Rivers of news reports are flooding out from the media about the explicitly fascist realities of Trump and MAGA followers at Sunday’s Madison Square Garden event. An event which made that clear to everyone and which we meditated on in yesterday’s DM.
If you want fascism and Christofascism, a twofer is available! Vote for Trump and you get both. Christian nationalism and Opus Dei are thoroughly in bed with the far-right wing of the Republican party today.
Check out the bigwigs behind the Napa Institute which was founded in 2011 by Opus Dei lawyer Tim Busch, an admirer of Archbishop Vigano whose “agenda” he praised. Among its stars are Steve Bannon, released under the cover of darkness from prison at 3 AM this morning; Cardinal Burke, champion of the anti-Francis wing in the Roman Catholic Church; Leonardo Leo, maker of the current SCOTUS; Larry Kudlow, “the free-market cheerleader recruited to Opus Dei” by Father McCloskey whose vocation was to make “converts, often of the rich and Republican” as Gareth Gore reports in his recent book, Opus.*
It turns out McCloskey sexually assaulted a woman who came to him for spiritual advice, and this resulted in Opus Dei offering the woman one million dollars to keep quiet. When she learned he was still operating as a priest in Palo Alto, however, she blew the whistle a second time.
As a theologian, it is my job to point out the faux Christian dimension to this entire campaign as well. Fascism is faux Christianity because it is all about Hate. And Lies. And Violence. Susan Sontag defines fascism as “institutionalized violence.” Trump’s Sunday lineup peddled this unholy trinity.
Hatred of Latinos and Puerto Ricans in particular. Hatred of immigrants, calling them “vermin” and rapists and murderers, et al. Even though studies prove that immigrants do less crime than everyday citizens. And hatred of Ukrainians because those who support Putin (which includes Elon Musk and Trump and JD Vance) are haters of those whose country Putin invaded.
Opus Dei was 90 years ahead of Trump and his christofascists. Opus Dei peopled dictator Franco’s cabinet and government. Escriva, the sick priest who began Opus Dei and paid to get himself canonized a saint (sic), was an admirer of Hitler and a hater of the Second Vatican Council. It was Vatican II, after all, which gave birth to Liberation Theology with its disturbing news that a “preferential option for the poor” is the gospel that Jesus and prophets before him like Isaiah actually preached.
Today Opus Dei is very well represented in Washington DC in the K Street Book store, where the religion created by its members and sympathizers is promulgated amidst the powerful ones of business and politics. The Fascist wing of the Roman Catholic Church, who hate Pope Francis and of course ignore entirely his encyclical for caring for the earth, Laudato Si, and are very well embodied on the current American bishops Conference, is well represented by Leonardo Leo who made SCOTUS what it is today: A MAGA wing in full motion.
To be continued.
*Gareth Gore, Opus: The Cult of Dark Money, Human Trafficking, and Right-wing Conspiracy inside the Catholic Church, pp. 272-277. This book is the most thoroughly researched study of Opus Dei ever.
See Matthew Fox, “Chapter 6: Opus Dei” in Fox, The Pope’s War: Why Ratzinger’s Secret Crusade Has Imperiled the Church and How It Can Be Saved, pp. 106-124.
And Fox, Trump & The MAGA Movement as Anti-Christ: A Handbook for the 2024 Election.
And Fox, Sins of the Spirit, Blessings of the Flesh: Transforming Evil in Soul & Society.
Banner Image: Celebration of Luther Day in Berlin, 1933. Bishop Hossenfelder, ecclesiastical minister of the Nazi German Christians, spoke. German Federal Archives, Wikimedia Commons.
Queries for Contemplation
How do you understand fascism? Why do you think it is returning in our time not only in the United States but in many countries? What can we do about offering a more uplifting alternative in governance?
Recommended Reading
The Pope’s War: Why Ratzinger’s Secret Crusade Has Imperiled the Church and How It Can Be Saved
The Pope’s War offers a provocative look at three decades of corruption in the Catholic Church, focusing on Josef Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI. The final section in the book focuses on birthing a truly catholic Christianity.
“This book should be read by everybody, not only for its ferocious courage, but also for its vision for what needs to be saved from the destructive forces that threaten authentic Christianity.” ~ Andrew Harvey, author of The Hope.
“In the gripping The Pope’s War, Matthew Fox takes an unwavering look at the layers of corruption in the Catholic Church, holding moral truth against power.” — Jason Berry, author of Vows of Silence: The Abuse of Power in the Papacy of John Paul II
Trump & The MAGA Movement as Anti-Christ: A Handbook for the 2024 Election
Matthew Fox tells us that he had always shied away from using the term “Anti-Christ” because it was so often used to spread control and fear. However, given today’s rise of authoritarianism and forces of democracide, ecocide, and christofascism, he turns the tables in this book employing the archetype for the cause of justice, democracy, and a renewed Earth and humanity.
From the Foreword: If there was ever a time, a moment, for examining the archetype of the Antichrist, it is now…Read this book with an open mind. Good and evil are real forces in our world. ~~ Caroline Myss, author of Anatomy of the Spirit and Conversations with the Divine.
For immediate access to Trump & The MAGA Movement as Anti-Christ: A Handbook for the 2024 Election, order the e-book with 10 full-color prints from Amazon HERE.
To get a print-on-demand paperback copy with black & white images, order from Amazon HERE or IUniverse HERE.
To receive a limited-edition, full-color paperback copy, order from MatthewFox.org HERE.
Order the audiobook HERE for immediate download.
Sins of the Spirit, Blessings of the Flesh: Transforming Evil in Soul and Society
Visionary theologian and best-selling author Matthew Fox offers a new theology of evil that fundamentally changes the traditional perception of good and evil and points the way to a more enlightened treatment of ourselves, one another, and all of nature. In comparing the Eastern tradition of the 7 chakras to the Western tradition of the 7 capital sins, Fox allows us to think creatively about our capacity for personal and institutional evil and what we can do about them.
“A scholarly masterpiece embodying a better vision and depth of perception far beyond the grasp of any one single science. A breath-taking analysis.” — Diarmuid O’Murchu, author of Quantum Theology: Spiritual Implications of the New Physics
4 thoughts on “Fascism AND Christofascism are on the Ballot ”
Figuratively speaking, to talk of love is not an ‘indictable’ offence. To talk about ‘the Living Truth’ on the other hand is. We are to be nice, be kind and take our orderly, uniform and place so as to not disturb the ‘status quo’ of family, neighbours, community, country and church and country club alike. The lower case ‘word’ is to be everything you want to be within a degree of ‘compliance’ in these intersecting groups. Otherwise, the labels of obstinate, obstructive, confrontational, aggressive, intolerant, egomaniacal, come out to put us in a place of ‘social shame’, that most, but all of us would rather not be.
Unfortunately, this is the one truth that Trump uses to his advantage despite his wide ranging civil and criminal offenses. He is the unabashed leader of the non-liberal conformists, the nationalists and the disenfranchised in the world of ‘woke liberalism’ with values so broad as not to be real values in their estimation. The other side of the political spectrum is blind in not recognizing what has happened as they have actually ‘cast-off’ the issues and concerns of half of the population. Talk about inclusion or lack thereof. If you are only looking to listen at a superficial level and not act on half of the populations’ concerns, how can one expect their vote if the ‘common good’ in their eyes and mind is to go unheeded? Both sides are equally culpable when it comes to inclusion, listening and heartfelt responses. — BB.
Matthew, your question is a good one for us: What can we do about offering a more uplifting alternative in governance?
Bernie Sanders modeled an answer quite well as he invited all progressives to unite with moderates to support Kamala and ensure that- at the very least we don’t succumb to the democracy destructing chaos that Trump desires. We can stop inferring that ‘both parties are equally culpable’ – as this is not true. No matter how flawed our current system is, we still have one party not interested in violence and collapse of our government.
We can open our hearts and minds to stay focused on the Common Good, and the basic needs of all humans and more than humans- clean water, clean air and clean food. I believe Christ’s transforming power graces our actions when we come from a deep belief that we are Beloved and act from a sense of Agape Love.
Matthew, thank you again for being a prophet of Truth & Justice, especially in your three recommended books above how the archetype/spirit of evil is still prevalent in our modern society and institutions negatively affecting millions of people. In the US, this evil spirit is manifested by Trump, his greedy billionaire backers, and his MAGA (Make America Grotesque Again) followers, and in the catholic church (and fundamentalist christianity) by Opus Dei.
As we know historically, humanity has been plagued/suffered a long time by these spiritually unbalanced evil forces that have manifested in many social institutions, injustices, wars, patriarchy, greed, misogyny, all types of racism, and the gradual destruction of our Beautiful Sacred Mother Earth/Her living creatures/Her essential graceful abundance, especially the last five hundred years. We’re also endangering our human species, as our modern human civilization is collapsing. Our Faith is that our Eternal human Souls will continue Evolving with-in Our SOURCE~CREATOR’S SPIRIT of DIVINE LOVE~LIGHT~LIFE~PEACE~JUSTICE… in All Spiritual Dimensions of Our LOVING EVOLVING COSMOS….
We can continue to expose those who would wreak havoc on democracy and work to support those candidates that will work to heal.