Fifteen years after Sarah Silverman's viral call to "Sell the Vatican, Feed the World," we now have a "Marxist Pope," according to Trump stormtrooper Laura Loomer, and our wildest dreams. This week for Gaslit Nation's bonus show, we dive into the groundbreaking election of the first American pope, Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, whose ancestry ties him to Black lineage. While many celebrate this historic milestone, deeper questions remain.

Most crucially, Pope Leo's stance on Opus Dei, a secretive, powerful crime cult aligned with far-right politics and accused of human trafficking and labor abuses, remains unclear, especially given his close connections to Opus Dei in Peru. By Vatican standards, Pope Francis launched an open war on Opus Dei. (Fun fact: Robert Hanssen, the FBI agent and traitor who spied for the Kremlin, was an Opus Dei member).

Pope Francis began the work of reigning in Opus Dei's unchecked power. Pope Leo, seen as a moderate administrator, played both sides during his tenure in Peru, where Opus Dei holds sway. Will he now take bold action to finish Francis's mission, and protect the world from Opus Dei, especially America where Opus Dei has been expanding its influence in Washington, DC, thanks to allies Leonard Leo of the Federalist Society and Kevin Roberts of the Heritage Foundation and Project 2025?

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EVENTS AT GASLIT NATION:

• May 26 4pm ET – Book club discussion of Octavia Butler's The Parable of the Sower

• Indiana-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to join, available on Patreon.

• Florida-based listeners are going strong meeting in person. Be sure to join their Signal group, available on Patreon.

• Have you taken Gaslit Nation's HyperNormalization Survey Yet?

• Gaslit Nation Salons take place Mondays 4pm ET over Zoom and the first ~40 minutes are recorded and shared on Patreon.com/Gaslit for our community

Show Notes:

'Papabile' of the Day: Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost https://cruxnow.com/papal-transition/2025/05/papabile-of-the-day-cardinal-robert-francis-prevost

Trump's New Favorite Adviser Starts MAGA Meltdown Over 'TDS' Pope https://www.thedailybeast.com/trumps-new-favorite-advisor-laura-loomer-starts-maga-meltdown-over-tds-pope/

The Far Right is Coming for the Vatican https://www.americanfreakshow.news/p/the-far-right-is-coming-for-the-vatican

Catholic Church To Excommunicate Priests for Following New US State Law https://www.newsweek.com/catholic-church-excommunicate-priests-following-new-us-state-law-2069039

Opus Dei: The Gaslit Nation Gareth Gore Interview: https://www.gaslitnationpod.com/episodes-transcripts-20/2024/12/31/opus-dei?rq=Gareth%20Gore

Mafia boss breaks silence over Roberto Calvi killing: This article is more than 13 years old Godfather turned supergrass accused of murder of 'God's banker' claims case will never be solved https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/may/12/roberto-calvi-blackfriars-bridge-mafia

Surveillance Self-Defense: A Presentation by the Gaslit Nation Security Committee https://www.patreon.com/posts/surveillance-128381880?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link

Parable of the Sower: Gaslit Nation Book Club Discussion: https://www.patreon.com/posts/zoom-link-for-et-128213704?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link