Evil & Sin; Protests & Hope

Week of 10/26-31/2026:

Evil and Sin vs Protests and Hope

11/1/2026

This is a summary of the previous week’s daily meditations. Some are written by Matthew Fox (MF) and some are written by his colleague, Gianluigi Gugliermetto.

October 26, 2026: What are MAGA’s Worst Mortal Sins on the Ballot a Week from Today? (MF)

The Catholic Church distinguishes between “venial” and “mortal” sins. The current regime and MAGA are guilty of countless mortal sins. Recently, Charlotte Clymer, in “Charlotte’s Web Thoughts,” listed some of them, including: gutted healthcare; the dangerous, irresponsible and unnecessary war in Iran; the consequences of data centers; and trump’s role in refusing to make public the files of a massive child sex trafficking operation.*

Matthew adds to the list: the least qualified cabinet to ever exist in D.C.; concentration camps in many parts of the nation detaining over 70,000 people (one half of whom have no criminal history whatsoever) without any trial or promise of a trial; a corrupt supreme court; a president who cozies up to world dictators and who caused the January 6th invasion of the Capitol, then pardoned all the thugs who perpetrated crimes that day. And this is only a partial list.

Supreme Court grave diggers. Caricature by DonkeyHotey. Wikimedia Commons.

October 27, 2026: Rudolf Steiner & The Power of Evil vs. Sentimental Spirituality (MF)

Shortly before his death in 1924, Rudolf Steiner, the German mystic and philosopher, wrote the following:

Will the priests be capable of representing the spiritual world in its full reality rather than in the sentimental manner that has come into fashion over the last few centuries, so that as soon as one talks of the spirit one feels disinclined to include the power of evil?

Matthew considers the following article one of the most important he has ever written: “Desentimentalizing Spirituality.” (It’s the Conclusion of Wrestling with the Prophets.)

It was essentially an interaction with Ann Douglas’s The Feminization of American Culture, where she defines sentimentalism as “rancid political consciousness” that dares not speak of justice, injustice and evil.

We need to acknowledge the evil religion has fostered over the centuries: Inquisitions, crusades, witch burnings, the genocide of indigenous people, killing prophets, etc.

October 28, 2026: The Banality of Evil Redux: 12 Catholic Bishops Should Wear Sack Cloth & Ashes (MF)

Recently, the head of the “White House faith office,” Paula White-Cain, declared: “Christians that don’t support Trump will have to answer to God.” Meanwhile, the headlines in the National Catholic Reporter read: “Ahead of elections, White House shares video of Catholic bishops praying over Trump.”

Matthew says: While I am upset by this public display of Episcopal banality of evil, I cannot say I am totally surprised. I have researched the interaction of fascism and the Roman Catholic Church in our time and blown the whistle in my book, The Pope’s War. Fortunately, we have been blessed with two popes, Francis and Leo, who are trying to turn the ship around.

October 29, 2026: Lula! Lula! (GG)

The recent victory of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Lula) in Brazil marks the first time that the winner of the presidential runoff is the candidate who was in second place after the first round. Grassroots mobilization on the left has been huge and effective.

The runoff voter turnout — around 81% — has been stunning. It is amazing that a man born in utter poverty has become the most relevant political figure of the first quarter of the 21st century in Brazil. His passion and charisma, his utter dedication to the downtrodden, and his deep honesty shine in a world of darkness.

Lula is internationally recognized as the statesman who brought Brazil out of poverty and placed it on the world scene as a major political actor. He is also seen as a champion of LGBTQ+ and indigenous rights, as well as a defender of the Amazon forest.

October 30, 2026: Two Halves (GG)

It is the day after the Israeli election, and it is too close to call. Eisenkot now controls 47 seats in parliament; the so-called Arab parties hold 19. Together they could easily overcome the 54 seats of the Likud and allies — the bloc mainly responsible for the genocide — and form a new government.

Eisenkot and his party Yashar want the State of Israel to thrive as a liberal democratic state, instead of becoming a war-mongering superpower. But President Herzog may yet decide to ask his friend Bibi, the famous war criminal, to head the new government.

It would not be surprising, given that Herzog himself has supported the genocide in Gaza. It is very painful to accept that the descendants of the victims of Nazism have themselves developed a Nazi mentality. That is the other half, the dark side of Israel today.

Here’s what’s next as Israel awaits final election results

Anxious Israelis watched election results as no clear winner emerged and weeks of negotiating could lie ahead for Netanyahu and an array of opposition parties trying to unseat him. Associated Press

October 31, 2026: Students (GG)

In recent weeks, students have been the protagonists of revolts in Serbia and Italy. The Serbian “student list” was the deciding factor in the defeat of Aleksandar Vučić, ending his 14-year rule with a large majority in the parliamentary elections.

Meanwhile, in Italy, demonstrations led by students have been met with an exceptionally high level of repression and have ignited another conflict between the government and the judiciary.

Students bring a powerful energy of clarity and idealism into societies which are muddled, tired, and confused. Ultimately, it is up to people of all ages to form alliances and harness the students’ energy for societal transformation.

* Charlotte Clymer, “The Question I Keep Getting About the Election,” Charlotte’s Web Thoughts, October 23, 2026. Used with permission.