Latest news with #Pharisees
Spectator
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Spectator
Is Nigel Farage a ‘viper'?
'Farage is no leader,' said Rupert Lowe MP. 'He is a coward and a viper.' Cedric Hardwicke immediately came to mind. As Dr Arnold in Tom Brown's Schooldays (1940), he exclaims to Flashman: 'You are a bully, a coward and a liar. There is no longer any place for you at Rugby.' But I'm not sure Nigel Farage is a Flashman. What kind of viper did Mr Lowe mean? Presumably one in the bosom – not like Cleopatra's asp, but one thawed out by a man who pitied it, only to be bitten when the creature warms up. It's a fable of Aesop with which Cicero was familiar. Hence, in Tom Jones, Squire Allworthy's denunciation of 'that wicked Viper which I have so long nourished in my Bosom' – Tom's half-brother. The viper's big moment comes in the Gospels, when Jesus says to a group of Pharisees and Sadducees: 'You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?' Do vipers come in broods, then, or perhaps nests? François Mauriac published a novel in 1932 about a family being horrible to each other called Le Nœud de vipères. It was translated in 1933 as Vipers' Tangle and in 1951 as The Knot of Vipers. Elon Musk called USAID 'a viper's nest of radical-left Marxists who hate America'. Yet by a principle of opposites, vipers acquired a reputation as a wonder food, even a theriac or antidote to poison. Dr John Arbuthnot declares in his Practical Rules of Diet that 'Viper-Broth is both anti-acid and nourishing'. In his Brief Lives, John Aubrey wrote of Venetia Stanley, the great beauty and wife of Sir Kenelm Digby: 'She dyed in her bed suddenly.
New York Post
17-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
How Poep Leo XIV will end the Catholic Church's ‘age of arbitrariness'
During his 12-year pontificate, Pope Francis urged Catholics to shake up their church and 'make a mess' if they had to. It seems he took his own advice a bit too literally, because he left a mess for his successor, Pope Leo XIV, whose inaugural Mass will take place this Sunday. In today's Catholic Church, confusion reigns on core teachings, conservative and liberal factions are at war, the Vatican is on the verge of a liquidity crisis, and corruption infests the bureaucracy. The good news? Leo might actually be the man to clean it all up. Advertisement 5 From an unreasonable focus on Church reform to mismanagement of the Vatican's finances, new Pope Leo XIV will bring much-needed tradition and order to the Vatican when he is inaugurated this weekend. Mirrorpix / MEGA A pope's No. 1 job is to secure doctrinal and ecclesial unity. But Francis prioritized outreach to the unbelieving and half-believing, and he regarded Catholics who adhere firmly to Catholic dogma as mere impediments. His strategy of condemning churchgoing Catholics and their hardworking priests — always a pope's most faithful followers — as Pharisees was not exactly a master class in leadership. Then he issued documents that appeared to contradict settled Catholic teaching on gay relationships and remarriage after divorce, and the Church was thrown into chaos. Advertisement Liberals crowed, conservatives howled, and everyone argued over what on earth his ambiguous statements were supposed to mean. The papacy has a practical side, too, and Francis's record here was no better. After some promising early moves, he abandoned his effort to reform the Vatican's murky finances. 5 Pope Leo XIV visits the Apostolic Palace, the official papal residence, where he will live during his papacy, unlike his predecessor, Pope Francis. Getty Images An audit by Pricewaterhouse Coopers was ordered, then canceled. At the Vatican, business as usual means endless accounting games, asset mismanagement, and a deepening sea of red. Advertisement Donations fell off, and it's easy to see why. There was an undeniable air of incompetence and corruption. And there was the fact that conservative American Catholics, an important part of the church's donor base, were the pope's favorite punching bags. No wonder they closed their wallets. The result? The Vatican has a structural budget deficit of $112 million and a $2.2 billion unfunded pension liability. 5 Pope Francis' perceived assault on Catholic doctrine and teaching was supposed to modernize the Church, but only alienated its most faithful followers. EPA Pope Leo seems to be a very different man. Born Robert Prevost of Illinois, the longtime White Sox fan is viewed as a unifying figure after more than a decade of chaos and controversy. A former diocesan bishop and head of the global Augustinian order, Leo is an experienced administrator. Advertisement In 2023, he was appointed prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops. In this role, he made connections with bishops around the world and gained firsthand knowledge of where the talent is (and isn't). What he should do with this knowledge is obvious: Clean house. Then he should order an audit, stop the bleeding, and find ways to increase revenue. If he allows conservative American Catholics to regard him with pride, fundraising should see an immediate and perhaps lasting improvement. Conservative Catholics around the world are eager to like the pope again — and so far, Leo is letting them. He speaks thoughtfully and sparingly and has kept a low profile in the church's culture war, so he seems well-positioned to bring peace to the warring factions. But compromise cannot be the agenda. On doctrine, the church needs a firm hand. Leo must stabilize the teachings that Francis unsettled, by clarifying Francis' statements in such a way that they become consistent with unchanging dogma. As part of the drive toward unity, Leo should revoke Francis' suppression of the Latin Mass, the ancient liturgy beloved of traditionalist Catholics. Francis declared the Latin Mass illicit, in a move widely criticized as punitive toward a small group that resisted Francis' liberal agenda. Advertisement Rumor has it that Leo has long celebrated the Latin Mass in private. Whether that is true or not, he did recite Latin prayers with perfect fluency on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica after his election. 'Trad' Catholics are optimistic that he will give them a hearing. 5 Pope Leo's choice of clothing and comportment already suggests to analysts he will be a very different type of pontiff than Pope Francis. Getty Images If he does, it will be part of a broader embrace of tradition, not as a retro style choice, but as a way of putting the church above the person of the pope. Leo's first days in the papacy were full of traditional symbolism. He wore traditional regalia on the balcony, just like every other pope for centuries — except Francis, who insisted on plain white. And the Vatican has announced that Leo will move into the Apostolic Palace, residence of every pope for centuries — except Francis, who preferred the Vatican guesthouse (which sounds humble but is actually nicer). Advertisement In each instance, Leo has submitted to convention and declined the attention-getting 'humility' of Francis. 5 The Catholic Church's 1.4 billion followers should prepare themselves for a new era of piety and propriety. The Catholic Church will always be messy. With 1.4 billion members, it can hardly be tidy. But the pope's job is not to make the mess worse. Many Catholics suffered for 12 years under a pope who was given to strange and spiteful remarks, whose documents were often studied in double-talk, and whose official acts were unpredictable and sometimes vindictive. Advertisement Leo, by contrast, appears to understand that the pope's job is not to subject Catholics to his whims, but to subordinate himself to his office. That's why Georg Gänswein, a conservative archbishop who served as personal secretary to Benedict XVI, told an Italian newspaper last week: 'I sense a certain widespread relief. The age of arbitrariness is over.' Julia Yost is a senior editor at the religious-affairs magazine First Things.
Forbes
28-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
How To Watch ‘The Chosen: The Last Supper' Parts One, Two And Three
"The Chosen The Last Supper" Holy Week has officially arrived, and the first two episodes of The Chosen: The Last Supper—the fifth season of the beloved faith-based series—are now playing in theaters. Keep reading for everything you need to know about watching all three parts, including the full release schedule, where to get tickets, and more. All eight episodes of The Chosen: The Last Supper unfold during Holy Week, leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. As viewers saw in Season 4, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, an act that has prompted the Sanhedrin and the High Priest to begin plotting to hand Him over to the Romans for execution. The main cast from Season 4 of The Chosen are all returning for the next chapter, including Jonathan Roumie as Jesus Christ, Shahar Isaac as Simon Peter, Elizabeth Tabish as Mary Magdalene, Paras Patel as Matthew, Noah James as Andrew, George H. Xanthis as John, Abe Bueno-Jallad as Big James, and more. When I interviewed Roumie, who plays Jesus, he shared that filming Season 5 was one of the most intense experiences yet, largely due to the spiritually significant moments that unfold during Holy Week. 'The Last Supper means so much, very specifically to me and my faith,' he said. He also expanded on Jesus' mindset this season, noting how tensions with the Pharisees reach a boiling point, while the disciples still struggle to fully grasp the gravity of what's coming. 'Jesus says a lot of things, and a lot of it is the culmination of this relationship—this climax between himself and the Pharisees," he explained. "The rebukes that he gives, the sorrow he feels, not just for the disciples, who still fail to recognize what he's telling them is going to happen at the end of Holy Week, but also the sorrow in seeing these Pharisees and authorities misleading in many ways.' One major scene in Season 5 shows Jesus entering the temple marketplace and overturning the tables of the buyers, sellers, and money changers. 'The marketplaces are just completely upended,' he told me on set last July. 'It will be a wonderfully chaotic scene, and I can't wait for people to see it.' Ready to watch the first few episodes of The Chosen: The Last Supper? Here's everything to know about the Season 5 release schedule. "The Chosen: The Last Supper" The only way to watch The Chosen: The Last Supper Part One—which includes the first two episodes of Season 5—is in theaters. Episodes 1 and 2 premiered on March 28, 2025, and will be playing through April 20, 2025. These are also the only episodes of the season available to view in IMAX. The second part of The Chosen: The Last Supper—Episodes 3, 4, and 5—will premiere in theaters on April 4, 2025, exactly one week after the release of Part One. Meanwhile, the third and final part of The Chosen: The Last Supper—Episodes 6, 7, and 8—will be in theaters from April 11 through April 20, 2025. Once released in theaters, all three parts will remain in cinemas for the duration of the theatrical run. However, if you miss any part before April 20, don't worry—the show's creator Dallas Jenkins previously shared during a livestream that fans will have the chance to catch up or binge the entire season during Palm Sunday and Easter weekend. "The Chosen The Last Supper" You can now purchase tickets for The Chosen Season 5 on You can buy US and CAN tickets here, international tickets here, Brazil tickets here, and Latin America tickets here. Jenkins has confirmed that The Chosen will span a total of seven seasons. Season 5 centers on Holy Week—the days leading up to Jesus' crucifixion—while Season 6 will depict the crucifixion itself, and Season 7 will focus on the resurrection. Stay tuned to learn more about The Chosen: The Last Supper. Watch the official trailer below.
Forbes
28-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Jonathan Roumie Reflects On Playing Jesus In ‘The Chosen: The Last Supper'
Jonathan Roumie in "The Chosen." Courtesy of The Chosen Jonathan Roumie reprises his role as Jesus in The Chosen: The Last Supper, the highly anticipated fifth season of the popular faith-based series. With the first two episodes now on the big screen, Season 5 marks the beginning of the end as the show moves into Holy Week. Filmed in Dallas, Texas, the new season brings Roumie into some of the most iconic and spiritually weighty moments of Jesus' life—from the cleansing of the temple to the Last Supper. I sat down with Roumie on set last July, where he reflected on the challenges of portraying such sacred events, the emotional toll of the role, and what this means to him as both an actor and a man of faith. Playing Jesus has been the 'greatest honor and challenge' of his life and career, he told me just after celebrating his 50th birthday. After receiving creator Dallas Jenkins' script for Season 5, now officially titled The Chosen: The Last Supper, he said he was both blown away by what was proposed and daunted by the emotional weight of it all. At the time of our conversation, he had two major weeks of filming left, including the Last Supper and another pivotal moment that fans will discover later. 'I'm preparing rigorously for those scenes. But it's really hard to describe the variety of feelings—I'm overwhelmed approaching them, because they're just so loaded with meaning and substance, and an emotional connection, familiarity, and tradition for so many people,' he explained. 'So I'm trying to do my best to surrender it all to God and let Him guide me where He's always guided me for this series, and know that it'll all work out.' One powerful scene viewers will witness in The Chosen: The Last Supper—prior to the crucifixion—shows Jesus entering the temple and flipping over the tables of the buyers, sellers, and money changers. 'Jesus says a lot of things, and a lot of it is the culmination of this relationship—this climax between himself and the Pharisees," he explained. "The rebukes that he gives, the sorrow he feels, not just for the disciples, who still fail to recognize what he's telling them is going to happen at the end of Holy Week, but also the sorrow in seeing these Pharisees and authorities misleading in many ways.' Roumie continued, 'The people that they are meant to govern and spiritually shepherd, in service to their own needs, in service to their selfishness and their greed in many cases, and that becomes the tipping point, especially when it comes to the temple court marketplace, which catalyzes this, the beginning of this monstrous scene that we cover, where the temple is basically all but destroyed. The marketplaces are just completely upended. It will be a wonderfully chaotic scene, and I can't wait for people to see it.' Cast members have described the fifth season of the Christian series to me as chaotic (in the best way), but Roumie said that he would categorize The Chosen: The Last Supper as simply 'intense.' All eight episodes, which will roll out in theaters before arriving on Prime Video in June, cover the entirety of Holy Week, including the Last Supper. For Roumie, filming the Last Supper was one of the toughest scenes, given how personally meaningful it is to his faith. 'The Last Supper means so much, very specifically to me and my faith,' he said. Another challenging event he filmed was a key moment leading up to Jesus' crucifixion (which I'll keep under wraps for now to avoid spoilers). When it came time to film those spiritually significant moments, he admitted he didn't 'quite know how either of those was going to go,' but said he was 'trusting it to God.' The success of The Chosen has undoubtedly changed Roumie's life. His Prime Video series, Jonathan and Jesus, follows the actor on a journey through Rome and Paris, where he meets fans, fellow celebrities—including Pope Francis—and opens up about how he's navigating his rising worldwide fame. The docuseries also details how, after decades of pursuing acting, he finally got his big break with The Chosen. When the New York native first joined the project eight years ago, he had no idea the faith-based series would grow into the worldwide phenomenon it is today. 'I think you never really have a concept of what it's gonna look like. I mean, you hope for an idea of success and know that, 'Okay, we're just telling a really great story.' And if we can get some success out of this, and I can pay my bills consistently, that would be amazing. To have achieved that has been beyond my wildest imagination." Now, with only two seasons left before The Chosen wraps up with Season 7, Roumie is focused on staying present and soaking it all in. 'I'm trying to stay as present as I can throughout all of it, knowing it'll soon be over. I've lived with the character for now six years," he said. 'I don't know what it's going to be like when I'm not doing it. Life will be probably quite different.' The first two episodes of The Chosen: The Last Supper are now in theaters. Check out the Season 5 theatrical release schedule here.
