258: Pope Bob Vs. Trump World

The most annoying convert TradCath in the world, JD Vance, whose cherubic face belies all his bootlicking aggression, gets his moment with Pope Bob. Usha stands behind him in a black mantilla. He hands the pontiff an oversized envelope: an invitation from Donald and Melania to a White House dinner. Bob smiles guardedly as he takes it and without looking at it, setting it on his desk. “I’ll read that at some point,” Vance sputters, “of course, of course.”  The scene is set for the Church-State tension of whatever phase of global fascism we’re now entering. These ghouls who jail students, disappear immigrants, and lobby for the Trump Gaza resort, shuffle into the Vatican with hats in hand to meet a fellow American who is nothing like their boss, asking for pats on the head, wondering what kind of alliance they can forge, perhaps through anti-wokeness discourse. The enigmatic response from Pope Bob sums up where we all are as we read the incense swirls for whether he’s going to keep steering the world’s 1.4B Catholics against the tides of late-stage capitalism and environmental disaster, Francis-style.  Show Notes Michelle Remembers | Satanic Panic Patreon Collection  Brief: Deep Church Conspiracy (w/David Lafferty)  Brief: The CPAC Pope and the Icicle Babies (w/ Brad Onishi) 183: Woke Pope Cancels America's Bishop (w/Mike Lewis) Sisters of the Little Way Vatican’s financial watchdog reports decrease in suspicious activities reports in 2024 Why the next Pope faces major money challenges Pope warns the Vatican pension fund needs urgent reform as employees demand transparency Cardinal convicted of embezzlement won't participate in conclave for Pope Francis's successor A cardinal is convicted of embezzlement and sentenced to 5 1/2 years in Vatican trial  Church defends Indigenous peoples: ‘Doctrine of Discovery’ was never Catholic Vatican Denounces ‘International Law of Colonization’ Reparations for empire: What the new pope owes to Africa | Slavery Catholic Order Pledges $100 Million to Atone for Slave Labor and Sales The Dark History of How the Catholic Church Built Its Massive Wealth The Vatican—Bulwark of Imperialism Indigenous leaders hope Vatican's repudiation of oppressive colonial concepts leads to real change The Man Who Took On Pope Francis: The Story Behind the Viganò Letter The Excommunication of Archbishop Viganò - Crisis  Bishop Strickland removed from diocese after accusing pope of backing 'attack on the sacred' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Om Podcasten

Dismantling New Age cults, wellness grifters, and conspiracy-mad yogis. At best, the conspirituality movement attacks public health efforts in times of crisis. At worst, it fronts and recruits for the fever-dream of QAnon. As the alt-right and New Age horseshoe toward each other in a blur of disinformation, clear discourse, and good intentions get smothered. Charismatic influencers exploit their followers by co-opting conspiracy theories on a spectrum of intensity ranging from vaccines to child trafficking. In the process, spiritual beliefs that have nurtured creativity and meaning are transforming into memes of a quickly-globalizing paranoia. Conspirituality Podcast attempts to bring understanding to this landscape. A journalist, a cult researcher, and a philosophical skeptic discuss the stories, cognitive dissonances, and cultic dynamics tearing through the yoga, wellness, and new spirituality worlds. Mainstream outlets have noticed the problem. We crowd-source, research, analyze, and dream answers to it.