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Pope Francis Caught Lying About Catholic Church Sexual Abuse By Priests In Chile, Covered It Up

Pope Francis received a victim’s letter in 2015 that graphically detailed how a priest sexually abused him and how other Chilean clergy ignored it, contradicting the pope’s recent insistence that no victims had come forward to denounce the cover-up.

Published

8 years ago

February 5, 2018

Geoffrey Grider

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Pope Francis received a victim’s letter in 2015 that graphically detailed how a priest sexually abused him and how other Chilean clergy ignored it, contradicting the pope’s recent insistence that no victims had come forward to denounce the cover-up, the letter’s author and members of Francis’ own sex- abuse commission have told The Associated Press.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Pope Francis came in to “clean up” the Catholic Church, promising “zero tolerance” for priests who sexually abused thier followers. But sadly, this has not been the case. In the most explosive revelations to date, Pope Francis has been caught lying about widespread sexual abuse by Catholic priests in Chile, and about the letter hand-delivered to him written by Juan Carlos Cruz exposing it all.

The fact that Pope Francis received the eight-page letter, obtained by the AP, challenges his insistence that he has “zero tolerance” for sex abuse and cover-ups. It also calls into question his stated empathy with abuse survivors, compounding the most serious crisis of his five-year papacy.

“And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.” Revelation 17:5,6 (KJV)

The scandal exploded last month when Francis’ trip to South America was marred by protests over his vigorous defense of Bishop Juan Barros, who is accused by victims of covering up the abuse by the Rev. Fernando Karadima. During the trip, Francis callously dismissed accusations against Barros as “slander,” seemingly unaware that victims had placed him at the scene of Karadima’s crimes.

On the plane home, confronted by an AP reporter, the pope said: “You, in all good will, tell me that there are victims, but I haven’t seen any, because they haven’t come forward.”

But members of the pope’s Commission for the Protection of Minors say that in April 2015, they sent a delegation to Rome specifically to hand-deliver a letter to the pope about Barros. The letter from Juan Carlos Cruz detailed the abuse, kissing and fondling he says he suffered at Karadima’s hands, which he said Barros and others witnessed and ignored.

Four members of the commission met with Francis’ top abuse adviser, Cardinal Sean O’Malley, explained their objections to Francis’ recent appointment of Barros as a bishop in southern Chile, and gave him the letter to deliver to Francis.

“When we gave him (O’Malley) the letter for the pope, he assured us he would give it to the pope and speak of the concerns,” then-commission member Marie Collins told the AP. “And at a later date, he assured us that that had been done.”

Cruz, who now lives and works in Philadelphia, heard the same later that year.

“Cardinal O’Malley called me after the pope’s visit here in Philadelphia and he told me, among other things, that he had given the letter to the pope — in his hands,” he said in an interview at his home Sunday.

Neither the Vatican nor O’Malley responded to multiple requests for comment.

While the 2015 summit of Francis’ commission was known and publicized at the time, the contents of Cruz’s letter — and a photograph of Collins handing it to O’Malley — were not disclosed by members. Cruz provided the letter, and Collins provided the photo, after reading an AP story that reported Francis had claimed to have never heard from any Karadima victims about Barros’ behavior.

The Barros affair first caused shockwaves in January 2015 when Francis appointed him bishop of Osorno, Chile, over the objections of the leadership of Chile’s bishops’ conference and many local priests and laity. They accepted as credible the testimony against Karadima, a prominent Chilean cleric who was sanctioned by the Vatican in 2011 for abusing minors. Barros was a Karadima protege, and according to Cruz and other victims, he witnessed the abuse and did nothing.

“Holy Father, I write you this letter because I’m tired of fighting, of crying and suffering,” Cruz wrote in Francis’ native Spanish. “Our story is well known and there’s no need to repeat it, except to tell you of the horror of having lived this abuse and how I wanted to kill myself.”

Cruz and other survivors had for years denounced the cover-up of Karadima’s crimes, but were dismissed as liars by the Chilean church hierarchy and the Vatican’s own ambassador in Santiago, who refused their repeated requests to meet before and after Barros was appointed.

After Francis’ comments backing the Chilean hierarchy caused such an outcry in Chile, he was forced last week to do an about-face: The Vatican announced it was sending in its most respected sex-crimes investigator to take testimony from Cruz and others about Barros.

In the letter to the pope, Cruz begs for Francis to listen to him and make good on his pledge of “zero tolerance.”

“Holy Father, it’s bad enough that we suffered such tremendous pain and anguish from the sexual and psychological abuse, but the terrible mistreatment we received from our pastors is almost worse,” he wrote.

Cruz goes on to detail in explicit terms the homo-eroticized nature of the circle of priests and young boys around Karadima, the charismatic preacher whose El Bosque community in the well-to-do Santiago neighborhood of Providencia produced dozens of priestly vocations and five bishops, including Barros.

He described how Karadima would kiss Barros and fondle his genitals, and do the same with younger priests and teens, and how young priests and seminarians would fight to sit next to Karadima at the table to receive his affections.

“More difficult and tough was when we were in Karadima’s room and Juan Barros — if he wasn’t kissing Karadima — would watch when Karadima would touch us — the minors — and make us kiss him, saying: ‘Put your mouth near mine and stick out your tongue.’ He would stick his out and kiss us with his tongue,” Cruz told the pope. “Juan Barros was a witness to all this innumerable times, not just with me but with others as well.”

“Juan Barros covered up everything that I have told you,” he added.

Barros has repeatedly denied witnessing any abuse or covering it up. “I never knew anything about, nor ever imagined, the serious abuses which that priest committed against the victims,” he told the AP recently. “I have never approved of nor participated in such serious, dishonest acts, and I have never been convicted by any tribunal of such things.”

For the Osorno faithful who have opposed Barros as their bishop, the issue isn’t so much a legal matter requiring proof or evidence, as Barros was a young priest at the time and not in a position of authority over Karadima. It’s more that if Barros didn’t “see” what was happening around him and doesn’t find it problematic for a priest to kiss and fondle young boys, he shouldn’t be in charge of a diocese where he is responsible for detecting inappropriate sexual behavior, reporting it to police and protecting children from pedophiles like his mentor.

Cruz had arrived at Karadima’s community in 1980 as a vulnerable teenager, distraught after the recent death of his father. He has said Karadima told him he would be like a spiritual father to him, but instead sexually abused him.

Based on testimony from Cruz and other former members of the parish, the Vatican in 2011 removed Karadima from ministry and sentenced him to a lifetime of “penance and prayer” for his crimes. Now 87, he lives in a home for elderly priests in Santiago; he hasn’t commented on the scandal and the home has declined to accept calls or visits from the news media.

The victims also testified to Chilean prosecutors, who opened an investigation into Karadima after they went public with their accusations in 2010. Chilean prosecutors had to drop charges because too much time had passed, but the judge running the case stressed that it wasn’t for lack of proof.

While the victims’ testimony was deemed credible by both Vatican and Chilean prosecutors, the local church hierarchy clearly didn’t believe them, which might have influenced Francis’ view. Cardinal Francisco Javier Errazuriz has acknowledged he didn’t believe the victims initially and shelved an investigation. He was forced to reopen it after the victims went public.

He is now one of the Argentine pope’s key cardinal advisers.

By the time he finally got his letter into the pope’s hands in 2015, Cruz had already sent versions to many other people, and had tried for months to get an appointment with the Vatican ambassador. The embassy’s Dec. 15, 2014, email to Cruz — a month before Barros was appointed — was short and to the point:

“The apostolic nunciature has received the message you emailed Dec. 7 to the apostolic nuncio,” it read, “and at the same time communicates that your request has been met with an unfavorable response.”

One could argue that Francis didn’t pay attention to Cruz’s letter, since he receives thousands of letters every day from faithful around the world. He can’t possibly read them all, much less remember the contents years later. He might have been tired and confused after a weeklong trip to South America when he told an airborne press conference that victims never came forward to accuse Barros of cover-up.

But this was not an ordinary letter, nor were the circumstances under which it arrived in the Vatican.

Francis had named O’Malley, the archbishop of Boston, to head his Commission for the Protection of Minors based on his credibility in having helped clean up the mess in Boston after the U.S. sex abuse scandal exploded there in 2002. The commission gathered outside experts to advise the church on protecting children from pedophiles and educating church personnel about preventing abuse and cover-ups.

The four commission members who were on a special subcommittee dedicated to survivors had flown to Rome specifically to speak with O’Malley about the Barros appointment and to deliver Cruz’s letter. A press release issued after the April 12, 2015, meeting read: “Cardinal O’Malley agreed to present the concerns of the subcommittee to the Holy Father.”

Commission member Catherine Bonnet, a French child psychiatrist who took the photo of Collins handing the letter to O’Malley, said the commission members had decided to descend on Rome specifically when O’Malley and other members of the pope’s group of nine cardinal advisers were meeting, so that O’Malley could put it directly into the pope’s hands.

“Cardinal O’Malley promised us when Marie gave to him the letter of Juan Carlos that he will give to Pope Francis,” she said.

O’Malley’s spokesman in Boston referred requests for comment to the Vatican. Neither the Vatican press office, nor officials at the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, responded to calls and emails seeking comment.

But O’Malley’s remarkable response to Francis’ defense of Barros and to his dismissal of the victims while he was in Chile, is perhaps now better understood.

In a rare rebuke of a pope by a cardinal, O’Malley issued a statement Jan. 20 in which he said the pope’s words were “a source of great pain for survivors of sexual abuse,” and that such expressions had the effect of abandoning victims and relegating them to “discredited exile.”

A day later, Francis apologized for having demanded “proof” of wrongdoing by Barros, saying he meant merely that he wanted to see “evidence.” But he continued to describe the accusations against Barros as “calumny” and insisted he had never heard from any victims.

Even when told in his airborne press conference Jan. 21 that Karadima’s victims had indeed placed Barros at the scene of Karadima’s abuse, Francis said: “No one has come forward. They haven’t provided any evidence for a judgment. This is all a bit vague. It’s something that can’t be accepted.”

He stood by Barros, saying: “I’m certain he’s innocent,” even while saying that he considered the testimony of victims to be “evidence” in a cover-up investigation.

“If anyone can give me evidence, I’ll be the first to listen,” he said.

Cruz said he felt like he had been slapped when he heard those words. “I was upset,” he said, “and at the same time I couldn’t believe that someone so high up like the pope himself could lie about this.” source

Related Topics:Catholic Church chile Pope Francis

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THE PROPHECY NEWS PODCAST: America Has Become An ‘Antichrist Nation’ And Christians Seem Unable Or Unwilling To Come To Terms With That Reality

Published

2 days ago

August 2, 2026

Geoffrey Grider

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Jesus Warned That Deception Would Define The Last Days, And Today The Antichrists Of Government, Media, Technology And Religion Are Operating At Full Power

We are living in an age when the antichrists no longer hide in dark corners but they stand beneath spotlights, speak from television screens, wear expensive suits, carry government credentials and even walk into the pulpit holding a King James Bible. Jesus Christ warned that the defining characteristic of the last days would not merely be war, disease or political turmoil, but deception. The modern world is drowning in information while starving for truth, and the louder the machinery of propaganda becomes, the more difficult it is for the undiscerning person to separate fact from carefully manufactured perception. But what about the Christian, the Bible believer who should be looking for these things, even anticipating these things? All is not quiet on the western front, and the skies are rapidly darkening.

“Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.” 1 John 2:18 (KJB)

On this episode of the Prophecy News Podcast, The COVID era demonstrated how quickly fear could be converted into power. Emergency declarations became lockdowns, dissent was suppressed, institutional narratives repeatedly changed, and millions were pressured to accept medical decisions under threat of losing employment, education or access to ordinary life. Then there is the expanding alliance between government, media, military power, surveillance technology and private capital. Figures such as Peter Thiel represent a technological world capable of collecting, organizing and analyzing information on a scale previous generations could scarcely imagine, while Pete Hegseth represents the polished fusion of television personality, political messaging and military authority. Most disturbing of all is deception inside the professing Church. Political deception can corrupt a nation, but spiritual deception can destroy souls. Charisma, preaching ability, celebrity friendships and institutional reputation must never be permitted to shield abuse, silence victims or prevent serious allegations from receiving an honest investigation. Kenny Baldwin didn’t fall, Jack Schaap didn’t fall, they are literal antichrists targeting the Church, with hundreds more just like them waiting in the wings. This is THE AGE OF DECEPTION – an age in which governments manipulate fear, politicians manufacture loyalty, corporations monetize personal information, media personalities sell carefully constructed narratives and religious institutions protect reputations at the expense of truth. Christian, we are surrounded by antichrists who are with one voice preparing this world to receive the Antichrist. Today we lift all the end times rocks to show you what’s crawling beneath them. Consider this your ‘golden age’ antidote!

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THE BIBLE BELIEVERS SUNDAY SERVICE: The Secret Of The Lord And The Faith Of Him

Published

2 days ago

August 2, 2026

Geoffrey Grider

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The Secret Of The LORD Shows Us His Ways, And The Faith Of Him Secures Our Standing — One Reveals God’s Eternal Purpose While The Other Guarantees That It Cannot Fail

The secret of the LORD is not some mystical code reserved for religious elites; it is the intimate counsel of God entrusted to those who fear Him, receive His words and walk in obedience to His testimonies. The proud man may possess information about God, but the surrendered servant is taught the ways of God. Psalm 25 shows the order clearly: fear produces teachability, obedience places us in the paths of mercy and truth, and fellowship with the LORD brings understanding of His covenant and purpose. God reveals His secret to servants because revealed truth carries responsibility—we are expected to believe it, obey it and proclaim it. Welcome to the Sunday Service of the Bible Believers Church at the Bookstore!

“The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.” Psalm 25:14 (KJB)

When God brings us into the revelation of His eternal purpose in Christ, we discover that our access, righteousness and security do not rest upon our own wavering faithfulness, but upon “the faith of him.” We believe in Jesus Christ, but we are justified by the faith of Jesus Christ; our believing receives the gift, while His perfect obedience and finished work provide its unshakable foundation. Our confidence may tremble, our emotions may change and our performance may fail, but Jesus Christ cannot falter or deny Himself. The secret of the LORD reveals His purpose, and the faith of Him guarantees that purpose will be accomplished: the servant may falter, but the Saviour can never fail.

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The Bible Believers Sunday Service: The Secret Of The Lord

The Secret Of The Lord

“The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.” Psalm 25:14 (KJB)

“According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.” Ephesians 3:11–12 (KJB)

The LORD reveals His secret counsel to those who fear Him, receive His words and walk in obedience. But our standing, access and security before God do not rest upon the strength of our faith. They rest upon the perfect and unfailing faith of Jesus Christ. The secret reveals God’s purpose; the faith of Christ guarantees its accomplishment.

I. The Secret of the LORD Is Given to Those Who Fear Him

“The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way. All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies. For thy name’s sake, O LORD, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great. What man is he that feareth the LORD? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose. His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth. The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant. Mine eyes are ever toward the LORD; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.” Psalm 25:9-15 (KJB)

The fear of the LORD places a man in a teachable position. God does not entrust His counsel to the proud, rebellious or self-sufficient. He teaches the person who approaches Him with reverence, humility and submission. The secret of the LORD is not occult knowledge or a hidden code. It is the privilege of understanding God’s ways, His counsel, His covenant and His purpose. Being teachable and willing to follow Him appears to be one of the LORD’s special secrets.

In the opening of Psalm 25, there are 4 requests being made in the first 7 verses.

“Shew me” verse 4
“Lead me” verse 5
“teach me” verse 5
“remember me” verse 7

Application

Before asking God to show us deeper truth, we should ask whether we are obeying the truth He has already shown us. A person who refuses God’s plain commandments should not expect illumination concerning deeper spiritual matters.

II. Obedience Places Us in the Path of Mercy and Truth

“All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.” Psalm 25:10 (KJB)

The secret is not merely something we hear; it is something we walk in. God’s paths become clearer as we obey His testimonies. Obedience does not earn divine revelation. Rather, obedience demonstrates that we are prepared to receive, value and act upon what God reveals.

Application

The serious Bible student must come to the Scriptures with more than curiosity. He must come with a surrendered heart:

What does God say?
What does God require?
What must I believe?
What must I change?
What must I do?

III. God Reveals His Secret to His Servants

“Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.” Amos 3:7 (KJB)

“And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,” 2 Timothy 2:24 (KJB)

“Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,” Romans 1:1 (KJB)

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ – James 1:1
Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ – 2 Peter 1:1
Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ – Jude 1:1

Before God acted in judgment, He revealed His counsel to His prophets. They were called “servants” because divine revelation always carries divine responsibility. The prophets were not given God’s secret so they could admire their own knowledge. They were commanded to proclaim what God had revealed.

Application

Whenever God gives a preacher, teacher or Bible believer understanding, that person becomes responsible for what he knows.

Truth creates accountability:

Truth must be believed.
Truth must be obeyed.
Truth must be proclaimed.
Truth must never be corrupted for personal advantage.

IV. The Secret Leads Us to God’s Eternal Purpose in Christ

“And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:” Ephesians 3:9 (KJB)

“According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:” Ephesians 3:11 (KJB)

Psalm 25 speaks in covenant language, while Ephesians 3 reveals the mystery concerning the Church, the Body of Christ. These programs must not be confused, but the spiritual principle remains: God reveals His purpose according to His own timing and to His chosen servants.

The mystery revealed through Paul was not a revised version of Israel’s prophetic program. It had been “hid in God.” It reveals the unsearchable riches of Christ and God’s eternal purpose for the Church.

Application

We must rightly divide the word of truth. Everything in the Bible is written for our learning, but not everything is written doctrinally to us.

The believer must distinguish:

Prophecy from mystery.
Israel from the Church.
Covenant promises from the Body of Christ.
The earthly kingdom from our heavenly position.

V. Our Access to God Is by the Faith of Him

“In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.” Ephesians 3:12 (KJB)

Our access does not rest upon our feelings, performance or ability to maintain perfect confidence. We have access because we are in Jesus Christ, and that access is “by the faith of him.” Our faith may be weak, but His faith cannot weaken. Our confidence may fluctuate, but His faithfulness cannot change. Our performance may fail, but His finished work remains eternally sufficient.

Application

We do not approach God by presenting our worthiness. We approach God in the worthiness of Jesus Christ. Our boldness is not self-confidence. It is Christ-confidence.

VI. The Bible Distinguishes Our Believing From the Faith of Christ

“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” Galatians 2:16 (KJB)

This verse contains both sides of the doctrine:

“The faith of Jesus Christ” describes the divine basis of our justification.
“We have believed in Jesus Christ” describes our personal reception of it.

Our believing is necessary, but our believing is not the meritorious work that purchases salvation. We believe on the One whose faith, obedience, blood and finished work are completely sufficient.

Application

The sinner is not told to have faith in his own faith. He is commanded to believe on Jesus Christ. Salvation does not depend upon how intensely a sinner can believe. It depends upon whether the object of his faith is the Lord Jesus Christ.

VII. The Faith of Christ Provides the Righteousness We Could Never Produce

“Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:” Romans 3:22 (KJB)

“And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:” Philippians 3:9 (KJB)

Salvation requires perfect righteousness. We cannot produce it, maintain it or deserve it. God therefore gives the believer His righteousness through the faith of Jesus Christ.

It is:

Not our righteousness.
Not the righteousness of the law.
Not religious performance.
Not human faithfulness.
The righteousness of God in Jesus Christ.

Application

Stop examining yourself to determine whether you are righteous enough to remain saved. You’re not and never will be. Instead, look to Jesus Christ, in whom we have been made accepted. Our assurance rests in His righteousness, not ours.

VIII. The Faith of Christ Sustains the Believer’s Daily Life

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20 (KJB)

The faith of Christ is not only connected with our justification; it is also the foundation of our Christian life. Paul did not say that he lived by confidence in himself. He lived by the faith of the Son of God. Christ loved us, gave Himself for us and now lives in us.

Application

Christian living is not attempting to ‘imitate Jesus’ through human determination. Imitating Jesus is what Antichrist will do! Rather, it is the life of Christ operating through a surrendered believer.

We supply the surrendered vessel; Christ supplies the life.

IX. The Two Doctrines Come Together

The Secret of the LORD	The Faith of Him
Reveals God’s counsel	Accomplishes God’s purpose
Is with those who fear Him	Is found perfectly in Jesus Christ
Calls the servant to obedience	Gives the believer boldness and access
Shows us God’s covenant and ways	Gives us God’s righteousness
Creates responsibility	Produces security
Tells us what God is doing	Guarantees that God’s purpose cannot fail

Combined Truth

The secret of the LORD shows us that God desires surrendered servants who fear Him, obey Him and receive His counsel. The faith of Him shows us that the fulfillment of God’s eternal purpose does not finally rest upon the servant’s strength—it rests upon Jesus Christ. We are called to be faithful, but we are secured by the One who cannot be unfaithful.

“If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.” 2 Timothy 2:13 (KJB)

Application

Ask yourself:

Do I truly fear the LORD, or do I merely possess religious knowledge?
Am I obeying the truth God has already shown me?
Am I a servant whom God can trust with greater understanding?
Am I rightly dividing prophecy from mystery?
Am I trusting my feelings and performance, or the finished work of Christ?
Is my confidence resting in my faith, or in the faith of Him?
Am I using revealed truth to serve others and glorify God?

Closing Challenge

The secret of the LORD is not given so that we may become proud of what we know. It is given so that we may understand His ways, submit to His Word and faithfully serve His purpose. At the same time, we must never confuse our service with the foundation of our salvation. We fear Him, obey Him and serve Him—but our boldness, access, righteousness and security rest completely in Jesus Christ. The servant may falter, but the Saviour cannot fail. The secret is revealed to those who fear Him, and its eternal purpose is secured by the faith of Him.

Now The End Begins is your front line defense against the rising tide of darkness in the last Days before the Rapture of the Church

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“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Titus 2:13 (KJB)

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Headline News

The War That Donald Trump Started In Iran Is Rapidly Spinning Out Of Control As The United States Appears To Be Heading ‘Strait’ Into A Strategic Defeat

Published

3 days ago

August 1, 2026

Geoffrey Grider

SHARE NOW THE END BEGINS:

Trump Said Iran Was Obliterated And The War Was Nearly Finished, Now U.S. Allies Fear Defeat And American Generals Are Warning Of Dangerous Shortages

HOW CAN THIS BE?? How can the most powerful military machine on earth spend five months pounding Iran with bombers, cruise missiles, aircraft carriers and thousands of combat sorties, only to awaken to headlines warning that America is approaching a strategic defeat? The answer is as simple as it is devastating. President Donald Trump confused the power to destroy targets with the ability to win a war. The Pentagon can publish breathtaking numbers of Iranian installations bombed, ships destroyed and commanders eliminated, but none of that constitutes victory when the enemy government remains standing, the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed, American forces remain under attack and the conflict continues expanding across the Middle East. Trump promised obliteration, announced victory and assured the American people that the war was nearly finished. Iran apparently never received that memo. Today all Hell is breaking loose across the Middle East, and it appears to be unstoppable.

“Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?” Luke 14:31 (KJB)

Trump entered this war boasting of overwhelming American strength, but without any attainable endgame. Was the objective to destroy Iran’s nuclear program, eliminate its missiles, overthrow the government, reopen Hormuz, protect Israel, blockade Iranian ports or force Tehran into an unconditional surrender? No one in the Trump administration seems to know the answer to that. Washington has attempted all of it simultaneously, and has accomplished none of it decisively. The Iranian regime survived the opening bombardment, hardened its grip on the country and continued launching missiles and drones against Israel, American installations, commercial shipping and Gulf allies. Iran does not have to defeat the United States in a conventional battle. It merely has to remain standing while America bleeds money, burns through interceptors, exhausts its warships and watches the conflict spread from Iran into Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Egypt.

Donald Trump promised us “no more endless wars” and has now put us into a war we just may end up losing. Iran is not only surviving, they are thriving, and are starting to dictate battlefield terms. pic.twitter.com/B9vnmSwNb2

— Now The End Begins (@NowTheEndBegins) August 1, 2026

Today comes the astonishing report that America’s top general in Europe has warned the Pentagon that he needs another Navy destroyer to continue protecting both Israel and the United States. Without it, he may be forced to prioritize the American homeland. Think about what that means. Five months after Trump began a war he claimed would demonstrate unmatched American power, the Department of War is reportedly confronting a choice between maintaining the missile shield over Israel and preserving sufficient forces for the defense of America itself. Israel’s survival against sustained Iranian ballistic-missile attacks has become increasingly dependent upon American destroyers, American radar, American THAAD batteries and a rapidly diminishing supply of American interceptors. Every inexpensive Iranian drone that rises into the sky forces Washington to answer with weapons costing millions of dollars—and those weapons cannot be instantly replaced.

For many months now, NTEB told you this would happen, warned you it was coming, and now it’s here.

That is the trap Iran has constructed, America may control the skies, but Iran controls the clock. America can destroy another radar station, missile launcher or IRGC headquarters, but Iran can deploy another small boat, mobile launcher, drone swarm or naval mine and keep the Strait of Hormuz too dangerous for normal commercial traffic. Tehran does not need to sink the United States Navy; it only needs to frighten insurance companies and shipping corporations. It does not need to invade Israel; it only needs to force America to expend a finite supply of interceptors protecting it. It does not need to win spectacularly; it only needs to make the war longer, wider and more expensive than Washington can politically, economically or militarily sustain. And speaking of traps, are you aware that Iran is right now targeting 7 US states in cyberattacks on our water systems? Iran has spent 47 years planning for this war, Trump looks like he hasn’t spent 47 minutes preparing America for this confrontation.

Iran is not ‘decimated’, they are taunting Trump with these missile systems

Iran’s Kheibar Shekan is a medium-range ballistic missile that can fly 900 miles, meaning it can threaten the entire Middle East—and beyond. The Kheibar Shekan has become the workhorse of Iran’s missile arsenal during the war with the United States. Now, U.S. officials say Iran’s attacks are growing more and more complex, and that’s making the missile even more dangerous for American troops.

This is how a superpower wins battle after battle and still loses the war. Trump’s military can bomb Iran into rubble, but it cannot bomb into existence a coherent strategy that was missing from the beginning. The Iranian government remains in power, Hormuz remains paralyzed, and Iran’s proxies remain active. China is helping Tehran rebuild its defenses. American servicemen have been killed and wounded. Gulf oil infrastructure is under attack, commercial vessels are being struck, American citizens are being warned to leave the region, and U.S. allies are openly questioning whether Washington has either the resources or the leadership necessary to bring this disaster to an acceptable conclusion. Yikes.

Donald Trump is failing in Iran, and he is failing according to the standard established by his own promises. He said Iran had been obliterated; Iran is still fighting. He said the war was nearly over; it is expanding. He said Hormuz would reopen; it remains effectively closed. He promised strength; his generals are warning of scarcity. He promised victory; America’s allies now fear strategic defeat. This war was sold as a dazzling display of American supremacy, but it has become a grinding demonstration of American vulnerability. Trump expected shock and awe to bring Iran to its knees. Instead, Iran discovered that it does not have to defeat America—it only has to survive America. The president who promised to ‘end endless wars’ is now trapped inside one of his own making, and every fresh bombing raid is becoming further evidence that the previous bombing raids failed.

Even Fox News is forced to admit now that Trump has caused a massive depletion in US missile supplies, and it is changing the course of the war with Iran. https://t.co/jeC39Lls0v

— Now The End Begins (@NowTheEndBegins) August 1, 2026