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In case you aren't paying attention, there's a big argument brewing among American Catholics. 1/
There are legit conservative Catholics who are saying the Francis is a false pope, or the Anti-Pope. 2/
Some are saying that Benedict is the true pope -- and Francis is holding him hostage! 3/
Whereas others say that Francis' election was rigged and there needs to be a new papal election. 4/
So, depending how u look at it, there is either 1 Pope (Francis), or 2 (Francis & Benedict), or 3 (F, B & whoever God has truly called). 5/
If you don't know history, this happened one other time -- the 14th century. 6/
It undermined the authority of Catholicism in late medieval Europe & opened the path for the Reformation a bit more than a century later. 7/
This is a really big deal in religion. Really big. A once in 800 year sort of thing. 8/
Even if it is just a grumpy minority, the ideas are spreading through the internet rather quickly. 9/
Causing significant stress in some quarters -- and online crusades against authors, theologians who support Pope Francis. 10/
It is a digitized religious inquisition, a kind of religious form of what happened in the 2016 election. 11/
I'm not a Catholic. But what happens in the Catholic church is very important, culturally and politically. 12/
There's something going on with this story that is . . . well, odd. 13/
I'm hoping some enterprising religion/politics journalist is on it. Where this idea originated, how it is spreading. 14/
Because I suspect this is just the beginning of something that is going to become much bigger, more significant in coming months. 14/
I do know that there are religious dimensions to Trumpism beyond his evangelical "court" advisors. 15/
Some Bannonite folks in my acquaintance are dreaming of a Neo-Christendom, with three centers of religious authority: 16/
Eastern Orthodoxy (St Petersburg), Roman Catholicism (the Vatican), and American evangelicalism as a triad of "true Xianity." 17
...who are seeking a renewal of white, European religious-political-cultures. 18/
So, the religion-aspects of Trumpism are not just about Jerry Falwell. There are more complex intentions, hopes, manouvers here. 19/
As I suggested, just stay aware of this story and watch how it develops. 20/
I'll be thrilled if it is nothing. But, looking over some social media threads, I'm not so sure this is Catholicism-as-usual. 21/
I'd like to see some first-class secular journalists on it. That's all. 22/
Religion accounts for some of the resilience of Trump's base. And it goes much further than white evangelicals. 23/
PLEASE READ CAREFULLY. I AM NOT A PROPONENT OF THIS THEORY. I'M REPORTING ON ITS EXISTENCE in extremist Catholic circles. 24/
