Has there ever been a time throughout the storied millennia of this planet such as the one in which we live? Has confusion ever been so great, sin so exceedingly sinful, darkness so dark, and light so wonderfully bright? Have prospects ever been as great to carry the gospel to the four corners of the globe, giving hope to the suffering and dying on this vast battlefield? Never before! And since this is true, and we need a good goading to duty occasionally, let us draw inspiration from the news.
A New Pope
Habemus papam! They are the historic Latin words announcing the election of a new pope following a papal conclave. And they were the words that echoed from the Loggia delle Benedizioni of Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome on May 8 to the joyful acclaim of the thousands gathered in the square below and to the over 1.4 billion Roman Catholics worldwide. Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, a native of Chicago, Illinois, walked out onto the balcony as Leo XIV and the first American pope in history.
His ascendency to become ruler of the Holy See follows a whirlwind rise within the church itself. (He was only named cardinal by Pope Francis in 2023.) His election surprised many, as there had always been a semi-unspoken rule among the College of Cardinals that, due to its outsized geopolitical influence, America could never have one of its sons seated on the Chair of St. Peter.
Counting Leo XIV’s accession, there have been 267 Roman Catholic Pontiffs. (Make that 266 for those of us who refuse to cede the name and dignity of the Apostle Peter to the rolls.) The late Pope Francis left behind a church deeply divided globally on issues of morality and inclusion. Since becoming pope, Leo XIV has issued statements regarding family and life that appear to hew to the traditional Catholic positions on marriage and abortion–a welcome breath of fresh air to conservative Catholics.
The first Pope Leo bravely stared down Attila the Hun at the gates of ancient Rome. Will the new Pope Leo also be able to turn back the enemies at the gates of the Roman Catholic Church today? Time will tell.
Boys in Trouble
Three high school sophomores are under investigation by the Loudon County Public Schools (LCPS) in Virginia. For smoking in the boys’ room? For spraying graffiti on school property? For using profanity at their teachers? No. For expressing discomfort that a biological girl (who thinks she is a boy) was changing with them in their locker room.
The Founding Freedom Law Center, which represents the young men, states that LCPS launched a Title IX investigation against the young men for “sexual harassment.”
The students, in fact, never even approached the female. One of them had gone to his gym teacher and the principal with concerns beforehand. The other two were talking among themselves, with one asking, “Why is there a girl in the locker room?” The girl secretly video-recorded the boys having this private discussion and reported it. As far as we know, the girl is not under investigation for video-recording the boys in the locker room.
LCPS is now under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education for this and other of its policies on gender identity. The event occurred at Stone Bridge High School, the same school where a male student identifying as female sexually assaulted an actual female in the girls’ bathroom in 2021, sparking a backlash by parents in the school district. LCPS also placed a Christian teacher on leave in 2021, for refusing to use a student’s preferred pronouns. They eventually reinstated him after agreeing to a legal settlement.
Men Rising Up
Call it a backlash to the emasculation of grievance culture–rebellion against usurpation of the gender-effacing movements that pervade Western society. (We’re looking at you, transgenderism.) Maybe it is the reaction against the powerlessness of a purposeless existence in a modern age governed by radical and rabid feminism. Whatever the cause, one thing is for certain: men, particularly young men, are rising up and turning to faith.
Referring to statistics from the Pew Research Center, a recent article in Medium states, “Gen Z is the first modern generation of Americans in which men appear to be more religious than women.” Statistics published in the 2025 State of Bible Report by the American Bible Society indicate a 21% increase in Bible reading from 2024 among men overall, but among millennial men specifically, there was a surge of 30%.
This turn toward spirituality and faith by men is not unique to Americans, however. LifeSite News reports that Catholic Churches in the United Kingdom are seeing an influx of young adults, particularly men. One diocese reported a 100% increase in conversions this year, alone.
We are called not to be mere spectators to this war or even just victors in it, but also to be the rescue and redemption of the countless souls caught in the middle of the fray. May God help us to seize the moment and pull them from the fire!
