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-admins-comey-investigation-is-meant-to-stoke-a-culture-of-fear-among-americans/ar-AA1F9qze?ocid=BingNewsSerp
https://nypost.com/2025/02/05/us-news/trump-doj-with-fbi-details-about-5000-employees-who-worked-jan-6-cases/
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-judge-blocks-trump-order-against-law-firm-wilmerhale-2025-05-27/
Elon Musk’s time as a Special Government Employee has come to end, the court of International Trade ruled unanimously that Trump did not have the authority to implement the big, beautiful tariffs he slapped on everyone, Trump blew up at a reporter for asking about his new nickname “TACO” that’s been making the rounds on Wall Street which stands for “Trump Always Chickening Out,” he is now reportedly one step closer to settling the ridiculous lawsuit he filed against 60 minutes, he now says he plans to give Russia “two weeks” to prove they are serious about a peace deal with Ukraine, America’s Mayor Rudy Giuliani wore a crazy outfit, FBI Director Kash Patel sat for an interview with Fox News, RFK Jr made an announcement about COVID vaccines and Cousin Micki teaches us where babies come from.
Looking like krasnov is not getting over being called “chicken” and “TACO”. Just like any six year old would. It takes a lot to cause a demented narcissistic senile fool to grasp we are laughing at him, and this time it made it inside the bald dome. This is not one of those ‘as long as they spell my name right’ things, which is very different for sfb.
Putting my digital arts studies to work
Nothing more dangerous than learning how to make graphics with my feet
now serving at your local Mass
craig, love the confessionals and the unholy communion. however I would suggest, rather than the tower, color the Basilica dome gold and inscribe Trump GD Church on the front of the building.
all in all though, a mighty well done!
GD is for golden dome of course… would be blasphemy using the usual meaning of GD.
FREAKY FRIDAY on Trail Mix
Trump Takes Over the Vatican: One-Liner Confessionals
“The Sistine Chapel is now gold-plated. Michelangelo wept.”
“The Pope’s hat? Replaced with a MAGA mitre.”
“New name: The Holy See-and-Be-Seen.”
“Communion wafers now stamped ‘MAVA’”
“Confession booths — 3 options: ‘Forgiven’, ‘Fake News’ or ‘Pardoned’”
“The Vatican Bank? Rebranded as ‘Truth Social Credit Union.’”
“Papal Bulls replaced with executive orders—signed in Sharpie.”
“Tithing now accepted in Bitcoins.”
“Blessed are the dealmakers, for they shall inherit the golf resort.”
“Did he walk on water—or is that a Mar-a-Lago infinity pool?”
https://www.wired.com/story/trump-office-remigration-state-department-europe-far-right/
“Remigration”—a far-right European plan to expel minorities and immigrants from Western nations—may soon have a dedicated office following a Trump administration reorganization of the State Department.
The final phase targets citizens who are seen as “non assimilated,” and involves passing laws to “target parallel societies with economic and cultural pressure” and entice citizens to migrate abroad with the use of loans, payments, and other assistance. The plan, Sellner claims, will allow “the wounds of multiculturalism to heal.”
*It’s pay-to-play, pay-to-stay, pay-to-go-away.
https://www.snopes.com/news/2025/05/29/pope-leo-xivs-video-chicago/
What we know about Pope Leo XIV’s scheduled video appearance at Chicago event (on June 14th)
Per the Archdiocese of Chicago’s website, on June 14, Pope Leo “will greet us in Chicago and offer a special video message to the young people of the world, which will be broadcast first from our event.” The event is scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m. that day and Mass will take place at 4 p.m.
We can confirm that Pope Leo will deliver a video message at an event celebrating the newly elected pontiff in Rate Field in Chicago but he will not participate in the Mass. As of this writing, we do not know the details of his speech.
The Archdiocese’s office denied any connection between the chosen date for Chicago’s celebration for the pope and the military parade in Washington D.C. “It was the soonest Saturday when the White Sox were not playing and there was no major festival or concert nearby. The choice had nothing to do with celebrations elsewhere,” Quiroz said.
*It’s divine timing.
https://www.latintimes.com/trump-sneaks-alt-right-easter-egg-truth-social-meme-mission-god-583992
An absurd cartoon frog is planted in the background of an image shared by President Donald Trump, proclaiming that he’s “on a mission from God.”
…Pepe the Frog, a web comic character flagged as a hate symbol following the far-rights adoption of the character over a decade ago.
The image, shared by Trump Wednesday night on Truth Social, is watermarked by @FruitSnacks, a Truth Social meme account whose work the president has shared previously. While it’s unclear if Trump was aware of Pepe the Frog’s surprise appearance in the meme, he is aware of the meme’s existence.
…the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) lists Pepe as a white supremacist, antisemitic hate symbol.
“HE’S ON A MISSION FROM GOD” is emblazoned across the top of the image.
At the president’s feet, mid-step on pavement slick with rain, are the words: “NOTHING CAN STOP WHAT IS COMING.”
*A response to the Mass in Chicago on June 14th, with a video from Pope Leo, and a crowd surely bigger than the one for his military charade?
*I wonder how big the getting-tickets-for-DC-but-not-attending contingent will be? Wish they could just do a less North Korean-y parade to honor the military and not have Orange Adolf be the centerpiece.
today’s meme…
yup…
Financial journalist Gareth Gore’s new book, Opus: The Cult of Dark Money, Human Trafficking, and Right-Wing Conspiracy Inside the Catholic Church (Simon & Schuster) is quite frankly shocking. It’s also a much-needed exposé of what looks very much like a cult within the Catholic Church
I did not pay much attention to Opus Dei—until people began discussing its deep involvement in U.S. politics and connections with the Trump administration.
…the CIC has continued to be a magnet for conservative U.S. Catholics, including Leonard Leo, a leading member of the Federalist Society, which is dedicated to installing ultra-conservative judges in the federal courts and ultimately on the supreme court. According to Gore, in his chapter on Opus Dei’s connections in American politics, the overturning of Roe v. Wade would not have been possible without the direct involvement of Opus Dei insiders working for Trump and longtime Catholic influencers like Leo. With Trump’s re-election, their involvement will only deepen through their connections with the authors of Project 2025, spearheaded by the Heritage Foundation. Its President Kevin Roberts is a patron of Opus Dei’s Catholic Information Center where he receives regular spiritual guidance.
*Why do you think JD is now a “baby Catholic”?
A political action committee founded by Harrison Butker—the pro-Trump NFL placekicker for the Kansas City Chiefs, whose highly controversial comments have led to allegations of bigotry, including antisemitism, homophobia, transphobia, and sexism, along with anti-vax beliefs—has come under fire.
Butker’s Upright PAC was supposed to “promote and encourage Christian voters to vote, so that their voices are heard this November.” But according to reports, it appears to have taken in donations, and spent most of it on fundraising.
“But records show it spent more than $30k of that $36k, so where did the money go?” CREW asked. “$100 on office supplies. And all the rest spent on fundraising.”
And CREW notes, “A further search shows no records of Butker, the highest paid kicker in the NFL, making any political contributions himself.”
Executive Order….Tithing minimum now raised to 145%.
Pope hat now tallest pope hat EVER MADE.
The nuns must now wear bikinis. We’ll now have only TROPHY NUNS.
Be the first on your block to have your very own gold-plated POPE MOBILE!
Absolution: HALF PRICE!
D.O.P.E……Department of Papal Extortion.
Butker appears to be among the 3,000 Opus Dei adherents in the U.S. It’s hard to know for sure as its membership is shrouded in secrecy.
Be grateful that Harrison Butker is an NFL kicker, not a politician, or a person with any authority over others.
Because people who are beholden to his religious identity – Catholicism’s ultra conservative Opus Dei – have long stirred a global backlash.
Opus Dei, which is Latin for “work of God,” is a century-old arm of the Catholic church, whose harshest critics have long tried to label it a cult, tracing early adherents to fascist dictators.
HA!
Bid,
So what you are telling me is Butker’s PAC is a bust. No matter how hard he fund raises nobody is donating. A real Pac keeps $36,000 around in petty cash.
I think we can quit talking about him, he has sunk down to the level of your crazy uncle, not really that important. Except, maybe, for a giggle
Jack
I launched a new playlist — MEMES OF THE WEEK — on Trail Mix Live to feature RR’s best, and others too
BiD, here’s another one for your parade day collection:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/may/30/trump-military-parade-fascism
As a “gift,” I would suggest they all remember their oath is to the US Constitution, not to TACO Don.
That is shocking—but it’s not surprising. The comment falls into a pattern of eugenicist and ableist views that Trump has espoused all the way back to the 1980s, when he spoke openly about the importance of having “the right genes” in an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show.
Remember, it was Popes selling get-out-of-hell-cards that sent Martin Luther on a tear and split up the Church, aka the Reformation.
It can happen again.
Catholics and trumpers and Nazis, Oh my!
😱
“…he spoke openly about the importance of having ‘the right genes’”
lol fat ugly and stupid are “the right genes”
…bit of a 60s French feel to this, title apropos of nothing, just a nice song
For our 20th Anniversary i’m running this web ad this weekend on some progressive/news sites:
npr.org
theatlantic.com
crooked.com
msnbc.com
vox.com
newrepublic.com
democracynow.org
motherjones.com
propublica.org
colbertlateshow.com
huffpost.com
slate.com
politico.com
longreads.com
newyorker.com
They had a supervisor’s meeting at work a few days ago. One of the new rules they came up with is that they have banned people from wearing any political-related clothing while at work. Of course, the only type of political clothing I ever really see at work is an occasional Trump hat or some type of hardcore right wing policy t-shirt. They said these political articles of clothing were causing arguments at work.
Corey, they’re in big trouble if Dumbass hears about this
good sartorial choice, Mr. C 👍
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