Pope Leo XIV has overseen a shakeup at the Vatican sure to vex progressives: assigning an American conservative who has fought against the LGBT agenda and abortion activism to the Catholic Church's highest court.

Weeks after excommunicating all members of the Society of St. Pius X and declaring it a schismatic sect, the Vatican announced a number of resignations and appointments.

'It is a position of great prestige and trust within the Catholic Church.'

While declining to renew the term of Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark — a progressive cleric who has tipped his biretta to the LGBT community and championed migrant causes — Pope Leo XIV appointed on July 25 seven new members to the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura.

Among the new members are a pair of American bishops — San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone and Bishop Edward Lohse of Kalamazoo — and two Spanish canon lawyers who belong to Opus Dei, a conservative Catholic institution.

These appointments do not require a relocation to Rome.

Maggie Gallagher, executive director of the Cordileone-founded Benedict XVI Institute for Sacred Music and Divine Worship, told Blaze News that "the Apostolic Signatura is essentially the Supreme Court of the Catholic Church (except that the Pope may intervene and overturn a court ruling)."

"It doesn't issue rulings on Catholic teachings, but on cases against individuals including for example judgements of nullity for marriages, and charges against other judges, etc," continued Gallagher. "It is a position of great prestige and trust within the Catholic Church and the appointment of Archbishop Cordileone is clear indication that Pope Leo appreciates his competence and his leadership."

Gallagher added that Archbishop Cordileone's appointment "does not mean of course that the Pope agrees with all the positions he has taken, but he is clearly signaling that these views do not put you on the outs with Rome, and that is a great relief to many Catholics in the United States, especially for Catholics attached to the traditional Latin Mass."

Cordileone, the San Diego native whom President Donald Trump appointed last year to serve on the advisory board of the White House's Religious Liberty Commission, is the archbishop who was harassed by California radicals for denying communion to Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), a professed Catholic within the Archdiocese of San Francisco.

Franco Origlia/Getty Images

In May 2022, Archbishop Cordileone — who has referred to abortion in America as a "genocide on life in the womb" — provided Pelosi with a refresher on the Church's moral teaching that abortion is a "grave moral evil," and stressed that there can be no more extreme example of "throwaway culture" than "when direct attacks on human life are enshrined in a nation’s law, celebrated by society, and even paid for by the government."

Citing canon law — which states that those "obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to Holy Communion" — as well as the instruction of Pope Benedict XVI, the American archbishop said it was his responsibility to bar the Democrat from what the Catechism of the Catholic Church calls the "source and summit of the Christian life":

After numerous attempts to speak with her to help her understand the grave evil she is perpetrating, the scandal she is causing, and the danger to her own soul she is risking, I have determined that the point has come in which I must make a public declaration that she is not to be admitted to Holy Communion unless and until she publicly repudiate her support for abortion ''rights” and confess and receive absolution for her cooperation in this evil in the sacrament of Penance.

Pelosi remained unrepentant and attacked Archbishop Cordileone on the network then known as MSNBC, complaining, "Our archbishop has been vehemently against LGBTQ rights too."

Archbishop Cordileone is on the radar of GLAAD and other non-straight activist organizations, not only for his defense of the Catholic teaching that "all sexual acts outside of a marriage between one man and one woman are morally wrong and do not serve the good of the person or society," but for his rejection of gender ideology, long-standing defense of the institution of marriage, and advocacy for protecting the First Amendment freedoms of those opposed to the LGBT agenda.

In addition to holding fast to the teachings of the Church, Archbishop Cordileone has called — especially in the wake of the SSPX schism — for greater Catholic access to the traditional Latin Mass.

Archbishop Cordileone said in a statement on Saturday, "I am deeply grateful to the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, for this appointment as a member of the Supreme Apostolic Signatura. I receive this responsibility with a profound sense of stewardship, recognizing that every office in the Church is entrusted for the service of Christ, His people, and the mission of the Gospel."

"The Supreme Apostolic Signatura assists the Holy Father in safeguarding the proper administration of justice within the life of the Church," continued the archbishop. "Justice in the Church is never merely legal; it is ordered toward the salvation of souls, the protection of the rights of the faithful, and the strengthening of ecclesial communion. I am honored to contribute to that important mission."

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There Were Thousands Of Faucis

Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl voted to order the closure of all restaurants in the county, then left that very meeting and went to dinner at Il Forno in Santa Monica.

'He's been lying to voters': Paxton BEATS DOWN Talarico over alleged election fraud

The pivotal battle over one of two Texas seats in the U.S. Senate may be decided by new accusations of election fraud against the Democratic candidate.

State Rep. James Talarico is being accused of falsely using his mother's address in Austin in 2021 to elude residency requirements and run in the Democrat-leaning district.

'He is a lying politician who has been deceiving voters throughout his time in office, so it should come as no shock that he continues his flip-flop tour across the state of Texas.'

Talarico announced on Oct. 13, 2021, that he would move back to state House District 50, just one month ahead of the Nov. 8, 2021, deadline for him to meet the one-year residency requirement for the 2022 election.

At the time, he blamed Republicans for redrawing state House District 52, which he then represented, into one that was more red-leaning.

"Republicans have gerrymandered me out of my district. If they think they can keep me off the House floor, they better think again," he wrote on social media.

The Federalist report, citing Texas voter registration files, claimed that Talarico registered to vote at his mother's Austin address in December 2021, well after the deadline, and used her address "on election forms," then purchased a home in state House District 50 after the primary in March 2022.

"There's no evidence, sources say, that Talarico lived at his mother's home during the period. Even if he did, the candidate would have to have resided there for at least a year before launching his House campaign," the Federalist reported.

Voter registration for Talarico dated December 2021 listed an Austin address, according to images shared by the Dallas Express. He was previously registered in Round Rock, Texas, according to the images.

Current records with the Texas Secretary of State list a P.O. box in Austin as Talarico's address for the March 2022 Democratic primary.

The unmarried candidate also reportedly shares an individual checking account with his mother. His campaign reported receiving an in-kind donation from Talarico's parents of $1,437.84 for moving expenses in December 2021, according to the Dallas Express.

Five years later, he's facing difficult questions about whether he actually met that residency requirement.

"James Talarico has proven he has zero regard for Texans and the rule of law. He's been lying to voters and shamelessly committing election fraud to hold onto power," Attorney General Ken Paxton wrote on social media.

His campaign did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News.

Madison Cercy, a spokeswoman for the Paxton campaign, did not hold back in a statement to the Federalist.

"It is absolutely disgusting that James Talarico used his mother's address to not only commit voter fraud, but also to defraud his entire constituency, all so he could run in a safe Democrat seat," she said. "He is a lying politician who has been deceiving voters throughout his time in office, so it should come as no shock that he continues his flip-flop tour across the state of Texas."

A recent Democrat-aligned poll said Talarico had a five-point advantage over Paxton, but the Decision Desk voter probability has Paxton as a slight favorite over the Democrat.

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How good cops end up funding California's Scott Wiener and his radical LGBTQ, anti-police agenda

Radical Democratic state Sen. Scott Wiener may have sworn off campaign support from law enforcement unions in California — yet these same unions are still financing Wiener's anti-cop and pro-LGBTQ agenda.

Wiener, 56, has sparked disgust and outrage across America since he joined the California Senate a decade ago. Since then, he has advocated for:

lessening the criminal penalties associated with HIV-positive prostitutes;
exempting some adults who had oral or anal sex with minors from automatically registering as sex offenders;
making California a "refuge" for parents who want to subject their kids to gender-related medical interventions banned in other states;
eliminating mandatory minimums for opioid trafficking and other drug crimes; and
S.B. 627, aka the No Secret Police Act, prohibiting most law enforcement officers in California from wearing masks that many believe protect them from doxxing.

'Scott Wiener has shown throughout the years that he is no friend of law enforcement.'

Wiener has not even tried to hide his animus against cops. In June 2020, at the height of George Floyd hysteria, he pledged not to "accept contributions from law enforcement unions going forward."

"Our policing/criminal justice system is broken & needs drastic change," he claimed at the time.

"This system kills/harms countless people, esp people of color. We need to do more & I'm committed to this fight," he added.

And yet police union dollars are still flowing his way.

How? The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Caucus Leadership Fund, a political committee for the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus. Wiener currently sits on the caucus and previously served as chair.

Since January 2020, the respective political action committees of the Peace Officers Research Association of California, the California Correctional Peace Officers Association, and the California Association of Highway Patrolmen have donated a whopping $210,000 total to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Caucus Leadership Fund, state records show.

During that same period, state filings show that the LGBT caucus fund donated $11,000 directly to Wiener's campaign committees and spent an additional $27,000 in independent expenditures supporting his 2020 re-election bid.

The leaders of the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus; the chair of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Caucus Leadership Fund; and representatives from PORAC, CCPOA, and CAHP did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News.

In addition to his seat on the LGBT caucus, Wiener also currently serves as chair of the state Senate Elections and Constitutional Amendments Committee and just a month ago killed a bill that would have barred anyone who "has ever been required to register as a sex offender" from running for elective office in California.

The bill passed 60-0 in the California Assembly, where Democrats outnumber Republicans 60 to 19.

Wiener voted against the bill because he thought it ought to apply only to Tier 3 registrants, the worst sex offenders.

Of note, Tier 1 offenses can include misdemeanor child pornography. Just this year, Rene Campos, a registered sex offender who pled no contest to possessing obscene matter depicting a minor in sexual conduct, nearly qualified to run for Fresno City Council but failed to gather the necessary 20 signatures.

Campos confirmed to Blaze News that he fully intends to "run again."

"Does equal protection still mean equal protection when the person invoking it is unpopular? Under the same sun, no one is above the law — and no one should stand outside its protection," Campos wrote in an email. "I believe every person stands equal before the law."

Rene Campos. California Sex Offender Registry screenshot

Many rank-and-file members of law enforcement have been frustrated that so much union largesse has been dedicated to Democrats like Wiener who seemingly make cops look like the bad guys and sex offenders look like victims.

Sgt. Tony Romo, who has spent nearly 40 years as a deputy and a detective in Los Angeles, told Blaze News that he resigned from the board of the Los Angeles County Professional Peace Officers Association in 2023, partially because the group was "selling out the members" with some of its "relationships with politicians."

Romo claimed that lawmakers in Sacramento are passing bills that "handcuff" police officers and that police unions are helping facilitate this anti-cop legislation through financial support.

"These bills are being passed, and the unions are basically getting rolled over on [them]. And they're not fighting the leadership. They just kind of want to go to status quo," Romo explained.

Sgt. Tony Romo. LA County Sheriff's Department

Romo also claimed that while he was still on the board, the L.A. County PPOA discussed donating to Wiener even after Wiener renounced all police union support in June 2020. Each time Wiener's name came up, Romo and another board member would immediately reject it because of Wiener's anti-cop activism, Romo said.

"Scott Wiener has shown throughout the years that he is no friend of law enforcement. Absolutely, he's more of a nemesis to law enforcement. And if he had it his way, there would be probably no law enforcement. So it's our duty to support our membership, and it's not to support any senator, assemblyman, congressman that is doing the exact opposite of that," Romo said.

State filings show PPOA donated $21,000 directly to Wiener's re-election campaigns between June 2016 and July 2018 but has not made a direct donation to Wiener's campaigns since.

Sen. Wiener is now running for the congressional seat former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D) has held since 1987, representing most of San Francisco.

Wiener's campaign and PPOA did not respond to a request for comment.

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Fauci's Secret Diary EXPOSES What He Really Knew About COVID | 7/28/26

'Why do you have to announce it to the world?': Trump REBUKES Netanyahu publicly over Iran's nukes

President Donald Trump aired some of his frustrations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu just ahead of a scheduled meeting at the White House.

The joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran began 151 days ago, and while the president has expressed his interest in ending the conflict, many stumbling blocks lie in the path toward peace.

'I don't need Bibi to tell me that. Bibi's telling me that because he wants me to stay involved.'

Trump was questioned during an interview via telephone with Fox News about comments Netanyahu made referring to Pickaxe Mountain, a suspected Iranian nuclear site.

"Well, I don't need Bibi to tell me that. Bibi's telling me that because he wants me to stay involved," Trump said, using Netanyahu's nickname.

"We have the finest, because of the space wars, we have the greatest cameras in the world. We know exactly what's going on. But no, I heard Bibi announce that. I said, 'Why didn't you just tell it to me? Why do you have to announce it to the world?'" he added.

"I know exactly what's going on at ⁠Pickaxe," he said. "It's not a big problem."

He went on to say that he would "take out" the supposed Pickaxe facility if Iran continues to reject a peace deal.

"We took out their ⁠nuclear sites, and we'll have to take out Pickaxe if we don't make a deal," he said. "If we don't make a deal, we'll take it out very easily."

Video of the president's comments can be viewed on the Fox News YouTube channel.

The meeting between Netanyahu and Trump lasted about an hour and is said to have been very positive.

"It was a conversation marked by full partnership, mutual support, and a shared understanding of our common objective: to ensure that Iran does not obtain nuclear weapons, as well as other goals," Netanyahu said after the meeting.

The president, meanwhile, said talks with Iran stalled over disagreements about nuclear weapon development.

"We can be in the midst of a beautiful discussion, and they'll come out and say, ... 'We didn't discuss nuclear,'" the president said while speaking to Fox News. "Well, that's all we discuss, because they'll never have a nuclear weapon. They understand that. And we have had some very good talks."

He reiterated his threat to resume military strikes on Iran unless a deal is reached.

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WATCH: Hero officer extraordinarily saves toddler's life, credits Jesus Christ for 'miracle'

Intense bodycam video shows the moment a police officer saved the life of a Texas toddler after the child was choking and unresponsive. The hero officer credits Jesus Christ for enabling a "miracle" in saving the young child's life.

Southmayd Police Department announced in a statement on Facebook that police responded to reports of a "medical emergency involving a 23-month-old child who was reportedly choking and had stopped breathing" at approximately 12:50 a.m. last Tuesday.

'Jesus, he definitely was there with me, kept me calm, helped me to be able to think through the processes of what I needed to do.'

Police said the female toddler was "unconscious, unresponsive, and not breathing," plus she was seen with blood coming out of her mouth and nose.

Southmayd Officer Scott Barrett is seen on police bodycam video responding to the incident and administering emergency assistance.

"Without hesitation, officer Barrett took custody of the child and immediately began administering age-appropriate back blows in an effort to dislodge the suspected airway obstruction," police stated.

Authorities noted that the girl had at least a partially blocked airway, but Officer Barrett's actions enabled the toddler to breathe again.

Sherry Steward, the child’s grandmother, told KXII-TV: "It's like she's convulsing, so I run and get her, and she’s solid purple, and I realized she’s choking. Blood was coming out of her mouth. Blood was coming out of her nose. She was just non-responsive."

Emergency personnel from the Whitesboro Emergency Medical Service arrived at the scene shortly after and rushed the child to the Texoma Medical Center for further evaluation and treatment.

Southmayd Police Chief Jeff Laughlin and Lieutenant Michael Aguirre later visited the child's family and said the relatives were grateful for the quick and effective response by police.

Police noted that the girl is expected to make a full recovery.

Barrett recalled the crazy situation and explained the challenges of attempting to rescue a choking toddler.

"They're just smaller, you know, and you don’t want to hurt the child by putting all that force on their abdomen and everything," Barrett told KXII. "We're taught to tilt the child over and to just do back blows, firmly, and that’s what I did."

Barrett also credited Jesus Christ for assisting him during the life-threatening incident. "I was praying Jesus would keep me calm during the whole thing and remember my training," Barrett stated.

Barrett credited his faith for enabling him to save the young child.

"Praise God, she started breathing," Barrett explained. "She started whimpering a little bit, and you could tell she was breathing at least a little bit."

Barrett added, "Jesus, he definitely was there with me, kept me calm, helped me to be able to think through the processes of what I needed to do."

"He worked a miracle, in my opinion," Barrett told KXII. "I was just his instrument. Without the training and Christ ... who knows what would happen."

Barrett stayed at the hospital until the child was released and then visited the family the following day at their home, according to KXII.

Barrett said of the toddler recently released from the hospital, "The little girl was out running around like nothing even ever happened."

"I got to hold her. She let me hold her, which was cool, at least for a little bit before she wanted to go back to Mom," he added. "But it was awesome seeing her smiling and playing and running around."

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Democratic Kentucky governor demands McConnell RESIGN if he can't PROVE his capacity to serve

Despite Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) posting another photograph of himself, the governor of his state is demanding more evidence of McConnell's well-being.

Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said in a letter dated Monday that McConnell should resign if he's unable to prove that he can continue to serve.

'Provide proof of your capacity to serve, or resign.'

"President [Donald] Trump is stuck in a war of his own making and has greatly strengthened the very country he claims is a threat," Beshear wrote.

"Prices continue to rise, crushing Americans who are working hard but not getting ahead. Americans' voting rights are being eliminated by the Supreme Court and threatened by congressional action. All while you are absent and refuse to communicate clearly and directly to the people you serve," he added.

"As Governor of the state you serve, I am calling on you to directly and verbally address the people of Kentucky and provide proof of your capacity to serve, or resign," Beshear concluded.

McConnell's office did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News.

The 84-year-old senator was hospitalized on June 14 after a fall that left him briefly unconscious and has also had a bout with pneumonia, according to his office. His absence from the Senate and public life has led many to speculate that his condition is far more grave than his office is admitting.

A month after he entered the hospital, McConnell's office released a photograph depicting the senator and his wife, Elaine Chao, on his hospital bed. On Monday, he released a second photograph and said he was recovering at a rehabilitation center.

Beshear also reportedly sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), asking him to begin the process of removing McConnell unless McConnell provides evidence that he is healthy enough to continue in office.

If McConnell is forced to resign, his seat stays empty until a special election can determine his successor. The governor, who is a Democrat, is not legally allowed to temporarily fill the seat, as is the case in some other states. However, some have argued the governor might contest the law in court.

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School district is secretly 'transitioning' child, Trump administration alleges

The Trump administration is threatening action against a Maryland county after parents alleged their child was transitioned behind their backs.

Parents sued Anne Arundel County Public Schools on July 8, alleging that unidentified high school staff secretly “socially transitioned” their child.

‘The school was secretly helping their daughter pretend to be male.'

The Departments of Justice and Education issued a joint statement — entitled "Trump Administration Cracks Down on School Districts Secretly 'Transitioning' Students and Hiding it from Parents" — accusing the school district of violating parental rights.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act gives parents the right to review their children’s educational records. FERPA also empowers parents to request amendments to those records and control how they’re disclosed.

The DOJ and Education Department allege the Maryland school denied parents records access relevant to their child’s supposed social transition.

“When the parents approached school administrators about the matter, the principal declined to provide details about the student’s ‘gender transition,’ and the assistant principal refused to turn over the child’s relevant records,” according to the joint statement. “These policies and practices unlawfully impeded the parents’ ability to exercise their FERPA rights when it mattered most.”

America First Legal and Consovoy McCarthy PLLC are representing the anonymous parents in Maryland’s U.S. District Court.

Vuk Valcic/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images

Identified as the Does, the parents discovered that "the school was secretly helping their daughter pretend to be male" after they received an email referring to their daughter by male pronouns, according to the joint statement. They previously educated their daughter "according to their religious beliefs that God creates each person as male or female, that sex is based on biology rather than internal self-perception, and that sex cannot be altered," the parents' lawsuit states.

“When confronted by the Does about this conduct, AACPS personnel first tried to lie and then, when that didn’t work, insisted that their actions complied with AACPS policy,” the lawsuit states.

“AACPS wrongly believes that it has greater authority than parents to control and direct the upbringing of students. AFL is eager and willing to correct this notion," senior counsel at America First Legal Ian Prior told Blaze News. "Parents have a fundamental right to know what is happening with their children at school, and they have every right to stop government officials from pushing radical gender ideology on their children."

"AFL is proud to stand with the Does as they fight to protect their daughter and vindicate their constitutional rights.”

AACPS did not respond to a request for comment. The Department of Education referred Blaze News to the DOJ.

AACPS policy, linked to the district website as of Tuesday afternoon, holds that information about a student’s gender identity can be considered “confidential medical information” and encourages staff to address students by their preferred pronouns.

"Let this serve as notice to every school district in the country: FERPA is not optional,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon told Blaze News. “The Department of Justice will enforce it to the maximum extent of the law, and any district that hides a child's sensitive information from their own parents should expect immediate federal action."

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Pope Leo assigns conservative archbishop who denied Pelosi the Eucharist to key Vatican role

NeverTrumpers Are Banking On Iran War To Drive MAGA Into Extinction

There Were Thousands Of Faucis

'He's been lying to voters': Paxton BEATS DOWN Talarico over alleged election fraud

How good cops end up funding California's Scott Wiener and his radical LGBTQ, anti-police agenda

Fauci's Secret Diary EXPOSES What He Really Knew About COVID | 7/28/26

'Why do you have to announce it to the world?': Trump REBUKES Netanyahu publicly over Iran's nukes

WATCH: Hero officer extraordinarily saves toddler's life, credits Jesus Christ for 'miracle'

Democratic Kentucky governor demands McConnell RESIGN if he can't PROVE his capacity to serve

School district is secretly 'transitioning' child, Trump administration alleges

Jon Stewart shuts down liberal journalist's Joe Rogan complaints

Project 2025 architect to challenge Lindsey Graham in 2026 Senate race

John Kennedy's hilarious advice to Trump nominee: 'Many people also called Noah crazy'

We’ll keep you informed with top stories for conservatives who want to become informed decision makers.