lifesitenews--2020-05-08--Conservatives denounce Facebook’s new ‘Oversight Board’ for judging ‘free expression’

WASHINGTON , D.C. , May 7 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — A coalition of more than 60 conservative organizations has responded to Facebook ’ s announcement of the creation of an international “ Oversight Board ” — packed with leftists and those with ties to globalist George Soros — and which will wield massive power to judge what is acceptable free speech .
“ It is terrifying to imagine how a powerful , leftist group like this might ... control conservative speech — speech that defends free enterprise , traditional marriage , religious freedom , the lives of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to name but a few , ” wrote the group of conservatives , known as the Free Speech Alliance ( FSA ) , of which LifeSiteNews is a member .
“ The board is dominated not by believers in the U.S. Constitution and its protections of rights ; it is controlled overwhelmingly by members who live in nations in opposition to such protections , ” continues the statement .
“ The global view of rights — even in countries we consider strong allies like the U.K. or Australia — is as far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ geographically.
” According to Oversightboard.com , the Oversight Board was created to “ help Facebook answer some of the most difficult questions around freedom of expression online : what to take down , what to leave up , and why.
” “ The board uses its independent judgment to support people ’ s right to free expression and ensure those rights are being adequately respected .
The board ’ s decisions to uphold or reverse Facebook ’ s content decisions will be binding , meaning will have to implement them , unless doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the website adds .
The newly formed group of twenty members has been described as a “ Supreme Court–style body ” that “ will be up and running by the fall , hearing cases and issuing decisions on what content should or shouldn ’ t be removed from the world ’ s largest social network , ” according to Protocol.com .
That means they will begin to exercise their power to judge “ what content to take down or leave up ” just as the 2020 presidential campaign season reaches its climax .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Stanford Law School professor Michael McConnell , is seen to be somewhat conservative .
The other three are “ reliably liberal.
” • Catalina Botero-Marino , dean of the Universidad de los Andes Faculty of Law of Colombia , is a member of the board of directors of the Center for Reproductive Rights , a pro-abortion group .
“ That is especially infuriating to pro-life groups that are regularly targeted on social media for their beliefs , ” wrote the FSA .
• Columbia Law professor Jamal Greene was an aide to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation hearings .
• Former prime minister of Denmark Helle Thorning-Schmidt declared she “ does not believe in eternal life , salvation or heaven and hell , ” according to the publication Kristligt Dagblad .
Thorning-Schmidt is virulently anti-Trump .
She recently indicated on Twitter that she wishes Barack Obama were still president of the United States .
“ Co-chair of Facebook ’ s new ‘ independent ’ Oversight Board ( Censorship Overlords ) wishes Obama was still President , ” tweeted Mark Dice .
PETITION : Urge your governor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sign the petition here .
“ Another ‘ fair and impartial ’ member of Facebook 's new Oversight Board who will decide which uses get banned and what content gets censored , ” noted Mark Dice of board member Nighat Dad , who said in 2016 , “ God forbid if Trump becomes the president , this will be my last visit to US.
” Others constituting the new board have shown great antipathy to President Donald Trump , his children , and conservatives in general .
Board member Pamela Karlan was forced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Trump ’ s young son , Barron , during the Democrat-sponsored impeachment hearings in the House of Representatives last December .
“ She is now attacking Donald Trump 's 13 year old son Barron Trump in an attempt to smear President Trump , ” he added .
Alan Rusbridger , former editor of The Guardian , has seemingly gone from supporting a free press to endorsing censorship , according to the FSA .
He tweeted in March that the press should shut down President Donald Trump ’ s coronavirus press conferences .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ laureate Tawakkol Karman , said in an interview with the Spanish daily El País that she does “ not trust Trump because I do not trust racist people , ” according to the FSA statement .
“ It ’ s not just what the members oppose that is the problem .
It ’ s what , and who , they support , ” wrote the FSA , pointing out strong ties of some board members to George Soros .
At least three members have ties to leftist billionaire George Soros .
One works @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Another was the founding dean at Central European University , which Soros founded and funded with nearly $ 1 billion .
Even Oversight Board Executive Director Thomas Hughes comes from Article 19 , which has received more than $ 2 million from Soros .
... Soros has far more influence with [ the new Facebook ] board than the entire American right who are represented by one traditional conservative and one libertarian .
Instead of supporting one another on rulings involving key social issues , [ the conservative and the libertarian ] would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It is Orwellian .
The international left is not open to free speech ; it is intolerant of it .
It has proclaimed that “ climate change ” is “ settled science , ” therefore any challenge based on science is untrue .
The gay lifestyle is a moral right .
Any challenge to it is an assault on the “ dignity of man , ” and therefore constitutes hate speech .
Abortion “ rights ” are sacred ; therefore the rights of the unborn are non-existent , and therefore their advocates are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
... We believe Mark Zuckerberg was and continues to be committed to the free marketplace of ideas with Facebook a platform and not a publisher .
But Facebook has created yet another layer of control over that market , now dominated almost exclusively by non-American leftists .
In an op-ed published in The New York Times , the four co-chairs described the power being handed to them by the social media giant : “ The oversight board will focus on the most challenging content issues for Facebook , including in areas such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protecting people ’ s safety and privacy .
It will make final and binding decisions on whether specific content should be allowed or removed from Facebook and Instagram ( which Facebook owns ) .
” That power could spell trouble for conservatives , who find their voices increasingly pushed out of social media ’ s public square .
The significance of the new board ’ s “ Big Brother ” –type power may well eventually extend beyond Facebook to all the social media giants .
“ The board is n't just for Facebook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Facebook 's leaders deliberately structured it so that it could have a life beyond the company , ” explained Protocol.com .
“ To do that , they formed a separate legal trust with an initial $ 130 million investment from Facebook .
But they also empowered that trust to both accept funding from sources outside Facebook and to form companies of its own .
That structure would ensure Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg could n't just shut down the board if he did n't like its decisions .
But it also opens up the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spin off additional oversight boards for , say , YouTube , Twitter or any other platform that makes content moderation decisions.
” “ That was conscious on our part in building the trust , ” Brent Harris , Facebook ’ s director of governance and strategic initiatives , told Protocol .
“ It has been built in a way that it can go beyond Facebook and go to more parts of the industry.
” “ This is a big , big mission , ” said former prime minister Thorning-Schmidt on a call with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ building a new model for platform governance.
” The FSA offered some advice to the Oversight Board at the conclusion of its statement : “ When you announce your next 20 members , ensure that they will balance out the aggressively leftist tilt of this new venture your company has taken.
” “ Better yet : Get rid of the whole thing , ” they added .
Here is a list of the members of the Free Speech Alliance ( FSA ) : The American Society for the Defense of Tradition , Family @ @

The international 'Oversight Board' is packed with leftists. It will wield massive power to judge what is acceptable free speech.
WASHINGTON, D.C., May 7, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — A coalition of more than 60 conservative organizations has responded to Facebook’s announcement of the creation of an international “Oversight Board” — packed with leftists and those with ties to globalist George Soros — and which will wield massive power to judge what is acceptable free speech.
“It is terrifying to imagine how a powerful, leftist group like this might … control conservative speech — speech that defends free enterprise, traditional marriage, religious freedom, the lives of the unborn, free speech and gun rights, to name but a few,” wrote the group of conservatives, known as the Free Speech Alliance (FSA), of which LifeSiteNews is a member.
“The board is dominated not by believers in the U.S. Constitution and its protections of rights; it is controlled overwhelmingly by members who live in nations in opposition to such protections,” continues the statement. “The global view of rights — even in countries we consider strong allies like the U.K. or Australia — is as far away from American beliefs as they are geographically.”
According to Oversightboard.com, the Oversight Board was created to “help Facebook answer some of the most difficult questions around freedom of expression online: what to take down, what to leave up, and why.”
“The board uses its independent judgment to support people’s right to free expression and ensure those rights are being adequately respected. The board’s decisions to uphold or reverse Facebook’s content decisions will be binding, meaning will have to implement them, unless doing so could violate the law,” the website adds.
The newly formed group of twenty members has been described as a “Supreme Court–style body” that “will be up and running by the fall, hearing cases and issuing decisions on what content should or shouldn’t be removed from the world’s largest social network,” according to Protocol.com.
That means they will begin to exercise their power to judge “what content to take down or leave up” just as the 2020 presidential campaign season reaches its climax.
Of the four co-chairs, only one, Stanford Law School professor Michael McConnell, is seen to be somewhat conservative. The other three are “reliably liberal.”
Catalina Botero-Marino, dean of the Universidad de los Andes Faculty of Law of Colombia, is a member of the board of directors of the Center for Reproductive Rights, a pro-abortion group. “That is especially infuriating to pro-life groups that are regularly targeted on social media for their beliefs,” wrote the FSA.
Columbia Law professor Jamal Greene was an aide to Senator Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) during the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation hearings.
Former prime minister of Denmark Helle Thorning-Schmidt declared she “does not believe in eternal life, salvation or heaven and hell,” according to the publication Kristligt Dagblad. Thorning-Schmidt is virulently anti-Trump. She recently indicated on Twitter that she wishes Barack Obama were still president of the United States.
“Co-chair of Facebook’s new ‘independent’ Oversight Board (Censorship Overlords) wishes Obama was still President,” tweeted Mark Dice.
PETITION: Urge your governor to reject mandatory government surveillance post COVID-19 Sign the petition here.
“Another ‘fair and impartial’ member of Facebook's new Oversight Board who will decide which uses get banned and what content gets censored,” noted Mark Dice of board member Nighat Dad, who said in 2016, “God forbid if Trump becomes the president, this will be my last visit to US.”
Another “fair and impartial” member of Facebook's new #OversightBoard who will decide which uses get banned and what content gets censored. https://t.co/F49xHsWr8a — Mark Dice (@MarkDice) May 6, 2020
Others constituting the new board have shown great antipathy to President Donald Trump, his children, and conservatives in general.
Board member Pamela Karlan was forced to apologize for a gratuitous attack on President Trump’s young son, Barron, during the Democrat-sponsored impeachment hearings in the House of Representatives last December.
“Democrat ‘witness’ Pamela Karlan is completely UNHINGED,” tweeted Steve Guest.
“She is now attacking Donald Trump's 13 year old son Barron Trump in an attempt to smear President Trump,” he added.
Democrat “witness” Pamela Karlan is completely UNHINGED. She is now attacking @realDonaldTrump's 13 year old son Barron Trump in an attempt to smear President Trump.#StopTheMadness #JerryRigged pic.twitter.com/4aktNR2Tps — Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) December 4, 2019
Alan Rusbridger, former editor of The Guardian, has seemingly gone from supporting a free press to endorsing censorship, according to the FSA. He tweeted in March that the press should shut down President Donald Trump’s coronavirus press conferences.
There is no public interest in spreading disinformation. Completely agree that media should stop live broadcasting Trump, especially since he rejects robust challenge from reporters. https://t.co/7tOESzmzh3 — alan rusbridger (@arusbridger) March 24, 2020
Another board member, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Tawakkol Karman, said in an interview with the Spanish daily El País that she does “not trust Trump because I do not trust racist people,” according to the FSA statement.
“It’s not just what the members oppose that is the problem. It’s what, and who, they support,” wrote the FSA, pointing out strong ties of some board members to George Soros.
At least three members have ties to leftist billionaire George Soros. One works directly for his Open Society organizations. Another was the founding dean at Central European University, which Soros founded and funded with nearly $1 billion. Even Oversight Board Executive Director Thomas Hughes comes from Article 19, which has received more than $2 million from Soros. … Soros has far more influence with [the new Facebook] board than the entire American right who are represented by one traditional conservative and one libertarian. Instead of supporting one another on rulings involving key social issues, [the conservative and the libertarian] would likely cancel each other out. … It is Orwellian. The international left is not open to free speech; it is intolerant of it. It has proclaimed that “climate change” is “settled science,” therefore any challenge based on science is untrue. The gay lifestyle is a moral right. Any challenge to it is an assault on the “dignity of man,” and therefore constitutes hate speech. Abortion “rights” are sacred; therefore the rights of the unborn are non-existent, and therefore their advocates are disingenuous. On and on it goes. … We believe Mark Zuckerberg was and continues to be committed to the free marketplace of ideas with Facebook a platform and not a publisher. But Facebook has created yet another layer of control over that market, now dominated almost exclusively by non-American leftists.
A “big, big mission”
In an op-ed published in The New York Times, the four co-chairs described the power being handed to them by the social media giant: “The oversight board will focus on the most challenging content issues for Facebook, including in areas such as hate speech, harassment, and protecting people’s safety and privacy. It will make final and binding decisions on whether specific content should be allowed or removed from Facebook and Instagram (which Facebook owns).”
That power could spell trouble for conservatives, who find their voices increasingly pushed out of social media’s public square.
The significance of the new board’s “Big Brother”–type power may well eventually extend beyond Facebook to all the social media giants.
“The board isn't just for Facebook. In designing this new organization, Facebook's leaders deliberately structured it so that it could have a life beyond the company,” explained Protocol.com. “To do that, they formed a separate legal trust with an initial $130 million investment from Facebook. But they also empowered that trust to both accept funding from sources outside Facebook and to form companies of its own. That structure would ensure Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg couldn't just shut down the board if he didn't like its decisions. But it also opens up the possibility that the trust might some day spin off additional oversight boards for, say, YouTube, Twitter or any other platform that makes content moderation decisions.”
“That was conscious on our part in building the trust,” Brent Harris, Facebook’s director of governance and strategic initiatives, told Protocol. “It has been built in a way that it can go beyond Facebook and go to more parts of the industry.”
“This is a big, big mission,” said former prime minister Thorning-Schmidt on a call with reporters Wednesday. “We are basically building a new model for platform governance.”
The FSA offered some advice to the Oversight Board at the conclusion of its statement: “When you announce your next 20 members, ensure that they will balance out the aggressively leftist tilt of this new venture your company has taken.”
“Better yet: Get rid of the whole thing,” they added.
Here is a list of the members of the Free Speech Alliance (FSA):
L. Brent Bozell III
Founder and President
Media Research Center
Saulius Anuzis
President
60 Plus Association
Brigitte Gabriel
President
ACT for America
Lori Roman
President
American Civil Rights Union
Phil Kerpen
President
American Commitment
Tim Wildmon
President
American Family Association
Terry Schilling
Executive Director
American Principles Project
R. Emmett Tyrrell
Founder and Editor-In-Chief
American Spectator
Mark Fitzgibbons
President of Corporate Affairs
American Target Advertising
Gary Bauer
President
American Values
Richard Manning
President
Americans for Limited Government
Tricia Erickson
President
Angel Pictures & Publicity
Bill Donohue
President
Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights
Jeff Hunt
Director
Centennial Institute
Austin Ruse
President
Center for Family and Human Rights
Elaine Donnelly
Founder and President
Center for Military Readiness
Frank Gaffney
President
Center for Security Policy
John Hinderaker
President
Center of the American Experiment
Robert Allman
News Director
Christian Broadcasting Network
Theodore Baehr
Publisher, Founder
Christian Film & Television Commission
David Bossie
President and Chairman
Citizens United
Michelle Easton
Board President
Clare Boothe Luce Center for Conservative Women
Ryan Williams
President
Claremont Institute
Penny Nance
President
Concerned Women for America
Allen West
Senior Fellow
Media Research Center
George Rasley
Managing Editor
Conservative HQ
Ed Corrigan
Executive Director
Conservative Partnership Institute
James Nolan
President
Crossroads Pro-Life Walks Across America
Eunie Smith
President
Eagle Forum
Tony Perkins
President
Family Research Council
Sharon Slater
President and Founder
Family Watch International
Christie Lee McNally
President
Raven Strategies
Adam Brandon
President and CEO
FreedomWorks
Will Chamberlain
Editor-in-Chief and Publisher
Human Events
Carrie Lukas
President
Independent Women's Forum
Charles Copeland
President
Intercollegiate Studies Institute
Mat Staver
Founder and Chairman
Liberty Counsel
John-Henry Westen
Editor-in-Chief, Co-Founder
Life Site News
Steven Ertelt
Editor
LifeNews.com
Kassy Dillon
Founder and President
Lone Conservative
Gene Mills
President
Louisiana Family Forum
Justin Danhof
General Counsel
National Center for Public Policy Research
Brian Brown
President
National Organization for Marriage
Gavin Wax
Editor in Chief
The Spiel
Kevin Freeman
Founder and Chairman
NSIC Institute
Craig Strazzeri
Chief Marketing Officer
PragerU
James O'Keefe
President
Project Veritas
Tom Spence
President and Publisher
Regnery Publishing
Craig Shirley
Founder, Chairman & CEO
Shirley & Banister
Kristan Hawkins
President
Students for Life
Marjorie Dannenfelser
President
Susan B. Anthony List
Jenny Beth Martin
Chairman
Tea Party Patriots, Inc.
Preston Noell
President
The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property
Jim Lakely
Vice President and Director of Communications
The Heartland Institute
Morton Blackwell
President
The Leadership Institute
Rod Martin
Founder and CEO
The Martin Organization
Ryan Bomberger
Chief Creative Officer
The Radiance Foundation
Paul Gessing
President
The Rio Grande Foundation
Floyd Brown
Publisher
Western Journal
Joseph Farah
CEO and Editor
WND
Amy Kremer
Co-founder & Chairman
Women for Trump
Jessica Jensen
Chief of Staff
Young America's Foundation
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lifesitenews--2020-05-08--Trudeau govt joins 58 nations in pushing abortion as part of global COVID-19 response

PETITION : No to mandatory vaccination for the coronavirus Sign the petition here .
OTTAWA , May 8 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ’ s Liberal government released a joint statement Wednesday on behalf of 59 nations that pushes global access to “ sexual and reproductive health needs ” as a response to the coronavirus pandemic .
“ We call on governments around the world to ensure full and unimpeded access to all sexual and reproductive health services for all women and girls , ” says the statement released May 6 by Global Affairs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ known for aggressively promoting abortion on the international stage , pledging $ 7.1 billion by 2030 to fund and promote abortion as part of its international aid , and describing global abortion access and “ sexual reproductive rights ” as “ at the core ” of its foreign policy .
The Global Affairs Canada “ Statement on protecting Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights and Promoting Gender-Responsiveness in the COVID-19 Crisis ” was issued by the ministers of 37 countries on behalf of the “ peoples and governments of 58 nations.
” Responding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus pandemic — which originated in Wuhan , China — “ requires solidarity and cooperation among all governments , scientists , civil society actors and the private sector , ” it noted .
“ Funding sexual and reproductive health and rights should remain a priority to avoid a rise in maternal and newborn mortality , increased unmet need for contraception , and an increased number of unsafe abortions and sexually transmitted infections , ” it stated .
“ Sexual and reproductive health needs , including psychosocial support services , and protection from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ensure continuity , ” it reiterated at another point .
The signatory countries also support “ multilateral ” efforts by international bodies such as the UN and the WHO , and “ welcome UN General Assembly resolution entitled ‘ Global Solidarity to fight COVID-19.
’ ” And therein lies the rub , according to Stefano Gennarini of the Center for Family and Human Rights ( C-Fam ) .
There are actually two competing UN draft resolutions on COVID-19 and women , with the major point of contention between them “ national prerogatives on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a recent analysis .
Both are based on UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres ’ April policy brief “ The Impact of COVID-19 on Women , ” which proposes that priority policies for women during the pandemic include “ sexual and reproductive health services.
” One draft resolution “ recognizes national prerogatives when it comes to ‘ sexual and reproductive health , ’ ” and is sponsored by Algeria , China , Egypt , Saudi Arabia , and Zambia .
The other is sponsored by the Europeans and “ minimizes national prerogatives and gives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Gennarini wrote .
The latter draft resolution also approves Guterres ’ brief , as well as “ a more explicitly pro-abortion guidance note from a UN human rights committee that declared abortion essential to the COVID-19 response.
” Moreover , Guterres ’ brief and both initial draft resolutions “ specifically identify ‘ sexual and reproductive health ’ as essential ‘ health services ’ that should not be disrupted by COVID-19 health policy decisions , ” wrote Gennarini .
“ It is unclear if this same level of priority will be retained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UN member states , ” he said .
This is the context in which Global Affairs Canada ’ s 59-nation joint press release must be viewed .
The statement is “ not binding in any way , ” but is “ meant to influence ongoing negotiations ” by UN membership on the two General Assembly draft resolutions on women and the COVID-19 crisis , Gennarini told LifeSiteNews .
“ It is actually pretty common for UN agencies to work with some wealthy pro-abortion countries and approach ministers inside countries ahead of negotiations to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to try and predetermine the outcome of ongoing negotiations , ” he added .
So the May 6 statement ’ s purpose “ is to consolidate the coalition of countries led by Nordic countries , the European Union , and Canada , who stealthily promote abortion in UN policy , ” said Gennarini .
This coalitions is now “ threatened by the efforts of the Trump administration to keep abortion out of international maternal health and family planning policy by opposing ambiguous terms like ‘ sexual and reproductive health , ’ ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the “ abortion industry lobby to build international political support for abortion , without having to expressly mention abortion , an issue which is never politically popular ” by bunching abortion “ together with non-controversial policies like maternal health and family planning , ” Gennarini told LifeSiteNews .
The statement reveals how “ embattled ” the pro-abortion coalition is by the Trump administration ’ s efforts to keep abortion off the UN agenda , he added .
Although it “ endorses efforts of the WHO and other UN agencies to make abortion essential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ notice that nowhere in the statement does it expressly support abortion .
It merely speaks negatively about a rise in unsafe abortions , ” Gennarini pointed out .
“ This is because the Trump administration is making it harder for countries to build support for abortion internationally .
They are even having to defend the euphemism ‘ sexual and reproductive health ’ in UN policy , ” he said .
“ If the statement had said anything explicit on abortion , they ’ d have possibly lost nearly half the countries supporting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ekeocha of Culture of Life Africa told LifeSiteNews the statement is “ unconscionable.
” The collective nations show “ a resounding lack of compassion and understanding for the situation of millions of people around the world who have directly or indirectly been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic ” by prioritizing “ sexual and reproductive health and rights agenda over the genuine needs of so many people during this period , ” Ekeocha said .
“ In most African countries , there are strict restrictions of movement , so as a result , many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most basic human needs such as food , water and medicines , ” she pointed out .
“ In truth , there is a state of high alert across the continent of Africa because we know that this pandemic could be devastating , given the glaring limitations in our systems , yet this group of countries release a shamefully out-of-touch and thinly veiled ideological statement that promotes the SRHR agenda , ” she added .
She was “ glad to see ” only seven of 54 African countries had signed the statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I am stunned that any African country , given the current precarious situation , ” supported it , Ekeocha said .
“ Our interest is in the protection of every human life and this pandemic hopefully should have taught us a valuable lesson -- that every human life is precious and so should be protected at every stage and phase of development.
” The statement was signed by the ministers of Argentina , Australia , Albania , Belgium , Bolivia , Bosnia-Herzegovina , Cabo Verde , Canada , Cyprus , Czech Republic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ France , Germany , Greece , Guinea , Italy , Latvia , Lebanon , Liberia , Luxembourg , Madagascar , Montenegro , Netherlands , North Macedonia , Namibia , New Zealand , Norway , Portugal , Romania , Serbia , South Africa , Spain , Sweden , Switzerland and the United Kingdom .
It issued on behalf of the those countries , as well as Armenia , Austria , Bulgaria , Costa Rica , Croatia , Ecuador , Estonia , Georgia , Ireland , Iceland , Japan , Liechtenstein , Lithuania , Mexico @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Korea , Slovenia , Tunisia , Republic of Korea , Ukraine and Uruguay .

Canada continues to be a strong promoter of access to artificial contraception and abortion around the world.
PETITION: No to mandatory vaccination for the coronavirus Sign the petition here.
OTTAWA, May 8, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government released a joint statement Wednesday on behalf of 59 nations that pushes global access to “sexual and reproductive health needs” as a response to the coronavirus pandemic.
“We call on governments around the world to ensure full and unimpeded access to all sexual and reproductive health services for all women and girls,” says the statement released May 6 by Global Affairs Canada.
The Trudeau government is well known for aggressively promoting abortion on the international stage, pledging $7.1 billion by 2030 to fund and promote abortion as part of its international aid, and describing global abortion access and “sexual reproductive rights” as “at the core” of its foreign policy.
The Global Affairs Canada “Statement on protecting Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights and Promoting Gender-Responsiveness in the COVID-19 Crisis” was issued by the ministers of 37 countries on behalf of the “peoples and governments of 58 nations.”
Responding to the “unprecedented threat” of the coronavirus pandemic — which originated in Wuhan, China — “requires solidarity and cooperation among all governments, scientists, civil society actors and the private sector,” it noted.
“Funding sexual and reproductive health and rights should remain a priority to avoid a rise in maternal and newborn mortality, increased unmet need for contraception, and an increased number of unsafe abortions and sexually transmitted infections,” it stated.
“Sexual and reproductive health needs, including psychosocial support services, and protection from gender-based violence, must be prioritized to ensure continuity,” it reiterated at another point.
The signatory countries also support “multilateral” efforts by international bodies such as the UN and the WHO, and “welcome UN General Assembly resolution entitled ‘Global Solidarity to fight COVID-19.’”
And therein lies the rub, according to Stefano Gennarini of the Center for Family and Human Rights (C-Fam).
There are actually two competing UN draft resolutions on COVID-19 and women, with the major point of contention between them “national prerogatives on abortion,” as he explained in a recent analysis.
Both are based on UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres’ April policy brief “The Impact of COVID-19 on Women,” which proposes that priority policies for women during the pandemic include “sexual and reproductive health services.”
One draft resolution “recognizes national prerogatives when it comes to ‘sexual and reproductive health,’” and is sponsored by Algeria, China, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Zambia. The other is sponsored by the Europeans and “minimizes national prerogatives and gives the UN bureaucracy a broad sweeping mandate,” Gennarini wrote.
The latter draft resolution also approves Guterres’ brief, as well as “a more explicitly pro-abortion guidance note from a UN human rights committee that declared abortion essential to the COVID-19 response.”
Moreover, Guterres’ brief and both initial draft resolutions “specifically identify ‘sexual and reproductive health’ as essential ‘health services’ that should not be disrupted by COVID-19 health policy decisions,” wrote Gennarini.
“It is unclear if this same level of priority will be retained after the resolutions are discussed remotely by UN member states,” he said.
This is the context in which Global Affairs Canada’s 59-nation joint press release must be viewed.
The statement is “not binding in any way,” but is “meant to influence ongoing negotiations” by UN membership on the two General Assembly draft resolutions on women and the COVID-19 crisis, Gennarini told LifeSiteNews.
“It is actually pretty common for UN agencies to work with some wealthy pro-abortion countries and approach ministers inside countries ahead of negotiations to sign on to such statements in order to try and predetermine the outcome of ongoing negotiations,” he added.
So the May 6 statement’s purpose “is to consolidate the coalition of countries led by Nordic countries, the European Union, and Canada, who stealthily promote abortion in UN policy,” said Gennarini.
This coalitions is now “threatened by the efforts of the Trump administration to keep abortion out of international maternal health and family planning policy by opposing ambiguous terms like ‘sexual and reproductive health,’” he said.
That phrase was created by the “abortion industry lobby to build international political support for abortion, without having to expressly mention abortion, an issue which is never politically popular” by bunching abortion “together with non-controversial policies like maternal health and family planning,” Gennarini told LifeSiteNews.
The statement reveals how “embattled” the pro-abortion coalition is by the Trump administration’s efforts to keep abortion off the UN agenda, he added.
Although it “endorses efforts of the WHO and other UN agencies to make abortion essential during the COVID response, you will notice that nowhere in the statement does it expressly support abortion. It merely speaks negatively about a rise in unsafe abortions,” Gennarini pointed out.
“This is because the Trump administration is making it harder for countries to build support for abortion internationally. They are even having to defend the euphemism ‘sexual and reproductive health’ in UN policy,” he said.
“If the statement had said anything explicit on abortion, they’d have possibly lost nearly half the countries supporting the statement,” he added.
Obianuju Ekeocha of Culture of Life Africa told LifeSiteNews the statement is “unconscionable.”
The collective nations show “a resounding lack of compassion and understanding for the situation of millions of people around the world who have directly or indirectly been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic” by prioritizing “sexual and reproductive health and rights agenda over the genuine needs of so many people during this period,” Ekeocha said.
“In most African countries, there are strict restrictions of movement, so as a result, many communities are unable to have access to the most basic human needs such as food, water and medicines,” she pointed out.
“In truth, there is a state of high alert across the continent of Africa because we know that this pandemic could be devastating, given the glaring limitations in our systems, yet this group of countries release a shamefully out-of-touch and thinly veiled ideological statement that promotes the SRHR agenda,” she added.
She was “glad to see” only seven of 54 African countries had signed the statement, but “on the other hand, I am stunned that any African country, given the current precarious situation,” supported it, Ekeocha said.
“Our interest is in the protection of every human life and this pandemic hopefully should have taught us a valuable lesson — that every human life is precious and so should be protected at every stage and phase of development.”
The statement was signed by the ministers of Argentina, Australia, Albania, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cabo Verde, Canada, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Fiji, France, Germany, Greece, Guinea, Italy, Latvia, Lebanon, Liberia, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Namibia, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
It issued on behalf of the those countries, as well as Armenia, Austria, Bulgaria, Costa Rica, Croatia, Ecuador, Estonia, Georgia, Ireland, Iceland, Japan, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Mexico, Moldova, Peru, Republic of Korea, Slovenia, Tunisia, Republic of Korea, Ukraine and Uruguay.
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lifesitenews--2020-05-08--New York slaps income tax on Christian volunteers that ran COVID-19 field hospital

PETITION : Urge state governors to stop abortions during coronavirus crisis Sign the petition here .
NEW YORK CITY , May 8 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – When COVID-19 struck New York harder than any other state in America , the Christian charity Samaritan ’ s Purse organized volunteers to establish a field hospital to help those in need .
Now New York officials are attempting to charge the organization for what it gave the state .
At the request of Mount Sinai Health System , Samaritan ’ s Purse set up the 68-bed field hospital in New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 60 medical professionals working to care for the sick .
The hospital , which ultimately served more than 300 patients , closed down after more than a month in consultation with Mount Sinai over patient load .
Yet the residents of other states who temporarily relocated to help out New Yorkers are now being made to pay income taxes , PIX 11 reported .
At issue is a provision of New York law that requires anyone working in the state for more than 14 days to pay state income taxes – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during that time came from New York or their home state .
`` We 're not in a position to provide any subsidies right now because we have a $ 13 billion deficit , '' Democrat Gov .
Andrew Cuomo said .
`` So there 's a lot of good things I 'd like to do , and if we get federal funding , we can do , but it would be irresponsible for me to sit here looking at a $ 13 billion deficit and say I 'm gon na spend more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pay the essential services . ''
Mount Sinai are “ the ones who called us originally , ” evangelical leader and Samaritan ’ s Purse president Rev .
Franklin Graham explained to Faithwire .
“ We didn ’ t call them ; they called us .
And we agreed to go and we have not charged them one penny .
All of our services have been paid by God ’ s people.
” Ever since it was first set up , the Christian charity ’ s field hospital was a target of outrage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ circles .
Democrat Mayor Bill de Blasio went so far as to declare he was “ very concerned ” about Graham ’ s public statements defending a Biblical understanding of human sexuality , and therefore his office would “ monitor ” the hospital for potential signs of anti-LGBT discrimination .
“ These New York politicians , it seems , are too ignorant to understand that medical professionals will be treating the pandemic patients , not Graham personally , ” LifeSiteNews ’ Jonathon Van Maren wrote .
“ They also appear to miss the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Purse is necessary because of the failure of local politicians like themselves ( who conveniently blame the federal government in order to deflect responsibility ) .
And in all of this , they reveal once again that they are small-minded , bigoted , and silly men : So ignorant that they do not understand the Christian faith that has animated charity work and transformed societies for 2,000 years , and so hate-filled that they find it ‘ disturbing ’ that Christian volunteers are permitted to step in and save lives.
” As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is estimated to have seen more than 1.3 million cases of COVID-19 , with 78,296 deaths and 221,254 recoveries .
New York has been hit harder than anywhere else in the U.S. , with 340,472 cases and 26,581 deaths .
Readers can click here for LifeSiteNews ’ live updates on the coronavirus and its impact all over the world .

Gov. Andrew Cuomo says the state is facing such a large budget deficit that there's nothing he can do.
PETITION: Urge state governors to stop abortions during coronavirus crisis Sign the petition here.
NEW YORK CITY, May 8, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – When COVID-19 struck New York harder than any other state in America, the Christian charity Samaritan’s Purse organized volunteers to establish a field hospital to help those in need. Now New York officials are attempting to charge the organization for what it gave the state.
At the request of Mount Sinai Health System, Samaritan’s Purse set up the 68-bed field hospital in New York City’s Central Park and had more than 60 medical professionals working to care for the sick. The hospital, which ultimately served more than 300 patients, closed down after more than a month in consultation with Mount Sinai over patient load.
Yet the residents of other states who temporarily relocated to help out New Yorkers are now being made to pay income taxes, PIX 11 reported. At issue is a provision of New York law that requires anyone working in the state for more than 14 days to pay state income taxes – regardless of whether any income they made during that time came from New York or their home state.
“We're not in a position to provide any subsidies right now because we have a $13 billion deficit,” Democrat Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. “So there's a lot of good things I'd like to do, and if we get federal funding, we can do, but it would be irresponsible for me to sit here looking at a $13 billion deficit and say I'm gonna spend more money, when I can't even pay the essential services.”
Mount Sinai are “the ones who called us originally,” evangelical leader and Samaritan’s Purse president Rev. Franklin Graham explained to Faithwire. “We didn’t call them; they called us. And we agreed to go and we have not charged them one penny. All of our services have been paid by God’s people.”
Ever since it was first set up, the Christian charity’s field hospital was a target of outrage from left-wing, secular, and pro-LGBT circles. Democrat Mayor Bill de Blasio went so far as to declare he was “very concerned” about Graham’s public statements defending a Biblical understanding of human sexuality, and therefore his office would “monitor” the hospital for potential signs of anti-LGBT discrimination.
“These New York politicians, it seems, are too ignorant to understand that medical professionals will be treating the pandemic patients, not Graham personally,” LifeSiteNews’ Jonathon Van Maren wrote. “They also appear to miss the irony of the fact that Samaritan’s Purse is necessary because of the failure of local politicians like themselves (who conveniently blame the federal government in order to deflect responsibility). And in all of this, they reveal once again that they are small-minded, bigoted, and silly men: So ignorant that they do not understand the Christian faith that has animated charity work and transformed societies for 2,000 years, and so hate-filled that they find it ‘disturbing’ that Christian volunteers are permitted to step in and save lives.”
As of May 8, the United States is estimated to have seen more than 1.3 million cases of COVID-19, with 78,296 deaths and 221,254 recoveries. New York has been hit harder than anywhere else in the U.S., with 340,472 cases and 26,581 deaths.
Readers can click here for LifeSiteNews’ live updates on the coronavirus and its impact all over the world.
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lifesitenews--2020-05-08--Bishop Schneider explains the ‘true face of Freemasonry’

May 8 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – In a speech that he gave in 2017 to the Pontifical Foundation Kirche in Not ( Aid to the Church in Need ) in Germany , Bishop Athanasius Schneider presented the history and main characteristics of Freemasonry .
In his presentation , he makes it clear that Masonry is forming an “ anti-Church ” and has , in its higher degrees , a satanic orientation .
Bishop Schneider gave this speech on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the founding of Freemasonry in 1717 in England .
He kindly provided LifeSiteNews @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and gave us permission to publish it .
In his presentation , the prelate made it clear that Freemasonry is working against the Catholic Church and that its higher degrees are committed to worship Satan .
He writes : Freemasonry , Schneider continues , is a “ naturalistic religion , ” a mixture of pantheism , gnosis , and “ self-salvation ” ; however , this “ religion ” is only “ apparently tolerant.
” But in reality , Freemasonry is an “ utmost demanding and intolerant ” religion .
This intolerance stems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Freemasonry , as Bishop Schneider explained .
In lower grades of Freemasonry , “ there is venerated an uncertain and nebulous divinity as the ‘ Great Architect of the Universe , ’ who in the higher and then in the highest grades becomes more and more concrete ; in the higher grades this uncertain divinity is identified as the Lucifer , as Satan , as the good god , the adversary of God ; and the true God is here the ‘ bad God.
’ ” The German prelate further explained that Freemasonry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quoted Pope Pius VIII who , in 1829 , said about Freemasonry : “ It is a satanic sect , which has its demon as its god.
” The essence of the Masonic religion “ consists of the perversion , that is , of the subversion of the Divine order of creation and of the transgression of the laws given by God.
” Bishop Schneider shows that Freemasonry is satanic and is working against the Catholic Church and Christian society .
He does this with the help of several historical instances , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ example in the Russian Revolution ( Alexander Kerensky ) .
In light of Schneider 's words , it is worth mentioning here that in 2017 , the German historian Dr. Michael Hesemann discovered a historical document – a 1918 letter from Cardinal Felix von Hartmann to the Apostolic Nuncio in Germany , Archbishop Eugenio Pacelli – which warns Rome against the Masonic plan behind the revolution that was taking place in Germany and Russia , among other places , and that was aiming at the fight against monarchies and the Catholic Church .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Emperor William II ] just has let it be known to me ‘ that , according to news that came to him yesterday , the Grand Orient has just decided first to depose all Sovereigns – first of all him , the Emperor – then to destroy ( ? )
the Cathol .
[ olic ] Church , to imprison the pope , etc and , finally , to establish on the ruins of the former bourgeois society a world republic under the leadership of American Big Capital .
The German Freemasons are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Emperor ( which is to be doubted ! )
and they informed him about it .
Also England wants to preserve the current bourgeois order .
France and America , however , are said to be under the full influence of the Grand Orient [ Masonic Lodge ] .
Bolshevism is said to be the external tool to establish the desired conditions .
In the face of such a great danger which threatens in addition to the Monarchy , also the Catholic Church ; it is thus important that the German episcopacy be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warned.
’ So far the message of His Majesty .
I have believed myself to be duty-bound to pass it on to Your Excellency , and I have to leave it up to Your judgment whether You wish to pass this message on to Rome .
The stormy demand of the [ German ] Social Democrats that the Emperor should abdicate gives a certain confirmation to this message .
May God protect us and His Holy Church in this terrible turmoil !
” This historical document , which Dr. Hesemann found in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support in a unique manner Bishop Schneider 's arguments as laid out in his 2017 talk .
More relating to current events , Bishop Schneider is able to prove that Freemasons had leading roles in the Sexual Revolution of the 1960s in France and that Freemasons themselves stated publicly that they are behind France ’ s allowance of same-sex “ marriage , ” euthanasia , and abortion .
Stated Schneider : Finally , Bishop Schneider reminded his audience that , in spite of the overwhelming power of these forces , Christ Himself is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He also urged all to pray for Freemasons who are ensnared in this evil network as it puts their souls at risk .
Schneider further reminded us that the Catholic Church , in a 1983 statement , has made clear her clear condemnation of Freemasonry when she stated : This important and scholarly talk by Bishop Schneider can help us to understand perhaps also current events in Church and in society .
Pope Benedict XVI , when he was still a cardinal , told Dr. Robert Moynihan that he considered Freemasonry to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Additionally , in a 2018 interview with Peter Seewald – which is included in a new biography that was just published in Germany – Pope Benedict also pointed to today 's aggressive pro-abortion and pro-homosexual agenda and spoke here of “ dictatorship ” and of the “ spiritual power of the Anti-Christ.
” “ Today , one is being excommunicated by society if one opposes it [ this agenda ] , ” the retired Pope added .
“ Modern society is in the middle of formulating an anti-Christian creed , and if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ punished by society with excommunication , ” he went on to say .
Here the retired Pope spoke the piercing words about the Anti-Christ : “ The fear of this spiritual power of the Anti-Christ is then only more than natural , and it really needs the help of prayers on the part of an entire diocese and of the Universal Church in order to resist it.
” Below is the full text by Bishop Schneider : In 2017 , Freemasonry had its 300th anniversary of its foundation on June 24 , 1717 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was the result of a reunion of four “ lodges ” or secret societies , which formed then the Great-Lodge of London .
A Protestant clergyman , James Anderson , wrote the first Masonic statutes .
The Catholic Church condemned this association of pseudo-religious background already 20 years after its start with the highest ecclesial punishment , the excommunication .
Why ?
Because Freemasonry is a “ naturalistic religion , ” a mixture of pantheism , gnosis , and “ self-salvation.
” This “ religion ” is only apparently tolerant .
In fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demanding and intolerant [ religion ] .
The Freemasons say about themselves that they would be the “ initiated , ” the “ perfect ” and the “ illuminated ” people .
And the remaining humanity is for them profane , imperfect , and darkened .
The Masonic religion intends independence from the true God , so that the human being stands in the position of God , takes the place of God , and decides about good and evil .
In the first grades of Freemasonry , there is venerated an uncertain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Architect of the Universe , ” who in the higher and then in the highest grades becomes more and more concrete ; in the higher grades this uncertain divinity is identified as the Lucifer , as Satan , as the good god , the adversary of God ; and the true God is here the “ bad God.
” The Church recognizes that Freemasonry is a true and ever more powerful secret society with pseudo-religious content , which was spread very quickly in countless affiliated organizations and often under different names , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in politics , and in the world of finances .
It was Pope Pius VIII who , in 1829 , gave one of the most apt and precise definitions of Freemasonry : “ It is a satanic sect , which has its demon as its god ” ( cf .
Encyclical Traditi humilitati nostrae ) .
The essence of the Masonic religion consists of the perversion , that is , of the subversion of the Divine order of creation and of the transgression of the laws given by God ; the members of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this perversion the “ true progress ” of humanity , the mental building of the temple of humanity .
Instead of God ’ s Revelation , there stands the Masonic secret and the human being makes himself ultimately a god ( cf .
X. Dor , Le Crime contre Dieu , Chiré-en-Montreuil , 2016 , 162 ) .
In fact , Freemasonry is the perfect Anti-Church , where all the theological and moral foundations of the Catholic Church are turned into their opposite !
A Freemason once told his sister the following in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know what we Freemasons are in fact ?
We are the anti-Church.
” Historians recognized in Freemasonry the seed of political totalitarianism ( e.g .
A. Cobban , Historia de las Civilizaciones , quoteted in : A. Bárcena , Iglesia y Masonería , Madrid 2016 , 71 ) .
The confusion and the deceit of it consists in the fact that Freemasonry praises itself with attractive names and definitions , like “ philanthropy , ” “ humanism , ” “ intellectuality , ” “ tolerance , ” and at the same time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ With the refusal of the supernatural Divine Revelation , Freemasonry also rejects the natural law .
This is exactly the point which leads to all totalitarian systems .
Already the Freemason Jean-Jacques Rousseau from Geneva wrote : “ The life of a human being is not only a gift of nature , but a conditioned gift by the state ” ( The Social Contract II , 5 ) .
Political and social anarchism is a phenomenon which mostly embodies the spirit of Freemasonry , since one of their key principles is “ ordo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of chaos ” ] .
This means that one must first create a chaos and then build a new , other order , an order created by men .
In the ritual of the ancient accepted Scottish Rite from the year 1892 , the candidate of the 32rd , the penultimate degree , of Freemasonry , receives the following instruction : “ 1 .
The first ‘ roar of guns ’ came when ( Martin ) Luther put into his mind the rebellion of the reason .
2 .
The second ‘ roar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced in America that every human government receives its authority from the people and only from the people .
3 .
The third ‘ roar of guns ’ was when in France , the ‘ Human Rights ’ in the formulation of ‘ liberty , equality and fraternity ’ were proclaimed ” ( M. Tirado Rojas , La Masoneria en Espana , 1892 , I , 163 ) .
The candidate of the 33rd degree receives this instruction – and the following is a quotation from this same Scottish ritual : “ Neither @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may rule over men , and , since they are annihilating men by depriving men of their most precious rights , we have sworn to do terrible vengeance .
They ( law , property and religion ) are enemies against whom we have sworn implacable war at any price .
From these three infamous enemies the religion must be the permanent object of our deadly assaults .
When we have destroyed the religion , we shall have the law and the property at our disposal and we can regenerate the society by means @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Masonic law and the Masonic property on top of the corpses of those murderers ” ( ibid.
, 169-170 ) .
According to the Masonic ritual , the word “ religion ” refers to the Christian , more concretely to the Catholic religion .
It is known that European Freemasonry , and in particular Alexander Kerensky , the Grand Master of the “ Grand Orient ” of Russia , supported logistically and politically the October Revolution of 1917 , in the year of the 200th anniversary of the foundation of Freemasonry .
Lenin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tolerate any kind of rivalry .
Therefore , they forbade traditional Freemasonry in the Soviet Union .
At the Third Congress of the Communist International [ party ] in 1921 , traditional Freemasonry received the following significant assessment : “ Freemasonry reminds us , through its rites , of religious customs .
However , we know that every religion suppresses people .
Freemasonry represents a social power and because of the secretive nature of its meetings and the absolute secrecy of its members , it is a ‘ state within the state.
’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on RAI2 ( Italian Television Media ) , Giuliano Di Bernando , who was the Grand Master of the Masonic lodge GLRI ( Gran Loggia Regolare d ’ Italia ) in the years 1990-1993 , spoke the following significant words about the religious character of Freemasonry : “ One becomes a Freemason through initiation .
The initiation is a constitutive act through which the human being is given a dimension , which he did not have before .
An analogy we find in Baptism .
One is not born a Christian , one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same manner , one becomes a Freemason through initiation .
That means that one remains a Freemason for the whole life ; even if someone later rejects Freemasonry , he remains nevertheless a Freemason .
Even if one is sleeping , if one is an enemy of Freemasonry , one remains a Freemason , because one has received the initiation .
And the initiation is a holy act.
” Freemasonry supported also the so-called “ Sexual Revolution ” of 1968 .
The two Grand Masters of the two largest Masonic organizations in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , were actively engaged with some of their members in the Paris student revolts of May 1968 .
The said Grand Master Pierre Simon became then assessor of the minister Simone Veil , who legalized abortion in France .
In 2012 the Paris Newspaper Le Figaro published a comprehensive dossier about Freemasonry , and Le Figaro let top members of Freemasonry speak in its newspaper forum .
One of these Masonic officials openly stated that the laws legalizing abortion , the so-called “ same-sex marriage ” or “ marriage for all , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Masonic “ laboratories ” and then , with the help of lobbying and through their members in parliament and in the government , pushed through the legislation .
This can be read in the newspaper Le Figaro from the year 2012 ( supplément LE FIGARO , 20-21 Juillet 2012 ) .
Because of its precision , the following analysis given in 1894 by Pope Leo XIII about the essence , the principles and the actions of Freemasonry , can be hardly surpassed and it remains fully valid : “ There is likewise a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of that association which goes by the name of Freemasons , whose fatal influence for a long time past oppresses Catholic nations in particular .
Favored by the agitations of the times , and waxing insolent in its power and resources and success , it strains every nerve to consolidate its sway and enlarge its sphere .
It has already sallied forth from its hiding-places , where it hatched its plots , into the throng of cities , and as if to defy the Almighty , has set up its throne in this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Catholic world .
But what is most disastrous is that , wherever it has set its foot it penetrates into all ranks and departments of the commonwealth , in the hope of obtaining at last supreme control .
This is , indeed , a great calamity : for its depraved principles and iniquitous designs are well known .
Under the pretense of vindicating the rights of man and of reconstituting society , it attacks Christianity ; it rejects revealed Doctrine , denounces practices of Piety , the Divine Sacraments , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strives to eliminate the Christian character from marriage and the family and the education of youth , and from every form of instruction , whether public or private , and to root out from the minds of men all respect for authority , whether human or Divine .
On its own part , it preaches the worship of nature , and maintains that by the principles of nature truth and probity and justice are to be measured and regulated .
In this way , as is quite evident , man is being driven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ akin to those of the heathen , only more corrupt in proportion as the incentives to sin are more numerous ” ( Apostolic Letter Praeclara gratulationis ) .
One of the most cunning , and therefore satanic manners of the fight of Freemasonry against its arch-enemy , that is , against the Catholic Church , consists of the infiltration into the Church .
The following excerpt , recognized by many historians as authentic and quoted by Bishop Rudolf Graber ( in his book Athanasius and the Church of Our Time ) , from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Alta Vendita , ” a kind of Government Centre of European Freemasonry in the 19th century , illustrates this truth .
Here follows a quotation from the “ Permanent Instruction of the Alta Vendita ” : “ The Pope , whoever he is , will never come to the secret societies ; it is up to the secret societies to take the first step toward the Church , with the aim of conquering both of them .
The task that we are going to undertake is not the work of a day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a year ; it may last several years , perhaps a century , but in our ranks the soldier dies and the struggle goes on .
We do not intend to win the Popes to our cause , to make them neophytes of our principles , propagators of our ideas .
That would be a ridiculous dream ; and if events turn out in some way , if Cardinals or prelates , for example , of their own free will or by surprise , should enter into a part of our secrets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incentive for desiring their elevation to the See of Peter .
That elevation would ruin us .
Ambition alone would have led them to apostasy , the requirements of power would force them to sacrifice us .
What we must ask for , what we should look for and wait for , as the Jews wait for the Messiah , is a Pope according to our needs ... Now then , to assure ourselves a Pope of the required dimensions , it is a question first of shaping him ... for this Pope @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we are dreaming of .
Leave old people and those of a mature age aside ; go to the youth , and if it is possible , even to the children .
You will contrive for yourselves , at little cost , a reputation as good Catholics and pure patriots .
This reputation will put access to our doctrines into the midst of the young clergy , as well as deeply into the monasteries .
In a few years , by the force of things , this young clergy will have overrun - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sovereign 's council , they will be called to choose a Pontiff who should reign .
And this Pontiff , like most of his contemporaries , will be necessarily more or less imbued with the Italian and , humanitarian principles that we are going to begin to put into circulation .
Let the Clergy march under your standard , always believing that they are marching under the banner of the Apostolic keys .
You intend to make the last vestige of tyrants and the oppressors disappear ; lay your snares ( nets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the sacristies , the seminaries , and the monasteries rather than at the bottom of the sea : and if you do not hurry , we promise you a catch more miraculous than his .
You will bring friends around the Apostolic Chair .
You will have preached a revolution in tiara and in cope , marching with the cross and the banner , a revolution that will need to be only a little bit urged on to set fire to the four corners of the world ” ( originally in : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Paris 1910 , Tome III , pp .
1040-1046 .
The full text of “ The Permanent Instruction of the Alta Vendita ” is also published in : Msgr .
Dillon , Grand Orient Freemasonry Unmasked , Dublin 1885 , pp .
51-56 ) .
That this statement is not invented can be proven with the following quotation of a leading Italian Modernist , who in 1905 wrote in his book : “ We want to organize our action [ to be ] more target-oriented : A Catholic Freemasonry ?
Yes , exactly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ One should work towards the aim , to reform Roman Catholicism by a progressivist , theosophical sense , through a pope , who will let himself be convinced by these ideas ” ( A. Fogazzaro , Il Santo , Milano , 1905 , p. 44 e 22 ) .
The facts are showing sufficiently that Freemasonry is the greatest thinkable contrast to the Catholic religion .
Therefore , in 1983 the Church gave the following , and still valid , declaration , namely through the Congregation of Doctrine of Faith : The power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ society has reached nowadays its peak , wherein Freemasonry is spreading throughout the entire human society an ideology of destruction of life with the help of abortion and euthanasia .
The concept and the reality of the family is undergoing a process of destruction through the brainwashing with the gender ideology , enacted by the state .
Every person who is still thinking by himself , and overall every Christian , must – as much as possible – give resistance and defend common sense and the Divine law , even at the price @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Christians we have to know that Christ the Victor over all evil in this world , that God , and not Freemasonry , is the Lord of history .
We belong to the community of the victors , even if the enemies of Christ , Freemasonry , are looking at us as the defeated ones .
Our Catholic Faith is stronger than all the perverse figments of fantasy and intrigues of the Masonic religion .
We only fear God !
However , at the same time we shall have , from the bottom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the members of Freemasonry , because they became victims of an immense deceit .
A Freemason is ultimately the utmost unfree human being , whose eternal salvation of his soul is most endangered .
May inside the Church a movement grow up to save the souls of Masons , who are our fellow human beings .
This should be done foremost through the prayer of the Rosary and the veneration of the Immaculate Heart of Mary .
Her Immaculate Heart will triumph , as she told us in Fatima ; it will triumph @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through Mary God will give to humanity and to His Church a time of peace .

Bishop Schneider gave this speech on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the founding of Freemasonry in 1717 in England and has kindly granted LifeSiteNews permission to publish it.
PETITION: No to mandatory vaccination for the coronavirus Sign the petition here.
May 8, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – In a speech that he gave in 2017 to the Pontifical Foundation Kirche in Not (Aid to the Church in Need) in Germany, Bishop Athanasius Schneider presented the history and main characteristics of Freemasonry. In his presentation, he makes it clear that Masonry is forming an “anti-Church” and has, in its higher degrees, a satanic orientation.
Bishop Schneider gave this speech on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the founding of Freemasonry in 1717 in England. He kindly provided LifeSiteNews with an English translation of his manuscript and gave us permission to publish it.
In his presentation, the prelate made it clear that Freemasonry is working against the Catholic Church and that its higher degrees are committed to worship Satan. He writes:
“In the first grades of Freemasonry, there is venerated an uncertain and nebulous divinity as the ‘Great Architect of the Universe,’ who in the higher and then in the highest grades becomes more and more concrete; in the higher grades this uncertain divinity is identified as the Lucifer, as Satan, as the good god, the adversary of God; and the true God is here the ‘bad God.’”
Freemasonry, Schneider continues, is a “naturalistic religion,” a mixture of pantheism, gnosis, and “self-salvation”; however, this “religion” is only “apparently tolerant.” But in reality, Freemasonry is an “utmost demanding and intolerant” religion. This intolerance stems finally from the satanic traits of higher Freemasonry, as Bishop Schneider explained.
In lower grades of Freemasonry, “there is venerated an uncertain and nebulous divinity as the ‘Great Architect of the Universe,’ who in the higher and then in the highest grades becomes more and more concrete; in the higher grades this uncertain divinity is identified as the Lucifer, as Satan, as the good god, the adversary of God; and the true God is here the ‘bad God.’”
The German prelate further explained that Freemasonry is the “anti-Church.” He then quoted Pope Pius VIII who, in 1829, said about Freemasonry: “It is a satanic sect, which has its demon as its god.” The essence of the Masonic religion “consists of the perversion, that is, of the subversion of the Divine order of creation and of the transgression of the laws given by God.”
Bishop Schneider shows that Freemasonry is satanic and is working against the Catholic Church and Christian society. He does this with the help of several historical instances, where Freemasons were in leading figures, for example in the Russian Revolution (Alexander Kerensky).
In light of Schneider’s words, it is worth mentioning here that in 2017, the German historian Dr. Michael Hesemann discovered a historical document – a 1918 letter from Cardinal Felix von Hartmann to the Apostolic Nuncio in Germany, Archbishop Eugenio Pacelli – which warns Rome against the Masonic plan behind the revolution that was taking place in Germany and Russia, among other places, and that was aiming at the fight against monarchies and the Catholic Church.
Von Hartmann wrote on November 8, 1918:
“His Majesty the Emperor [German Emperor William II] just has let it be known to me ‘that, according to news that came to him yesterday, the Grand Orient has just decided first to depose all Sovereigns – first of all him, the Emperor – then to destroy (?) the Cathol.[olic] Church, to imprison the pope, etc and, finally, to establish on the ruins of the former bourgeois society a world republic under the leadership of American Big Capital. The German Freemasons are purportedly loyal to the [German] Emperor (which is to be doubted!) and they informed him about it. Also England wants to preserve the current bourgeois order. France and America, however, are said to be under the full influence of the Grand Orient [Masonic Lodge]. Bolshevism is said to be the external tool to establish the desired conditions. In the face of such a great danger which threatens in addition to the Monarchy, also the Catholic Church; it is thus important that the German episcopacy be informed and that also the pope be warned.’ So far the message of His Majesty. I have believed myself to be duty-bound to pass it on to Your Excellency, and I have to leave it up to Your judgment whether You wish to pass this message on to Rome. The stormy demand of the [German] Social Democrats that the Emperor should abdicate gives a certain confirmation to this message. May God protect us and His Holy Church in this terrible turmoil!”
This historical document, which Dr. Hesemann found in the Vatican’s Secret Archives, can support in a unique manner Bishop Schneider’s arguments as laid out in his 2017 talk.
More relating to current events, Bishop Schneider is able to prove that Freemasons had leading roles in the Sexual Revolution of the 1960s in France and that Freemasons themselves stated publicly that they are behind France’s allowance of same-sex “marriage,” euthanasia, and abortion. Stated Schneider:
“In 2012 the Parish Newspaper Le Figaro published a comprehensive dossier about Freemasonry, and Le Figaro let top members of Freemasonry speak in its newspaper forum. One of these Masonic officials openly stated that the laws legalizing abortion, the so-called ‘same-sex marriage’ or ‘marriage for all,’ and euthanasia were prepared in the idealistic Masonic ‘laboratories’ and then, with the help of lobbying and through their members in parliament and in the government, pushed through the legislation.”
Finally, Bishop Schneider reminded his audience that, in spite of the overwhelming power of these forces, Christ Himself is the Victor and Lord of history. He also urged all to pray for Freemasons who are ensnared in this evil network as it puts their souls at risk. Schneider further reminded us that the Catholic Church, in a 1983 statement, has made clear her clear condemnation of Freemasonry when she stated:
“The Church’s negative judgment in regard to Masonic association remains unchanged since their principles have always been considered irreconcilable with the doctrine of the Church and therefore membership in them remains forbidden. The faithful who enroll in Masonic associations are in a state of grave sin and may not receive Holy Communion.”
This important and scholarly talk by Bishop Schneider can help us to understand perhaps also current events in Church and in society. Pope Benedict XVI, when he was still a cardinal, told Dr. Robert Moynihan that he considered Freemasonry to be the largest threat to the Catholic Church.
Additionally, in a 2018 interview with Peter Seewald – which is included in a new biography that was just published in Germany – Pope Benedict also pointed to today’s aggressive pro-abortion and pro-homosexual agenda and spoke here of “dictatorship” and of the “spiritual power of the Anti-Christ.”
“Today, one is being excommunicated by society if one opposes it [this agenda],” the retired Pope added. “Modern society is in the middle of formulating an anti-Christian creed, and if one opposes it, one is being punished by society with excommunication,” he went on to say.
Here the retired Pope spoke the piercing words about the Anti-Christ: “The fear of this spiritual power of the Anti-Christ is then only more than natural, and it really needs the help of prayers on the part of an entire diocese and of the Universal Church in order to resist it.”
Below is the full text by Bishop Schneider:
The True Face of Freemasonry
In 2017, Freemasonry had its 300th anniversary of its foundation on June 24, 1717. According to official reports, it was the result of a reunion of four “lodges” or secret societies, which formed then the Great-Lodge of London. A Protestant clergyman, James Anderson, wrote the first Masonic statutes.
The Catholic Church condemned this association of pseudo-religious background already 20 years after its start with the highest ecclesial punishment, the excommunication. Why? Because Freemasonry is a “naturalistic religion,” a mixture of pantheism, gnosis, and “self-salvation.” This “religion” is only apparently tolerant. In fact, it is [an] utmost demanding and intolerant [religion]. The Freemasons say about themselves that they would be the “initiated,” the “perfect” and the “illuminated” people. And the remaining humanity is for them profane, imperfect, and darkened.
The Masonic religion intends independence from the true God, so that the human being stands in the position of God, takes the place of God, and decides about good and evil.
In the first grades of Freemasonry, there is venerated an uncertain and nebulous divinity as the “Great Architect of the Universe,” who in the higher and then in the highest grades becomes more and more concrete; in the higher grades this uncertain divinity is identified as the Lucifer, as Satan, as the good god, the adversary of God; and the true God is here the “bad God.”
The Church recognizes that Freemasonry is a true and ever more powerful secret society with pseudo-religious content, which was spread very quickly in countless affiliated organizations and often under different names, which penetrated foremost powerful levels in society, in politics, and in the world of finances.
It was Pope Pius VIII who, in 1829, gave one of the most apt and precise definitions of Freemasonry: “It is a satanic sect, which has its demon as its god” (cf. Encyclical Traditi humilitati nostrae). The essence of the Masonic religion consists of the perversion, that is, of the subversion of the Divine order of creation and of the transgression of the laws given by God; the members of Freemasonry in its higher degrees see in this perversion the “true progress” of humanity, the mental building of the temple of humanity. Instead of God’s Revelation, there stands the Masonic secret and the human being makes himself ultimately a god (cf. X. Dor, Le Crime contre Dieu, Chiré-en-Montreuil, 2016, 162). In fact, Freemasonry is the perfect Anti-Church, where all the theological and moral foundations of the Catholic Church are turned into their opposite! A Freemason once told his sister the following in a private talk: “Do you know what we Freemasons are in fact? We are the anti-Church.”
Historians recognized in Freemasonry the seed of political totalitarianism (e.g. A. Cobban, Historia de las Civilizaciones, quoteted in: A. Bárcena, Iglesia y Masonería, Madrid 2016, 71). The confusion and the deceit of it consists in the fact that Freemasonry praises itself with attractive names and definitions, like “philanthropy,” “humanism,” “intellectuality,” “tolerance,” and at the same time, Freemasonry masks itself with these names.
With the refusal of the supernatural Divine Revelation, Freemasonry also rejects the natural law. This is exactly the point which leads to all totalitarian systems. Already the Freemason Jean-Jacques Rousseau from Geneva wrote: “The life of a human being is not only a gift of nature, but a conditioned gift by the state” (The Social Contract II, 5).
Political and social anarchism is a phenomenon which mostly embodies the spirit of Freemasonry, since one of their key principles is “ordo ab chao” [“order out of chaos”]. This means that one must first create a chaos and then build a new, other order, an order created by men. In the ritual of the ancient accepted Scottish Rite from the year 1892, the candidate of the 32rd, the penultimate degree, of Freemasonry, receives the following instruction: “1. The first ‘roar of guns’ came when (Martin) Luther put into his mind the rebellion of the reason. 2. The second ‘roar of guns’ came when it was announced in America that every human government receives its authority from the people and only from the people. 3. The third ‘roar of guns’ was when in France, the ‘Human Rights’ in the formulation of ‘liberty, equality and fraternity’ were proclaimed” (M. Tirado Rojas, La Masoneria en Espana, 1892, I, 163).
The candidate of the 33rd degree receives this instruction – and the following is a quotation from this same Scottish ritual: “Neither law nor the property nor the religion may rule over men, and, since they are annihilating men by depriving men of their most precious rights, we have sworn to do terrible vengeance. They (law, property and religion) are enemies against whom we have sworn implacable war at any price. From these three infamous enemies the religion must be the permanent object of our deadly assaults. When we have destroyed the religion, we shall have the law and the property at our disposal and we can regenerate the society by means of building the Masonic religion and the Masonic law and the Masonic property on top of the corpses of those murderers” (ibid., 169-170). According to the Masonic ritual, the word “religion” refers to the Christian, more concretely to the Catholic religion.
It is known that European Freemasonry, and in particular Alexander Kerensky, the Grand Master of the “Grand Orient” of Russia, supported logistically and politically the October Revolution of 1917, in the year of the 200th anniversary of the foundation of Freemasonry. Lenin and the new Communist leaders did not tolerate any kind of rivalry. Therefore, they forbade traditional Freemasonry in the Soviet Union. At the Third Congress of the Communist International [party] in 1921, traditional Freemasonry received the following significant assessment: “Freemasonry reminds us, through its rites, of religious customs. However, we know that every religion suppresses people. Freemasonry represents a social power and because of the secretive nature of its meetings and the absolute secrecy of its members, it is a ‘state within the state.’”
On April 11, 2001, on RAI2 (Italian Television Media), Giuliano Di Bernando, who was the Grand Master of the Masonic lodge GLRI (Gran Loggia Regolare d’Italia) in the years 1990-1993, spoke the following significant words about the religious character of Freemasonry: “One becomes a Freemason through initiation. The initiation is a constitutive act through which the human being
is given a dimension, which he did not have before. An analogy we find in Baptism. One is not born a Christian, one becomes a Christian through Baptism. In the same manner, one becomes a Freemason through initiation. That means that one remains a Freemason for the whole life; even if someone later rejects Freemasonry, he remains nevertheless a Freemason. Even if one is sleeping, if one is an enemy of Freemasonry, one remains a Freemason, because one has received the initiation. And the initiation is a holy act.”
Freemasonry supported also the so-called “Sexual Revolution” of 1968. The two Grand Masters of the two largest Masonic organizations in France, Frédéric Zeller and Pierre Simon, were actively engaged with some of their members in the Paris student revolts of May 1968. The said Grand Master Pierre Simon became then assessor of the minister Simone Veil, who legalized abortion in France.
In 2012 the Paris Newspaper Le Figaro published a comprehensive dossier about Freemasonry, and Le Figaro let top members of Freemasonry speak in its newspaper forum. One of these Masonic officials openly stated that the laws legalizing abortion, the so-called “same-sex marriage” or “marriage for all,” and euthanasia were prepared in the idealistic Masonic “laboratories” and then, with the help of lobbying and through their members in parliament and in the government, pushed through the legislation. This can be read in the newspaper Le Figaro from the year 2012 (supplément LE FIGARO, 20-21 Juillet 2012).
Because of its precision, the following analysis given in 1894 by Pope Leo XIII about the essence, the principles and the actions of Freemasonry, can be hardly surpassed and it remains fully valid:
“There is likewise a great danger threatening unity on the part of that association which goes by the name of Freemasons, whose fatal influence for a long time past oppresses Catholic nations in particular. Favored by the agitations of the times, and waxing insolent in its power and resources and success, it strains every nerve to consolidate its sway and enlarge its sphere. It has already sallied forth from its hiding-places, where it hatched its plots, into the throng of cities, and as if to defy the Almighty, has set up its throne in this very city of Rome, the Capital of the Catholic world. But what is most disastrous is that, wherever it has set its foot it penetrates into all ranks and departments of the commonwealth, in the hope of obtaining at last supreme control. This is, indeed, a great calamity: for its depraved principles and iniquitous designs are well known. Under the pretense of vindicating the rights of man and of reconstituting society, it attacks Christianity; it rejects revealed Doctrine, denounces practices of Piety, the Divine Sacraments, and every Sacred thing as superstition; it strives to eliminate the Christian character from marriage and the family and the education of youth, and from every form of instruction, whether public or private, and to root out from the minds of men all respect for authority, whether human or Divine. On its own part, it preaches the worship of nature, and maintains that by the principles of nature truth and probity and justice are to be measured and regulated. In this way, as is quite evident, man is being driven to adopt customs and habits of life akin to those of the heathen, only more corrupt in proportion as the incentives to sin are more numerous” (Apostolic Letter Praeclara gratulationis).
One of the most cunning, and therefore satanic manners of the fight of Freemasonry against its arch-enemy, that is, against the Catholic Church, consists of the infiltration into the Church. The following excerpt, recognized by many historians as authentic and quoted by Bishop Rudolf Graber (in his book Athanasius and the Church of Our Time), from the “Instructions” of the so-called “Alta Vendita,” a kind of Government Centre of European Freemasonry in the 19th century, illustrates this truth. Here follows a quotation from the “Permanent Instruction of the Alta Vendita”:
“The Pope, whoever he is, will never come to the secret societies; it is up to the secret societies to take the first step toward the Church, with the aim of conquering both of them. The task that we are going to undertake is not the work of a day, or of a month, or of a year; it may last several years, perhaps a century, but in our ranks the soldier dies and the struggle goes on. We do not intend to win the Popes to our cause, to make them neophytes of our principles, propagators of our ideas. That would be a ridiculous dream; and if events turn out in some way, if Cardinals or prelates, for example, of their own free will or by surprise, should enter into a part of our secrets, this is not at all an incentive for desiring their elevation to the See of Peter. That elevation would ruin us. Ambition alone would have led them to apostasy, the requirements of power would force them to sacrifice us. What we must ask for, what we should look for and wait for, as the Jews wait for the Messiah, is a Pope according to our needs… Now then, to assure ourselves a Pope of the required dimensions, it is a question first of shaping him… for this Pope, a generation worthy of the reign we are dreaming of. Leave old people and those of a mature age aside; go to the youth, and if it is possible, even to the children. You will contrive for yourselves, at little cost, a reputation as good Catholics and pure patriots. This reputation will put access to our doctrines into the midst of the young clergy, as well as deeply into the monasteries. In a few years, by the force of things, this young clergy will have overrun – all the functions; they will form the sovereign’s council, they will be called to choose a Pontiff who should reign. And this Pontiff, like most of his contemporaries, will be necessarily more or less imbued with the Italian and, humanitarian principles that we are going to begin to put into circulation. Let the Clergy march under your standard, always believing that they are marching under the banner of the Apostolic keys. You intend to make the last vestige of tyrants and the oppressors disappear; lay your snares (nets) like Simon Bar-Jona; lay them in the sacristies, the seminaries, and the monasteries rather than at the bottom of the sea: and if you do not hurry, we promise you a catch more miraculous than his. You will bring friends around the Apostolic Chair. You will have preached a revolution in tiara and in cope, marching with the cross and the banner, a revolution that will need to be only a little bit urged on to set fire to the four corners of the world” (originally in: Msgr. Delassus, Conjuration antichrétienne, Paris 1910, Tome III, pp. 1040-1046. The full text of “The Permanent Instruction of the Alta Vendita” is also published in: Msgr. Dillon, Grand Orient Freemasonry Unmasked, Dublin 1885, pp. 51-56).
That this statement is not invented can be proven with the following quotation of a leading Italian Modernist, who in 1905 wrote in his book: “We want to organize our action [to be] more target-oriented: A Catholic Freemasonry? Yes, exactly, a Freemasonry of the catacombs. One should work towards the aim, to reform Roman Catholicism by a progressivist, theosophical sense, through a pope, who will let himself be convinced by these ideas” (A. Fogazzaro, Il Santo, Milano, 1905, p. 44 e 22). The facts are showing sufficiently that Freemasonry is the greatest thinkable contrast to the Catholic religion. Therefore, in 1983 the Church gave the following, and still valid, declaration, namely through the Congregation of Doctrine of Faith:
“The Church’s negative judgment in regard to Masonic association remains unchanged since their principles have always been considered irreconcilable with the doctrine of the Church and therefore membership in them remains forbidden. The faithful who enroll in Masonic associations are in a state of grave sin and may not receive Holy Communion.”
The power of the Masonic ideology in politics and society has reached nowadays its peak, wherein Freemasonry is spreading throughout the entire human society an ideology of destruction of life with the help of abortion and euthanasia. The concept and the reality of the family is undergoing a process of destruction through the brainwashing with the gender ideology, enacted by the state. Every person who is still thinking by himself, and overall every Christian, must – as much as possible – give resistance and defend common sense and the Divine law, even at the price of suffering and of disadvantages.
As Christians we have to know that Christ the Victor over all evil in this world, that God, and not Freemasonry, is the Lord of history. We belong to the community of the victors, even if the enemies of Christ, Freemasonry, are looking at us as the defeated ones. Our Catholic Faith is stronger than all the perverse figments of fantasy and intrigues of the Masonic religion. We only fear God!
However, at the same time we shall have, from the bottom of our hearts, true compassion with the members of Freemasonry, because they became victims of an immense deceit. A Freemason is ultimately the utmost unfree human being, whose eternal salvation of his soul is most endangered. May inside the Church a movement grow up to save the souls of Masons, who are our fellow human beings. This should be done foremost through the prayer of the Rosary and the veneration of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Her Immaculate Heart will triumph, as she told us in Fatima; it will triumph also over Freemasonry and Communism. And through Mary God will give to humanity and to His Church a time of peace.
Follow Maike Dr. Maike Hickson was born and raised in Germany. She holds a PhD from the University of Hannover, Germany, after having written in Switzerland her doctoral dissertation on the history of Swiss intellectuals before and during World War II. She now lives in the U.S. and is married to Dr. Robert Hickson, and they have been blessed with two beautiful children. She is a happy housewife who likes to write articles when time permits. Dr. Hickson published in 2014 a Festschrift, a collection of some thirty essays written by thoughtful authors in honor of her husband upon his 70th birthday, which is entitled A Catholic Witness in Our Time. Hickson has closely followed the papacy of Pope Francis and the developments in the Catholic Church in Germany, and she has been writing articles on religion and politics for U.S. and European publications and websites such as LifeSiteNews, OnePeterFive, The Wanderer, Rorate Caeli, Catholicism.org, Catholic Family News, Christian Order, Notizie Pro-Vita, Corrispondenza Romana, Katholisches.info, Der Dreizehnte, Zeit-Fragen, and Westfalen-Blatt.
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lifesitenews--2020-05-08--Conservative Party leadership candidate Sloan vows to ban ‘sex-change surgery’ for kids

May 8 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Derek Sloan , a candidate for the leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada , recently announced in an email on May 4th that , if elected as Prime Minister , he will “ propose legislation that will outlaw transgender surgery for children across Canada.
” Sloan ’ s promise followed British Prime Minister Boris Johnson ’ s move to outlaw sex-change surgeries for minors .
In an earlier email on May 2nd , Sloan declared , regarding Johnson ’ s move , that it was , “ refreshing to hear that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ standing up to protect children from the mere possibility of having their lives unalterably destroyed by undergoing procedures , abetted by adults , that would do just that.
” UK Minister for Women and Equalities in the Conservative government of Prime Minister Boris Johnson , Liz Truss , said that this decision to ban sex-change operations for minors would protect children , “ from decisions that they could make , that are irreversible in the future.
” It is noteworthy that Johnson , a known LGBT supporter , has made this decision to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minors .
Sloan congratulated Johnson on his decision , saying , “ Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been known as something of a social liberal throughout his political career , so this is a welcome surprise .
It ’ s great to see him stand up to protect children from the possibility of having their lives unalterably destroyed by undergoing irreversible procedures.
” Many ex-transgenders have come forward regretting their sex-change surgeries , explaining that the procedure did not fulfill them in the way that they were led to believe ( see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
One man , Robert John Wenman , who lived as a woman for 18 years , regretted his sex-change operation and appealed to the Canadian government not to ban conversion therapy saying , “ I fear if this bill is passed , it will prevent LGBTQ people who are struggling with mental health issues from getting much-needed help.
” Sloan noted the importance of protecting children from decisions that could have problematic lifelong effects .
He challenged the Liberal government , saying , “ Studies reveal that over 80 % of children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with their ‘ birth sex ’ by the age of 18 .
Knowing this , why are Canadian governments encouraging children to have gender-altering surgery ?
” He also stated , “ Our present federal Liberal government is a proponent of the radical left-wing gender ideology that informs tragic mistakes such as those procedures.
” There have been several public instances in Canada where children receive both hormones and sex-change operations before they reach the age of majority .
For example , in British Columbia , a father is fighting the courts in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off of hormones .
The Liberal Government recently proposed Bill C-8 , which proposes to jail parents who oppose their child ’ s transition .
Sloan condemned Bill C-8 , saying , “ Trudeau ’ s Bill C-16 enshrined gender ideology into the Canadian Human Rights Act .
The recently proposed Bill C-8 will make it possible for Canadian parents to be jailed simply for trying to help their children deal with issues of gender dysphoria .
This is the Liberals ’ so-called ‘ Conversion Therapy Ban ’ bill.
” He went on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activists , helping a child accept the body they were born with is criminalized as ‘ conversion therapy ’ , while giving that same child artificial hormones and plastic surgery to mutilate them is celebrated as ‘ gender affirmation.
’ ” Sloan promised to vote against Bill C-8 saying , “ I will go to the wall to defend the rights of parents to defend their children against any and all legislative fruits of radical social leftists.
” In conclusion , Sloan appealed to Canadians by asking them , “ Do you agree @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without apology , from undergoing life-altering invasive sex-change procedures is essential ?
” The Conservative Party Leadership race was suspended due to coronavirus , but is now back on .
The final date for the race is August 21st .
Campaign Life Coalition , Canada ’ s political arm of the pro-life and pro-family movement , is encouraging people over the age of 14 to obtain membership in the party by May 15th in order to vote for the new leader .

'Our present federal Liberal government is a proponent of the radical left-wing gender ideology that informs tragic mistakes such as those procedures'
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May 8, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Derek Sloan, a candidate for the leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada, recently announced in an email on May 4th that, if elected as Prime Minister, he will “propose legislation that will outlaw transgender surgery for children across Canada.”
Sloan’s promise followed British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s move to outlaw sex-change surgeries for minors. In an earlier email on May 2nd, Sloan declared, regarding Johnson’s move, that it was, “refreshing to hear that those in power in the UK are standing up to protect children from the mere possibility of having their lives unalterably destroyed by undergoing procedures, abetted by adults, that would do just that.”
UK Minister for Women and Equalities in the Conservative government of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, said that this decision to ban sex-change operations for minors would protect children, “from decisions that they could make, that are irreversible in the future.” It is noteworthy that Johnson, a known LGBT supporter, has made this decision to protect children by outlawing sex-change surgery for minors.
Sloan congratulated Johnson on his decision, saying, “Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been known as something of a social liberal throughout his political career, so this is a welcome surprise. It’s great to see him stand up to protect children from the possibility of having their lives unalterably destroyed by undergoing irreversible procedures.”
Many ex-transgenders have come forward regretting their sex-change surgeries, explaining that the procedure did not fulfill them in the way that they were led to believe (see here, here, and here). One man, Robert John Wenman, who lived as a woman for 18 years, regretted his sex-change operation and appealed to the Canadian government not to ban conversion therapy saying, “I fear if this bill is passed, it will prevent LGBTQ people who are struggling with mental health issues from getting much-needed help.”
Sloan noted the importance of protecting children from decisions that could have problematic lifelong effects. He challenged the Liberal government, saying, “Studies reveal that over 80% of children who question their gender end up identifying with their ‘birth sex’ by the age of 18. Knowing this, why are Canadian governments encouraging children to have gender-altering surgery?”
He also stated, “Our present federal Liberal government is a proponent of the radical left-wing gender ideology that informs tragic mistakes such as those procedures.”
There have been several public instances in Canada where children receive both hormones and sex-change operations before they reach the age of majority. For example, in British Columbia, a father is fighting the courts in an attempt to take his 14-year-old child off of hormones.
The Liberal Government recently proposed Bill C-8, which proposes to jail parents who oppose their child’s transition. Sloan condemned Bill C-8, saying, “Trudeau’s Bill C-16 enshrined gender ideology into the Canadian Human Rights Act. The recently proposed Bill C-8 will make it possible for Canadian parents to be jailed simply for trying to help their children deal with issues of gender dysphoria. This is the Liberals’ so-called ‘Conversion Therapy Ban’ bill.”
He went on to say, “To radical social activists, helping a child accept the body they were born with is criminalized as ‘conversion therapy’, while giving that same child artificial hormones and plastic surgery to mutilate them is celebrated as ‘gender affirmation.’”
Sloan promised to vote against Bill C-8 saying, “I will go to the wall to defend the rights of parents to defend their children against any and all legislative fruits of radical social leftists.”
In conclusion, Sloan appealed to Canadians by asking them, “Do you agree with me that protecting innocent children, without apology, from undergoing life-altering invasive sex-change procedures is essential?”
The Conservative Party Leadership race was suspended due to coronavirus, but is now back on. The final date for the race is August 21st. Campaign Life Coalition, Canada’s political arm of the pro-life and pro-family movement, is encouraging people over the age of 14 to obtain membership in the party by May 15th in order to vote for the new leader.
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