Damian Thompson
@holysmoke
Associate Editor, The Spectator, presenter of its Holy Smoke religion podcast. Once described as 'A blood-crazed ferret' by the Church Times
The earliest preterm baby is being celebrated after being born at 21 weeks!!! Yet in the UK a child could legally be aborted for pretty much any reason without even any pain relief up to three weeks LATER than this. Where's our humanity? ksla.com/2025/07/23/bab…
Bishop Erik Varden (Norwegian, b. 1974, studied and taught in England for many years) is destined for great things. Younger priests long to see him promoted because he’s formidably clever and holy, understands their aspirations and speaks their jargon-free language. NB, Pope Leo!
This, this, THIS!!!!! Thank you, Bishop Erik Varden!!! coramfratribus.com/life-illumined…
One thing we don’t know about the great betrayal of Chinese Catholics is how much it was worth financially to the cash-strapped Vatican. Beijing could sort out the latter’s financial problems so easily – but why bother, when it’s already got the Church doing its bidding?
Looking at this iteration of the church, it's difficult not to doubt it. The deal with China has been paying rather handsomely...
My sister becomes a novice in the Sisters of Life today. Please pray for her and the 8 other women who will have their investiture later this morning.
Catholic Charities is the USCCB. Under either moniker, it is thoroughly corrupt.
The full story of the collusion between the Vatican and the Clinton campaign in 2016 has still not fully come to light.
Was Tulsi Gabbard talking about US Catholic charities yesterday? Russia in 2016 knew about ‘secret meetings with *multiple named US religious organisations* in which State Dept officials offered in exchange for supporting Clinton … significant increases in financing’.
Was Tulsi Gabbard talking about US Catholic charities yesterday? Russia in 2016 knew about ‘secret meetings with *multiple named US religious organisations* in which State Dept officials offered in exchange for supporting Clinton … significant increases in financing’.

This is where Rupnik’s sick cult hang out to meditate on his sick art. Every single Rupnik mosaic in the world should be landfill and all his acolytes named and disgraced.
At least one Italian diocese is still sending priests to the Aletti Center in Rome for spiritual exercises. Why? This by the way is their chapel....#CatholicX
EXCLUSIVE: My full interview with Archbishop Cordileone @ArchCordileone on the Latin Mass, liturgy and reverence in the Mass. Find it in post below & subscribe to permariam.com Watch on YouTube here: youtube.com/watch?v=SsnZrO…
A @PerMariam EXCLUSIVE with Archbishop Cordileone -- “What truly evangelizes is the beauty of the Church’s heritage. So we need to live that in a way that is communicable.” Full interview on Per Mariam -- permariam.com/p/exclusive-ar…
🗞️ Soul suckers: Gus Carter on how private equity ruined Britain ✍️ Also in the mag: 🔸 Tim Shipman: Can anything stop Reform? 🔸 Rod Liddle: Raise the voting age to 25 🔸 Bruno Retailleau: Islamists vs France spectator.co.uk/subscribe/
An outrageous betrayal of Hong Kong. So much for “we will always stand with the people of Hong Kong”. Suspending extradition was about the only thing the UK did to hold Beijing accountable. Now those who left their homes to come to the UK will be living under constant fear.
Government plans to reintroduce extradition cooperation with Hong Kong are highly concerning. Why does the Government deem this reasonable when freedom of expression, political freedom and the rule of law in Hong Kong have been crushed by The National Security Law and the…
27 years as a priest, 15 visits to Rome. The one time I wasn’t able to pray mass at Saint Peter’s was during his pontificate. It’s a rule I will never understand and that I’ve never heard a successful defense of.
Given that ordinary Catholics pay for St Peter's, it's outrageous that parish groups and their priests are not allowed to use the side altars.
The banning of private Masses in St Peter’s was one of the many incomprehensible acts of the last pontificate. Surely Pope Leo will reverse a measure that caused so much pain to priests.
The banning of private Masses in St Peter’s was one of the many incomprehensible acts of the last pontificate. Surely Pope Leo will reverse a measure that caused so much pain to priests.
𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗽𝘀, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗸𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝘆. ✝️ At dawn in Fontgombault Abbey, Benedictine monks offer private Masses at side altars... 𝘢 𝘳𝘩𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘮 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴. 𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚…
Ian Hislop is now outraged that people are getting arrested for telling jokes People have been getting arrested for decades now Ian and you stayed silent because it was people that dont share your politics Welcome to the world you helped create
Fascinating article prophesying the downfall of @antoniospadaro. But why the apparent jibe at @dianemontagna, who produced real evidence, quickly confirmed, about the TLM bishops’ survey?
The Forgery Machine: How Spadaro and EDB Manipulate Leo XIV Read now: silerenonpossum.com/en/la-macchina…
Feast of St. Charbel Makhlouf, first Nasarean International Day of Prayer for Persecuted Christians - please say a prayer today for our brethren throughout the world - remembering especially, Syria, Nigeria & China (also my birthday Patron🥳)