Pope Dies // Francis’s Legacy Analyzed // King Charles Dumbs Down Easter // UK Court Rules Against Trans Madness // Iran: Christianity rises as Islam falls // CofE Reparations Slammed //

Tanzania Archbishop Denied Access to Zanzibar Cathedral over Easter

Christ is risen! So what is next? If Jesus is risen then put your faith where your fear is. If Jesus is risen, then your business is the kingdom and the kingdom calls us to busyness. – Michael Bird

Every single one of our most pressing moral issues today – abortion, euthanasia, same-sex “marriage,” transgenderism, the proliferation of IVF, contraception, the collapse of the family, declining fertility, anti-natalism and environmental extremism, pornography, sex trafficking – in some way violates, devalues and deforms the image of God in mankind. --- Zachary Mettler

The conclave will be a contest between two competing visions of Catholicism. On one side are the aging liberal boomers, who came up in the aftermath of the Second Vatican Council and whose vision for the church is decidedly modern. On the other side is a cohort of more traditional, theologically orthodox and culturally conservative prelates who reject the liberalism of “the spirit of Vatican II.” They understand that Catholicism is attracting new, increasingly young converts worldwide precisely because it stands against the chaos and confusion of modernity. --- The Federalist

Evangelicals—for the most part—no longer think of the pope as the “antichrist” or of the Roman church as the “whore of Babylon” from the Book of Revelation. --- Russell Moore

We are not called to be Church watchers. We are not called to fuss at the rectory, the chancery, or the Vatican. Our proper “stance” is to face the world with the Church at our back. (We should add the gospel on our lips) – Austin Ruse

Our love grows soft if it is not strengthened by truth, and our truth grows hard if it is not softened by love. Every Christian should be both conservative and radical; conservative in preserving the faith and radical in applying it. – John Stott

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

www.virtueonline.org

April 25, 2025

THE POPE IS DEAD. Beloved by the masses, Pope Francis’s tenure was marked by controversy and scandal. His public persona as a pope of the people, was evident by his concern and defense of the poor and marginalized with optics of foot washing, baby kissing and daily phone calls to Christians in Gaza, told only one side of the story.

There was another side that revealed his hatred of orthodox Catholics, the Rupnik scandal, his cozying up to Fr. James Martin and the LGBTQ crowd, his rejection of the Latin Mass for those who still wanted it; his abandonment of Chinese Catholics, and much more. His refusal, during his entire papacy, ever to return to Argentina raised more questions than answers, with hints of sexual abuse coverups and suggestions that the pope himself might be homosexual. Francis was not an intellectual like his two predecessors, he had a pastoral heart which appealed to the masses. He will not go down in history as a saint like Mother Teresa.

Judge Andrew P. Napolitano wrote that Catholics believe that he is the Vicar of Christ on earth. But Francis may have been the worst pope in history. He watered down Church teachings on marriage, sexuality and confession. He declined to judge right from wrong. He forbade the Mass that every canonized saint in Heaven attended and participated in since 1564. He has even claimed that all religions are equal and welcomed in the eyes of God — contrary to 2,000 years of express Church teaching. “This is heresy.”

He attacked long-standing theology, universal liturgy and Thomistic Natural Law; when his principal job was to preserve them. He even questioned the concept of sin, said the judge. One sign-post was the abortion issue and Nancy Pelosi. San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone barred her Holy Communion, she went to Rome where the Pope gave her the Eucharist.

Biblical theologian Carl Trueman writing in First Things, said the era of Francis is now over, and it is time to start the post mortems on his tenure. Throughout his time as pope, Roman Catholic critics of Francis typically prefaced their remarks with an acknowledgment of his strengths: his care for the poor, his stand on abortion, his clarity on transgenderism. He was certainly solid on these matters, as one would expect any Christian with a basic catechetical knowledge of the faith to be. Yes, one might say, the pope was Catholic. But in other areas, he was more problematic.

No matter, the Episcopal Church and the official Anglican Communion put out the usual bromides about how wonderful he was on a whole range of social issues, including his warmly embracing former Archbishop Justin Welby and more. Pope Francis, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Moderator of the Church of Scotland jointly visited South Sudan, making it the first trip of its kind in Christian history. The visit aimed to raise awareness about the conflict that has left over 400,000 people dead. Their visit changed nothing. South Sudan today is still a hell hole of violence, starvation and death.

“Francis was thus my own worst Protestant nightmare: an authoritarian Roman pope driving a liberal Protestant agenda, a leader who embodied the worst of all possible Christian worlds,” concluded Trueman.

The Most Rev. Steve Wood, Archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America, issued the following statement upon the death of Pope Francis: It is with profound sadness that I have received the news of the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis. On behalf of the Anglican Church in North America, I extend our deepest condolences to our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters throughout the world during this time of mourning and transition.

“Pope Francis’s leadership was marked by his heart for the poor, his commitment to interreligious dialogue, and his unwavering call for us all to be better stewards of God’s creation. Through his humble service, he reminded Christians of all traditions of our common call to bring Christ’s compassion to a broken world.”

Not a single mention of Francis’s heresies, In the name of being pastoral, and his all-paths lead to God, many believed he abdicated his right to be the pope sending mixed messages to the faithful. The faithful just cringed and moved on.

Will the next pope follow the agenda of powerful elites or challenge it? Pope Francis failed to bring clarity to those issues almost certainly because of his overwhelming orientation toward a left-leaning view of social justice. Can that be reversed?

The papal conclave will be a battle not just for the Catholic Church but for Western Civilization, wrote John Daniel Davidson for the Federalist. He might be right. (See the movie.)

I have posted a number of reflections on his life as the pope, including Carl Trueman in First Things, Pope Francis, My Worst Protestant Nightmare - First Things

Dr. Jules Gomes in The Stream, https://www.virtueonline.org/post/pope-francis-sharp-left-turn-toward-heresy

Mary Ann Mueller, a hermit and Catholic did not have good things to say about Francis, which you can read here: https://www.virtueonline.org/post/is-pope-francis-a-lamppost-to-perdition

The Death of a Pope by David Duggan offers insights into Pope Francis’s papacy. https://www.virtueonline.org/post/the-death-of-a-pope

My own ramblings about Rome and Canterbury can be read here: https://www.virtueonline.org/post/roman-catholic-liberals-and-anglican-revisionists-have-much-in-common

You can read one positive take on Pope Francis by former Anglican bishop Michael Nazir-Ali here: https://anglicanmainstream.org/michael-nazir-ali-on-a-pope-for-the-poor/

Time will tell whether the next pope will follow in Francis’s footstep and permit the continuation of liberal Protestant policies. It’s up to the men who will be gathering in the Sistine Chapel in the coming weeks. As a Catholic friend once said to me about the last papal election, the Holy Spirit never errs. But, he added, the same cannot be said for the College of Cardinals.

As of this digest the odds-on favorite to be the next pope by bookmakers and artificial intelligence is Pietro Parolin, suggesting a 27.6% probability of him winning. As reported by the Italian newspaper La Repubblica, the Italian cardinal, currently serves as Secretary of State of the Holy See.

*****

King of England, Charles III, put his foot in it in his mouth over his Easter message that would have had his mother the late Queen rolling in her grave. Here is what he said; “On Maundy (Holy) Thursday, Jesus knelt and washed the feet of many of those who would abandon Him. His humble action was a token of His love that knew no bound or boundaries and is central to Christian belief.… The love He showed when He walked the Earth reflected the Jewish ethic of caring for the stranger and those in need, a deep human instinct echoed in Islam and other religious traditions, and in the hearts of all who seek the good of others.”

The King’s anti-Christian statement and mass arrests for those voicing unfashionable opinions are ugly signs of Britain’s rapid decline, noted The Spectator.

Former Chaplain to the Queen (Charles’ late great mother Elizabeth II) Dr. Gavin Ashenden ripped the statement. “It’s very offensive both for Jews and Christians to have this put together. It’s as if there’s no distinction between Jesus the Savior and Mohammed the warlord.”

The king, before he became king, had made it clear that he would not be a proponent of the faith once for all delivered to the saints, but of all faiths. He clearly followed through in this Easter message.

As one British woman screamed; "We have no proper leadership for Christianity in this country. Is someone going to stand up and do something about the Church of England in this country?" She has a point.

*****

One wonders for how much longer the issue of homosexuality will continue to consume the Anglican Communion both in money and headlines. It’s a fair question and the short answer is, I don’t know. The long answer is, not forever and probably not for much longer.

The lines have been drawn; Western Anglicanism has largely capitulated on the issue and the Global South has tightened its theological and moral reins. Both GAFCON and the GSFA have repeatedly reiterated that there is not a snowball’s chance in hell that they will capitulate to Western demands to approve sodomy and homosexual marriage. From Lambeth Resolution 1:10 to the latest iteration in the Jerusalem Declaration, that marriage will only be recognized between a man and a woman is the irreversible standard. But money is being used by Anglican pansexualists to twist Global South prelates into changing their thinking. It’s a difficult choice when people are starving. You can read my latest, Dancing Around Christ here: https://www.virtueonline.org/post/dancing-around-christ  It is fascinating to watch intellectual gadfly’s like entrepreneur Elon Musk, philosopher Richard Dawkins and Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson flirt with Christianity but are not prepared to make a commitment to Christ.  The label “cultural Christian” has become a new way to position oneself between theism and a rejection of the value of Western culture and civilization that has its foundation in Christianity.

The long and short of it is, we have become a nation of idolaters; we worship everything but the one true God. Millions have dropped out of the church and Gen Zs are not even giving the church a first thought.

What is truly sad to read is that nearly 70% of born-again Christians disagree with the biblical position that Jesus is the only way to God. A clear majority of Americans (72%) say they believe in the classic Christian doctrine of the Trinity, one God in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. However, only about one third of Americans 55 and under believe in an active, creator God.

And now you know why only ONE PERCENT of churches in America are growing with effective evangelism. You should also know that Boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964) are the church’s biggest financial supporters. They represent 80 percent of all church giving. When they have gone there are no new generations to support the local church. It is why churches are dying and that part time pastors and priests along with retired priests are the future. The only healthy thing left in mainline churches are their pension plans.

Here's a snippet of what is going on in the mainline churches and how they are devolving. Jeff Walton an Anglican writer with Juicy Ecumenism wrote this:

Presbyterian Church (USA) Shutters Foreign Missions ran the headline. The 1.09-million-member mainline Protestant denomination counted more than 3 million members at the merger of its predecessor bodies in 1983 and has experienced a membership decline of nearly 65 percent since that time. Gender queer is clearly not working. This week the Presbyterian Church (USA) fired missionaries around the world, ending its foreign mission agency.

The gravity of the church worldwide has shifted to the Global South. The church is at most half the size compared to when the current structures were set up. Does this sound familiar to Anglicans? It should.

The PCUSA leaders sent out a letter that didn’t lament missionary cuts resulting in less people hearing the gospel message, but instead expresses concern that “When progressive Christians, communions and mission sending organizations leave a mission field, their absences are inevitably and invariably filled with voices, personnel, and mission partners who view Jesus and his ministry differently, in less inclusive and liberating ways.”

If the newfangled doctrines of inclusion and diversity haven’t worked in the West, why does anyone think they will work in the Global South! Do you think the Anglican Church of Nigeria that faces daily persecution and is growing like crazy started down this rocky road that they would have a church in ten years? Of course not.

Just to make the point, Walton notes that The Episcopal Church’s international mission structure is (now) less centralized, but the closest equivalent to the Presbyterian Mission Agency in The Episcopal Church is Ecumenical and Interreligious Ministries. The Episcopal Church recently moved to cut staff through layoffs, early retirements, and the elimination of vacant positions in a reorganization announced in February.

Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe, a management wonk, was brought in to clean house, lower expectations and fire unproductive units. With dioceses merging and churches closing, death is inevitable. There are just so many life-support machines…and when the (spiritual) power goes out…

*****

An unofficial source told VOL that the Tanzania Archbishop the Most Reverend Maimbo Mndolwa, was denied access to the Anglican Cathedral in Zanzibar over Easter. The archbishop is caretaker of the Diocese as they are without a sitting bishop. The previous incumbent was forced to retire early. The archbishop is orthodox but not all his bishops, many of whom have been bought with TEC dollars. The Cathedral was built by Anglicans on the site of the former Slave Market, which David Livingstone fought to clos; is the island’s largest tourist attraction.

*****

REPARATIONS have become an issue de jure in both the Episcopal Church and the Church of England. The CofE is grappling with the issue, and theologian Ian Paul has come out blasting the Church Commissioner’s decision to put aside £100m ($133 million)  of their investments to be directed to working with and for communities affected by historic transatlantic slavery, with the intention that it creates a lasting legacy. The £100 million, which will be built up over the 9-year period of the three triennia through to 2031, sits alongside the £3.6 billion ($1.336 billion) indicative distributions that the Commissioners have articulated for the corresponding periods.

Paul notes the lack of evidence, the racist assumptions behind the goals of the project, and the way that this has been driven by ideology instead of Christian theology. “For my troubles, I was identified in the Fifth Report of the Racial Justice Group as an ‘Anglican blogger’ who puts out a ‘false narrative’ that must be ‘suppressed’ (p 23). Actually engaging with the issues raised might have been more productive!”

Collectively, these [papers] argue that the Church of England’s program of reparations is problematic for two reasons:

(a) Firstly, it represents a departure by the Church Commissioners from their core duties, of which international reparatory justice is not one, however worthy or not it might be in the abstract; and a diversion of funds intended for the good of parishes to a purpose for which they were not intended.

(b) Secondly, that this specific act of reparatory justice is poorly justified, historically uninformed and overall inadvisable.

Handing out millions of pounds while the CofE can’t pay decent salaries to vicars is an appalling use of funds. Paul said it lacked due consideration of the legitimate prior claims on the money entrusted to the Commissioners – especially those of parishes, where preaching the Christian gospel and performing pastoral acts of charity most effectively take place and which should be the Commissioners’ highest priority. You can read more here: https://www.virtueonline.org/post/uk-should-the-church-commissioners-pay-slavery-reparations

The Episcopal Church has been working to promote what it calls racial justice and healing through direct institutional change and advocacy for public change. The church advocates for a Congressional commission to study reparations and draft proposals for the government moving forward. Several dioceses in the Episcopal Church have launched reparations programs in the past 13 months, while others are preparing to do so. The Diocese of Georgia is committing 3% of its unrestricted endowment to help create a center for racial reconciliation. The Episcopal Church has struggled to address its complicity with racial injustice and white supremacy for more than three decades.

*****

If you want to know where the Christian faith is spreading the fastest, think Iran. Iranians are rejecting Islam and embracing Christianity. The Iranian Revolution led by Ayatollah Khomeini, the uprising against the shah was fueled by a mix of economic dissatisfaction, opposition to his authoritarian rule and a rising wave of religious fundamentalism. What followed was not just a change in leadership but a complete reordering of society. Sharia law became the foundation of the state, and the Islamic Republic swiftly moved to suppress secularism, silence dissent and impose rigid moral codes.

But of the 75,000 mosques in Iran, 50,000 have closed. Dissatisfaction with Islam and its leaders is growing. Rather incredibly, Iran now has one of the fastest-growing Christian populations in the world. Not in grand cathedrals. Not in public squares. But underground, spreading quietly and carefully. The underground church is growing by leaps and bounds. Persecution is making new Christians. Most Christian churches are outlawed. There are an estimated 1 million Christians in Iran and the figure grows daily as people declare their faith in Christ.

Apostasy — leaving Islam — is a crime punishable by death. Churches were outlawed, converts were hunted, and Farsi Bibles became contraband. Any challenge to the regime’s authority was swiftly and brutally crushed. Yet today, despite every effort, Christianity is exploding. You can read more here:

https://www.virtueonline.org/post/why-iranians-are-rejecting-islam-and-embracing-christianity

*****

One hopeful sign this week in England was a UK Court ruling shutting down trans madness. The Stream reported that Great Britain’s Supreme Court has declared in a landmark ruling that the terms “woman” and “sex” in the 2010 Equality Act referred to biological sex, not acquired gender.

The judgment was hailed as a victory for common sense by gender-critical campaigners and politicians, with JK Rowling saying it would protect “the rights of women and girls across the UK”.

Kemi Badenoch, the Tory leader, said the ruling meant that the “era of Keir Starmer telling us women can have penises has come to an end”.

*****

You can read more stories at www.virtueonline.org website where we look at the Culture Wars, the Theology of the Church, reform and renewal and daily news of the Anglican Communion.

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I have been given an opportunity to attend the consecration of the new Bishop of North Africa in Tunisia. There will be a number of archbishops, bishops and clergy attending. I could use some financial support to make this trip possible and to assist the new bishop.

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My Substack on the Middle East continues to grow. It is drawing a lot of attention across the globe. You can access my Substack here: https://davidvirtue2.substack.com/