Canada’s “Lost Liberal Decade” Just Got Longer

"Donald Trump just did what Trudeau couldn’t: make the Liberals electable again." And Canada will suffer from Trump's tariff wars.

From The European Conservative

By Jonothan Van Maren

Donald Trump just did what Trudeau couldn’t: make the Liberals electable again.

On Monday night, President Donald Trump single-handedly saved Canada’s Liberal Party from the electoral disaster predicted by pollsters for over a year. With 99% of polls reporting, the Liberals secured 168 seats in the federal election—just shy of the 172 needed for a majority government, but a stunning comeback for a party that, earlier this year, was expected to be nearly wiped out by Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives. It is the first time a Canadian government has earned a fourth mandate since William Lyon Mackenzie’s four consecutive terms from 1921 to 1935.

After a decade of economic stagnation, rising housing costs, belligerent social progressivism, and general incompetence, Justin Trudeau had poisoned the Liberal brand, with his party’s popularity sitting at just 14%. Then, Trump got elected, violated the USMCA free trade agreement he had negotiated in his first term, and began referring to Canada as the “51st state” and musing about annexation through “economic force.” Trudeau resigned on January 6, the Liberals held a hasty leadership race, and former Bank of Canada (and Bank of England) head Mark Carney replaced him as Prime Minister on March 14.

Overnight, the Conservatives faced an entirely different election: A new ballot question, a new prime minister, and a wave of anti-American nationalism consistently stoked by President Trump, who gave Carney a boost every time he spoke. Carney called a snap election on March 23 and campaigned on comparing Pierre Poilievre to Donald Trump, despite the fact that Trump constantly insulted Poilievre and stated that Carney would be “easier” to deal with. In a final act of sabotage, Trump took to social media Monday morning to urge Canadians to vote for him.

The Conservative Party secured 41.7% of the popular vote—the highest vote share for the Conservatives since Brian Mulroney’s 1988 landslide victory in 1988, and higher than former Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s majority victory—but it wasn’t enough. In the standout story of the night, the New Democratic Party utterly collapsed with a mere 5% of the popular vote (from 15.98% in the 2021 election), going from 25 seats to 7 and consolidating the left-of-center parties under the Liberal banner. Even Jagmeet Singh, perhaps the most incompetent party leader in modern Canadian history, lost his seat and resigned as leader. Most suspect he propped up Trudeau’s government merely to secure his pension. 

All it took to unite the Left in Canada, it turns out, was Carney, a wealthy banker who funnels his wealth offshore to avoid paying taxes in the country he leads.

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, surprisingly, also lost his seat—although he made it clear in his concession speech Monday night that he intends to stay on as leader and emphasized that “change takes time.” Poilievre cut his teeth as an attack dog in the House of Commons, and although he has worked hard to moderate his image, his leadership will be crippled if he is unable to take on Carney in Parliament. 

The Conservatives will also have to deal with the fact that Poilievre’s personal unpopularity likely hurt the party on Monday night; earlier this month, the pollster Angus Reid put Poilievre at a net favorability of -26, with 46% of Canadians viewing him negatively. Poilievre wasn’t winning, Trudeau was losing—and when Trudeau left, Poilievre’s lead collapsed.

Despite that, the election results and the near-constant belligerence from the American president likely mean that no important lessons will be learned. The Conservatives increased their parliamentary seat count and their vote share. The Liberal Party consolidated left-of-center voters and successfully ran against Trump effectively enough to capture the Canadian boomer vote. The reduced NDP may once again hold the balance of power, and Carney is surely looking at their seven seats covetously and calculating what sort of deal he can make with their new leader.

Trudeau’s resignation and Trump’s aggression have given the Liberals a lease on life, and Mark Carney promised a new dawn in a flowery victory speech filled with ramped-up rhetoric about Canada as a rising power. But despite his laidback demeanor (which, according to those who know him, disguises a “volcanic” temper), Carney is as extreme as his predecessor. He enthusiastically supports abortion up until birth (as does Poilievre). He supports puberty blockers and sex change surgeries recently banned for minors in the UK “without exception.” He did not respond to the UN’s condemnation of Canada’s euthanasia regime in March but has thus far given no indication that he will stop the planned 2027 expansion of assisted suicide eligibility to those suffering solely from mental illness.

Mark Carney is not as performatively woke as Justin Trudeau, but he was Trudeau’s top economic advisor and preferred successor because the two share the same values (incidentally, the title of Carney’s 2021 book). 

As evidenced by Carney’s willingness to jettison the carbon tax he himself had consistently advocated for in order to win the election, the prime minister may be willing to shape-shift in order to secure a majority government—but if his entire career is any indication, Canada’s “Lost Liberal Decade,” in which the country got measurably worse by virtually every standard, just got an extension. 

Bishop Challoner's Meditations ~ Thursday After Low Sunday

ON THE THEOLOGICAL VIRTUES

Consider first, that as God is the sovereign spirit, and the sovereign truth, so they that would offer him an acceptable homage must worship him in spirit and truth, John iv. 24, by joining with the external adoration, praise, prayer, and sacrifice, which is offered him in the church of Christ, the internal homage of their hearts, and the pure worship of the three divine virtues of faith, hope, and love. Where these are daily exercised all is well; there God is, and all good; but where any one of these is wanting all goes wrong; nothing else can supply that defect. Embrace then, O my soul, these three virtues, with thy whole heart and affection, and they will bring thee to God. There is no other way to heaven and a happy eternity, but by faith, hope, and charity.

Consider 2ndly, that these three virtues are called theological and divine, from the immediate relation they have to God. They flow from him into our souls, and they take our souls along with them to him. They tend to him as the sovereign object with which they are taken up, and upon which they are wholly employed; and they are entirely grounded on him and on his divine attributes as their sole motive and foundation. Thus faith believes in him as the sovereign truth, and obliges the soul to bow down and to adore him as such; and to give an undoubted assent to all the truths revealed by him, because he is the sovereign truth, who neither can deceive nor be deceived. Thus hope puts her whole trust in him, worships him as the inexhaustible source of all good, and raises the soul to a lively expectation of mercy, grace, and salvation from him; grounding herself upon his almighty power, goodness, promises, and mercy, and the precious blood of his Son. Thus charity or divine love embraces him above all things; worships him by offering herself and all things else to him; loves him for his own infinite goodness’ sake, and all others that are made after his image and likeness for his sake. Thus these three virtues derive the excellence which they have above all others, from this immediate relation to the source of all excellence. O my soul, see thou give them the first place in thy inward house, and continually entertain them there. Make them thy favourites, and they will make thee the favourite of heaven.

Consider 3rdly, that to entertain these divine virtues in the soul, we must make frequent acts of them, otherwise they will quickly fade away and die. The soul that does not often exercise her faith by employing her thoughts upon the great truths of God and eternity, quickly forgets both God and herself; and by forgetting God and herself, is exposed to all manner of evils. In like manner, where hope is not frequently exercised by the help of prayer and consideration, it quickly degenerates into presumption. And as for charity or love, which is in the nature of a fire that is always active, it must needs die away if it be not maintained and kept alive by frequent exercise. As the just man lives by faith, according to the Scripture, so he must also live by hope and by charity; so that the whole life of a Christian ought to be continually influenced by these three virtues, which cannot be, without frequent acts of all the three. And this is the shortest and easiest way to all perfection.

Conclude to labour to acquire, and to entertain these divine virtues by frequent acts of them; and in order thereunto to be diligent in the daily exercise of mental prayer. In this school they are best learnt, improved, and brought to perfection.

1 May, Antonio, Cardinal Bacci: Meditations For Each Day

The Month of Mary

1. It is often said that May is the most beautiful month of the year. The flowers are in full bloom, the weather is mild, and the first fruits of the soil are beginning to reward man's labour. It is fitting that we should dedicate to Mary the most beautiful month of the year, for she is the most beautiful of God's creatures.

We should offer this month to Mary by increasing our love for her. We should love her with a filial love, for she loves us with the heart of a mother. If we contemplate her beauty and goodness, we shall be inflamed with love for her. It will be a tender love such as we have for our earthly mother, and at the same time a respectful and worshipful love such as we ought to have for the Mother of God. Our offering of the month of May to Mary should result in a twofold resolution:—the resolution to make good our failings and to advance in holiness. This is the only way in which we can prove the sincerity of our affection, by deeds rather than by words. It is certain that we have many faults of character. Let us examine ourselves in front of Our Lady's altar by comparing our weakness with her magnificence of soul. When we have discovered our failings, let us be courageous in eradicating them. We can offer this sacrifice to Mary with love and generosity, no matter how hard it may be.

We can spend every day of this month digging out those weeds in the garden of our soul, which our passions and the influence of the devil have helped to flourish. Let us plant and bring to perfection in their place the flowers of Christian virtue. In this way we shall make the month of May very pleasing to Mary.

2. This work of eradicating our faults and replacing them by their opposite virtues is a difficult task which we cannot carry out on our own. Prayer is necessary if we are to obtain the grace which we need. During Mary's month we should beseech our heavenly Mother with greater earnestness to obtain for us from her divine Son the grace which we need to correct the evil in our nature and to perfect it in goodness. Mary wants us to pray to her because she wishes to obtain for us the graces which we require. She loves us very much and is ready to help us to become, like her, living imitations of Jesus in so far as the weakness of our nature will permit. Among our other prayers let us remember to give pride of place to the Rosary, whether we recite it in church or with the family. Let us include at least a quarter of an hour of meditation; a daily visit, however short, to the Blessed Sacrament and to Our Lady's altar; an examination of conscience in the evening; and many ejaculatory prayers during the day which will express our love for Mary and for her divine Son.

3. Holy Mary, my most tender Mother, I love you and desire to love you more and more. I realise that I am spiritually poor and imperfect. You who are close to the all-powerful God, please help me by your favour and intercession. I know that Jesus will grant everything you ask of Him. Obtain for me, therefore, during this month, the grace to eradicate all my vices and to cause to flourish in my soul all the virtues of which I stand in need. Set my heart on fire with the love of God and help me to grow more and more like you and like your divine Son. Amen.

Eastern Rite ~ Feasts of 1 May AM 7533

Today is the Feasts of the Holy Prophet Jeremias, of the Coronation of the Pochaev Icon of the Mother of God,  and of the Passing into Eternal Life of Blessed Hieromartyr Klymentii Sheptytsky, Archimandrite of the Studites.

✠✠✠✠✠

The Holy Prophet Jeremias, one of the four great Old Testament prophets, was the son of the priest Helkias from the city of Anathoth near Jerusalem, and he lived 600 years before the Birth of Christ, under the Israelite king Josias and four of his successors. He was called to prophetic service at the age of fifteen when the Lord revealed to him that even before his birth the Lord had chosen him to be a prophet. Jeremias refused, citing his youth and lack of skill at speaking, but the Lord promised to be always with him and to watch over him.

He touched the mouth of the chosen one and said, “Behold, I have put My words into your mouth. Behold, I have appointed you this day over nations and kingdoms, to root out and to pull down, to destroy and to rebuild, and to plant” (Jer. 1:9-10). From that time Jeremias prophesied for twenty-three years, denouncing the Jews for abandoning the true God and worshipping idols, predicting sorrows and devastating wars. He stood by the gates of the city, and at the entrance to the Temple, everywhere where the people gathered, and he exhorted them with imprecations and often with tears. The people, however, mocked and abused him, and they even tried to kill him.

Depicting for the Jews their impending enslavement to the king of Babylon, Jeremias first placed on his own neck a wooden, and then an iron yoke, and thus he went about among the people. Enraged at the dire predictions of the prophet, the Jewish elders threw the Prophet Jeremias into a pit filled with horrid, slimy creatures, where he almost died. Through the intercession of the God-fearing royal official Habdemelek, the prophet was pulled out of the pit, but he did not cease his prophecies, and for this, he was carted off to prison. Under the Jewish king Zedechias, his prophecy was fulfilled.

Nabuchodonosor came, slaughtered many people, carried off a remnant into captivity, and Jerusalem was pillaged and destroyed. Nabuchodonosor released the prophet from prison and permitted him to live where he wanted. The prophet remained at the ruins of Jerusalem and bewailed his nation’s misfortune. According to Tradition, the Prophet Jeremias took the Ark of the Covenant with the Tablets of the Law and hid it in one of the caves of Mount Nabath (Nebo), so that the Jews could no longer find it (2 Mac. 2). Afterwards, a new Ark of the Covenant was fashioned, but it lacked the glory of the first.

Among the Jews remaining in their fatherland, there soon arose internecine clashes: Hodolias, Nabuchodonosor’s viceroy, was murdered. The Jews, fearing the wrath of Babylon, decided to flee into Egypt. The Prophet Jeremias disagreed with their intention, predicting that the punishment which they feared would befall them in Egypt. The Jews would not listen to the prophet, however, and taking him along by force, they went into Egypt and settled in the city of Tathnis. There the prophet lived for four years and was respected by the Egyptians because by his prayers he killed crocodiles and other creatures infesting these parts. When Jeremias prophesied that the King of Babylon would invade Egypt and annihilate the Jews living there, the Jews murdered him. In that very same year the saint’s prophecy was fulfilled. There is a tradition that 250 years later, Alexander the Great transported the relics of the holy Prophet Jeremias to Alexandria.

The Prophet Jeremias wrote his Book of Prophecies and also the Book of Lamentations about the desolation of Jerusalem and the Exile. The times in which he lived and prophesied are described in 4 Kings (Ch. 23-25) and in the Second Book of Paralipomenon (36:12) and in 2 Machabees (Ch. 2).

In the Gospel of Matthew, it is said that the betrayal of Judas was foretold by the Prophet Jeremias, “And they took thirty pieces of silver, the price of him on whom the sons of Israel had set a price, and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me” (Mt. 27:9-10). Perhaps Jeremias 32:6-15 is meant.

Even after his death, the Prophet Jeremias was regarded as a wonderworker. Dust from his tomb was believed to cure snake bite, and many Christians pray to him for this purpose.

Troparion — Tone 2

Celebrating the memory / of Your Prophet Jeremias, O Lord, / for his sake, we entreat You to save our souls.

Kontakion — Tone 3

Cleansing your radiant heart through the Spirit, / O great Prophet and Martyr, / glorious Jeremias, / you received from on high the gift of prophecy. / You cried out with a great voice to the nations: / This is our God, and there is none other besides Him / Who became incarnate and appeared on earth.

✠✠✠✠✠

The Icon of the Mother of God “The Footprint” at Pochaev was recognised by Clement XIV, Pope of Rome, as miraculous and was Papally Crowned on his orders.

The history of Our Lady of Pochaiv (pronounced Po-cha-yiv) begins in 1198 at the top of Mount Pochayiv in the Carpathian Mountains, about two centuries after Christianity became institutionalised in Ukraine following the conversion of St. Volodymyr.

On April 17, 1198, a monk in the region of Ternopil Oblast ascended Mount Pochaiv to pray. After beginning his prayers, a pillar of fire appeared to him and to some shepherds nearby. The flames withdrew to reveal the Blessed Virgin standing upon the mountain. The apparition left behind a single footprint upon the rock where she stood, and from this rock, a healing spring began to flow.

News of this supernatural event spread to the people of the region, and many who visited the place told of receiving healing from the waters of the spring. The imprint on the rock became known as the Healing Unshod Footprint, while the spring became known for its miraculous healing ability. The previously uninhabited mountain became the site of a monastery dedicated to the miracle, and a song about the apparition has been passed down through generations:

Shepherds on a hill tended their flock;
They beheld the Mother of God on the rock,
And in remembrance of her good
Leaving a footprint where she stood.
Water there now flows from a spring,
Good health, to those who believe, to bring.

Hundreds of years later, the Greek bishop Neophit visited the monastery and left behind a gift — an icon of the Theotokos from Constantinople — for Anna Hoyska, a rich widow who owned the local town and lands. Soon after, the icon reportedly started glowing, and Anna Hoyska’s blind brother is said to have regained his sight after praying in front of it. Donated to the monastery after Hoyska’s death, the icon eventually came to bear the mountain’s name: the Pochaiv Icon of the Mother of God or the Theotokos of Pochaiv (Ukrainian: Почаївська ікона Пресвятої Богородиці). Painted in a late Byzantine style, the image is an Eastern Catholic icon of the Eleusa, or “Tenderness Madonna,” iconographic type. The icon shows Our Lady wearing a crown and holding the infant Jesus. In her other hand, she holds the end of her veil. This being a “tenderness” icon, it shows the faces of Jesus and Mary touching while Jesus gives a blessing with his hand. Mary’s face is sad yet beautiful, and her head leans toward her son, a sign of her loving concern and readiness to help.

The monastery’s chronicles record hundreds of miracles during the icon’s stay, one regarding the invasion of the Turks during the Zbarazh War in 1675. At this time, the people of Pochaiv gathered at the monastery in order to weather the attack. Facing certain death at the hands of the invaders, they prayed and sang hymns to Mary, pleading for protection and help. Legend tells that the Blessed Virgin appeared in the sky along with a host of angels and St. Job of Pochaiv. Mary’s white mantle (or Pokrova) spread over the monastery and terrified the besieging army. The Turks fired arrows into the sky at the apparition, but the arrows fell back and wounded the attackers who shot them. This caused enough confusion among the invaders that they scattered, allowing the people of Pochaiv to turn their enemies back. Against overwhelming odds, the people of Pochaiv achieved victory.

✠✠✠✠✠

Blessed Hieromartyr Archimandrite Klymentii Sheptytsky was born in 1869 on the Prylbychi estate outside Rava Ruska. He was the younger brother of the Venerable Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky and the Archimandrite of the Order of Studite monks of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. He was educated at home; graduated from St. Anne Gymnasium in Kraków and then from the law department of the university in Kraków. He worked as a lawyer and later became a member of parliament. In 1909 he entered the Order of St. Benedict in Beuron, Germany. In 1910 he enrolled in Innsbruck University (Austria) where he studied philosophy and theology. In 1915 he was ordained a priest of the Eastern Rite in Krizhevci, Croatia. He made his perpetual vows taking the name “Klymentiy.” He was a hieromonk, abbot of Sknyliv Monastery of Studites outside Lviv. In 1919 – during the Civil War – the monastery was burned down. Fr. Klymentiy along with the monastic community managed to make it to Holy Dormition Lavra in Univ; in 1921, to the monastery in Zarvanytsia outside Berezhany, and then later to Lviv. In December 1939 – during the Soviet occupation of Lviv, the monastery was closed and its property confiscated. In the summer of 1941, during the German occupation, under the leadership of Fr. Klymentiy the monastery was reopened and the life of the monastic community reestablished. In October 1944, he gave communion [to the community] and on November 5 along with a group of Basilian Fathers, he took part in the funeral of his brother, Metropolitan Andrey. In the middle of November 1944 Metropolitan Josyf Slypyi appointed him archimandrite of the Studites. In 1947, after the establishment of the Soviet regime in Lviv, Fr. Klymentiy was arrested and charged with “hiding in his monastery partisans who had fought the Soviet regime.” He was transported to Vladimir, then transferred to Kyiv Prison and later to Poltava Prison, where, in 1950 (?) he was sentenced to ten years in a corrective labour camp. He died May 1, 1951, in Vladimir Central Prison. Beatified on June 27, 2001, by Pope John Paul II and awarded the title of Righteous Among the Nations by the State of Israel for saving Jews. 

IN LUMINE FIDEI: 1 MAY – SAINT JOSEPH THE WORKER

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1 May, The Chesterton Calendar

MAY 1st
LABOUR DAY

It may be we shall rise the last as Frenchmen rose the first;Our wrath come after Russia's, and our wrath be the worst.It may be we are set to mark by our riot and our restGod's scorn of all man's governance: it may be beer is best.But we are the people of England, and we never have spoken yet.Mock at us, pay us, pass us; but do not quite forget.
'The Silent People.'

1 May, The Holy Rule of St Benedict, Patriarch of Western Monasticism

CHAPTER LXXIII. That the whole observance of Perfection is not set down in this Rule

1 May. 31 Aug. 31 Dec.

We have written this Rule, in order that, by observing it in Monasteries, we may shew ourselves to have some degree of goodness of life, and a beginning of holiness. But for him who would hasten to the perfection of religion, there are the teachings of the holy Fathers, the following whereof bringeth a man to the height of perfection. For what page or what word is there in the divinely inspired books of the Old and New Testaments, that is not a most unerring rule for human life? Or what book of the holy Catholic Fathers doth not loudly proclaim how we may by a straight course reach our Creator? Moreover, the Conferences of the Fathers, their Institutes and their Lives, and the Rule of our holy Father Basil - what are these but the instruments whereby well-living and obedient monks attain to virtue? But to us, who are slothful and negligent and of evil lives, they are cause for shame and confusion. Whoever, therefore, thou art that hasteneth to thy heavenly country, fulfil by the help of Christ this least of Rules which we have written for beginners; and then at length thou shalt arrive, under God’s protection, at the lofty summits of doctrine and virtue of which we have spoken above.

2 May, The Roman Martyrology

Sexto Nonas Maii Luna quarta Anno Dómini 2025

May 2nd 2025, the 4th day of the Moon, were born into the better life:

At Alexandria, in the year 373, holy Athanasius, Pope of that city, most illustrious for his holiness and teaching. Nearly the whole world leagued itself together to persecute him for the Catholic Faith. He fought right stoutly against Emperors, Presidents, and Arian Bishops without number, from the time of the Emperor Constantine until that of the Emperor Valens. To escape their plots he became an outcast upon the face of the wide world, and there was nowhere left where he could hide himself in safety. He returned at last to his own church, and after many contendings and many crowns of long-suffering he passed away to be ever with the Lord, in the 46th year of his priesthood, in the time of the Emperors Valentinian and Valens.
At Rome, the holy martyrs Saturninus, Neopolus, German, and Celestine, who suffered many things, and were at last cast into prison, where they slept in the Lord.
Likewise the holy martyrs Exuperius and Zoe his wife, their children Cyriacus and Theodulus, who suffered under the Emperor Hadrian.
At Seville, the holy martyr the Deacon Felix.
Upon the same day, [in the year 489,] the holy martyr Vindemial.
℣. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
℟. Thanks be to God.

Meme of the Moment

Today is the first day of the traditional "Month of Mary".

France Moves To Ban Radical Left Group Advocating Political Violence

It is supremely ironic that a Republic built upon the Terror and the guillotine would be concerned about a Left-wing terrorist group. 

From The European Conservative

By Hélène de Lauzun, PhD

The group imagines itself fighting a ‘necessary’ battle against the ‘far Right’ and Islamophobia but interior minister says: “Enough!”

French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau has just called for the dissolution of La Jeune Garde Antifasciste, a small far-left group that has repeatedly distinguished itself in recent months through violent actions and calls for insurrection.

The movement was created in 2018 in Lyon. It claims to actively fight against the ‘far Right’ in public spaces and openly advocates the use of violence. On several occasions, La Jeune Garde has been involved in multiple violent actions, which it takes pride in, as the group sees itself as a “tool of popular self-defence against the far Right.” In June 2024, eight members of the group were charged with violence: they are suspected of assaulting a 15-year-old teenager in the Paris metro after a conference in support of Gaza led by Franco-Palestinian activist Rima Hassan. La Jeune Garde denies all charges against it.

Among its members is Raphaël Arnault, a member of parliament for La France Insoumise (LFI) elected in the Avignon constituency, who is fiché S, which means he is on the national register of people under state surveillance for security reasons. Arnault is the movement’s spokesman. He recently made headlines when he assaulted journalists from the conservative investigative media outlet Frontières at the National Assembly.

Arnault accuses the minister of the interior of acting on the orders of the Rassemblement National (RN) because Bruno Retailleau announced the dissolution of the group during a session of the National Assembly following a request from RN MP Sébastien Chenu.

Arnault protested on X against the procedure, arguing that the current political climate in France made La Jeune Garde’s action more necessary than ever. “In the midst of an Islamophobic frenzy, and at the request of the RN, Bruno Retailleau has announced that he will seek to dissolve La Jeune Garde. It is an indispensable anti-fascist tool in the current climate.”

La Jeune Garde is among those politicizing the April 25 murder of Malian Aboubakar Cissé in a mosque in the Gard region, portraying it as an ‘Islamophobic crime’ and blaming the far right—despite early investigation findings showing no racial or religious motive.

On the Right, Retailleau’s announcement was greeted with relief. The student union La Cocarde Etudiante welcomed the decision on X:

Last year, proceedings to dissolve a right-wing group identified as dangerous—the traditional Catholic training movement Academia Christiana—were launched. Fortunately, they were unsuccessful due to the weakness of the case. At the same time, however, the government’s crackdown spared left-wing organisations such as La Jeune Garde, despite their involvement in acts of violence. Retailleau’s decision restores some balance.

The dissolution procedure, which is expected to take around two weeks, allows the group to present a counter-argument in its defence, after which the final ministerial decision will be made.

Starmer Tries To Rewrite Free Speech Record With Empty Words

Starmer's past as the Chief of the Censorship Office, a/k/a Director of Public Prosecutions, is coming back to bite him in the gluteus maximus.

From The European Conservative

By Michael Curzon

Labour wants to present itself as the defender of journalistic freedom, but Starmer’s past presents a different picture.

If words were everything, Keir Starmer would be seen as a true defender of press freedom. Unfortunately for the Labour prime minister, actions hold more sway, and his own during his time as Director of Public Prosecutions have this week come back to squash recent attempts at self-aggrandizement.

Starmer is said to have “abused” this role to launch what veteran journalist Trevor Kavanagh described as a “blatant attempt to intimidate and silence the free press.”

Writing in a new paper for Britain’s Free Speech Union, Kavanagh pointed to the 2011 ‘Operation Elveden,’ which was launched by Starmer and saw about two dozen journalists charged with “conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office.”

These were dragged for years through the nation’s highest court and threatened with imprisonment before being exonerated—every one of them, though in some cases not before going through divorce, suffering problems with alcohol, and even attempting suicide.

The journalist added that writers at his own former newspaper, The Sun, were targeted in particular as an “act of political vengeance,” saying he was shocked, therefore, to find the now-PM last year writing in the publication:

This is a government that will always champion press freedoms.

Starmer described journalism as “the lifeblood of democracy” and journalists as “guardians of ­democratic values.” Although he also said in the past that too many investigations into social media posts would have a “chilling effect” on free speech, before later preparing even to use artificial intelligence to trawl sites for “concerning” content.

The prime minister’s team at Downing Street unsurprisingly refused to comment on Kavanagh’s attack, which also follows numerous criticisms from Donald Trump’s administration on the poor state of free speech in modern Britain.

The Origins of the Conclave

The word conclave evokes images of locked doors, rising smoke, and prayers in St. Peter’s Square—but this wasn't always the way popes were chosen. This video takes you back to the first true conclave in 1271, when a deacon named Tedaldo Visconti was elected as Pope Gregory X after three years of deadlock. Discover how a crisis in Viterbo, pressure from the people, and a revolutionary papal bull led to the birth of the modern papal election process. Explore the legacy of a pope whose heart remained in the Holy Land, and whose final gift helped build the cathedral where he now rests.

St Maximus of Ephesus: Butler's Lives of the Saints

1st Vespers for the Feast of St. Joseph the Workman

From the Canons Regular of the New Jerusalem. You may follow the Office at Divinum Officium.    

The Holy Rosary

Wednesday, the Glorious Mysteries, in Latin with Cardinal Burke.

The Monarchy That Never Was: the Kingdom of Lithuania (1918)

In 1918, Lithuania briefly became a monarchy after declaring independence from Russia and German occupation. The Council of Lithuania elected Duke Wilhelm of Urach as King Mindaugas II, aiming to solidify ties with Germany while asserting independence. However, the move faced opposition from Germany, which wanted a closer alliance and disapproved of Lithuania unilaterally choosing a monarch. Despite this, the Lithuanian press was censored, and the Germans criticised the decision. As World War I ended and Germany weakened, Lithuania sought greater autonomy and suspended the monarchy, shifting towards establishing a republic. By late 1918, Lithuania had adopted a provisional constitution, leaving the final decision on governance to a future constituent assembly.

The Predicables and the Predicaments | Categories, (cc. 1-5) | Aristotle

With Elliot Polsky, MA, PhD cand., Philosophy, Center for Thomistic Studies at the University of St. Thomas (TX).

• What is the book The Categories about?
• What are categories/predicaments?
• What are the five predicables?
• What are the ten categories and how does Aquinas derive them?
• What is a substance? a primary substance? a secondary substance?

Why Is St Catherine of Siena a Patron Saint of Europe?

Because of the massive contributions she made to Christendom, not least of which were her efforts to end the Great Western Schism.

From Aleteia

By Philip Kosloski

On October 1, 1999, Pope John Paul II named St. Catherine of Siena a patron saint of Europe, recognizing the many contributions she made.

St. Catherine of Siena was highly influential in Europe during the 14th century, and for her many contributions. Pope John Paul II named her a patron saint of Europe.

He did so on October 1, 1999, looking forward to the new millennium. In particular, Pope John Paul II wanted to give Europe holy examples as the countries were leaving behind a very bloody century. He saw it most fitting to learn from Europe's past to form Europe's future.

The hope of building a more just world, a world more worthy of the human person, stirred by the expectation of the impending Third Millennium, must be coupled with an awareness that human efforts are of no avail if not accompanied by divine grace: “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain” (Ps 127:1). This must also be a consideration for those who in these years are seeking to give Europe a new configuration which would help the Continent to learn from the richness of her history.

In particular, he chose St. Catherine of Siena as one of the new patron saints of Europe. He explained his choice, going through the many contributions she made and the strong faith she possessed.

She was quickly able to blend the silence of this cell, which rendered her completely docile to God's inspirations, with remarkable apostolic activity. Many people, including members of the clergy, gathered around her and became her disciples, recognizing in her the gift of spiritual motherhood. Her letters circulated throughout Italy and Europe as a whole. Indeed, by the assurance of her bearing and the ardour of her words, the young woman of Siena entered into the thick of the ecclesiastical and social issues of her time.

St. Catherine of Siena worked to resolve conflicts between rulers of nations and even within Church.

Catherine was tireless in her commitment to resolving the many conflicts which afflicted the society of her time. Her efforts to bring peace reached the level of European rulers such as Charles V of France, Charles of Durazzo, Elizabeth of Hungary, Louis the Great of Hungary and Poland, and Giovanna of Naples. Her attempts to reconcile Florence with the pope were also notable. Placing “Christ crucified and sweet Mary” before the parties involved, she made it clear that in a society inspired by Christian values there could never be grounds for conflict so serious that the reasons of force need prevail over the force of reason.

St. Catherine of Siena led a remarkable life and her efforts helped shape Europe, leaving a strong spiritual legacy that all can learn from.